Mississippi tornado victims 'need prayer' as recovery efforts underway: Franklin Graham
Samaritan's Purse President Franklin Graham says emergency and disaster relief organizations 'all work together' to pray and assist recovery efforts for communities impacted by deadly tornadoes.
Orlando, Florida – In his keynote address at the opening session of the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) International Christian Media Convention here on Monday night, Rev. Franklin Graham minced no words regarding faith in today's society.
He told all those gathered, "There’s a storm coming, and we’ve all got to be prepared."
Rev. Graham also said that "every demon from hell" has been "turned loose" in our culture today.
"The world has deteriorated so quickly," he said from the stage. "We cannot be deceived and we can’t be fooled. We need to get ready and be prepared."
Graham — president and CEO of Samaritan's Purse, a Christian relief and evangelism organization, as well as of The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which shares the good news of Jesus Christ and is headquartered in Boone, North Carolina — began his remarks by commenting on data protection, referencing those who run faith-based businesses.
"Who owns the [data] cloud?" he said. "Amazon."
Rev. Franklin Graham, above, delivered the keynote speech at the opening session of the National Religious Broadcasters annual convention in Orlando, Florida. Today, "we're living in a cancel culture, and [big corporations] want to destroy Christian organizations," he said. "They want us to shut our mouths. They don't want to hear from us." (Franklin Graham/Samaritan’s Purse)
"We're living in a cancel culture, and [big corporations] want to destroy Christian organizations," he also said. "They want us to shut our mouths. They don’t want to hear from us."
Fox News Digital reached out to Amazon for comment.
"It’s completely false to claim that AWS [Amazon Web Services] discriminates based on customer viewpoints," a spokesperson from Amazon told Fox News Digital via email. "AWS provides services to millions of customers across the political, business and ideological spectrum."
Graham urged Christian organizations to prepare to defend themselves against the growing cancel culture in business, insurance, banking and technology, and challenged them to continue sharing the hope of Jesus Christ in the face of increasingly difficult circumstances.
"If you're going to try to proclaim the gospel, they're going to try to shut you up."
Noting that if one "doesn’t talk about sin" or "preach the gospel" then that person doesn’t have anything to worry about in society, he added, "But if you're going to try to proclaim the gospel, they're going to try to shut you up."
IN SMALL NORTH CAROLINA TOWN, REV. GRAHAM SPEAKS TO THOUSANDS OF FAITHFUL: ‘GOD HAS A PLAN’
Graham also reminded those from across the Christian media landscape of the importance of remaining faithful to the historic truths of scripture amid the coming storms.
Referring to Matthew 8: 23-27, when Jesus and his followers were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee that was being rocked by the wind and waves, Graham said that Jesus’ followers said, "What kind of man is this that can control the wind and waves?"
Rev. Franklin Graham, CEO of Samaritan's Purse and The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, told those gathered in Orlando this week, "Don’t apologize for the gospel. Just declare it, just preach it." (Franklin Graham/Samaritan’s Purse)
Noting that Jesus’ followers "feared for their life" in those moments, they felt "they had no way out," he said.
Graham said that today, the LGBTQ agenda is leading the charge culturally.
"I love them enough to try to warn them this [way of life] is sin," he said.
He added, "The gospel says, ‘This is sin.’" Graham also noted that many today want to soft-pedal any message of salvation in order to be friendlier to all groups, not hurt feelings or make waves.
"I love them enough to try to warn them this [way of life] is sin."
"Just tell it the way it is," Graham emphasized.
"Preach — don’t back up, don’t make excuses."
Graham also told the crowd, "We cannot back up, we can’t retreat, don’t apologize for the gospel. Just declare it, just preach it."
Rev. Franklin Graham in Orlando, Florida, on Monday night, May 22, 2023. He said that today, the LGBTQ agenda is leading the charge culturally. "I love them enough to try to warn them this [way of life] is sin," he said. (Franklin Graham/Samaritan’s Purse)
Troy A. Miller, president and CEO of the National Religious Broadcasters, said in part in a statement from the NRB annual convention, "All too often, we are seeing pastors and ministries fall by the wayside, compromising on the truth of scripture and disintegrating into fixtures of the culture."
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He continued, "As our society is bombarded by anti-Christian hostility and contempt for First Amendment freedoms, Graham’s message promises to deliver exactly what we need to hear as Christian leaders: a call to stand firm, not bow to the cultural influences of the day."
Rev. Graham on Monday night, May 22, 2023, at the National Religious Broadcasters convention in Orlando, Florida. On June 3, he will preach in Seoul, Korea, on the 50th anniversary of his father Billy Graham’s historic outreach that more than one million people attended. (Franklin Graham/Samaritan’s Purse)
Miller added, "Franklin Graham has devoted his life to meeting the needs of hurting people around the world and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
Rev. Graham has just completed a six-city preaching tour in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.
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On June 3, he will preach in Seoul, Korea, on the 50th anniversary of his father Billy Graham’s historic outreach that more than one million people attended, according to his team at Samaritan's Purse and at The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
