Rev. Franklin Graham recently began a 10-stop tour of America’s southern border with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Graham seeks to offer an inspiring message of hope for struggling border town communities in states such as Texas, Arizona, and California. The organization aims to connect with over 1,000 churches across the communities to spread the message of Christ.
The Reverand kicked off the God Loves You Frontera tour in Brownsville, Texas, this past weekend, where Graham noted the vast needs of these communities amid the ongoing border crisis. “We are coming to the southern border because it is one of the neediest areas of our country at this time, and people need to hear a message of hope,” said Graham, noting that the border is “overwhelmed.
Graham explained that amid the border struggles, there is an undeniable need to spread the message of Christ and his everlasting love. “Everyone along the border is overwhelmed — the churches, the law enforcement agencies, the residents, those there trying to help, as well as the people coming into our country,” said Graham. “There are a lot of hungry hearts and hurting people, so I’m coming to the border to tell everyone about God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and how He can make a difference in our lives if we put our faith and our trust in Him.”
Steve Dorman, the pastor of First Baptist Church in Brownsville, noted that the town is one of the poorest in the country. However, he emphasized that despite these material shortcomings, God is the glue that holds the community together.”We want everyone in this community to know that God is always with them and loves them, and the Gospel can be a stabilizing force to help them in their lives,” he said.
On Saturday, Graham expressed to an eager crowd that each and every person had the opportunity to pursue a relationship with the Holy Spirit. “Tonight I want you to know that you can have a personal relationship with God through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.” He continued, “If you don’t remember anything else, remember this: God loves you.”
Graham further explained to the crowd the key message of the Christian Gospel, that faith in Jesus Christ is the only path to salvation. “The Bible says that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.” He added, “Jesus came to save sinners. He bled and died on a cross for you. He went to the grave. He took your sins to the grave, but on the third day, He rose to life.”
The Reverend urged the crowd to confess their sins to Jesus Christ and pursue Holy forgiveness. “Your sins can be forgiven tonight, you can be set free — but you’ve got to come His way and that’s through Jesus Christ.”
Graham addressed those in attendance who may be entrenched in a state of hopelessness or despair in light of the vast problems before them. However, he emphasized the life-changing nature of faith in Christ as a path to freedom. “Maybe you feel hopeless tonight. Maybe you’ve come here hoping that something could happen that could change your life,” he said.
Watch Rev. Graham in Brownsville here:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video
"*" indicates required fields