NOTES ON THE CALL OF THE PREACHER ON THE OCCASION OF THE PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION OF JANUARY 20, 2025: ‘ARISE TO BOLDNESS OR SUCCUMB TO PUBLIC HUMILIATION!’ – (WITH VIDEO)

 

1. THEOLOGY

SCRIPTURE. “The word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Jeremiah, what do you see?’ And I said, ‘I see the branch of an almond tree.’ Then the Lord said to me, ‘You have seen well, for I am [actively] watching over My word to fulfill it.’ The word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, ‘What do you see?’ And I said, ‘I see a boiling pot, tilting away from the north [its mouth about to pour out on the south, on Judea].’

Then the Lord said to me, ‘Out of the north the evil [which the prophets foretold as the result of national sin] will reveal itself and spill out on all the people of the land. For, behold, I will call all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north,’ says the Lord; ‘and they will come and each one will set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its surrounding walls, and against all the cities of Judah [as My judicial act, the consequence of Judah’s deliberate disobedience].

I will speak My judgments against them for all the wickedness of those who have abandoned (rejected) Me, offered sacrifices or burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the [idolatrous] works of their own hands.

But you [Jeremiah], gird up your loins [in preparation]! Get up and tell them all which I command you. Do not be distraught and break down at the sight of their [hostile] faces, or I will bewilder you before them and allow you to be overcome.

Now behold, I have made you today like a fortified city and like an iron pillar and like bronze walls against the whole land—against the [successive] kings of Judah, against its leaders, against its priests, and against the people of the land [giving you divine strength which no hostile power can overcome].They will fight against you, but they will not [ultimately] prevail over you, for I am with you [always] to protect you and deliver you,’ says the Lord.” – JEREMIAH 1:11-19, AMP

KEY TERMS:

• “GET UP!” ‘Qum’ [קוּם]: “From a primitive root, ‘To rise or stand up!’ also, to establish, endure, fulfill; to abide or continue in God’s Decree; ‘to awaken!’ NOTE: “The Hebrew verb ‘qum’ primarily means ‘to arise’ or ‘to stand up.’ It conveys the idea of ‘rising from a lower position to a higher one,’ whether physically, metaphorically, or spiritually. It is used in various contexts, including standing up from a seated position, rising to take action, establishing something firmly, or fulfilling a promise or prophecy. The verb can also imply endurance or the act of being established over time.”

• “BEWILDER!” ‘Chathath’ [תֵּחַת֙]: “From a primitive root meaning, ‘To prostrate or break down by violence or confusion;’ also, to make afraid or beat down, discourage, dismay or terrify.” NOTE: “The Hebrew verb ‘chathath’ primarily conveys the idea of being shattered or broken, both physically and emotionally. It is often used in the context of fear or dismay, where individuals or nations are described as being terrified or demoralized. The term can also imply a sense of being crushed or brought low, often as a result of Divine Judgment or overwhelming circumstances.”

QUOTATION. “‘Fear is not in the habit of speaking truth;’ when perfect sincerity is expected, perfect freedom must be allowed; nor has anyone who is apt to be angry when he hears the truth any cause to wonder that he does not hear it.” ― TACITUS, Roman historian, The Histories (105 AD), The Annals (117 AD); edited

COMMENTARY. “God gave Jeremiah a view of the Destruction of Judah and Jerusalem by the Chaldeans. The Almond-Tree, which is more forward in the spring than any other, represented the speedy approach of Judgments. God also showed whence the intended Ruin should arise. Jeremiah saw a Seething-Pot boiling, representing Jerusalem and Judah in great commotion. The mouth or face of the furnace or hearth, was toward the north; from whence the fire and fuel were to come. The Northern Powers shall unite. The Cause of these Judgments was the Sin of Judah.

‘The whole counsel of God must be declared! The fear of God is the best remedy against the fear of man.’ Better to have all men our enemies than God our Enemy; those who are sure they have God with them, need not, ought not to fear, whoever is against them. Let us pray that we may be willing to give up personal interests, and that nothing may move us from our duty.” – MATTHEW HENRY, Exposition of the Old and New Testaments, 6 vols., 1708-1710; edited

II. TEACHING

It is an undeniable truth that the American Church is in desperate need of Courageous Christian Leaders, of whom there are precious few. We pointed out Ten Individuals in our last Commentary – some 1,1000^th of the entire population of Pastor-Teacher-Leaders in America today. Selah.

MEN WITHOUT CHESTS. The C.S. LEWIS INSTITUTE (August 2012) rightly observed that in his remarkable book, The Abolition of Man(1943), Lewis was Prophetic in pointing out that Relativism—the Idea that ‘there are no absolute truths’—would lead to the Decay of Morality and a lack of Virtue within society. Without a belief in and the teaching of Universal Moral Laws, we fail to educate the heart and are left with intelligent men who behave like animals or as Lewis puts it, “Men without Chests.”

Here is a transcript of his Full Apologetic – so crucially pertinent to the American Church Crisis of 2025.

“It still remains true that no justification of Virtue will enable a man to be virtuous. Without the aid of trained emotions, the intellect is powerless against the animal organism. I had sooner play cards against a man who was quite skeptical about Ethics, but bred to believe that ‘a gentleman does not cheat’, than against an irreproachable moral philosopher who had been brought up among sharpers.

In battle it is not syllogisms (logical arguments) that will keep the reluctant nerves and muscles to their post in the Third Hour of the bombardment. The crudest Sentimentalism … about a flag or a country or a regiment will be of more use. We were told it all long ago by Plato. As the king governs by his Executive, so Reason in man must rule the mere appetites by means of the ‘Spirited Element’. The head rules the belly through the ‘Chest’—the Seat, as Alanus tells us, of Magnanimity, of emotions organized by trained habit into stable sentiments. ‘The Chest-Magnanimity-Sentiment’—these are the indispensable liaison officers between Cerebral man and Visceral man.

It may even be said that it is by this middle element that Man is man: For by his intellect he is mere spirit and by his appetite mere animal. The operation of The Green Book (a book promoting Relativism) and its kind is to produce what may be called ‘Men without Chests’ … A persevering devotion to Truth, a nice sense of intellectual honour, cannot be long maintained without the aid of a Sentiment… It is not excess of thought but defect of fertile and generous emotion that marks them out. Their heads are no bigger than the ordinary: ‘It is the Atrophy of the Chest beneath that makes them seem so.’

And all the time—Such is the Tragi-Comedy of our situation—we continue to clamour for those very qualities we are rendering impossible. You can hardly open a periodical without coming across the statement that what our Civilization needs is more ‘Drive’, or Dynamism, or Self-sacrifice, or ‘Creativity’.

In a sort of ghastly simplicity, we remove the organ and demand the function. We make Men Without Chests and expect of them Virtue and Enterprise. We laugh at honour and are shocked to find Traitors in our midst. We castrate and bid the Geldings, ‘Be fruitful!’

The Apostle Paul writes, ‘The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith’ (1 Timothy 1:5, ESV). ‘If followers of Christ live as People with Chests—strong hearts filled with God’s truth—the world will take notice.’

MEN WITH CHESTS. I joyfully came upon an article by CHRIS HUTCHINSON, who describes himself as an “Unfamous Pastor (PCA), Husband, Dad, & Army Vet” (Desert Storm), who also holds degrees from Duke University and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. He has published a book that tells us much of this man’s heart and soul, and why I like him so much:

Rediscovering Humility: The Way Up is Down (2018).

III. TEACHING

In the article that follows, Hutchinson’s very title pretty much gives the rest of his rather intrepid story away: “Pastoral Courage in an Age of Populist Relativism” (Blog, Sep. 15, 2023; edited). He starts his penetrating essay with a favorite poem of mine by American novelist, essayist and spiritual mentor to a divided America in the Post-Civil War Era, JOSIAH GILBERT HOLLAND.

“‘God give us men!’ A time like this demands
Strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and ready hands;
Men whom the lust of office does not kill;
Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy;
Men who possess opinions and a will;
Men who have honor, — men who will not lie;
Men who can stand before a demagogue,
And damn his treacherous flatteries without winking!
Tall men, sun-crowned, who live above the fog
In public duty, and in private thinking:
For while the rabble, with their thumb-worn creeds,
Their large professions and their little deeds, —
Mingle in selfish strife, lo! Freedom weeps,
Wrong rules the land, and waiting justice sleeps.” ~ “Wanted,” 1872

While Pastor Hutchinson clearly has Donald Trump in mind here, his approach is best described in my view as A PASTORAL APPEAL TO PRINCIPLED RECONCILIATION. Based on what I read in his superb essay, I would attend this man’s church! And for those who know my Sustained Polemic against the deeply corrupt Establishment American Church, that is saying a great deal.

DISCLAIMER. I need to make it clear that I do not agree with all his MAIN IDEAS that follow, but he comes closest to a Pastor with a Chest that I have found in the past ten years. (You see? I can be flexible at times, but never on Core Doctrines)! Selah.

• OPEN. “So, we always have ‘a Choice’ when we face Conflict in the Church, whatever the issue involved. We can pick up the spear and hurl it back, hoping to win the battle and keep our position, even in the cause of Truth and Justice. ‘Or we can put Church Unity at the very top of our list, just under the Gospel itself. And if we do that, we may lose the battle, it is true. We may even lose our church and have to move on, but then again, it was never ours to begin with. And we will not become a King Saul.’ We will lose the earthly battle but sow a harvest of righteousness.” – From “Maintaining Christian Unity in a Polarized Time,” Blog, Nov. 2, 2020; edited

• PURPOSE. “This essay then is not a brief against those who voted for Trump in the general elections of 2016 or 2020, nor a call for congregations to divide over politics. My own approach towards Church Unity in this challenging time can be found [in my Essay cited above as we work toward treating one another with respect and grace when possible]. ‘Rather, this Essay is a call for Christian leaders and public figures to stand for Truth, Integrity and Righteousness within the Church as the culture impacts us from all sides.’

• PRIORITY. “‘My Greater Concern then is not so much for the United States.’ I love our country and served her at great personal cost. But nations come and go. ‘My Greater Concern is the severe damage the Evangelical Faustian Alliance with Trump has done to the witness of Christ, especially among the younger generation.’ What good does it do to return to a pre-1965 America if we lose a generation to the Gospel?”

• BALANCE. “We live in a time of great Populist Cultural Retrenchment. ‘If we are to resist the Social Gospel movement from the Left with its Moral Relativism, we must likewise resist the Moral Relativism now coming at us from the Right! Pastors must not become Silent Pawns, or worse, Mimicking Magpies of just one more social movement. After all, friendship with the world is “ENMITY WITH GOD,” James tells us.”

• INTEGRITY. ‘We need Courage to speak to our people, to the sorts of sins and compromises we are more likely to make.’ In our day, in our Pews, much of what we must confront is The Disinformation, Hyper-partisanship and Unkind Nativism our people have been fed from multiple, profit-driven conservative media outlets. Even if we have certain policy agreements with them, any Christ-following soul should recognize the slander, bias and disinformation that regularly flows from many of these outlets. In Conservative, Evangelical circles, speaking to that is at least as great a challenge as speaking to the sexual sins prevalent in the wider culture.”

• PAUL. “I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. ‘Purge the evil person from among you.’” (I COR. 5:9-13)

• COURAGE. “In other words, it takes Courage to call out the sins of the world – but even More Courage to confront the sins more likely to be in our own ranks!’ Disinformation, Slander and Materialism have been pumped into our conservative Christian homes from talk radio for three decades now and we are paying the price with our own forms of Moral Relativism. Maybe that is why Liz Cheney lost by so much.”

• COWARDICE. “‘Have we lost our Courage?’ Are we supposed to remain “polite” by refusing to point out the growing Conspiracy Theories or contempt for the Rule of Law in our circles, while much of the GOP becomes increasingly Trumpified and Amoral? ‘To remain Quiet in the face of such obvious Cynicism is not respectful of our flocks – it’s either Ignorance, Hyper-partisan bias or Cowardice!’”

• CALLING. Some in our congregations, some in our presbyteries or associations, some in our own hearts. There are abusers, politicians and bullies who must be stood up to. ‘We need Courage to confess our own public errors and sins publicly, trusting that God’s grace and protection is greater than any slander or fallout we may receive for our “weakness” in doing so. For all these tests, we need Courage!’ Courage to face them, and Courage to do so in the right manner – ethically, within the system, and bearing the fruit of the Spirit. ‘We need to pick up our Cross and Follow Christ. Not because it might be popular or unpopular but simply because it is the right thing to do.’”

Beloved, it has taken me nearly ten years to find this one Pastor proposing such lucid, courageous, and Biblically sound counsel. Ten years! So may we conclude with a Sacred Resolution to imitate this wise and rare Example of Honor in an Age of Catastrophic Shame.

IV. LAST THOUGHTS

WATERSHED MOMENT. “‘First Cause; Original; that which gives rise to any thing.’ Thus ambition, the love of power and of fame, have been the sources of half the calamities of nations. Intemperance is the source of innumerable evils to individuals.” ALSO: “The term ‘Watershed Moment’ is an idiom that refers to:An Important Event that changes the direction of history.” N. WEBSTER, American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828; HANNA YANG, Prowritingaid, Jan. 1, 2022; edited

Beloved, after 50 years as a scholar, professor, author and cultural analyst, I can safely say that JANUARY 20, 2025, shall be recorded and remembered as the Second  Most Critical Watershed in human history – second only the The Advent of Jesus Christ in or around 4 BC in a tiny hamlet named Bethlehem, in the ancient Province of Judea, Israel.

“‘The Second [Advent] of Donald Trump as the President of the United States’ is set to begin on January 20, 2025, when he is to be inaugurated as the 47th president. Trump, who previously served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021, is scheduled to take office following his victory over Democratic incumbent vice president Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. Upon taking office, he will become the second president in U.S. history to serve nonconsecutive terms after Grover Cleveland in 1893, the oldest individual to assume the presidency, the first to take office after having been impeached, and the first convicted felon to take office …

According to the National Weather Service: An intense blast of arctic air will enter the North-Central U.S. before spreading across the country over the weekend. Temperatures in the Northern Plains and Midwest could plunge to subzero highs on Sunday and Monday, with lows dipping below -20°F. Wind chills will make conditions even more dangerous … Donald Trump’s inauguration will take place on Monday, Jan. 20, in Washington, D.C. Events begin Saturday, culminating in the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol. Here’s the current D.C. forecast: Sunday, Jan. 19: High of 34°F, low of 17°F, with a 60% chance of snow. Monday, Jan. 20: High of 23°F, low of 6°F, sunny and clear.” – Editors, Wikipedia, Jan. 19, 2025; Victoria E. Freile, Lohud, Jan. 19, 2025; edited

“EVE OF DESTRUCTION.” Fifty years ago, an American Protest Song by this title was written by P. F. Sloan in mid-1965, subsequently performed by several artists, the most notable of whom was BOB DYLAN.

Here are a few Prophetic Lyrics from an Anthem that I thought powerfully germane to our Present Watershed Moment in 2025. 

“The Eastern world, it is explodin’
Violence flarin’, bullets loadin’
You’re old enough to kill but not for votin’
You don’t believe in war, but what’s that gun you’re totin’?
And even the Jordan river has bodies floatin.’

But you tell me
Over and over and over again, my friend
How you don’t believe
We’re on the eve of destruction.

Don’t you understand what I’m trying to say
Can’t you feel the fears I’m feeling today?
If the button is pushed, there’s no runnin’ away
There’ll be no one to save with the world in a grave
Take a look around you boy, it’s bound to scare you, boy.

And you tell me
Over and over and over again, my friend
How you don’t believe
We’re on the eve of destruction.”

CODA. Beloved followers of the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua ben David, it has taken me 50 years to come to a place in my 80-year sojourn on this earth to write the following Conclusion to this Essay. Synonymous with what I believe shall be nothing less than:

‘The Beginning of the End of Human History as We Have Known It.’

“Seventy ‘sevens’^[ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place … He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” – DANIEL 9:24, 27, NKJV

It begins. Make ready.

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/PLuyt5-TYsw