It had been on my mind since Billy Graham's funeral service was announced, and I had been praying every day for Franklin Graham. They had constructed one of those large tents in which a young Billy Graham had preached in his early revival crusades. It was invitation only but there was one man who would be in attendance in whose actions and decisions in these perilous times might determine whether God has mercy on America as these judgments increase and we enter into turmoil and affliction. I'm speaking of course of President Donald Trump.
I was in conversation with a friend today in which I described President Trump's references to God something like this.....imagine a freshman in high school would came to class totally unprepared for an oral quiz.....let's say in history...."Robert.....describe the two primary sides opposing each other in World War II".....Robert stands up and looks up to the lights for a minute then does his best under the circumstances...."Well....there was a lot of real bad guys....really real bad guys on the other side.....and the good guys were on our side." That's generally the impression I get whenever President Trump enters into the topic of America's historic faith in God.
Now there's a lot of Christians who would disagree with me on this but that's for two reasons. One....they...we....live in an age when the gospel of Jesus Christ has been so watered down that almost any description is considered acceptable.....if admittedly incomplete. And two....they have put all their hopes and dreams on Donald Trump. They are in effect in denial as to what really has transpired over the past year and few months.
Donald Trump was raised under the tutelage of Norman Vincent Peale of whom one commentator once said...."Paul I find appealing....Peale I find appalling." I had once read where Donald Trump met Billy Graham at some time earlier in his life and out of that we naturally assume that the gospel was given.....and even that Mr. Trump may have responded favorably. The problem here is that it is very difficult to present the gospel in a meeting such as this would have been....even for Billy Graham. I've been involved in many of these encounters over the years and I'm sure that you have also. It's certainly not impossible that at a time such as this....that a person confronts the totality of his life......but these occasions are not the norm. In any case this is just hearsay or speculation....for in this world of celebrity worship and movers and shakers.....stories can and are embellished and even invented......regularly.
So today.....as I listened in through Sirius/Xm radio.....President Donald Trump......hopefully as far away from the cameras as a president can get.....heard the gospel of Jesus Christ in sermon format......in hushed silence.....and at a time in his life where potential world calamities affecting hundreds of millions of people are all around.....he primarily being the one man upon whom much of the world rests their hope or at least acknowledges that his decisions are vital.....and all this while he is being brutally attacked from political enemies....simply because those political enemies found an easy mark to vent their festering hatred of anything good.
My conversation with a friend continued. This day either Donald Trump walks in humility.....if even for a few moments.....enough that he won't be able to escape so easily in the future the message that there is truth.....and that truth is in Jesus Christ.....that there is no other way to Heaven......that there indeed is a hell.....and that there is no middle way. Either that or President Trump's conscience might very well be seared. It's nearing midnight and I'm still letting my mind imagine this being a day for mercy upon this man our president. Either way.....there may have been other days....other occasions....but it's no longer hearsay or speculation.....Donald Trump has heard the gospel of Jesus Christ......preached.....and not just passed on.
I was in conversation with a friend today in which I described President Trump's references to God something like this.....imagine a freshman in high school would came to class totally unprepared for an oral quiz.....let's say in history...."Robert.....describe the two primary sides opposing each other in World War II".....Robert stands up and looks up to the lights for a minute then does his best under the circumstances...."Well....there was a lot of real bad guys....really real bad guys on the other side.....and the good guys were on our side." That's generally the impression I get whenever President Trump enters into the topic of America's historic faith in God.
Now there's a lot of Christians who would disagree with me on this but that's for two reasons. One....they...we....live in an age when the gospel of Jesus Christ has been so watered down that almost any description is considered acceptable.....if admittedly incomplete. And two....they have put all their hopes and dreams on Donald Trump. They are in effect in denial as to what really has transpired over the past year and few months.
Donald Trump was raised under the tutelage of Norman Vincent Peale of whom one commentator once said...."Paul I find appealing....Peale I find appalling." I had once read where Donald Trump met Billy Graham at some time earlier in his life and out of that we naturally assume that the gospel was given.....and even that Mr. Trump may have responded favorably. The problem here is that it is very difficult to present the gospel in a meeting such as this would have been....even for Billy Graham. I've been involved in many of these encounters over the years and I'm sure that you have also. It's certainly not impossible that at a time such as this....that a person confronts the totality of his life......but these occasions are not the norm. In any case this is just hearsay or speculation....for in this world of celebrity worship and movers and shakers.....stories can and are embellished and even invented......regularly.
So today.....as I listened in through Sirius/Xm radio.....President Donald Trump......hopefully as far away from the cameras as a president can get.....heard the gospel of Jesus Christ in sermon format......in hushed silence.....and at a time in his life where potential world calamities affecting hundreds of millions of people are all around.....he primarily being the one man upon whom much of the world rests their hope or at least acknowledges that his decisions are vital.....and all this while he is being brutally attacked from political enemies....simply because those political enemies found an easy mark to vent their festering hatred of anything good.
My conversation with a friend continued. This day either Donald Trump walks in humility.....if even for a few moments.....enough that he won't be able to escape so easily in the future the message that there is truth.....and that truth is in Jesus Christ.....that there is no other way to Heaven......that there indeed is a hell.....and that there is no middle way. Either that or President Trump's conscience might very well be seared. It's nearing midnight and I'm still letting my mind imagine this being a day for mercy upon this man our president. Either way.....there may have been other days....other occasions....but it's no longer hearsay or speculation.....Donald Trump has heard the gospel of Jesus Christ......preached.....and not just passed on.
