Last week, we discussed a little about Donald Trump abandoning Israel with his Memorandum of Understanding with Iran. Ironically, Trump’s tweet “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” (in capital letters, as per his style on occasion), meant to refer to Iran, is viewed by many as being an admission of his own capitulation to Iran, giving them everything they wanted.

At the beginning of this week, there were initial cheers by people throughout the UK when Keir Starmer resigned from his premiership. Those cheers were quickly muted when it emerged that Andy Burnham, a political clone of Starmer, was likely to run unchallenged for the leadership of the Labour Party to become our next Prime Minister. For those who have never heard of him before, Burnham is a former mayor of Greater Manchester and was not even an MP until sworn in on Monday after his recent by-election victory. Given his past record, there is not much optimism in the UK about the road ahead.

A little closer to home (for me) and Northern Ireland politics again revealed its ugly side. Jeffrey Donaldson, former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) was convicted on all counts, having been charged with one count of rape, four of gross indecency towards a child and thirteen of indecent assault with a child. The sense of betrayal of trust was felt, not only within the DUP and the unionist community at large, but also with evangelical Christian circles, among whom Donaldson has been a prominent name. With his prosecution, the once golden boy of Unionism was shown to be just wood, hay, and stubble.

In all, it has been a fortnight of great disappointment in our leaders. It feels like it has been a lifetime since we had any kind of optimistic expectation from those in power. But then, isn’t that why we’re not to look to our politicians for solutions? We can’t afford to get our moral bearings by examining or mimicking our earthly leaders.

An pagan king’s praise of God

One of my favourite kings in the Bible is Nebuchadnezzar. While being portrayed almost like a benefactor toward the Jews in the early chapters of Daniel, like a reasonable and kindly dictator, we can’t forget that this is the man who brought king Zedekiah into captivity in Babylon, killed his sons in front of him, then put out his eyes so their deaths was the last thing he saw. He was also the king who sacked the temple and brought out all the equipment and utensils of silver and gold and put them in the temple of his own gods. And yet, by the time we get to the end of Daniel chapter 4, Nebuchadnezzar is giving one of the greatest and most eloquent expressions of praise and worship of God.

In this great confession, he makes it clear that the God of heaven is eternal and unchanging, continuing from generation to generation, and outlasting all human governments. He describes Him as the One whose works are true (Dan 4:37), not just His words. Everything He does is consistent with His character and attributes – there is no deceit or guile in His deeds. What a difference from earthly rulers!

Nebuchadnezzar continues by declaring God’s ways as just, that is, correct and appropriate – “and His ways judgment” (v37). That’s something we need to accept by faith. God knows all things, while we know nothing in comparison. Somewhere within His omniscience He sees the necessity of acting as He does, and that is always right. It may not make sense to us, but this is what living by faith looks like.

But listen to what Nebuchadnezzar says in Daniel 4:35:

“And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?”

But if God allowed it … why?

This reminds me of Romans 13:1, where Paul writes, “For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”

Why would God allow Trump to turn his back on Israel?

Why would he let the rot of left-wing liberalism continue in the highest public office in the United Kingdom?

Why would he let a professing Christian rise to a position of prominence as both a politician and a believer, only to have him torn down through his own actions?

Simple answer – I don’t know! But then, I don’t know a fraction of the things God knows.

Perhaps God knows that Trumps irrational behaviour toward Israel over the past two weeks will set the stage for America’s absence from the prophetic platform that is about to be fulfilled, just as prophesied in Ezekiel 38 and 39.

Perhaps the UK is receiving the leaders it deserves for abandoning Israel and opposing the Christian heritage that made the UK a mighty world power for so long. Perhaps this is part of the judgment God is bringing on the UK for ignoring and despising God, a judgment that will reduce the country to global irrelevance.

And perhaps the Donaldson case will be used by God to waken up the true Church and to get our eyes off the politics and cultural Protestantism and back on the God of the Bible.

If these disappointments only do one thing, if they get us to stop trusting man and expecting man to sort things out in the world, and instead cause us to place our faith in all God has actually promised to do, then the disappointments are worth it.

God has a plan and purpose that will be done. He sees the ripple effects multiplied countless times over that reach far into the future. He sees where all the pieces need to be in order for His prophetic programme to be accomplished, and He knows what needs to happen today for that programme to be completed in the fulness of time.

Our responsibility is simply to trust that God knows what He’s doing. Our earthly leaders will always fall short. That’s the inevitability of sinful man, even saved sinners. But our God will never fail, falter, nor fall.

When you feel disappointed or frustrated with our leaders, remember that God has placed those leaders where they are for His purposes to be fulfilled. Praise Him that He is able to take ungodly men and women, place them where He wants them to be, and cause His will to be done. He excels at taking the broken and making them useful in His purposes.

And isn’t that a great encouragement for us too. After all, we’re just as broken and imperfect as our leaders, to varying degrees, and yet can take even us and use us to bring glory to Him and to bring sinners to Christ.

So take heart. Don’t get discouraged, and instead sing from your heart:

God is still on the throne, and He will remember His own
Though trials may press us and burdens distress us,
He never will leave us alone.
God is still on the throne, and He will remember His own;
His promise is true – He will not forget you!
God is still on the throne!

Amen, and hallelujah.

Keep looking up.

DC

The post When our leaders disappoint appeared first on Now Nearer Ministries.

Shock and betrayal! Both the Iranian and Israeli public are united in response to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) brokered by President Trump with the Iranian regime. For months, almost 40 public statements made by Trump claimed that a deal with Iran was imminent. Opinions were divided on whether these were merely naïve ignorance or diplomatic cover. After what seemed to be a diplomatic game of chess that would provide justification for an overwhelming military assault to utterly cripple the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps), suddenly all the rhetoric of being close to a deal became “a deal is signed”.

Those who have any understanding of the Islamist mindset and specifically the Iranian regime’s record on making deals saw this as bad news, understanding the truth of a quote repeated by Trump, that “Iran never won a war, but never lost a negotiation”. This did not bode well for the deal alleged to have been signed. And indeed the detail show that Trump’s only desire was the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz so trade could resume. Nothing about ballistic missiles, nuclear enrichment, or support of terrorist proxies.

On 16^th June, 2026, a video of Trump speaking to reporters at the G7 was released in which he said:

“We’re dealing with people that I think are very rational people. There were nice to deal with. They were strong people, smart people. I think actually they’re smarter than the first or second group. But they’re not radicalised, and they’re, you know, looking to help their country.”

Bear in mind that the strikes being referred to were in response to Hezbollah launching strikes against multiple civilian Israeli targets, which is a legitimate and necessary response when the enemy’s unchanged goal is the total eradication of your country. Prior to this, an American Apache reconnaissance helicopter was struck by an Iranian drone. The helicopter landed hard but safely and the two crew members were quickly picked up by an unmanned craft. The response from America was a swift but intense bombardment of four Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz.

So according to Trump, it was okay for America to respond to the downing of a military helicopter, but it was problematic for Israel to respond to the strikes on civilian targets!

These are bizarre statements to make regarding America’s closest ally in the Middle East, but there is one section of these statements that causes the greatest cause for concern. At the end of the New York Times quote, Trump said that Netanyahu ought to be thankful for the agreement Trump had made with Iran because, “if Iran had a nuclear weapon, Israel would no longer exist within two hours”. At the same G7 briefing referred to earlier, Trump also said, “Without me there would be no Israel”, repeating a media statement reported on 3^rd June in which he said, “Tell you what, if there wasn’t me, there would be no Israel right now”.

Three times President Trump stated that Israel wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for him. That is one of the worst statements the President have ever made. It steals the credit for Israel’s existence from God.

In connection with (but distinct from) the New Covenant God makes with Israel in Jeremiah 31, we read:

“Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD” (Jer 31:35-37).

As long as the sun, moon, and stars remain, God will maintain Israel as a nation. They are under His protection.

In Amos 9:8, God promises:

“… I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD.”

Zechariah records:

“For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye” (Zec 2:8).

Paul reaffirms God’s intention to preserve Israel forever:

“I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid … God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew …” (Rom 11:1-2).

But even before they were established as a nation in the promised land, God said of them:

“And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God” (Le 26:44).

From his first presidential election victory in 2016, the MAGA movement has grown and become an unavoidable voice in America and beyond. Throughout his two presidencies, Trump has been a supporter of Christians and of religious liberties, enabling the voice of Biblical Christianity to resurge in reach. It cannot be denied that President Trump has been a benefit to the furtherance of the gospel message, not always intentionally, but at least indirectly opening doors of opportunity. As a result, it certainly appears that God has blessed his efforts in this regard and has given the country a measure of success under his leadership. But that could be about to change.

Israel’s existence does not depend on a President, a Prime Minister, or an effective and moral army. It is not preserved due to a strong economy or passionate patriotism. It is not preserved by its ownership of nuclear weapons or development of cutting-edge defence technologies such as the Iron Beam. And it is certainly not the responsibility of any man, president or not. God alone ensures the survival of Israel as a nation.

One of the worst things anyone can do to veterans who served in the US military is wear medals that were never earned – known as “stolen valour”. Those who commit stolen valour claim to have fought heroically alongside other soldiers, earning their service medals, when in fact they were nowhere near the heat of battle. When President Trump claims that Israel only survives because of him, he is “stealing valour” that only belongs to God – really, stealing glory from God.

Yet God says:

“I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images” (Isa 42:8).

So not only has Trump betrayed Israel by not finishing the job militarily against Iran and restricting Israel’s response to ongoing attacks, but he has also claimed God’s preservation of Israel as his own preservation of Israel.

Which brings me to the title of these thoughts. Is this the end of MAGA?

So long as Trump was acting in support of Israel, and acknowledging God’s hand in their successes, America was blessed and Trump’s presidency managed to “get things done”. But any administration that turned against Israel suffered, and the country with it.

Trump has not only betrayed Israel, but has stolen glory from God in the process. I cannot find any recorded statement by any other US president that comes even close to making such an arrogant claim, taking personal credit for something that God, in His covenants, has explicitly declared that He alone would accomplish.

There have been claims of credit for economic success, for brokered peace deals, and for divine support for military actions, but none of these claim divine glory. But the preservation of Israel is not merely a claim of military victory or brokered peace. It is a claim of existential preservation that only God can rightfully claim. This makes Trump’s statements potentially more blasphemous than those of any US president in history, and God will not stand idly by while a man steals His glory.

I now fear what Trump has brought upon, not himself, but upon America as a whole. He may have opened the door to divine judgment upon him personally or even upon America as a whole. Even Nebuchadnezzar at the height of his arrogance and pride never claimed to be able to do what only God can do. He failed to acknowledge the sovereignty of God and it resulted in the loss of his sanity and status for a period of time. But Nebuchadnezzar didn’t even go as far as Trump has.

The MAGA mission could suffer dramatically. Having burned bridges with many long-time Western allies, Trump has brought America to the edge of diplomatic isolation from the rest of the world. With mid-terms just a few months away, and in order for God to preserve His glory, Trump could find the political landscape decimated in front of him.

The next big war from a prophetic viewpoint is the Gog and Magog war of Ezekiel 38-39. We know from these chapters that Israel will not have any nation supporting her when Russia, Iran, Turkey and their allies (Libya and Sudan) come against her to plunder her resources. Trump’s blasphemy has the potential of removing America from the world stage as a major trusted influence, bringing about its inability to intervene on the world stage long before the rapture takes place. It could exacerbate the effects of the rapture when it does occur, effectively removing America completely from the board of world politics.

Sadly, Trump’s arrogance may end up catalysing the collapse of the MAGA project in America, not because people will stop supporting it, but because God could act against it. In claiming credit for Israel’s continued existence, has Trump doomed America’s own existence as the last remaining superpower?

The post The End of MAGA? appeared first on Now Nearer Ministries.