Friday, January 27, 2017

President Trump: What Will It Take For Christians To Disown Him?


Donald Trump is wasting no time. Since becoming the 45th president of the United States on January 20 he's already set in motion some of his most extreme policy promises, gone on record with some even more far-right opinions than even his critics expected, and of course, kept on tweeting. Anyone who had hoped that Trump the president would have been a much more mellowed version of Trump the candidate has already received their answer in full.

Let's not forget – ever – that Christians put Trump in the White House. One oft-quoted New York Times statistic suggests that 81 per cent of white evangelicals voted for the man, and even if that number is slightly exaggerated (and my own recent travels in the American church suggest it isn't), that demographic is so large that it is easily powerful enough to have swung the election either way.

Some of those Christians were well aware of the shadow-side of their voting decision. They "held their noses" as many put it, because for them the key issue of abortion, on which Trump is prepared to take a conservative stance, outweighs all others. But many other American Christians weren't holding their noses at all; they marched into the voting booths and breathed deeply, inhaling the dubious smell of Trump with beaming smiles on their faces. To them, Donald Trump is 'God's man', put there by him to fight the modern evils of liberalism. Read More

Related Article:
'Donald Trump Loves God' Says Pastor Close To President
Here are 39 Biblical reasons why Christians should not be supporting Donald Trump or giving credence to Pastor Mark Burn's claim that Trump loves God and loves people. The list is not exhaustive.

Bearing good fruit

You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. Matthew 7:16-20, ESV

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21, ESV

“This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me…. Matthew 15:8, ESV

But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. Matthew 15:18-19, ESV

Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Luke 3:8, ESV

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality…. 1 Corinthians 6:9, ESV

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21, ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23, ESV

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. James 3:17, ESV

But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. Revelation 21:27, ESV

Deceitfulness

He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. Psalm 24:4, ESV

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9, ESV

Trusting man rather than God

Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! Psalm 40:4, ESV

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. Psalm 118:8-9, ESV

Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. Psalm 146:3, ESV

Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips. Proverbs 25:19

Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel, “Because you despise this word and trust in oppression and perverseness and rely on them…. Isaiah 30:12, ESV

A greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched. Proverbs 28: 25, ESV

Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. Jeremiah 17:5, ESV

Lying

You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. Psalm 52:3, ESV

There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil….Proverbs 6:16-18, ESV

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight. Proverbs 12:22, ESV

The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death. Proverbs 21:6, ESV

A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin. Proverbs 26:28, ESV

As for the scoundrel—his devices are evil; he plans wicked schemes to ruin the poor with lying words, even when the plea of the needy is right. Isaiah 32:7, ESV

…there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Hosea 4:2, ESV

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44, ESV

Bearing False Witness

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Exodus 20:16, ESV

“You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. Exodus 23:1, ESV

“‘And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor…. Deuteronomy 5:20, ESV

… a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. Proverbs 6:19. ESV

Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit. Proverbs 12:17, ESV

A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies. Proverbs 14:5, ESV

A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow. Proverbs 25:18, ESV

“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 3:5, ESV

For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. Matthew 15:19, ESV

He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness…. Matthew 19:18, ESV

You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” Mark 10:19

You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” Luke 18:20, ESV

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