A very special man left us last year. Reunited was he with his beloved wife Ruth and the Lord he served for almost one century. The man was Billy Graham and the organization he left was the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
There is hardly any ministry or mission which carries on successfully when the father hopes and prays the son carries on. It can be a terrible burden for that son to feel that fatherly responsibility, to be like him, to measure up to him and to make the ministry successful.
I know. My very own father was a renowned preacher of the gospel, even before Billy Graham. Nationally known, well respected even a mentor to some extent of Billy Graham himself. It was my father’s hope that I would be like him. Follow after him. Carry on his ministries in his memory and for the Lord. I tried. I could not. I was different then Percy B. Crawford. I had my own gifts and calling, both very different. Some of Percy Crawford’s ministry carried on. Most did not. I wondered, having been there and done that, whether son and heir Franklin Graham could carry on and grow the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association when the irreplaceable Billy went to be with his Lord. I knew the task he had. I hoped and prayed for his success.
In the eyes of many, I included, the ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is perhaps even better under the leadership of Franklin Graham. It is at least different. It is more richly and deeply involved in the affairs and happenings of our beloved America. The Billy Graham Evangelistic organization and Franklin Graham are not afraid to stand, to publicly and openly deal with the issues of the day especially those which are significantly moral in an ever growing world of immorality and darkness. Father Billy was adviser and consultant to presidents. Presidents Carter, Clinton and Bush honored Billy Graham before his passing. Franklin Graham was ignored by Obama but welcomed by Trump. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, the memory of the great Billy Graham and now the organization under Franklin Graham not only carries on, but takes its great mission and calling to:
GO YE INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL
more passionately than ever.
This father who did so much for his Lord and America would be so very proud of his son who carries on in the most noble ways.
Franklin Graham is a passionate American. He has no qualms dealing with the issues of the day, and in fact welcomes the challenges. He and his organization are well versed, highly educated in the issues of the day even as they stand tall for constitutional and traditional America. There is for Franklin Graham no problem, no departure from mission to deal with America’s CHANGE, or the issues of abortion, the gay agenda, euthanasia, education, pornography, sex trafficking and so much more. In fact, along with his never ending presentation of the gospel to tens of thousands worldwide, Franklin will speak out publicly, in churches and elsewhere regarding these issues, strongly advocating biblical positions and Judeo – Christian morality, the bedrock in his view of American morality. I for one admire his courage, his bold stance for he is a living example of the biblical challenge the world over:
I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
FOR IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION TO EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES.
Ashamed he is not. Bold and courageous he most certainly is.
Sometime ago, Franklin Graham was speaking at the First Baptist Church in Jacksonville Florida. It was for all intents and purposes a political speech. He began by saying:
“Time is like a river. You cannot touch the water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again.”
In short, Graham was saying that now more than ever it is critically important to seize the moment. To stand up for God and Country now, at the time for once the opportunity passes, it will never return again. Stand up now for your freedoms, Americans, NOW or the opportunity to do so may never come again. THE RIVER MOVES RAPIDLY!
Then Franklin Graham went on to say:
AMERICA WILL NOT COME BACK!
Frightening words if true. He explained what he meant:
“The American dream ended on November 6, 2012. The second term of Barack Obama has been the final nail in the coffin for the legacy of the white Christian males who discovered, explored, pioneered, settled and developed the greatest republic in the history of mankind.”
Obama, said Graham was the leader of the new forces, the new voting majorities which were determined to change America, do away with the so called exceptionalism, spread its assets around the world and neutralize its hegemony, independence and even its strengths in favor of a NEW WORLD GLOBAL ORDER. Traditional, constitutional, rule of law America was done, doomed and would no longer be the world force and leader it had always been. Obama and his successors would see to that.
Then, in that speech, Franklin Graham went on to identify the new POLITICAL POWER in America, a coalition that would in his view forever hold power, political and voting power in America. Graham said:
“A coalition of blacks, Latinos, feminists, gays, government workers, union members, environmental extremists, the media, Hollywood, uninformed young people, the forever needy, the chronically unemployed, illegal aliens and other fellow travelers have ended Norman Rockwell’s America.”
What an unbelievable, unambiguous and gutsy statement. Franklin Graham left out one of the most important coalition factors:
ACADEMIA.
Grammar schools, high schools and universities are educating our young in ways which would automatically include them in this NEW WORLD ORDER COALITION. This radical untraditional change occurs daily. The constitution becomes a mere guide in this era of post truth and not to be taken literally. The rule of law is virtually suspended and applies to some but not all. An elitist ruling class, an oligarchy replaces democracy. Votes are cast for self interest and gain and not for the common good. And that is why Franklin Graham went on to say:
“You will never again out vote these people (this coalition).”
But, interestingly, “these people” were in fact out voted in 2018 in critical ways. Of course, in 2016 this coalition was stunningly outvoted when Donald John Trump was elected President of the United States. This coalition voted out so called traditional Republicans from the house of representatives and turned it over to the new order, the radicals, the progressives, the Democrats and who they are and what they believe, and what they want for America thunders through the Capital to the fear and amazement of traditional America. But the coalition was out voted in the United States Senate where traditional American senators were voted in, allowing Republicans a voting control 53 – 47. Voting 2020 will be the real test of the strength, the invincibility of this new coalition of fellow travelers. If this new coalition elects the next president of the United States, and if this coalition elects US Senators, progressive and radical so that they control both the house and the senate, and the presidency, Norman Rockwell’s America will in fact have ended as Graham predicts.
Then he goes on to say something which some think may be out of character no matter how true and realistic. Franklin Graham says the following:
“You will never again out vote these people. It will take individual acts of defiance and massive displays of civil disobedience to get back the rights we have allowed them to take away. It will take zealots, not moderates and shy, not reach across the aisle RINOs to right this ship and restore our beloved Country to its former status.”
As this new and dark morality grows, as traditional Judeo – Christian morality is replaced, it will take individual acts of defiance to “get back the rights taken away.” Like Jack Phillips, Colorado baker. Like Catholic nuns who stand up to Obamacare and its mandates which fly in the face of their religious beliefs. People and entities willing to lay all on the alter, sacrifice anything to get back those rights of freedom of speech and religion which this new coalition is determined to take away. I do hope and pray you are one of them for the days of comfortability, security, and assumption of the freedoms of our great constitution are long over. You will resist, you will engage in DEFIANCE or you will lose more than you could know.
And traditionalists in the fight against this coalition must in fact engage in what Graham calls “massive displays of civil disobedience.” Sooner or later, it seems that this will be absolutely necessary. For even though Christians and all are commanded to render unto Caesar the things which are Caesars, in the secular and political realm, never however to allow the laws and requirements of Caesar to trump the laws and commandments of God. In such cases, civil disobedience is not only appropriate, it is REQUIRED. Are you ready to participate in civil disobedience if and when it comes to that? Are you? How much I wonder for all of us are we willing to compromise, maintain the status quo all the while we watch the slow and evolutionary erosion of our freedoms and our way of life. To compromise is to lose. It is now time to stand. It is time to live by the words:
HE THAT IS NOT WITH ME IS AGAINST ME.
We, my fellow Americans, are for the things of our constitution, our freedoms, our way of life and we fellow Christians are for biblical admonitions and the way of our Lord, black and white and there can be no compromise. If we do, we become co-conspirators with this coalition which has, in the words of Franklin Graham:
“Surrendered our culture, our heritage and our traditions without a shot being fired.”
Franklin Graham concludes as he looks at this NEW WORLD ORDER now formed by men like George Soros and Saul Alinsky (Rules for Radicals):
“Those who come after us will once again have to risk their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to bring back the republic that this generation has timidly frittered away.”
All on the alter. Are you ready? This new political coalition is unbelievably powerful. If it controls Washington DC, our country could radically change as soon as the year 2021. Prayer for this great country is necessary but more is required. We must WORK FOR THE NIGHT IS COMING. We must do more, engage, be active, speak out and stand up for what we believe. If you love America and our way of life, and wish the same for your friends, your family, your children and grandchildren you will be required to engage in individual acts of defiance. Are you ready. You will be required to participate in massive displays of civil disobedience. Are you ready? YOU, you and I are the only ones who can make a difference, be ready my fellow Americans. It is time for WE THE PEOPLE, the real people of America, the anti-coalitionists to stand up, take charge and TAKE BACK the country we love.
America needs you now more than ever.