(Photo: The Christian Post / Sonny Hong)Posted on 05/24/2014 7:35:51 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
(Photo: The Christian Post / Sonny Hong)
Rev. Franklin Graham addressing pastors at the Watchmen on the Wall National Briefing, held at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Thursday, May 22, 2014.
WASHINGTON – The Rev. Franklin Graham told a large gathering of pastors on Thursday to address controversial issues from the pulpit, declaring that "God hates cowards."
Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, based his remarks on Revelation 21:8, wherein God lists eight groups of people who will be "in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Of groups like murderers, idolaters, unbelievers, and others, the first group of persons listed were the cowardly. It was this first group that Graham focused on for his speech, titled "Standing Strong on the Controversial Issues," at the Thursday evening session for the 2014 Watchmen on the Wall National Briefing.
"The definition of a coward: a coward will not confront an issue that needs to be confronted due to fear. That is a coward," said Graham.
"God hates cowards. And the cowards that the Lord is referring to are the men and women who know the truth but refuse to speak it."
In his remarks at the dinner session, Graham spoke about the need for churches to speak out against abortion and homosexuality, declaring that "you're not going to shut me up."
"We have a responsibility to speak on the moral issues. Abortion, homosexuality, these are moral issues. This is a free country, you can do what you want to do but I want you to know it's a sin against God. This is a sin," said Graham.
Graham mentioned how he has "friends who are pastors" who say they want to preach the Gospel and not "become targets."
"Well don't you think the Lord Jesus Christ was a target?" asked Graham. "Could we get our heads chopped off? We could, maybe one day. So what? Chop it off!"
(Photo: The Christian Post / Sonny Hong)Rev. Franklin Graham addressing pastors at the Watchmen on the Wall National Briefing, held at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Thursday, May 22, 2014.
Graham's remarks were part of a multiday conference organized by the Family Research Council. Held from Wednesday to Friday, the Watchmen on the Wall National Briefing was geared toward pastors and encouraging churches to become more involved in politics, social issues, and public policy.
Featured speakers included Pastor Rafael Cruz, the father of U.S. Senator Ted Cruz; Bishop Harry Jackson, author and senior pastor of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland; Joyce Meyer of Joyce Meyer Ministries; U.S. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, and several others.
For the Thursday evening dinner portion, attendees experienced worship led by contemporary Christian singer Charles Billingsley and were present to see awards given to assorted pastors for their actions on religious liberty.
The last honoree for the evening was Graham. FRC President Tony Perkins commended Graham for his actions in the public sphere.
"Franklin is not the pastor of a church, but in a real sense he is a pastor to America's pastors," said Perkins before presenting Graham with the 2014 Watchman Award.
"And in that role, he has sounded the alarm and raised the righteous standard as have few other leaders in our time."
The son of the famous evangelist Billy Graham, Franklin Graham has garnered controversy in recent years for his remarks on same-sex marriage, Islam, and President Barack Obama.
Some have contrasted his public career with that of his father, arguing that Franklin Graham has taken more overtly political positions than Billy Graham has.
I don't think his old man was like that in his prime.
To be fair, there was less need for Billy Graham to do so in his prime, because our society hadn’t quite descended to the depths that it has at that time.
Billy Graham brought millions to Christ, no man has done more than him.
Franklin is sadly mistaken.
God hates: (Proverbs 6:16-19 King James Version - KJV)
16 These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
and also, (Proverbs 11:1) God hates dishonest scales.
I don’t see “Coward” in that list, but I know:
The Beatitudes
5 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
No, I will not confront Nero; nor will I deny the LORD.
Pax Domini!
Precisely. He is only seen now as ‘overtly political’ because back int he time of his father, there was wide bipartisan agreement on the degeneracies confronting American societies today. You could find card-carrying Democrats coal miners in West Virginia who always voted blue but were as disgusted as any conservative over the idea of murdering children and sanctioning perversion.
Its now political because only one party (and lets be honest, barely one party) is standing by the principles of truth.
Same thing with the accusations of an increasingly ‘extreme’ Republican party. No, they hold the same positions they have for generations, but the other party and society in general have moved off in the direction of Marxism.
I applaud Graham for saying this at a time when it is increasingly unpopular to take a stand even among so-called Bible-believing Evangelical Christians, especially his line about how Christ was a target and so must we expect to be targets. It is written as such! Why would the lost persecute the master and spare the servant?
He takes a principled stand and is correct to do so. Many Christians are either tacitly accepting defeat and allowing the next generation of Christians to defect from the Word, or they are looking to just segregate themselves from public life. Some who are tired of the culture wars and churches that engage in them are part of a small phenomenon of a growing Orthodox community in the US, eager to be part of a church under the radar that still holds Biblical truth inviolably. I read an interesting article on this recently.
These are trying times to be Christian in America. Even more trying in Western Europe or Canada. By contrast it is becoming even more of a rich experience to be Christian in Central Africa, Eastern Europe, and many parts of Asia. Just as persecution has shown the steely resolve of some Christians in the Middle East, so it will here. The wheat shall be separated from the chaff. There are sunshine Christians just as there are sunshine patriots, but unlike patriotism that hinges on the worthiness of a nation to be patriotic for, the Christian has a faith he should always be willing to defend.
It doesn’t mean you have to put on armor to fight a culture war. You just have to know what you believe, and be ready to defend it rather than deny it, no matter the consequences.
It is a Christian duty to raise children with a message in this day and age. There is God, and there is the world. Some live for God, and most live for the world. But those who live for the world die with it. those who live for God shall live forever.
Speaking the truth sure is controversial these days.
My money is on Paul of Tarsus.
Peter Cartwright: Rough and Ready Circuit Riding Preacher
Experiences With General Andrew Jackson
http://www.blessedquietness.com/journal/housechu/cartwrit.htm
“Franklin Graham Calls on Pastors to Speak Out on Abortion, Homosexuality”
“Some have contrasted his public career with that of his father, arguing that Franklin Graham has taken more overtly political positions than Billy Graham has.”
This author believes that pastors that are speaking out against sin is equivalent to taking overtly political positions?
This is very telling.
I would expect this from a secular writer. And then to have the secular author demand that the government control such political positions. This is has been the usual attack. And in Canada this has succeeded to where it is really a political hate crime.
Comparing Billy Graham to the original disciples, I can see that, his work was similar, and covered the globe, and he reached many hundreds of millions.
Is there something you have against this great Christian Evangelist and his life’s work?
BTTT!
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
-NKJV, Revelation 21:8
“God hates cowards. And the cowards that the Lord is referring to are the men and women who know the truth but refuse to speak it.”
Amen brother Franklin.
Well said!
“Well, The Lord hates a coward...”
— Sean Connery, THE UNTOUCHABLES
Sorry to disagree with you ansel12, Billy Graham has done wonderful work presenting the case to millions, but the Holy Spirit is the one who leads people to Christ.
I doubt that correction was necessary.
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