Will

As he begins to wrap up his 1st letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul exhorts the people to
walk in God's will, to walk in holiness:
1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;
2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;
4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor...

We are called to "abound more and more," i.e., to be involved in spiritual growth.  We are saved by His blood, and He calls us into a walk of obedience, of sanctification, so that we might exhibit the characteristics of our Savior, enjoying victory over sin and a closer walk with Him.  He doesn't intend for us to stand still, but desires for us to move forward in Christ, following His principles and demonstrating that we love Him.

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We are called to carry out the Father's will, to follow Christ in salvation, and to be obedient to His
direction. 2nd Corinthians 4 gives us insight into God's purpose for us:
5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake.
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

The last will and testament of the late evangelist Billy Graham has been released to the public, and there are some wise words that not only apply to his family members, but can provide a challenge for each of us.

ChristianHeadlines.com has a report, in which it states:

The Christian Post shares some of Graham’s words in the document, the rest of which can be found on WSOCTV.com.

"I ask my children and grandchildren to maintain and defend at all hazards at any cost of personal sacrifice the blessed doctrine of complete Atonement for sin through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ once offered, and through that alone. I urge all of you to walk with the Lord in a life of separation from the world and to keep eternal values in view.”

The article also says: "Graham also encouraged his family to read the Bible daily and to trust in Jesus for salvation." He also thanked his late wife, Ruth, saying, “I want to thank her for her years of devotion, love, faithfulness, and sacrifice. Of all the people I have ever known, she was the greatest Christian.”

With regard to financial resources, he stipulated that 10 percent would go to the work of the Gospel.

Meanwhile, Billy Graham's son, Franklin, has embarked on a multi-city tour in the vein of the Decision America tour from 2016.  This time, he's setting his sights on the state of California.

You might want to catch the New York Times story, in which a reporter, Elizabeth Dias, actually spent a few days reporting on the tour.   It's actually a pretty good assessment of the work of Graham and his desire to see people come to Christ and live according to their convictions.  Definitely not what I would term a "hit piece," which you might expect from that publication.

Family Research Council quoted from the story in a recent Washington Update:

"The church just has to be wakened," the Rev. Franklin Graham told the New York Times shortly after concluding the first of 10 stops in his "Decision America California Tour" -- evangelistic prayer events that are drawing thousands across the Golden state with many making the decision for Christ. "People say, what goes in California is the way the rest of the nation is going to go. So, if we want to see changes, it is going to have to be done here." We heard the same urgency from California pastors attending last week's 15th annual Watchmen on the Wall pastors briefing. Like Franklin, these pastors know that California's hope -- indeed America's hope -- is only found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Vice President Pence delivered this message in his address to Watchmen pastors on Friday: "Keep preaching the good news," urged Pence. "Keep preaching in season and out of season as the Bible says. Always be prepared to give a reason for the hope that you have."

 Coverage of Graham's Fresno rally appeared in the Fresno Bee, which related:

The message: Christians need to pray for politicians, vote for candidates who support biblical principles, run for local offices, and find a relationship with God through Jesus Christ so their sins can be forgiven.

"Our country is in trouble," the son of the late Billy Graham said. "Your state's in trouble – you know that. But there are things that we can do. You know God hears prayer."

So, there he is, carry out the stated will of his father, and following the will of his Heavenly Father, preaching the gospel, and connecting the transformation of the gospel with the potential transformation of culture.   Sure, there were political implications, and that is a system that has been established by man through which God can work.

For us today, we can be encouraged to take the Word of God seriously in carrying out our Father's will.  He has a plan for each of us, He has entrusted a message to us, and He desires to see His people faithfully serving and loving Him.  We are His representatives, and that means we represent the principles that we find in His Word.

There is much discussion and debate in the Church today about a variety of issues, and if we're not careful, concentration on what might be termed "non-essential" - but by no means unimportant - issues can distract us from the work of the Gospel that we are called to do.  In our pursuit of the political and relational, the spiritual can get lost - the spiritual, the truth of God's Word, can inform the other realms.  True heart change through the Gospel is at the core of our effective work on earth.

We have to make sure that we are not spending so much time concentrating on the sins and shortcomings of others and not concentrating on our own hearts.  God's Spirit will illuminate the areas in which we need to grow, confess, and repent, but we have to allow His light to shine in our hearts so that He might do His healing and restorative work.