You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" - Matthew 15:7-9 (ESV)
Franklin Graham has long since abandoned the gospel for the idolization of this country. In the runup to the 2012 presidential election the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association removed Mormonism from their list of known cults, at the behest of President/CEO Franklin. Why you may ask? Because the Republican Party nominee that year was a Mormon and even if he is a member of a satanic cult, Franklin was going to urge all Christians to vote for him anyway. And did they! The vast majority of evangelicals cast their vote that year for a direct descendent of one of the twelve founding members of Mormonism. Why wouldn't they with their leaders telling them to? In that election Franklin openly questioned the Christianity of President Obama's faith while hailing Romney's values and strong moral convictions.
Fast forward to 2015 and moral convictions no longer seemed to matter to the dominionist crowd Franklin led. Faced with the most amoral candidate in history, experts agreed that unless Donald Trump could somehow win over the evangelical vote that he would not stand a chance. Enter Franklin Graham the peacemaker. Trump sends a six-figure donation to each of the "charities" Franklin operates and voila! Franklin builds the bridge between Trump and the evangelicals. Before anyone gets twisted about the word charities being put in quotes it is because of the way Graham has used these positions to inflate is wealth. You see, as a leader of a charitable organizations, Graham was required to release his annual salaries. So, he revealed one year that he was being paid a combine 800,000 dollars in straight salaries from the aforementioned Billy Graham Evangelistic Organization and Samaritan's Purse. Not wanting the questions about his exorbitant compensation, he petitioned the IRS to change these charities into "collective of churches" for the sole purpose of no longer having to reveal his salaries. You know, WWJD. Since building this bridge for Trump, Franklin Graham has served as a primary watercarrier for the oft-embarrassing ex-president. It seems however that he recognizes now he has sold a bridge too far and appears to be moonwalking away from Mr. Trump as fast as his revisionist history will allow him. His latest attempt is linked above and published by Charisma News. Let us once again reason together to call out the rank hypocrisy wherever it may appear.
"Evangelist Franklin Graham decried the current state of political "hatred" gripping the nation, calling it "disturbing" and pleading with the American people to turn to God to heal associated wounds. "I'm not a Republican; I'm an independent. I've been an independent probably for about 20 years," Graham said during a ribbon-cutting event Tuesday at the Billy Graham Library in North Carolina. He was joined by former Vice President Mike Pence, delivering his remarks as the two stood nearby one another." - Charisma News
So, at an event with the Republican ex-Vice President, Franklin Graham swears he is independent. Right. Was he being independent when he compared Trump to Jesus by saying the ten Republican senators who voted to impeach him were the equivalent of Judas? Maybe he was being independent when he declared that Trump would go down in history as one of our greatest presidents ever. Graham decries the hatred gripping the political discourse in this nation? He thinks it is disturbing? He is one of the primary authors of this hate and division, so he should be disturbed! Maybe he should be disturbed at suggesting that federal agents should have just asked the ex-president to return the classified documents had had stolen and was hiding. Perhaps he could not see the division he was sowing when in the face of the massive grifting Trump was engaged in Graham tweeted that he did not become president to make money but to do his best to preserve the great things about this nation. What about all of the tweets defending Trump and denouncing any criticism of him by the new president? So, it is nothing short of comical that Franklin Graham tries to distance himself from the very division he has created over the past few years
'"So, I'm just disappointed in politics in America," Graham continued. "When you think of the divisions that we have, we need to be coming together to try to solve the problems that we face as a nation." The evangelist who, like his father the late Billy Graham, travels the world preaching the gospel, decried this division and said there's "almost a hatred" he's never seen before in politics. "It's very disturbing to me, and I think the only hope for this nation is God and to turn to Him and to ask Him for His wisdom," Graham said. "And that's my prayer"that this nation will turn to God, because He's the only one who can lead us out of the problems we're facing."' - Charisma News
So, were you just trying to bring us together by referring to articles that labeled all democrats as "godless?" Perhaps your unity efforts were found in your election runup scare tactics of warning all Christians that Biden would force churches to operate under policies that go against biblical teaching? Wait I know! Your true efforts at unity were when you stated that mere opposition to President Trump was "almost demonic." Spoken like a tried and true dominionist, Graham does not understand that "nations" do not turn to God. Individual people do, in response to the preached gospel. It is a little late however to proclaim the gospel when out of the other side of your mouth you are calling those who need the gospel demonic, simply for disagreeing with you politically. The irony is thick here when Graham declares only God can lead us out when he just spent the last six years swearing that it was Trump who could lead us out. Graham declared that Trump had done more for this country than any president in his lifetime. So, spare us the sudden awakened piety Franklin. The reason so many people are further away from God today is due to you and your politics.
'But it was Graham's comments about the 2024 Republican primary that might raise some eyebrows. When asked by WHNS-TV to react to former President Donald Trump's recent announcement he'll seek the presidency again in 2024, Graham was clear he won't be taking sides in the primary. "I'm staying out of the Republican primary and debate and that sort of thing," he said. "I'm focusing on what God has called me to do, and that's to preach the gospel."' - Charisma News
There we have it folks. The pathetic attempt to reinvent himself again. Graham recently said it was a mistake for Trump to attack the press the way he did after swearing it was the lying press that caused people to want him impeached! This chameleon routine will not be lost on those with discernment. Franklin Graham has spent the better part of the last seven years trying to play kingmaker. Some may say he succeeded in that his political idol was indeed elected. From there it has imploded every single day with Graham holding the bag of receipts he signed for while pretending it's not his signature. Graham has apparently realized that he did not merely hitch his star to Donald Trump's wagon - he built the wagon. The problem is the driver is incapacitated and it keeps running him over. So, the moonwalk away has begun. Jesus spoke at length regarding hypocrisy, including the key verses today. Franklin Graham has "honored the Lord" with his lips but his heart has been steadfastly cast towards this world and its politics. He seeks to draw you into vain worship, teaching you the commandments of man and his politics as doctrine but when caught, he seeks to wipe the board clean. Franklin Graham expects us to forget everything he has said for the past seven years and that he just wants to focus on preaching the gospel. The problem of course is why would anyone believe him now? They wouldn't and they shouldn't. Mark and avoid beloved. Mark and avoid.
Reverend Anthony Wade - December 19, 2022