Franklin Graham Says 'Sin-Sickened' America Must Repent
Franklin Graham says America is living in "dark days" morally and spiritually as more same-sex couples get married, marijuana cigarettes are lit up in public places, and television is awash in blatant immorality.
The "sin-sickened" state of America will have far greater consequences than a "fiscal cliff," the evangelist warned.
"For the past few weeks, the media has been focused on what has been termed as the nation's 'fiscal cliff.' Our country's financial problems, however, are nothing compared to the spiritual and moral cliff that is far more destructive to our nation than any economic concerns," Graham said in a public letter last week.
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Head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Graham pointed to the November election results and culture as examples of the moral dive he is seeing in the states.
Same-sex marriage was approved in three states (Maine, Maryland and Washington) by popular vote for the first time in U.S. history in November. Also, an amendment in Minnesota that would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman was defeated.
The November election also saw the legalization of marijuana for recreational use in Colorado and Washington State by popular vote.
Even before the election, Graham's father, Billy Graham, had expressed how much his heart aches for America as it moves farther away from God.
Now echoing the words of his father, Franklin Graham believes all hope is not lost if repentance and revival happen.
"These are indeed dark days ... but there is hope," he said. "No question our country's foundations are being destroyed, but I am reminded of an era in the Old Testament where the Lord moved in a dramatic way to bring godly change to a spiritually dark and depraved nation like Judah, whose moral foundations had been seriously eroded."
Comparing America to the days when Manasseh ruled over Judah, Graham noted that even though Judah was full of evil with the shedding of innocent blood, witchcraft and the worship of false gods, revival came.
Manasseh's grandson, Josiah, led the land to repentance after uncovering the book of the law (first five books of the Bible).
"For far too long, as a nation we have neglected-and even rejected-the Word of God and His commands. Yet the Scriptures are mighty, able to penetrate even the most hardened and darkened hearts with convicting, life-giving power," said Graham. "They are God-breathed, and any new season of repentance and revival in America can only come through a renewed focus on the great truths of God's Word.
"Just as the Lord used an 18-year-old king to begin revival in a corrupt nation more than 1,500 years ago, He can use us as we earnestly seek Him, stand for His truths, and pray for America. This is the only cure for a sin-sickened country that is about to slip into a moral abyss, and it is why we must proclaim the Good News."
