Dear Friend,
I just returned from London, England, where I shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a fantastic crowd at ExCeL London during the final Crusade of this summer’s God Loves You Tour in the U.K.
While I was in London, prominent British broadcaster Piers Morgan invited me on his television show Uncensored. In our conversation, he said, “Times are changing. People are changing,” and I, too, should reconsider my stance on important social and Biblical issues. “We’ve moved on so much from large swaths of the Bible,” he said. I simply replied, “God doesn’t change. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
In just a few words, Piers had revealed the very heart of this world’s spiritual problem: Without the authority and reliability of God’s Word, we would all be without hope. His Word alone is ultimate Truth and contains the Good News of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.
London is one of the capitals of secularism, but I was excited to share the straightforward message that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV).
I shared the story of Belshazzar with the thousands who came and with many more watching online. He was the Babylonian king whom God judged because of his wickedness. The book of Daniel tells us that Belshazzar was running out of time, but he was too caught up with the pleasures of this world to know—or even care—that his judgment was coming.
Our time on Earth is also limited. Personally, I celebrated my 70th birthday on this trip, and I feel the passage of time in a very real way. I encouraged those in attendance to turn from their sins and find forgiveness in Christ—while they still can.
Typically when I give the invitation to respond and begin a relationship with Jesus Christ, it’s a very quiet time. That was not the case in London.
As my friend Michael W. Smith began softly singing, the crowd joined in with a beautiful chorus of praise, worshipping God and thanking Him for what was taking place before their eyes as many responded to the Gospel. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen the audience sing the invitation before!
Among those who walked forward was a young man named Asomugha.* He had been invited to the event, and the name Billy Graham registered with him.
“There was a time in my life when there was no information that was really resonating with me and I stumbled upon Billy Graham [online], and just the way he spoke really connected with me,” he said. In God’s perfect timing, this young man who spent years searching, finally found—and surrendered to—the truth of Jesus Christ in repentance and faith.
A member of our team met a woman named Rita* working at a local hotel. She invited Rita to the event and wrote “God Loves You Tour,” the time, and the location on a slip of paper. She told Rita, “Everyone needs to hear that God loves them—I hope you will come.” The two women never met again, but the Lord was moving.
Rita showed up that night, and when I shared how you could have a personal relationship with the Lord, she knew this was her time and walked to the front of the center to repent of her sins and commit her life to Jesus Christ.
Rita was beaming on the train ride home, and that’s when she saw some workers from our team wearing event badges. She excitedly explained what the evening meant to her—the message from God’s Word and a simple invitation had changed her life!
There, on one of London’s public transit trains, the small group rejoiced together at how God had worked!
Many hundreds made a commitment to Jesus Christ throughout the four stops on the God Loves You Tour U.K. Will you join us in praying for the new believers in London, that they will find Bible-believing churches where they can grow in their faith? Pray also that God will bring revival across the U.K. and embolden His churches there to faithfully proclaim the Good News.
Sharing the Gospel Here at Home
As my focus was on the U.K., my son Will was proclaiming the Good News in the United States. In July he held a pair of back-to-back evangelistic events in South Dakota. The Native Peoples Tour—with stops at Rosebud and Pine Ridge Indian Reservations—ministered to a thousand of our indigenous brothers and sisters, a group that my father once called a sleeping giant, who would rise up and help reach America for Christ.
We saw a mighty move of the Holy Spirit in these two communities, and many people responded to the Gospel.
Prior to that, Will preached at the Rappahannock Area Celebration in Fredericksburg, Virginia, a historic city located halfway between Washington, D.C., and the state capital of Richmond. Thousands attended the one-day outreach on June 25, and many others watched the livestream online. We give God all the glory for the individuals who made decisions for Jesus Christ.
One of the people who came forward was Steve,* a widower who is still grieving the loss of his wife less than a year ago. He acknowledged that he had blamed God for his circumstances, but he was ready to let that go and claim Jesus Christ as Lord instead. Steve fought back tears as he repented and accepted the forgiveness of his Heavenly Father. “Walking up there, all of a sudden, I felt myself as a whole person again.”
Will you pray with me, and with the Christians of Rosebud, Pine Ridge, and the Rappahannock area, that this will be just the beginning of what God is going to do in their communities?
Hope for the Heartland
As we rejoice over the decisions that have been made at evangelistic events this summer, there is still much work to be done. We aren’t losing speed, and we aren’t backing down. I’m looking forward to sharing the hope of Jesus Christ this fall in Allentown, Pennsylvania (Sept. 24); York, Pennsylvania (Sept. 25); Youngstown, Ohio (Sept. 27); Flint, Michigan (Sept. 29); Waukesha, Wisconsin (Oct. 1); and Rochester, Minnesota (Oct. 2).
>>Get details on these 6 stops along the God Loves You Tour this fall.
We are currently working to train local believers in those communities to share their faith and lead others to Christ. Please join me in praying for the churches of these communities, that they will be united in their desire to see the lost find truth, the broken find restoration, and the hurting find hope—all in the Name above all names.
Let Your Light Shine
Thank you for your support and prayers that make this work possible. We could not accomplish what we do without you, and lives are being changed because of your faithfulness. As we continue to partner together to see a lost world find hope in the truth of Christ Jesus, I encourage you to “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16, NKJV).
May God richly bless you,
Franklin Graham
President
*Names changed to protect privacy.
