It is, unfortunately, time to do this again, where I call out the scripturally misguided, who have twisted the gospel to defend their support of Donald Trump.

While I occasionally hear the life of Paul distorted to make him the prototype Trump, more often than not, the high priests of the Trump temple find some Old Testament king, like Cyrus, or in the latest bit of lunacy that I’ve seen going around, like Samson.

You see, God has a plan. And His plan is perfect. We have a very narrow view of the world in which we live, and we are often confused why things transpire around us the way that they do. We see something that looks dangerous, and we run. We see someone who looks flawed attempting to ascend to the highest office in the land, and we ridicule them. We say, “He can’t be president – he’s nothing like Christ!” Or, “He can’t be my child’s role model – he has said nasty things about women! On TV, no less!” Who said a ruler had to be like Christ? No man is devoid of sin like Jesus was. While others are living better lives, and perhaps obeying the Word of God more faithfully than others, that doesn’t give us the moral high ground, as Christians, to discount a leader’s ability to rule over us. A person’s ability to govern a country is not predicated on his religion.

This is the desperate lunge of some who want to make Trump into a flawed hero.

There is so much to say about this, but I’ll start with this: This writer has totally misrepresented the stance of those who oppose Trump’s candidacy.

It’s not that he’s imperfect. We all are.

It’s not that he’s not Christ-like. He’s an unrepentant sinner. We don’t expect him to be Christ-like. There are many public servants who are not Christians, but who maintain their composure and act as decent human beings.

Presidents also do not “rule over” us. They were meant to represent us. If one who seeks that position does not represent our values, or prove themselves worthy of our vote, we are not beholden to endorse them with our vote.

No, for all that is wrong with Trump, those who stand against him now would likely feel no need to stand against him, if not for the fact that he’s unfit to lead this nation.

In spite of his sins, Samson was given a spot in the “Heroes of Faith” chapter in Hebrews. In this chapter, Samson is listed alongside Abraham, Moses and David. Sadly, you wouldn’t know that Samson had great faith in God by just looking at the life that he lived. Samson was misguided about many things, which is evident by the many mistakes and shortcomings he committed. But no one can take away Samson’s spot in Hebrews 11. The inspired author of Hebrews lists him with the other great heroes of faith for a reason. Yes, Trump has eaten “honey” – but who’s to say he won’t also pull down “pillars?”

I’ll say it.

He won’t pull down pillars.

Those who are so eager to use the Old Testament heroes to excuse Donald Trump’s cheating, adulteries, and abuse of others are lulling others into a false sense of comfort.

They want to believe they’re voting for a Samson, a David, or at least a King Cyrus, who could be used by God to do good for this nation.

The facts are, no matter who gets in that office, God already knew ahead of time, and He can do great works through them. That isn’t a perk reserved solely for Donald Trump. Let’s not blur the lines of what was going on during the period of the Old Testament kings and the New Testament truths.

The books of the Bible were written over a period of 1500 to 1600 years. Centuries passed before Jesus was born into the world.

The entire Old Testament is a series of people getting things wrong and God intervening. They had the Law, given to Moses by God and delivered to the people, but they had no example.

God saw that the people needed an example, so He came as His son, Jesus Christ, to bleed, hunger, thirst, and be fully man, but also fully God. He led by example, obeying every law and precept of Father God.

He walked blameless, and when he left, he sent the Holy Spirit to comfort, prompt, convict, and guide.

For those who want to go back to the Old Testament to make excuses for Trump, they have thrown us back to a time when man had no example of how to walk upright and responsibly. There is no excuse for Christians to long for a King Cyrus or a Samson in a time of the Holy Spirit.

We are in that time now. The Holy Spirit is still active. I’m afraid that many Christians ignored Him, however, to vote for unrepentant flesh.

They are the hoping for a man like Donald Trump to appoint conservative judges and protect religious freedoms, based not on the leading of the Spirit, but on what they hope he will do. They’re taking the word of a man who lied and cheated in his business life, as well as his personal life.

They had several choices that were living New Testament faith, who would have, based on the available background we have on them, done everything they said they would, or would have at least tried.

They rejected them for Old Testament flesh, one they admit could be like a wicked king, but they hope, based on what they want to be true, that somehow, God will turn his heart and cause him to keep all his lofty promises.

This is backwards thinking. It is not faith in God. It is faith in flesh.

Because of this misplaced, misguided hope in a man, the Christians who have pushed this fallacy will now get exactly what they want: trials and tribulations on an Old Testament scale. This time, however, God will not be stepping down to send another savior to show us the way. He’s already done that and we have failed Him, far too many times.

When we see Him again, it will be because He’s taking the faithful home.

Do I think we’re in for hard days ahead? We are.

The church mask is about to be shaken off and the time for true repentance and a revival mindset is coming, and it has nothing to do with Donald Trump.