Dear friend,
Last week the president said something at a rally in Nebraska that was taken badly. He was talking about Iran, and about why this war is worth its cost. The White House said he meant that America is fighting so Iran never has the power to strike our cities.
Within hours, Gavin Newsom was on the attack. He called the president deranged and dangerous. He called it a shocking low.
Now, I want you to notice something. Newsom is the governor of California. And many expect him to run for president in 2028.
He was not only defending his state last week. He was introducing himself to the country.
The race to replace Donald Trump has already begun. Quietly. Two years before anyone casts a vote.
This has happened before.
In First Kings chapter 1, King David was old. He was near the end of his reign. And one of his sons, a man named Adonijah, decided he would not wait.
Verse 5. Adonijah put himself forward and said, I will be king.
He got himself chariots and horses. He hired fifty men to run ahead of him wherever he went, so everyone would see him coming. He gathered powerful friends, the commander of the army and a leading priest. And he threw himself a great feast, as if the crown were already on his head.
David was still alive. David was still king. And Adonijah was already celebrating.
What Adonijah forgot.
He forgot that the crown was not his to take.
The prophet Nathan saw what was happening, and he did not stay quiet. He went to Bathsheba. Together they went to the old king and told him the truth.
And David acted. He declared that his son Solomon would be king. They put Solomon on David’s own mule, anointed him with oil, and blew the trumpet.
Verse 40. All the people went up after him, playing pipes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.
Adonijah’s guests were still at his feast when they heard the trumpet. And verse 49 says this.
All of Adonijah’s guests rose in alarm and dispersed.
The party ended in a moment. The man who crowned himself went home with nothing.
What this means for you.
I want you to hear two things.
First, do not be afraid of the men lining up. You will see a great deal of it in the next two years. Speeches. Television appearances. Attacks on the president designed to make headlines. Every one of them will act as if the crown is already within reach.
It is not theirs to take. It never was. The Lord is still the One who raises up and brings down, and He was not surprised by anything that happened in Nebraska last week.
Second, notice who saved the kingdom. It was not an army. It was Nathan. One faithful man who saw what was happening and spoke up while there was still time.
That is your role in the years ahead. Not to panic. To speak up. To vote. To pray. To make sure the people who come after this president are chosen by faithful people paying attention, not by men throwing themselves a feast.
After January 2029.
Many of you have asked me the same question in your letters. What happens when he is gone?
What happens to this country? To the Church? To your grandchildren?
I did not want to give you a quick answer to a question that serious. So I wrote a guide. It is called What Comes After Trump: The Bible And The Years Ahead. It looks at what Scripture says about the years after a leader like this one, and how to prepare your family for them.
You can find the guide by clicking on the image below:
Alternatively, you may find it here: https://fatherthomasletters.com/products/what-comes-after-trump
The men are already lining up. Let them.
The trumpet has not sounded yet. And when it does, it will not be because a man crowned himself. It will be because faithful people did what Nathan did.
They paid attention. And they spoke.
God bless you, friend. You are not forgotten.
With you in prayer always,
Father Thomas
This week I want you to do three things:
One. Read First Kings chapter 1 this week. Watch how quickly Adonijah’s feast ends when the trumpet sounds. Then read verses 11 through 14 again, and notice that it all turned on one man willing to speak.
Two. Read What Comes After Trump this week, using the image or link above. Then think about one thing you can do now to prepare your family for the years after 2029.
Three. Reply to this letter and tell me the one thing you most worry about for the years after this president. I read what you send, and it shapes what I write.
One last thing.
If this letter meant something to you, please forward it to two people you love. A friend from church. A brother or sister. Someone who feels as alone in these times as you sometimes do.
Many of you found these letters because someone shared them with you. Thank you for doing the same.
Was this letter forwarded to you? You can receive them yourself, free, here: https://fatherthomasletters.com/subscribe
P.S. If you want more from me, here is where to find it:
My guides: fatherthomasletters.com/products
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