Preface: Would it shock anyone....the thought that an actual enemy of Christ.....might come in sheep's clothing? No....that's not the problem.....we acknowledge that....the problem is that for an enemy of Christ to come in sheep's clothing.....that that alone indicates that there must have been some delusion involved. No one is going to come into the church and say.....'hello....I'm an enemy of Christ....and a false prophet....won't you let me lead you astray?' We....evangelicals....generally believe that God has given us Donald Trump to fight the forces of destruction in our country. The fact that he himself is and has always been a force of destruction in other people's lives is not relevant to us. I don't think that deep down within he gives a hoot about abortion or marriage or Israel or anything else directly related to the evangelical wing of his base. Using only his words and his promises....it would appear that I could be wrong...and indeed if he can swing it he will indeed give us progress in these areas...but taking his whole life into consideration....right up until he started with those words and promises....there is a big tail dragging along out from under that sheep's clothing. I am not conclusively saying that he is purposely an enemy of Christ....or even that he cannot in time change....(although there is absolutely no hint of that)....but I am saying that he is a false prophet that has entered the church through his evangelical base...."We are one glorious nation under God....whose best days are yet to come.....and we are going to keep on winning...winning...winning." All things considered....his lifelong propensity to lie and deceive and cheat....(propensity being an understatement)....and his growing tendencies towards authoritarianism....with an iron fist....it is at best unwise....and at worst....irresponsible....to not only refuse to read about him....or critique him apart from the Democrat alternative....(the fear of which drives people to him)....but to offer to him four additional years to bring out the worst in all of us....opponents....supporters.....everyone.
President Trump's tweeting made it very clear to some who were on trial that he might just have their back if they held firm....(obstruction of justice) As for Roger Stone....when the President's Justice Department interfered in the sentencing....four top prosecutors resigned in protest. Today the President commuted the more lenient sentence anyway....and as Paul Manafort serves his sentence in home confinement.....Michael Cohen was hauled back to jail....his writing of a book being a chief issue....Lt. Col. Vindman was purged out of the army....and Trump continues a tweet storm on why senior members of intelligence agencies are not in jail....(after decades of profiling a potential Russian patsy....they bent rules attempting to warn us....and he wants them in jail)....all this as evangelicals....having long ago given up the higher ground....are probably thanking God today that no one will see Donald Trump's tax returns before the election. Republicans have about six weeks to come to grips with an additional four years of President Trump....and pressure him to bow out. As for us....it might serve us well to recall Martin Niemoller's famous quote in poetic form.... for Trump is going after all his enemies....and one day may be going after us....
"First they came for the the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me."
Trump And Israel
It's a big deal to evangelicals....I'm an evangelical....it's a big deal to me....but I don't see it quite like the rest of evangelicalism. I don't trust Donald Trump with Israel as far as I could pick him up and throw him. Why? Seventy books on Trump's entire life and his three plus years in the White House....pro-Trump books....anti-Trump books....neutral books....his own books....this and how I have seen him conduct himself for the past three plus years....tell me unequivocally that he is never....ever....to be trusted. Take what you can get from him....what he is forced to give you....but never put your trust in him. No ethics....no truthfulness....a lifetime of cheating....and no empathy or compassion....tell me to watch every move that he makes.
I think it's fair to say that most people....regardless of their opinion of Israel....respects the intellectual acumen of their decision makers. They built a powerful and beautiful nation out of a barren desert. They are not easily fooled....having out of necessity been vigilant to tee.
I've watched carefully from the beginning how Prime Minister Netanyahu reacted to President Trump....having the advantage of knowing who Donald Trump really is....this because right off the bat his actions sent out warning signals....flashing warning lights that Benjamin Netanyahu does not have on his control panel.
I know how Donald Trump operates. I know the schmooze he puts on....and how he can lie as easily as he breathes. Under these circumstances the insight is night and day between Netanyahu and those of us who have already been conned by him....and seeing this clearly....I want to shout a warning from the rooftops....and hope that the warning is at least considered.
President Trump's meeting with Netanyahu in Davos....in January of 2018....particularly concerns me. He had been in office one year.....had the formula down pat for keeping his devotees in line....and the aura presented to Israel must have seemed an almost miraculous gift after eight years of Barack Hussein Obama. They let their guard down....the euphoria of the moment fooled even Israel and Netanyahu.
We can watch again the post Davos press conference....but we do not know what went on in the private meetings between Trump and Netanyahu. Trump likes to operate this way....and we saw it a number of times in his deferential meetings with Vladimir Putin and in his reality show bromance with Kim Jong-un. He surely told the Israeli Prime Minister that he has seven years left in office....and surely promised him that he would be there for him the whole time....for this is Donald Trump. To those of us who know never to believe Donald Trump....we would have advised to take anything he promised with a grain of salt....but Netanyahu's adulating smile wasn't encouraging.
Yes he gave Israel the embassy decision they wanted. He made that decision when he badly needed a 'get out of jail' card....the same with the Golan....but cracks could be seen in the early days of Jared Kushners peace process. (My head tilts back and I roll my eyes even writing that phrase....Jared's peace process) Even if I'm wrong in my not believing Trump's genuine concern for the state of Israel....his impetuousness....and constant wobbling....(as Bolton so clearly described)....and that everything ultimately revolves around his own exaltation....and that he has no ideology....no empathy....and no wisdom to speak of....all these things and more should make Israel cover themselves in case Donald Trump finds a better deal somewhere.
It's not that I fully expect President Trump to abandon Israel at the first sign of trouble. It's that I know that Trump will support anyone who is of benefit to his agenda....and will abandon any others who can be a danger to that agenda....and evangelicals would be wise to realize this....for he could very easily drop us like a hot potato in a second term....no longer needing our support.
There is little wiggle room for any nation in respect to their dealings with Israel. You don't have to love them....or even try to advance their Zionist cause....but you had better not stab them in the back. The state of Israel is not God's chosen people....for they are in rebellion to Him every bit as much as we in America are....and evangelicals would also do well to realize that Israelis need Christ every bit as much as any other human beings....but God's promises are clear in that He will call them back to Him in the very last days....after the nations rage against them....and after even supposed allies turn away.
President Trump's tweeting made it very clear to some who were on trial that he might just have their back if they held firm....(obstruction of justice) As for Roger Stone....when the President's Justice Department interfered in the sentencing....four top prosecutors resigned in protest. Today the President commuted the more lenient sentence anyway....and as Paul Manafort serves his sentence in home confinement.....Michael Cohen was hauled back to jail....his writing of a book being a chief issue....Lt. Col. Vindman was purged out of the army....and Trump continues a tweet storm on why senior members of intelligence agencies are not in jail....(after decades of profiling a potential Russian patsy....they bent rules attempting to warn us....and he wants them in jail)....all this as evangelicals....having long ago given up the higher ground....are probably thanking God today that no one will see Donald Trump's tax returns before the election. Republicans have about six weeks to come to grips with an additional four years of President Trump....and pressure him to bow out. As for us....it might serve us well to recall Martin Niemoller's famous quote in poetic form.... for Trump is going after all his enemies....and one day may be going after us....
"First they came for the the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me."
Trump And Israel
It's a big deal to evangelicals....I'm an evangelical....it's a big deal to me....but I don't see it quite like the rest of evangelicalism. I don't trust Donald Trump with Israel as far as I could pick him up and throw him. Why? Seventy books on Trump's entire life and his three plus years in the White House....pro-Trump books....anti-Trump books....neutral books....his own books....this and how I have seen him conduct himself for the past three plus years....tell me unequivocally that he is never....ever....to be trusted. Take what you can get from him....what he is forced to give you....but never put your trust in him. No ethics....no truthfulness....a lifetime of cheating....and no empathy or compassion....tell me to watch every move that he makes.
I think it's fair to say that most people....regardless of their opinion of Israel....respects the intellectual acumen of their decision makers. They built a powerful and beautiful nation out of a barren desert. They are not easily fooled....having out of necessity been vigilant to tee.
I've watched carefully from the beginning how Prime Minister Netanyahu reacted to President Trump....having the advantage of knowing who Donald Trump really is....this because right off the bat his actions sent out warning signals....flashing warning lights that Benjamin Netanyahu does not have on his control panel.
I know how Donald Trump operates. I know the schmooze he puts on....and how he can lie as easily as he breathes. Under these circumstances the insight is night and day between Netanyahu and those of us who have already been conned by him....and seeing this clearly....I want to shout a warning from the rooftops....and hope that the warning is at least considered.
President Trump's meeting with Netanyahu in Davos....in January of 2018....particularly concerns me. He had been in office one year.....had the formula down pat for keeping his devotees in line....and the aura presented to Israel must have seemed an almost miraculous gift after eight years of Barack Hussein Obama. They let their guard down....the euphoria of the moment fooled even Israel and Netanyahu.
We can watch again the post Davos press conference....but we do not know what went on in the private meetings between Trump and Netanyahu. Trump likes to operate this way....and we saw it a number of times in his deferential meetings with Vladimir Putin and in his reality show bromance with Kim Jong-un. He surely told the Israeli Prime Minister that he has seven years left in office....and surely promised him that he would be there for him the whole time....for this is Donald Trump. To those of us who know never to believe Donald Trump....we would have advised to take anything he promised with a grain of salt....but Netanyahu's adulating smile wasn't encouraging.
Yes he gave Israel the embassy decision they wanted. He made that decision when he badly needed a 'get out of jail' card....the same with the Golan....but cracks could be seen in the early days of Jared Kushners peace process. (My head tilts back and I roll my eyes even writing that phrase....Jared's peace process) Even if I'm wrong in my not believing Trump's genuine concern for the state of Israel....his impetuousness....and constant wobbling....(as Bolton so clearly described)....and that everything ultimately revolves around his own exaltation....and that he has no ideology....no empathy....and no wisdom to speak of....all these things and more should make Israel cover themselves in case Donald Trump finds a better deal somewhere.
It's not that I fully expect President Trump to abandon Israel at the first sign of trouble. It's that I know that Trump will support anyone who is of benefit to his agenda....and will abandon any others who can be a danger to that agenda....and evangelicals would be wise to realize this....for he could very easily drop us like a hot potato in a second term....no longer needing our support.
There is little wiggle room for any nation in respect to their dealings with Israel. You don't have to love them....or even try to advance their Zionist cause....but you had better not stab them in the back. The state of Israel is not God's chosen people....for they are in rebellion to Him every bit as much as we in America are....and evangelicals would also do well to realize that Israelis need Christ every bit as much as any other human beings....but God's promises are clear in that He will call them back to Him in the very last days....after the nations rage against them....and after even supposed allies turn away.
