The Kingdom of God!

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Chapter 23

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Proverbs 29:2 says,

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked bear rule, the people mourn."

The most important government issue for Christians is religious freedom. We want to be able to go to church and worship the Lord in complete freedom. In June 21, 2016 when Trump was candidate for president, he was asked a question by James Dobson of Focus on The Family. He said "Mr. Trump, where do you stand on religious freedom?"

 

He answered by telling a story about having a group of religious leaders in his office at Trump towers. He looked out his window and pointed out the people on the street and said to the group, "Those people down there have more freedom to say what they believe than you do!" He said that the clergy was largely muzzled and dominated by fear of expressing their views on the election! He said he couldn't understand the fear of pastors losing their 501-c status if they spoke of political issues. He said this shouldn't be so!

 

He then said something I have never heard a politician or political candidate say. He then spoke about the terrible President Johnson amendment. The Johnson amendment is a 1964 501-3C tax code that prohibits 501-3C organizations of endorsing or opposing any political candidate. This effects charitable foundations, universities and churches.

 

Trump challenged us not to be ruled by fear! He said that we have to be so politically correct that we cannot function as a country. This is why he is so hated by the statis quo! The Johnson comment was not an empty campaign promise. On May 24, 2017, just a few months in office, president Trump issued an order to the Executive Branch to limit its enforcement of the Johnson amendment. It also limited any adverse action against any individual or religious organization from speaking about any moral or political issues from a religious perspective.

 

It required that all executive departments must, to the greatest extent and the limits of the law, respect and protect the freedom of persons and organizations to engage in religious and political speech. Specifically, the Department of the Treasury should not take any adverse action against any individual, house of worship or other religious organizations because they speak about political issues. His ultimate plan was to completely eradicate the Johnson amendment!

 

He made a promise to the religious leaders that day and he kept it but that wasn't the end of it. On Jan. 18, 2018, House and Services division announced a new Conscious and Religious Freedom division within the office of Civil Rights. This division was established to enforce federal laws to protect religious rights and religious freedom.

 

On April 30: 2018, during a press conference with Nigeria's president, President Trump raised the issue of religious freedom and the killing of Christians in that country. Bringing attention to a subject that was rarely talked about.

 

May 14, 2018, the US Embassy was relocated in Jerusalem. It coincided with the 50^th anniversary of the Israeli declaration of independence.

 

July 30, 2018, the Department of Justice announced a Religious Taskforce to fully implement a religious guidance and policies across all components of the Department of Justice.

 

On Aug. 27, 2018, the president and his wife hosted the very first state dinner celebrating the evangelical leadership at the White House. The President even opened the floor to any pastor that wanted to speak and they did.

 

On Sept. 23, 2019, president Trump hosted a meeting during the United Nations assembly and gave a speech on the topic of Religious Freedom. During the speech he announced a US policy initiative to protect places of worship. Pledging an additional 25 million dollars in funding to protect religious sites and relics. This is the first time a US president has hosted a meeting focused solely on religious freedom at the UN!

 

On Jan. 16, 2020, the Department of Education and Justice issued guidance on constitutionally protected prayer and religious expressions in public, elementary, and secondary schools. That guidance insured that prayer in schools is properly protected and not constitutionally prohibited or curtailed.

 

On Jan. 20, 2020, President Trump became the first sitting president to give remarks in person at the annual march for life in Washington DC! In his address he stated the eternal truth that every child is a sacred gift from God and reiterated his desire to defend the dignity and sanctity of every human life.

 

On April 14, 2020, the Department of Justice filed a statement of interest protecting the religious liberty of church goers in Greenville, Mississippi because during the COVID-19 pandemic the City of Greenville had banned all religious services, even all those who were able to abide by the social distancing guidelines with drive in church services.

 

On April 17^th, the Department of Home Land Security included clergy for essential support in its list of personnel and entities named essential for purposes of responding to the Corona virus.

 

Oct. 20, 2020, Times WV article reads, "Trump a Confirmed Presbyterian, Now Identifies as a non-denominational Christian!" In an exclusive interview with a religion news service, President Trump said even though he was confirmed as a Presbyterian as a child he no longer identifies as a Presbyterian but now sees himself as a non-denominational Christian. He said that his parents taught him the importance of faith and prayer as a child. He said that Melania and he had visited some amazing churches and meet with great faith leaders from around the world. He said that during the unpreceded COVID-19 outbreak he along with millions of Americans tuned into various virtual church services.

 

When he was asked what he learned from his experience with COVID-19, he said that he and Melania felt the prayers of Americans all across the country and even around the world. He went on to say that when he said there were miracles coming down from heaven, he meant it!

 

President Trump has stood up for Christian principals more than any president our nation has ever had. Is it any wonder that Satan wants him out of office? Just take a moment and analyze what has gone on even before he was elected. No president in the history of our nation has been opposed like Donald Trump. It can't all be because of his mannerisms. He has opposed the world-wide effort to establish a one world government which is an attempt by Satan to destroy the United States so he can rule the world! He is a very successful business man and he doesn't think like a politician.

 

We have never had a president that was so willing to be open to the American people and tell them what he was thinking about. The Lord has used him as a wrecking ball to draw out the corrupt politicians. They hate him because he doesn't think and act like him and he is tearing down the old school way of thinking in our country. Just take a look around at the politicians, big tech, and big businesses that are now attempting to bankrupt our president.

 

Donald Trump stood up and declared that he wanted to make America Great Again and when he did this, he stirred up the rulers and the authorities and the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms! Every since he announced his candidacy for the office of the presidency, these forces have raised up and are hell bent on destroying him and will not stop even if he is out of office!

 

Paul said in Eph. 6:12,

 

 

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

 

There are so many Christians that have no idea how to wage spiritual warfare because they have never been taught! They have not been taught to declare the word of the Lord to every spiritual battle they find themselves in. Read of the temptation of Jesus! The devil tried his best to get Jesus to use His authority to perform miracles, however, Jesus defeated the devil by declaring the word of God to him. Jesus said in John 5:30,

 

"I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which has sent me."

 

 

Jesus was under a restraining order from His Father! He was not to do anything by His own will but was to set an example for us of someone that was totally led by the Holy Spirit! It wasn't until He was resurrected that He made this statement in Matt. 28:18, (NIV)

 

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."

 

He defeated the devil by declaring the word of God to him! Heb. 4:12,

 

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." 

 

When we are faced with difficult circumstances in our lives we need to learn to go to the word of God and declare what it says about the circumstance. So many times, we just go to the Lord and ask Him to do it for us! If you are a new Christian this will work for a time but there will come a day when the Lord expects you to grow up and be an adult in the spirit and declare what His word has to say! John said in John 1:12,

 

"As many as received him, to them He gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" 

 

Notice, he said "become a son of God!" This means that there is a growing process in order to become a mature son of God. Just like in natural child birth, there is a growing process to become a mature son! If you are going to a church who constantly feeds you the milk of the word, you will never become a mature son of God!

 

"You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So is with everyone born of the Spirit"

 

If you have been born again and are still reading this article, I want to say to you that you have the Spirit of the Lord living in you and you have the authority to lift up your voice and declare what the Lord has said about this nation. The United States was raised up by the Lord as a direct answer to the prophecy that Jacob gave to Manasseh, the son of Joseph! He declared the birthright of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to Joseph's two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. He said that Manasseh would become a great nation! There has never been a greater nation than the USA and it was established largely by descendants of the Tribe of Manasseh who migrated to the USA from the British Isles!

 

Ephraim and Manasseh were of the House of Israel. They were not called Jews! The House of Judah were known as Jews. You can read about this on my website at www.rejoicinglifeministries.com. Just scroll down and read the article, Who Is Zerah and Perez? Also read the article, What Two Nations Fulfill Jacob's Prophecy? It is an absolutely fascinating story of what Jeremiah did with the daughter of the King of Israel, Zedekiah!

 

Israel has always been the chosen people of the Lord and that is why our nation has been blessed above all other nations. God is not through with this nation. As a matter of fact, most of the prophecy in the Old Testament has to do with the end times and what the Lord is going to do for Israel. Our nation is a large part of Israel and as such the best is yet to come!

 

Psalm 33:12,

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance."

In the light of what has happened in our nation this past year and is continuing to happen, be strong in the Lord and be very brave and careful to speak and declare the word of the Lord when talking about what is happening in our nation and in the world!