Posted by Rhoda at 12:31 AM
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Before attending his inauguration ceremony at the Capitol on January 20, 2017, President Trump went to a private religious service at St. John’s Episcopal Church, across the street from the White House.
The service was led by the Baptist Rev. Robert Jeffress. This service was the only part of the entire Inauguration Day event that was not televised. Here is the transcript of Robrt Jeffress’ sermon:
President-elect and Mrs. Trump, Vice-President-elect and Mrs.
Pence, families and friends, it’s an honor to be with you on this historic day.
President-elect
Trump, I remember that it was exactly one year
ago this weekend that I was with you on your Citation jet flying around
Iowa before the first caucus or primary vote was cast. After our
Wendy’s cheeseburgers, I said that I believed that you would be the next
President of the United States. And if that happened,
it would be because God had placed you there. As the prophet Daniel said, it is God who removes and establishes
leaders. Today ─
one year later
─ God has raised you and Vice-President-elect Pence up for a great, eternal purpose.
When
I think of you, President-elect Trump, I am reminded of another
great leader God chose thousands of years ago in Israel. The nation had
been in bondage for decades, the infrastructure of the country was in
shambles, and God raised up a powerful leader to restore the nation. And
the man God chose was neither a politician
nor a priest. Instead, God chose a builder whose name was Nehemiah.
And
the first step of rebuilding the nation was the building of a
great wall. God instructed Nehemiah to build a wall around Jerusalem to
protect its citizens from enemy attack. You see, God is NOT against
building walls! And the Old Testament book of Nehemiah records how Nehemiah completed
that massive project in record time—just 52 days.
Why was Nehemiah so successful in building the wall and rebuilding
the nation?
I. Nehemiah Refused To Allow His Critics To Distract Him
Someone has said there are three guaranteed ways to avoid criticism:
do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.
Any true leader is going to face criticism. President-elect
Trump, you have had your share of critics from the
day you announced you were running for President, but you’ve confounded
them at every turn. First, they said you couldn’t win the nomination,
but you ended up garnering the most votes of any Republican in history.
Then they said that was a fluke, but you couldn’t
win the election. And you handily defeated your opponent. And now your
critics say you can’t possibly succeed in your agenda.
Nehemiah
had his own share of critics. Two of his chief antagonists
were named Sanballat and Tobiah. They were the mainstream media of
their day. They continued to hound and heckle Nehemiah and spread false
rumors while he and the Israelites were building the wall. At one point, they said, “Nehemiah, you need to stop the project and
come down from the wall and have a meeting with us.” Nehemiah’s response was classic: “I’m doing a great work . . . why
should I stop the work and come down to you?” (Nehemiah 6:3)
President-elect
Trump, you, Vice President-elect Pence, and your team
have been called by God and elected by the people to do a great work.
It is a work far too important to stop and answer your critics.
II. Nehemiah Refused To Allow Setbacks To Stop Him
As
you read through Nehemiah’s journal, you’ll find that he faced
tremendous obstacles as he attempted to rebuild the nation: an economic
recession, terrorist attacks from enemies, and discouragement among the
citizens. But none of those setbacks was enough to stop Nehemiah.
Some
years ago two sports commentators on television were discussing
the late Hall of Famer Walter Peyton, the running back for the Chicago
Bears. One commentator said, “Can you believe that during his career
Peyton has run more than nine miles with a football?” The
other commentator replied, “What’s even more amazing is that every
3.8 yards of those nine miles Peyton got knocked down by a guy twice
his size! But he got back up every time and kept moving forward in spite
of those bruising hits and hard knocks.”
President
Trump, you, your team and your families are going
to face some bruising setbacks. But remember. The true measure of a
leader is what it takes to stop him. And knowing you, I believe it’s
going to take a lot to stop you.
III. Nehemiah Sought God’s Help To Empower Him
Nehemiah was a gifted leader, but he knew he could not succeed
without God’s divine help. And that is why as he began the great work, Nehemiah knelt before God and prayed: “O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your
servant who delights in revering your name. Give your servant success today . . .” (Nehemiah
1:11)
Mr.
President-elect, I don’t believe we have ever had a president
with as many natural gifts as you. As you know, the reason I endorsed
you within weeks of your announcement that you were running was because I
believed that you were the only candidate who possessed the leadership
skills necessary to reverse the downward
trajectory of our nation.
And beginning with Vice President-elect Pence ─ a great and
godly man ─ you’ve assembled an unbelievably talented group of advisers around you.
But the challenges facing our nation are so great that it will take
more than natural ability to meet them. We need God’s supernatural power. The good news is that the same God who empowered Nehemiah nearly
2500 years ago is available to every one of us today who is willing to humble himself and ask for His help. God says in Psalm 50:15 “Call upon Me in the day of trouble I shall
rescue you and you will honor Me.”
When
President Ronald Reagan addressed the Republican National
Convention in my city of Dallas in 1984 he said, “America needs God
more than God needs America. If we ever forget that we are “one nation
under God,” then we will be a nation gone under.”
President-elect Trump, you had a campaign slogan that resonated
with tens of millions of Americans because it spoke to their heartfelt desire: “Make America Great Again.” May God bless President-elect Trump, Vice-President-elect Pence,
their families and advisers. And may God truly bless the United States of America.
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They will continue to bark and the caravan will pass ... 2EyesN'Ears
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