SPECIAL PRÉCIS ON THE TERRIFYING CALL OF A TEACHER IN THE LAST DAYS: MAGA CHRISTIANITY’S CONQUEST OF THE AMERICAN CHURCH (WITH VIDEO)

1. THEOLOGY

SCRIPTURE. “Not many [of you] should become teachers [serving in an official teaching capacity], my brothers and sisters, for you know that we [who are teachers] will be judged by a higher standard [because we have assumed greater accountability and more condemnation if we teach incorrectly].” – JAMES 3:1, AMP

KEY TERM: “GREATER ACCOUNTABLITY!” ‘Krima’ [κρίμα]: “‘A verdict or decision [by God] for or against avenging a crime;’ condemnation, damnation in a sentence of judgment.” NOTE: “The term ‘krima’ primarily refers to the act of Judgment or the result of a judicial decision. It can denote a legal verdict, a sentence of condemnation, or the process of making a decision. In the New Testament, ‘krima’ is often used in the context of ‘Divine Judgment,’ highlighting God’s righteous and sovereign authority to judge human actions and intentions.”

QUOTATION. “Mark you, the End of a professing man who has been a hypocrite will be, emphatically, Destruction!’ If there be chains in Hell more heavy than others—if there be dungeons in Hell more dark than others—if there be racks that shall more fearfully torment the frame—if there be fires that shall more tremendously scorch the body—if there be pangs that shall more effectually twist the soul in agonies, professing Christians must have them if they be found rotten at last. ‘I had rather die a Profligate than die a Lying Professor [Teacher]. I think I had rather die the veriest sweeping of the street than die a Hypocrite.’” – CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON, “False Professors Solemnly Warned,” Aug. 24, 1856; edited

COMMENTARY.  “‘Be not many masters.’—Better, ‘teachers,’ which meaning was conveyed by ‘masters’ when the English Bible was first published. The condemnation is of those who appoint themselves, and are as ‘blind leaders of the blind’ (Matthew 15:14). No man had a right to exercise the sacred functions of the appointed masters in Israel (see Note on John 3:10), and none might take the honour of the Priesthood unto himself, ‘But he that was called of God, as was Aaron’ (Hebrews 5:4). Whereas we know from our Lord’s own Words that the Scribes and Pharisees loved respectful ‘greetings in the markets, and to be called of men ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’” (Matthew 23:1-12). Nevertheless His disciples were not to be acknowledged thus: for ‘One is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.’ The neglect of this wholesome caution perplexed the Early Church, as much as the later branches thereof (Comp. Acts 15:24; 1Corinthians 1:12; 1Corinthians 14:26; Galatians 2:12).

‘The greater condemnation.’—Rather, ‘the greater judgment’—more strictly searching and severe. ‘None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself’ (Romans 14:7), and, if this be true of common Christian life, how deep is the responsibility incurred in the attempt to teach others! Nay—‘Who is sufficient for these things?’ (2Corinthians 2:6.) The test of all ministry must come at Last in the Day of Trial and fiery Inquisition of God; this and not the world’s opinion will be the real approval (1 Corinthians 3:11-15). If the work of any teacher abide, his reward will be exceeding great; if it ‘be burned,’ woe to him!’” – CHARLES ELLICOTT, An Old and New Testament Commentary for English Readers, 1878, 1897; edited

II. TEACHING

Beloved, where do we even begin with this one? Without hesitation, I would argue that the Words of the Messiah are the very best suited to this occasion.

THE HOUR. “At that time many will be offended and repelled [by their association with Me] and will fall away [from the One whom they should trust] and will betray one another [handing over believers to their persecutors] and will hate one another. Many false prophets will appear and mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, the love of most people will grow cold. But the one who endures and bears up [under suffering] to the end will be saved.” – MATTHEW 24:10-13, AMP

• “FALSE PROPHETS.” ‘Pseudoprophétés’ [ψευδοπροφῆται]: “A pretended foreteller or religious imposter.” NOTE: “The term ‘pseudoprophétés’ refers to an individual who falsely claims to speak on behalf of God or to possess divine inspiration. In the New Testament, it is used to describe those who deceive others by pretending to deliver messages from God, often leading people away from the truth of the Gospel.”

• COMMENTARY. “The Old Testament frequently mentions False Prophets (2 Kings 3:13; Isaiah 44:25; Jeremiah 23:16; Ezekiel 13:2-3; Micah 3:5; Zechariah 13:2) who claimed to receive messages from God, but they preached military success and economic prosperity. They said what the king and people wanted to hear, ignoring their nation’s responsibility to follow God. There are still false prophets today. They are often the popular leaders who tell people what they want to hear, such as: ‘God wants you to be rich.’ ‘Do whatever your desires tell you.’ or, ‘Sin and Hell are not real.’ Jesus said False Teachers would come, and He warned His disciples, as He warns us, not to listen to their dangerous words, which sound good but lead us away from the God of truth.” – RONALD BEERS (Gen. Ed.), Life Application Study Bible, 3^rd edition, 2022, p. 2143; edited

THE FALSE MAGA PROPHETS. For my first salvo in this report, I cull from an excellent piece by DR. RODNEY WALLACE KENNEDY, lead pastor, First Baptist Church, Dayton, Ohio; fully affiliated Professor of Baptist Studies and Homiletics, United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio. Ph. D. Louisiana State University, Rhetoric; Director, Seminary for Seniors, United Theological Seminary.

The title of his scholarly polemic, “False Prophets Have Hijacked the Evangelical Movement,” published in Baptist News, November 13, 2024 (edited).

What follows is  my standard Bullet Point Summary of his MAIN IDEAS.

• OPEN. “Historian David (John) Fea [Why Study History? 2013] identifies this loosely affiliated group of ‘Prophets’ as Independent Network Charismatics. These False Prophets have a theological mix foreign to most Evangelicals. This group of Preachers speaks in tongues, promotes the Prosperity Gospel, baptizes in the name of Jesus Only, has anointed themselves as ‘Prophets and Apostles,’ believes in prophecy and miracles, practices faith healing and believes God has called them to be God’s Agents in ruling the world.’ They are the strongest proponents of Christian Nationalism, most often of Seven Mountains Dominionism. They also are known as part of the New Apostolic Reformation.”

• REVOLUTION. “Matthew Taylor — From the Institute for Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies — observes: ‘You have all these Pastors who would have been laughed out of the room 20 years ago. Now, they’re driving the dynamics.’ They are defining Evangelicals. Tim Alberta, author of The Kingdom, The Power and The Glory [2023], observes: ‘Substantial numbers of Evangelicals are fleeing their churches, and most of them are moving to ones further to the Right.’ In short, Evangelicals are becoming more political and less spiritual. According to Brad Christerson and Richard Flory in The Rise of Network Christianity: How Independent Leaders Are Changing the Religious Landscape [2017], the Independent Charismatics represent the fastest-growing Christian group in the world.”

• WOLVES. “Among the Leaders of the False Prophets of MAGA are Paula White-Cain, Lance Wallnau, Wayne T. Jackson, Che Ahn, Bill Johnson, Chuck Pierce, Cindy Jacobs, Lou Engle, Dutch Sheets, and Greg Locke. These are the preachers Paula White-Cain, the Prosperity Gospel televangelist, brought into the Trump organization back in 2015. She started introducing the Prophets, Apostles and Charismatic Megachurch Pastors [e.g., Robert Morris, fallen Pastor of Gateway Church, Southlake, TX] to Trump. After Trump’s Nov. 5 electoral win, White-Cain posted: ‘DON’T STOP PRAYING! … Transition to the White House takes a lot of work and a lot of wisdom … PRAY for @realdonaldtrump and his team daily! And on Jan 21 the White House will look like this again, a place where the President wants and welcomes prayer, a place where the President wants and welcomes the American people to their House (the White House)!”

• WALLNAU. Today, Lance Wallnau, the Charismatic leader who predicted Trump’s 2016 victory, is more involved than ever. After Trump won last week, Wallnau said: ‘This is a Reformation of America. It’s not done, it’s not over, it’s just starting … We have enemies now that are like a bear robbed of her cubs. And so, Trump and the Nation is gonna’ need the Church to bind up those spirits.’ Wallnau also warned the Movement would Reform American Universities: ‘The Universities are the hotbed of resistance. Time to make them a priority of Reformation. For real!”

• IDOLATRY. “The Devotion to Trump derives from the Prophets seeing him as The Messiah of their Movement. They believe they have been anointed by God to serve as God’s instruments in ushering in a Political Kingdom. In Trump, they have found their ‘Strong Man’ to be the means of accomplishing their goals. To bring all Society under their control, the Prophets need a Champion. They see Trump as the leader capable of helping them Control all aspects of American life: Family, Government, Arts and Entertainment, Media, Business, Education, Religion. The Goal is to place God’s anointed in charge so God can bring Heaven to Earth [cf. Acts 3:19-21].”

• BLINDNESS. “What the Prophets fail to grasp is Trump has no intention of placing them in charge of any area of political significance. Posing for photo ops in the White House is a far cry from being a member of the President’s Cabinet. In Trump’s First Term, White-Cain served as his Religious Liaison and that was the extent of the visible power of the Prophets. Even as they drive the Evangelical Movement deeper into secular politics, they never will really be part of the inner circle. ‘If Evangelicals want to reclaim their place as witnesses to the Gospel, they need to disown the False Prophets now defining Evangelicals. Instead of allowing these Prophets of Baal to gather for photos and prayers in the Oval Office, True Evangelical Leaders need to refute the False Prophets!’”

AMERICA’S HIGH PRIESTESS. To complete my unapologetic Denouement of the Christian Right in America, I thought it wise to shed a bit more light on its effective Spiritual Center in the person of PAULA WHITE-CAIN.

I borrow the following Profile of this woman from a report by journalist JIM WATSON writing for Yahoo News (Feb. 8, 2025; edited) in piece titled: “Trump Enrages Christian MAGA by Naming ‘Heretic’ Pastor to White House.”

“President Donald Trump angered some of his Christian supporters on Friday when he named a televangelist who even some Conservative Evangelicals have labeled a ‘Heretic’ as part of his White House administration. The president signed an Executive Order establishing a White House Faith Office and chose Pastor Paula White-Cain, his ally and spiritual advisor, to lead it …

Scott Ross, a Texas-based leadership coach and self-described ‘Orthodox Christian,’ called the move ‘an abomination.’ “Paula White, head of Trump’s White House Faith Office, is no Christian leader. She preaches the Heresies of Word of Faith & Prosperity Gospel, both utterly opposed to authentic Christianity. Worse, she has lived a life of scandal, with multiple husbands, twisting the Gospel for profit.’ White-Cain, who is twice-divorced, is currently married to Journey guitarist Jonathan Cain. ‘Arguably, this is the worst and most dangerous thing President Trump has done—putting a False Teacher at the Helm of Faith Outreach. Lord, have mercy on our country and this administration,’ Ross added.”

III. SILENCE OF THE LAMBS REDUX 

One of the most reliable Christian voices midst so many timid ones over the past ten momentous years in American life is that of DAVID FRENCH. American political commentator and former attorney, he was formerly a fellow at the National Review Institute and a staff writer for National Review from 2015 to 2019. French is a former senior editor of The Dispatch, a visiting professor of public policy at Lipscomb University, and a columnist for The New York Times.

I report from his recent piece titled, “Behold the Strange Spectacle of Christians Against Empathy” (New York Times, Feb. 13, 2025; edited). As is my practice, what follows is a condensed bullet point Review of his MAIN IDEAS.

• BASIC PREMISE. “The New Religious Right has turned against the Old Religious Right. Or, to put it another way, the Focus of the Movement is changing. I spent more than 20 years defending religious liberty in Federal courts. Our objective was to defend liberty so that religious organizations enjoyed the liberty to do good, free from state discrimination. Yet now the Focus of Christian Right isn’t on the defense of liberty; it’s on the Accumulation of Power.  And it is using that power to impose its will, including by imposing its will on Christian organizations it has decided are woke or opposed to President Trump’s agenda.”

• THE EVIDENCE. “Few things illustrate that Reality more clearly than the Trump Administration’s decision to unilaterally — and often unlawfully — defund Christian organizations, including Evangelical organizations, that serve poor and marginalized people at home and abroad. In the first three weeks of his Administration, Trump issued a series of stop-work orders and funding freezes that effectively yanked funding from religious groups that have been providing lifesaving care to many of the most vulnerable people in the world.”

• THE PURPOSE. “The Trump Administration’s cuts are immaterial to the deficit. U.S.A.I.D.’s foreign assistance constituted less than 1 percent of the federal budget, for example. All direct foreign aid (including the surge in aid to Ukraine) adds up to a mere 1.17 percent of total Government spending in the 2023 fiscal year. Yet cuts to foreign aid endanger people’s lives, including those of Afghan refugees who risked everything helping Americans during our longest war. The cuts are also symbolic. They demonstrate the extent to which Trump is influencing the Evangelical Church more than the Church is influencing him.”

• THE IMPACT. “‘If you know a bit of history, The Transformation is startling.’ When I started practicing Constitutional law, Federal and State governments were more hostile to religious free exercise than they are today. Time and again, Government officials attempted to block religious organizations from gaining access to public facilities and public funds on an equal basis with secular organizations. At the same time, there was growing frustration with the inefficiency of government services to the poor and marginalized … [Yet] in court decision after court decision, we won. Over decades, religious liberty proponents built a body of precedent that established a simple principle: When governments provide resources or funding for a secular purpose, they may not discriminate against religious organizations that have the same mission.”

• THE CHANGE. “So what happened? The Answer is complex, but Two Factors stand out. (1) The Republican Christian Right made a hard turn against immigration and, in its most extreme political faction, is turning against Empathy itself. In 2020, Ryan Burge, perhaps the Nation’s leading researcher of statistical trends in American Religion, found that White Evangelicals were the religious cohort of Americans most likely to support separating children from parents when their parents enter the country illegally. They were also the cohort mostly likely to support drastic reductions in legal immigration … (2) At the same time, Hard-Right Christians began to turn against the very Idea of Empathy. Last year a popular right-wing podcaster, Allie Beth Stuckey, published a best-selling book called ‘Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion.’ This month, a Right-Wing theologian, Joe Rigney, is publishing a book called ‘The Sin of Empathy: Compassion and Its Counterfeits.’”

• TRUMP CHRISTIANITY. “‘There are few things more symbolic of the Decline of the Republican Party than this Radical Turn against Humanitarian Aid. And it’s not just a Turn within the Republican Party; it’s a turn within the Evangelical Church.’ It took a generation of legal and political argument (often from Christian Conservatives) before the Federal Government began supporting Christian aid organizations. And now this entire Edifice of humanitarian aid threatens to come crashing down. ‘To what end?’ Trump is not exactly focused on fiscal health. At the same time that he’s slashing 1 percent of the budget, he’s proposing a Tax Plan that would reduce government revenue by trillions of dollars.”

A PROFILE IN COURAGE. My own spiritual pilgrimage away from the Evangelical-Pentecostal-Charismatic American Church began the very day Jerry Falwell Jr. fired me from the faculty of Liberty University in March 2016 for refusing sign on to the Trump Travesty. But for our dear and intrepid friend and fellow author, AMY HAWK, the journey was a bit more gradual, but no less ‘Reformative.’

In her superb personal story told eloquently in a work she began writing in 2016, The Judas Effect: How Evangelicals Betrayed Jesus for Power (2024), she blasts straight out of the gate in her Preface and lands as firmly in her Conclusions (pp. xi, 142; edited).

“Judas Iscariot was a follower of Jesus. He walked with Him. He talked with Him. He ate with Him. Presumably, he participated with Him in sharing the Good News. He did everything a good follower of Jesus is supposed to do. But somewhere along the way his heart was tempted to go off mission. He became greedy for gain. It doesn’t matter whether he wanted the money or political power. Neither is promised to the follower of Christ …

I let the Evangelical Church lead me until she took me to a place I couldn’t follow. My heart was devastated in the letting go. I had to say goodbye to a church community I loved, a Pastor I adored, and another Pastor I thought of as a spiritual father. It was an agonizing and disorienting time. I lost friends; some I had been friends with for over twenty years. I didn’t fault them. I’d run with Evangelical Pack for so long, and now I was going against the grain. Every element of instruction I received while under Evangelical Tutelage was put under a microscope and inspected. My faith itself underwent a great shaking, and many of my long-held beliefs fell away. You know what I thought:

‘Jesus held!’

IV. LAST THOUGHTS

In the backwash of all this spiritual and political mayhem of Betrayal, Idolatry and massive Church Apostasy, a single, Burning Question still occasionally keeps me up at night. Even though I have studied it and written of it into the very theological ground.

WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR PASTORS? As you will see from my carefully selected Graphic, they have undeniably permitted – some would argue, led the way – for the Spiritual Carnage of Wolves devouring tens of millions of unsuspecting, Sleeping Lambs. Which leads me inexorably to a Second Question:

‘How do they reconcile this with the True Gospel of Jesus Christ?’

Friends, as I and a small group of other Bible scholars have written and spoken for a decade now: ‘They cannot!’ Try as they may, invent as they may, and frankly deceive themselves as they may, they are Guilty before the Chief Magistrate whom they claim to follow and obey.

YESHUA’S LAST PLEADINGS. “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels …

I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing”—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.

Therefore be zealous and repent.” – MARK 8:34-38; REVELATION 3:15-19, NKJV

Beloved, these are the very Words of the Messiah to the MAGA Church Leaders especially, and their followers. I fear He shall not cry out much longer.

MEDIA

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/aqfDG9YbXyc