Evangelism

Franklin Graham to President Trump: “The only One who can save us from Hell is Jesus Christ.”

While the majority of United States presidents have openly identified as Christians, President Donald Trump and his administration may uniquely hold the distinction of so frequently and openly invoking the name of Jesus.

Over the years, presidents have traditionally issued Easter proclamations, but at the beginning of Monday’s press briefing, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt acknowledged the beginning of these final days of Lent.

“This Holy Week, President Trump and the First Lady are joining in prayer with Christians celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” she stated. Leavitt went on to say the president would be hosting an Easter lunch on Wednesday with faith leaders to formally commemorate these symbolically significant days leading up to Resurrection Sunday.

This past year, the Trump administration has established a presidential commission on religious liberty and a White House Faith Office that reflects the strong concentration of Christian belief and tradition in the United States.

On Palm Sunday, President Trump shared a letter he received last fall from Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Mr. Graham, who has enjoyed a longstanding friendship with the 45th and 47th chief executive, had reached out to Mr. Trump after the president mentioned to the press he didn’t know if he was going to make it to Heaven.

While speaking with reporters this past October aboard Air Force One, President Trump said:

“I don’t think there’s anything gonna get me in heaven, okay? I really don’t. I think, I think I’m not maybe heavenbound. I may be in heaven right now as we fly in Air Force One—I’m not sure I’m gonna be able to make heaven, but I’ve made life a lot better for a lot of people.”

Hearing that exchange, Franklin Graham decided to privately reach out to President Trump. Here is the heart of what the son of the late Billy Graham wrote:

Maybe you responded in jest, but it is an important issue to know for certain that your soul is secure and will spend eternity in the presence of God. The only One who can save us from Hell is Jesus Christ. You can’t save yourself; I can’t save myself. Good works, prominence, success — none of these get us to Heaven. The only way to Heaven is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

God requires us to turn from our sins and, by faith, believe in our heart that Jesus came to earth, died on the cross for our sins, was buried and God raised Him to life on the third day. If you accept that by faith and invite Him to come into your heart, you ARE heaven bound, I promise you.

The Bible says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).

You continue to be in my prayers.

Christians and non-Christians alike have long debated and discussed the faith of Donald Trump. While he has been friendly and welcoming to evangelicalism, many have questioned where the president is personally on some of the same doctrinal and theological truths shared by Franklin Graham in his pastoral note. It’s impossible to know what’s in a person’s heart, but the overtness with which Graham communicated models the forthrightness and fervor Christians should possess when witnessing.

President Trump’s decision to share this private letter is more than a mere curious peek into a personal exchange between friends. Instead, it’s a sermon of sorts – one more overt presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that’s being read by people everywhere. It’s a practical blueprint for the confused, a road map for the curious, and a clear declaration aimed at anyone who does not know the Lord and whose eternity is at stake.

Earlier on Tuesday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth concluded his press briefing at the Pentagon with a prayer for our troops, saying:

“May God watch over all of them, each day and each night. May His almighty and eternal arms of providence stretch over them and protect them and bring them peace. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”

The overtness of Christian faith on display at the highest reaches of the United States government is an answer to the prayers of many believers. It also represents a unique opportunity and sacred responsibility for those entrusted with a platform and those who possess the boldness required to speak truth. 

Christians Engaged Sponsors ‘America Reads the Bible’ at Museum of the Bible 

Ahead of our nation’s 250th anniversary, Christians Engaged is hosting America Reads the Bible, a week-long event where more than 475 participants will read the entire Bible aloud.

The event begins with an opening celebration on April 18. National leaders from different spheres of influence will read Genesis through Revelation from April 19–25 at the World Stage Theatre at the Museum of the Bible. 

Great American Pure Flix will be producing and livestreaming America Reads the Bible nationwide, or tickets can be purchased to attend in person. 

Christians Engaged, a ministry of Family Policy Alliance, is a nonprofit organization that educates and equips Christians to “pray regularly, vote in every election, and engage their hearts in local and national civic life.” 

The group explained the purpose of the event: 

Just as Ezra read the Word aloud to the people of Israel (Nehemiah 8:1–3), awakening revival and repentance, inspiring them to rebuild the temple, and working with Nehemiah to mobilize the people to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls, America Reads the Bible is a sacred opportunity to call our nation back to its spiritual foundations. 

Through a public, continuous reading of the entire Bible in our nation’s capital by our national leaders from all spheres of influence, we believe God can spark revival in individual hearts and inspire Americans to carry the Word forward in their lives and communities into the next 250 years of our national story.

Readers are from every walk of life, including government, entertainment, education, business and Christian ministry. Participants include Franklin Graham and Nick Vujicic; Pastor Sammy Rodriguez; actresses Patricia Heaton and Candace Cameron Bure; film director and writer Dallas Jenkins; and U.S. Senators Jim Banks, Ted Cruz, Joni Ernst and James Lankford. 

Podcasters and authors Eric Metaxas and Allie Beth Stuckey; U.S. Secretaries Pete Hegseth, Brooke Rollins and Marco Rubio; and business owner and model Kathy Ireland; and Governors Greg Abbott, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Ron DeSantis are also reading Scripture. 

America Reads the Bible will have prayer and worship at the end of each hour of the Bible reading, led by worship leaders like Meridith Andrews, Danny Gokey, Phil King, Leeland Mooring, ChiChi Onyekanne and UPPERROOM. 

King wrote the song “Heal Our Land” as the official worship anthem for the event. The former worship pastor at Christ for the Nations Institute and Gateway Church in Texas, he now leads worship at Trinity Fellowship Church, in Amarillo, Texas. 

“King wrote the song ‘Heal Our Land’ as a solemn prayer of intercession for America and worked with director Josh Franer to produce the visually stunning music video,” event organizers explained in a press release. 

The lyrics, based on 2 Chronicles 7:14, include imploring God to bring healing, forgiveness and revival to the United States: 

You said if my people called by my name/ Would humble themselves and pray/ That You’d hear from Heaven/And from there You would pour out rain/ So we call on Your promise/ This oath that You made/ Though our sins are so many and so great.

Heal our land, heal our cities, heal our people/ With Your hand touch this nation, send revival/ We still believe You’re more than able/ We still believe You’re not done with us/ Heal our land, heal this nation, God.

Bunni Pounds, president and founder of Christians Engaged, is the visionary behind the event. She described her hope for the public reading: 

When America honored Scripture, we flourished. When we sidelined it, we lost our way. No politician or policy can heal what is broken in the human heart. America doesn’t just need another election; it requires a spiritual awakening rooted in God’s Word.

This is not a performance or a political event; it’s a sacred gathering. Pastors, business leaders, professors, actors, and everyday believers will come together to proclaim Scripture over our nation, believing God will move as His Word goes forth.

While Christians Engaged is hosting the event, more than 100 partner ministries are involved, including businesses, ministries, state-based family policy councils and Christian colleges and universities. 

Find out more about America Reads the Bible here, and learn how to attend in person or watch online. 

Related articles and resources: 

Appreciating the Full Scope of the Lordship of Christ – and the Gospel Itself

The Church’s Lane is the Whole Cosmos

Christians Engaged

Family Policy Alliance

Great American Pure Flix

How Big is Your View of the Gospel?

How Do We Know the Bible is True?

How Evangelical Conviction Is Standing Strong Against Evil

Is the Bible Reliable?

Is Religious Faith Gaining Influence in America?

Is Revival Beginning in America, With Younger Men Leading the Way?

Museum of the Bible

Supreme Court Rules Street Preacher Can Challenge City’s Speech Ordinance

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of a street preacher who argues a city ordinance unconstitutionally prevents him from sharing his Christian faith in public.

The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 in Olivier v. City of Brandon that Gabriel Olivier can challenge Brandon, Mississippi’s ordinance that restricts “expressive activity” – and therefore, Olivier’s evangelism – near a public amphitheater.

“This is not only a win for the right to share your faith in public, but also a win for every American’s right to have their day in court when their First Amendment rights are violated,” said Kelly Shackelford, president, CEO, and chief counsel for First Liberty Institute. Olivier is represented by First Liberty.

Olivier, an evangelical Christian, often stands outside of well-attended events and shares the gospel with as many people as he can. But the city of Brandon, Mississippi, adopted an ordinance that limits speech inside a small, designated “protest zone” that is far away from crowds, limiting his ability to communicate.

In one incident, Olivier disregarded the protest zone and moved closer to the crowds so he could reach more people. As a result, the city arrested him. He paid a $304 fine and was released, serving no prison time.

First Liberty published a video explaining more about Olivier’s story, which you can watch below:


Olivier subsequently challenged the law in federal court, alleging the city ordinance violates the First Amendment’s free speech clause. The district court, however, dismissed his case. The court agreed with the city’s argument that an individual previously convicted of violating a statute cannot challenge its constitutionality under federal civil rights law (§1983).

It relied on a Supreme Court decision in Heck v. Humphery that prohibits prisoners’ use of §1983 to challenge the validity of a prior conviction to obtain release from custody or monetary damages.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit affirmed the district court’s judgement.

In its decision, the Supreme Court reversed the lower court ruling and allowed Olivier’s suit challenging the city ordinance to proceed. The Court said its Heck precedent “has no bearing on Olivier’s suit seeking a purely prospective remedy.”

Justice Elena Kagan, who authored the Court’s opinion, said, “Olivier is seeking … ‘wholly prospective’ relief – ‘only to be free from prosecutions for future violations’ of the city ordinance.”

Olivier can “sue … to enjoin future prosecutions under the city ordinance, despite his prior conviction,” Kagan said. Otherwise, Olivier would be placed in a “dilemma” to either “flout the law and risk another prosecution, or else forego speech he believes is constitutionally protected.”

Olivier’s case will now go to trial in the district court where he will argue the ordinance violates the free speech clause.

“No American should be criminally charged for sharing their faith in public,” said Nate Kellum, senior counsel at First Liberty. “This is a wonderful day for Gabe and for the First Amendment.”

“My goal from the beginning was to be granted my rights as an American citizen under our great Constitution,” said Olivier. “Now all people with deeply held Christian religious beliefs who are called to share the good news can do so in the public arena.”

The case is Olivier v. City of Brandon.

Related articles and resources:

Supreme Court To Hear Evangelist’s Religious Freedom Case

U.S. Supreme Court Will Hear Case of Evangelist Banned From Sharing His Faith

Photo from Shutterstock.

How Should Christians Respond to Thousands of Muslims Praying in Washington Square Park?

By now you may have seen video from this past Friday of thousands of Muslims gathered in prayer on their knees inside New York City’s Washington Square Park.

According to reports, the occasion was to mark Eid al-Fitr, also known as the “Festival of Breaking the Fast” – a three-day holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, a 30-day Islamic event remembering when Muhammad supposedly received the first revelation of the Quran.

In the video, you can hear those gathered reciting something called the Takbir, an Islamic declaration boasting about the primacy and exclusivity of Allah.

Muslims in New York City is not a new phenomenon, but the number of those who espouse the Islamic faith has grown exponentially in recent decades. It’s estimated there were somewhere between 100,000 and 200,000 in the latter part of the last century in the metropolitan area and an estimated 1.5 million today.

While Christians and Muslims violently clashed throughout the Crusades between the 11th and 13th centuries, for a long time there’s been a general sense of peaceful co-existence, cooperation and even interfaith dialogue in official channels. 

Islamic terrorists and their sympathizers have been a whole other story, of course. From the thousands of Americans killed on September 11, 2001 to the Boston Marathon attack in 2013 and numerous other jihad-inspired tragedies, the public has been understandably on edge. 

Recent protests and counterprotests have proven to be volatile and violent. Earlier this month, and just 6 miles from Washington Square Park, two ISIS-inspired terrorists tossed bombs made up of bolts and screws into a group protesting what they called the “Islamic Takeover of New York City.”

While there are still more churches being built in the United States than mosques, the significant growth of the latter reflects a changing tide driven by immigration, a lack of assimilation, and geopolitical issues. 

Islam may recognize Jesus as a prophet, but it does not recognize Him as the divine son of God. As such, while Christians have peacefully co-existed with Muslims, the two faiths are fundamentally at odds.

History has demonstrated that culture suffers when Christian influence declines. Morality becomes more relative. Divorce goes up and family health goes down. The birthrate declines, too. Community and social cohesiveness take a hit. Public policies are more likely to be radical and liberal. 

In video from Friday’s Washington Square Park event, the famed Washington Arch is visible. Constructed to commemorate the 100th anniversary of George Washington’s inauguration, there’s an inscription at the top – a quote from our first president:

“Let us raise a standard to which the wise and the honest can repair. The event is in the hand of God.”

This sentiment comes from a letter/message that then General Washington wrote in 1775. Foreseeing the coming war for independence with Great Britain, he was attempting to steady and prepare the colonists – and reminding them that man is responsible for his actions, but God is sovereign and in full control. 

That’s a timeless and wise reminder, especially in a pluralistic nation like America. Few would foresee and certainly not welcome a coming war with those who claim Islamic faith. But as Christians, we do have a responsibility and even opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with those who pray to Allah – especially those whose paths we may cross.

I have a colleague here at Focus on the Family whose family has befriended a Muslim refugee family. His wife has taught the husband’s wife how to drive and even gifted them their old car. They are careful with what they say and how they say it knowing the sensitivities of the culture, but good things have unfolded over the years of their friendship. They make their evangelical faith evident and obvious. 

Has this Muslim family converted to Christianity? No – not yet.

There is a lot more to study and discuss regarding this subject. What we saw in Washington Square Park is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, 

For now, as Christians, we should be, in the words of Washington, raising the standard when it comes to our witness and outreach. We should be praying fervently for our country, our leaders, and for those who have not yet confessed their sins and put their faith fully in Jesus Christ.  

Don’t Fall for the ‘Christian Nationalism’ Straw Man

It was Dr. Jordan Peterson, the Canadian psychologist and bestselling author, who once warned, “Social media gives everyone a voice, but it also amplifies resentment, envy, and tribal conflict.”

In recent days, a variety of memes have been swirling about in the social media ether regarding one of those areas of tension, specifically so-called “Christian nationalism.”

In reality, it’s been a topic for years, and also a label that many socially conservative evangelical Christians have been unfairly and recklessly slapped with. Our friend Dan Darling even wrote a book about it.

In Defense of Christian Patriotism was his effort to untangle the differences between “Christian nationalism” and a believer’s healthy love of their country.

“As I speak to ordinary believers around the country, I meet good people who want to love America but are constantly being told that this passion is in direct conflict with their love for God,” Darling observed.

Dr. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Seminary, shares this frustration:

The self-appointed guardians of secular America are going to call you a Christian nationalist. Do you believe in the defense of the unborn and that abortion should be prohibited by power of law? Then you will be labeled a Christian nationalist. Do you believe that there are two and only two genders, male and female? Then get ready to be put in the stocks as a Christian nationalist. Do you believe that your Christian convictions on these issues are to be translated into your position on questions of government policy? You guessed it: You are a Christian nationalist.

The five memes that I saw in recent days made the following statements:

  1. “Nationalism replaces Christ with country.”
  2. “Nationalism distorts the global mission of Jesus.”
  3. “Nationalism elevates one people above others.”
  4. “Nationalism baptizes political power.”
  5. “Nationalism divides the family of God.”

Shared in the context of evangelical Christianity, these five declarations are what you might call a “straw man” series of assertions – intentionally misrepresented propositions made in order to then easily strike down.

That’s how Mike Farris, former president and CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom, rightly interpreted them. In response, he wrote:

“I know no one who is a serious Christian who call themselves Christian Nationalists.”

In other words, believers are not putting America over their devotion to Jesus. It’s not the serious Christians claiming the designation but rather a label akin to an epithet used to marginalize and criticize.

To be clear, Focus on the Family’s President Jim Daly has noted that, properly defined, “Christian nationalism is dangerous.”

He explains:

If you think government and God are co-equals, you’ll be motivated by the wrong things and might even be susceptible to being swept up into violent mobs … Conversely, good Christians are good citizens who have an obligation to serve the Republic. We engage our civic duty and privilege out of our love of neighbor. Christian nationalism is putting love of country (and our self-interests) over love of God.

In Dan Darling’s excellent book, encouraging Christians to be unapologetically patriotic, he amplifies Daly’s distinction and also offers explains why patriotic Christians are falsely accused of mis-prioritizing love of country over love of the Lord.

“Often it is Christians trying to arrest change who are labeled as the aggressors, backwards, weird and retrograde, while the Left, which made the changes in the first place, is the enlightened, fair-minded, justice-oriented cohort.”

Don’t fall for the straw man silliness. Serious Christians know their ultimate and eternal allegiance is to their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, even when taking the Pledge of Allegiance with their hand over their heart. 

Photo credit: Getty Images/Shutterstock