SPECIAL PRÉCIS ON AMERICAN CHRISTIANS’ REFUSAL TO REPENT: RAMPANT HUBRIS AND KING DONALD’S NEW FOURTH REICH – (WITH VIDEO)

1. THEOLOGY

SCRIPTURE. “Your boasting [over the supposed spirituality of your church] is not good [indeed, it is vulgar and inappropriate]. Do you not know that [just] a little leaven ferments the whole batch [of dough, just as a little sin corrupts a person or an entire church]? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new batch, just as you are, still unleavened. For Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed.” – 1 CORINTHIANS 5:6-7, AMP

KEY TERMS:

• “BOASTING.” ‘Kauchéma’ [καύχημα]: “To vaunt or glory [in oneself]; to rejoice.” NOTE: “Strong’s Greek 2745, καύχημα, describes that which gives a person a sense of glorying or exultant confidence. In the New Testament it appears exclusively in contexts that weigh the legitimacy of boasting before God and man. Eleven occurrences, all within the Pauline corpus and Hebrews, chart a progression from the ‘Repudiation of Self-Righteous Pride’ to the ‘Celebration of Christ-centered Triumph.’”

• “CLEAN OUT!” ‘Ekkathairó’ [ἐκκαθάρατε]: “From a primary word denoting, ‘Origin, first cause; therefore to purge out or cleanse thoroughly [from the ground up].’” NOTE: “This verb depicts an intentional and exhaustive cleansing, a deliberate removal of every corrupting element. It appears twice in the New Testament and, in each case, serves as a summons to decisive action that preserves holiness within the people of God.”

QUOTATION. “The Lust for Power is not rooted in strength but in weakness. It is the expression of the inability of the individual self to stand alone and live. It is the desperate attempt to gain secondary strength where genuine strength is lacking. The word ‘Power ‘has a Twofold Meaning. One is the possession of power over somebody, the ability to Dominate him; the Other meaning is the possession of power to do something, to be able, to be Potent. The latter meaning has nothing to do with domination; it expresses mastery in the sense of ability.” – ERICH FROMM, Escape from Freedom, 1941; edited

COMMENTARY. “‘The Apostle notices a flagrant abuse, winked at by the Corinthians. Party spirit, and a false notion of Christian liberty, seem to have saved the offender from censure. Grievous indeed is it that crimes should sometimes be committed by Professors of the Gospel, of which even Heathens would be ashamed. Spiritual Pride and False Doctrines tend to bring in, and to spread such scandals.’

‘How dreadful the effects of sin!’ The Devil reigns where Christ does not. And a man is in his kingdom, and under his power, when not in Christ. The bad example of a man of influence is very mischievous; it spreads far and wide [e.g., Franklin Graham]. Corrupt Principles and Examples, if not corrected, would hurt the whole Church. Believers must have new hearts, and lead new lives. Their common conversation and religious deeds must be holy. So far is the sacrifice of Christ our Passover for us, from rendering personal and public holiness unnecessary, that it furnishes powerful reasons and motives for it. Without Holiness we can neither live by faith in Him, nor join in His ordinances with comfort and profit.” – MATTHEW HENRY, Exposition of the Old and New Testaments, 6 vols., 1708-1710; edited

II. TEACHING

There is a popular saying among Christians who support President Donald Trump, uttered by my upstairs MAGA neighbor whose fellow Texas transplant admires Adolf Hitler:

“Ya’ tired of winning yet?!”

This is wicked Harbinger of the Dark Road America now travels at nearly full speed now. It is the same heartless, brutal Hubris rolled out by such political abominations as Rome’s Nero, Spain’s Torquemada, England’s Henry VIII, Russia’s Stalin, Germany’s Hitler, and now us.

President Donald Trump’s brutal transformation of the United States into Babylon the Great. Selah.

Most painful of all, this Present Regime has been pioneered once again by White Christians under the Banner of ‘Exalting Jesus Christ by force!’ Such Unbiblical Arrogance among the institution that is supposed to serve as the Moral Conscience of the Nation has become its Opposite.

PRIDE VS. HUMILITY.  ^“But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, ‘God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness].’” – JAMES 4:6, AMP

• PRIDE. ‘Huperephanos’ [ὑπερηφάνοις]: Literally: “Appearing above others in a conspicuous manner [as in showing off]; arrogant, haughty, conceited, overbearing, scornful [of those perceived as ‘less than’ self].” NOTE: “Strong’s Greek 5244 names a Posture of Self-Exaltation that places the creature above the Creator and above fellow image-bearers. Scripture portrays this spirit as the Antithesis of humility and the Fountainhead of many visible sins.’ While other Greek terms describe boasting (ἀλαζών) or empty glory (κενοδοξία), ὑπερήφανος exposes an inner attitude: A heart that ‘lifts itself high.’ Its Biblical portrait stretches from the Sin of Satan (implicit in Isaiah 14) [to the Fall of Man in Genesis 3:6] to the ‘End-Times Crisis’ (2 Timothy 3:2).”

• HUMILITY. ‘Tapeinos’ [ταπεινοῖς]: “Born of humiliated circumstances: “Lowly, not high in relation to one’s attitude and social position; modest and the accompanying idea of true piety.” NOTE: Strong’s Greek 5011 depicts the Biblical Virtue of Humility—‘An inner lowliness that gladly submits to God’s sovereign rule and seeks the welfare of others.’ Farfrom promoting self-deprecation, Scripture presents ‘tapeinos’ as the proper self-assessment of creatures before their Creator and Redeemer. The term consistently stands in ‘Antithesis to Pride,’ locating the heart-attitude that receives grace, finds exaltation in God’s timing, and embodies the mind of Christ. ZODHIATES: ‘Prautes:’ “According to Aristotle, is the middle standing between two extremes, getting angry without reason, and not getting angry at all. ‘It is the result of a strong man’s choice to control his reactions in submission to God. It is born of strength of character, stemming from confident trust in God, not from weakness or fear.’”

THE ARROGANCE OF KINGS. Perhaps the chief reason that I, and I daresay the Almighty, inveigh so severely against Trump Church is due to their insufferable ‘Desire for Dominion!’ This collective ‘Modus Operandi’ is so violently opposed to everything Christian that it should not even be a topic for discussion, let alone the current Mindset of the White Church in America today.

Yet here we are in the midst of the utter Destruction of the American Constitutional Order at the hands of President Donald Trump and his legions of White “Christian” Nationalists. In appropriate theological and political irony, I therefore turn here to a notable Jewish scholar for the post-mortem.

Vice Provost for Values and Leadership at Yeshiva University and the Director of its Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks-Herenstein Centermost is DR. ERICA BROWN. The title of her piece for The Atlantic, “Hubris of Biblical Proportions” (July 3, 2024; edited).

• OPEN. “‘Kings scarcely recognize themselves as Mortals, scarcely understand that which pertains to man,’ John Milton wrote, ‘except on the day they are made king or on the day they die.’ Russian President Vladimir Putin is [72]; he’s been in that office for the last [13] years, and will leave a historical wreckage as his legacy. He’s not going anywhere of his own volition. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite vociferous protests, is hanging on by a thread to an office he has occupied for [16] nonconsecutive years. He is [75]. Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, is [89], and has been in that position for [20] years.”

• TRUMP. “President Trump declined to explicitly say he won’t stay in office past Jan. 20, 2029, telling reporters: ‘We have a long way to go before we can even think about that.’ Trump’s remarks to reporters came on Air Force One on Sunday, as he returned to Washington from Florida, where he spent the weekend. Trump was repeatedly asked about his remarks earlier in the day to NBC News in which he was quoted as saying he “was not joking” about a third term in office. He told reporters Sunday night: ‘I’m not looking at that, but I’ll tell you I’ve had more people ask me to have a third term.’” – Luke Garrett, “Trump is Not Joking About a Third Term,” NPR News, March 30, 2025; edited

• HISTORY. “‘Too many leaders stay in office long beyond their Sell-By date.’ When they do, they risk turning their initial enthusiasm and energy for the work into a stubborn refusal to let the next leader bring fresh perspectives and a new vision. In their dogged attachment to the role, they can become too lackluster, too authoritarian, too glib, or too narcissistic. They care more about holding on than about what is best for their constituents. I get it. It’s hard to let go of authority, to give up on the strategies not yet executed and goals not yet achieved. The privileges of power are also difficult to relinquish, from the small perks to the constant wash of sycophancy. And as a lifelong student of the Hebrew Bible, I know there’s nothing new about this.”

• PATTERN.  “The Arc of Leadership in the Hebrew Bible captures this Predictable Cycle: ‘Modesty, Authority, Prosperity, then Insecurity.’ The Pre-Leadership Questions are often the same: Am I worthy? Is there someone better suited to the task? Why me? We see this play out as early as the Exodus Story, when Moses had the audacity to turn down God. Moses felt himself unworthy of leadership—a poor speaker, inexperienced, and unable to establish the people’s trust. He, at least, retained his humility until the end.”

• SAUL. “Much later, when Samuel told Saul he would be king, Saul literally hid behind the baggage at his inauguration. He was tall and good-looking—the right optics for politics—but ultimate responsibility was intimidating and scary. He shrank in its presence. The people grumbled about this odd choice of king: ‘How can this fellow save us?’ [1 Samuel 10:27] The Bible wants us to know that: ‘Power changes people,’ that they come to enjoy the weight and clout of office and its many material and emotional benefits.’ Proverbs, in only one verse, captures the pleasure of power: “The king’s smile means life; his favor is like a rain cloud in spring’ (Proverbs 16:15).

• SUCCESSION. “Saul was not relieved to have a valiant successor. He was threatened and distressed. The David who played the lyre for Saul to calm his dark moods was the very person who made Saul unhinged and jealous. ‘All that he lacks is the kingship!’ [1 Samuel 18:18], Saul complained. Saul tried to kill David many times, disregarding David’s sorely needed military talents while compromising his people’s safety and well-being. Greed in politics poisons governance. ‘Most telling is that although King Saul’s problems were evident, his ministers did not question Saul’s fitness for office.’ It was God and Samuel who took the kingship away from him, before his leadership caused more damage.”

• POWER! “‘Leaders like this will never leave of their own accord.’ That is the work of those who can look beyond personality and focus instead on the position and the possibilities ahead. The selfish cost of staying taxes everybody. ‘How can this fellow save us?’ The greater part of valor and wisdom dictates that for the vitality of an organization, or indeed a polity, veteran leaders, at some point, need to step down gracefully and heed another verse from Proverbs: ‘Pride goes before ruin; arrogance, before failure’ [16:18].”

II. THE ARROGANCE OF KING DONALD I

“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: Still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority. There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it.” – JOHN EMERICH EDWARD DALBERG, LORD ACTON, “Letter to Bishop Creighton” 1887; edited

There are at least TWO DANGERS that America and especially her Church ought to recognize about where we are in what I can only now call Trump’s Fourth Reich being assembled at nearly the speed of light all around us.

ONE: THE POWER OF LEADERSHIP. During my university tenure in classes on Leadership Studies, I drilled into my students this First Principle of Leadership: ‘The Organization will eventually become a working Simulacrum (image or representation) of the Leader.’

This inexorable leadership algorithm can be easily demonstrated by the Succession of Kings in the Old Testament, wherein the King of an Era would essentially define where the Kingdom would travel during his reign. Here are a few examples of this Principle.

Good Kings:

• Asa: Hezekiah’s son, who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.

• Jehoshaphat: Hezekiah’s son, who also did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.

• Hezekiah: Known for his religious reforms, including the removal of idolatry and the re-establishment of Temple worship. 

• Josiah: Led significant religious reforms, including the restoration of the Temple and the rediscovery of the Book of the Law. 

• David: Considered a great king who united Israel, established Jerusalem as the capital, and prepared for the Temple. 

• Solomon: Initially wise and prosperous but later fell into idolatry. 
• Joash (Jehoash): Ruled over Judah and initiated repairs to the Temple. 

• Amaziah: Ruled over Judah and had some success in military campaigns. 

• Uzziah (Azariah): Ruled over Judah and expanded its territory. 

• Jotham: Ruled over Judah and strengthened its defenses. 

Evil Kings:

• Rehoboam: Solomon’s son, who led to the division of the Kingdom due to his poor leadership. 

• Jeroboam I: Led the Northern Kingdom of Israel into idolatry by setting up golden calves at Bethel and Dan. 

• Ahab: Known for his wickedness and idolatry, particularly his worship of Ba’al. 

• Manasseh: Considered the most evil king of Judah, engaging in idolatry, child sacrifice, and other abominations. 

• Amon: Manasseh’s son, who continued in his father’s evil ways. 

• Ahaz: Ruled over Judah and engaged in idolatry. 

• Jehoahaz: Ruled over Judah and was taken captive by the Egyptians. 

• Jehoiakim: Ruled over Judah and was an ungodly king who persecuted Prophets. 

• Jehoiachin: Ruled over Judah for a short time and was taken captive by the Babylonians. 

• Ahaziah: Ruled over Israel and followed in the evil ways of his father Ahab. 

• Jehoram: Ruled over Israel and followed the evil ways of Ahab and his family. 

• Jehu: Ruled over Israel but did not completely turn away from the sins of Jeroboam [Lance Wallnau’s favorite!]. – AI Overview, ret. Aug. 15, 2015; edited

TWO: AMERICA’S MAD KING. I am reminded here once again of the wisdom of the brilliant Chinese military strategist, SUN TZU’s Art of War (5^th Century BC) in which he proposed a First Principle of Warfare: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained, you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

My frontload of the classic philosopher’s Maxim is because we now have a President of the United States who has undeniably, brazenly: Declared war, simultaneously, on the Biblical Canon, the American Constitutional Order, the Democrats, the poor, the immigrant, the homeless, and let’s be bluntly honest here, on all people of color and anyone who opposes him.

Given those realities, what Personality Characteristic could possibly explain such unprecedented malevolence in a sitting president? I finally turn to a professional mental health specialist, JERRY MILLER, in his analysis titled, “Trump, A Malignant Narcissist?” (Bitterroot Star, Mar. 20, 2025; edited).

• OPEN. “The following opinion is based on 20 years as a mental health therapist, 10 as a Certified Sex Offender Treatment Provider in Washington State and, after returning to Montana, frequent contact with inmates as a liaison between the local detention center and mental health center.”

• PERSONALITY. “It seems that from the time DONALD TRUMP first entered the political scene the media and others have struggled to understand his thinking and subsequent behaviors. He has been described as everything from ‘Sent by God’ to ‘Psychopath.’ I believe a reasonable and valid approach to begin to understand Trump is to focus on his Core Personality. Dr. Theodore Millon states in Disorders of Personality, DSM-IV and Beyond [1995], that ‘Personality’ is ‘Distinctive patterns of feeling, thinking, coping, and behaving.’ It is ‘enduring across time and pervasive across situations.’ Personality is the bottom line, ‘entrenched Play Book’ of each and every individual.” 

• PSYCHOPATHY. “It is my opinion that from the beginning, Trump has displayed multiple traits of a Psychopath. A number of experts have also described Trump as a ‘Malignant Narcissist.’ Robert Hare, PhD (universally recognized leader in psychopathic research) and Paul Babiak PhD, in their book Snakes in Suits [2007], states that ‘Malignant Narcissism is difficult to distinguish from Psychopathy.’ Others have stated that the Psychopath is a violent and aggressive variant of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, with negligible differences … The universally validated Psychopathy Checklist—Revised (PCL-R), developed by R. Hare, lists 20 Personality Traits. Generally, the most obvious of these are: ‘Grandiosity, Pathological Lying, Promiscuous Sexual Behavior, Failure to Accept Responsibility for Behaviors, and consistently Perceiving Oneself as a Victim.’”

• SADISM. “It is critical to be aware of the ‘Characterological Sadistic’ feature of MNPD. Otto Kernberg MD, in Aggression in Personality Disorders and Perversions [1992], states that the Psychopath experiences ‘exhilaration and pleasure from the pain and dehumanizing of others.’ Individuals ‘with the Syndrome of Malignant Narcissism … may consistently attempt to exploit, destroy, symbolically castrate, or dehumanize significant others.’ This is often referred to as ‘Contemptuous Delight.’ Kernberg also notes ‘an Incapacity for love.’Trump’s comments display this daily with hateful, demeaning remarks and nicknames. It is his stereotypical, narrow, and unwavering response to any perceived criticism, a common response pattern of MNPD. He displays zero compassion or empathy for the human carnage he creates, including the current starvation and deaths of thousands of children in Sudan through slashing programs such as USAID, his promiscuous sexual behaviors (including penetration which is rape by Montana law) meant to show power and to humiliate, and the potential or actual firing or firing-rehiring of government employees with no assessment of their value or resultant family turmoil. When challenged about the Vance/Trump maligning of legal Haitian immigrants, he and Vance simply doubled down, increasing the community’s pain as well as significant danger. He has mocked the disabled, war veterans, and sexual abuse victims. The list goes on and on. ‘The MNPD not only strives for complete Power and Control, but gets Sadistic enjoyment and pleasure from the destruction, pain, and chaos caused by his pathological needs.’ This has been consistent throughout Trump’s Presidency and likely throughout his life.”

III. LAST THOUGHTS

THESIS. ‘Beloved, America and her Church are sick because they have chosen a Sick President!’

Perhaps now you can much better understand the President’s viciously lawless ICE RAIDS. Aimed primarily our Latino population for now obvious reasons, others who merely “appear” to be suspicious in the eyes of a catastrophically untrained ICE agent, are increasingly being seized.

L.A. WAR ZONE. As a public illustration of these atrocities, I conclude with a few observations from Justice Reporter NIGEL DUARA, writing for Cal Matters (Aug. 13, 2025; edited). The title of his piece:

“What LA Immigration Raids Left Behind: Empty Spaces and a City on Edge.”

• OPEN. “‘There’s a certain beauty in the notes not played. An entire symphony, if you’re listening.’ The cars not backfiring. The sirens not wailing. The fireworks not erupting in sonic booms that bounce off hills and peal across valleys. This is the consequence of the largest planned deportation in American history. The Trump Administration’s goal is to make life as unnavigable, unstable and uncomfortable as possible for people in the country illegally. The Administration’s hope is they leave on their own, or with their kids in tow.” 

• SILENCE. “‘Self-Deportation is a dignified way to leave the U.S.,’ theDepartment of Homeland Security said in May [2025] as part of a pitch encouraging people to leave the country on their own. What remains are places that used to be: A shuttered restaurant, empty benches on weekends at MacArthur Park and even an abandoned taco stand, meat still on the grill hours later. ‘The Silence is the point.’ Beneath that Silence, behind locked doors, is a population in hiding. They were dishwashers and garment factory stitchers. They sold fruit on the street. This is the Echo of the City they left behind.”

• MACARTHUR. “Depending on your point of view, MacArthur Park is either a symbol of Los Angeles’ ascent to a truly Global City or a symbol of its fall. Labeled as part of the city’s ‘Mayan Corridor’ that welcomed immigrants from Mexico and Central America, its nickname is ‘The Ellis Island of the West.’ It’s also a place of intense poverty and the violence and crime that accompanies it, conditions that led the owner of longtime city institution Langer’s Deli to threaten to abandon the area. One morning this summer, Immigration Agents arrived at the park in green Humvees and on horseback, a massive show of force to a mostly empty park – word of the Immigration Agents’ impending arrival got around in the preceding days. Very few people stuck around to watch the show. Now, the 35-acre park is smaller somehow. There are fewer people manning its grills or playing music — though the church services held in front of little clusters of folding chairs still draw a crowd.”

• DISPARITY. “‘The entrance to Élephante [Restaurant] is nestled on a leafy, unassuming block in downtown Santa Monica, 10 minutes from the Gwyneth Paltrow-owned Goop store and a half-mile from where Stephen Miller, architect of Trump’s Deportation Plan, went to high school.’  Down a darkened hallway, up three floors in an elevator, insulated by the street, Élephante opens into a modest dining room fronted by a large wooden desk from which three restaurant employees ask guests to kindly step out of the way of the elevator …  Longtime Times critic Bill Addison called it ‘A place to observe plenty of examples of humanity at peak physical perfection’ and ‘the full Los Angeles stereotype.’ Which Los Angeles goes unmentioned, but this Los Angeles is far from the raids. The closest one was 11 miles away, in Hawthorne, two months ago.”

DK’S CLOSE. ‘Beloved, there is a Colossal Death taking place in America at the hands of our Mad King, Donald Trump. And it is the White Christian Church that has brought about this National Homicide.’

Selah.

Therefore, borrowing from a classic 1859 Christian tome by Charles Dickens, I shall conclude with the Subtitle: “A Tale of Two America’s.”

One White, one Non-White. One comparatively affluent, one poor. One insufferably proud, the other, humble. One largely driven by material gain, the other driven by survival.

This is all eerily reminiscent of what Adolf Hiter envisioned for his Ideal Germany: A Vision centered around a Radical Transformation aimed at establishing a powerful and expansive Totalitarian State driven by A Nationalist Ideology. One dominated by Aryan racial purity, ‘Lebensraum,’ or expansion of borders toward a Greater Germany, and Hitler’s beloved ‘Volksgemeinschaft’ (People’s Community): Creating a unified and loyal German society, where individual rights were sacrificed for the good of the “Führer State.”

‘Welcome to Donald Trump’s Fourth Reich being assembled at light speed right before your eyes.’

This alongside the rapid and utter Deconstruction of the Old Order, no longer needed in this streamlined New American Machine, humming increasingly toward what Trump hopes is a Thousand-Year Hegemon, but what Scriptures portend as Babylon the Harlot, destined for the Final Flames of God’s unmitigated Wrath.

Be absolutely sure, beloved, you are on the Right Side of Jesus Christ, therefore, as we travel this Apocalyptic Road.

MEDIA

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/LsydNZKiiRI