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During the Decision America Tennessee Tour last month, Franklin Graham encouraged everyone in attendance to look to God and His Word for guidance in every area of life. In honor of Father’s Day, here are some resources on how to honor Christ in your home—and Scriptural e-cards you can share:
Dr. Steve Greene is now sharing his reflections and practical insights as a ministry leader on Greenelines, a new podcast from Charisma. Listen atcharismapodcastnetwork.com.
There are so many terrible things occupying the headlines these days, it can be hard to wrap your head around them. When will the madness end?
The people who lived in Bible times were no strangers to atrocity. But many were also well acquainted with the character of God—a loving, protecting Father quick to console His people. He comforted them then and comforts us now.
Take a few moments to soak in these passages of Scripture and let them sustain you in the days ahead.
1. Psalm 27:1 –"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom will I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom will I be afraid?"
2. Deuteronomy 31:8 – "The Lord, He goes before you. He will be with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you. Do not fear, nor be dismayed."
3. Psalm 23:4 – "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."
4. Job 5:11 – "He sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety."
5. Lamentations 3:22-23 – "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed; His compassions do not fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."
6. John 14:27 – "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
7. Psalm 46:1 – "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."
8. 2 Corinthians 1:3 – "Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort."
9. Psalm 119:76 – "Let your merciful kindness comfort me according to Your word to your servant."
10. John 16:33 – "I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world."
11. Psalm 139:11-12 – "If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light shall be as night about me,' even the darkness is not dark to You, but the night shines as the day, for darkness is like light to you."
12. Isaiah 49:13 – "Sing, O heavens! And be joyful, O earth! And break forth into singing, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people and will have mercy on His afflicted."
13. Matthew 5:4 – "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
14. Psalm 55:22 – "Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be moved."
15. Romans 8:37-39 – "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities nor powers, neither things present nor things to come, neither height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
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Franklin Graham Launches Movement to Stop Christian Persecution
Franklin Graham traveled to Russia last fall, where he met with leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church, including Patriarch Kirill (second from right). (Courtesy/BGEA)
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Franklin Graham announced Wednesday that the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association will convene The World Summit in Defense of Persecuted Christians this October. It will be held in Moscow, Russia, Oct. 28-30 in cooperation with the Russian Orthodox Church.
"2015 was just reported in the media as the worst year for Christian persecution," Franklin Graham wrote on his Facebook page Wednesday. "More than twice as many Christians were killed for their faith than in the previous year—making it the worst in history since these statistics have been tracked."
Franklin Graham called Moscow "a fitting and meaningful location for this much-needed summit."
"No church in modern history has suffered more than the church in Russia. In the years under Communist rule, virtually all of the priests, pastors, and church leaders in Russia were imprisoned or executed by the Communists, and their graves are on the outskirts of Moscow and throughout the country serving as a reminder."
Franklin Graham visited Russia last fall. While there, he met with Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as evangelical leaders to discuss the persecuted church worldwide.
Franklin Graham cited a Feb. 16 interview with Patriarch Kirill, where the Patriarch said we need to "work together in order to save our society from de-Christianization. ... Christians are being squeezed out of public life."
Britain's Prince Charles, Franklin Graham added, has also warned that Christianity could soon be wiped out of the Middle East—its birth place—with all the torture, beheadings and imprisonment people there face as a result of their faith.
"The World Summit in Defense of Persecuted Christians will shed a global spotlight on this crisis," Franklin Graham wrote in his Facebook announcement. "We will bring delegates from around the world and will be able to join hands with people of other churches and denominations of the Christian faith to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ and to hear firsthand reports of the suffering that is taking place.
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Franklin Graham speaks during one of his Decision America Tour stops. (Courtesy/BGEA)
Franklin Graham: Young Pastors Are Caught Up in Pop Culture
Franklin Graham is a voice crying in the wilderness.
"I believe we are perilously close to the moral tipping point for the survival of the United States of America," Graham wrote in Decision magazine. "I refuse to be silent and watch the future of our children and grandchildren be offered up on pagan altars of personal pleasure and immorality."
The Supreme Court has already redefined marriage. The nation has become a killing field for Islamic radicals. And Christians have become targets for practicing their First Amendment rights.
"There now exists deep-seated antagonism and hostility toward Christianity in every seat of power in this nation—government, media, courts and education," Graham wrote. "It has become open season on Christians."
Instead of ignoring the rotting of America's culture, the president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has decided to do something about it.
Earlier this month, Graham launched the "Decision America Tour," a series of prayer rallies at the capitol buildings of all 50 states.
"The only hope for America is not the Democratic Party, and it's not the Republican Party," Graham told me. "The only hope for America is God."
I caught up with Graham just after his inaugural prayer gathering in Des Moines. More than 2,000 people turned out in frigid weather—to petition the Almighty.
It was one of the rare moments in Iowa when politicians were not recognized nor were they allowed to speak.
"If a candidate showed up—we're not going to recognize them," Graham said. "We're not going to give them a microphone."
That's because "Decision America Tour" is not about politics.
"It's trying to lead this nation in prayer, confessing the sins of our country, asking for God's forgiveness and encouraging Christians to get engaged in the political process," he told me.
Graham is doing what many young ministers refuse to do—address issues that some might consider politically incorrect.
He told me that while a number of older pastors understand the gravity of the situation, many younger pastors do not.
"The younger pastors—so many are caught up in the pop culture, and the pastor in a church is more about being cool," he said. "We're beginning to put theology in the back seat, and I'm concerned about the church."
And that's when he dropped this evangelical bombshell.
"To be honest with you, the problems we have in America today are the failure of the church," he said.
I reckon that comment just made a lot of folks start wiggling in the pews.
But Graham has a valid point.
The government has taken on many responsibilities that were once in the hands of the local church.
"The churches have allowed the government to take away their responsibility and so the government is feeding people, the government is clothing people, the government is now in charge of health care," he said.
Graham expounds on this topic during our podcast interview—but the point he is making is clear. It's time for Christians to re-engage the culture.
"We as a nation are in trouble, and only God can fix it," he said.
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Franklin Graham: America's Walls Are Crumbling But ...
Franklin Graham will be devoting his time in 2016 to go to every state in our country to hold a prayer rally, to preach the gospel, and to challenge believers to take a stand and take action. (Courtesy/BGEA)
Dear Friend,
In the Bible we read that Nehemiah was discouraged and distressed because the walls of Jerusalem had been broken down and its gates had been burned with fire. He sat down and wept and mourned for his nation—and he cried out to the God of heaven.
God heard his prayers and used him to lead the people to rebuild those broken-down walls. They were greatly outnumbered by their enemies and facing opposition and vicious threats. They responded by praying and seeking God, and they went to work rebuilding what had been torn down, even holding their weapons in their hands to protect themselves while they worked. In a miraculously short time—52 days—they rebuilt the walls and hope was restored.
America's walls of biblical morality are crumbling. Almost everyone I speak with is distraught over the direction our nation is taking. Christianity and our religious freedoms are under siege. Progressives and secularists want to see God removed from everything and to burn every gate of protection.
We can't sit idle. Like Nehemiah we need to take a bold stand. We need to cry out to God on behalf of our nation. Nehemiah confessed the sins and failures of the people, "including myself and my father's family," and repented. He prayed, "We have acted very wickedly toward you" (Nehemiah 1:6–7, NIV).
I believe that it is going to take the church of Jesus Christ standing up for righteousness, shoulder to shoulder, to make a difference in this country. I do not believe that Republicans or Democrats or any other party can turn this nation around, but I do have hope. God hears the prayers of His people, and walls can be rebuilt.
I will be devoting my time in 2016 to go to every state in our country—all 50—to hold a prayer rally, to preach the gospel, and to challenge believers to take a stand and take action. We are calling it the Decision America Tour, and we will begin announcing dates for specific cities on the tour in October. Be watching for that. My purpose for going is to call the church and Christians to pray, to vote, and to engage.
I'm not going to endorse specific candidates, but I believe it's vitally important that we vote for those who best support biblical and godly principles. Christians should be going to the polls and voting in record numbers. Your vote does matter. Millions of evangelical Christians did not vote in the last presidential election. If Christians continue to leave voting to others, there may be no turning this country around. The first political debate that aired recently had the highest viewership in cable TV history—24 million watching. I think this is evidence of the dissatisfaction with Washington and shows that voters are paying attention.
During the Decision America Tour, I want to urge Christians not only to vote but also to engage by running for political office at all levels—local, state, and federal. We need Christian judges, Christian assembly members, and Christian mayors. We need Christian clerks of court, school board members, governors, and, of course, senators and representatives. Most importantly on this tour, I am calling on those who follow the name of Jesus Christ to do as God's Word says: "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 I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14, MEV).
The only hope for America is to have hearts changed—and Christ can do that. On the 50-state Decision America Tour, I will be preaching the only message that has the power to bring real and lasting change—the gospel. In every state next year, I will preach that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, took our sins to the cross, shed His blood, and died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of mankind, and God raised Him to life. I will be giving an invitation for people to repent of sin and turn to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives.
The success of the Decision America Tour depends on prayer. Just as Nehemiah's people were threatened, this effort will be under attack.
But just as Nehemiah found, it is worth it. I don't believe Christians should be shrinking back. America is at a crossroads, and I believe we should take every opportunity to stand up for the things of God and His Word.
The strategy that the Lord gave Nehemiah was for each family to begin repairing the portion of the wall nearest their own home. And in our day we can begin rebuilding the wall around our own homes as well. How? Start a prayer group in your own community to pray that our nation would turn back to God—just a few friends praying together every week can make a huge impact. Join your state's prayer team and pray for the Decision America Tour and for our nation. Support Christians running for office in your city and state. Engage right where you are to make a difference for Christ.
Thank you for standing with us at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to take the gospel message to as many people as possible through radio, the Internet, evangelistic Crusades both here at home and around the world, and now the Decision America Tour.
Franklin Graham, son of iconic evangelist Billy Graham, is the president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse.
Last month I was in South Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya. South Sudan is the world's newest nation, gaining independence in 2011, and we held a large evangelistic Crusade in the capital city of Juba in 2012. Now ethnic divisions and political rivalry have led to civil war, with fighting and lawlessness across the nation. I met separately and prayed with the country's president, Salva Kiir, and the leader of the opposition, former vice president Riek Machar, and I urged them to sign a peace agreement.
I also met with about 150 South Sudan church leaders in Juba. We worshiped together and prayed for peace and unity in their nation. These pastors care passionately about the people of their nation and about sharing the gospel, and they asked us to return for another evangelistic Crusade as soon as conditions in the country make that possible. Pray that we would be able to do this and that there will be an end to the strife in South Sudan.
In a few weeks I'll be in Barcelona, Spain, for an evangelistic Festival. Spain is a country with its own political unrest as separatist movements keep the country under constant pressure to pull apart. Secularism has spread rapidly, just as it is spreading across the rest of Europe and the United States. An increasingly large part of the population, especially among young people, accepts an "anything goes" attitude toward sexual behavior, drugs and morality in general. Spain has the highest rate of cocaine use of any nation in the world. Officially a Catholic nation, Spain today has more people who say they have little or no interest in religion than it has actively committed Catholics. The country has twice as many Muslims as evangelical Christians.
Barcelona, the country's second-largest city, is the center of one of the major separatist movements. It is also the city with the highest concentration of Muslims—along with a number of small evangelical churches—and that is where we will be going May 1 to proclaim the gospel. Pray with us that God will open hearts and do a great work among the people of this city.
Traveling in Ethiopia brought to mind a man I met there and got to know in the 1980s. Andy Meakins was a gentle giant of the faith, an Englishman who loved Jesus Christ and served Him in Africa for many years. In 1996 an Ethiopian Airlines flight was hijacked and crashed into the ocean just off the Comoros Islands after running out of fuel—you may have heard the story. The dramatic moment of impact was caught on home video and broadcast around the world. Only later did we learn of something even more dramatic happening in the cabin as the plane headed for disaster.
Andy Meakins and his wife were on that plane, seated together. The hijackers demanded to be flown to Australia even though there wasn't nearly enough fuel for that distance. As they neared the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean, one engine flamed out, and the pilot told passengers that the remaining engine would soon run out of fuel as well. Immediately, Andy's wife heard the snap of a seatbelt being unbuckled and turned to see her husband stand up.
"Many of us might die in this crash," he called out, "so there's something you need to know." Andy then began explaining the gospel simply and urgently, moving to each part of the cabin so that everyone would hear. He invited people to place their trust in Jesus Christ in repentance and faith. A flight attendant heard Andy's words, bowed her head, and asked Jesus to forgive her sins and come into her heart. She watched many more respond and, along with another survivor, later told the story. Of the 175 people on board, 125 died, including Andy, who was still on his feet preaching the gospel as the plane hit the water.
Every day tens of thousands of people slip from this world into eternity—the vast majority unprepared, "dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1, NKJV). We need to take every opportunity to share the love of Jesus Christ and the truth of the gospel, the only message that will make a difference to a lost soul. Just like an airplane going down, time is running out.
Andy Meakins used his life to witness every day, and he did so to his last breath. It is this same urgency that drives all we do at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association as we seek to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible. Will you be a part of this work through your prayers and your financial gifts?
Evangelist Franklin Graham says President Obama is sympathetic to Islam and is giving Muslim groups access to influence U.S. foreign policy, which eventually will lead to persecution of Christians and Jews in America. In an exclusive interview on CBN’s 700 Club Interactive program, Graham told host Gordon Robertson that the president’s upbringing is the reason he favors Islam.
“We’re going to see persecution in this country because our president is very sympathetic to Islam and the reason I say that, Gordon, is because his father was a Muslim, gave him a Muslim name, Barack Hussein Obama. His mother married another Muslim man, they moved to Indonesia, he went to Indonesian schools. So, growing up his frame of reference and his influence as a young man was Islam. It wasn’t Christianity, it was Islam,” he said.
Graham, who heads the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the Christian relief agency Samaritan’s Purse, has been outspoken in his criticism of President Obama. He said the president has opened the doors of the White House to Muslim groups who are shaping foreign policy, including how the administration views the war on terror and especially U.S. relations with Israel.
“There are Muslims that have access to him in the White House. Our foreign policy has a lot of influence now, from Muslims. We see the Prime Minister of Israel being snubbed by the President and by the White House and by the Democrats and it’s because of the influence of Islam. They hate Israel and they hate Christians, and so the storm is coming I believe Gordon,” the evangelist said.
Graham agreed it was President Bush who first sought out Muslim groups for advice after the terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001.
“After 9-11 the Bush Administration began to allow Muslims to come into various governmental agencies to advise us how to respond to Muslims and how to respond to Islam. …What’s happened is you now have radical Islamists who are advising various levels of government and it’s going to get worse and nobody seems to be alarmed about it. Nobody is saying anything about this and we as Christians are going to lose.”
Viewers can see the full interview on the 700 Club Interactive on Monday, March 2 on the ABC Family at 9:30 am EDT.
News of Chick-fil-A founder and chairman emeritus S. Truett Cathy's death has prompted an outpouring of pastors, ministry leaders and politicians praising his faith and business ethic.
Media notices from the family indicate that Cathy, 93, died early Monday morning in his home surrounded by loved ones.
Son and Chick-fil-A CEO Dan T. Cathy shared the news on Twitter writing, "We will miss him dearly. Please remember our family in prayer this week."
Remembrances poured in as the news quickly spread throughout both Twitter and Facebook. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed tweeted, "Our city is saddened by the loss of Truett Cathy, founder of GA's own @ChickfilA. His legacy will live on through his family and good works."
Cathy, who grew up in Atlanta, built up the chicken sandwich chain from a small diner in Hapeville, Georgia. Chick-fil-A has since grown to become one of the nation's largest family-owned companies, exceeding $5 billion in annual sales in 2013.
Cathy's admirers celebrated his business acumen. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, tweeted, "Sad to hear of Truett Cathy's passing. He was a great American entrepreneur who treated his employees well."
Megachurch Pastor Perry Noble described the-late restaurateur on Twitter as "a great man who built a great business, has a great family and kept your eyes on Jesus, you will be missed!"
Financial guru Dave Ramsey posted on his Twitter account, "RIP My friend Truett Cathy. A godly man who loved his family well and showed us faith in the market place."
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association CEO Franklin Graham posted on Facebook, "I knew Mr. Cathy for many years and had the privilege of riding motorcycles with him. He was a fine Christian gentleman that carried his Christian business principles throughout life. His restaurants were never open on Sunday out of respect for the Lord's day. He was kind and extremely generous and used the profits from his business to help others. He will be greatly missed."
Cathy, a devout Southern Baptist who taught Sunday school for 50 years, enacted a company-wide "Closed-on-Sunday" policy that allowed employees of all its locations to have a day for family, worship, fellowship and rest.
The policy is but one example of the founder's faith. As his business began to take off, Cathy reached out into the Atlanta community through his nonprofit, the WinShape Foundation. The foundation, formed in 1984, set its sights on shaping winners by "helping young people succeed in life through scholarship and other youth-support programs." Those programs eventually grew into national platforms for leadership training, long-term foster care housing, and marital counseling.
The Cathys' conservative stance on marriage has become the subject of much criticism over the years. Dan Cathy, in a 2012 interview on "The Ken Coleman Show," said of the company: "We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that."
Though Dan Cathy later pledged the company would not champion any political agendas surrounding marriage or family, the Cathys stood firm on its Christian values.
Former Congresswoman and presidential candidate Michele Bachmann, R-Minnesota, posted on Facebook, "He was a remarkable man whose life was purposely lived in a manner that pointed toward the cross. Thank you for a lifetime of honorably standing strong for American free enterprise, job creation, faith in Christ, and religious liberties. My thoughts are with his loved ones today."
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler tweeted, "Thankful to God for the generous life and courageous Christian example of S. Truett Cathy, founder of @ChickFilA — a life well lived."
The Cathy family will host two public viewings at First Baptist Church in Jonesboro, Georgia. The first viewing is scheduled at 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday. The second will be noon to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday. A public funeral will be held after the second viewing. A private burial service will be held on Thursday.
