People often ask me, “How can you follow Jesus and support Donald Trump?” However, many Christians who do so are not following a man — they are shaping a movement. A better, biblical question to ask is, What direction is the country heading?

The short answer to the question is absolutely crucial, especially after a sham trial that more closely resembles something you’d find in Venezuela than America that concluded Thursday with a New York jury finding Trump guilty of all 34 felony counts against him. He is the first former president in history ever to be convicted of a crime, but there were red flags all over the case from the outset, which The Stream has reported on regularly for weeks.

If a leader lacks Christian character but is pointing the nation back to God, is that a bad thing? If the leader is a terror to terrorists and makes America more secure, is that a bad thing? If he honors hard work and minimizes free handouts, is that a bad thing? If he is fighting the global agenda seeking to enslave America, is that a bad thing? 

God doesn’t judge a nation based on the character of one man; He judges it based on the spiritual health of her people. If a less-than-godly leader still directs the people back to God, it can be a good thing.

A Reality Check

During a short press conference Friday, Trump repeatedly pointed out that Nov. 5, 2024, will be the most important day in our nation’s history — and he’s right. Not voting for Trump is a vote against what needs to happen in this nation. We can’t allow “personal” pain or “flawed” character to have national consequences.

We’re not playing games anymore. Serious things are on the line that have massive consequences. We need to wake up. There is no Plan B. I don’t believe any other candidate could carry Trump’s momentum, or achieve the results he’s capable of producing.

Christians love refugees and immigrants and are eager to help with food, lodging, and jobs. But at the national level, the president must put the safety and provision of the American people first.

When an airplane loses cabin pressure, parents put on their oxygen masks first to better assist their child. This isn’t selfishness; it’s wisdom.

Opening our borders is like intentionally causing cabin pressure to fall amid a limited supply of masks. Our law enforcement officers cannot sustain the load the Biden administration has created, nor can our nation. Let’s streamline the process and welcome God-fearing immigrants and have them contribute to society so everyone benefits from their presence here. But the truth is that we currently have more enemies than friendlies crossing the border — military-aged males from Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and even China. You have to ask yourself why a presidential administration would undo all the protections the previous one put in place to allow this to happen.

Who Is Influencing You?

Most news outlets spin everything (yes, everything) to put Trump in a bad light. Their hatred for him trumps the truth. Their agenda is simple and clear: remove him from office at any cost! And I hope you realize this: As he said years ago, the truth is that they are really coming after you, me, and our Christian values.

The push toward open borders is more about votes than truly helping people; hence the media’s silence on this issue.

Having open borders is like me telling my kids to leave their windows open in case a stranger needs a good night’s sleep in their warm bed. That would be severe parental neglect on my part, because many harmful things could also enter through those open windows. And they have — and are.

Additionally, our financial system cannot support people flooding in who need assistance. How is that using wisdom? It’s not a question of whether this type of financial irresponsibility causes damage, but when and how much. There is a better way to do things, but our leaders must repent of what they’ve been doing and seek God for wisdom.

Most critics, however, don’t care what the facts are. Their hatred for Donald Trump overshadows their desperate need for humility. Let this sink in: During the Trump administration, he had godly counsel around him, innocent children were being protected, terror was restrained, good judges were selected, socialism was resisted, black employment was at an all-time high, prayer was being brought back into schools, the economy was booming, and on and on it goes.

The Middle Ground Is Gone

So again, Christians who support Trump are not following a man, we are revitalizing a movement — a movement back to God. I’m more concerned with our nation’s national character than I am with the president’s personal character.

An analogy that I often use will bring this point home. The head of a neighborhood watch program previously had an affair. He was occasionally gruff and impulsive, and sometimes his words were crass and offensive, but he watched over the neighborhood diligently every night.

Each week, he invited church leaders into his home to pray for him and his family and to seek their advice. He often stood against others on the committee who wanted to enact policies that would prove harmful to the neighborhood and children, such as advocating an open-door policy requiring residents to allow anyone into their homes at all hours of the day for handouts.

Is this not the kind of person you would want leading your neighborhood watch? Does his past or demeanor matter more than the results he is accomplishing? If you are intellectually honest, the answer is not difficult. In the same way, the answer is simple for America.

We can’t have our cake and eat it too. There is no middle ground for Christians today. You can choose a president who would seek to destroy the America we know and lead us down the primrose path of socialism — or worse. Or you can choose to back President Trump come November.

For those who say they won’t be voting, your silence speaks volumes. Be clear on that. Saying nothing is saying something.

This article is a re-release with some new material.

 

Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Southern California and the creator of the WCF Radio Network. His program, Regaining Lost Ground, points us back to God and reminds us that although times change, truth does not. His books, blogs, and sermons can all be found at ShaneIdleman.com.