Franklin Graham Meets the Press in Osaka

By   •   October 22, 2010

Q:/ Can you tell us more about why you have come to Osaka?

GRAHAM: We have come to your city this week at the invitation of about 400 churches. There have been many people who have worked and prayed for this week. We have over 1000 volunteers that will be working each night. I want to express my deep gratitude to the churches that invited us. We have come to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to give the people of this great city an opportunity to find peace with God through faith in his son Jesus Christ.

Q:/ How do you measure of an event like this?

GRAHAM: The success of any evangelical meeting depends on prayer. There have been thousands of people praying. If one person were to give their life to Jesus Christ this week, it would be successful. God made each and every one of us. He cares for us. But the human race has a problem. The human race has broken God’s standard. As a result we are separated from God. But if we’re willing to accept God’s salvation – His son Jesus Christ, God will forgive us, He’ll heal our hearts and He will reveal his plan for our lives.

Q:/ Did you get any advice from your father before you came?

GRAHAM: My father will be 92 next month. His health is fairly good for 92 years of age. Yes, he said, “Franklin, please greet everyone for me. I am now an old man. I don’t believe anyone will remember me. But just in case someone might remember me, please greet them.”

My father is still very engaged. He works a little bit every day. He hopes he can preach one more time. Whether he’ll have the strength to do that, I don’t know, but he’s working toward that. My mother passed away more than two years ago and that was very difficult for him. My mother and father were very close.

But he knows about these meetings here today, he is praying for us. He loves Japan. He loves the food, he loves the people, and he has many, many fond memories of ministry here among the Japanese people.