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Jesus said it wouldn't be easy for His true followers. As usual, He's always right.
Vice President Mike Pence is living proof of Christ's words.
The New York Times is asking, "Are you sure you want to get rid of Donald Trump?"
Be informed.
Just months after ABC's The View's Joy Behar apologized for demeaning Vice President Mike Pence's faith, the New York Times is out with an even more vicious attack.
The New York Times opinion columnist Frank Bruni is sounding the alarm to the Left.
"There are problems with impeaching Donald Trump, he writes. "A big one is the holy terror waiting in the wings."
He writes, "That would be Mike Pence, who mirrors the boss more than you realize. He's also self-infatuated. Also a bigot. Also a liar. Also cruel."
Bruni continues:
"To that brimming potpourri he adds two ingredients that Trump doesn't genuinely posses: the conviction that he's on a mission from God and a determination to mold the entire nation in the shape of his own faith, a regressive, repressive version of Christianity. Trade Trump for Pence and you go from kleptocracy to theocracy.
Bruni then comes clean---a tiny bit, by hiding behind this: "That's the takeaway from a forthcoming book by the journalists Michael D' Antonio, who previously wrote 'The Truth About Trump,' and Peter Eisner. 'The Shadow President: The Truth About Mike Pence', will be published Monday, August 28."
I've read excerpts from the book. It's brutal. And designed to do only one thing--hurt VP Pence personally in the eyes of as many people as possible, undermine his vice-presidency and mock his Christian faith.
And, of course, make some money off their comrades on the Left who will love the book.
It is the ultimate hit piece.
What if Pence really does want to see Christian principles infused back into our culture?
My friend, the late Tim LaHaye, wrote in his book "Faith of our Founding Fathers,"
"The untold story in American history (at least in the books written during the past 50 years)"---he wrote this in 1994---"relates to the debt the people of this nation owe to the Christian faith...the overwhelming majority of the Founding Fathers of this nation were raised in and believed the Christian faith."
Not many had written on this subject in that way at the time Tim published this book.
Tim goes on to make a compelling historically accurate case that this nation was indeed founded upon Christian principles.
David Barton and others have and are contributing to the historically factual narrative that Christian's were responsible for the birth of this nation. And most of our Founders were fully aware of the foundation upon which they had chosen to build a new nation---under God.
The words of our Founding Fathers should bring clarity to light that if Pence is a "terror" so were most of our Founders and leaders for generations to come.
The Father of our Nation, George Washington, said, "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."
James Madison said, "We have staked the whole future of American civilization...upon the capacity of each and every one of us to govern ourselves according to the Ten Commandments."
Patrick Henry said much about our founding, including, "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
Founder Noah Webster said, " God's Word contained in the Bible, has furnished all necessary rules to direct our conduct."
Years later, American presidents would echo these beliefs. Woodrow Wilson would say, "America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture.
Democrat Harry Truman would say,
"The fundamental basis of our nation's laws was given by Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teaching we get from Exodus and Saint Matthew, from Isaiah and Saint Paul. I don't think we emphasize that enough these days. If we don't have a proper fundamental moral background, we will finally end up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in rights for anyone but the state."
Our Founders, and our leaders---from both political parties--- who followed for the next 150 years understood and believed that the American Revolution connected in a bond not easily broken, the principles of civil government with the principles of biblical Christianity.
However, in recent years, the Left has begun to tear at that bond. Biblical Christians have seen the attacks on marriage and the sanctity of life. We've seen the assault on our kids in public education---indoctrinating 5-year-old children on transgenderism, gender fluidity, and homosexual behavior---presenting it all as "normal."
Bruni and friends may have a point. Mike Pence probably is trying to influence this nation toward its founding principles. And beliefs.
Does Mike Pence really believe he is on a mission from God?
Marc Lotter, Mike Pence's former press secretary, said after reading the piece in the NYT that the column is indicative of the anti-faith climate plaguing the nation.
He said, "It just shows the never-ending attack on Christianity, Christians and really people of faith by liberals and their namesake The New York Times. They're attacking a man, a good man, the Vice President of the United States, for primarily being a Christian, and someone who believes."
Franklin Graham said on Facebook, "I'm disappointed that The New York Times would stoop so low. I've never seen such hatred poured out against such a good man."
Actually, we have seen such hatred poured out on a good man. That "good man" was God Himself in the flesh---Jesus Christ. He too was on a mission.
I'm pretty sure Bruni and his cohorts are right about Pence believing he's on a mission. However, they can only see his mission through the lens of politics.
The mission.
The uninformed crowd was chanting "crucify Him, crucify Him"---Pilate was both confused and concerned, and asked the crowd for the third time, "Why, what evil has he done? I have found no reason for death in Him." But they continued protesting and shouting and demanding "with loud voices that He be crucified" ( Luke 23).
Earlier, He had told those who truly were following Him ( John 15), "If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you..." if you were of the world, the world would love you but because you are not of this world, they will hate you.
Then He explained that because of spiritual blindness, they cannot see the Truth, then further explained that all this happened "that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law." (Ps. 69:4): "They hated Me without a cause."
Jesus told His followers to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every person. That is "the mission."
He also told His followers that they are "salt" and"light." That too is the mission.
Pence is obviously trying to do both---share the gospel, and save the culture. He's probably not surprised at this response.
The more important question is not about Pence, but about you. And me.
How does the world feel about us?
Be Informed. Be Faithful. Be Vigilant. Be Prayerful.