"America's Pastor" Billy Graham will be reaching out beginning on his 95th birthday with the cooperation of over 28,000 churches in America, who will invite people into their homes and congregation, with a television and web broadcast program entitled "The Cross" from Nov. 7-10. Amid frail health, the evangelist acknowledged that this may be his last message to the nation.
The famed evangelist, whose "timeless message of hope and redemption through Jesus Christ" has reach over 2.2 billion people since 63 years ago, said he has "prayed a great deal about this" national outreach titled "My Hope America," which he hopes to help bring about a spiritual awakening in this country.
"With all my heart, I want to remind American's of God's amazing love and, as simply and clearly as I can, call people to "a repentance that leads to salvation" (2 Corinthians 7:10, ESV)," Graham wrote in a statement released Monday on Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA)'s website.
The North-Carolina based BGEA calls "My Hope" national outreach its largest evangelism effort in the United States in its six-decade history, since Graham, who was dubbed "God's Machine Gun" for his thunderous oratory, started his fiery crusades in tents and big-city stadiums.
"Woven within Graham's message are the faith stories of two popular musicians: rapper LeCrae Moore and former Flyleaf lead singer Lacey Sturm. You will be blessed by their testimonies and the original music that serves as the background to a simple and relevant explanation by Billy Graham of the saving power of the cross," according to BGEA. Classic scenes of the evangelist preaching in packed stadiums were also spliced into the 30-minute program.
Related Link: What is Billy Graham's Hope for America?
A 2012 Pew Research Center report revealed one third of adults under 30 consider themselves religiously unaffiliated. His son Franklin said the new broadcast, which features Graham's prime preaching days and faith testimonies of two young musicians, is aimed at audiences of all ages, according to Reuters.
In the months leading up to the "My Hope" national outreach involving over 28,000 churches, Graham told WND in an interview, "We have been going down the wrong road for a long time. Seemingly, man has learned to live without God, preoccupied and indifferent toward him and concerned only about material security and pleasure.
"And yet mankind is also adrift morally and spiritually, confused and fearful because he does not know where he is or where he is going. He lives in a world dangerously torn by hate and violence and conflict, and yet he feels powerless to do anything about them. He also knows his own heart is driven by destructive passions and motives he cannot seem to control or change."
Graham, who has appeared on Gallup's list of "Ten Most Admired Men in the World" 56 times since 1955, said people need to repent of their sins, turn to God and "take the narrow road that Jesus talks about in the Bible" - forsaking sin, obeying God by living up to Ten Commandments, Sermon on the Mount, and desiring to please God in all things.
"The narrow road is hard and it is difficult; you can't do that yourself. You need God's help and that's the reason we ask people to come to receive Christ because when you receive him, the Holy Spirit comes to live within to help us live the life," said Graham, the WND reported.
In 2012, Graham released an open letter to America titled "My Heart Aches for America," in which he lamented how the "self-centered indulgence, pride and lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle." Moreover, he further emphasized in his statement released Monday how "moral decline has become normal...killing, theft, dishonesty, greed, and open immorality everywhere."
He believes the answers to the deepest questions of life can only be found in the Gospel - the reason for his hope, "that there can be changed hearts and a changed society as we yield ourselves to Christ," according to WND.
Graham was the first noted evangelist to take his message behind the Iron Curtain, preaching in countries living under Communist rule. He also met with numerous world leaders and every U.S. president since Harry Truman.
On November 7, the elder Graham will mark his birthday at a party at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, with political and church leaders among 800 invited guests, including Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Sarah Palin.
Graham exhorted believers throughout North America to not watch the program alone, but with neighbors or "someone you love - a loved one, friend, or co-worker - who needs Jesus Christ."
For more information on "The Cross," airing Thursday use the following links: Watch on TV | Order a DVD |Watch Online
