Photo above: A few days before the God Loves You Tour in London, Piers Morgan interviewed Franklin Graham on his primetime show, Uncensored.
Dear Friend,
I just returned from London, where I shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a fantastic crowd at ExCeL London during the final Crusade of this summer’s God Loves You Tour in the UK.
While I was in London, prominent broadcaster Piers Morgan invited me on his television show Uncensored. In our conversation, he said, “Times are changing. People are changing,” and I, too, should reconsider my stance on important social and Biblical issues. “We’ve moved on so much from large swaths of the Bible,” he said. I simply replied, “God doesn’t change. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever.” In just a few words, Piers had revealed the very heart of this world’s spiritual problem: Without the authority and reliability of God’s Word, we would all be without hope. His Word alone is ultimate Truth and contains the Good News of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.
London is one of the capitals of secularism, but I was excited to share the straightforward message that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV).
I shared the story of Belshazzar with the thousands who came and with many more watching online. He was the Babylonian king whom God judged because of his wickedness. The book of Daniel tells us that Belshazzar was running out of time, but he was too caught up with the pleasures of this world to know—or even care—that his judgment was coming.
Our time on Earth is also limited. Personally, I celebrated my 70th birthday on this trip, and I feel the passage of time in a very real way. I encouraged those in attendance to turn from their sins and find forgiveness in Christ—while they still can.
Typically when I give the invitation to respond and begin a relationship with Jesus Christ, it’s a very quiet time. That was not the case in London. As my friend Michael W. Smith began softly singing, the crowd joined in with a beautiful chorus of praise,
worshipping God and thanking Him for what was taking place before their eyes as many responded to the Gospel. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen the audience sing the invitation before!
Among those who walked forward was a young man named Asomugha.* He had been invited to the event, and the name Billy Graham registered with him. “There was a time in my life when there was no information that was really resonating with me and I stumbled upon Billy Graham [online], and just the way he spoke really connected with me,” he said. In God’s perfect timing, this young man who spent years searching, finally found—and surrendered to—the truth of Jesus Christ in repentance and faith.
A member of our team met a woman named Rita* working at a local hotel. She invited Rita to the event and wrote “God Loves You Tour,” the time, and the location on a slip of paper. She told Rita, “Everyone needs to hear that God loves them—I hope you will come.” The two women never met again, but the Lord was moving. Rita showed up that night, and when I shared how you could have a personal relationship with the Lord, she knew this was her time and walked to the front of the centre to repent of her sins and commit her life to Jesus Christ. Rita was beaming on the train ride home, and that’s when she saw some workers from our team wearing event badges. She excitedly explained what the evening meant to her—the message from God’s Word and a simple invitation had changed her life! There, on one of London’s public transit trains, the small group rejoiced together at how God had worked!
Many hundreds made a commitment to Jesus Christ throughout the four stops on the God Loves You Tour UK. Will you join us in praying for the new believers in London, that they will find Bible-believing churches where they can grow in their faith? Pray also that God will bring revival across the UK and embolden His churches to faithfully proclaim the Good News.
Sharing the Gospel in the US
As my focus was on the UK, my son Will preached at the Rappahannock Area Celebration in Fredericksburg, Virginia, a historic city located halfway between Washington, D.C., and the state capital of Richmond. Thousands attended the one-day outreach on 25th June, and many others watched the livestream online. We give God all the glory for the individuals who made decisions for Jesus Christ.
Thank you for your prayers that make this work possible. We could not accomplish what we do without you, and lives are being changed because of your faithfulness. As we continue to partner together to see a lost world find hope in the truth of Christ Jesus, I encourage you to “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16, NKJV).
May God richly bless you,
Franklin Graham
President
BILLY GRAHAM RAPID RESPONSE TEAM
Answer to a Mother’s Prayers
From counsellors and stewards, to photographers and musicians, God used thousands of Christians in extraordinary ways to point people to Jesus Christ during the God Loves You Tour. Chaplains from the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (BG-RRT) were amongst the thousands in attendance at the London event. A team of 14 chaplains were stationed across ExCeL London, ready to offer a helping hand and a listening ear to anyone in need.
Each had a different role to fill. Some chaplains assisted people with directions, some were able to pray with others, but for BG-RRT chaplain James, he was able to witness God at work in one family’s life. Glenda* made plans to attend the London event for one reason only—to see her three teenage sons come to Christ.
The family sat amongst the crowd when the live music began. Robby,* who has autism, found the music too loud and wanted to walk out. Not wanting to leave her son alone, Glenda left the room with Robby. Seeing what had just happened, another chaplain assisted the mother and son whilst James kept the other two boys company.
Glenda was worried that her son may miss the chance of hearing the Gospel. After taking the pair to a quiet area, the chaplain encouraged them to rejoin once the music had finished. Glenda happily agreed.
“She wanted to make sure that they weren’t going to leave until her three sons had the opportunity to hear the Gospel message,” James said. “The mother just wanted to see her sons saved.”
With his head on his mother’s shoulders, Robby listened to Franklin Graham as he shared the Good News of Jesus Christ. When Franklin gave the invitation, Robby eagerly walked forward to pray with a counsellor. Alongside his mum, the teenager prayed to receive Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour.
But God was not finished working in this particular family. James offered to pray with the other two sons after they sat and listened to Franklin’s message. After joining hands in prayer, James asked the two boys an important question. “Do you want to be saved?” he asked.
“Yes,” they both replied in unison. They were hesitant to leave their seats and go forward like their brother to the front of the stage, so instead James offered to lead them in prayer to receive Jesus.
“They wanted to pray there and then,” James said. “We joined hands as they prayed for forgiveness and committed their lives to the Lord.
He then encouraged the boys to join their mother and brother at the front. With James by their side, the two boys joyfully walked towards the front. That night, Glenda watched her three sons give their life to Christ. Will you pray that this family will attend a Bible-believing church where the boys can grow in their faith?
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
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BILLY GRAHAM RAPID RESPONSE TEAM CHAPLAINS
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