Evangelist Franklin Graham delivered a message Sunday night at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., mixing a bit of politics into his call for repentance.
Reading from 2 Samuel 9:1-8, Graham recalled an event in the life of King David, in which the ancient ruler of Israel seeks to show God's kindness to the son of his childhood friend Jonathan.
“You see, David is a picture of God in Heaven.” Graham told service attendees at the megachurch of evangelist Greg Laurie.
“And we’re Mephibosheth,” he continued, referring to the Jonathan’s crippled son. “We’ve been crippled by sin and we come before the King and the King shows kindness and love and mercy.”
During the message, Graham listed a variety of sins, from lying and stealing to bearing false witness.
Most emphasized, however, was the sin of murder, in particular abortion.
“You say, ‘Well come on, Franklin. This is California. We’re kind of a liberal state, but they’ll still put you in jail for murder around here.’ No, they don’t,” Graham said before pointing to abortion as a form of murder.
“There’s some of you here tonight who are guilty, guilty of murder. And there are some of you men ... you’re guilty because you’ve approved of what your girlfriend has done or what your wife has done or your sister has done,” he said. “You’ve approved it, and you’re guilty too.”
The evangelist then went on to recall the story of a woman from “one of those liberal New York magazines” who conducted a two-day interview with him some time ago.
After growing a bit tired from the interview, Graham had asked the reporter if he could ask her a few questions.
When she told him to go ahead, Graham asked her where she stood before God.
“All of a sudden her eyes filled up with tears,” he recalled. Graham then went on to share the Gospel with her and prayed with her, though they were at a restaurant at the time.
The ministry leader then recalled how the woman turned to him and said she had to confess something to him at that moment.
“You don’t have to confess anything to me. God is forgiving you,” Graham told her.
“No, I have to tell you,” she responded.
“Twenty years ago, I had an abortion and it has haunted me all the days of my life,” she said. “And there hasn’t been a day that hasn’t gone by that I haven’t asked myself what that child would have looked like.
“Can God forgive me for what I have done?” she asked.
“I said, ‘He just did,’” Graham recalled. “Then she buried her face in her hands and just wept.”
Going back to the story of David and Mephibosheth, Graham recalled how the young boy came before the king of Israel and how David vowed to show kindness to him for the sake of his father, Jonathan, who had died years earlier. David also promised to restore to him all the land that belonged to his grandfather, the former king Saul.
“[A]nd you will always eat at my table," David told Mephibosheth, according to 2 Samuel 9:7.
Using the story as a basis, Graham urged attendees who had not yet received Christ to come before God so that they too may receive the invitation to eat eternally at His table.
“When you come before God in Heaven, you are crippled by sin. But when you come to God and accept His salvation, His gift, Jesus Christ … when you ask Christ by faith to come into your heart, into your life, He (God) doesn’t see you,” Graham said. “He doesn’t see your sins. He sees the blood of His son that covers you.” Continue >>
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No cloning?
But the world needs more of me! LOL.
Go get 'em Franklin! Preach it brother!
As Christians, we must never support these 5 non-negotiable intrinsically evil positions.
1.Abortion
2.Euthanasia
3.Embryonic stem cell research which kills millions of human embryo's.
4.Cloning
5.Gay marriage or civil unions.
We must have a hierarchy of values. We cannot support a higher minimum wage or better health care until we support the most vulnerable in our society which is the unborn. Where are their rights as human beings?
Any society that maintains the killing of the innocents like abortion will never be blessed by God. Our constitution guarantees Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. If we do not defend life at all stages from conception till natural death, then the other two rights are illusory.
Thoughitall - the thing I have come to understand is that we need to separate politics from our faith. When you pass a law that restricts something that most people don't agree with you run the risk of alienating a vast majority of the populace that might consider an alternate view on the matter. Just look at California right now as it pertains to gay marriage. We passed Prop 8 that banned gay marriage, which I very much agree with. But what positive outcome has it had for the Christian church out there?
You picked the scripture regarding Jesus getting angry in the temple. But I can point to Jesus telling the Pharisees to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and give to God what is God's. Jesus also tells Pontius Pilate that his power was given to him by God above.
Do I agree that abortion should be illegal? Absolutely. But do I want tyranny in the country to achieve it? No. Again, as I stated originally, you have to change the hearts and minds of individuals, and then the laws will reflect that change. Abortion will become illegal when a vast majority of people develop a conscience and a worldview that agrees that abortion is murder. And right now we aren't seeing that.
Phileo, you forget that God wants us to help the helpless.
Protecting the unborn is a noble cause. Standing up
against the lies of abortion activists is very much needed.
Jesus was not passive. He cleared the temple of money
grubbers by turning over their tables. Hearts are changed
when they see Christianity, through the Holy Spirit in
action. I have a sister who had several abortions. Her
first one right after they became "legal". A social worker
picked her up a her place and after the abortion literally
dumped her off at our door, fifty miles from the clinic.
She died a drug related death 3 years ago. She never
found peace. She wouldn't accept God's forgiveness,
because she was convinced abortion was not murder.
Many abortionists are older doctors. They want the extra
cash to retire with. Many women who have abortions are
truly victims of lies and the false belief they are not taking
a life.
Franklin Graham is not a republican.
Tallguy,
I like this <>< ~ That's a new one for me.
MrsSmith, I am so sorry for your loss. Indeed, I pray God grant you peace over then entire matter. Yet, I rejoice in your stance.
Phileo wrote,
"trying to change laws to ban abortion does not fix the root cause of the problem, which is the hearts and minds of non-believers."
You are correct, yet changing laws will go a long way towards providing life to those who would be aborted. It is Jesus who changes us, but laws also can change society for the better.
Mike,
If he had preached against corporate greed, you probably would have said "there are other issues other than corporate greed that affects this country. why don't you also talk about abortion, etc, etc,"
It's not that he preached on abortion or anything else. You just don't like him because he's a republican, which is rather shallow.
The only way the Christian will win the abortion battle is by the power of the Holy Spirit, through the hearts and minds of people. This sermon is a good place to start. As a church we need to talk about it, and become like-minded within the church.
However, let me caution Christians that trying to change laws to ban abortion does not fix the root cause of the problem, which is the hearts and minds of non-believers.
I am reminded of John 19, where Jesus is before Pilate and tells him that he has no authority, except that which came from God above. Unfortunately, we are missing leadership that understands that.
Change the moral compass of a country one heart (and soul) at a time, and the laws are simply a byproduct of that change in conscience.
I wonder who the next "pastor to the president" will be, and even if there will be one. Rick Warren looks to be the likely successor.
Hey mike. It's just a sermon. There's only so much you can bring up in a sermon. If he had talked about something like arrogance, someone else might have complained that he didn't talk about homelessness. Let's try not to look for things to judge and leave all judgment to God.
oh mr graham, there are other issues other than abortion that affects this country. why don't you also talk about corporate greed, arrogance, & murdering your fellow man in another country. I guess franklin does not see that bec. he is a republican
That's pretty good of Franklin! Hopefully he'll soon be hanging out in front of abortion clinics and praying with the faithful who have been doing so for years. Much more effective when we all work together for Christ. <><...
Amen brother Graham
Mrssmith: I pray God will open many doors for you to speak. God bless you!!
Thank you CP for finally giving real "Evangelists" some
attention. To God be the Glory.
I just discovered that Michael Card (same age as McLaren)
is still serving God and not trying to rearrange scripture
to please himself, he is still rearranging himself to fit scripture. The sanctity of life has been a casualty of the
emergent movement. Thank you Lord for Graham and Laurie.
As Andrae Crouch sings: The Blood that Jesus shed for me,
way back on Calvary, the Blood, that keeps me saved from
day to day, will never lose it's power.
Kudos to Graham for standing up for the gospel and for the sanctity of life. The issue of abortion transcends political definitions, because it is the most basic of God-given human rights.
Without God's grace no one can be saved, without the shed blood and death of Christ on the Cross no one can be saved, and until I repent of my sins by putting my complete faith/trust in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ alone I cannot be saved. If any one of these were missing no one would be saved.
cowboyfan88,
The cross alone cannot save anyone. The events that took place at the cross in the sacrifice jesus Christ made on our behalf is the offer of salvation. We must believe in our hearts as Romans 10:9 states.... If thou will confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and Believe in THINE HEART that God raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Simply believing is not enough as the demons believed and trembled. We must believe in our heart. 1:John states But to as many as RECEIVED HIM gave He the power to become the sons of God even to those who believed ON HIS name. When you make a stand ON the name of Jesus you make the statement that you are one of His. Is Mr. Graham's statement of asking Jesus into your heart biblical? Yes it is. Not verbatum in those words but condensing the scriptures for the purpose of the message of the truth of salvation it is absolutely on target. It takes faith in Jesus Christ to be saved not the cross. The cross is where salvation became available not salvation itself.
cowboy, you can't be washed in the Blood without coming to the Cross of Christ!!
He is exactly right. Murder is murder. On the other hand his message of salvation by asking Jesus into your heart is not biblical. It is by the cross alone are we saved. Jesus did all that was necessary all we have to do is believe it. That's what grace is, unmerited favor. We deserve hell whether it be for abortion or telling a lie. Just as the bible says, there isn't anyone good; no NOT ONE. We are good once we are in Christ and that only comes by receiving the free gift by faith. Your works, good or bad have nothing to do with it.
MrsSmith- I am sorry for your loss. It is never easy to lose a loved one and I applaud your efforts to end the 'closet syndrome' in the church. One of our pastors recently preached 'Rethinking Christmas' and in discussing a ministry one of our church memebers started for unwed mothers raising their children he said, "we can't say that we are prolife if we are not willing to accept and help the unwed mother". Of course we are concerned with the spirtual condition of the gal but this includes acting like Jesus. He didn't turn his back on the woman at the well....
I agree "Tgender", it is rare to hear those words over the pulpit and much needed. As a Christian mother whose Christian daughter died on the abortion table last year, I am now living my life to change the silence of the pulpits.
We must take "abortion" out of the "church closet" and make the slaughter of innocent lives of first and foremost importance. 50 Million babies are dead on our watch as we have gone about our church business and busyness. God forgive us and help us to see the light regarding this "unmentionable" sin so we can repent and change the hearts of those still in the deception either by their silence or participation.
I was on of those who silently kept my prolife views to myself for many reasons, now I pray that the Lord gives me "roof tops" to shout from to tell of the EVIL that has overtaken our nation and our Christian families.
If we call ourselves CHristians and have done nothing to end abortion, we have the blood of these innocents on our hands! THe Church of Jesus Christ has to wake up to the American Holocaust and together be a force to end it.
The pastors need to wake up to their responsibility to preach the truth and the standards of God. God hates the shedding of innocent blood, so should we! I pray your wake up call is not a drastic as mine.
I pray the pastors find their voice and speak out loud and clear against the "murder" as Franklin Gramham so correctly put it. Statistics say 1 in 3 women in the pews of America have had an abortion.
Frightening numbers and many of these took place during their attendance at church not before. Time constraints prohibit me telling the story of the Pastor's wife who died on the aboriton table.
Explain that to your congregation! "Jesus, I repent of my sins and the sins of my nation. God, end abortion and bring revival to America." Abortion is the log in the eye of church and I believe stands in the way of the church being as effective as it can be.
Let us remove this "log" so that we may have remove the splinters in the eyes of others. I pray my words have made a difference to someone out there, especially pastors. God bless you and God bless Franklin Gramham for going where few have gone!
Kudos to Graham for boldly proclaiming what abortion really is--murder. The Church needs to be one voice on this issue. How can we allow this holocaust to continue? God have mercy on us.