I’m wondering how evangelical Christians feel about their vote for Mr. Trump after learning it's possible he tried to have our Christian vice president killed? On January 2nd, Trump’s lawyer - Lin Wood, said Mike Pence should be executed by firing squad. And the president said nothing to counter that narrative. So, when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on Wednesday, the VP and his family were truly in serious danger. Video tape shows deceived rioters roaming through the halls of Congress chanting ‘Hang Mike Pence.’ It’s still almost too crazy to believe. Mike Pence was one of the most loyal supporters of the president. So why did Trump turn on Pence in such a deadly manner? Simply because the vice president followed the law to certify the votes of the presidential election.
President Trump put tremendous pressure on Pence (and others) to violate our Constitution and overturn the election results. Before the riot on January 6, he basically told the crowd that his reelection all hinged on Mike Pence being strong enough to do the “right” thing. But when Pence acted according to the rule of law instead of the words of a lawless president (Acts 5:29), did Trump want him dead? It's been reported that the president hasn't spoken to Pence since his attack on democracy. What a terrible day for America! Think of the irony of a Trump supporting police officer being attacked and killed by an angry mob that was incited by Trump! A banker from Alpharetta, GA was apparently so remorseful after his arrest in the Capitol riot that he retreated to his basement and shot himself to death! I want my Christian brothers and sisters to wrap their sanctified minds around that.
If Christians still support the president after his insurrection on January 6, 2021, then evangelical Christianity has degenerated into a personality cult that’s centered around a deceitful and bloodthirsty man. God hates such a man, yet we probably all know Christians who borderline worship Mr. Trump. Let me be as clear as I possibly can: Per the Holy Bible, God hates Mr. Trump. Please don’t take it personally. It is what it is! According to Proverbs 6:19, the LORD hates “a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.” Psalm 5:5-6 reads: “The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; the LORD abhors [hates] the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.” Don't be angry with me, these are not my words; but the words of El-Elyon, the Most High God.
Is President Donald Trump a boastful, bloodthirsty, deceitful man who sows discord? After what he did on January 6th, there can be no doubt he’s just that! Yet, some Christians STILL love and support him. Many have said they would vote for him again, even after the man incited an insurrection and possibly wanted to have his VP killed. What’s wrong with that picture?
Christians are to love what God loves and hate what God hates. If God hates a bloodthirsty, deceitful man who sows discord, and if that’s who Donald Trump has proven himself to be, why are Christians still defending him and making illogical excuses to justify his criminal, ungodly behavior? There’s a reason why the Apostle James tells us to not be hearers only of the word, but doers of the word, lest we deceive ourselves (James 1:22). According to Scripture, self-deception is a real possibility for believers. Ponder that for a second. We can actually look at a situation, any situation, with such a bias slant that we actually fool ourselves into accepting a lie for the truth (Isaiah 5:20-21). That’s a real possibility and it happens every day.
Two months before the national election, I posted on my blog “How should Christians vote in November?” Many people read it and were encouraged to learn there’s a biblical basis for voting according to a candidate’s character instead of dismissing their character and voting by policy or party line. As a matter of fact, one of our Founding Fathers, Noah Webster, warned that to violate this rule is to invite all manner of corruption. Check out the blog if you haven’t already. I would like to think that God helped me write it, just like He stirred and helped me write this one.
Our LORD said if the salt of the earth loses its saltiness, it is good for nothing, but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men (Matt.5:13)! Like the bold saints of old, we mustn’t be afraid to speak truth to power. Christians have been commanded to speak the truth in love (Eph.4:15). Some people have misconstrued this to say Christians should speak loving truths, e.g., God is love, Christ died to redeem us, walk in love, etc. Speaking loving truths is fine and dandy, but it’s not the same as speaking the TRUTH in love. The truth can rub people the wrong way. Sometimes, there’s a high price to pay for speaking the truth.
Many politicians today, even after the attempted coup, still fear the disapproval of Trump’s base. We also have many jelly back preachers who fear the wrath of Trump supporters in their congregation more than they fear the wrath of God (2 Tim.4:1-5). Shame on Christians who voted for a deceitful man who possibly tried to kill our Christian vice president! If we justify his outrageous behavior after Wednesday, January 6, 2021, a date that will live in infamy, then I encourage us all to examine what it means to follow the One who is the way, the TRUTH and the life (2 Cor.13:5). What does it mean to be a citizen of heaven first (Phil.3:20), and then a citizen of the United States? I ask Christians: Is it “America First” or “The Kingdom of God First”?
Every Sunday morning, I make sure Old Glory is flying high outside my residence. I proudly served our country overseas in the U.S. Army Infantry. I pledge allegiance to the United States of America. But my highest allegiance is to the King of kings and Lord of lords! Which means I pledge allegiance to the rule of law, i.e., God’s law and the laws of the land.
According to exit polls, about one-fourth of all voters in 2020 were White evangelical Christians, and 75% of them voted for Trump, compared to 81% in 2016. Some Christians peeled away by 2020, but the vast majority still supported Mr. Trump. I can somewhat understand why he received overwhelming support from Christians in 2016, but after witnessing his un-Christian, un-American behavior for the last four to five years, after seeing with my own eyes and hearing with my own ears how he misled the nation regarding a deadly pandemic, I’m honestly baffled by their vote. I’m disappointed that so many Christians voted by policy instead of by principle.
I go so far as to say - shame on Christians that voted for a man, who proved to the world on January 6, 2021, that he’s willing to rip up the Constitution and burn down the country in order to have his way. What were Christians thinking in November? Did we not see the signs? Did the children of light not notice his support from neo-Nazis and white nationalists and dealers in conspiracy theories? Did we not hear his reaction to Charlottesville? It begs the question, do Christians unconsciously harbor racist sentiments? Unconscious bias is the doorway to self-deception, and conscious bias is sin (James 2:1-10)!
One brother in Christ told me last week that I was being unfair to only criticize Christian Republican supporters of Donald Trump when Christians who vote for a Democrat are supporting abortion and sexual perversion. My response is three-fold. First of all, Democrats don’t have a monopoly on abortion and sexual perversion. Don’t fool yourself. Sin crosses the aisle every day.
Secondly, the Democratic party is not the party that has claimed the moral high ground for the last thirty years. Remember the Moral Majority movement led by Jerry Falwell? I was a card-carrying member. Remember the Republican’s [Moral] Contract with America led by Newt Gingrich? And more recently, remember how Republican Jerry Falwell Jr. held up candidate Trump as the great defender of evangelical Christianity? The point being, it was and still is the Republican party that claims to be the godly ones, the people of faith and the book. Both Donald and Don Jr. said Democrats hate God. The implication being the Republican party is the party of the (self) righteous, while Dems are dirty sinners. Please see what Jesus had to say about that in Luke 18:9-14.
Lastly, Jesus delivered his harshest condemnation, not to lost sinners, but to the church folk of his day (Matthew 23), the ones who claimed the moral high ground. Don't deceive yourself my friend. The Republican party doesn't have a lock on righteousness, and love of God and country. The Democrats don't have a monopoly on iniquity. We're all dust (Psalm 103:14). We all sin and fall short of the mark (Rom.3:23; 1 John 1:9-10).
Scripture tells us in the multitude of counselors there is safety, Proverbs 11:14. In other words, there’s wisdom in receiving a wide range of advice from various sources instead of relying solely on what one person tells you. Unfortunately, many folks today believe pretty much everything one man tells them, even in the face of contradictory evidence! The French infidel, Voltaire, spoke the truth when he said, "Those who can make you believe in absurdities, can make you commit atrocities." That's the stuff of cults (Gal.4:17). That's the stuff of Charles Manson and Helter Skelter. Believers should know better! But then again, God does say his people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6)!
Christians were warned repeatedly that Trump is dangerous and a threat to democracy by scores and scores of prominent military figures, government officials, the scientific community, past presidents, leaders in academia and business, liberal clergy, psychologists and psychiatrists, and others. Even Arnold the Terminator said Trump was bad for the country! In spite of the warnings from reputable sources, Christians still compromised on Exodus 18:21 and voted for Trump. There’s no getting around that. One clear verse in the Bible should be enough for a Christian, and Mr. Trump didn’t check any of those boxes in Exodus 18:21, not a single one!
For the household of God, it’s time to confess that we were deceived. We ignored an important biblical principle and it blew up in our faces. It nearly blew up the country. But for the grace of God, there could have been a literal slaughter of public servants in Washington last week. I’m still mad as hell! I realize we’re all navigating through a dark sea of disinformation, but that’s no excuse for the children of light (Psalm 119:130). Shame on us for leaning on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5) and being so darn spiritually dull (Acts 28:24-27). We should have been more discerning, especially after the multitude of warnings.
We all know the story about the Christian man who found himself trapped on his rooftop during a raging flood. When three different teams of rescuers tried to assist him, he refused their help, saying instead, “God will save me.” The poor fellow died in the flood, and when he got to heaven, he asked the good Lord why He didn’t answer his prayer for deliverance. God replied, “What did you want from me? I sent you two boats and a helicopter.”
“Consider what I say and may the Lord give you understanding in all things” (2 Timothy 2:7).
Grace, Peace and Jahspeed!
P.S. Our national spiritual restoration will flow from the church house, not from the White House. God uses pain to prepare us for revival. The spiritual awakening of America is happening. Be a part of it! Click here to learn more.