Who Holds Tomorrow (Newsletter) - Part 2

Recently I wrote a post titled "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow" - link to post here http://sharingthefaith-northernsparrow.blogspot.ca/2012/11/i-know-who-holds-tomorrow.html
I shared how the song "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow" holds a special place in my heart.
So I was pleasantly surprised to find that this song is also a favorite to the Dr Thomas Wyatt.
I am on the Wings of Healing mailing list so I am blessed to receive their letters regularly. In his most recent letter, Dr Wyatt included a New Year's message which I would like to share with you here:
I will share parts of his letter here below. His letter includes warnings, prophecies, comfort and encouragement. I believe you will be blest by reading Dr Wyatt's insights.

The Newsletter:


Newsletter from Wings of Healing

You can link to his website at -  www.thomasrwyatt.org

He begins by saying:

My faithful friend:
The New Year, traditionally, has been the opportunity to envision what the year ahead and even beyond may have in store.......
Regrettably, just as our Lord prophesied, our world is one of "wars, and rumors of wars, ( meaning wars close by, and wars half a world away), but we are not to be alarmed, for this must happen, but it is not the end... there will be famines, and earthquakes in various places, but all this is but the beginnings of the birthpangs.....and you will be delivered up to tribulation, and put to death, you will be hated by all nations for My name sake... ( Matthew 24)
What our Lord describes is a world of chaos and lawlessness, and He will add, one of falsehood and treachery, which will cause many to fall away. But He affirms "those who endureto the end will be saved, and the gospel of the Kingdom will be preached as a testimony to all nations. Then and only then, He declares, the end will come......

What the world and it's princes have done is to excude God for centuries, and of course they have made matters worse. So as we see markets and governments crumble, as it results in carnage in places we have never heard of before, needless, heartache, the deprivation of far too many, and increased uncertainty and unrest, remember it is the consequences of ignoring God. This will result in unimaginable events, not just in some far corner of our globe, but very close at hand. Evil will raise its hand against even the innocent, as we have discovered in a small town in Connecticut.
As I see such evil I remember the old hymn by Ira Spanphill, and yes, find myself singing, "...I don't worry o'er the future, for I know what Jesus said, and today I'll walk beside Him, for He knows what lies ahead. Many things about tomorrow I don't seem to understand, but I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand".

We should know Him, and His love, and thus be able to say, regardless of the evil, regardless of what may confronts us, we have " The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive... you know Him, for He dwells with you, and will be in you" ( John 14:17 )......

So as this coming year unfolds, as the frequent chaos persists, as the futility of human and governmental meddling continue, I would have your remember with me just who it is "who holds tomorrow" and that it is He "Who holds ours hands." He has promised to always be there for His people, those who He has called unto Himelf. He will, with His strong arm cover us, undertake for us, and enable us......

 The above are the words from the letter written by Thomas Wyatt.

Billy Graham's letter to America...

Many of you reading my blog will know that I am a fan of Billy Graham. It was through Billy's preaching on the Hour of Decision broadcast, that I was able to understand my need of salvation.
I want to post a letter that Billy Graham has written to America. It is clear that Billy Graham can see that the judgements of God are getting ever closer. I believe that it is not only America that is facing the downward spiral that Billy talks about. I see it here in Canada very much the same. May God Bless you as you read Billy Graham's letter posted here.

Here is the letter Billy Graham wrote:   (I will highlite some parts that I find significant: )

July 24, 2012 - In a new prayer letter Billy Graham writes: "My heart aches for America and its deceived people. The wonderful news is that our Lord is a God of mercy, and He responds to repentance."

 

by Billy Graham

Some years ago, my wife, Ruth, was reading the draft of a book I was writing. When she finished a section describing the terrible downward spiral of our nation’s moral standards and the idolatry of worshiping false gods such as technology and sex, she startled me by exclaiming, “If God doesn’t punish America, He’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.”
She was probably thinking of a passage in Ezekiel where God tells why He brought those cities to ruin. “Now this was the sin of ... Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen” (Ezekiel 16:49–50, NIV).

I wonder what Ruth would think of America if she were alive today. In the years since she made that remark, millions of babies have been aborted and our nation seems largely unconcerned. Self-centered indulgence, pride, and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle. Just a few weeks ago in a prominent city in the South, Christian chaplains who serve the police department were ordered to no longer mention the Name of Jesus in prayer. It was reported that during a recent police-sponsored event, the only person allowed to pray was someone who addressed “the being in the room.” Similar scenarios are now commonplace in towns across America.Our society strives 
to avoid any possibility of offending anyone—except God.

Yet the farther we get from God, the more the world spirals out of control.
My heart aches for America and its deceived people. The wonderful news is that our Lord is a God of mercy, and He responds to repentance. In Jonah’s day, Nineveh was the lone world superpower—wealthy, unconcerned, and self-centered. When the Prophet Jonah finally traveled to Nineveh and proclaimed God’s warning, people heard and repented.

I believe the same thing can happen once again, this time in our nation. It’s something I long for, and my son Franklin recently shared a vision for perhaps the greatest challenge in the history of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association—to launch an outreach called My Hope with Billy Graham that would bring the Gospel into neighborhoods and homes in every corner of America next year.

BGEA has already taken My Hope to more than 50 nations. We’ve worked in close partnership with local churches across each country, and those churches have reported millions of life-changing decisions for Christ. Carrying out a nationwide American version of this evangelistic outreach will be an enormous undertaking, but in my spirit I know God has called us to do this, and I pray He will stir your heart to join us in prayer and support.

Franklin will share more about the project with you as the planning develops. In the meantime, all this year Franklin and his son Will are preaching “repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21, ESV) at Crusade events across North America—from Texas to Canada—and God has blessed the work. Already tens of thousands have heard the Gospel, and many have responded, especially young people.

As I write, I am in the middle of a busy summer enjoying visits with many of my grandchildren and other family members, but also working hard on a new book that addresses some dangerous illusions about eternal salvation that are becoming increasingly accepted in many places. I want to point the world to what the Bible says.
Although age and health restrict my mobility and my stamina, not to mention my eyesight and hearing, I am thankful for the days God has given me, and I am humbled by His continued hand of favor on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The Lord draws people to Himself daily through BGEA’s various evangelistic ministries, and I am so deeply grateful.

The next Crusade event is August 18–19 with Franklin in Green Bay, Wis., followed by two in September, in Buffalo, N.Y., and Ottawa, Ontario. Please join me in praying for the power of the Holy Spirit on the preaching of the Gospel.

May God bless you,

Billy Graham