SPECIAL PRÉCIS ON REDEEMING THE TIME: STAYING AWAKE TO MAKE EVERY MINUTE COUNT AGAINST THE AMERICAN FASE GOSPEL (WITH VIDEO)

THEOLOGY

SCRIPTURE. “The end and culmination of all things is near. Therefore, be sound-minded and self-controlled for the purpose of prayer [staying balanced and focused on the things of God so that your communication will be clear, reasonable, specific and pleasing to Him].” – 1 PETER 4:7, AMP

KEY TERMS:

“SOUND-MINDED.” ‘Sóphroneó’ [σωφρονήσατε]: “To be sane, moderate [not given to false tales]; discreet, self-controlled, sober-minded [mature].” NOTE: “Strong’s Greek 4993 marks a uniquely Christian concept of restored rationality under the Lordship of Christ. ‘It speaks not merely of level-headedness but of a redeemed mind that thinks in harmony with God’s revealed will, allowing believers to live prayer-filled, service-oriented, and mission-minded lives … Romans 12:3 commands believers ‘to think with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given,’ guarding the Church from pride by calibrating self-perception to God’s gracious allotment of faith and gifts.”

“FOCUSED.” ‘Néphó’ [νήψατε]: “Lit., ‘To abstain from wine’ [in order to remain alert]; keep sober, remain descreet; to watch.” NOTE: “Strong’s 3525 appears six times in the New Testament, consistently urging believers to maintain ‘Spiritual Sobriety’ in view of either present ministry demand or impending Eschatological Reality. Whether Paul addresses Timothy (‘Be sober in all things,’ 2 Timothy 4:5), or calls the Thessalonian Church to Wakefulness (‘Let us remain awake and sober,’ 1 Thessalonians 5:6), ‘the verb joins alertness to self-restraint.’ Peter likewise frames every use within a setting of Cosmic Conflict or approaching Consummation: ‘Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion’ (1 Peter 5:8).”

QUOTATION. “‘Awake, Awake, you that sleep! Open your eyes, stand on your feet, and behold and see what a Sea of Blood and Wrath is here!’ See and believe; believe and consider; consider and fear; fear and fly; ‘and make haste in your work!’ Your work is great and mighty; diversions are many; adversaries are strong; your strength is small. ‘Your time is short; your account is great. Death and Judgment are at the door. Therefore, up and be doing, now or never!’” ― JOHN FOX, Time and the End of Time: Discourses on Redeeming the Time and Considering Our Latter End, 1720; edited

II. TEACHING

DK’S THESIS. ‘The American Church of Today is dead in slumber, fully ignoring the inarguable closeness of the Return of Jesus Christ to the Earth to Rescue His true Church and Judge the Nations.’ – a/o September 16, 2025

Though precious few Christian theologians are writing about this self-evident truth these days, One Essay came to my attention that confronts this atrocious historic doctrinal error head on.

FALSE DOCTRINES. I turn to a favorite, though somewhat controversial, theologian, DR. DON PIPER, in his excellent piece, “Popular Blunders About Christ’s Return” (Desiring God, May 19, 2023; edited).

Here, in brief, are his FIVE MISCONCEPTIONS present in today’s American Church.

Christ will come after a GOLDEN AGE of Christendom. “First, I would mention the view that the Second Coming of Christ is far into the future. It will not happen until the Kingdom of God is established as the ruling earthly power, including the Christianization of the cultures and societal structures of the earth. This is usually called Postmillennialism, meaning that the Second Coming happens ‘after’ (or ‘post’) the Millennium.” DK: It also comports well with the ‘New Dominionism’ so popular in today’s White Church.
Christ has already come. “Second, there is a view of the Second Coming that basically says it’s already happened — for example, in the events of AD 70, when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. It’s not a very common view, I admit, but in that view, the descriptions of His Coming that sound globally visible and world-shaking and obvious were really just traditional Apocalyptic Language to say that the Lord comes in Historical Judgments in this Age, and then He carries it out for the rest of the time — namely, His rule over the world through the Church, with no expectation of any literal Second Coming at all.” DK: Sometimes known as Preterism, or in its more virulent form, ‘Hymanean Preterism,’ that has led to much Doctrinal Corruption.
No events need to happen before Christ comes. “Third, I think it’s a mistake to say that there are no events that are yet to happen in history before the Lord Comes. Second Thessalonians 2:1-12 describes an ‘Apostasy’ and the appearance of the ‘Man of Lawlessness.’ And Paul gives these two realities as an answer to the question for those who thought that the day of the Lord was upon them. And he says, ‘Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction’ (2 Thessalonians 2:3).” DK: This is largely the error of the ‘Pre-Tribulation View.’
Christ will spare his people from the Tribulation. “Fourth, perhaps the most common misconception of the Second Coming is that it happens, so to speak, Two Stages. First, He comes and takes Christians out of the world and Returns them to Heaven with Him while there’s a Great Tribulation on the Earth. And then, after a short time, maybe seven years, He Returns with his saints to establish His Kingdom.” DK: This is a ‘Variation of the Pre-Tribulation View;’ i.e., No suffering for the Church.
Christ will never come. “Finally, I think it’s a mistake to say what the skeptics did in 2 Peter 3:4: ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.’ In other words, it’s a serious mistake, Peter says, to think, ‘Well, it’s just been too long. Everything just goes on. He’s just not coming. It was all a Myth.’ That is a tragic mistake. And here is Peter’s response: ‘Do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness’ (2 Peter 3:8-9). DK: This is for all intents and purposes the View of the ‘Christian Atheist.’

CHRISTIAN NATIONALIST ESCHATOLOGY. To compound these generational Errors of Doctrine concerning Christ’s Second Advent. DONALD TRUMP emerges on the American scene to promulgate the epitome of these Deceptions in the form of ‘Christian Dominionism.’ The absolute Opposite of the Biblical Canon and the Christian Gospel.

Here are a few of THREE MAIN FEATURES from what I can only term: ‘The Religion of the Antichrist.’ My review is adapted from a superb, objective review by FREDERICK CLARKSON, prolific journalist and author is a Senior Research Analyst at Political Research Associates specializing in the intersection of Religion and Politics in America.

His piece is titled: “101: Dominionism,” published in their official online journal on November 4, 2022 (edited).

OPEN. “Dominionism remains one of the most significant, yet little-known ideological forces in the U.S. and, increasingly, globally over the past few decades. This broad theological idea has been gathering strength for a half century and is transforming Conservative Evangelical Christianity into Political Movements that are driving contemporary politics. We continue to see Dominionism-informed Conservative Christian support for political candidates at all levels, from school boards to the presidency.”

“‘Dominionism is the Theocratic Idea that Christians are called by God to exercise Dominion over every aspect of society by taking control of political and cultural institutions.’ For example, taking over the role of government, the form and content of public education, and eliminating rights related to bodily autonomy. Thus, it does not envision a society defined by Democracy and Equality. It is rooted in what is called the Dominion Mandate or Cultural Mandate found in [a grotesquely misinterpreted] GENESIS 1:28: ‘[A]nd God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.’”
“‘Dominionism promotes Religious Supremacy, insofar as it does not respect the equality of other religions or even other versions of Christianity.’ Dominionism promotes Theocratic Visions of governance, whereby the Ten Commandments as the foundation of a broad vision of Biblical Law, should be the foundation of American law. And the U.S. Constitution is seen as a vehicle for implementing Biblical Principles.” NOTE: THEOCRACY: “Government by Divine Guidance or by officials who are regarded as Divinely Guided. In many theocracies, Government Leaders are members of the Clergy, and the State’s legal system is based on Religious Law.” – EDITORS, Britannica, February 11, 2010; edited
“‘Dominionism is the underlying Ideology that gives an Agenda to Christian Nationalism.’ Dominionism is the key element in contemporary notions of Christian Nationalism—The Belief that the U.S. once was, and should once again be, a ‘Christian Nation.’ This Narrative denies the Enlightenment Roots of American Constitutional Democracy.” NOTE: “In The Roots of American Order, first published in 1974, DR. RUSSELL KIRK [wrote that] America is … a place of ‘Ordered Liberty,’ which made its freedom and prosperity possible. Using the device of examining Five Cities—Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, London, and Philadelphia—Kirk traces the Roots of American Order to long-standing [Western] Traditions in human history … from which the Constitution was a practical secular document.” – EDITORS, The Russell Kirk Center, May 2, 2009; edited

IN SUM. “As evidence of Dominionism’s significance, it is helpful to understand that over the course of about a half century [1920-1970], Conservative Evangelicals were previously far less politically organized and engaged. In recent years [1980-2020], the Republican Party has become Dominated by [arguably] ‘Conservative Evangelicals’ allied with ‘Conservative Catholics.’ And this [Power] Block now constitutes a permanent feature of U.S. and Global culture and politics.

Selah.

III. IMPLICATIONS

“The stronger must dominate and not mate with the weaker, which would signify the sacrifice of its own higher nature. Only the born weakling can look upon this Principle as cruel, and if he does so it is merely because he is of a feebler nature and narrower mind; for if such a Law did not direct the Process of Evolution then the higher development of organic life would not be conceivable at all.” – ADOLF HITLER, Author, Mein Kampf, 1925; edited

Since one again there is a severe paucity of truly conservative Christian literature on these subjects, I return to a piece published in the Center-Left journal, Sojourners. It is published under the title, “The New Dominionism Tries to Rule” (June 24, 2024; edited).

The author is JOSEPH WIINIKKA-LYDON, a teacher and writer focusing on Religious and Philosophical Ethics. Formerly an assistant professor at Birmingham-Southern College, he has taught at Sewanee: The University of the South and Denison University. He is currently a researcher at the new Center for Ethics as Study of Human Value at the University of Pardubice, a European Union funded project that looks at Ethics as a way to better understand human identity and how Philosophy and Ethics may help address major social and political challenges.

Here is a Bullet Summary of his MAJOR IDEAS.

OPEN. “Dutch Sheets, Lance Wallnau, Mario Murillo and Hank Kunneman are four of the most influential Christian leaders in the U.S. Yet most people have probably never heard of them. As leaders of a Christian Supremacist Movement, they decreed publicly in 2022 that they have the God-given right to rule the United States and that they ‘have been given legal power and authority from Heaven.’ These Far-Right figures claim to be ‘God’s ambassadors and spokespeople over the earth … equipped and delegated by Him to destroy every attempted advance of the enemy.’” DK: In 2021 I was approached by one of these esoteric “Apostles,” invited to “join them” to “increase my power.”

WATCHMEN. “These men who made what is known as the ‘Watchmen Decree’ are among the leaders of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), a new and powerful Christian Supremacy Movement that is attempting to transform culture and politics in the U.S. and countries across the world into a grim Authoritarianism. NAR adheres to Dominionism, which Frederick Clarkson of Political Research Associates defines as ‘The Theocratic Idea that Christians are called by God to exercise Dominion over every aspect of society by taking control of political and cultural institutions.’ Dominionism has long been a driver of Antigovernment extremism in the United States. NAR is the latest chapter, and possibly the most successful, in Dominionists’ modern effort to make their reading of Christianity Authoritative and Supreme in everyone’s lives.”

METASTASIZATION. “Over the past two decades, NAR’s influence has broadened beyond Church walls, pouring out this form of Christian Supremacy into the mainstream, already wreaking havoc on local communities and our Democracy. Their influence is real; not only did they have a voice in the Trump Administration, but the new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, is closely aligned with NAR leaders. ‘The Goal of this New Dominionism is to DISRUPT both more mainline versions of Christianity and U.S. Democracy, and in its wake, take control of State and Society and yoke everyone to their Authoritarian Vision of the World.’”

ORIGINS. “Dominionism originated on the fringes of Reformed Christianity largely through the writing of R.J. Rushdoony and his Christian Reconstruction Movement. This new brand of Dominionism took the idea of Christian Supremacy from such theologians as Rushdoony and rooted it in the soil of independent Charismatic and Pentecostal Churches, one of the newest and fastest growing branches of Christianity. ‘And while Rushdoony believed the United States would incrementally be reconstructed into a Christian Nation, leaders of the New Dominionism are not so patient. NAR adherents believe their time is NOW!.’” DK: When you hear the phrase, “Kingdom Now,” run away!

THEOLOGY. “As the Watchman Decree suggests, it is more helpful to understand NAR as a political movement driven by what NAR expert André Gagné refers to as a ‘Political Theology of Power.’ The Goal of NAR is not saving souls one at a time. Instead, these extremist leaders state a desire to seize influence over the entire culture and implement their narrow, Authoritarian views of the Bible in the form of Law, Policy and Culture. ‘Prophet Lance Wallnau has promoted a meme – the Seven Mountains Mandate — to summarize this Goal.’ Each Mountain is a Sphere of our Society — Government, Religion, Media, Business, Education, Family, and Arts and Entertainment — ‘and each should be Dominated by NAR leaders and followers,’ according to the meme.”

CONQUEST. “‘NAR’s Goal is to Disrupt [Chaos Theory] Religion and Politics, and in the Wake of that Disruption, fill the Void with Christian Supremacy.’ Just as there has been economic disruption over the past two decades, there has also been political disruption in the form of Trumpian Politics and the MAGA Movement. NAR, in addition to political disruption, aims to disrupt Christianity itself by getting rid of Denominations and Checks and Balances created to curb abuse. Some NAR Pastors have taken over churches with internal democratic practices and turned them into undemocratic ‘Apostolic Centers’ where only the Pastor — or, where there is one, an Apostle — has ultimate authority.”

ANTICHRISTIAN. “‘NAR is deeply Anti-Democratic,’ both as a Movement and in its Vision of Society. C. PETER WAGNER, who came up with the term New Apostolic Reformation, preached: ‘What Dominion means is that we are the Head and not the Tail of our society. It’s a Rulership and we rule as kings.’ This is a menacing statement for a country that fought a Revolution to overthrow kingship. ‘Their Vision, if realized, would mark the End of the American Democratic Experiment.’”

REBELLION. “For many NAR leaders, Christians must implement God’s Will within Politics; The Divine will not do it alone. For example, Dutch Sheets and Lance Wallnau started a campaign to undo Trump’s defeat [of 2020].’ Sheets used a daily devotional app he ran to rile up his members and promote the Lie of Trump’s Reelection and launched a ‘Prayer and Prophecy Tour’ after President Biden’s election. NAR prayer groups were mobilized at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, as well as supporting prayer teams all over the country, to exorcise the Demonic Influence over the Capitol that adherents said was keeping Trump from his rightful, Prophesized Second Term.”

DEMONIC. Demons and Demonic Influence, as well as ‘Spiritual Warfare’ are central to NAR belief and practice, and those who do not prescribe to their views are seen as possessed or under demonic influence. There are claims that whole neighborhoods, cities, even nations are under the sway of the Demonic. Other religions, such as Islam, are also said to be demonically influenced. One cannot compromise with evil, and so if Democrats, liberals, LGBTQ+ people, and others are seen as demonic, political compromise — the heart of Democratic life — becomes difficult if not impossible. This use of the Demonic in Politics has spread beyond NAR and has been taken up by none other than DONALD TRUMP, who, at a Family Research Council Conference in 2023 referred not only to ‘Marxists’ and ‘Atheists,’ but included them as part of the ‘Evil Demonic Forces that want to destroy our country.’ Such Dehumanization has been a key element in political violence, and even genocide, throughout the twentieth century. DK: As I have noted previously, a book by Jack Posobiec and Joshua Lisec described the Left as “Unhumans” (2024), holding terrifying implications for them.

CONCLUSION. “‘NAR [the Heartbeat of Christian Nationalism] is the greatest threat to U.S. democracy that you have never heard of.’ It is already a powerful, wealthy and influential Movement and composes a highly influential block of one of the two main Political Parties in the country. ‘So few people have heard of NAR that it is possible that, without Resistance in our local communities, Dominionism might win without ever having been truly opposed.’”

Now to some ponderous final considerations, beloved.

IV. LAST THOUGHTS

“Lenin wanted to destroy the State, and that’s my goal, too. I want to bring everything crashing down, and destroy all of today’s establishment”. – STEVE BANNON, Two Interviews (New Yorker, 2013; New York Times, 2016).

THE HARBINGER. As I conclude our important conversation, I recall some years back I had read of something called, “THE AMERICAN CENTURY.” The term refers to an historical period, particularly the 20th Century, characterized by the overwhelming influence of the United States in global political, economic, and cultural spheres.

The term, popularized by Henry Luce in his 1941 Essay, describes the Post-World War II Era where the United States became a sole or dominant Superpower. It encompasses the spread of American culture, the adoption of U.S. economic policies, and the U.S.’s role in establishing Post-War global institutions.

Over 70 years later when Donald Trump emerged on the American presidential scene seemingly out of nowhere in 2015, that description of the current American Condition, ironically, began to come to its End.

In an insightful article by the EDITORS of East Asia Forum (June 23, 2025), we find the truth of that prediction. I close with their Postmortem of what I now consider to be inevitable: “The End of the American Century.”

“‘When future historians look back on our age, they will almost certainly mark “LIBERATION DAY” [April 2, 2025] as the End of the American Century.’ That was the Day on which Donald Trump put an end to 80 years of global economic leadership, accelerated US relative economic decline and irreparably diminished the US’ international standing and soft power, bringing to a close the most prosperous and, for the most part, peaceful period in history thus far.

‘The Question’ is whether the US retreat from, and undermining of, the Post-War Order whose creation and enforcement it led, can now survive — and whether there will be a System that survives for the United States to rejoin when it’s ready …

‘[In either event], we have to get used to a World without the Leadership of the United States. That World is gone’ — Reliable and constructive US engagement in the World is unlikely for at least three years and likely several more. When it comes to defending and rehabilitating Global Governance in response, it will be up to a Coalition of rich and developing countries to build back better.”

CODA. Indeed beloved, indeed. But these otherwise wise prognostications are limited by their understandable inattention to the Scriptures, which among other things say this of the Present Age of American Decline.

“‘Babylon the Great is a World Hegemon.’ A country which Dominates World Politics, Economics, and Culture in the End Times. Further, the text of Revelation indicates that it is a Unique Entity in the world, ἡ πόλις ἡ μεγάλη: ‘The Great Polis.’ It uniquely makes all the nations of the world wealthy, reigns over the nations of the world, imposes its Culture [and Religion] on all the nations, and leads them in a massive downward spiral of materialistic depravity that culminates in worldwide worship of Satan and the Antichrist during the second half of the Tribulation Period.

‘These are things that can only be done once, and the United States is now doing them.’ Never before in history has a single country dominated all the other countries of the world and enjoyed such preeminence in comparison to all the others. The United States finds itself in the historically unique position of monopolizing every significant power source in the world—a position it began to occupy since the end of World War II, and which was greatly enhanced by the end of the Cold War.” – DR. STEVEN ANDERSON, “The Case for Identifying Babylon the Great with the United States of America,” Truth Only Bible, July 29, 2021; edited

DK’S NOTE. If all that I have written here, standing on the shoulders of wiser men and women and the Scriptures themselves, is substantially true, then we have a difficult but nonetheless CLEAR MANDATE to all True Citizens of Heaven.

“LEARN TO DO RIGHT! Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless, plead for the widow …

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. These two commandments sum up and upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets …

Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be).” – ISAIAH 1:17; MATTHEW 22:36-40; 28:19-20, AMPC

Selah. Selah.

MEDIA

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/MgjJcv7Dh7s