Donald Trump’s “Faith-Based Evangelical” Dinner
The following are the notes to the discussion found at this link (https://www.facebook.com/tammy.cheetham.77/videos/473138383185875/)for anyone who would like to study the subject more in depth.
Yes, we wanted to discuss the dinner held on the evening of August 27 at the White House for a group of about 100 “evangelical” leaders. The dinner was hosted by Pres. Trump and his wife, Melania. Pres. Trump spoke, along with a few of these “faith” leaders.
But, before I present any specific information I want to read the following verses: Ps. 146:1-6 “Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever.” (Now, there are many verses that we could have read there, but I want the listener to understand a foundational point to this discussion is that believers need to get their eyes off man and on Jesus. We see so many in the professing church world looking to politics, to a flag, to a nation, to a man, especially since the last election season. But, true believers understand their faith needs to be in Christ and Him alone. And, rather than take the time to present many facts as to why these “evangelicals” shouldn’t be supporting Pres. Trump I am going to include the link to our Facebook note (https://www.facebook.com/notes/connie-schuetz-wright/donald-trump-a-deceitful-worker/399460637224581/) for our discussion entitled “Donald Trump: A Deceitful Worker.” The picture for that note shows Pres. Trump hosting a Ramadan dinner in the White House back in June in the very same room as he hosted the evangelical dinner, no less).
Now, concerning the dinner itself, first, I want to mention some of those who attended: Vice President Mike Pence (he has referred to himself as an evangelical Catholic since he was raised Catholic and has much affection for that religion).(And, I am going to include the link to our discussion of his speech at the 13th annual Catholic Prayer Breakfast held in June of 2017) (https://www.facebook.com/tammy.cheetham.77/videos/vb.100014691523242/239596613206721/?type=2&video_source=user_video_tab) It will be quite eye-opening for any who think he is a fine Christian. Also, attending was Secretary of Homeland Security Ben Carson (He is a Seventh Day Adventist), and Ambassador at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback (he is a Catholic). The event was officially hosted by first lady Melania Trump (she is a Catholic).
Other notable evangelicals who attended the meeting include Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, conservative radio host Eric Metaxas, televangelist Kenneth Copeland (who is WOF), megachurch Pastor Jentezen Franklin (who is WOF), Faith & Freedom Coalition's Ralph Reed, San Diego megachurch Pastor Jim Garlow, former Southern Baptist Convention President Ronnie Floyd and Hispanic evangelical leader Samuel Rodriguez.
In addition, attendees from the administration include White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders (and here is some interesting information concerning her: she identifies as a Southern Baptist, but her husband is Catholic. Their three children were baptized as infants and the familyattends evangelical and Catholic churches every Sunday). Some more attendees included Trump's daughter and senior adviser,Ivankaand her husband, Jared Kushner, (who both are Jewish). And, then, counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway (who is Catholic) was also present. (https://www.christianpost.com/news/white-house-hosts-100-evangelical-leaders-state-like-dinner-this-is-spiritual-warfare-227044/)
(Now, we would have to say with all of those statements that this was, it was faith-based, but it was also an ecumenical “evangelical” dinner. And, this was a spiritual endeavor. As we will learn later, the group prayed and scriptures were shared, so one cannot argue it doesn’t matter if those of other faiths were present. We have spoken many times about the dangers of ecumenism so I will just give a few points now. Praying with anyone that doesn’t have faith in the true Jesus of the Bible is not scriptural unless they are being led to Christ in repentance and faith. Allowing yourself as a true believer to join in prayer with false believers would communicate your agreement with their faulty understanding of God. Praying with and praying for are two different things.
The Word of God exhorts us time and time again to not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers and/or false converts. Many name the Name of Jesus, but they worship “another Jesus.” The Biblical teaching of separation forbids God's people from fellowshipping with error.Jesus taught His people to pray our Father, so we must make sure that we are praying with true believers that have the same Father).
Now, I would like to read and discuss some of the President’s remarks: “Melania and I are thrilled to welcome you. And these are very special friends of mine, Evangelical pastors and leaders from all across the nation. We welcome you to the White House. It’s a special place. It’s a place we love. We’re having a lot of fun; we’re having a lot of success.”
“Today we reached the highest level in the history of the stock market. We broke 26,000 — (applause) — so I assume you have some stock. And I view that differently. We’re respected all over the world again, and it means jobs. So it’s a lot of good things happening.”(But, we would have to say just the idea of evangelical leaders applauding stock market numbers shows us the location of their treasures. Matt. 6:20 clearly tells us to lay up treasures in heaven. And, for Pres. Trump to even joke or make light about these faith leaders having stock seems to indicate he recognizes where their affections lie).
“America is a nation of believers. And tonight we’re joined by faith leaders from across the country who believe in the dignity of life, the glory of God, and the power of prayer. Everybody agree with that?”
AUDIENCE: “Yes!”(Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: “If you didn’t, we’d have a big story, wouldn’t we?”(True believers will, of course, believe in these things, but as we always find with Donald Trump and any event supposedly involving Christianity, Jesus Christ and repentance and forgiveness of sins are totally missing).
“We’re here this evening to celebrate America’s heritage of faith, family, and freedom. As you know, in recent years, the government tried to undermine religious freedom. But the attacks on communities of faith are over. We’ve ended it. We’ve ended it. (Applause.) Unlike some before us, we are protecting your religious liberty.”(And, we will include the link to our last discussion entitled “America’s Religious Liberty: From God or Satan?”https://www.facebook.com/tammy.cheetham.77/videos/465000993999614/
And, then he goes on to mention several accomplishments he feels are noteworthy and we don’t have time to discuss all of them and some of them will be repeated later,but, sister Tammy, would you discuss the Faith and Opportunity Initiative at this time, please?
This I have shared in a previous discussion, but just to reiterate these points, obviously because this has been brought up at this time. This is taken from the document – Executive Order on the Establishment of a White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative Issued on May 3rd 2018 –
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to assist faith-based and other organizations in their efforts to strengthen the institutions of civil society and American families and communities, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Just before going on I would like to address The White House Faith and Initiative Opportunity and what kind of faith is this? After what you have just spoke of sister Connie, we can quite clearly see there is some confusion here as to what kind of faith is being put across here, we as true believers know that there is One Faith, that is Jesus Christ Who came to this earth to pay for the sins of the whole world, He was buried and resurrected after three days – this is the Gospel. Jesus died to forgive people of their sins and it is sad because where is this? Where is the blood of Jesus in all this? Just taken out! Donald Trump’s faith, as we have previously discussed is in his little wafer thingy and wine, he only supposedly has at this time! I am sorry to sound sarcastic but it’s just disgusting that so called mature believers are just taken up by this and even Donald Trump himself stated he doesn’t need to as God for forgiveness and doesn’t feel the need for this. What kind of faith is he all about to start with? We have these so-called evangelicals, no matter what label they come with, it is what is believed. You can notb a Catholic and a Christian at the same time.
WHAT FAITH?, 7 Mountain Mandate is used by those claiming to be Christian to take over all these aspects of society, this includes Government. This leaves people with no definite end, only that they believe we are to get this world ready for Jesus which is not biblical as sister Connie has mentioned, Social gospel, which is no gospel and all the focus on here and now plus this perfectly describes the one world religion/order that will culminate in the last days which includes all different religions merging under the banner of love and unity and a false Messiah!- A lot of these faiths claim to have a Jesus, but is it the Jesus of the Bible? Certainly not! The Seventh Day Adventist do not have the same Jesus as the Born Again Believer, they some say but we do have Jesus right, yet we can see they don’t because they add to salvation. It is the same with Mormons, Catholics and Judaism, you can’t merge all these together and just as in the Bible times where they had the Judaizers coming in and how many times did the Apostle Paul address this? He said you might well bear with these! This is what was happening at that time, 2 Corinthians 11:4 addresses this and tells us about those with another Jesus and we have to be so careful what we are joining up with these last days. The Bible says that the world will grow worse, not better, in the last days (2 Timothy 3:1) We need to be careful and just understand what faith are we talking about here and as we can see and as you have said we can clearly see there are all different faiths here. Different ideas of faith, like the Word of Faith which is false doctrine. I just wat to read a few sections from this Faith and Opportunity Initiative here, again just to express a few points in this.
Section 1.Policy. Faith-based and community organizations have tremendous ability to serve individuals, families, and communities through means that are different from those of government and with capacity that often exceeds that of government. These organizations lift people up, keep families strong, and solve problems at the local level. The executive branch wants faith-based and community organizations, to the fullest opportunity permitted by law, to compete on a level playing field for grants, contracts, programs, and other Federal funding opportunities. The efforts of faith-based and community organizations are essential to revitalizing communities, and the Federal Government welcomes opportunities to partner with such organizations through innovative, measurable, and outcome-driven initiatives.
Exactly, these organizations do lift people up, NOT JESUS! As we often share in our discussions that a huge red flag to recognize false teaching is does it lift man or Jesus? I think this speaks for itself. Focusing all this attention on the world’s system and joining with other religions in the process is not what we are called to be spending time on as believers, our call is to win souls and pray for those in government, that is all! We do not pray with these as the bible tells us not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers in any spiritual endeavour and for sure prayer is spiritual.
Sec 2 part iii - The Initiative shall, from time to time and consistent with applicable law, consult with and seek information from experts and various faith and community leaders from outside the Federal Government, including those from State, local, and tribal governments, identified by the Office of Public Liaison, the Domestic Policy Council, and the Centers for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives. These experts and leaders shall be identified based on their expertise in a broad range of areas in which faith-based and community organizations operate, including poverty alleviation, religious liberty, strengthening marriage and family, education, solutions for substance abuse and addiction, crime prevention and reduction, prisoner reentry, and health and humanitarian services.
Seek information from various faith and community leaders – to improve society rather than the true believer’s mandate is to preach the gospel and preach repentance. The social, ecumenical gospel is not something a true believer is to be participating in and any true minister of the gospel would warn against joining in any spiritual endeavour that runs contrary to the Word of God. Of course, the world’s system will be seeking to keep law and order and God knows this is so but for us to join in these things as though this is what makes people right with God, Donald Trump thinks he is already a Christian. With this then we have reduced the gospel to a man-made righteousness that makes people feel secure with God in their unbelief whilst having morals and abiding by the rules without having a heart change. The Bible says in John 3:3 that YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN. The Main calling of a Christian is to preach the good news as previously stated and people will live right and have the Holy Spirit’s power to overcome sin! This is God’s way. In saying all this I do never desire to say that we do never have any type of moral standard and type of commands of God are wrong, Many will accuse u of saying we have no standard of morals because we state these things and just to clear this up, we do have this just the way we go about it is God’s way, true freedom, if we just expect people to have a form of righteousness and no gospel, then we are just as the Pharisees of old, a righteousness of their one and look what Jesus said about these, a brood of vipers, white washed tombs. Morals is not the gospel, Jesus Christ is the gospel. Morals will come once someone is in the faith but there are many moralistic people out there that don’t know Jesus so just to keep things in the right order, morals are proper and salvation is by grace through faith not by works lest any man should boast. I mean expecting the world to live right, call themselves a Christian Nation and be in this web of deceit, the one world order and religion, then it is very possible you will be deceived. We do not get caught up in the affairs of this life. We preach Christ Crucified also, we tell people of His burial and resurrection, but the atonement is where all stems. Jesus Christ saves sinners.
Moving on with another article sister Connie recently shared with me.
(https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/05/trump-creates-a-not-so-new-faith-office-in-the-white-house/559574/)
This article is showing how this initiative was actually started by Bush and Obama also had sway in these idea’s, yet we can even go further back and see how this was fostered even from the very beginning where man tried to be as God. It is all rooted in the Babylonian system that will culminate to the one world religious order as we shall continue to express adamantly as we fight this good fight of the faith once delivered unto the saints. There is One Faith and it’s Jesus, the Jesus of the Bible!
This article states - While exact details of the office are not yet clear, one thing is: An office dedicated to fostering partnerships between faith groups and the federal government is not a new idea. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama both created versions of this office and conducted significant outreach to clergy and religious communities during their presidencies. Trump’s new initiative has the potential to expand the diversity of the president’s religious advisers and offer visibility into the Trump administration’s connections to religious communities. But it will also be fraught, as religious groups continue to battle for influence over an administration that has often catered to the concerns of conservative Christians.
The president’s initiative sounds a lot like those of Barack Obama and George W. Bush. But the religious influences on Trump’s government are radically different.
As we can clearly see the ecumenical driven agenda in these initiatives and again not for the true Christian to be a part of.
We also can see in part of this article stated - Not all religious groups feel empowered under Trump, however. Religious minorities, including Muslims, Hindus, and Jews, are increasingly concerned about hate crimes and discrimination, which some say are inflamed by the country’s toxic political environment.
This never means that Trump is fully against the teachings of these religions that he is concerned about. He just separates the extremism of terrorism and still does not see these serve another god, which is no god. He dialogues with these and never presents the true gospel of salvation, it is always a concern for the here and now and no concern for these lost souls and no persecution for the truth of the good news, it is a fight against terrorism to make this world better instead of dealing with the heart again! Trump is mixing what he believes to be Christianity with this and this absolutely brings much confusion because he is not a Christian. His advisors are false teachers and he also believes he does not need to go to God for forgiveness of sin. Major false teaching. As we know we are to mark and avoid and expose these unfruitful works of darkness and reprove them!
Basically we can see the mess in all of this , he will dialogue with, have dinners with any religion if it lifts him further up the ladder to keep his position, butter every side up and all so he can seem to let all get along and we know this will all lead to a one world religion but I would just like to leave it here sister Connie.
Thank you so much for all that information, sister Tammy, and I pray the listeners will take it to heart.
Continuing with Pres. Trump’s speech: We proposed regulations to prevent Title 10 taxpayer funding from subsidizing abortion. I was the first President to stand in the Rose Garden to address the March for Life. First one.(Applause.) (Well, the March for Life was initiated by Catholics and has a major Catholic influence to this day. Now, in case anyone thinks it’s okay to participate in this event I will include the link to the discussion we did on this topic to show true believers will not be involved.(https://www.facebook.com/tammy.cheetham.77/videos/vb.100014691523242/341624989670549/?type=2&video_source=user_video_tab).
We’ve recognized the capital of Israel and opened the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. (And, I will include the Facebook link for our discussion concerning that as well: https://www.facebook.com/tammy.cheetham.77/videos/vb.100014691523242/324872734679108/?type=2&video_source=user_video_tab)
We’re restoring opportunity for all Americans. African American, Hispanic American, Asian American unemployment have all recently achieved their lowest rates ever recorded in the history of our country. And women’s unemployment recently achieved its lowest rate in 65 years. Very important to me, youth unemployment has reached its lowest rate in nearly 50 years. And unemployment for Americans without a high school diploma –- think of that — has reached its lowest rate ever. (And, for every line he says here there was applause from this group. Now, we can understand everyone at a political rally cheering when a president presents favorable economic news, but this is a meeting of “faith leaders.” We cannot understand anyone thinking these should be matters of overwhelming importance to those who have been crucified with Christ).
Every day, we’re standing for religious believers, because we know that faith and family, not government and bureaucracy, are the center of American life. And we know that freedom is a gift from our Creator.(Well, talk about speaking out of both sides of one’s mouth. A few minutes earlier he said, “We are protecting your religious liberty” and now he says it is a gift from our Creator as if he needs to protect something that God gave).
Together, we will uplift our nation in prayer, defend the sanctity of life, and forever proudly remain one nation under God. (Well, to that we would say, what god exactly, Pres. Trump? Because you present a different one).
So thank you again to all of my friends and faith leaders for being here tonight. You are really special people. The support you’ve given me has been incredible. But I really don’t feel guilty because I have given you a lot back, just about everything I promised. (Applause.) And as one of our great pastors just said, “Actually, you’ve given us much more, sir, than you promised.” And I think that’s true, in many respects. (Applause.) (So, basically, what we have here is a deal. It is an arrangement which implicitly states :“you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.”And, this type of deal-making is one of the reasons we have so spoken out so much against Christians running for political office. And, we have Franklin Graham out there with his Decision America tours encouraging people not just to vote, but to run for political office).
And now I would like to ask a tremendous friend of all of ours, Pastor Paula White, to come up and bless our meal. Paula, please.
PASTOR WHITE: It’s an honor to be here. And before we pray the prayer, this group would like to present to you and First Lady a Bible that is signed by over a hundred Christians, Evangelicals that love you, pray for you. And I’d just love to read the inscription for you and First Lady. (Now, that gives me chills in the sense of you signed this Bible, you are handing this Bible to this man and you are just letting him think in his own mind he is okay, that he is saved. But, these are people who are preaching false doctrines, so it does make sense in that respect).
Then, she reads the inscription which says: “First Lady and President, you are in our prayers always. Thank you for your courageous and bold stand for religious liberty, and for your timeless service to all Americans. We appreciate the price that you have paid to walk in the high calling. History will record the greatness that you have brought for generations.” (https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-dinner-evangelical-leaders/) (And, I am sure we have all heard of those “prophets” who have stated that God has placed Pres. Trump in office so America can be blessed. Some have said he is a Cyrus; others a David. But, these are people who totally have their eyes on this life, sad to say. And, these remarks by Paula White were obviously designed to boost Trump’s already outrageous ego).
She prayed and then during the dinner the president opened up the mic to allow evangelical leaders in the room to speak their minds. According to Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist church in Plano, TX, what followed was about 35 to 40 minutes of pastors expressing their appreciation for what the Trump administration has been able to do to progress a socially conservative agenda in the last 18 months.
"They were getting up and saying what we appreciate and care about, expressing our faith and our love. It was very similar to a meeting that you would have at a church," Graham said, adding that it was like a testimony meeting. "With that many preachers and Christian leaders in the room, we believe the spirit of God was very present. Scripture was shared; verses were given to the president. The truth was delivered and love was delivered."(But, we would say, no, the truth wasn’t delivered at all. All of those faith leaders in attendance have compromised the truth because they have involved themselves in politics and the gospel was not shared).
However, some who spoke during the open mic session warned that evangelicals must keep up the "vigilance" because a negative outcome in the 2018 midterm elections could put the gains of Trump's first 18 months in jeopardy.(Now, this gets to the heart of the reason for the dinner which was obviously to encourage these faith leaders to encourage their followers to be sure to vote in the fall).
James Dobson shared that at least 15 ministers and leaders thanked Mr. Trump for keeping his promises during the campaign and since his inauguration."
"Great appreciation was expressed for defending the sanctity of human life, for preserving religious liberty, for the quality of judges appointed, for his defense of Israel, for his support of the military, for ending the Johnson Amendment that had denied the church freedom of speech, and many other issues for which we are grateful."
"Many in attendance pledged their intention to help get out the vote for the midterm elections, (as I just mentioned). There were heartfelt prayers for the president and the first lady, and also for Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, who were also in attendance. It was a moving and encouraging gathering, I think for the invitees and also for our president."
Dallas megachurch Pastor Robert Jeffress, one of Trump's staunchest evangelical supporters, told Fox News that the event almost turned into a bit of a "campaign rally." (https://www.christianpost.com/news/white-house-hosts-100-evangelical-leaders-state-like-dinner-this-is-spiritual-warfare-227044/)
Here is another bit of interesting information: “Trump addressed the law and the upcoming midterms in private remarks Monday during a dinner with evangelical supporters at the White House after the press had left. (So, this is something that wasn’t recorded as part of his speech).
At stake in the November midterms, Trump told the audience, are all the gains he has made for conservative Christians.
"The level of hatred, the level of anger is unbelievable," he said. "Part of it is because of some of the things I've done for you and for me and for my family, but I've done them …This Nov. 6 election is very much a referendum on not only me, it's a referendum on your religion; it's a referendum on free speech and the First Amendment."(Well, did the president just let the cat out of the bag, or what? I mean how telling is it that he would say “your” religion to these leaders?)
If the GOP loses, he said, "they will overturn everything that we've done and they'll do it quickly and violently, and violently. There's violence. When you look at Antifa and you look at some of these groups — these are violent people." (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/trump-told-christian-leaders-he-got-rid-law-he-didn-n904471) (He is obviously using fear tactics here. Listeners may remember that an Ebola outbreak was big news before the 2014 midterm elections. But, interestingly enough, the scare just dissipated after those elections).
Now, I want to mention some comments made in posts and tweets in response to the dinner. Franklin Graham posted on Facebook: “How refreshing and encouraging it is to have a president who is supportive of Christian faith. This president has done more for religious freedom, not just here in the U.S. but also around the world, than any other president in my lifetime. As the President said last night, “We know that freedom is a gift from our Creator.”
I believe we should be quick to thank God for all that he has done for this nation.” (But, Franklin Graham is almost as much of an ecumenical shill as his father was. And, I will include the links to two discussions we have done concerning him: (https://www.facebook.com/tammy.cheetham.77/videos/436261360206911/ Franklin Graham’s Festival of Hope and https://www.facebook.com/tammy.cheetham.77/videos/406510959848618/ Spiritual Implications of Franklin Graham and his Catholic Connections)
Here are three comments on his post: THANK YOU GOD FOR GIVING PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TO LEAD OUR GREAT NATION TO PROSPERITY ONCE AGAIN.(Yes, because that is the concern of every true believer. NOT!)
Our God and Lord Jesus Christ getting the recognition that is needed and well deserved in our nation. The Awakening has begun and not to be taken lightly.(As we have observed, Jesus Christ gets no mention and God barely any. And, any great awakening is going to be a false, counterfeit one. And, I am going to include a link to our article on our website entitled, “Revival for Today?” that gives a ton of scriptures to show that is not going to happen. We are in perilous times; evil men are waxing worse and worse) (http://www.biblebelievingtruthwatch.com/revival-for-today.html).
And, here is a real interesting comment: I am thankful. I wish they would have considered the Swaggarts, because they give them so much support all the time. (And, sister Tammy, you and I went round and round with many people from that ministry during the election season trying to make them to understand and to get their minds off politics and off supporting a man to very little avail with some of the people, sad to say. And, they do absolutely give a tremendous amount of support and it seems to have increased. No slowing down there, sad to say).
Continuing with some tweets:
Bestselling author and radio host Eric Metaxas wrote, “Tonight’s WH dinner is a celebration of the contribution of evangelicals to America. Without evangelicals there’d have been no American Revolution, no Abolitionist Movement, no Civil Rights movement, no Reagan Revolution. Honored to have been invited. God bless America.” (The contribution of evangelicals to America, yet not one mention of preaching the gospel of salvation? That is heartbreaking. Since so many honor the American Revolution, and in turn believe we are a Christian nation, I am going to include the link to our article entitled “The False Gospel of Patriotism.” (https://www.thenarrowpath.co.uk/the-false-gospel-of-patriotism.html) And, these other movements listed truly belong in the social justice category and it is quite sad to see the preaching of the true gospel denigrated like this).
Jack Graham tweeted: This evening Deb and I are attending a dinner at the White House with @POTUS and @FLOTUS @mike_pence and members of the cabinet to celebrate the contribution evangelical Christians are making to American life. The influence and voices of believers is massive. (Again, nothing about the preaching of the true gospel. And,we can say without a doubt, true believers are not to focus on making contributions to “American life.”)
Kenneth Copeland tweeted: Gloria & I are here talking with Franklin Graham. It is an honor to attend tonight’s Celebration of Evangelical Leadership at the White House. This unprecedented gathering is proof of what the scriptures say – we are called to go into the World and share the Gospel. Mark 16:15 (But, again, nothing about sharing the gospel was mentioned and Kenneth Copeland preaches the false Word of Faith gospel, anyway).
Mike Pence tweeted: Honored to join @POTUS & @FLOTUS tonight at the @WhiteHouse to celebrate strong and inspiring evangelical leadership. This administration stands for protecting religious liberty for all & is grateful to faith leaders for their tireless service to their neighbors & communities. (And, yes, you have to protect religious liberty for all, no matter the vile, Satanic, wicked, evil beliefs and practices of any group registering as a religion because that’s what it means to have a religiously pluralistic society like the United States!)
Now, that is all I am going to share about the dinner itself. But, I want to close out by sharing something concerningthe Roman Emperor Constantine giving official sanction to Christianity. I realize this isn’t a perfect parallel to our time period, but there are many eye-opening comparisons. And, we can definitely see how a repeat of many of the aspects could be on the horizon:
“In 313 A.D., the role of Christians in society started to change. In that year, the Roman Emperor Constantine gave official sanction to Christianity for the first time and afterwards gradually added official state support, including building churches and sponsoring the production of biblical books. While Christians saw this turn of events as miraculous, especially as it came on the heels of one of the most brutal persecutions in history, it may have simply been a shrewd political move on the part of Constantine to secure support from the growing number of believers as he struggled to gain sole control of the empire. Whatever his motives, the official sanction of Christianity changed the dynamic between Christians and society. Whereas before, becoming a Christian meant ridicule, suspicion, and the potential for real harm, it now meant gaining not only an acceptable but even favored status. The change of status for Christian bishops was even more extreme—their position, once fraught with danger, began to entail power and authority in the secular realm.
One of the adverse effects of this conjoining of church and state was that it became difficult to distinguish between political and spiritual authority. Church leaders sometimes wielded political power, and sometimes political leaders exercised power over the church. Once he gained control of the empire, Constantine convened church councils deciding major theological doctrines, including the council of Nicaea in 323 A.D. Eventually, in 381 A.D., the Emperor Theodosius made “Catholic Christianity” the official religion of the Roman empire and aligned bishop’s (districts) with political territories in the Roman empire so that there was one governor and one bishop for the province of Asia, for example. Soon after, pagan worship was suppressed, and in 385 A.D., the newly Christian government for the first time executed Christians that deviated from the government-endorsed orthodoxy.
In less than 80 years, the church persecuted by the state morphed into the state-sponsored persecuting church. How could such a thing happen? The Christians who experienced Constantine’s Edict of Milan and those who came after forgot that God’s kingdom and earthly kingdoms exist on two separate planes. The Edict of Milan, specifically, was a letter signed by the Roman emperors Constantine and Licinius, that proclaimed religious toleration in the Roman Empire.
In the euphoria following the Edict of Milan, faithful and well-intentioned Christians such as Eusebius of Caesarea hailed Emperor Constantine as a savior. At the very end of his Ecclesiastical History, finished in 324 A.D., Eusebius describes the consolidation of the Empire under Constantine and the resulting elevation of the Christian religion:
But the mighty and victorious Constantine adorned with every virtue of religion, with his most pious son, Crispus Caesar, resembling in all things his father, recovered the East as his own, and thus restored the Roman Empire to its ancient state of one united body. … All fear, therefore, of those who had previously afflicted the Christians was wholly removed. They celebrated splendid and festive days with joy and hilarity. All things were filled with light, and all who before were sunk in sorrow, beheld each other with smiling and cheerful faces. With choirs and hymns, in the cities and villages, they celebrated and extolled first of all God the universal King, because they thus were taught, then they also celebrated the praises of the pious emperor and with him all his divinely favored children. There was perfect oblivion of past evils, and the past wickedness was buried in forgetfulness. There was nothing but enjoyment of the present blessings and expectation of those yet to come. Edicts were published and issued by the victorious emperor, full of clemency, and laws were enacted indicative of munificence and genuine religion.
Official support from the most powerful empire in the world led believers to believe that the cause of Christ had won a tremendous victory. However, these Christians could not foresee the ramifications of aligning their faith with a particular political identity (in this case the Roman Empire). They could not foresee how the state church would create official dogma out of simple creeds stating apostolic faith, or how the church would eventually burn heretics who refused to submit to that dogma. When bishops of apostolic churches agreed to align their sees with political jurisdictions, they failed to understand how that would one day give rise to hierarchical church leadership headed by patriarchs in Rome and Constantinople. The apostolic churches that served together as stewards of tradition and orthodoxy could not imagine that consensus and appeal to Scripture would one day yield to monarchal rule by church patriarchs—that the term “catholic” would no longer denote allegiance to universally accepted doctrine but instead allegiance to doctrine promulgated by the bishop of Rome.
Despite their good intentions, the Christians who celebrated Emperor Constantine’s support identified the kingdom of God with an earthly government and thereby lost the uniqueness that distinguished them from the rest of society. Instead of living as though they looked forward to the coming of God’s kingdom, they started living as though that kingdom was already established here on earth. (http://butnotlost.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-christianity-became-aligned-with.html) (Now, I know that was a lot to digest, but I hope the listeners will take the time to read this carefully when I post the Facebook note because I believe it is of the utmost importance that we understand the ramifications of joining with those who would align church and state at this present time. No matter the cost we must remain separate. And, that is all I have at this time, sister Tammy).
The following are the notes to the discussion found at this link (https://www.facebook.com/tammy.cheetham.77/videos/473138383185875/)for anyone who would like to study the subject more in depth.
Yes, we wanted to discuss the dinner held on the evening of August 27 at the White House for a group of about 100 “evangelical” leaders. The dinner was hosted by Pres. Trump and his wife, Melania. Pres. Trump spoke, along with a few of these “faith” leaders.
But, before I present any specific information I want to read the following verses: Ps. 146:1-6 “Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever.” (Now, there are many verses that we could have read there, but I want the listener to understand a foundational point to this discussion is that believers need to get their eyes off man and on Jesus. We see so many in the professing church world looking to politics, to a flag, to a nation, to a man, especially since the last election season. But, true believers understand their faith needs to be in Christ and Him alone. And, rather than take the time to present many facts as to why these “evangelicals” shouldn’t be supporting Pres. Trump I am going to include the link to our Facebook note (https://www.facebook.com/notes/connie-schuetz-wright/donald-trump-a-deceitful-worker/399460637224581/) for our discussion entitled “Donald Trump: A Deceitful Worker.” The picture for that note shows Pres. Trump hosting a Ramadan dinner in the White House back in June in the very same room as he hosted the evangelical dinner, no less).
Now, concerning the dinner itself, first, I want to mention some of those who attended: Vice President Mike Pence (he has referred to himself as an evangelical Catholic since he was raised Catholic and has much affection for that religion).(And, I am going to include the link to our discussion of his speech at the 13th annual Catholic Prayer Breakfast held in June of 2017) (https://www.facebook.com/tammy.cheetham.77/videos/vb.100014691523242/239596613206721/?type=2&video_source=user_video_tab) It will be quite eye-opening for any who think he is a fine Christian. Also, attending was Secretary of Homeland Security Ben Carson (He is a Seventh Day Adventist), and Ambassador at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback (he is a Catholic). The event was officially hosted by first lady Melania Trump (she is a Catholic).
Other notable evangelicals who attended the meeting include Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, conservative radio host Eric Metaxas, televangelist Kenneth Copeland (who is WOF), megachurch Pastor Jentezen Franklin (who is WOF), Faith & Freedom Coalition's Ralph Reed, San Diego megachurch Pastor Jim Garlow, former Southern Baptist Convention President Ronnie Floyd and Hispanic evangelical leader Samuel Rodriguez.
In addition, attendees from the administration include White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders (and here is some interesting information concerning her: she identifies as a Southern Baptist, but her husband is Catholic. Their three children were baptized as infants and the familyattends evangelical and Catholic churches every Sunday). Some more attendees included Trump's daughter and senior adviser,Ivankaand her husband, Jared Kushner, (who both are Jewish). And, then, counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway (who is Catholic) was also present. (https://www.christianpost.com/news/white-house-hosts-100-evangelical-leaders-state-like-dinner-this-is-spiritual-warfare-227044/)
(Now, we would have to say with all of those statements that this was, it was faith-based, but it was also an ecumenical “evangelical” dinner. And, this was a spiritual endeavor. As we will learn later, the group prayed and scriptures were shared, so one cannot argue it doesn’t matter if those of other faiths were present. We have spoken many times about the dangers of ecumenism so I will just give a few points now. Praying with anyone that doesn’t have faith in the true Jesus of the Bible is not scriptural unless they are being led to Christ in repentance and faith. Allowing yourself as a true believer to join in prayer with false believers would communicate your agreement with their faulty understanding of God. Praying with and praying for are two different things.
The Word of God exhorts us time and time again to not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers and/or false converts. Many name the Name of Jesus, but they worship “another Jesus.” The Biblical teaching of separation forbids God's people from fellowshipping with error.Jesus taught His people to pray our Father, so we must make sure that we are praying with true believers that have the same Father).
Now, I would like to read and discuss some of the President’s remarks: “Melania and I are thrilled to welcome you. And these are very special friends of mine, Evangelical pastors and leaders from all across the nation. We welcome you to the White House. It’s a special place. It’s a place we love. We’re having a lot of fun; we’re having a lot of success.”
“Today we reached the highest level in the history of the stock market. We broke 26,000 — (applause) — so I assume you have some stock. And I view that differently. We’re respected all over the world again, and it means jobs. So it’s a lot of good things happening.”(But, we would have to say just the idea of evangelical leaders applauding stock market numbers shows us the location of their treasures. Matt. 6:20 clearly tells us to lay up treasures in heaven. And, for Pres. Trump to even joke or make light about these faith leaders having stock seems to indicate he recognizes where their affections lie).
“America is a nation of believers. And tonight we’re joined by faith leaders from across the country who believe in the dignity of life, the glory of God, and the power of prayer. Everybody agree with that?”
AUDIENCE: “Yes!”(Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: “If you didn’t, we’d have a big story, wouldn’t we?”(True believers will, of course, believe in these things, but as we always find with Donald Trump and any event supposedly involving Christianity, Jesus Christ and repentance and forgiveness of sins are totally missing).
“We’re here this evening to celebrate America’s heritage of faith, family, and freedom. As you know, in recent years, the government tried to undermine religious freedom. But the attacks on communities of faith are over. We’ve ended it. We’ve ended it. (Applause.) Unlike some before us, we are protecting your religious liberty.”(And, we will include the link to our last discussion entitled “America’s Religious Liberty: From God or Satan?”https://www.facebook.com/tammy.cheetham.77/videos/465000993999614/
And, then he goes on to mention several accomplishments he feels are noteworthy and we don’t have time to discuss all of them and some of them will be repeated later,but, sister Tammy, would you discuss the Faith and Opportunity Initiative at this time, please?
This I have shared in a previous discussion, but just to reiterate these points, obviously because this has been brought up at this time. This is taken from the document – Executive Order on the Establishment of a White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative Issued on May 3rd 2018 –
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to assist faith-based and other organizations in their efforts to strengthen the institutions of civil society and American families and communities, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Just before going on I would like to address The White House Faith and Initiative Opportunity and what kind of faith is this? After what you have just spoke of sister Connie, we can quite clearly see there is some confusion here as to what kind of faith is being put across here, we as true believers know that there is One Faith, that is Jesus Christ Who came to this earth to pay for the sins of the whole world, He was buried and resurrected after three days – this is the Gospel. Jesus died to forgive people of their sins and it is sad because where is this? Where is the blood of Jesus in all this? Just taken out! Donald Trump’s faith, as we have previously discussed is in his little wafer thingy and wine, he only supposedly has at this time! I am sorry to sound sarcastic but it’s just disgusting that so called mature believers are just taken up by this and even Donald Trump himself stated he doesn’t need to as God for forgiveness and doesn’t feel the need for this. What kind of faith is he all about to start with? We have these so-called evangelicals, no matter what label they come with, it is what is believed. You can notb a Catholic and a Christian at the same time.
WHAT FAITH?, 7 Mountain Mandate is used by those claiming to be Christian to take over all these aspects of society, this includes Government. This leaves people with no definite end, only that they believe we are to get this world ready for Jesus which is not biblical as sister Connie has mentioned, Social gospel, which is no gospel and all the focus on here and now plus this perfectly describes the one world religion/order that will culminate in the last days which includes all different religions merging under the banner of love and unity and a false Messiah!- A lot of these faiths claim to have a Jesus, but is it the Jesus of the Bible? Certainly not! The Seventh Day Adventist do not have the same Jesus as the Born Again Believer, they some say but we do have Jesus right, yet we can see they don’t because they add to salvation. It is the same with Mormons, Catholics and Judaism, you can’t merge all these together and just as in the Bible times where they had the Judaizers coming in and how many times did the Apostle Paul address this? He said you might well bear with these! This is what was happening at that time, 2 Corinthians 11:4 addresses this and tells us about those with another Jesus and we have to be so careful what we are joining up with these last days. The Bible says that the world will grow worse, not better, in the last days (2 Timothy 3:1) We need to be careful and just understand what faith are we talking about here and as we can see and as you have said we can clearly see there are all different faiths here. Different ideas of faith, like the Word of Faith which is false doctrine. I just wat to read a few sections from this Faith and Opportunity Initiative here, again just to express a few points in this.
Section 1.Policy. Faith-based and community organizations have tremendous ability to serve individuals, families, and communities through means that are different from those of government and with capacity that often exceeds that of government. These organizations lift people up, keep families strong, and solve problems at the local level. The executive branch wants faith-based and community organizations, to the fullest opportunity permitted by law, to compete on a level playing field for grants, contracts, programs, and other Federal funding opportunities. The efforts of faith-based and community organizations are essential to revitalizing communities, and the Federal Government welcomes opportunities to partner with such organizations through innovative, measurable, and outcome-driven initiatives.
Exactly, these organizations do lift people up, NOT JESUS! As we often share in our discussions that a huge red flag to recognize false teaching is does it lift man or Jesus? I think this speaks for itself. Focusing all this attention on the world’s system and joining with other religions in the process is not what we are called to be spending time on as believers, our call is to win souls and pray for those in government, that is all! We do not pray with these as the bible tells us not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers in any spiritual endeavour and for sure prayer is spiritual.
Sec 2 part iii - The Initiative shall, from time to time and consistent with applicable law, consult with and seek information from experts and various faith and community leaders from outside the Federal Government, including those from State, local, and tribal governments, identified by the Office of Public Liaison, the Domestic Policy Council, and the Centers for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives. These experts and leaders shall be identified based on their expertise in a broad range of areas in which faith-based and community organizations operate, including poverty alleviation, religious liberty, strengthening marriage and family, education, solutions for substance abuse and addiction, crime prevention and reduction, prisoner reentry, and health and humanitarian services.
Seek information from various faith and community leaders – to improve society rather than the true believer’s mandate is to preach the gospel and preach repentance. The social, ecumenical gospel is not something a true believer is to be participating in and any true minister of the gospel would warn against joining in any spiritual endeavour that runs contrary to the Word of God. Of course, the world’s system will be seeking to keep law and order and God knows this is so but for us to join in these things as though this is what makes people right with God, Donald Trump thinks he is already a Christian. With this then we have reduced the gospel to a man-made righteousness that makes people feel secure with God in their unbelief whilst having morals and abiding by the rules without having a heart change. The Bible says in John 3:3 that YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN. The Main calling of a Christian is to preach the good news as previously stated and people will live right and have the Holy Spirit’s power to overcome sin! This is God’s way. In saying all this I do never desire to say that we do never have any type of moral standard and type of commands of God are wrong, Many will accuse u of saying we have no standard of morals because we state these things and just to clear this up, we do have this just the way we go about it is God’s way, true freedom, if we just expect people to have a form of righteousness and no gospel, then we are just as the Pharisees of old, a righteousness of their one and look what Jesus said about these, a brood of vipers, white washed tombs. Morals is not the gospel, Jesus Christ is the gospel. Morals will come once someone is in the faith but there are many moralistic people out there that don’t know Jesus so just to keep things in the right order, morals are proper and salvation is by grace through faith not by works lest any man should boast. I mean expecting the world to live right, call themselves a Christian Nation and be in this web of deceit, the one world order and religion, then it is very possible you will be deceived. We do not get caught up in the affairs of this life. We preach Christ Crucified also, we tell people of His burial and resurrection, but the atonement is where all stems. Jesus Christ saves sinners.
Moving on with another article sister Connie recently shared with me.
(https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/05/trump-creates-a-not-so-new-faith-office-in-the-white-house/559574/)
This article is showing how this initiative was actually started by Bush and Obama also had sway in these idea’s, yet we can even go further back and see how this was fostered even from the very beginning where man tried to be as God. It is all rooted in the Babylonian system that will culminate to the one world religious order as we shall continue to express adamantly as we fight this good fight of the faith once delivered unto the saints. There is One Faith and it’s Jesus, the Jesus of the Bible!
This article states - While exact details of the office are not yet clear, one thing is: An office dedicated to fostering partnerships between faith groups and the federal government is not a new idea. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama both created versions of this office and conducted significant outreach to clergy and religious communities during their presidencies. Trump’s new initiative has the potential to expand the diversity of the president’s religious advisers and offer visibility into the Trump administration’s connections to religious communities. But it will also be fraught, as religious groups continue to battle for influence over an administration that has often catered to the concerns of conservative Christians.
The president’s initiative sounds a lot like those of Barack Obama and George W. Bush. But the religious influences on Trump’s government are radically different.
As we can clearly see the ecumenical driven agenda in these initiatives and again not for the true Christian to be a part of.
We also can see in part of this article stated - Not all religious groups feel empowered under Trump, however. Religious minorities, including Muslims, Hindus, and Jews, are increasingly concerned about hate crimes and discrimination, which some say are inflamed by the country’s toxic political environment.
This never means that Trump is fully against the teachings of these religions that he is concerned about. He just separates the extremism of terrorism and still does not see these serve another god, which is no god. He dialogues with these and never presents the true gospel of salvation, it is always a concern for the here and now and no concern for these lost souls and no persecution for the truth of the good news, it is a fight against terrorism to make this world better instead of dealing with the heart again! Trump is mixing what he believes to be Christianity with this and this absolutely brings much confusion because he is not a Christian. His advisors are false teachers and he also believes he does not need to go to God for forgiveness of sin. Major false teaching. As we know we are to mark and avoid and expose these unfruitful works of darkness and reprove them!
Basically we can see the mess in all of this , he will dialogue with, have dinners with any religion if it lifts him further up the ladder to keep his position, butter every side up and all so he can seem to let all get along and we know this will all lead to a one world religion but I would just like to leave it here sister Connie.
Thank you so much for all that information, sister Tammy, and I pray the listeners will take it to heart.
Continuing with Pres. Trump’s speech: We proposed regulations to prevent Title 10 taxpayer funding from subsidizing abortion. I was the first President to stand in the Rose Garden to address the March for Life. First one.(Applause.) (Well, the March for Life was initiated by Catholics and has a major Catholic influence to this day. Now, in case anyone thinks it’s okay to participate in this event I will include the link to the discussion we did on this topic to show true believers will not be involved.(https://www.facebook.com/tammy.cheetham.77/videos/vb.100014691523242/341624989670549/?type=2&video_source=user_video_tab).
We’ve recognized the capital of Israel and opened the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. (And, I will include the Facebook link for our discussion concerning that as well: https://www.facebook.com/tammy.cheetham.77/videos/vb.100014691523242/324872734679108/?type=2&video_source=user_video_tab)
We’re restoring opportunity for all Americans. African American, Hispanic American, Asian American unemployment have all recently achieved their lowest rates ever recorded in the history of our country. And women’s unemployment recently achieved its lowest rate in 65 years. Very important to me, youth unemployment has reached its lowest rate in nearly 50 years. And unemployment for Americans without a high school diploma –- think of that — has reached its lowest rate ever. (And, for every line he says here there was applause from this group. Now, we can understand everyone at a political rally cheering when a president presents favorable economic news, but this is a meeting of “faith leaders.” We cannot understand anyone thinking these should be matters of overwhelming importance to those who have been crucified with Christ).
Every day, we’re standing for religious believers, because we know that faith and family, not government and bureaucracy, are the center of American life. And we know that freedom is a gift from our Creator.(Well, talk about speaking out of both sides of one’s mouth. A few minutes earlier he said, “We are protecting your religious liberty” and now he says it is a gift from our Creator as if he needs to protect something that God gave).
Together, we will uplift our nation in prayer, defend the sanctity of life, and forever proudly remain one nation under God. (Well, to that we would say, what god exactly, Pres. Trump? Because you present a different one).
So thank you again to all of my friends and faith leaders for being here tonight. You are really special people. The support you’ve given me has been incredible. But I really don’t feel guilty because I have given you a lot back, just about everything I promised. (Applause.) And as one of our great pastors just said, “Actually, you’ve given us much more, sir, than you promised.” And I think that’s true, in many respects. (Applause.) (So, basically, what we have here is a deal. It is an arrangement which implicitly states :“you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.”And, this type of deal-making is one of the reasons we have so spoken out so much against Christians running for political office. And, we have Franklin Graham out there with his Decision America tours encouraging people not just to vote, but to run for political office).
And now I would like to ask a tremendous friend of all of ours, Pastor Paula White, to come up and bless our meal. Paula, please.
PASTOR WHITE: It’s an honor to be here. And before we pray the prayer, this group would like to present to you and First Lady a Bible that is signed by over a hundred Christians, Evangelicals that love you, pray for you. And I’d just love to read the inscription for you and First Lady. (Now, that gives me chills in the sense of you signed this Bible, you are handing this Bible to this man and you are just letting him think in his own mind he is okay, that he is saved. But, these are people who are preaching false doctrines, so it does make sense in that respect).
Then, she reads the inscription which says: “First Lady and President, you are in our prayers always. Thank you for your courageous and bold stand for religious liberty, and for your timeless service to all Americans. We appreciate the price that you have paid to walk in the high calling. History will record the greatness that you have brought for generations.” (https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-dinner-evangelical-leaders/) (And, I am sure we have all heard of those “prophets” who have stated that God has placed Pres. Trump in office so America can be blessed. Some have said he is a Cyrus; others a David. But, these are people who totally have their eyes on this life, sad to say. And, these remarks by Paula White were obviously designed to boost Trump’s already outrageous ego).
She prayed and then during the dinner the president opened up the mic to allow evangelical leaders in the room to speak their minds. According to Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist church in Plano, TX, what followed was about 35 to 40 minutes of pastors expressing their appreciation for what the Trump administration has been able to do to progress a socially conservative agenda in the last 18 months.
"They were getting up and saying what we appreciate and care about, expressing our faith and our love. It was very similar to a meeting that you would have at a church," Graham said, adding that it was like a testimony meeting. "With that many preachers and Christian leaders in the room, we believe the spirit of God was very present. Scripture was shared; verses were given to the president. The truth was delivered and love was delivered."(But, we would say, no, the truth wasn’t delivered at all. All of those faith leaders in attendance have compromised the truth because they have involved themselves in politics and the gospel was not shared).
However, some who spoke during the open mic session warned that evangelicals must keep up the "vigilance" because a negative outcome in the 2018 midterm elections could put the gains of Trump's first 18 months in jeopardy.(Now, this gets to the heart of the reason for the dinner which was obviously to encourage these faith leaders to encourage their followers to be sure to vote in the fall).
James Dobson shared that at least 15 ministers and leaders thanked Mr. Trump for keeping his promises during the campaign and since his inauguration."
"Great appreciation was expressed for defending the sanctity of human life, for preserving religious liberty, for the quality of judges appointed, for his defense of Israel, for his support of the military, for ending the Johnson Amendment that had denied the church freedom of speech, and many other issues for which we are grateful."
"Many in attendance pledged their intention to help get out the vote for the midterm elections, (as I just mentioned). There were heartfelt prayers for the president and the first lady, and also for Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, who were also in attendance. It was a moving and encouraging gathering, I think for the invitees and also for our president."
Dallas megachurch Pastor Robert Jeffress, one of Trump's staunchest evangelical supporters, told Fox News that the event almost turned into a bit of a "campaign rally." (https://www.christianpost.com/news/white-house-hosts-100-evangelical-leaders-state-like-dinner-this-is-spiritual-warfare-227044/)
Here is another bit of interesting information: “Trump addressed the law and the upcoming midterms in private remarks Monday during a dinner with evangelical supporters at the White House after the press had left. (So, this is something that wasn’t recorded as part of his speech).
At stake in the November midterms, Trump told the audience, are all the gains he has made for conservative Christians.
"The level of hatred, the level of anger is unbelievable," he said. "Part of it is because of some of the things I've done for you and for me and for my family, but I've done them …This Nov. 6 election is very much a referendum on not only me, it's a referendum on your religion; it's a referendum on free speech and the First Amendment."(Well, did the president just let the cat out of the bag, or what? I mean how telling is it that he would say “your” religion to these leaders?)
If the GOP loses, he said, "they will overturn everything that we've done and they'll do it quickly and violently, and violently. There's violence. When you look at Antifa and you look at some of these groups — these are violent people." (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/trump-told-christian-leaders-he-got-rid-law-he-didn-n904471) (He is obviously using fear tactics here. Listeners may remember that an Ebola outbreak was big news before the 2014 midterm elections. But, interestingly enough, the scare just dissipated after those elections).
Now, I want to mention some comments made in posts and tweets in response to the dinner. Franklin Graham posted on Facebook: “How refreshing and encouraging it is to have a president who is supportive of Christian faith. This president has done more for religious freedom, not just here in the U.S. but also around the world, than any other president in my lifetime. As the President said last night, “We know that freedom is a gift from our Creator.”
I believe we should be quick to thank God for all that he has done for this nation.” (But, Franklin Graham is almost as much of an ecumenical shill as his father was. And, I will include the links to two discussions we have done concerning him: (https://www.facebook.com/tammy.cheetham.77/videos/436261360206911/ Franklin Graham’s Festival of Hope and https://www.facebook.com/tammy.cheetham.77/videos/406510959848618/ Spiritual Implications of Franklin Graham and his Catholic Connections)
Here are three comments on his post: THANK YOU GOD FOR GIVING PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TO LEAD OUR GREAT NATION TO PROSPERITY ONCE AGAIN.(Yes, because that is the concern of every true believer. NOT!)
Our God and Lord Jesus Christ getting the recognition that is needed and well deserved in our nation. The Awakening has begun and not to be taken lightly.(As we have observed, Jesus Christ gets no mention and God barely any. And, any great awakening is going to be a false, counterfeit one. And, I am going to include a link to our article on our website entitled, “Revival for Today?” that gives a ton of scriptures to show that is not going to happen. We are in perilous times; evil men are waxing worse and worse) (http://www.biblebelievingtruthwatch.com/revival-for-today.html).
And, here is a real interesting comment: I am thankful. I wish they would have considered the Swaggarts, because they give them so much support all the time. (And, sister Tammy, you and I went round and round with many people from that ministry during the election season trying to make them to understand and to get their minds off politics and off supporting a man to very little avail with some of the people, sad to say. And, they do absolutely give a tremendous amount of support and it seems to have increased. No slowing down there, sad to say).
Continuing with some tweets:
Bestselling author and radio host Eric Metaxas wrote, “Tonight’s WH dinner is a celebration of the contribution of evangelicals to America. Without evangelicals there’d have been no American Revolution, no Abolitionist Movement, no Civil Rights movement, no Reagan Revolution. Honored to have been invited. God bless America.” (The contribution of evangelicals to America, yet not one mention of preaching the gospel of salvation? That is heartbreaking. Since so many honor the American Revolution, and in turn believe we are a Christian nation, I am going to include the link to our article entitled “The False Gospel of Patriotism.” (https://www.thenarrowpath.co.uk/the-false-gospel-of-patriotism.html) And, these other movements listed truly belong in the social justice category and it is quite sad to see the preaching of the true gospel denigrated like this).
Jack Graham tweeted: This evening Deb and I are attending a dinner at the White House with @POTUS and @FLOTUS @mike_pence and members of the cabinet to celebrate the contribution evangelical Christians are making to American life. The influence and voices of believers is massive. (Again, nothing about the preaching of the true gospel. And,we can say without a doubt, true believers are not to focus on making contributions to “American life.”)
Kenneth Copeland tweeted: Gloria & I are here talking with Franklin Graham. It is an honor to attend tonight’s Celebration of Evangelical Leadership at the White House. This unprecedented gathering is proof of what the scriptures say – we are called to go into the World and share the Gospel. Mark 16:15 (But, again, nothing about sharing the gospel was mentioned and Kenneth Copeland preaches the false Word of Faith gospel, anyway).
Mike Pence tweeted: Honored to join @POTUS & @FLOTUS tonight at the @WhiteHouse to celebrate strong and inspiring evangelical leadership. This administration stands for protecting religious liberty for all & is grateful to faith leaders for their tireless service to their neighbors & communities. (And, yes, you have to protect religious liberty for all, no matter the vile, Satanic, wicked, evil beliefs and practices of any group registering as a religion because that’s what it means to have a religiously pluralistic society like the United States!)
Now, that is all I am going to share about the dinner itself. But, I want to close out by sharing something concerningthe Roman Emperor Constantine giving official sanction to Christianity. I realize this isn’t a perfect parallel to our time period, but there are many eye-opening comparisons. And, we can definitely see how a repeat of many of the aspects could be on the horizon:
“In 313 A.D., the role of Christians in society started to change. In that year, the Roman Emperor Constantine gave official sanction to Christianity for the first time and afterwards gradually added official state support, including building churches and sponsoring the production of biblical books. While Christians saw this turn of events as miraculous, especially as it came on the heels of one of the most brutal persecutions in history, it may have simply been a shrewd political move on the part of Constantine to secure support from the growing number of believers as he struggled to gain sole control of the empire. Whatever his motives, the official sanction of Christianity changed the dynamic between Christians and society. Whereas before, becoming a Christian meant ridicule, suspicion, and the potential for real harm, it now meant gaining not only an acceptable but even favored status. The change of status for Christian bishops was even more extreme—their position, once fraught with danger, began to entail power and authority in the secular realm.
One of the adverse effects of this conjoining of church and state was that it became difficult to distinguish between political and spiritual authority. Church leaders sometimes wielded political power, and sometimes political leaders exercised power over the church. Once he gained control of the empire, Constantine convened church councils deciding major theological doctrines, including the council of Nicaea in 323 A.D. Eventually, in 381 A.D., the Emperor Theodosius made “Catholic Christianity” the official religion of the Roman empire and aligned bishop’s (districts) with political territories in the Roman empire so that there was one governor and one bishop for the province of Asia, for example. Soon after, pagan worship was suppressed, and in 385 A.D., the newly Christian government for the first time executed Christians that deviated from the government-endorsed orthodoxy.
In less than 80 years, the church persecuted by the state morphed into the state-sponsored persecuting church. How could such a thing happen? The Christians who experienced Constantine’s Edict of Milan and those who came after forgot that God’s kingdom and earthly kingdoms exist on two separate planes. The Edict of Milan, specifically, was a letter signed by the Roman emperors Constantine and Licinius, that proclaimed religious toleration in the Roman Empire.
In the euphoria following the Edict of Milan, faithful and well-intentioned Christians such as Eusebius of Caesarea hailed Emperor Constantine as a savior. At the very end of his Ecclesiastical History, finished in 324 A.D., Eusebius describes the consolidation of the Empire under Constantine and the resulting elevation of the Christian religion:
But the mighty and victorious Constantine adorned with every virtue of religion, with his most pious son, Crispus Caesar, resembling in all things his father, recovered the East as his own, and thus restored the Roman Empire to its ancient state of one united body. … All fear, therefore, of those who had previously afflicted the Christians was wholly removed. They celebrated splendid and festive days with joy and hilarity. All things were filled with light, and all who before were sunk in sorrow, beheld each other with smiling and cheerful faces. With choirs and hymns, in the cities and villages, they celebrated and extolled first of all God the universal King, because they thus were taught, then they also celebrated the praises of the pious emperor and with him all his divinely favored children. There was perfect oblivion of past evils, and the past wickedness was buried in forgetfulness. There was nothing but enjoyment of the present blessings and expectation of those yet to come. Edicts were published and issued by the victorious emperor, full of clemency, and laws were enacted indicative of munificence and genuine religion.
Official support from the most powerful empire in the world led believers to believe that the cause of Christ had won a tremendous victory. However, these Christians could not foresee the ramifications of aligning their faith with a particular political identity (in this case the Roman Empire). They could not foresee how the state church would create official dogma out of simple creeds stating apostolic faith, or how the church would eventually burn heretics who refused to submit to that dogma. When bishops of apostolic churches agreed to align their sees with political jurisdictions, they failed to understand how that would one day give rise to hierarchical church leadership headed by patriarchs in Rome and Constantinople. The apostolic churches that served together as stewards of tradition and orthodoxy could not imagine that consensus and appeal to Scripture would one day yield to monarchal rule by church patriarchs—that the term “catholic” would no longer denote allegiance to universally accepted doctrine but instead allegiance to doctrine promulgated by the bishop of Rome.
Despite their good intentions, the Christians who celebrated Emperor Constantine’s support identified the kingdom of God with an earthly government and thereby lost the uniqueness that distinguished them from the rest of society. Instead of living as though they looked forward to the coming of God’s kingdom, they started living as though that kingdom was already established here on earth. (http://butnotlost.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-christianity-became-aligned-with.html) (Now, I know that was a lot to digest, but I hope the listeners will take the time to read this carefully when I post the Facebook note because I believe it is of the utmost importance that we understand the ramifications of joining with those who would align church and state at this present time. No matter the cost we must remain separate. And, that is all I have at this time, sister Tammy).