Billy Graham once said the job of Christians that we often fail at is “to make the impact of Christ felt in every phase of life.”
This duty to make a difference not just spiritually but socially, economically and politically takes commitment, sacrifice and total surrender to God’s plan.
Something Franklin Graham has echoed in state capital after state capital these last few months.
“We’ve got an opportunity to make a difference in this country,” Franklin Graham said on Thursday to a crowd of some 7,500 people at the Decision America prayer rally in Sacramento, California.
The Decision America Tour has made 13 stops to date. And at each, Franklin Graham has challenged Christians to not only pray, but to act: “I want you to become a community organizer for God,” he said. “Become a political activist for God, for His truth, for His righteousness.”
Part of the Decision America Tour pledge is to “honor God in public”—meaning to live out our faith in a way that’s evident in this world.
“You’ve got to stand up,” said Della Reese Jenkins.
She and members of her church, Calvary Christian Center, huddled after the event to continue praying under the trees in front of the Capitol.
“We as Christians have to get out and support, become aware and stop being ‘closet Christians.’ Don’t be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” she said.
Calvary Christian Center took a stand at the prayer rally by passing out flyers informing residents of a bill up for vote next week in Sacramento that would eliminate gender specific bathrooms.
“Every army needs a purpose, and there is a battle right now for family values,” said Randy Thomasson, founder of Save California, a group campaigning against the bill.
“Franklin Graham fired them (the crowd) up,” Thomasson added. “We had more people asking for these flyers after the rally.”
Thomasson is a firm believer that “God always has something for us to do.”
“Too many prayers are, ‘God gimme, gimme, gimme,” he said. “[It’s time to] activate the church. We have to do that outside of the church [building].”
And at each stop of the Decision America Tour, there have been countless people like Thomasson who are doing just that.
Peter Feters wore his safety orange “Construction Workers for Christ” shirt proudly to Thursday’s event. He and his crew wear them as much as they can.
“They’re on the highway wearing these shirts, and they’ve got the attention of everyone passing by because drivers have to stop,” Feters explained. “When they do, these guys go to each car and pass out tracts while doing their job.”
And he doesn’t stop there. Feters owns his own roofing company as well. Homeowners who’ve contracted him will find a neat surprise if their shingles ever need replacing.
“We spray paint Scriptures underneath … put Scripture on the gutters. And we pray over the house,” he said.
“Working for Jesus, I’ll sling a hammer from sun up to sun down,” Feters continued. “By the time I’m done with a roofing job, they know I love Jesus. Whether they want to accept that or not is up to them.”
Despite some recent rough days at work, Feters said he “had to” be at Thursday’s rally.
“Our nation needs us (Christians). We are the only option,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what these [politicians] do. If we stand in the gap for them and pray for them, salvation will come to their doorsteps.
“This is a fixed fight. It’s already over,” Feters added. “It was won when Jesus dragged the devil out and took the keys of hell and death away from him!”
