What characteristics contributed to the success of great men such as Presidents Truman and Eisenhower? Find out with hosts Tim Moore and Nathan Jones on the television program, Christ in Prophecy!
Air Date: October 26, 2024
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Transcript
Introduction
Tim Moore: Hello and welcome to Christ in Prophecy!
Nathan Jones: As America comes to the end of another presidential election cycle, tension is very high in our nation. Between assassination attempts, candidate upheavals, and media diatribes that have often demonized rather than informed, this has been one of the most contentious election in living memory.
We’ll discuss this election and the ramifications from a biblical and prophetic perspective next week, but today we’re going to hit pause and reflect on two men of character that once rose to national prominence. Just a few generations ago, America seemed to produce men and women who were grounded in a sense of integrity and dedicated to principles much bigger than themselves.
Tim Moore: It is noteworthy that both men in question were born and raised in the heartland of America far away from large urban centers or the more liberal coasts. And regardless of party, they exhibited personal integrity that has become far too rare. Join me as I visit the birthplace of the military leader that led America to victory in the European theater during World War II.
Part 2: Denison Clip
Tim Moore: I’ve come to Denison, Texas, and the childhood home of President Dwight David Eisenhower. Ike was an Army man, educated at West Point and given unprecedented power and responsibility as a Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during World War II. In that role, he oversaw the launching of an invasion of Normandy that pushed back the Nazi scourge that had overwhelmed continental Europe.
But even as he was about to launch men into the battle, Ike released a letter for the soldiers, sailors, and airmen who would take part saying that the hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people went with them. Ike’s faith was sincere, and at the end of his letter, he actually wrote this, “I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than victory. Good luck, and let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.”
But Ike had also prepared another letter, a letter that was to be released if the invasion of Normandy failed. And this is how that letter read. “Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air, and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt, it is mine alone.”
We haven’t seen that kind of personal integrity and responsibility taken by a leader in many, many years. What kind of a man is produced from the heartland of America that could step into that level of responsibility, show that kind of faith, and accept that level of integrity?
Well, as I said, Dwight David Eisenhower was born here in Denison, Texas. As a boy, his family moved to Abilene, Kansas, from one small town to an even smaller town in America’s heartland. Dwight was actually named after the famous American evangelist Dwight L. Moody. And from an early age, his parents insisted that the entire family gather each morning and each afternoon for Bible reading.
On top of that, his father ensured that his sons were grounded in honor and integrity. Nothing got by David Eisenhower. Later, as Ike grew, he realized that he would need to have a good education to be able to make a significant mark on the world and to make a positive impact on society. So, he and his brother Edgar agreed that one would go to college, and one would stay home and work to pay the tuition.
Of course, Edgar went to school and Dwight got a job in a local factory at night. After a year, Edgar encouraged his brother to continue working so he could stay in school and Dwight agreed, showing his sacrificial nature. But eventually the military attracted him and so he pursued an education either at Annapolis or West Point. As we know, the military academy at West Point accepted Dwight Eisenhower, and he entered.
What is it about Dwight’s upbringing that grounded him and prepared him to be the great leader he became? Well, I believe it is nothing less than his deep-seated Christian faith, his honor and integrity imparted by his parents and family, and, of course, his drive to pursue an education and be ready to make a positive impact on society. So many of our leaders today lack those three things. They are not grounded in a deep and sincere faith. They lack, obviously, honor and integrity in so many ways, and they are not so concerned about making a positive impact on society as they are a name for themselves.
So, what is it about this part of the country, what the party elites on the two coasts would refer to as flyover country, that has inspired so many great Americans, men like Dwight David Eisenhower and Harry Truman? I believe it is nothing less than the Protestant work ethic, the grounding in Christian faith, the determination to better oneself through education, and to give to others that made them heroes of mine. We’re going to explore a little more about what it means to come from a small town and reach greatness in this country.
Part 3: Back in Studio
Tim Moore: Well, I’m back at Maranatha Acres and we’re going to continue our conversation about Dwight Eisenhower and another great leader from the last century. So, Nathan, obviously General, and later President Eisenhower, is certainly an exemplar of leadership under great pressure, given the challenges of coordinating the Allied force and the effort to defeat Nazi Germany.
Nathan Jones: So, when you went up to Denison to learn about the values that Eisenhower was raised in, what were the values that he learned there?
Tim Moore: You know, it’s very telling to me that he was born into a family that lived in a very small home. The original birthplace, you think, “Goodness, how did they fit even three children?” And yet there was another family living in that home with them at the time. His father was a blue collar worker, as we would describe today. He was a degreaser on the trains that came through that part of Northern Texas. And so not even middle class per se. We’d say lower middle class.
And yet his parents were dedicated believers in God. They were absolutely determined to raise their children in the fear and ammunition of the Lord. That’s why twice a day they engaged in family Bible study. And that was part of his upbringing throughout his young life. In addition, his father obviously was a disciplinarian that made sure his sons would grow to be honorable and honest men, and the boys themselves knew that they wanted to get an education so that they could make a positive contribution to society. I would say today we oftentimes call that heartland values because that seems to continue to be the values of many Americans who live in the Heartland of America.
Nathan Jones: Yeah, I grew up most of my life in what we call the Bible Belt in Tennessee and all that, and it wasn’t that everybody was saved. Nobody in this country, we’ve never had a time period where everybody was saved in this country. But we did have a time where every child at least was raised in Christian values. They prayed at school. They used the Bible to learn to read. Even if the families were cultural Christians, they still went to church. So, as they were raised and they were growing up, they had biblical values and foundations. Whether they followed them or not, that’s a different story. But they were given a component of growth that is not apparent at all today.
Tim Moore: It’s really not. And the other thing, and I think this is why we talk about the Protestant work ethic, and that’s unique to the nations that really followed after a Protestant Judeo-Christian heritage, that they were determined to build into their young people an expectation that you will work, that you’ll work hard, that you will try to better yourself, and through your efforts, you’ll actually better the society.
That’s exactly what the Lord described to Jeremiah when He said work on behalf of the welfare, even of the pagan city, the pagan nation in which you’re living. And so the Judeo-Christian values born out through a Protestant work ethic caused people like Eisenhower to grow up wanting to make a contribution. We’ve talked about how George Washington, even as a teenager, was given great responsibility. He was a surveyor that was out in the county on his own surveying property and making records that most young people today can’t even fathom.
Nathan Jones: No, no, I’m a child of the ’80s. I’m proud to say it. And, you know, we didn’t have wars that we worried about too much. There were some terrorist things and all. We had a wonderful culture, it seemed. You know, we enjoyed lots of fun and toys and stuff. But you’ve got to remember that these people, they were raised in hardship. They went through the Great Depression. They went through World War I and World War II. And so where those values were tested, they were refined like metal in a furnace and the purities came out and they became stronger, harder iron men and women. And I think today, sadly for my generation, is we’re so laid back is because we haven’t been refined as well as previous generations that have gone through hardship like Eisenhower and Truman did.
Tim Moore: Well, we’re going to get to Truman, obviously. And lest people think that we’re putting Eisenhower on a pedestal, we know that he too was a fallen man. He was a sinner like us, like King David. He actually had personal failings that prove his own weaknesses. But they drive home a point to us that only Jesus Christ lived a blameless life. And so we would always highlight that reality. But there are still attributes of Eisenhower that I wish we had today. He was willing to step forward not only as a great leader during World War II, but to take a level of personal responsibility that even had the invasion at Normandy failed, he said, “I’ll take the blame.” Wow, I’ve not seen any political or even military leader willing to take that blame like Ike did.
Nathan Jones: Yeah, and there was something about his personality, too, and his work ethic that he was promoted over 300 and some other higher ranking officers to be over the European theatre. They saw something different in him. And it was, like you said, that Protestant work ethic, that iron resolve. And he was good with people and he knew how to manage and the Lord blessed it. I think the Lord always has people ready to be used if they’re willing to be used by Him.
Tim Moore: I certainly do. You know, you make a good point. Ike was promoted over others and it wasn’t just his work ethic, but as you said, he was able to work with others. I think we as Christians need to realize that we have the Truth, we know the Gospel, but there needs to be a winsomeness about us communicating to others. I can’t just beat them over the head and expect them to want to join me in serving the Lord. We need to have an ability to engage with other people in a real and meaningful way.
And so one of Eisenhower’s greatest challenges during the war was not just coordinating the military effort, but it was dealing with all the personalities and all the dynamics of this Allied force. So, you had British with Montgomery as one of the prima donnas in the British force. You had Charles de Gaulle in the scene and some French force. You had many other nations represented. And Eisenhower had to bring them all together and keep them united, focused on the mission at hand.
Nathan Jones: And when he was done at World War II, he didn’t give up. I mean, he went and was a president of a college for a number of years, but when he saw the Red Terror, the Soviet Union and communism starting to spread all over the world, he came back. He had to get back in politics. He was a soldier. There’s no retirement age, I guess, for a warrior in Jesus Christ. And he went back and, of course, he became president. I like Ike, right? I like Ike.
Tim Moore: I like Ike. Exactly. And we still do. I still like Ike. You know, it’s fascinating to me, talk about things coming full circle or at least turning 180. Do you remember what college, what university he was president of?
Nathan Jones: Columbia.
Tim Moore: Columbia, which is the very college today that’s tearing itself apart with protest in support of the Palestinian cause and Hamas. Ike must be turning over in his grave that that institution has gone so far from its original foundings, and really from his leadership. I think there’s something else telling that shows the foundation of Ike. It was during his presidency that, of course, the Soviet Union had begun to grow in power and influence and there was a concern that the Soviets would basically conquer the world with the ideology of communism and socialism.
So, Ike, along with Congress, in that day and age, said, “We are going to stand firm on Judeo-Christian values.” So, that’s when, with his support, the United States took up as its motto, In God We Trust, and put the words “under God” into our pledge of allegiance. And so Ike was instrumental in that and I think it was reflective of the Christian faith that he had been grounded in. It’s also instructive to Ike’s integrity and to his understanding of his place in history that after he left office, and let’s face it, the 1950s were by and large a peaceful time. There had been a war in Korea, obviously that began prior to his tenure. But people will remember the ’50s as a time of growth. The baby boom was happening, a lot of positives. And yet when he was out of office, he petitioned Congress to give back his title as General.
Nathan Jones: Five-star, right?
Tim Moore: As a five-star general, exactly. Because he said, “There are plenty of people who have been President. There’ve only been a handful who achieved that rank.” And so he wanted to be known and remembered as General Dwight David Eisenhower.
Nathan Jones: Which is interesting because he was a soldier, but he was also a peacemaker. I mean, he went in, realized that the Korean War, that China was backing it, threatened nuclear warfare on China, got them to back out, made the 38th parallel, and then for the next eight years, the United States knew peace. So, it’s interesting that one of our greatest warriors was also one of our greatest peacemakers.
Tim Moore: One of our greatest peacemakers. Well, let’s turn to another personality really from that same timeframe. We’ve talked about a Republican president. Obviously Eisenhower had grown up Democrat, sort of a populist Democrat from the Heartland.
Nathan Jones: He declared as Republican much later, right?
Tim Moore: Much later, yes. As he decided he would run for president, both parties were courting him. So, there were many Democrats who were really farmers and blue collar folks back in the day. Most of them have gravitated to the Republican party. But to be equal in our treatment, let’s talk about Harry Truman, one of the most famous democratic presidents from the 20th century and arguably one of our favorites from American history. Why do we love Harry Truman so much?
Nathan Jones: Well, you’ve got to be a Bible prophecy interest to even know this story. I think most Americans don’t know this. But when the UN Resolution 181 gave Israel a right to become a nation, again, and there to be a Palestinian state as well, Israel declared that they would be a state. The United States was the first country to recognize Israel as a nation. And Truman had to fight Marshall and many of his other cabinet members who were like, “No, you’re just going to antagonize the Arabs.” They were dead set against him. But Truman, because he was raised in Judeo-Christian values and because he was in business in a haberdashery with a Jew, he understood the Jewish people. And so he did what he believed that God wanted, is to recognize Israel as a nation. So, really, Harry Truman had a lot to do with Israel becoming a nation.
Tim Moore: He certainly did. Haberdashery, that’s not a word we use very often. So, folks, haberdashery means basically he was into selling men’s clothing and fine wear, so, hats and other things. But his partner was a Jewish man, and so it was almost considered unprecedented, not completely, but it was noted when Harry Truman invited his Jewish friend to the White House to seek counsel.
But you mentioned Marshall. One of my other great military heroes is George C. Marshall, because he was the one who was instrumental during the war. As a matter of fact, Franklin Roosevelt said, “George, I would put you in charge of the expeditionary force that’s going to defeat Nazi Germany, but you’re too valuable to me here in Washington.” And so Marshall, being very selfless, said, “You’re right, I’ll stay here, but I think that Eisenhower would be the right man.”
Well, later Marshall became Secretary of State. Some of our viewers may have heard of the Marshall Plan that rebuilt Europe. So, Marshall was a great warrior, but also a great diplomat and a great peacemaker, and yet he counseled Harry Truman against recognizing Israel. He even said, “If you recognize Israel, I will either quit or I will certainly vote and campaign against you in the next election.” And Truman said, “Well, be that such as it is. I will recognize Israel,” because Harry Truman had been to Sunday school.
Nathan Jones: Yes, and Harry Truman believed the buck stops here, right?
Tim Moore: Yes.
Nathan Jones: Did he not have a plaque on the White House desk…
Tim Moore: He did.
Nathan Jones: That says, “The Buck Stops Here?” I don’t know about you, but the last 30, 40 years that I’ve watched politics, it seems like every politician is pointing every direction but themself. None of them seem to take responsibility for their actions. And yet Harry Truman believed the buck stops here. There was no passing the buck. You had to take responsibility. And that is a value that we don’t see much in our culture these days.
Tim Moore: We certainly don’t. You know, I think it’s fascinating to consider that Harry Truman was not the first choice to be vice president. As a matter of fact, Franklin Roosevelt had had several other candidates. His first vice president, John Nance Garner, famously said that the vice president’s office is not worth a bucket of warm spit. And frankly, I don’t know if he used the word spit.
Nathan Jones: Probably not.
Tim Moore: Probably not. But the point was the vice presidency was irrelevant. You could almost say it still is today. But Truman was elevated unexpectedly when Roosevelt died in office. Harry Truman had not even known about the Manhattan Project developing a nuclear bomb until he was told upon ascending to the presidency and he made the decision, heart-wrenching as it was, to try to end the war as quickly as possible, saving lives both on the Allied behalf and even on the Japanese. But he was thrust into that position for such a time as that. And I think God raised him up to be the key person at a key hinge point in human history when Israel was reemerging on the world stage.
Nathan Jones: I mean, think about the two main decisions that he made that affected the world. One was nuclear weapons. Should he put atomic weapons in Japan and save millions of people from a long, protracted end of the war? And he did, and he said he’d do it again, too. Two, like you said, Israel. The fact that Israel is a nation again and that the United States recognize it, we know that if we go to Genesis 12, the Lord will bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel. And the 1950s might have been the pinnacle of American exceptionalism in the world because God blessed America for supporting Israel.
Tim Moore: I actually think that’s absolutely true. I think all the blessings that were manifest in the middle of this past century and that we’re still kind of seeing wain before our very eyes were because America was raised up to be the key ally, the key supporter of Israel, Harry Truman being absolutely instrumental. And yet now we’ve grown very fickle in our support for Israel.
You know, Nathan, many times, even when I was in office, I would cite from the Proverbs 29:18 that says, “Where there is no vision, that people are unrestrained,” or other versions might say in your Bible, the people perish or the people run amuck. At one point, we had leaders like Truman, like Eisenhower, I would even say like Reagan, who could enunciate a vision, who were clear in their moral clarity of why America should harken to certain values and therefore be great. And yet today we have leaders, so-called, who have no vision, no moral clarity, and so we are running amuck.
I used to call it the ABCs of leadership: a willingness to serve, boldness when boldness is called for, we could argue Truman showed boldness, and so did Eisenhower. and clarity of vision. And today, instead of providing clarity of vision, like you said, most of our politicians are pointing fingers and trying to muddy the waters. Is it any wonder that our society is unrestrained, our people are running amuck and indeed perishing?
Nathan Jones: Well, there’s a Bible verse that declares, basically, if a country is separated from God or in rebellion against God, He gives them children to run the country. And we obviously don’t have little kids running the country, but, I mean, behavior wise, decision wise, the selfishness that children exhibit, it seems like that’s exactly what the Lord did.
As we started going down that slippery slope of first, you know, we’ve got to remove prayer from our country, then Bible reading from our country, and then the schools being openly hostile to Christianity, to legalizing abortion in Roe v. Wade, and then so forth, gay marriage, and that slippery slope like the Supreme Court warned if we kept going down, and we are not just slowly going, we are sliding very fast. The fact that now we have one party that their entire platform is about the murder of babies, the mutilation of children, and the glorification of homosexuality. Imagine if you put that culture back in Truman and Eisenhower’s time period.
Tim Moore: They couldn’t have fathomed it. No one could in that day and age.
Nathan Jones: We couldn’t even 5, 10 years ago.
Tim Moore: No, not at all. I’m reminded every time we witness what’s happening before our very eyes of what Paul wrote in Romans 1. I know we go to that chapter very often. But he talked about how they, those who are now without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, and merciful, they know the ordinances of God, that those who practice such things, such evil, abominable things, are worthy of death, but then they not only do the same, they also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
I think of so many Democratic politicians today who are celebrating abortion, celebrating the destruction of the natural order of man and woman with their whole transgender ideology, and they are celebrating it and endorsing it, and actually encouraging others to participate in that wickedness. You know, David Reagan, our founder, wrote a book that at the time I thought, “Oh, this may be too touchy with even the title,” but he called it “America’s Suicide,” and Nathan, we’ve learned that does describe where we are as a people, and this book was very well received when it was first released.
Nathan Jones: Well, Tim, I have a question for you. 2 Chronicles 7:14. So many Christians go to 2 Chronicles 7:14 to say that there’s hope for us if we turn to the Lord. What do you think?
Tim Moore: I think there’s hope for us individually if we turn to the Lord, but I think the time of America’s greatness is fading if we do not, as a whole people, turn back and repent, in other words, change course to turn back toward God. And every trajectory and every trend seems to be demonstrating that that is not likely, say but for the grace of God.
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Nathan Jones: Mm, mm.
Tim Moore: I think we need to harken to what Jesus said, and we’ve talked about this many times, from Hebrews 24. He said, “Do not be deceived. Do not be misled.” So, when you’re watching political commercials and propaganda these days the same truth applies.
Nathan Jones: That’s what it is, propaganda.
Tim Moore: Yeah, don’t be deceived. Don’t be misled. But I think, Nathan, if we really want to change the trajectory of our culture, to fulfill the hope and the aspiration of 2 Chronicles 7:14, we need to take a word from Daniel in 11:32. He’s talking about the End Times and all the horrors that will ensue. But he says this, “The people who know their God will display strength and take action.” And I think it’s time for Christians who know their God, who worship and look for His coming, Jesus Christ, we need to display strength and take action.
Nathan Jones: Amen to that. I love Romans 8:14, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” And that’s a reminder of the fact that as children of God, our citizenship isn’t the nation we’re living in. Our citizenship is in Heaven in the Millennial Kingdom. We’re here to be salt and light during that time. But we look forward to Christ’s kingdom.
Tim Moore: We certainly do. And so men like Eisenhower and Truman, yes, they harken from a day and age when the Heartland values, the Judeo-Christian values of the Protestant work ethic were more widespread. I dare say even now, the closer you get to a coast, an urban city, a campus, or even a corporate entity, the further removed from those core American values you become. But many of us live in parts of the country that still harken to them. And if you’re watching this program, we hope that you do as well.
You know, Nathan, as I was thinking about this, I was recollecting that when I attended the Air Force Academy, we had a ramp that went up and down to our parade field. We’d have to march up it every Saturday that we had a parade. It was called the Bring Me Men Ramp because it took a phrase from a famous 1894 poem by Sam Walter Foss. And by the way, he was a committed Methodist back when the Methodist Church was sincere and intentional about the Christian faith and evangelism.
And the poem opens with these words, “Bring me men to match my mountains. Bring me men to match my plains.” And then in the third stanza, Foss alluded to his very deep faith in the Almighty God that motivates such men and women still who could match mountains and plains. He wrote these words, “Men whose moral currents sweep toward the wide, enfolding ocean of an undiscovered deep.” You know, that motto was replaced in 2003 with the so-called Air Force values. I don’t even think they ascribe to them anymore. But isn’t it sad that too often we lack for men and women of that kind of character today?
Conclusion
Tim Moore: Well, folks, our theme today is simply this, character counts. We rejoice that at momentous hinge points in world history just this past century, men of sufficient character were in positions of great power and responsibility.
Nathan Jones: And lest anyone think that we remove women from that equation, there have always been many women who stand as exemplars of leadership at critical moments, from Deborah and Esther to Lottie Moon, Corrie ten Boom, and Margaret Thatcher.
Tim Moore: You know, Lady Thatcher is one of my favorite leaders from my own lifetime. And each of the men we highlighted today was grounded in Christian faith because they had a godly mother who very intentionally raised them up to honor the Lord God, as, thankfully, did Nathan and myself.
What our nation and the world desperately needs right now is men and women who know their God and are willing to display strength. In the next couple of weeks leading up to the election on November 5th, we will look back at America’s Christian heritage with an episode entitled, “How Long Will You Waiver?” Then we will address the implications of this election head on with an episode entitled “America at the Crossroads.”
Nathan Jones: You will not want to miss these next several weeks of Christ in Prophecy. We hope you’ll also make a point to find Christ in Prophecy Radio on a local radio channel or through our website at lamblion.com or christinprophecy.org. You can also subscribe to our Lamplighter Magazine, which is focused on these same themes this summer and fall. And if you’d like to partner with Lamb and Lion Ministries, you’ll receive the Lamplighter for free.
Tim Moore: We’ll see you again next week. Until then, join us in praying fervently for our very confused nation. Ask God to raise up men and women who are dedicated to Him and ready to meet any challenge, then realize that you are the man or woman He may be calling to do just that. Godspeed!
End of Program