A Christian minister in Florida has ignited a firestorm over his suggestion that God is using Donald Trump as a divine instrument in the 2016 presidential election cycle.
In a column published in Charisma magazine, Jeremiah Johnson of Behold the Man Ministries in Lakeland, Florida, said he was praying several weeks ago “when God began to speak to me concerning the destiny of Donald Trump in America:”
The Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “Trump shall become My trumpet to the American people, for he possesses qualities that are even hard to find in My people these days. Trump does not fear man nor will he allow deception and lies to go unnoticed. I am going to use him to expose darkness and perversion in America like never before, but you must understand that he is like a bull in a china closet.Many will want to throw him away because he will disturb their sense of peace and tranquility, but you must listen through the bantering to discover the truth that I will speak through him. I will use the wealth that I have given him to expose and launch investigations searching for the truth. Just as I raised up Cyrus to fulfill My purposes and plans, so have I raised up Trump to fulfill my purposes and plans prior to the 2016 election.You must listen to the trumpet very closely for he will sound the alarm and many will be blessed because of his compassion and mercy. Though many see the outward pride and arrogance, I have given him the tender heart of a father that wants to lend a helping hand to the poor and the needy, to the foreigner and the stranger.”
Johnson cited the specific Old Testament example of God personally selecting the non-believing, pagan King Cyrus to work on His behalf, as recounted in the 45th chapter of the Book of Isaiah.
Johnson added: “As the body of Christ, we must keep our ears and eyes open as we continue to move toward the 2016 elections in the United States. I believe that God is not only going to use the prayers of the saints to bring about His plans and purposes, but He is even going to use those who do not know Him. What a great comfort and source of encouragement we have in the wisdom of God in this hour.”
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The article sparked instant online ridicule by some, including Warren Throckmorton, who wrote a response titled: “My Entry for Best Article in the ‘Wait, This Isn’t Parody?’ Category”
“If I was of a mind to write a parody of a Charismatic minister writing about Donald Trump, an article like this would have been a good result,” he said.
Emily Joy tweeted, “I’m pretty sure my brain LITERALLY just turned into mashed potatoes reading this … .”
Benjamin L. Corey of the Formerly Fundie blog ripped Johnson’s “prophesy,” stating: “I’m not going to lie, what I just read is the dumbest thing I’ve read in my life. I’m not trying to be overly or unnecessarily critical, either. It just really, truly, is the dumbest thing I’ve ever read. I had to read it three times to make sure it wasn’t the Onion.
“I’m sorry, but I’m waving a ginormous BS flag on this one,” Corey continued. “This is the kind of nonsense that causes folks to be skeptical of Charismatics, and end up making us all look silly via guilt by association. You want to find out what God wants to say to America? Here’s a novel idea: let’s open our Bibles and find out what Jesus already said. You know, the Word of God himself?
“Please folks, don’t buy into garbage like this. Want to be Charismatic? Wonderful, I’m a little bit myself. But for the love of Lemmy, please stop looking to political leaders when you should be looking to Jesus. It’s called idolatry. And, when you make your idol someone like Donald Trump (peace and blessings be upon him) the idolatry crosses over into pure silliness.”
Johnson admits he received an “incredibly high volume of accusations, suspicion, and hate” in the wake of his original column, so he proffered this impassioned response on Facebook:
I will not attempt to defend myself here, I will leave that up to the Lord Jesus now and when I stand before Him and give an account for every word I’ve spoken. The goal of this post is to strictly help those who read the article and have questions and what largely appears to be a gross misinterpretation of what was published.What the article does NOT say:1. Donald Trump will be the next U.S. president.
2. Donald Trump will be the GOP nominee.
3. That I (Jeremiah Johnson) personally support and endorse Donald Trump’s personal moral decisions or anything he has publicly said regarding politics (including the past).
4. Donald Trump is a devout Christian and His life aligns with biblical principles.What the article does say:1. Donald Trump is going to be used by God as a trumpet in America to expose darkness and perversion.
2. Christians must look past/through his bantering and listen for the truth that God is going to make known through him.
3. God can use anyone He chooses to fulfill His purposes and plans in the earth. Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, the Jews who crucified Jesus, or Donald Trump among many.After reading through about 1,000 pieces of mail in the last 24 hours, here is my conclusion:Some Christians appear to be absolutely infuriated at the thought or prophetic word that God is going to use Donald Trump as a Trumpet to expose darkness and bring truth because of His moral background and political views. Perhaps God not being limited, subjected, and dependent to who human beings think He should use for His glory reveals their own issues with God, not a prophetic word.I, like many of you, was shocked by the word I received regarding Donald Trump. Trust me when I say it was given with fear and trembling. Again, I am not called to prophesy what I think or what my opinion is. I simply deliver the word of the Lord and encourage the saints to test and judge what has been spoken.I will publicly repent to the body of Christ if what was prophesied does not come to pass.
Johnson has since received many words of encouragement online in connection with his article.
“Too many Christians have God in a box,” wrote Sandy Hitz. “He used a donkey [to speak with a man’s voice in Numbers 22:28], he can also use Trump. We need to be listening to God and also Donald Trump. I agree with you that he will be used of God as mouthpiece to expose the evil in our government. Keep giving the word Brother Jeremiah. It isn’t your calling to tickle our ears but give us the Word.”
Brenda McCune, a pro-life activist, said she has been hearing the same message as Johnson.
“I absolutely receive every word of the prophesy in that article,” she said. “Thank you, Jeremiah for being faithful to your call and the Word of the Lord. The Lord has been speaking a similar Word to me, so I confirm that Word, it bears witness in my soul.”
Joseph Eric Benjamin Trimble, who studies at Chesapeake Bible College and Seminary, said he recently heard a sermon about God using “odd men to declare His Truth.”
“I believe it’s one reason we need to pray for our leaders because God can use them without them even knowing it,” he wrote. “Thank you for your boldness in sharing this word. I believe it is dead on and there will be more like him.”
The word “trump” appears twice in the King James Version of the Bible, both in the New Testament, referring to trumpet blasts being sounded at the Second Coming of Jesus and the resurrection of the dead.
“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:52)
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
“Is it possible that there is a prophetic link to Donald Trump?” asks Mike Shoesmith during a recent broadcast on the Prophecy News Network.
“Could Donald Trump be a final warning to America to pay attention? To get rid of the liberal cancer which has infested the country? Could Donald Trump and his no-nonsense, anti-political-correctness speech be the final warning from God?”
“Many people, not just this Jeremiah [Johnson], are seeing the possibility that Donald Trump is fulfilling some sort of call from God to maybe not even win the election, but just be a trumpet warning from God to His people,” Shoesmith concluded.
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Copyright 2015 WND
Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2015/08/firestorm-erupts-over-trumps-bible-connection/#QMg02DHhjuRb9qQY.99
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