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Revisiting the Trump Prophecies

One of the more remarkable aspects of Donald Trump’s rise to the presidency is that at least two prominent Pentecostal-charismatic ministers publicly foretold it. Another individual, a retired fireman, also prophesied that Trump would become president, and his “word” circulated widely in Pentecostal circles. Since that time, we’ve seen many leading Pentecostal-charismatic figures become deeply entwined in Trump’s presidency. Preacher, pastor, and author Paula White; Robert Morris, pastor of Gateway Church, the biggest Pentecostal-charismatic church in the Dallas-Fort Worth area; Cindy Jacobs, who leads a Red Oak, Texas-based prophetic ministry with an international profile; and Lance Wallnau, a Dallas-based author

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Unity or We Die

I long for racial unity in the Church because I once experienced a taste of it. There was such a sense of rightness—of beauty, joy, and well-being—that I will always search for it. It is the joy set before me. There is no question that this joy lines up with the Word of God. Jesus prays in John 17 that we would be one. He doesn’t pray that God would whisk us away to a bunker where we’re safe from BLM, Antifa, and the godless Democrats. No, he says, “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that

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Just Give Me Jesus…I Mean Right-Wing Politics

A couple friends sent me a link to The Return prayer gathering in Washington a week and a half ago. I tuned in on September 26, attracted by the event’s billing as a national call to repentance. Repentance is always good, right? Same with prayer. How can you go wrong with prayer? Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, a Messianic Jew, was already on the stage at the National Mall when I got online. I respect Cahn, author of The Harbinger and The Paradigm, two bestselling books that have circulated widely in Pentecostal-charismatic circles. I listened to his ardent prayer for this nation,

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The Fly in the Ointment Is Race

As I listened to the Mike Pence-Kamala Harris debate, I found myself agreeing with Pence on policy far more than Harris. That’s because I’ve become more conservative in middle age, as many people do after raising kids, working hard, and realizing time is no longer on your side. Parts of the Joe Biden platform seem crazy to me. Legalizing marijuana is a terrible idea. I drew that conclusion years ago when I rode a motorcycle up into the hills of Jamaica and encountered real Rastafarians, who smoked weed, like, 24-7, and seemed to be living and cogitating in slow motion.

The Cost of Your Support for Donald Trump

No need to brace yourself: I’m not going to tell you how to vote. But you need to be aware of the price of your support for Donald Trump. The costs have been piling up for the last four years, and it doesn’t seem that President Trump’s Christian supporters are in the right places to see it. By the way, I find no need to write a post about the cost of supporting Joe Biden, because Christian media are all over that one. So let’s add up the spiritual and human costs of your support for Trump: 1. It’s a

The Riddle of Empathy

It happened in those convulsive days after the killing of George Floyd, when every major city erupted in demonstrations. Things were moving so fast you couldn’t keep up. One day I glanced at the news and saw a photo of a skinny white guy, whose grotesquely contorted body lay face-down in the street. Black blood was pooled beside his head. Then I saw that this happened right here in Dallas—in Deep Ellum, the nightclub district. I was shaken for the rest of the day. The news was sketchy at first, but it appeared that a bunch of guys kicked, stoned,

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Get Off the Fence

I was in the beautiful Northwoods of Wisconsin in July 2019, spending time with my family. I could tell you all about the crystal-clear lake, the dozens of whitetail deer, and the bald eagle perched in the tallest tree—oh, and the German food. But that isn’t my point. Before I drove to Wisconsin, I turned in a cover story to the Dallas Observer about a Christian racial reconciliation conference that had crashed and burned. The two white leaders of Sparrow Women had a mess on their hands, but they refused to discuss it publicly. Now a good journalist tries to

Guns, Ammo, and Gold

In the last couple of months a video titled “THREE Prophetic WARNING DREAMS!!! ‘BRACE YOURSELVES'” has been circulating in Pentecostal-charismatic circles. In it, a Kentucky pastor named Dana Coverstone recounts a dream he received in December 2019 that appears to foretell the COVID-19 pandemic. He also details two more recent dreams that prophesy a wave of violent unrest and terror coming to the United States in September through November 2020. As of today, the video has gained more than 500,000 views. I’m taking these dreams seriously for two reasons. First, they could be from God. I affirm the gift of

What Can I Do?

God is just and merciful, and these are not separate attributes—they are seamlessly knit into His being. He isn’t justice one moment, then mercy another. He is all of both of them all the time. Right now I am devastated by the racial chasm within our churches. Our nation is on fire, and instead of humbling ourselves, many white believers are clinging to their political, ethnic, class, and comfort idols. To a greater extent than I want to admit, I am a product of my white, middle-class upbringing. It is hard to see the straight path with darkened eyes. But I know a God who understands justice fully. I

Trump America

Looting. Rioting. Burning Cities. These are the realities of a Biden America. See his future for yourself & ensure it’s not ours. Click here: bit.ly/3aRNxsl I received this text on the second day of the Republican National Convention. At the time, it clicked through to the official website for the campaign to re-elect President Donald Trump. Don’t bother trying it now, because the link no longer works. I have a couple questions for you: Did you receive this text? Do you approve of the message? If you’re sensing that my questions are a trap, you are wrong. I’m curious who

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