Franklin Graham has spent this year holding rallies at every state capitol, praying for the nation and its leaders and challenging Christians to be involved in the political process. With the most critical elections in decades now just days away, here are some of the key points excerpted from Franklin’s messages at the Decision America Tour events.
Our country is in trouble—we’re in trouble spiritually, racially, economically and politically. Washington is broken. Our state capitols are broken.
And I can tell you: There’s no party and no individual that can turn this thing around. I have no hope in the Democratic Party. I have no hope in the Republican Party. The only hope for the United States of America is Almighty God and His Son, Jesus Christ. And the most important thing you and I can do is pray.
You see, the moral and political walls of our nation are crumbling. Walls are meant for protection—to keep bad people out. Gates can be opened, and when threats come, the gates can be closed. But our moral walls and gates are down. Any type of wicked thoughts, wicked teaching and activity can come and go. Our educators, big business, politicians and, sad to say, many churches, are more concerned about profits or political correctness than they are about God’s truth and His righteousness.
In Nehemiah 1, the children of Israel were in captivity in Babylon. God had brought judgment against Israel for their sins and their transgressions, and Nehemiah was a Jewish slave in the Babylonian king’s palace. When some men came to Babylon from Judah, they told Nehemiah that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down, and its gates had been burned with fire. Nehemiah said: “When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days. Then I fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven” (Neh. 1:4).
Nehemiah fasted and prayed. His prayer was to confess the sins of his people, his nation, himself and his father’s family. God heard Nehemiah’s prayer and gave him favor. The pagan king sent Nehemiah back to Jerusalem with the authority to rebuild the walls. He gave Nehemiah letters and a military escort, and within 52 days after returning, he rebuilt the walls of that city and rehung those gates.
Many people say, “Franklin, it’s too late for America.” No, it’s not—not when the church begins to pray.
Our nation needs healing. But before our nation can be healed, our individual hearts must be healed. If you’re not sure your sins are forgiven, I want you to know that God loves you. But we have a problem, and that problem is called sin. Sin is disobeying God’s standards, and the Bible says we have all sinned. We’re all guilty.
But the Bible says that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Jesus Christ came to this earth, and He willingly took our sins upon Himself. Christ died and shed His blood on the cross for our sins. And on the third day God raised His Son to life. If you will invite Him into your heart, God will forgive your sins. He’ll heal your heart, and you can know that your soul is at peace with God. You can have your sins forgiven.
So we look at our country. We’re in sad shape, and you say to yourself, “What can I do? It seems like we’re helpless.” Remember: God hears prayer.
And there’s another thing you can do: Vote. I won’t tell you who to vote for. God will do that, but you vote. In many countries where I work, people don’t have the opportunity to vote.
We still have freedom in this country, and I want to encourage you to vote—not just for the presidential election but for every election. Look at who’s running, and vote for people who have biblical faith and values.
People ask me, “What about separation of church and state?” Our forefathers never intended for us to leave our faith out on the Capitol steps if we worked in that building.
The progressives say “You have the ‘freedom to worship,'” which means you are restricted to the church. You can’t come out into the public with your religion, because you may offend somebody.
No. Our forefathers gave us freedom of religion, where we can live our faith 24/7 in public, wherever we are.
You say, “But Franklin, I don’t like Donald Trump,” or “I don’t like Hillary Clinton, so I’m not going to vote.”
You vote. You may have to hold your nose, but vote because this election is not about personalities. This election is not about tone. It’s about the Supreme Court.
The first thing the next president is going to do is nominate a Supreme Court justice. And during their term, they may nominate three, four, maybe as many as five Supreme Court justices, and that will change the direction of our country and the courts for 50 years, maybe 100 years. So it’s important that you vote.
And I would like to encourage you not only to vote, but also to offer yourself to run for public office. It’s too late to run during this political season, but start thinking about two years from now. Maybe God is moving you to a different position. Maybe into the state legislature. Maybe to be a city councilmember. Maybe to be a mayor. Maybe to be on the school board.
Our job as Christians is to make the impact of Christ felt in every phase of life—religious, social, economic and political. But we cannot do it in our own strength or wisdom. We can only do it if we surrender ourselves completely to God. Be an advocate for God’s truth, for His righteousness. And let’s elect men and women to office who will lead this nation back to really being one nation under God—one that can truthfully say once again, “In Almighty God we trust.”
©2016 BGEA
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