Fasten your seatbelts folks – this looks like it is going to be a roller coaster. Having just upset a well-respected, woke Christian leader friend, I sense I may be about to do so with equally well-respected non woke Christian friends and as for oil down Aaron’s beard, the prospect of that happening any time soon is not looking good.

I’m talking about the Donald, now that he has been safely installed as the 47^th President of the USA, and I am writing a mere week following my previous Trumpwatch episode (see here). Loads has happened in the past three days and a lot of it over and above the prospect of the previous sheriff, coming back to replace the sheriff of the past four years, up to January 20^th, who many who think as I do did an abysmal job. Once again, this new sheriff in town looks to be shaking things up as he said he would, evidenced by his signing of some 200 often far reaching executive orders. Many of these were expected and, for fans of the new sheriff, it bodes well for the future for these were needed to redress past wrongs and were welcomed.

Yesterday, a friend who works in a large office, shared with me that many of his colleagues were earlier discussing Trump and most did so disapprovingly, citing for example two of the afore-mentioned executive orders, one to leave the World Health Organisation and another to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, and on top of that there was the prayer service in Washington Cathedral, when the “woke”, lesbian bishop used the occasion to have a pop at the President over his approach, to do with installing fear, on LBGT folk, particularly children, and on recently arrived immigrants, many of which were resident with their immigration status not yet settled, to which the Donald in typical no holds barred fashion responded in a less than favourable way. Imho, he over reacted and he might have done better to acknowledge the need to care for those vulnerable persons identified in the speech. My friend, who is neither pro nor anti Trump, decided wisely not to take sides when he was pressed on his views on what is clearly a controversial subject.

Looking at my recent social media feed, even I was taking aback by the strength of feeling and reactions regarding what the Bishop preached, ranging from very supportive to the very opposite, often from unlikely sources and evidence of the lack of unity that the person who wrote Psalm 133 was trying to steer us away from. I confess with respect to the rant posted by one of the staunchly antis (shared here) I was inclined, knowing something about the bishop’s views, including doctrinal ones, before the service, that I see as part of the apostasy that is nowadays threatening the Church, to go along with the anti brigade. But I noted too the depth of feelings that can not easily be dismissed that have been expressed by members of the pro brigade, whose faith, sincerity and their commitment to the cause of Christ I do not doubt. I decided I needed to rethink my views on where the truth and right balance actually lies.

While I don’t believe a woman should be leading churches, no-one who endorses sodomy should be either and neither should any apostate, I didn’t want to ignore that just maybe the message preached was a timely one and no-one other than God should say what should or should not be preached. I couldn’t help thinking that rather than get righteously indignant Trump would do better to use the opportunity to assure us that he is a president for everyone. Yet I could not help agreeing with this non Christian’s chap’s take on the matter, referring to this “‘Completely disgraceful’: Douglas Murray rips into ‘political hack’ bishop” video (see here).

My first thought was that this was a prayer service and it seemed to me that this presented a golden opportunity to preach the Gospel and invite the nation to turn to God and declare that He is their only hope for deliverance. When it comes to loving and making feel safe LBGT folk and recently arrived foreign nationals (often illegally) it should not be a time for political point scoring. Anyone who comes into the country should do so legally or else face the consequences. The normalisation of transgenderism and same sex relationships is contrary to what the Bible teaches, which is made worse by the imposition of such notions onto innocent children. We should not be affirming the LBGT agenda or teach it to children (as too often happens). To ignore these things in order to get at Trump, I feel is unacceptable. To do so under the guise of championing the cause of the powerless inclines me to think this is high handed hypocrisy.

Preachers should preach the golden rule, to love thy neighbour, and this includes recent immigrants, including illegal ones, and LBGT folk, to be practiced by and directed toward all, high and low etc., and to preach all truth to power without fear or favour. Prophets should prophesy what God wants said but Marrian Budd was not doing this and I regret that some Christian leader friends, I believe well intended, wanting to side with the weak and vulnerable, chose to lend their support and that they had succumbed to deception. 

I couldn’t help seeing parallels between Donald Trump and with someone who some folk see as Britain’s greatest Prime Minister since Winston Churchill. I am thinking of Margaret Thatcher. I was never a great fan of hers and like Trump she was at the centre of much division.  I have in mind the image of when she became Prime Minister and about to enter her new home at 10 Downing Street reading the prayer of St. Francis that begins: “Make me a channel of your peace, where there is hatred let me bring your love …”. I suspect most on both sides of the argument about what went on at the Prayer Service and the Bishop’s sermon will agree and, with the importance of the texts I shared, e.g.: Proverbs 14:34, Leviticus 19:34, Micah 6:8 and Mark 12:29-31, even if disagreeing over other matters, and that we need to be exemplars of St. Francis’ prayer.   

Having just managed to upset some anti-Trumpers, I will now turn my attention of pro-Trumpers  who include many of the basket of deplorables and far right racists, some who don’t claim to be born again Christians and some who do, including those who believe that just like King Cyrus, Trump was raised up for such a time of this just as some of the modern day prophets have said would happen and hopefully be part of God’s desire and intention to bring about worldwide revival. In my last 2-3 Trumpwatch episodes, I cast doubt on some of my earlier hopes that Trump is just what we need right now, including the knock on effect that his presidency might have worldwide. I have even entertained the thought that despite my hopes and a promising first three days, that the Devil, using Trump, may have switched from Prince of Darkness to Angel of Light mode.  

To add to my growing list of concerns raised in earlier Trumpwatch episodes is that of “Stargate” – the rolling out of (including financial investment) and the removing of barriers for Artificial Intelligence under the ruse of helping humanity, just as (incidentally) the Prince of Darkness brigade that includes the World Economic Forum and Keir Starmer’s government have declared as being their intention. As part of checking out of videos that make credible points and I believe worth mentioning here are “The 2nd Coming of Trump, Stargate, Abraham Accords”  (see here) and “Two Days In… The Agenda I Predicted Has Begun” (see here). Both argue that Trump, rather than being someone working for we the people, is as bad if not the worst of all the  actors on the world stage at this time and, according to the first of the above shares, may unlikely as it may seem fit the bill as being the Antichrist that has been foretold in the Bible with, perhaps, Elon Musk being the False Prophet.

I truly hope these doomsters are wrong, not just because I have endured much ridicule for sticking up for Trump and fallen out with some, most notably among respected Christian leaders, for arguing the case why I see him as leading the resistance that we need against the evil, satanic cabal, often operating behind the scenes and pulling the strings of useful idiots as many Christian leaders to carry out the bad guys’ plans to kill off and then enslave what is left of humanity, ahead of the soon to emerge Antichrist, who will be welcomed as a peace maker and then complete the job. I get why some think Trump may be the very counter to the evil we have been seeing and bring in the very golden age that he has been promising we will have ever since he was sworn in as POTUS. But back to Aaron’s beard – Psalm 133:3, along with John 17, provide good reasons why unity among real (not fake) Christians is much needed and is one reason I write as I do – with a heavy heart. I don’t know what is round the corner (who does) – the next few weeks, let alone the next few years. A lot of that is “whatever will be, will be”, whatever we think or do.

Whatever happens from now on, I sense Trump’s coming back is not only a very significant event but a great opportunity for the Gospel. I feel it best to conclude by urging readers to test and weigh (whatever they are told by whoever tells it); to watch (what is going on around us) and pray (to God in accordance with what we see) and to trust and obey (in God alone). I urge us all to both prepare for the worst and hope for the best and resolve to be firmly on the Lord’s side.   

Update 26/01/25

The show goes on and we are still only less than a week into the Trump presidency. I have surprised myself by being torn between some of the great stuff he is doing and stuff not so great. On the flip side and further to my Stargate observations is him buttering up to the WEF currently having their annual Davos meet up and the likes of Bill Gates, who should be in jail, and then evidence of this troublesome bishop maybe having a valid point, reference this article: “Trump executive orders threaten healthcare of millions of Americans” (see here). On the plus side is his pardons to various victims of miscarriage of justice, e.g. folk imprisoned following the January 6th 2021 Capitol riots and those who prayed outside abortion clinics – and then there was finding missing children victims of loose border control. I wonder whether we are part of a huge Psyop playing out (“Once You Know This, Every PSYOP Becomes Obvious” – (see here) relates). or we are like those who dreamed by the Rivers of Babylon. Back to the campaigning bishop, I continue to be struck by sensible, sincere Christians posting messages of support on their Facebook page along with those posting the opposite. My views and concerns remain unchanged but since the matter of the greatest sermon ever preached – “The Sermon on the Mount” (see here) has been raised one way or another, I end with a quote from it. Whether it is POTUS, you or me, we all would do well to carry out Jesus’ words: