Trumpian World

Dr. Roberto Miranda

How To Be The Church In A Trumpian World

Recently, church and ministry leaders across New England gathered at the New England Alliance meeting at Lion of Judah church in Boston to worship together, hear what the Lord is saying, build relationship, and give testimony. Here is a PrayTV video report of that gathering:

As part, Dr. Roberto Miranda gave a “state of the union” styled message pastorally for the benefit of the Church. He articulated his sense of what the Lord and his Bride are doing in the context of the emerging nationalism happening across the world today, geopolitically and socioeconomically, post Brexit, the US elections, post cold-war Russia, saber rattling North Korea and Iran, and an ambitious China. Listen to this statesman’s balanced wisdom on the times we, God’s people are in and his take on the Church’s stance in the midst of a “Trumpian” world.

Notes and Highlights

Mikhail Gorbachev: “It looks as though the world is preparing for war.”

All across the world alpha males are sprouting up and marking their territory. Grabbing and demarcating land. The US, Russia, Israel, China, North Korea, Iran. The rising of populists movements. The conflict and division of world view. I personally see China as a great threat to the peace of the world.

Today we have a confluence of 2 vectors: the Church and secular powers. Biblically analogous to Joseph/Israel to Pharaoh/Egypt. Joseph was given prophetic dreams which took years to be realized. At the same time, another vector was Pharaoh in Egypt. These things were coalescing to bring about what God had in mind. They came together: secular authority – Pharaoh in extreme confusion and lack of clarity of what to do – which coincided with Joseph’s own maturing process when he was ready to provide Pharaoh with both revelation and strategic administrative wisdom. Joseph’s person is a type of the Church. The world is coming to such a point of confusion and impotence – it is incapacitated as to what to do. The Church needs to prepare itself like Joseph.

The Lord led me to Hebrews 12. The shaking spoken of in Hebrews 12:26 applies today. These shakings of all the world’s foundations are increasing in intensity and frequency, like a woman’s contractions in labor. The world’s economic and political machinery is unsustainably strained and heading toward a breaking point.

But this election has created a window. Breathing room to be the Church. A measure of relief. We need to boldly preach the gospel and advance the Kingdom while this window is open. Strengthen our ministries. Sanctifying ourselves. Hear from the Spirit. But my sense is the window will close at some point.

The election of President Trump can be both good and bad. It is good in that we are turning back this sickness or spell that has been over our country of political correctness, calling evil good and good evil. I thank God for that. The Supreme court nominations. But its bad if we fall into the trap of extreme nationalism, self-centeredness, focus purely on profit, neglect diplomacy and the dignity of the office of President, or do not have mercy on the poor and downtrodden.

Resist the temptation to treat Trump as a messianic figure.

Donald Trump may well be a Cyrus to the Church, but let’s not forget that God used Cyrus – He used Nebuchadnezzar, but He also judged them too. Like Pharaoh with Joseph, their purpose was to preserve the gospel and a nation of God’s people which would have eternal impact on the earth for the benefit of mankind into all eternity. God’s relationship with these worldly leaders was very complex. Our outlook also needs to be complex as well. We need to read the Old Testament.

We need to maintain a cautious optimistic in a careful way. I have observed some evangelicals who are wildly enthusiastic with unblemished optimism in this incoming Administration. I am not one of them. We need to be careful and measured. The Church is a government. The Church is a sacred thing. We cannot just throw our lot into “one pot”. We are a powerful Kingdom. A dignified Kingdom with gravitas. Its not to be given away. This is not a time for wild optimism. Resist triumphalism. We need to be careful not to mix the Kingdom with tribe, race or even nation.

We do need to approve what is good and disapprove what is unjust.

Need to recognize that their are competing world views out there with their own alternative set of facts. This is why the checks and balances of the US are good. For example the courts blocking the President’s executive order is not to be vilified or viewed cynically – its a good thing (to prevent the trampling of legitimate immigrants – to have mercy).

Many of the values we observe: extreme nationalism and unchecked freedom in the financial sector – a lack of mercy toward the poor or immigrants. These are not of Christ. However, a Nation does need to defend its borders. This is right. But the immigration issue is complex.

We need to see things – where is compassion? where is mercy? where is the heart of Christ in this? But we also need to say: Where is the heart of Elijah? Because these are times of Elijah. A lion’s roar and the lamb. Christ in our times is like the Lion of Judah – like Aslan, he’s good, but he’s not safe. Fighting demonic powers.

We need to see things from both sides. We need to put ourselves in other peoples shoes. I just saw a documentary on Bonhoeffer. Bishops and Cardinals giving the salute to Hitler. These images can never be erased. I am not making that direct comparison completely, but we need to see things from both perspectives.

On Corporations:

Why did the great recession happen? A lot of these corporate instincts of: more money, more profit, use of the law to its extreme, put the machinery of the law to “Red Hot”, and force every penny through it, and manipulate people. I have become an extremist regarding corporations these days. Even though I am as capitalist – or I guess as conservative – a person you can meet. Because I do see, just the fierce selfishness in many of these corporations – and they include the ones that have a progressive image, whether its Starbucks or Google or Microsoft. They are in the same business of monopolizing, and getting every penny of profit out of us. Do not let yourself be misled by these progressive images of many of these corporations. They are all devilish in their appetites. Whether its Exxon or Starbucks. They all bow before the same god of untrammeled ambition and materialism.”

In this dangerous time, the Church should not chain itself to any one person or ideology. Our attitude toward this administration (from both sides) should be liken to the wisdom of Gamaliel in Acts 5:

I advise you, leave these men alone. Let them go. For if their purpose and activity are of human origin, they will fail, but if it is from God, the you will not be able to stop these men. You will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

Dr. Roberto Miranda Bio