National Prayer Breakfast - Strength Through Faith
Strength Through Faith
Romans 5:3-4 We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character, and character hope.
1. Story: Nathan, the prophet, rebukes King David
- David selected and ordained King
- On-going war against Palestinians
o Mention: David and Goliath
- War going on awhile, and David stays back
o Watches Bathsheba on rooftop
o Has an affair – gets her pregnant
- Husband: Uria
o David brings him back
o He refuses to sleep with wife while his troops are in combat
o David has him killed
- The consequence: David under siege from his own family
o This act/sin creates incredible suffering for David from son Absalom and all of Israel suffers.
o Sad; but David perseveres in the end
- David has suffering because of sin;
o Israel suffers as well. Their king is now in exile. And there is much turbulence
o Certainly, suffering produces perseverance
§ Israel persevered
§ Produced Solomon
§ Peace – for a while anyway
2. So, we are here to pray; Across America, people are praying for our Nation. A National Day of Prayer.
- Boy, do we need it
a. Our Nation is Great
i. But our Nation is suffering as well
ii. Turn on news
1. Russia – Ukraine and eastern Europe
2. Gun violence
iii. Turn on i-phone and watch your social media
1. Cesspool
iv. And the United States of America needs prayer
b. America is also divided and split
i. CNN: FOX
c. Any topic produces division
i. You can indict the former president with criminal charges – no one is above the law; and at the same time being accused of “weaponizing” the judicial system
ii. Foreign Policy is divisive
1. Drawdown in Afghanistan – end to endless wars, or recreating safe haven with a terrorist organization with global capability
iii. Our foreign policy is also on the bring of peril
1. Russia and Ukraine
2. China and Taiwan
a. All lead to a possible nuclear WW3
iv. Our Army is under divisive criticism
1. WOK?
2. Recruiting problems – explain
v. Our faith. Suffering is not a stranger to our faiths. And faith groups celebrate their history of suffering. This is the season for our faiths to commemorate suffering
1. Passover – explain
2. Passion of Jesus Christ
3. Ramadan (not really suffering other than a 30 day fast)
4. My own personal suffering from expressing my faith
a. Story: Christian Embassy and Mikey Weinstein
b. But he was right, except it cost public scrutiny, and a promotion delay of 7 months.
5. But!!! The bigger issue within our faith groups is the recent survey concluding a significant decline of religion in America
3. Romans 5:3-4: “Suffering produces perseverance…”
a. Scriptures say something special about perseverance
i. Heb 12:1: “… let us run with perseverance, the race marked out for us.:
ii. Ja 1:3-4: “The testing of your faith develops perseverance.”
iii. Ja 5:11: James references Job’s perseverance as a hero of the faith.
iv. 2 Peter 1:6: “And to perseverance – godliness”
v. Rev 2:19: To the church at Thyatira, Jesus commands them: “faith, love, service and perseverance”.
4. Where Spiritual Readiness comes in. From the new Army doctrine
a. Following is taken directly from the new FM 7-22:
Spiritual readiness is the ability to endure and overcome times of stress, hardship, and tragedy by making meaning of life experiences. Individuals find meaning as they exercise beliefs, principles, ethics, and morals arising from religious, philosophical, and human values. Soldiers who successfully develop, sustain, and repair their state of being while facing adversity demonstrate spiritual readiness.
The spiritual dimension draws on an individual’s core religious, philosophical, or human values to develop an individual’s sense of motivation, character, and integrity. The spiritual dimension defines the essence of a person by enabling one to build inner strength, make meaning of experiences, behave ethically, persevere through challenges, and be resilient when faced with adversity
5. Story: GEN Benjamin O. Davis Jr ; As WP Sup’t, had a new barracks and we had to name them after a distinguished graduate. We wanted someone who had the tenacity to persevere in adversity
a. 4th African American to graduate WP
b. Silenced – explain
c. Tuskegee Airman WWII
d. Post WWII and transition to USAF
e. Retire 3 star. President Clinton activates him to active duty for one day and promotes to 4 star. First USAF 4 star
f. Names barracks at WP for him
i. Imagine being silenced for 4 years at WP. How do you not hold that against someone?
6. Here is a truth: “In order to persevere, must trust”
Story: DS/DS: Is 26:3 “He will keep you in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you”.
Perfect trust gives us perfect peace.
7. Romans 5:3-4: “… and to perseverance – character”
a. Character
i. After retired, co-authored book: “The Character Edge; Leading and Winning with Integrity”
ii. Why?
1. Senior leader misconduct
2. OIF 3: CG, 25th ID (MND-N)
a. 8 senior leader misconduct incidents
i. 1 COL
ii. 8 LTC
iii. 10 MAJ
iv. 18 CPT
v. 15 LTs
vi. 9 WO
vii. 17 E8-9
1. Inappropriate relationships
2. Fraternization
3. Sexual harassment
4. GO#1 violations
5. Adultery
a. Note: Only 2 outside of FOB
viii 2 impacts – career ending
Combat effectiveness of units
b. The Speed of Trust – Steven Covey
i. Trust = f(character and competence)
ii. Trust enables organizations to move at accelerated speeds
1. Ie decision making, problem resolution, etc
iii. BL: Without character – no trust.
8. Romans 5: 3-4: “Character – Hope”
a. Hope in what? I think Pual is thinking about eternal life and the resurrection
b. ANS:
i. Resurrection
ii. Eternal Life
iii. Your goals and objectives
c. Story: General Marty Dempsey as TRADOC CG, and I’m his 3 star subordinate as CAC CG.
- GEN Martin Dempsey exhibited Spiritual Strength to endure cancer treatments while serving as the TRADOC CDR and heal and recover and go on to serve as Chief of Staff of the Army and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. While undergoing his cancer treatments he recounts in his book, No Time for Spectators, that he continued to attend Catholic Mass as a source of Spiritual Strength for the journey.
9. Best model of perseverance? = Job
a. Story of Job
i. Well respected citizen
ii. Satan test; God agrees
iii. Job loses everything including his children
iv. Wife and friends ridicule
v. But he is a model of perseverance
1. Job 13:15: “Though he slay me, yet will I hope”
2. Heb: Hope is an anchor in our faith
3. 1Co 13:7: “Love … always hopes / always perseveres”
10.But … Have you ever failed in character?
a. Most likely – your answer is “yes”
b. My recent story: President of University of South Carolina
c. Can you recover? YES!!!
i. This is why we have hope
ii. Another word: “Reconciliation” – to be made right again.
1. But reconciliation requires forgiveness. And forgiveness requires love
2. Story: Nelson Mandella: Forgives after years in prison. Unifies his country. Becomes president.
11.Bring this back to our Country and its need of prayer
a. If an individual can receive reconciliation and be made right again, can our Nation be reconciled and recover? YES!! Listen to 2Cor 7:14.
b. Story: Solomon takes over from his father King David. Lord appears to him in a dream as he takes over.
c. 2Cor 7:14: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land.”
12. Three Key take aways in here
(1) Humility: Key character trait. Why? Proverbs 16:18: “Pride goes before destruction; a haughty spirit before a fall”
(2) Prayer, and the importance of prayer
(3) Perseverance and why that is so important: Suffering – Perseverance – character – hope
13. Prayer