The NAR grievance merchants stake out the position that Jesus somehow would not approve of asking for mercy...

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Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. - Matthew 23:15 (ESV)

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NAR dominionism has infiltrated all levels of our country, government and religion. It is even more emboldened with the election of Donald Trump, who is the idol in the idolatry that drives the NAR. Remember, this is not a political distinction, but rather, a spiritual one. We saw an example the other day when at the Inauguration church service, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, directly addressed Donald Trump and because her words were not gushing and idolatrous, the NAR lost their collective minds. For example, US Congressman Josh Brecheen wrote an article today disparaging Biship Budde as he put it, "as a believer." Here is an excerpt from his ridiculousness:

"In her sermon, Budde cited a Bible verse commonly used in left-wing arguments, that "We are to be merciful to the stranger." To understand this verse, we must understand the word stranger in its full meaning, as taken from the original Hebrew language. This particular Hebrew word is specifically used to describe a foreigner who fully submits to the customs and culture of their country of refuge. Illegal aliens are not submitting to the laws of the land-they're defying them. Ecclesiastes 8:11 warns us against ignoring laws being broken, saying, in effect: When the law is not enforced, the people's hearts are enticed to do more evil. Let's not forget the murders, rapes, and gang violence that the lawless southern border has perpetuated. The left frequently ignores such teachings, taking Scripture out of context and using half-truths to justify their politics. Do not fall into this trap! A half-truth is always a full lie. - Representative Josh Brecheen"

There is so much wrong here I almost do not know where to start. Let's start however with the notion that the same guy who is claiming here the dire importance the laws being enforced says nothing about the pardoning of 1500 felons yesterday by his idol, Donald Trump. Many of which were violent in their crimes towards the police, and whose actions led to the deaths of four cops. This is why people like Josh Brecheen have no moral stance to make. The talking point about the violence of immigrants is simply not supported by the numbers. Perhaps the more egregious point he is trying to make is the butchering of scripture. Is Brecheen really making an argument that Jesus Christ does not encourage mercy to strangers? Is that how low the NAR has sunk? What does Brecheen do with these verses?

You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. - Deuteronomy 10:19

'Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.' Then all the people shall say, 'Amen!' - Deuteronomy 27:19

The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. - Psalm146:9

For if you truly amend your ways and your doings, if you truly act justly one with another, if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, and the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own hurt, then I will dwell with you in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your ancestors forever and ever. - Jeremiah 7:5-7

Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another. - Zechariah 7:9-10

Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. - Romans 12:13

Love does no wrong to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. - Romans 13:10

Yeah, don't quit your day job Representative Brecheen. I am not even scratching the surface here. The number one topic in the bible after salvation is taking care of the least in society. How wicked is your heart that you think Jesus Christ would not care about the alien? Look, if someone breaks the law, then the law punishes them. That is the purpose of the law. Not to punish everyone else. Now let us reason together through the above linked article from Charisma News, also slamming the bishop because after all, who would Jesus hate?

'A prayer meeting held during the inauguration events for President Donald Trump has stirred significant controversy after Mariann Edgar Budde condemned the president from behind the pulpit using radical left-wing talking points. "I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now," Budde says. "There are gay, lesbian children in Democratic, Republican and independent families who fear for their lives. And the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shift in hospitals, they may not be citizens-- ' - Charisma News

The narrative being put forth by the NAR machine is on full display here. That this "woke" Episcopalian bishop condemned their idol, Donald Trump. That she used radical left-wing talking points to do so. The NAR, and their primary media machine in Charisma News, is trying to co-opt the church to feel aggrieved as well. This narrative is the game plan. The NAR are grievance merchants because their political masters in the Republican Party are. Aggrieved people are angry people and angry people are motivated people who are easier to manipulate. Yet as Christians, we are supposed to stand for the truth and the truth is that there should be no way you can read these comments and consider them a condemnation. It just is not there. The exact phrase I want you to read over and over again is:

"I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now."

Is this some radical left wing talking point? Is mercy now considered "woke" and a fair target for our derision? Is that where the apostate church is right now? If Jesus Christ was walking the earth, do you seriously think for a second, He would be espousing Trumpian positions? Have you read the gospel? Are not a great deal of immigrants in this country holding down jobs picking our crops? Two thirds of farming jobs are held by immigrants! Do they not also work as office cleaners? Do they not work as bus boys and waitresses? Is there not a collective fear in this country for some? Do we dismiss it callously out of hand as followers of Jesus Christ? When the church has been fed nothing but hatred and division for the last four years, is it any wonder they confuse compassion with condemnation? Dear Lord - she is asking for mercy! Was that a bridge too far for the second coming of King Jehu? Mark Driscoll tweeted yesterday that Trump was Elijah! Does Elijah strike you as having no compassion? Or is the entire narrative they are selling so clearly false?

"Pastor Travis Johnson and Dr. Malachi O'Brien, who were present at the event, told Charisma Media that the room was full of godly people like Jentezen Franklin, Paula White-Cain and Robert Jeffress who have been praying for revival and for the gospel to preached to the ends of the earth. To see this kind of rebuke coming at Trump from behind the pulpit was far from what any of them expected to happen that day. Budde's disgraceful sermon was a reminder to all of the Holy Spirit-filled people there that only those who love the Lord should be in church leadership." - Charisma News

I really want to drill down here and hope that you can fully grasp how this perfectly displays the inherent heretical nature of what the NAR platform is selling people. I make no argument about an Episcopalian bishop, mostly because I do not know her. I think it is a lazy way to smear someone to just call them "woke" or "leftist." If she routinely abuses the word of God, regardless of her politics, then that would be wrong. The issue here is that Charisma and the NAR present their side as the righteous side in this debate. They are defending Donald Trump as the righteous position to hold against a woman who simply asked for mercy. Yet, who does the NAR dominionist machine hold up as their bastions of virtue? Paula White Cain is a grifter. She is a huckster who has fleeced the people of God to the tune of five million dollars. She once claimed God told her that 1Chronicles 22:9 meant that you needed to send her $229. I kid you not. She is a charlatan, not a "godly person." She has led untold numbers of people straight down the broad path that leads to destruction, and you want to hold her up as a paragon of righteousness? Seriously? Do you know what idiot anointed Greg Locke an apostle? Malachi O'Brien. Why did he choose to pretend the man who likes to hold book burnings behind his church an apostle? Because his new wife, who had an affair with Locke while she was his secretary, behind the back of his first wife, asked him to. That's all. Malachi also named her an apostle too! The two adulterers now call themselves apostles and all it took was for one of them to ask Malachi O'Brien. So, how exactly is O'Brien godly? Or for that matter, Robert Jeffress, who long ago sold out his theology to worship at the altar of Trump. He called any Christian who would not vote for Trump "morons." He also led the charge to completely ignore the character of Trump, as if who he is, did not matter to God. Jentezen Franklin is a renowned false prosperity gospel preacher. These are not godly men, but these are the ones the NAR lifts up to combat the "wokeness" of daring to ask for mercy. The reality is that these men are selling the same cult they belong to, and the number one rule of the cult is you cannot question the leader. Christianity, however, is not a cult. Jesus is our leader, and He says to turn the other cheek. He asks what you have done for the least of these. He extends mercy. He demands mercy.

"My prayer is that whenever anyone comes into confrontation with a woke pastor or someone that's watered down the Scriptures"that those people would work to get control of their church, and if they can't, find a church where the gospel is preached in the power of the Holy Spirit so that lives can be transformed," says Johnson. The president himself said after the service that it was "not too exciting," and that he thought the church could have done a much better job of with it. He later took to Truth Social where he expressed his frustration with Budde's message.

The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart. She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA. Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology!" - Charisma News

I urge you to go and listen to this plea from Bishop Budde. There was no nastiness in her tone. That is a flat out lie. She did not mention the president's talking points because that was not what she was addressing. She was asking for mercy. Other countries are not emptying their mental institutions and jails and sending them here. That is not how things work. That is a bovine excrement talking point that far too many Christians have bought into. Budde did not bring her church into the world of politics, her church was hosting the Inauguration Prayer ceremony! Enough with the gaslighting and lies. The bottom line is Donald Trump did not like being asked to show mercy to people he clearly intends to show no mercy towards. There is no giant crime wave beloved. Crime is down nationally. None of that matters except to refute the practice of lying and pretending it is a Christian imperative to support and platform those lies. Look, you can say that the bishop should have kept quiet, made the sign of the cross and went on her way but you cannot feed into this nonsense. In a room full of NAR heretics, one person dared to ask for mercy and the NAR is having none of it.

"In the wake of the event, many leaders are calling for a renewed focus on the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. "Before the service started when hardly anyone was in the room I prayed for revival in our churches," says Johnson. "That God would bless President Trump. He's been a tireless fighter-- O'Brien also commented that unlike what happened at this inaugural prayer event, the National Faith Advisory Board is standing in the gap, praying for revival to transform our nation. "What we stand for is what Travis said he prayed for in the beginning of the service, that is for revival in America, awakening in the churches, for pastors to stand up, be bold and be strong and for the gospel to be preached, for people to be saved and for families to be strong and to pray for our president and every one of our nation's leaders," says O'Brien. During this wicked season, we must use biblical discernment and wisdom at all times, choosing to stand firm for Christ no matter what comes our way, pressing in to the Lord to see true revival come." - Charisma News

Oh yes, he has been such a tireless fighter. The way he scammed 45 billion dollars the day before his ascension to the Oval Office by announcing his own meme coin? Tireless indeed. Please, just stop with the deification and worship of this man. It is not vaguely Christian at all. Realize these words sound pious. Revival in America! Awakening in the churches! Stand up, be bold, preach the gospel for people to be saved! Except what gospel are you preaching? Are you preaching the one that thinks the adulterer book burning guy should be an apostle? Are you preaching the one where a money-grubbing woman using biblical numerology to fleece God's flock is somehow exalted as godly? Are you preaching this bizarro world of dominionism and Christian nationalism that worships a man instead of God? Then you are just like the Pharisees in the key verses whom Jesus rebuked. Traveling the entire earth to make a single convert and when you succeed you make them twice the son of hell that you are.

The NAR chases revival like a dog chases their tail. The bible promises no end times revival, just and end times apostasy and the NAR is leading that apostasy. Their deification of the president is the very definition of a cult. I am not defending Biship Budde. I do not know her and have never heard her preach. Neither did Representative Brecheen, who admits he left because he thought the church was espousing left wing talking points and he thinks the bible is right wing. The portion of her sermon that is causing all the manufactured outrage is a few lines at the end, where she addressed Mr. Trump directly. Her tone was respectful, calm, and soothing. She simply asked him to be merciful. If your cult gets so upset at the notion of mercy, perhaps you fail to realize how much mercy has already been shown to you.

Reverend Anthony Wade - January 23, 2025

Authors Bio:
Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.