Courageous Trump & Family . . . Thx Keith B and Sarah R!Wonderful Sermon for

> President Trump attended a private religious service at St. John’s 
> Episcopal Church, across the street from the White House, as part of a 
> modern Inauguration Day ritual.
> 
> The service was led by the Rev. Robert Jeffress, a Southern Baptist 
> who campaigned hard for Trump during the closing months of the election.

> Here is an exclusive transcript of Jeffress’ sermon, which drew on the 
> story of Nehemiah, a historical figure described in the Old Testament 
> for rebuilding Jerusalem.

> 
> 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.
> 
> *Il. 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.Rev. Robert> (Finally)
> 
> *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.”
> 
> Psalm 33:12 gives us the starting point for making that happen: 
> “Blessed— great—is the nation whose God is the Lord.”
> 
> 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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