July 22, 2010 - God has given us incredible opportunities to preach the Gospel in the last six weeks, and more opportunities are coming this month.
At the end of May, I led an evangelistic Crusade in Belo Horizonte, the third largest city in Brazil with a metro population of more than 4 million people. We were scheduled to use the large soccer stadium downtown, but were preempted at the last minute when the city had to change the dates of two championship soccer matches to make way for World Cup qualifying. We moved the Crusade to a megaplex about 10 miles outside the city, and I wondered how people were going to make their way that far out.
To my surprise, thousands came the first evening, with crowds totaling more than 65,000 on the last day, and several thousand people surrendered their hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ. In the days and weeks since then, hundreds of local churches who partnered with us to proclaim the Gospel have been following up individually with those who made decisions.
Immediately after returning from Brazil, I left for China where I had the privilege of proclaiming the Gospel in Harbin, a city of almost 5.5 million located above the Korean peninsula near China’s border with Russia. It is the largest city of northern China and has many active churches. I preached to an overflow crowd at the Hallelujah Church, which seats 8,000, and when I gave an invitation, hundreds stood to make public decisions for Christ.
While in China, a very special opportunity was given to me to visit Huai’an, the city where my mother grew up. She was the daughter of Dr. L. Nelson Bell, a medical missionary in China. The Central Church of Huai’an, a thriving church close to my mother’s birthplace, has opened a training center that will prepare 60 to 70 lay Christians at a time for strategic outreach and ministry. They’ve named it the Ruth Bell Graham Bible Institute and Museum, and it includes a historical exhibit area with artifacts, displays, and media presentations designed to preserve the stories of what God has done through the years in China.
When the Lord held back the waters of the Jordan River to allow the people of Israel to cross near Jericho, He told Joshua to remove 12 large stones from the riverbed and place them nearby as a permanent memorial. Joshua set up the stones and told the people, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground’ … so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty” (Joshua 4:21–22, 24, ESV). The new public exhibit in Huai’an has a very similar purpose, and through it the Gospel is clearly presented.
My daughter, Cissie, and my sister Gigi participated with me in a dedication celebration as, together with our Chinese Christian hosts, we officially opened the center. The next day, on what would have been my mother’s 90th birthday, I preached to more than 5,000 people at a joyful worship service in the Central Church of Huai’an. In the audience were some of my mother’s friends who showed me photos taken with my mother when they were children. It was a wonderful experience for my daughter, my sister, and me to meet them.
What thrilled me the most, however, was when so many stood at the invitation to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. While the church in America is losing religious freedom and struggling to grow, the church in China is gaining freedom and growing rapidly. It’s not perfect by any means, but it certainly has come a long way in the past 20 years. We’ve already received invitations to preach the Gospel in several Chinese cities in 2011. Pray that the Lord will give us wisdom and guidance so that we may reap the harvest the Lord is preparing.
Help Spread the Gospel
You gift can help BGEA spread the Gospel through every available means and to every nation. Donate online today to support Festivals or other ministries.
I’m preparing for another Rock the River Tour, traveling this month across western Canada from British Columbia to Alberta. Young, high-energy Christian bands will play for about an hour and a half, and then I will get up and preach Christ and trust God for a harvest. The bands will play again, and I’ll return to preach, and trust God to convict of sin and righteousness. More live music will follow, and I’ll preach God’s Gospel again and trust Him to work through the power of the Holy Spirit. Pray for me that God will give me strength, that many young people will be delivered from a hedonistic lifestyle of sex and drugs, and that the power of the Gospel will save them from Hell.
Last summer, God brought thousands of young people to saving faith as we took Rock the River up the Mississippi from Baton Rouge to Minneapolis, and I would appreciate your prayers this month for our outreach in the cities of the Fraser Valley near Vancouver, and then in Edmonton and Calgary.
Like the United States, Canada is an increasingly secularized, godless culture in great need of the Gospel. Pray for a great harvest.
As we move into a busy season of ministry in late summer and fall, BGEA’s income is somewhat down. Pray with us that God will provide resources that match the opportunities He has placed before us. Any financial gift you can give this month would be greatly appreciated. It would be an investment in reaching souls, and we are thankful for your generosity.
My father is well for his age, and his mind is clear. He wants to preach again and is hoping the Lord might give him strength to do so in coming months. I know he would appreciate your prayers. Thank you, and may God richly bless you,
Franklin Graham
President
A man from Norfolk , VA called a local radio station to share this on Sept 11th, 2003, TWO YEARS AFTER THE TRAGEDIES OF 9/11/2001.
His name was Robert Matthews. These are his words:
A few weeks before Sept. 11th, my wife and I found out we were going to have our first child. She planned a trip out to California to visit her sister. On our way to the airport, we prayed that God would grant my wife a safe trip and be with her. Shortly after I said 'amen,' we both
heard a loud pop and the car shook violently. We had blown out a tire. I replaced the tire as quickly as I could, but we still missed her flight. both very upset, we drove home.
I received a call from my father who was retired NYFD. He asked what my wife's flight number was, but I explained that we missed the flight.
My father informed me that her flight was the one that crashed into the southern tower. I was too shocked to speak.. My father also had more news for me; he was going to help. 'This is not something I can't just sit by for; I have to do something.'
I was concerned for his safety, of course, but more because he had never given his life to Christ. After a brief debate, I knew his mind was made up. Before he got off of the phone, he said, 'take good care of my grandchild.. Those were the last words I ever heard my father say; he died while helping in the rescue effort.
My joy that my prayer of safety for my wife had been answered quickly became anger. I was angry at God, at my father, and at myself. I had gone for nearly two years blaming God for taking my father away. My son would never know his grandfather, my father had never accepted Christ, and I never got to say good-bye.
Then something happened. About two months ago, I was sitting at home with my wife and my son, when there was a knock on the door. I looked at my wife, but I could tell she wasn't expecting anyone. I opened the door to a couple with a small child.
The man looked at me and asked if my father's name was Jake Matthews. I told him it was. He quickly grabbed my hand and said, 'I never got the chance to meet your father, but it is an honor to meet his son.'
He explained to me that his wife had worked in the World Trade Center and had been caught inside after the attack. She was pregnant and had been caught under debris. He then explained that my father had been the one to find his wife and free her. My eyes welled up with tears as I thought of my father giving his life for people like this. He then said, 'there is something else you need to know.'
His wife then told me that as my father worked to free her, she talked to him and led him to Christ. I began sobbing at the news.
Now I know that when I get to Heaven, my father will be standing beside Jesus to welcome me, and that this family would be able to thank him themselves ..
When their baby boy was born, they named him Jacob Matthew, in honor of the man who gave his life so that a mother and baby could live.
This story should help us to realize this: God is always in control.
We may not see the reason behind things, and we may never know this side of heaven, but God is ALWAYS in control.
Please take time to share this amazing story. You may never know the impact it may have on someone. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures Forever." Psalm 136:1
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You say: 'It's impossible' |
God says: All things are possible |
( Luke 18:27) |
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You say: 'I'm too tired' |
God says: I will give you rest |
( Matthew 11:28-30) |
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You say: 'Nobody really loves me' |
God says: I love you |
( John 3:1 6 & John 3:34 ) |
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You say: 'I can't go on' |
God says: My grace is sufficient |
(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15) |
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You say: 'I can't figure things out' |
God says: I will direct your steps |
(Proverbs 3:5- 6) |
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You say: 'I can't do it' |
God says: You can do all things |
( Philippians 4:13) |
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You say: 'I'm not able' |
God says: I am able |
(II Corinthians 9:8) |
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You say:'It's not worth it' |
God says: It will be worth it |
(Roman 8:28 ) |
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You say: 'I can't forgive myself' |
God says: I Forgive you |
(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1) |
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You say: 'I can't manage' |
God says: I will supply all your needs |
( Philippians 4:19) |
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You say: 'I'm afraid' |
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear |
( II Timothy 1:7) |
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You say: 'I'm always worried and frustrated' |
God says: Cast all your cares on ME |
(I Peter 5:7) |
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You say: 'I'm not smart enough' |
God says: I give you wisdom |
(I Corinthians 1:30) |
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You say: 'I feel all alone' |
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you |
(Hebrews 13:5) |
Are You Spiritually Healthy?
Spiritual health brings satisfaction and happiness, just as physical health does. But you can’t get healthy spiritually by joining a spin class or running a marathon. Spiritual health requires spiritual exercises.
In a letter to his young assistant Timothy, the Apostle Paul wrote: “Exercise yourself toward godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7).
The Apostle compared physical fitness with spiritual fitness.
(1 Timothy 4:8) “Take time and trouble to keep yourself spiritually fit. Bodily fitness has a certain value, but spiritual fitness is essential, both for this present life and for the life to come”.
For spiritual growth, nothing can take the place of prayer—simply spending time with God, thanking him for his gifts to you, praising him, asking for guidance, admitting your sins and asking forgiveness and help. You will grow as you set a good example—“in speech and behavior, in your love and faith and sincerity” (1 Timothy 4:12). And “keep a critical eye on yourself” (verse 16). From time to time, ask yourself how you are doing spiritually—and take the steps necessary to continue growing.
Here’s how you can check your own spiritual health:
1. A spiritually healthy person has a definite goal. Abraham’s goal was to reach the land God had in store for him. Paul’s goal was to reach the whole known world for Christ. What is your goal for this month? This day? Think big—God will help you!
2. A spiritually healthy person is realistically humble. Paul, probably the greatest saint of all time, called himself “less than the least of all saints” (Ephesians 3:8). He reminds us not to feel self-important with the question “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). St. Teresa called herself “a pencil in the hand of God.”
3. A spiritually healthy person is confident. “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
4. A spiritually healthy person is optimistic. They believe God is on their side and all will be well. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Take steps today to become more spiritually fit!
~Guideposts
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HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them'
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down..
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.'
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5.. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life apart from God, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it.. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.
We all need to live life to its fullest each day!!
Worry about nothing, pray about everything!!!
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Who’s my greatest inspiration?
No, it’s not a chef, though I’ve met some awesome cooks road-tripping across the country…you know, the ones at mom-and-pop joints who serve up crazy-good food. And sure, there are football players and movie stars who make me think, Wow, he’s a cool guy.
But real greatness? That I find closer to home. My biggest inspiration, the best role model this Guy could ever hope for…it’s my dad, hands down.
I grew up in Ferndale, California, a little dairy town north of San Francisco with a historic Main Street, and quaint Victorian houses. We moved there in the early seventies—the last stop in a meandering migration from Columbus, Ohio.
My parents might’ve looked like hippies with their long hair and green van, but they were old school when it came to values. They were big on hard work, responsibility, persistence. And they believed that if you’d been given a dream, it was worth exploring.
They did it themselves, opening a country-western clothing store in town, even though neither of them had experience in retail. Mom had been a teacher and dental assistant. Dad had served in the submarine corps. I loved hearing stories from his Navy days and colorful episodes from his own growing-up years in coal-mining country.
“Don’t let the specifics get in the way of a good story,” Dad likes to say.
My parents bought an old house in Ferndale. Dad fixed it up, learning as he went. He put my sister and me to work too. Dad loves to tell the story of the time we built a deck. He’d tacked all the boards in place. They just needed to be nailed off. That was my job. I had my hammer and I was pounding big 16-penny nails into the wood. Sure, I was only six, but Dad had taught me well—those nails were going in
straight!
Some family friends came over for dinner and saw me. “What the heck is Guy doing?” they asked my
dad.
“Finishing off the deck.”
“But, Jim, there’s like a thousand nails he’s got to put in!”
Dad shrugged. “He’s got all weekend.”
It wasn’t child labor. It was just how we did things. We kept cows, pigs and horses, and my sister and I had chores. Mine were bringing in firewood and feeding the animals every night. There was a huge trough for watering the horses. It took forever to fill.
One night I got tired of waiting and turned off the water before the trough was totally full. I went back inside and crawled into bed. Guess who woke me? Dad. “You get out there and water those horses.”
“I did,” I said weakly.
“You know what I mean, son. Go finish what you started.” I went. There was no skating by. Do a job once and do it right. Dad had no tolerance for laziness.
That included mental laziness. He always urged us to think for ourselves. “I don’t know” was not an acceptable answer. I remember one day we were driving to the dump. I was staring at a grassy field, zoning out. “What are you thinking?” Dad asked.
“I don’t know. Nothing, I guess.”
“That’s ridiculous. There’s no way you’re not thinking something.”
“Well, I was wondering, what happens to that grass? It grows and grows. Where does it all go?” What followed was a discussion about dairy farming and how much grass cattle go through.
To this day, I’m on a quest for knowledge. You can learn so much just by asking people about what they do.
Don’t be afraid to ask, that’s what Dad taught me. Don’t be afraid to try either, especially when it comes to chasing your dreams. You’ve got to know what it takes to make them come true, right? For instance, there was a time I wanted to be in the rodeo. I wanted to ride bulls.
“You want to be a bull rider, you’ve got to practice,” Dad said. “I’ve got it set up. Go down to Ron Queen’s Saturday morning.” Ron was a horse trainer who had a bunch of young bulls. Early that Saturday I put on my cowboy boots and hat and biked the five miles to Ron’s.
“I’m ready,” I told Ron. He tied a rope around a bull and loaded it into the bucking chute. I jumped on its back. Right away I got bucked off. I tried again. Same story.
“Put some rosin on the rope,” Ron said. “You’ll get a better grip.” I held on tight. The bull came out of the chute and made such a racket it riled up a cattle dog in someone’s pickup. The dog leapt out of the truck, over the fence and bit the bull in the nose. The bull freaked out and sent me flying. My arm got hung up in the rope. I did a face plant on a rock, busted my lip. Then the dog bit me in the back of my leg!
“Gonna ride one more time?” Ron asked.
I got to my feet, dazed. My right arm was killing me. “Sure,” I said. My parents didn’t raise me to give up as soon as the going got tough. I got back on that bull and held on with my left hand. This time I managed to stay put for eight seconds (you’ve got to stay mounted that long for your ride to count). I never did it again.
Never needed to. I had other dreams to explore. If it weren’t for my dad I would never have become an entrepreneur or had the guts to start my own restaurants. My very first business was a lemonade stand. I had it down—sixty-nine cents for the mix, a five-gallon jug of water, ice, cups and a busy corner on Main Street.
Then one year our family went skiing in Squaw Valley and I discovered something more exciting than lemonade. I found a guy at the lodge who sold hot pretzels. Big, salty New York-style pretzels slathered in mustard. I spent all my lunch money on ’em. Dad couldn’t believe it. “That’s all you ate? Pretzels?”
“Yeah, ten of them!”
“That good, huh?” Dad said. “Want to open a pretzel business back home?”
“How do I do that?”
“Ask the guy where he gets his pretzels. Get the address.”
I ran to the pretzel cart. “Excuse me, sir,” I said. “I really like your pretzels. Can you tell me where you get them?”
The man stared at me. “Are you kidding? So you can sell ’em next to me?”
“But I don’t want to sell them here, just maybe at home,” I tried to explain. “I mean, I’m only eleven.”
“Not a chance, kid,” he laughed. “It’s a trade secret.” I was crushed. I went to my dad and told him what happened.
I should’ve known Dad wouldn’t look at a problem without coming up with at least one solution. “Go and watch him,” he said. “Wait till he fills up that cart and see what he does with the box the pretzels come in.” I sat there, watching and waiting, for three hours. Finally I saw the pretzel man toss a box in the trash. I did a Dumpster dive and dug it out.
I went running proudly to Dad like a dog with a bird. He tore off the address and we chucked the rest of the box.
Back home he helped me write a letter to the pretzel company. We got a three-wheeler from Goodwill. After school, I met Dad at his buddy’s wood shop and we built a pretzel cart. I painted it yellow.
“What do you want to call it?” Dad asked. “The Awesome Pretzel Cart,” I decided. That summer at the town fair I set up my cart and sold hot pretzels. I made a thousand bucks. A sixth grader with his own business. It was awesome!
I’ve heard it said that what the mind can conceive, man can achieve. That’s Dad in a nutshell. Everything I’ve ever done, he’s been there encouraging me, working with me to figure things out and, yes, sometimes kicking me in the rear.
Now I’m a father myself, with two boys, Hunter, 13, and Ryder, four. My parents live next door, and the boys spend a lot of time with their grandfather—they call him Jamps.
Still, I like to think they’ve got a pretty good role model right at home. The other day Hunter and I were playing “You wanna bet?” As in “You wanna bet why they have three awnings outside that store?” My way of getting my son to figure things out, to think for himself.
“What do you mean you have no clue?” I said. “I’m not taking that for an answer.”
“You know what, Dad?” Hunter said. “You’re just like Jamps.” Did I say I’m a good role model for my sons? That’s because I was blessed with the best!