Dear Friend,
The upcoming election is the most important in our lifetime. The presidential race isn’t about personalities—both candidates are flawed. What it really comes down to is the appointment of Supreme Court justices. The Supreme Court is the most powerful body of decision makers in our nation, and they serve life terms. Their beliefs matter. Many of the things they rule on are important to God—including issues like abortion, the definition of marriage, and religious freedoms. The next president of the United States will immediately appoint one Supreme Court justice and may appoint up to a total of five while in office. The justices who are appointed will impact the direction of our country for the next hundred years. I urge everyone to research who the candidates say they will nominate for the highest court in the land.
I am sure you would agree that our nation is in serious trouble. But I firmly believe that if Christians will fervently pray and get involved in the political process, God can use us to make a difference. It is critical that God’s people vote and let the Christian voice be heard in America. Our only hope is Almighty God.
I am reminded of when Esther, in the Bible, had to take action at a critical time in her nation’s history. If she had stayed silent, it would have been the end for God’s people—but she had an opportunity to speak up. Esther’s relative Mordecai told her, “If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14, ESV).
Esther was there “for such a time as this.” She took a stand. Will we as Christians do the same? I have been going to all 50 states this year with the Decision America Tour, holding prayer rallies on the steps of every capitol and urging people to pray, to vote, and to engage in the political process at all levels. If we don’t vote, we may lose America as we know it for our children and grandchildren.
The church must rise up “for such a time as this.” Are we willing to risk it all to speak up for what is right?
Christians need to research the candidates—local, state, and national—and see who will most support Biblical values. We have listed both the Democratic and the Republican platforms on our website so you can read them for yourselves. Go to DecisionAmericaTour.com and share that information with others.
As important as the national election is, don’t think the November elections are only about a president. Could you imagine if the majority of your city or county council, or the school board, were men and women of God—would that have an impact on your community? You bet it would! How about the mayors? Every race on the ballot matters—including members of Congress, governors, and all the state and local offices.
At every Decision America Tour prayer rally in every state, I have also shared the Gospel and invited people to give their lives to Jesus Christ in a prayer of repentance and faith. Thousands of people have let us know they prayed that prayer. That has been incredible, and we give God all the glory.
We have a powerful new My Hope film called Decisions, which captures some of these stories of lives changed by Almighty God. During the 30-minute program, I share the message of the Gospel and invite viewers to receive Jesus as Savior. I would love for you to have a free copy and use it in your church or in your own home to reach others with the Good News that can change their lives for eternity. It’s available to you at no charge. If you have not yet asked us to reserve a DVD copy for you, do so by visiting BillyGraham.org/DecisionsDVD today.
So many across our nation need to hear the Gospel, and not just in the capital cities where we have been with the Decision America Tour this year. In 2017 we will begin focusing on saturating different regions of the country with the unchanging truth of the Gospel. I feel I should go to the smaller cities that might not have had this type of outreach in the past.
This is something God has laid on my heart, and I ask you to pray with us as we put plans together. I believe that time is short, and there are only two destinations for a person’s soul—Heaven or Hell.
I feel an urgency to share the Good News with as many as possible before God’s clock runs out. People need to hear and respond to the same message that the Apostle Peter preached in Jerusalem: “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19, ESV).
In November I will be going to Myanmar (formerly called Burma) to preach the Gospel. Will you pray with me for an outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit in that land to touch and transform lives as His Word is preached?
Last weekend, my son Will was in Scotland to hold a five-day evangelistic Crusade called a Celebration of Hope in the coastal town of Peterhead, with satellite gatherings in other towns. Pray for people in Scotland who made life-changing decisions to begin a relationship with the Savior.
Thank you for your prayers and financial support, which allow us to continue taking the most important message ever told to lost souls far and near.
May God richly bless you,
Franklin Graham
President
