Liberty University honored our nation’s servicemembers and veterans in a special convocation service on Wednesday that featured Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin, an original member and former commander of the U.S. Army’s Delta Force special operations unit.
The service was part of Liberty’s annual Military Emphasis Week.
Boykin’s military career is extensive. During his 36 years in service, he has been involved in numerous clandestine operations globally. He led a task force in Colombia to hunt the notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar and helped capture Manuel Noriega in Panama. He commanded Delta Force during the Battle of Mogadishu, depicted in the movie Black Hawk Down. Boykin also served six years in intelligence and was a member of the National Security Policy Coordinating Committee for Terrorism.
Today he is an ordained minister serving with the Kingdom Warriors ministry and a distinguished professor at Hampden-Sydney College. He is the author of “New Surrender: A Soldier’s Journey to the Crossroads of Faith and Freedom.”
After the Posting of the Colors, the Pledge of Allegiance, the National Anthem, Taps and a recognition of all servicemembers, veterans and families of active military and veterans, Boykin spoke on preserving the Judeo-Christian values upon which this nation was founded.
He said Americans are in a downward spiral of values and faith and they need to return back to God to preserve their country’s identity.
“I am very concerned about the direction of this nation, but my punch line is: If we as a nation of believers … will rise up and come together, we have nothing to fear in the future,” he said.
He asked veterans and active servicemembers to stand and recite the U.S. Armed Forces Oath of Enlistment.
“Let me remind you that the doctrine you signed when you took that oath … there is no expiration date on it; you are expected to continue to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. My charge to you is don’t forget your oath,“ Boykin said.
He encouraged students to be involved in politics, to vote, to run for office and to get involved with organizations that support Christian values.
“I really enjoyed how he incorporated the idea that political correctness is something we don’t need in politics or the military,” said junior Caleb Bliesner, a member of the U.S. Air Force. “I think we just need to say things how they are and get back to the basics.”
Special guests in convocation included members of the U.S. Armed Forces working at the Pentagon.
Liberty currently has more than 19,000 members of the U.S. military taking courses residentially and online.
Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 26 - "And Christ himself gives this
admonition here in the strongest terms that can be given, both in the
consoling promise of a glorious, eternal reward, and in the most terrible
threatenings of eternal wrath and punishment upon all who despise the
admonition; so that whoever is not moved and aroused by these words can
certainly never be moved by anything."
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Luther's Sermons - Matthew 25:31-46.
Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Trinity
*Text: Matthew 25:31-46.*
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and...
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