On August 6, 2025

SPECIAL PRÉCIS ON THE WAY BACK: THE CRYING NEED FOR THE AMERICAN CHURCH TO REPENT IN ASHES AND SACKCLOTH – (WITH VIDEO)

THEOLOGY

SCRIPTURE. “So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. And I said:

‘I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations;but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’

Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.’ For I was the king’s cupbearer.” – NEHEMIAH 1:4-11, NKJV

KEY TERMS: “WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU.” ‘Chata’ [חָטָ֣אנוּ]: “A primitive root, ‘To miss, hence, to forfeit, lack, expiate, lead astray, condemn.’”NOTE: “The verb conveys the idea of ‘Missing a Standard set by God,’ bringing moral failure, guilt, and liability to Divine Judgment. It ranges from inadvertent offenses to high-handed Rebellion, always measured against the Holiness of the Covenant LORD.”

QUOTATION. “‘As long as [man] does not convert it into action, it does not matter how much he thinks about this New Repentance’ … Wallow in it … Write a book about it; that is often an excellent way of sterilising the seeds which [Heavenly Father] plants in a human soul … Do anything but act. No amount of Piety in his imagination and affections will harm [the cause of evil] if [it is kept] out of his will… The more often he feels without acting, the less he will ever be able to act, and, in the long run, the less he will be able to feel.” ― C.S. LEWIS, The Screwtape Letters, 1942; edited

COMMENTARY. “‘Nehemiah’s [Great] Appeal to God.’ The Prayer is a perfect example of the private and individual devotion with which the later Hebrew Scriptures abound. It begins with formal and appropriate Invocation (Nehemiah 1:5-8), flows into earnest Confession (Nehemiah 1:6-7), pleads the Covenant Promises (Nehemiah 1:8-10), and Supplicates a present answer (Nehemiah 1:11). The extant Scriptures, freely used, are the Foundation of all.

‘Fasted.’—Like Daniel, Esther, and Ezra, Nehemiah fasted: Fasting appears in later Judaism a prominent part of individual devotion, as it is in the New Testament. ‘Both I and my father’s house have sinned.’—The Supplication was for the Nation [or ‘Church’]; and in such cases of personal intercession the individual assumes the sin of all the past. The Spirit of many Threatenings and Promises is summed up (as in the prayer of Nehemiah 9).

‘This day … this man.’—During his ‘certain days of mourning,’‘ Nehemiah had fixed upon his plan, suggested by his God. ‘This day” is ‘this occasion;’the Appeal itself was deferred for some months. The king becomes ‘this man’ in the presence of the ‘God of Heaven.’ ‘For I was the king’s cupbearer.’—One of his cupbearers, therefore in high authority, having confidential access to him.” – CHARLES ELLICOTT, An Old and New Testament Commentary for English Readers, 1878, 1897; edited

II. TRUMP CHURCH

Something very new has invaded the United States of America. Though not with conventional weapons nor WMD’s in the form of lethal assaults from a foreign power designed to reduce America to a pile of smoldering rubble. ‘No, the Great Threat to American Democracy is from within, and it has a name.’

MAGA CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM. The Editors of Wikipedia define this massive, ten-year long Movement as:

“A form of Religious Nationalism that focuses on promoting the Christian views of its followers, in order to achieve Prominence or Dominance in political, cultural, and social life. In countries with a State Church, Christian Nationalists seek to preserve the status of a Christian State …

Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, has strong support among White Evangelical Christians, particularly among those who do not attend church regularly. Trump also maintains strong support with Christian Nationalists, and his rallies take on the symbols, rhetoric and agenda of Christian Nationalism. Trump described his 2024 presidential campaign as a ‘Righteous Crusade against Atheists, AtheistsGlobalists and the Marxists’” (July 16, 31, 2025; edited).

DELUSION. Even after some six months in office, Trump enjoys virtually unfettered support from the vast majority of White Evangelical, Pentecostal, and Charismatic believers. It is quite frankly, astonishingly counter-intuitive if not outright constituting a morally depraved type of ‘Mass Insanity.’ Which is why it is so deadly to us all.

Writing for Vox Com is DR. KATHERINE KELAIDIS, research associate at the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies in the United Kingdom and the author of numerous books and articles on the Religious Chaos of our times. Here she elaborates on the MAGA Christian Nationalist threat that is forcing itself into every nook and cranny of the American culture.

‘Aided, abetted and in many instances led by White Christian leaders.’ Selah.

DECLARATION OF WAR. The title of her piece: “Donald Trump is Building a Strange, New Religious Movement” (June 13, 2025; edited), in which she argues convincingly that this ‘Strange New thing’ is an unstoppable juggernaut at this point. Unless, that is, we can come up with a ‘New Resistance’ to a very Old Story of an Authoritarian Church-State Tyranny.

“For over six decades, the ‘Religious Right’ in America was boomer ‘Christian Nationalism,’ straight out of The Handmaid’s Tale [a 1985 Dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood depicting a Second Civil War] was about ‘keeping God in the schools’ and the National Prayer Breakfast. It was traditionalist, mindful of theology, and, well, ‘Theocratic,’ which is to say it wanted to take the Standards of a Religious Tradition and apply them to the Secular Law. They wanted the Books of Scripture to replace the statute books.

But President Donald Trump is trying to create a ‘New Religious Right,’ one that is not just Illiberal but fundamentally different and opposed to Traditional Religion as we’ve known it. ‘The Faith of the MAGA Movement is not one in which the State conforms to the Church, but one in which the Church is bent to the will of the Strange Beast that is American Nationalism’ — the belief that the American Project is an exercise in ‘Freedom and Prosperity [Idols]’ like the world has ever known, but also the sole possession of those who are White, Heterosexual, and unquestioningly Loyal to the Nation …

This is not The Handmaid’s Tale. It’s something newer, stranger, and much more difficult to fight: ‘RELIGION OF NATION AND IDENTITY disguised in the trappings of familiar faiths. We won’t defeat it with Scripture or appeals to conscience. We’ll need to name it, unmask it, and forge unexpected alliances with those who (whatever their doctrine) still believe in a higher power than Donald Trump.’”

Next, we shall dive even more deeply into just what this New American Beast is, and what, if anything, we can do about it.

III. CHRIST’S CHARGES TO MAGA

For this somewhat Final Analysis of what it is we are all experiencing these days, I turn to a relatively unknown author with no particular footprint to track. But since he writes an exquisite ‘Diagnosis of this New Thing’ (an appropriate moniker) on the American scene, I extract from him exceptional insight for us all to consider.

Consider this excellent analysis by journalist MITCHELL A. SOBIESKI, writing for the Milwaukee Independent, titled: “What Would Jesus Say: A Theological Rebuke to the Cult of Maga’s Idolatry and the Misuse of His Name” (Mar. 16, 2025; edited).

OPEN. “In the earliest years of Christianity, theological teachings were often shared through Letters. They were Personal Appeals that spoke directly to the challenges and hopes of new believers and to resolve church disputes. Those Epistles were written by Apostles and later recognized as inspired writings, which were included in the New Testament Canon.”

PURPOSE. “This ‘Open Letter’ is crafted in that same spirit, but using the VOICE OF JESUS CHRIST – ‘The Messiah.’ It is not as a parody or impersonation, but as a way to Reintroduce His Message to those who have strayed from it. The essay addresses Self-Proclaimed Christians whose devotion has shifted toward Political Figures and Partisan Agendas, urging them to remember the ‘True Heart of the Gospel.’ At the same time, it offers comfort to believers disheartened by the misuse of Christ’s Name.

SALUTATION. “My dear children, I speak to you now from a place of deep concern and unwavering love. ‘As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love’ (John 15:9). These were My words to the earliest disciples, and I offer them again for your reflection today. Yet I observe with sorrow how a faction calling itself ‘Christian’ has turned away from the heart of My Teachings. They have replaced the command to ‘Love your neighbor’ (Matthew 22:39) with a fervent devotion to worldly power and an almost idolatrous allegiance to a political figure. These thoughts serve as both a warning and an invitation. Let us reason together about what it truly means to call Me Lord.”

GOLDEN CALF. “You have read in Scripture of the Golden Calf (Exodus 32), the idol that the Israelites fashioned when they grew impatient for the return of Moses from Mount Sinai. They placed their hope and adoration in an image of their own making rather than in the living God. Today, I see a similar pattern. My Name has been plastered onto banners, T-shirts, and campaign slogans, suggesting that I endorse oppression, bigotry, or ruthless political ambitions. In truth, this is no different from fashioning a False God. Many of you have knelt before a New Golden Calf — one adorned in political colors and unyielding rhetoric — while you disregard the Spirit of My Message. When I said, ‘Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s’ (Matthew 22:21), I was challenging the notion that God’s Kingdom is dependent on the rule of an earthly emperor. Indeed, ‘My Kingdom is not of this world’ (John 18:36). If you find yourselves fusing your political loyalties with your faith in Me so tightly that you cannot distinguish the two, you risk giving to Caesar what belongs to God, which is your heart, your worship, and your ultimate hope.”

CULTISH DEVOTION. “To those who have marched proudly under the banner of so-called Christian Nationalism, proclaiming that your political leader alone can secure salvation for the nation, I must be blunt: You are drifting from My Path! Such movements feed on fear, anger, and supremacy. They refuse to ‘love the strangers among you’ (Leviticus 19:34) and instead preach distrust and even hatred of the foreigner, the refugee, or the one who simply disagrees with you politically. This is not My Way, for I clearly taught, ‘I was a stranger and you invited me in’ (Matthew 25:35), highlighting that kindness toward the most vulnerable is equivalent to kindness toward Me. In the fervor of your rallies, in the chanting of slogans that exalt a human figure as if he were a messiah, ask yourself: Are these the actions of those who follow the ‘Prince of Peace’ (Isaiah 9:6)? Have you truly reflected on My words that those who live by the sword will die by it (Matthew 26:52)? When you wave flags and shout that a politician will restore the nation, might you be placing your faith in the military power of ‘chariots and horses’ rather than in the Lord your God (Psalm 20:7)?”

OPPRESSION & PRIDE. “You demand that your compatriots bow to your ideological stance, sometimes justifying acts of violence or encouraging hostility toward entire groups of people. You shame the poor for their plight or champion a system that benefits the wealthy and privileged at the expense of the marginalized. Remember My ‘Parable of the sheep and the goats in’ Matthew 25:31-46. The dividing line between the righteous and the condemned was not doctrinal purity or political affiliation, but whether each person cared for the hungry, the sick, the stranger, and the prisoner. There is a certain arrogance in the assumption that a mere human leader, or any movement, can claim exclusive ownership of the Gospel. I warned against the ‘hypocrisy of religious leaders who put heavy burdens on people’ but would not lift a finger to help (Matthew 23:4). I also recognized that calling upon My name while ignoring My Commandments is futile: “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?’ (Luke 6:46).”

WEAPONIZING MY NAME. “I grieve most deeply when I see My Teachings twisted into a cudgel used to strike those who do not conform. Have you not heard me say, ‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another’ (John 13:34)? Some who claim to follow Me instead wage war against fellow humans in My name. They push the narrative that I have sanctioned prejudices against people of certain races, orientations, or religious backgrounds. My rebuke of the Pharisees, who prided themselves on strict religious observance but lacked compassion, reverberates through history: ‘You give a tenth of your spices … but you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness’ (Matthew 23:23). Similarly, to those who chant ‘Lord, Lord’ while denying j’ustice and kindness, I say this, ‘You are far from My heart!”

BEATING HEARTS, NOT BATTERING RAMS. “The Christian Nationalist Mantra that claims sole possession of truth and portrays others as enemies shows a tragic misunderstanding of My Gospel. The earliest believers, whom I left with the ‘Great Commission’ (Matthew 28:19-20), transformed the world not through coercion but through love, service, humility, and prayer. Consider how I, your Lord, entered Jerusalem on a donkey, not astride a warhorse. I did not condemn those who questioned Me but graciously invited them to ‘examine their hearts’ (John 20:27). When ‘I washed My disciples’ feet’ (John 13:1-17), I gave an example of servanthood that defies the logic of raw power. Yet some of you have picked up the sword of political force, or even actual weapons, believing that might makes right. You take the Words of Scripture about spiritual warfare and apply them to battles against flesh and blood, something I never endorsed (Ephesians 6:12). You label others ‘enemies’ when My Directive was to ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’ (Matthew 5:44). The impetus has turned from transforming hearts to enforcing an ideology, and thus you have turned My Message into a battering ram rather than a beacon of hope.”

TO THE DISILLUSIONED. “To those among My followers who are watching this unfold with despair, who see Me invoked in political rallies that foster division and hatred, who wonder how this could be connected to My Name, I see your distress. ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted’ (Matthew 5:4). You mourn for the reputation of My Church, now entangled with movements that elevate one nation or one political faction over the universal love I preached. Many of you feel your faith slipping through your fingers as you witness preachers spouting venom in my name. Remember that I foresaw times when ‘false prophets would arise,’ even among those claiming to be my followers (Matthew 24:24). Not everyone who carries my banner is truly with Me. ‘By their fruit you will recognize them,’ I said (Matthew 7:16). If the fruit is hatred, manipulation, and the thirst for control, that should alert you to the true nature of these leaders. Do not lose heart over the failures of those who misuse My Name. Keep your eyes fixed on what I actually taught — ‘Feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, turn the other cheek, walk humbly with your God’ (Micah 6:8). These are the signs of a life aligned with My Teaching.”

GUARDING AGAINST EXTREMES. “It is understandable that many feel tempted to abandon Religion entirely when they see it used as a cloak for bigotry or idolatry. But I implore you to separate My Word from the hypocrisy of those who claim Me but know nothing of My heart. My Apostle Paul wrote, ‘Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good’ (Romans 12:21). This remains relevant. Respond to the chaos, not with apathy, but with compassion, dialogue, and a commitment to truth. And for those who have tasted the bitterness of being judged unfairly — who have been ridiculed or oppressed by people bearing crosses and quoting Scripture out of context — remember My own experience. I, too, was persecuted, and My earliest followers were often treated with scorn. You share in the same suffering that shaped the Early Church. Let it draw you closer to the Authentic Gospel, which is neither about consolidating earthly power nor about forming mobs to silence dissent, but about sacrificial love.”

PLEA FOR TRUE REPENTANCE. “‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near’ (Matthew 4:17). These were among My first recorded words of public ministry, and they echo still. Repentance is not merely a word for personal sins of anger, lust, or pride. It also calls for the transformation of collective and systemic wrongdoing. If you have promoted fear or hatred under the guise of faith, there is still time to turn around. ‘I did not come to condemn the world but to save it’ (John 3:17). In John 8:11, I offered forgiveness to a woman caught in sin, urging her to ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’ To those entangled in the cult-like devotion to worldly power, or in the unholy blending of Nationalism with My Message, I say this, You can leave behind this idolatry. You can discard the political shrine you have built and kneel instead before the Living God. When you recognize your error, do not sink into despair but humbly seek reconciliation with the Spirit of truth.”

RESTORING HOPE. “Finally, I address every seeker, struggler, and believer who yearns for the purity and power of the Gospel untainted by the idols of this age. Take heart. Though factions have risen that distort My Words, they will not extinguish the light I brought into the world. Remember my promise, ‘I will build My Church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it’ (Matthew 16:18). The storms of division may rage, and False Prophets may shout loudly, but the quiet, persistent testimony of those who love sacrificially will endure. Look to the examples of My Saints throughout the centuries — men and women who lived simply, loved generously, and practiced justice. Their legacies remind you that humble obedience and faithful service stand in stark contrast to the noise of misguided zealots. My Spirit still moves, prompting you to feed the homeless, shelter the refugee, comfort the grieving, and heal the wounds of prejudice. ‘Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me’ (Matthew 25:40).”

LIGHT OF RENEWAL. “This is a Solemn Hour in the history of My people, as loyalty to Me has become corrupted by blind allegiance to a political narrative. Yet in every crisis, there is an opportunity for Renewal. The Church, if it repents of its flirtation with power and turns back to My Teachings, can become ‘a city on a hill’ once again (Matthew 5:14) — a beacon of love, mercy, and truth. Do not let the failures of some believers extinguish your hope. Rather, let them awaken you to the need for discernment, humility, and prayer. My beloved children, I do not write this to shame you but to guide you. ‘The truth will set you free’ (John 8:32). May you embrace the truth of My Words rather than the seductive lure of Political Tribalism. May you rediscover the radical call to love God and neighbor above all else. This is the Narrow Path I asked you to walk, and though it is often beset by trials, it remains ‘the way that leads to life’ (Matthew 7:14). If your faith has wavered under the weight of witnessing Religious Hypocrisy, remember that ‘I am near to the brokenhearted’ (Psalm 34:18). There is hope yet for all who honestly seek Me. Let us rise together, cultivate true fellowship, and restore what has been tarnished by the ambitions of a worldly cult. ‘My yoke is easy, My burden is light’ (Matthew 11:30), and I stand ready to guide you into the fullness of the Kingdom of God.”

CODA. Based on the Words of Yehoshua ben David, we now understand why the MAGA Church will not Repent. It is found in what we call, “IDENTITY POLITICS.” Let me explain as we close.

‘Identity Politics refers to political action and organizing around shared social identities, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, or a religious worldview instead of the Biblical Canon in the Person of Jesus Christ.’

Churchgoers therefore who decided to sign on to the scripturally hideous MAGA Movement have effectively exchanged their Core Identify with Christ for that of Donald Trump’s Nationalism.

Selah.

Thus, to Sincerely Repent, Christian Nationalists must completely destroy their Self-Identity and rebuild it from the Doctrinal Ground up. This is a hill far too radical to climb for most. And yet, to do so is the only way to Real Freedom.

THE WAY BACK. “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].

For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity]. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], but forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory and majesty of His Father with His angels, and then He will repay each one in accordance with what he has done.’” – MATTHEW 16:24-27, AMP