I’ve recently prepared what may well be my last message to our nation. I have prayed a great deal about this. The program is called The Cross, and you can see it on television beginning Thursday.
I hope you won’t watch the program alone. It’s intended to be watched with someone you know—a loved one, friend, or co-worker—who needs Jesus Christ.
With all my heart, I want to remind Americans of God’s amazing love and, as simply and clearly as I can, call people to “a repentance that leads to salvation” (2 Cor. 7:10, ESV). The program shows moving stories of real individuals, young Americans, whose lives have been completely transformed by the power of the gospel. Woven around those stories is a message I believe God has given me for people in our nation today.
On a television talk show the other night, I heard a commentator say, “This country is headed straight to hell.” When you listen to the news day after day or simply pay attention to what goes on around you, it’s not hard to understand why someone might say that. Ungodliness floods our land. Moral decline has become normal. We see killing, theft, dishonesty, greed, and open immorality everywhere. Many flaunt what they do and even demand public approval. The Bible says, “They proclaim their sin … ; they do not hide it” (Is. 3:9).
But this is no cause for despair. Jesus has always sought out sinners, called them to Himself, and redeemed all who respond. The Bible says, “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Rom. 5:20). Zacchaeus was a corrupt tax collector notorious for abusing his authority and cheating on a grand scale, someone we might today call a white-collar criminal. Jesus took notice of him, loved him, and decided to go to his house for a visit. We don’t have a record of their heart-to-heart conversation, but we do know that Zacchaeus responded in open repentance and faith. Then and there, Jesus announced his salvation.
This can happen in your house or wherever you invite others to sit with you and hear the call of Jesus.
Each of us can find ways to help specific people we know encounter the Gospel. Thousands of believers across the nation, in every state, are taking the opportunity to do just that through the My Hope America outreach during November. I trust you are among them. If you can’t watch the first broadcast on Thursday, it will be repeated in the days that follow on various channels. Check here for national and local TV listings.
Will you pray with me today for this outreach and for the people of America who need Christ, including individuals you know? Pray also for the more than 23,000 churches across the nation who are participating. And remember to pray for those who respond to the gospel, that they will grow strong in their faith.
Many of our friends prayed—perhaps including you—as Franklin preached the gospel at a crusade in Reykjavík, Iceland, and as my grandson Will preached in Fukushima, Japan. Both were challenging situations, but God answered. Hundreds of people in each place made life-changing decisions for Christ, and in both cities, God strengthened the churches. During November, Franklin and Will are each going to lead a crusade event in different cities in Thailand, and my friend and longtime associate evangelist Robert Cunville is leading two crusade events in India. Eternity is at stake for many souls at each crusade. We are grateful for your prayers.
Everything we do at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association centers on reaching lost people for Christ. We also give careful attention to follow-up of new believers, and we need your gift now to help not only with the My Hope America outreach, but also with the follow-up in weeks to come. When you pray, and when you give, you are an active partner in the work. “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:3–4).
This article originally appeared on BillyGraham.org.
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