At a private worship service before Friday’s inaugural activities, President-elect Trump heard a sermon from Dr. Robert Jeffress. Jeffress, the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, spoke to the assembled crowd from the Old Testament book of Nehemiah.
Jeffress said that one year ago he had told Trump that he would be President and that it would be God who had elevated him to that position. “As the prophet Daniel said, it is God who removes and establishes leaders.”
Dr. Jeffress explained his reasoning for speaking from Nehemiah. “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.”
Remarking that “God is NOT against building walls,” Jeffress explained that Nehemiah led the people to complete Jerusalem’s fortification in 52 days. Because Nehemiah “completed that massive project in record time,” he drew three principles which showed why he was so successful in building the wall and rebuilding the nation.”
Jeffress showed that Nehemiah did not allow critics to distract him, setbacks to stop him, and sought God’s help to empower him.
Under the last point, Jeffress had pointed words for the President-elect: “Mr. President-elect, I don’t believe we have ever had a president with as many natural gifts as 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.”
Jeffress closed by asking that God’s blessing would rest upon the nation and our new leaders. “May God bless President-elect Trump, Vice-President-elect Pence, their families and advisers. And may God truly bless the United States of America.”
The service, held at St. John’s Episcopal Church, is a tradition dating back to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first inauguration in 1933.
Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
Publication date: January 20, 2017
