CHRIST-APP by philtierneyblog

Warning: Danger Ahead

It is with profound concern, born of sincere affection, that I write this letter to warn you that you are in jeopardy of the consequences that St. Paul mentioned in his letter to the Christians in Thessaloniki. More on this later.

For now, let me be direct.  There is a false messiah among you. He is perched in position to dominate your nation and other parts of the world, as well. Many of you have been deceived to honor and empower him.

 

Instead, He came to provide a way to God and a way of life. That’s why the very earliest Christians referred to themselves not as Christians, but as followers of the Way.  It was and is Jesus’ Way of faith and life that leads to harmony with God. It is Jesus’ Way of love.

The spiritual way that Jesus provided has always been
based upon three dynamic components:  trusting the Creator’s grace, commitment to following Jesus, and loving God and others. Christians throughout time have tried to systematize “Christianity” with all sorts of other detailed beliefs, philosophies, practices, rules and rituals, but Jesus came to provide people with a new way of life. Jesus came to make up for our failures and to show and tell us about how to live differently. Jesus showed people how to live in love of God and others and
taught us to follow His lead. As soon as Christians go beyond trusting
God, following Jesus and loving, we get into the weeds and start to get into trouble. 

That’s the basis of my conclusion that Christians should not support Donald Trump. Those, who do support him, have superimposed certain beliefs apart from trusting God, following Jesus and loving others.  Largely, those beliefs are political beliefs, not spiritual ones. During the past forty-five years, the better part of two generations, devout Christians have too often been taught that to be real Christians, “right-minded Christians,” they must embrace a particular political ideology. Politics and religion have been fused more than at any other time. Many Christians may fervently believe that such political alliances are what it means to trust God and follow Jesus or love others, but they are not. They are cleverly devised political additions wrapped around Christian beliefs. And so, many American Christians contort themselves to try to accomplish what they personally believe they’re supposed to do in order to impose what they think God wants America to be. In the process, trusting God, following Jesus and loving others get lost. Other people see that, and it discredits the Christian witness and mission.

Those concocted American beliefs are like the issue of  circumcision among the earliest Christians. The issue of circumcision almost tore the earliest Christians apart. You see, the earliest followers of Jesus were all Jewish. As such, they had all learned and followed the Law, the Torah, including the ritual of circumcision. When Gentiles, non-Jews, started converting follow Jesus a dispute arose. Should Gentiles be required to become Jewish before they could be embraced as followers of Jesus. Was circumcision prerequisite to being considered Christian? Many said yes. Many said no. No pun intended, but circumcision passionately felt and it was actually embedded in the Torah. Nevertheless, the Apostles decided that it was an unnecessary addition to trusting God, following Jesus and loving others.

Certain political beliefs, that are nowhere to be found in the Bible, have been invented and and added to trusting God, following Jesus and loving others. Recently, an American Christian celebrity wrote a book to urging real, right-minded, Christians to vote for Donald Trump. 

These are the reasons that I urge Christians not to vote for Trump:

Trump demands trust, allegiance and honor that belongs only to God, to Jesus

Jesus always pointed to and honored God. He never took personal credit, and always redirected people’s praise of Him to God,
instead. Scripture and Christian tradition agree that God, the Creator of all that is, is the One in whom we should invest our trust. Psalm 46 is
dedicated to the proposition that all people should trust God for their
leadership and protection. Verse 3 specifically states, “Do not put
your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.” 

Trump’s emphasis is opposite from the message of Scripture and Christian tradition in this regard. Trump always calls attention
only to himself and always demands credit. He calls upon Christians to put their trust in him to provide for and protect them. He demands personal allegiance. He tries to discredit, defame, even financially destroy anyone whom he considers to be disloyal to him, personally. He actually names his perceived enemies in the off chance his followers will threaten and harass them. His rallies are virtual worship services, at which he basks in the praise of his supporters. That’s why he does what no other President ever has done; constantly holding rallies to feed his ego with his followers’ praise during his term of office. He craves the worship of the crowds.

He has gone so far as to compete with Jesus. Looking
skyward, he has publicly declared, “I am the chosen one.” You may recall that Jesus foretold of such individuals when the gospels report that Jesus said this: Jesus said to them: “Watch out that
no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. (Mark 13:5f) To offer such devotion to
such a man as that is utterly misguided.

Many Christians may protest that they don’t worship Trump. But the word ‘worship’ literally means to offer worth, value and honor or praise. And that is exactly what happens at the rallies that Trump holds for himself. Indeed, the structure and flow of those rallies is very
similar to the structure and flow of large praise services. People gather to music. They share fellowship. They sing. They stand when Trump
enters. They raise their arms aloft and cheer him, personally. And then , he speaks, much longer than the average sermon and full of invective.

The difference between a Christian worship service and a Trump rally is that the center of attention is not God and a sermon about God, but Trump and his speeches about himself. Each speech Trump gives is
filled with praise showered upon himself, contempt for his latest perceived enemies and, of course, assurances that his people can put their full trust in him. But trusting Trump is very different from trusting God. And Christians should be aware that the way Trump presents himself makes it almost impossible to support him without offering personal devotion and worth to him. That is worship of a false god, whether it’s intended or not.