Prophecy: The Rise of Mike Johnson
There is evidence Mike may be a more traditional conservative, able to balance strict principles with the need to get things done. Discover how his faith in Jesus motivates him in life decisions.
What does Mike Johnson have to do with prophecy? A lot. Mike quoted from the Bible in his acceptance speech: “God is the one who raises up those with authority.” So, what about our wicked leaders, who appoints them? The answer is God. The Lord uses the wicked and the righteous to advance the prophecies of His Holy Word. For God to set in motion the permissive rule of the Antichrist, He must allow certain wicked leaders to “do their thing” to set up for one of the more significant prophecies in the book of Revelation. However, amid the wickedness of global leaders, God always places one or more of His righteous representatives in the mix - to create a reminder of the “who” is in charge, and that, of course, is - God. -Stephen
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was a relative unknown before his election this week.
“At this time yesterday, nobody was talking about Mike," former President Donald Trump said on Oct. 25. "And then we put out the word, and now he’s the speaker of the House. I think he will be a great speaker. I think you are going to be very proud.”
It didn't take long for Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to coin the nickname "MAGA Mike," for the new speaker.
As the man behind the move to oust the former speaker, Mr. Gaetz appeared eager to claim Mr. Johnson's election as a victory.
Is that accurate?
There is evidence he may be a more traditional conservative, able to balance strict principles with the need to get things done.
One thing is for sure, Mr. Johnson checks all the conservative boxes.
Regarding gun violence, he said, "It’s not guns, it’s not the weapons. At the end of the day, we have to protect the right of the citizens to protect themselves and that’s the Second Amendment. And that’s why our party stands so strongly for that." Mr. Johnson added that the country needs to strengthen its approach to treating mental illness.
On President Joe Biden’s record, Mr. Johnson said, "I think it's been a failed presidency and all the problems … here were caused by policy choices, and that's the problem I have with him.”
The new speaker is pro-life, a “Bible-believing Christian,” and opposes gender transition treatment for minors.
Yet those positions don’t distinguish Mr. Johnson as that much more conservative compared to the Republican conference as a whole.
“He is personally very conservative. But he's also made quite clear that he intends to lead the collective House Republican Conference, and that the moderates have felt very comfortable that they can work with him,” former Speaker Newt Gingrich, a contributor to the publication, told The Epoch Times.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, scores the voting records of all members of Congress according to their adherence to conservative principles. The average House Republican score is 89 percent. Mr. Johnson’s lifetime score is 90 percent, hardly a significant difference.
Swing district Republicans spoke well of Mr. Johnson upon his election. “He’s a humble man, has earned my trust, and will listen to the voices of those I represent in upstate N.Y.,” Rep. Mark Molinaro (R-N.Y.) wrote on X.
“Speaker Mike Johnson is hardworking and smart, and I am confident that despite any differences we may have on policy, he is fully capable of unifying our conference and leading the House forward,” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) said.
“Mike is a strong leader who has the full support of our entire Conference,” Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said in a statement. “He is a great man and will make a great speaker.”
And he understands the need to compromise.
“Our people are losing their faith in government … I think we have to be mindful of that,” he said. “We're going to fight vigorously over our core principles because they're at odds a lot of times now in this modern era. We have to sacrifice sometimes our preferences because that's what's necessary in a legislative body.”
Speaking of hardliners who take an all-or-nothing approach to governing, Mr. Gingrich said, “I think some of these guys don't understand the concept of being effective.” Speaker Johnson’s voting record seems to indicate that he does.
How long will this new GOP unity last? The first test may be President Biden’s request for some $105 billion in supplemental funding for Israel, Ukraine, allies in the Indo-Pacific region, and border security.
“Can he hold tough and force them to take an Israel bill first, and then come back and do the other two?” Mr. Gingrich wondered. “These should be three different bills … and each should be subjected to a different standard.”
Appropriations will be another test. The speaker has said he intends to pass the remaining spending bills through the House and then negotiate with the Senate from “a position of strength.”
But he left open the possibility that a second stop-gap funding bill may be needed. The first such bill led to the ouster of Mr. McCarthy.
“The most colorful conservatives in our conference have indicated that they will provide Speaker Johnson quite a little bit more flexibility than was given to Speaker McCarthy,” Mr. Dusty Johnson told The Epoch Times. “Mike Johnson is going to have a real opportunity to bring this team together and get some conservative wins.”
What happens when he has to rely on Democrat votes to help pass a bill, like supplemental aid for Ukraine?
"I don't think we know,” Mr. Gingrich said.
-Lawrence
Stephen: For what it is worth. I am a fan of Mike Johnson. I have conducted due diligence on this man, and it appears he is spot on as an authentic Christian politician. When he said, “This is a dark time in America; we have a lot of problems, and we're really, really hopeful and prayerful. Prayer is appropriate in a time like this, that the evil can end, and this senseless violence can stop," he won my support. My challenge to you - pray for Mike as he moves forward.
Discover Dr. Phinney’s beliefs in faith & politics by reading his latest book, “Nehemiah | The Man & the Legend.” The mission is to lead readers through God’s leadership principles, following and rebuilding found in Nehemiah. In reading this book, you should learn to be motivated in the Spirit, overcome discouragement, and face failure and opposition while learning to apply wisdom and insight in all your realms of life and leadership.
I'm a fan. I have conducted due diligence on Mike Johnson. By all given circumstances, it appears that he is the "real deal." You know my gig - restore the faith in Jesus Christ within our political leaders. Mike just might be one of our answers to such prayers.
Mike, his family and staff all need our prayers right now. The demonic pressures against him may be great, but our God is greater. Remember too, that it is lonely "at the top".