House Speaker Mike Johnson leaned heavily into his religious convictions during a keynote speech where he drew a connection between himself and the prophet Moses.

Johnson spoke at the National Association of Christian Lawmakers (NACL) gala Tuesday night, where Pastor E.W. Jackson set the stage with flagrantly anti-LGBTQ comments flagged by the progressive watchdog group, Right Wing Watch. When the Speaker took the stage, he thanked the NACL “for not allowing the media in.”

Johnson claimed that reporters wanted to attend and “pick my comments out of context.” The newly-minted House speaker has been under scrutiny for weeks as the media delved into his past and spotlighted his unsettling positions tied in with his religious beliefs.

From there, Johnson addressed his chaotic rise to the speakership after Kevin McCarthy was ousted and numerous House Republicans failed in their attempts to become his successor. Johnson claimed that God told him America was coming to a “Red Sea moment” in which, Johnson thought he was going to be Aaron, only to find himself in the role of Moses instead.

The Lord impressed upon my heart a few weeks before this happened that something was going to occur. And the Lord very specifically told me in my prayers to prepare, but to wait… I had this sense that we were going to come to a Red Sea moment in our Republican conference and in the county at large.

Look, I’m a Southern Baptist. I don’t wanna get too spooky on you. But you know, the Lord speaks to your heart. He had been speaking to me about this, and the Lord told me very clearly to prepare and be ready. Be ready for what? I don’t know. We’re coming to a Red Sea moment. What does that mean, Lord?

When the speaker’s race happened and Kevin McCarthy, who’s a dear friend of mine, was deposed and vacated from the chair. Oh, wow! Well this is what the Lord may have been preparing us for. I started praying more. Lord began to wake me up through this three-week process we’re in, in the middle of the night, and to speak to me and write things down. Plans, procedures and ideas of how to bring this conference together.

At the time, I assumed the Lord is going to choose a new Moses, and thank you Lord, you’re going to allow me to be Aaron to Moses.

After recalling the 13 failed bids of those who came before him, Johnson explained “the Lord kept telling me to, ‘Wait, wait, wait.’” Eventually, he said that God told him “Now, step forward.”

“Me? I’m supposed to be Aaron,” said Johnson. “’No,’ The Lord said, ‘Step forward.’”

Watch above via Right Wing Watch.

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