NOTES ON WHO MAY ENTER THE PROMISE LAND: ‘NONE’ WHO HONOR NOR DEFER TO AMERICA’S FALSE MAGA GOSPEL (WITH VIDEO)

  1. THEOLOGY

SCRIPTURE. “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Arise, go down from here quickly, for your people whom you brought from Egypt have ACTED CORRUPTLY. They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them; they have made (cast) a MOLTEN IMAGE for themselves.’

Furthermore, the Lord said to me, ‘I have seen this people, and indeed, they are stiff-necked (stubborn, obstinate) people. Let Me alone, so that I may destroy them and wipe out their name from under heaven; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.’” – DEUTERONOMY 9:12-14, AMP

KEY TERMS.

  • “ACTED CORRUPTLY.” ‘Shachath’ [שִׁחֵ֣ת]: “A primitive root: ‘To decay; to ruin; to cast off or lose; to destroy or perish; to pevert.’” NOTE: “The verb שָׁחַת occurs roughly one-hundred-forty-seven times in the Hebrew Scriptures and gathers around FOUR INTERWOVEN IDEAS: (1) Moral Corruption or Depravity; (2) Physical Ruin or Devastation; (3) The Spoiling or Marring of objects, persons, or plans; and (4) The Finality of Destruction when God executes Judgment. Its range stretches from an internal decay of character to the outward collapse of civilizations and ecosystems. The word therefore functions as an indispensable link between human sin, ‘The Forfeiture.’”
  • “MOLTEN IMAGE.”  ‘Maccekah’ [מַסֵּכָֽה׃]: “FUSION of metal (especially as with a cast image); by implication, ‘a libation or league that covers as with a veil.’” NOTE: “מַסֵּכָה designates an object or substance produced by pouring. In Scripture it most often refers to a ‘cast-metal idol,’ but in a few passages it describes a ‘covering or a libation.’ ‘Taken together, the Word traces a persistent Conflict between the saving REVELATION of the LORD and the Man-made SUBSTITUTES that threaten covenant faithfulness.’” [See the ‘Militant Graphic’ and compare it with “Christ Crucified”]. SELAH.

QUOTATION. “The Failure of Rebellious Israelites to enter the Promised Land could be a picture of the ‘Faithless Organized Church of Today,’ Failing [in their ‘Impious Disobedience’] to Possess the Heavenly things Promised by Christ.”  – ELMER TOWNS,  Praying for Your Second Chance: Prayers from Numbers & Deuteronomy, 2011; edited

COMMENTARY. “‘Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for Thy people … have corrupted themselves!’ — With a view to humble them effectually, Moses proceeds to particularize some of the most atrocious instances of their ‘Infidelity.’ He begins with the  ‘IMPIETY of the Golden Calf!’—an Impiety which, while their miraculous Emancipation from Egypt, the most stupendous displays of the Divine Majesty that were exhibited on the adjoining Mount, and the recent ‘Ratification of the Covenant’ by which they engaged to act as the people of God, were fresh in memory, ‘indicated a degree of Inconstancy or Debasement almost [‘ASTONISHING]!’” – R. JAMIESON, A.R. FAUCETT & D. BROWN, Bible Commentary, 1871; edited

IMPIETY. “‘Ungodliness; Irreverence towards the Supreme Being; Contempt of the Divine Character and Authority; Neglect of the Divine Precepts’ … Any ‘ACT OF WICKEDNESS,’ such as Blasphemy and Scoffing at the Supreme Being, or at His Authority; Profaneness. Any expression of Contempt for God or His Laws, constitutes an: ‘Impiety of the HIGHEST DEGREE of [Spiritual] Criminality.’ ‘DISOBEDIENCE’to the Divine Commands or Neglect of duty implies Contempt for His Authority and is therefore Impiety.” – NOAH WEBSTER, American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828; edited

II. TEACHING

CHRISTIANITY FOR GROWNUPS. “Therefore let us get past the elementary stage in the teachings about the Christ, advancing on to MATURITY [teleiotés] and PERFECTION and SPIRITUAL COMPLETENESS, [doing this] without laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of teaching about washings (ritual purifications), the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. [These are all important matters in which you should have been proficient long ago.] And we will do this [that is, proceed to maturity], if God permits. 

For [it is impossible to restore to repentance] those who have once been enlightened [spiritually] and who have tasted and consciously experienced the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted and consciously experienced the good word of God and the powers of the age (world) to come, and then have FALLEN AWAY [parapiptó, ‘apostatize’]—it is impossible to bring them back again to repentance, since they again nail the Son of God on the cross [for as far as they are concerned, they are treating the death of Christ as if they were not saved by it], and are holding Him up again to public disgrace.

For soil that drinks the rain which often falls on it and produces crops useful to those for whose benefit it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it persistently produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.” – HEBREWS 6:1-8, AMP

Over the past five years of teaching online concerning the critical issues challenging a largely TRAITOROUS AMERICAN CHURCH, I came up with a catchphrase that sort of stuck, and pops out of me fairly frequently:

“Not everybody gets to go.”

Must be from Someone Else, since it is at once both Profound and Simple, and carries the weight of Truth and Sound Doctrine tucked tight inside its efficient summary of just ‘WHO gets to go to Heaven.’

HYPER-GRACE HERESY. I could not possibly in this short space do sufficient justice to the entire History of American Christianity’s ‘Favorite Plaything,’ (i.e., IDOL) “The Hyper-Grace Gospel,” but I’ll give it a somewhat truncated try to get us grounded for the conversation we must have today.

For efficiency’s sake, I will rely on AI OVERVIEW from time to time, rather than pursue original sources since we are covering so much ground. We see that there are at least THREE ROOT SYSTEMS leading up to the present Heretical Condition

  • EARLY ORIGINS. The first issue that jumps in front of the for Explanatory Roots is Doctrine of “Once Saved, Always Saved“ (OSAS), or “Unconditional Eternal Security.” It posits that true believers can NEVERlose their Salvation. Ever! It had Roots in the Early Church Father Origen and later, Catholic father AUGUSTINE’S Allegorical Hermeneutics and the concept of “Perseverance of the Saints.” Then the Reformation’s father, JOHN CALVIN, who linked it to ‘Sola Fide’(“Faith Alone”) and ‘Justification’. While Adherents cite verses about “God’s preserving power” (John 10, Romans 8), CRITICS point to warnings about ‘Falling Away’ (Hebrews 6, 10) and argue it can foster ‘Complacency,’ (‘Lukewarmness’) making it a [‘Rebellion’], contrasting it with many ‘Biblical calls for PERSEVERANCE AND OBEDIENCE,’ repeated frequently by Jewish Prophets, the Apostles of the Church, and Jesus Himself. 
  • FREE GRACE. The “FREE GRACE MOVEMENT” is a Modern theological stream emphasizing that Eternal Life is received ‘BY FAITH ALONE’ in Jesus Christ, with ‘No Works nor Repentance’necessary for Salvation, a view systematized by thinkers like pastor and writer Zane Hodges and Bible scholar Charles Ryrie in the late 20th century, primarily as a response to“LORDSHIP SALVATION” [Total Submission]. Though its Roots trace back to earlier figures like LEWIS SPERRY CHAFER (Co-founder of Dallas Theological Seminary), promoting the idea that ‘MERE BELIEF’ in Christ grants “Entrance” to the Kingdom, while following Christ under ‘GOD’S Power [Alone],’ leads to Salvation. DK: An absolute ‘Repudiation of Human Free Will,’ oraccountability.
  • THE CHARISMATICS. American Hyper-Grace Theology emerges from the late 20th/21st-century Charismatic and Word of Faith Movements, emphasizing ‘RADICAL GRACE’ (e.g., Regent University President, c. 1998), seen as a Corrective to Legalism but criticized for downplaying Repentance and Sin’s ongoing Reality, drawing historical parallels to ancient Gnostic/Antinomian Doctrines. It gained traction through figures like Joseph Prince and Joel Osteen, focusing on ‘Total Forgiveness’ and ‘Inherent Righteousness,’ diverging from Traditional balanced views.  Emerged from these circles, stressing ‘Abundant Grace, Divine Favor, and Supernatural Blessing,’ appealing to those seeking “freedom” from strict religious rules. Andrew Farley and Steve McVey are authors  of this Movement, who Question Traditional Sanctification. Other leaders here are Kenneth Copeland (who teaches that we are “little gods”), T.D. Jakes, and many others hailing back to the Oral Roberts school of the Prosperity Gospel Movement that still prevails in most of Charismatic Christianity.

JESUS’ WORDS to the Seven Churches in the Book of Revelation strongly contradicts the idea that Christians never need to Repent. To the CHURCH AT EPHESUS, Jesus said, “Consider how far you have fallen! REPENT and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place’ (REVELATION 2:5). Jesus rebukes five of the Seven Churches and demands Repentance from them (Revelation 2:4, 6, 20; 3:3, 15–19). Far from Believers being Unaccountable for their sin, they must ANSWER TO JESUS for their Disobedience! (see also 2 Corinthians 5:10).

“‘Preachers of Hyper-Grace Doctrine [REJECT] the Old Testament and the Ten Commandments as irrelevant to New Testament Believers.’ They even teach that Jesus’ Words spoken before His Resurrection are part of the Old Covenant and no longer applicable to born-again believers … ‘Hyper-grace teaching is a good example of mixing Truth with Error.’ An emphasis on the beauty and power of God’s Grace is good, but some teachers are neglecting what Paul called the ‘Whole Counsel of God’ (Acts 20:27). For example, it is true that Christians have been forgiven by God. But that doesn’t mean we never have to Confess our sin. James 5:16 says, ‘Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.’ If we are to confess our sins to each other, why would we not need to confess them to God, since every sin is ultimately a sin against God (Psalm 51:4)?” – EDITORS, Got Questions, ret. Jan. 15, 2026; edited

CONSEQUENCES. Hyper-Grace theologians Reconstruct and drastically Reduce the severity of the Passage in HEBREWS 6:4-6, with which I opened this section, falsely reasoning, by their hermeneutic, that a Christian can never lose his or her position in Christ. Well now, let us consider the Orthodox View of that admittedly troubling Scripture.

“‘The Apostle was addressing Christians. He was endeavoring to keep them from Apostasy. The Object was not to keep those who were awakened and enlightened from Apostasy, but it was to PRESERVE: ‘Those who were already IN the Church of Christ, from going back to Perdition.’ The kind of exhortation appropriate to those who were awakened and convicted, but who were not truly converted, would be ‘to become converted;’ not: ‘To Warn them of the Danger of Falling Away.’ Besides, the Apostle would not have said of such persons that they could not be converted and saved. But of sincere Christians it might be said with the utmost propriety, that they could not be renewed again and be saved if they should fall away – because: ‘They REJECTED the only Plan of Salvation after they had tried it, and RENOUNCED the only Scheme of Redemption after they had tasted its benefits.’ If that plan could not save them, what could? If they neglected that, by what other means could they be brought to God? …

‘And were made PARTAKERS [intimately connected to] the Holy Ghost’ – Partakers with ‘Intimate Linkage’ to the Holy Spirit – Or it is only in this sense that we can partake of the Holy Spirit. We ‘partake’ of food when we share it with others; we ‘partake’ of pleasure when we enjoy it with others; we ‘partake’ of spoils in war when they are divided between us and others. ‘So, we PARTAKE of the influences of the Holy Spirit when we share these influences conferred on his people. This is not language which can properly be applied to anyone but a TRUE CHRISTIAN.’” – ALBERT BARNES, Theologian and Abolitionist, Notes on the New and Old Testament, 11 vols., 1834; edited

No, beloved, NOT “Once Saved Always Saved,” but as JESUS SAID IT: “Because lawlessness is increased, the love of most people will grow cold. But the one who ENDURES [‘HUPOMENO,’ perseveres and bears up under suffering] to the end will be saved.” – MATTHEW 24:12-13, AMP

THE VISION. My wife and I had recently moved from Stockton, California to Chesapeake, Virginia in 1980s, and built our home there around 1987. One morning as I got out of the shower, I saw a huge ‘Word’ etched clearly on the steamy bathroom mirror: “ENDURE!” Later that morning it was confirmed by Mark O’Keefe, my then Editor of our news journal, The Standard.

I leave the URGENCY of that Word to us to consider in light of the Violent Chaos that has fallen upon America under Donald Trump’s Dictatorship.

Selah.

III. AMERICA’S MAGA CHURCH

THESIS. ‘The American Hyper-Grace Gospel has in large measure contributed directly to the Rise of Donald Trump and the malevolence of MAGA CHRISTIANITY. All those who have aided and abetted its Domination of both Church and State, by Silence or Affirmation, shall be held, without Repentance, severely Accountable for its rise at The Judgment.’ SELAH.

For solid documentation of this admittedly controversial Thesis, I offer two pieces of evidence. (1) An AI Overview Summary (ret. Jan. 16, 2925; edited) of the Connection between these Mega Events in American history. (2) A Scholarly Analysis of MAGA Christianity by a leading Christian thinker we must all consider.

MAGA CHURCH. “MAGA Church” and “Hyper-Grace Gospel” represent two distinct but sometimes overlapping trends within Modern American Evangelicalism, particularly in Charismatic and Non-Denominational Megachurches. The term, “MAGA Church,” is often used to describe various Religious Groups that have deeply integrated the “Make America Great Again” Political Movement into their theology and worship. 

  • Spiritual Warfare Narrative: Many of these churches frame American politics as a literal Spiritual Battle between Good and Evil, invariably viewing Donald Trump as a divinely anointed leader.
  • Political Mobilization: These congregations often function as Hubs for Political Organizing, hosting “Faith Leaders” and using sermons to mobilize voters around Nationalist and Conservative Narratives.
  • KEY ERROR: Critics, including organizations like THE LINCOLN PROJECT argue this Movement turns Faith into a Performance for Political Power and REPLACES Core Biblical Teachings with Political Loyalty.

THE INTERSECTION. While Maga and Hyper-Grace are separate movements, they often Overlap in NON-DENOMINATIONAL MEGACHURCHES:

  • Shared Audience: Both movements thrive in modern, media-savvy church environments that prioritize ‘Personal Empowerment and Individual Success.’
  • Selective Theology: Both have been criticized for “watering down” Traditional Christian Doctrines—one for Political Purposes and the other for an “easier to swallow” spiritual message. 

THE MAGA JUGGERNAUT. Having thoroughly reviewed what I consider to be the Unholy Marriage of Hyper-Grace Christianity and the highly Politicized MAGA Church movements in America in the last ten years, we turn now to a deeply thoughtful essay by PETER WEHNER.

Wehner is a widely respected American author and former speechwriter for the administrations of three Republican U.S. presidents. He is a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum. Wehner is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, a contributing editor at The Atlantic, and the author of The Death of Politics.  According to the Institute for Policy Studies, Wehner’s work usually centers on “Domestic Policy and Christian Ethics“, although he is “a reliable hawk on foreign affairs and he tends to view foreign policy through the prism of Moralism“

His piece is titled, “Fully MAGA-Fied Christianity,” The Atlantic, September 29, 2025; edited. Here is my condensation of his MAIN IDEAS.

OPEN. “The contrast could hardly have been greater. During a memorial service for Charlie Kirk, held in a stadium filled with nearly 100,000 people, Erika Kirk, the wife of the slain right-wing activist, expressed both her profound love for her husband and the profound grief brought on by his death. It was the speech of a woman deeply influenced by her Christian faith. And it included [then] remarkable words, which she struggled to say but was still able to articulate …

Donald Trump, following Erika Kirk, said Charlie was ‘a missionary with a noble spirit and a great, great purpose. He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them.’ But then the president, diverting from his script, couldn’t resist voicing his dissent. ‘That’s where I disagreed with Charlie,’ Trump said. ‘I hate my opponents. And I don’t want the best for them.’ He added, ‘I’m sorry, Erika.’ The audience began to laugh and to cheer. Trump gave them a knowing smile. A man who lies about nearly everything couldn’t bring himself to lie about his hate for his opponents.”

  • REVENGE. “‘Donald Trump, decades before he ran for the presidency, acknowledged that he’s a man filled with Hate and driven by Vengeance.’ It’s not simply that those qualities are part of who he is; it is that he draws strength from the Dark Passions. Trump has spent nearly every day of the past decade confirming that he lacks Empathy. He sees himself as both entitled and as a victim. He’s incapable of remorse. ‘He’s driven by an insatiable need for Revenge. And he enjoys inflicting pain on others.’”
  • APOSTASY. “It’s no longer an interesting Question as to why Trump is an almost Perfect Inversion of the Moral Teachings of Jesus; the Answer can be traced to a damaged, disordered personality that has tragically warped his soul. What is a [VITAL] QUESTION is: ‘WHY those who claim that the greatest desire of their life is to follow Jesus revere such a man and seem willing to follow him, instead, to the ends of the earth.’”
  • ARROGANCE. “‘Many of the Leaders within the Christian-MAGA Movement are Autocratic, Arrogant, and Controlling; they lack accountability, demand unquestioned loyalty, and try to intimidate their critics, especially those within their church or denomination.’ The Grievances and Resentment they feel are impossible to overstate; they are suffering from a PERSECUTION COMPLEX: ‘Fully MAGA-fied Christians view Trump as the “Ultimate Fighting Machine,”’ in the words of the historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez, and they love him for it. The most militant and fanatical Trump supporters [perversely] refer to our Era as a ‘Bonhoeffer Moment.’ (The phrase is meant to draw parallels between the ‘Woke Left’ in America and Nazism.) ‘Hard-Core MAGA Christians hardly make up the whole of American Evangelicalism and Fundamentalism, but they do constitute a large part of it, and: They are on the ASCENDANCY!’”
  • CLOSE. “‘We don’t know how it will end.’ But here’s what I do know, or at least what my understanding of the Christian Faith has taught me to believe: ‘We are called to be FAITHFUL, not necessarily Successful, for success lies beyond our powers.’ This World is broken but beautiful, a gift from God, and the good in this world is worth fighting for. One life on this Earth is all we get, and, in the words of the Pastor and theologian Frederick Buechner, ‘At the very least we are fools if we do not live it as fully and bravely and beautifully as we can.’ God is far more resplendent than the theologies and doctrines about God that we humans construct. And, as the writer Rachel Held Evans put it, “Faith is always a risk.’ No matter what we believe, there’s always the chance we might be wrong. But the Story of Jesus is just the Story I’m willing to risk being wrong about.’”

    IV. LAST THOUGHTS

      Now we conclude my argument with a single, now bloody, piece of undeniable evidence of where all this is leading the United States of America in: The Year of Our Lord, 2026 A.D.

      MINNEAPOLIS AS “HARBINGER.”  “A Forerunner; a Precursor; that which precedes and gives notice of the expected arrival of something else.” – NOAH WEBSTER, American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828; edited

      I close with TWO UPDATES from the beleaguered City of Minneapolis, a mid-size community of about 429,000 souls that represents what is coming to every town in America, if it happens to be Blue.

      MORE BLOODSHED. “A Federal Officer shot a man in the leg on Wednesday night in Minneapolis amid an intensifying federal crackdown on protests in the wake of last week’s fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. The shooting happened as Federal Law Enforcement Officers were conducting a ‘targeted’ traffic stop at around 6:50 p.m. CT (7:50 p.m. ET), according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security. It occurred in the 600 block of 24th Avenue North, according to the City of Minneapolis …

      DHS said the man shot was a Venezuelan National who entered the U.S. without documentation. During the traffic stop, the man attempted to evade arrest, fleeing the scene in his vehicle and crashing into a parked car, before fleeing on foot, according to DHS. The Agency said that when officers tried to apprehend the man, he [‘ostensibly’] ‘began to resist and violently assault the officer.’ The incident escalated when two other people came out of a nearby apartment and attacked the officer with a snow shovel and broom handle,’ DHS said. “Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired defensive shots to defend his life. The initial subject was hit in the leg,” DHS said. “All three subjects ran back into the apartment and barricaded themselves inside.’” – MIRANDA JEYARETNAM, “‘This Is Not Sustainable”’ Feds Shoot Another Person in Minneapolis Amid Protests Over Last Shooting,” Time, Jan. 15, 2026; edited

      TRUMP THREAT. “Unlike regular Federal deployment, this Insurrection Act allows troops to carry out law enforcement functions. It gives U.S. troops the power to search, arrest and detain U.S. citizens. ‘The Insurrection Act is a tool at the president’s disposal,’ said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at the briefing Thursday. She blamed Democratic leaders, specifically Governor Tim Walz, for the escalating violence in Minnesota. ‘It’s because these Democrats are deranged in their hatred for President Trump, and they are holding their State and Local law enforcement hostage as a result,’ said Leavitt. Governor Tim Walz addressed the situation Wednesday, urging Minnesotans protest peacefully, and to film ICE encounters.‘If you see these ICE agents in your neighborhood take out that phone and hit record,’ said Walz. ‘Help us create a Database of the atrocities against Minnesotans, not just to establish a record for posterity, but to bank evidence for future prosecution.’”

      The White House maintains ICE has a Clear Objective: “To REMOVE violent criminals from the streets of Minnesota.” Innocent Americans are also getting caught in the Dragnet. According to ProPublica, 170 legal US citizens were arrested and detained in ICE facilities. The last time the Insurrection Act was used was by President George HW Bush during the 1992 LA Riots.” – MOLLY MARTINEZ, “President Trump Threatens Insurrection Act Amid Escalating Violence,” Local News Live, Jan. 15, 2026; edited

      PRAYER FOR THE REMNANT. “Lord, help us now as we see written, spoken, and visual proof of what’s right before us, and for many it’s already happening. Help us Lord! Steel us! Give us wisdom as we endeavor to follow YOU and Your will for us. 

      There’s nowhere to turn now but to YOU. You Alone are the Rock upon which we stand. Hallelujah! Help us to rejoice in fact that You Alone sit on The Throne.  Help us rejoice in the fact that the AC Trump, none of his minions here, including ICE, nor all the demons from hell, including Satan himself, have ANY power over YOU! 

      Come Lord Jesus! I pray in Your Holy Name Most High Savior and King. AMEN.” – “RJ,” Retired clinical counselor and therapist, Advisor to the Peloton Confessing Fellowship, Jan. 14, 2026; edited

      MEDIA

      YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/s-XFz2oriGM

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