Answering Joy Behar: How Can You Follow Jesus and Support Donald Trump?
Joy Behar is at it again, saying that you can’t vote for Trump and love Jesus. Can we? To answer this, I’m re-publishing this article from 2020:
Not Following a Man—Shaping a Movement
Like many, I’m perplexed by the divide in the Christian community over President Trump—but I’m not surprised. The media is fueling lies, and the world is listening.
Some say, “How can you follow Jesus and Donald Trump?” We are not following a man; we are shaping a movement. A better question is: What direction is the country heading? If a leader lacks Christian character but is pointing the nation back to God, is that a bad thing? If they are minimizing murdering babies and maximizing godly values, is that a bad thing? If they are being a terror to terrorists and making America secure, is that a bad thing? If they are honoring hard work and minimizing free handouts, is that a bad thing?
God doesn’t judge a nation based on the character of one man; He judges it based on the spiritual health of its people. Never forget that.
Safety First
I regularly say that we Christians love refugees and immigrants and are eager to help with food, lodging, and jobs. But at the national level, the president is to put the safety and provision of the American people first. When an airplane loses cabin pressure, parents put on their oxygen masks first to better assist their child. This isn’t selfishness; it’s wisdom.
Opening the borders parallels cabin pressure falling and a limited supply of masks. Our law enforcement officers could not sustain the load, nor could our nation. Let’s streamline the process of welcoming God-fearing immigrants and have them contribute to society so everyone benefits.
The majority of news outlets spin everything (yes, everything) to put President Trump in a bad light. Their hatred for him trumps the truth. Their agenda is simple and clear: remove him at any cost! And I hope you realize this: they are really coming after you, me, and our Christian values.
There is a Better Way
The push toward open borders is more about votes than truly helping people. Open borders would be like me telling my kids to leave their windows open in case a stranger needs a warm night’s sleep. That would be severe parental neglect because many harmful things could also enter through those open windows. Open borders would parallel that type of irresponsibility.
Additionally, our financial system cannot support people flooding in who need assistance. How is that using wisdom? Not to mention the sleeper cells that are currently here and ready to wage war.
It does not matter if this irresponsibility causes damage but when and how much. Our California representatives in Sacramento need to wake up to this fact—and wake up quickly. There is a better way, but our leaders must repent and seek God for wisdom.
Let that Sink In
Most critics don’t care what the facts are. Their hatred for the president overshadows their desperate need for humility. Let this sink in: innocent children are being protected, godly counsel is surrounding President Trump, terror is being restrained, good judges are being selected, socialism is being resisted, and families are being encouraged via employment (black employment is at an all-time high), prayer is being brought back in schools, God’s wisdom is being sought, and on and on it goes.
So again, we are not following a man; we are revitalizing a movement — a movement back to God. I’m more concerned with our nation’s national character than I am with the president’s personal character.
Leaders aren’t Always Neat
An analogy that I often use will bring this point home. The head of a neighborhood watch program, who took the late-night watches, had previously had an affair. He was occasionally gruff and impulsive, and sometimes his words were crass and offensive, but he watched over the neighborhood diligently each night.
Each week, he invited church leaders into his home to pray for him and his family and to seek their advice. He often stood against others on the committee who wanted to enact policies harmful to the neighborhood and the children, such as advocating an open-door policy requiring residents to allow anyone into their homes at all hours of the day for handouts.
Is this not the kind of person you would want leading your neighborhood watch? Does his past or his demeanor matter more than the results he is accomplishing? If you are intellectually honest, the answer is not difficult. In the same way, the answer is simple for America. Again, we are not voting for people based on how godly they are; we are voting for the future direction of America: the right to life, the elevation of God’s Word back to its proper place, the appointment of conservative judges, securing America and her borders, creating jobs, and improving the quality of life for all Americans.
Who is Truly Leading You?
As a personal observation, I have noticed that those who oppose President Trump typically embrace liberal theology. It makes one wonder what truly leads them: worldly mandates or biblical principles.
I will close with what I stated in a brief op-ed: we can’t have our cake and eat it, too — there is no middle ground for Christians today. You can choose a president who will wear a Planned Parenthood scarf at her inauguration or one of the countless others who would seek to destroy the America we know and lead us down the primrose path of socialism — or worse. Or you can choose to back people like DeSantis and Trump. There is no Plan B.
Video Courtesy: Doug in Exiles via YouTube
Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Southern California and the WCF Radio Network. More can be found at ShaneIdleman.com, including free downloads of his eBooks. Visit him on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to his new podcast, Idleman Unplugged. You can also follow Pastor Shane on the new free speech platform Parler.
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A Prayer during National Unrest
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