My Response to the Evangelical #NeverTrumper

For those who have followed past U.S. presidential elections, this 2016 campaign has to be one for the ages. The American electorate has seen everything from the rigging of “super delegates,” to the Democratic candidate falling out in a N.Y. city street, to the Republican candidate who had record primary numbers, yet some in his own party tried every possible tactic to destroy him.

The most unique element of this unprecedented campaign is the peoples’ support for the Republican who is not owned by the ruling global establishment and who has endured unbelievable resistance.

Then came Friday evening, Oct. 7’s and the video bomb from the establishment revealing a private conversation of Donald Trump discussing women sexually. Trump’s lewd conversation occurred in 2005.

Heading into the last two months of the campaign, the Trump supporters knew these kind of media drops would be coming because the establishment is desperate to stop Trump. They have created a world over the last 100 years headed toward full-scale global governance and they will not allow a wild boar to run free in their vineyard destroying their plans for their New World Order and surrender of U.S. sovereignty.

The establishment, in union with the Democratic Party, has set aside a large amount of funding and staff to vet and investigate every aspect of Trump’s 70 years of life. They know Clinton cannot win on the issues that face the country so they are left with the strategy to personally expose and destroy Trump. The establishment is becoming more desperate as Nov. 8 nears and is capable of doing anything to stop him.

Interestingly the conservative Reagan who was Hollywood’s most X-rated womanizer in his day was given a pass for his illicit behavior because the establishment thought they could control him. They have no such thought of Trump. [Link]

Trump followed the video revelation with an immediate apology:

I’ve never said I’m a perfect person, nor pretended to be someone that I’m not. I’ve said and done things I regret, and the words released today on this more than a decade-old video are one of them. Anyone who knows me knows these words don’t reflect who I am. I said it, I was wrong, and I apologize.

I’ve traveled the country talking about change for America, but my travels have also changed me. I’ve spent time with grieving mothers who’ve lost their children, laid-off workers whose jobs have gone to other countries, and people from all walks of life who just want a better future. I have gotten to know the great people of our country, and I’ve been humbled by the faith they’ve placed in me. I pledge to be a better man tomorrow and will never, ever let you down.

Let’s be honest—we’re living in the real world. This is nothing more than a distraction from the important issues we’re facing today.

I don’t take much stock in private conversations but Trump did the right thing with a sincere apology. His words were genuine, changed by the people he has met and humbled by their faith in them.

What ensued over the weekend was a barrage of internet discussions. Many had support for Trump because it was a private discussion illegally made public without his permission. Others imagined what it would be like if their private conversations were videoed and made public. This is why the Framers gave the Fifth Amendment protection over our private thoughts and conversations from public intrusion.

Letter to Evangelicals

Since the Trump video went public I have been hit with many emails and calls. One came from a close friend who is an evangelical pastor whose name has been changed. My friend has always been an Evangelical Never Trumper.

Here’s my response:

Dear Joe,

Here is my response to your email entitled, “Trump’s Final Fail”:

You and many other “holier than God” Christian people are being played by the Establishment to suppress the Evangelical vote in order for Clinton to win the presidency. Do you not see this?

Joe, lay down your “sin meter” and look up to see the big picture. We finally have a candidate for president who is taking on the Establishment, the big banks, and multi-national corporations who are destroying our country, and you have your sin meter and microscope out dissecting Donald Trump’s life looking for sin.

This is the most critical presidential election in our lifetime that could change the direction of our country for a generation or more and you’re emotionally upset over a private conversation of Trump’s from 11 years ago!

Joe, I am afraid if you were living in the time of Cyrus, King of Persia (559-530 B.C.), you would not approve of Cyrus being used by God to promote the covenant religion and the restoration of Israel. Your “sin meter” would have detected too much improper behavior and lifestyle in Cyrus and you would have worked against his campaign to send God’s people back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and city walls. You would have been blogging to the saints exposing Cyrus’ multiple wives, concubines, treatment of women, idol worship and builder of pagan temples.

You and your following would have been left in Babylon resisting God’s great plan to bring His people back and to renew the nation and restore the worship of God. All because the vessel God had chosen in Cyrus was not acceptable to you and your self-styled religious standards.

God called Cyrus “His Anointed” (Is. 45:1) who did a great work for God and His people (Ezra 1:1-4), but you would have called him the “chief of sinners.” Why the difference??

Pastor, have you forgotten the story of Samson who was a judge of Israel and protector Gods people for 20 years? Samson, the morally flawed man with big hair, who drank no wine yet had a weakness for pagan women. I ask, how could a holy God use such a man and bless him as Israels most famous judge? Because Gods ways are not our ways.

After you complete your work to defeat Trump, may I suggest that you start your new project to re-write Christ’s lineage in Matthew 1? For as you know, that list is filled with way too many unacceptable sinners.

The lineage starts with polygamists, a prostitute, a user of prostitutes, an owner of a house of prostitution, two pagans, a murderer and two adulterers. Then comes King Solomon with 700 wives and 300 concubines. This is all in the first 15 generations, no time for the remaining 27.

Added to this the writer of Matthew starts the lineage with two of the titles God gave His Son Jesus Christ, son of Abraham and son of David. The first had sex with his servant girl and the other committed adultery and murder.

I am sure with a little study you could bleach out a good 30 percent of the names in Matthew 1 and do the church a great service!

Joe, the difference between God and you is that in your standard of holiness gauged by your “sin meter” automatically disqualifies men for unacceptable behavior. But God is different. God, the great redeemer of sinful men is not afraid of human sin but delights in taking flawed men, redeeming them for His glory, using them for His purpose and plan in the earth.

The difference is that God is a God of grace, redemption and renewal; you are a Christian who has taken on the task to be an arbitrator of sin who decides if men’s behavior is proper enough for service.

Be not mistaken, I am not making light of sin. I, like you, am a lover of God’s Holy Law as a standard for all men. In no way do I write to excuse sinful behavior, but I am attempting to understand the human condition in light of God’s providence. But, don’t use His Law to limit God and override His providence and plan. God works through time and history on behalf of his people and often uses very imperfect men to accomplish his plan. Let God do as He pleases and do not strive against the wonders of His providence.

Who of us can know the will of God and plan He has for our great country. But can you not see He is up to something big in the candidacy of Donald Trump. Even bigger than Trump is the historic rebellion and political awakening pushing back against the ruling Establishment throughout much of the Western world. What we are experiencing in our country is also running through Europe. This awakening in unprecedented in our lifetime.

Joe, put your “sin meter” away and look up to see the great stirring that is going on before our eyes. In God’s mysterious ways He seems to be raising up Donald Trump for a reason. And does it not seem that this flawed candidate is committed and passionate to help our people, nation and even the church.

You do know that some of Trump’s top campaign people are committed Christians? Kellyanne Conway, Stephen Bannon and David Bossie are all pro-life conservatives. Can we as Christian people ask for a better vice presidential choice than committed Christian Governor Mike Pence?

Remember our own history of the early church and the blessing of Constantine, emperor of Rome. Constantine the Great (272–337) had his share of moral issues of multiple wives, having one of them executed combined with a questionable personal faith. Yet he gave the Church in the Edict of Milan (313) its freedom and sanction and its greatest creed with his call to convene the Council of Nicea (325), over which he presided. Seventeen hundred years later this imperfect man as a civil magistrate and emperor of Rome is still considered the Church’s greatest champion. Could Donald Trump be a champion for the church in our day?

I am sure if elected Mr. Trump will surround himself and his administration with many more capable Christian people who may end up as his closest advisers. His pro-life stance is the best we have seen in any Republican candidate. Add to this his excellent policy positions and potential Supreme Court nominees. Can we as Christian people ask for any more? The answer is no.

Trump has pledged to protect the millions of endangered Middle-Eastern Christians whose very lives are in jeopardy because of the war policies of the neo-conservatives under Bush, Obama, and Secretary Clinton. Maybe, just maybe, Mr. Trump could be a modern-day Cyrus and as president a great defender of the Christian religion and the Church. Only time will tell.

I suppose it would be a plus if Mr. Trump had the external character of President Jimmy Carter, who had one marriage, was a Southern farmer and Baptist Sunday school teacher. But then again, Mr. Carter as president didn’t work out too well, remember?

The Carter/Trump comparison is an excellent example of the two-fold nature of a man’s character. Jimmy Carter was the first well-known “born-again” Christian in our modern era to run for the presidency yet was one of the worst presidents. Carter had impeccable outward character of speech, fidelity and humility, yet he greatly lacked in the internal character traits of what God intended for men. Trump on the other hand is often flawed in visible outward character but excels in his internal manly attributes. By internal standards, he exhibits tremendous alpha male characteristics of courage, fearlessness and aggressiveness blended with a natural ability to lead people. These internal God-given traits are what would make Trump an exceptional president leading and protecting a nation.

Let me end this letter to encourage you in faith and practice to understand that God’s ways are not our ways and He often does things and works His plan with vessels we cannot understand. For who can know the mind of God?

Christian Regards,

Tom Ertl

The Never-Trump Revival

After the video release the remnant of the “Never Trumpers,” who have been in hiding, have been revived going public in voicing their great disgust of the video. You have to love these chaste and pure-living Republicans and their “utter shock” at Trump’s discussion of women.

Just when we think the Augean Stables have been cleansed of its political manure more of these dumplings come to the surface to be washed away by Trump and his “Americanism.” [Link]

Trump, the largest vote-getter in Republican primary history, drawing massive crowds, has the ability to make the Republican Party into a permanent majority party, and yet “Never Trumpers” want him to step down. Unbelievable. This is beyond idiotic for it reveals they would rather embrace Hillary Clinton, a horribly corrupt establishment puppet, and give the country four to eight years of political hell and socialist revolution.

The bottom line with this new herd of “Never Trumpers” is their protest of Trump will help elect the worst possible candidate, Hillary Clinton.

Also, have you noticed that the “Never Trumpers” never get around to critiquing Secretary Clinton and her massive trail of corruption yet pounce on Trump for his indiscretions? The bottom line is the “Never Trump” Republicans desire Clinton over Trump because they want the status quo.

An interesting spin on these weak Republicans is the fact that they now have opened themselves up to unauthorized videos of their private conversation. It will be interesting to see what surfaces in the lifestyles of this sanctimonious crowd.

I believe this whole video incident will in the end backfire on the establishment.

In contrast to the “Never Trumpers” key Evangelical leaders have continued to stand behind Trump despite the embarrassing video. These noted Church leaders include Tony Perkins, Jerry Falwell Jr., Franklin Graham, James Dobson, and Robert Jeffress.

LIVING IN BABYLON

To the modern Christian nothing comes easy in American politics. Our desire is that all of our civil authorities at all levels would be committed Christians who understand their biblical role as a magistrate and have the wisdom to apply the Law of God to civil law.

But, the Christian consensus that once was is no longer a reality. It is as though the Christian in modern America is living in a type of Babylonian exile in a land our Christian ancestors created. Despite the large Christian population we can no longer say America as a nation is Christian. All of our important institutions, laws, and culture have been secularized. This is our own fault, for we have allowed this erosion of our Christian heritage.

Thus we go to the polls seeking to please God in our political choices, but are often given a choice between two imperfect candidates. Such is life in Babylon. So we choose between two flawed candidates who would best promote our biblical position.

Often our current political involvement is based on the strategy of holding back the forces of evil to allow the church more time to fulfill its responsibility in life and culture. For we know there is no salvation in politics because God has ordained civil government to a limited role. However, what is unlimited in scope is the work of the church, individual Christians and Christian organizations redeeming life and culture to the glory of God.

So until the day comes when Christian people start applying their faith to all areas of life and we experience a comprehensive Christian renewal we are left with going to our Babylonian polling station choosing between two flawed candidates, voting for the one who is best for our families, the church and country.

Conclusion

To my fellow evangelicals, you must realize you are being played by the establishment to move your heart and vote away from Trump. The establishment has used our religious call for upright character to manipulate us away from the candidate they must stop.

They know Trump must get Florida and other battleground states to win. The establishment’s intent with the video drop was to suppress the evangelical vote in Florida, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. If they could ding Trump’s huge Evangelical turnout by 10 percent, it would be enough to give these key states to their candidate.

Christian, you must look beyond issues of personality to the bigger issue that is our country and faith. Which candidate for president of the United States in 2016 would be better for our nation’s future and for the betterment of the Church? Could the contrast be any greater? Are you willing to let Hillary Clinton take her evil agenda throughout the land destroying everything we hold dear?

If you still have reservations about Donald Trump then vote for his running mate, the evangelical Mike Pence and vote for a pro-life Supreme Court.

By not voting you will in effect be voting for Hillary Clinton, her socialist political revolution, and for a pro-abortion Supreme Court that could last for a generation. You hold the key to your families’ well-being and the survival of our nation.

Evangelicals, it’s up to you. What will you do? {eoa}

Thomas Ertl is the national media director for Christians For Trump. He is a home builder in Tallahassee, Florida and is a member of a local Presbyterian Church (PCA). For over three decades Tom has worked with various Christian political organizations, including Freedom Council in the 80s. He is a former member of The Council For National Policy and has sat on various Christian ministry and political boards. He is also a publisher of Christian historical and theological works and is a columnist for News With Views.

This article was originally published at newswithviews.com. Used with permission.