My mechanical pencil and highlighters are always right by me while reading God's Word....and this for forty years now. I gave a woman a Bible a week ago....along with a highlighter....and told her to start marking up that Bible right away....for too often....as I have found over the years....we feel that we have to keep the Bible in pristine condition....as if that somehow honors God?
Recently I've been reading slowly through Proverbs....and I began to add a notation....a very small....'DJT'.....next to verses that seemed to describe Donald John Trump....for they are everywhere throughout Proverbs....the first being in chapter one....verse ten....this from the ESV...."My son, if sinners entice you....do not consent"....the warning continued in verse 13...."we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder." Brothers and sisters....this is exactly what happened.....as Trump enticed us with his promises of greatness and riches....and we followed him....and became like him!Trump can be found in all of the books of the prophets....as either a false prophet or a bad king....and he can be found all through the New Testament....from the gospels.....to Paul's long list of what type of person to stay away from....to Peter's admonition about Balaam....and Jude's...."they have run greedily in the error of Balaam"....and his description of...."loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage."..... and John's letters...."and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come"....and even into Revelation...."....you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam....who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel...""
At one time....early back in Trump's first term....there may have been an excuse for not immediately recognizing the dangers of Donald Trump....for we were ignorant of who he was....but those excuses have long since expired. Today one would have to purposely ignore or outright reject all of the warnings....for the examples of an increasingly vile and deceitful and corrupt and power-mad Trump have been daily occurrences for over five years now!
We tell ourselves that God uses imperfect persons to fulfill His will....and that is supposed to make it OK to not only support....but make excuses for....and even lie for....a man who has single-handedly decimated American evangelicalism.....causing us to be unmerciful....and vengeful....and greedy and prideful....and to trust in armies and power and might....the very things that God's Word commands us not to trust in!
