From the desk of Franklin Graham...
Thousands of people are desperately trying to escape from Afghanistan after the country's fall to the Taliban.

With the Taliban blocking access to the airport and all exit routes, this is a life or death situation for Christians and other religious minorities, and all those who worked with or for America over the past two decades.

These Islamic extremists, who have taken Afghanistan by force, have a history of brutality, including beheadings and public executions. Time is short and the need is urgent, and this is why I am calling for a day of prayer on Sunday, August 22.

With the Taliban blocking access to the airport and all exit routes, this is a life-or-death situation for Christians and other religious minorities, and all those who worked with or for America over the past two decades. There is no hope for these people to get out safely—apart from a miracle from the hand of God—and that's what we need to pray for.
It is a difficult and tragic situation. Will you please join me in praying for God to intervene in a mighty way?
Sincerely,
Franklin Graham ​

​Nearly 1,300 people were killed in Haiti on Saturday after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake ripped apart the impoverished nation. There are more than 5,700 reports of injuries with thousands of homes destroyed and damaged. To make matters worse, the nation is experiencing a tropical depression that is expecting to bring wind and a lot of rain through Tuesday.
We want you to know that our Disaster Relief team is coordinating with other responders to determine how the SBCV can provide aid. Our international partners (IMB/Send Relef) are planning a response, and we will be advised on next steps. We will keep you informed as we learn more.
Here’s how you can help:

• Please pray now for the families impacted by this devastation.
• You can give a contribution that 100% will go directly to disaster relief.
• Be prepared to go to any disaster by getting trained.

If you have any questions please feel free to email us at disasterrelief@sbcv.org.

Victoria Cobb, President
Thursday, July 15, 2021
We are hearing from talented public school teachers across Virginia about how concerned they are about the transformation taking place in their schools. From teacher trainings on Critical Race Theory to the new Model Transgender Policies created by the Virginia Department of Education, they are seeking guidance. 
Hearing these needs, we are conducting a two-part webinar August 5th and 12th, specifically for public school teachers, to discuss these topics and help them prepare for the 2021-2022 school year. During these webinars you will have the chance to hear from The Heritage Foundation's Jonathan Butcher and The Family Foundation's policy and legal team. If you are a public school teacher in Virginia and you want to learn more about these issues, you'll definitely want to watch these two important webinars! Click the button below to register. 

Meeting Registration - Zoom

Bruce Frank Shares Billy Graham Testimony | Annual Homecoming 2020 | SBC of Virginia

Bruce Frank Shares Billy Graham Testimony | Annual Homecoming 2020 | SBC of Virginia on Vimeo

Charles Billingsley is the teaching pastor at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg. He led worship during the SBC of Virginia Annual Homecoming as well as shared how COVID-19 dramatically challenged him both physically and spiritually. Watch this moving message by clicking below.

​https://vimeo.com/478117973

Some ministries have had it more difficult than others in 2020. Among the gathering restrictions, Northstar Church needed a new meeting location. Another SBC of Virginia church was quick to answer the call for help and go beyond just offering space. Hear from Northstar Church Pastor Jeff Noble on how God is working through His people. You are not alone.
https://vimeo.com/480491591

Good morning, SBC of Virginia family! We pray that you are able to spend time this week with family and friends to give thanks for all of God’s blessings.
 
In this SBCV News, we look back at this year's 2020 Annual Homecoming. Look below for highlights that you can read and watch. You'll also find the latest resources like the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, the Proclaimer magazine, and more. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!



​https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgxwKjdrttPKsLnFDnDHmDSqwKDGf?projector=1

​https://www.sbcv.org/2020-lottie-moon/

​In just a few weeks, the familiar sound of the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle bells will be heard as the Christmas Kettle season gets underway.

Most of those ringing the bells are volunteers from around the community, but with hundreds of shifts to fill between Friday, Nov. 13 and Tuesday, Dec. 23, the Salvation Army does need the help of some seasonal part-time paid workers in Fauquier, Culpeper and Orange counties to ensure the kettles stay manned.

Pick up an application at the Salvation Army Family Store at 62 Waterloo Street in Warrenton and 133 E. Culpeper St. in Culpeper. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and bring a driver’s license and social security cards to have those applications processed. For more information, contact Yina Caver  at 540-349-8076 or email yina.caver@uss.salvationarmy.org 

Every year, Hopeful Baptist Church makes a trip overseas to serve in missions. Since that option was not available this summer, church volunteers decided to serve a different mission field - the one in their own backyard! God opened many opportunities for the young and old to serve, share the Gospel, and see their neighbors accept God's salvation. But the majority of folks who made that eternal decision might surprise you. Watch this encouraging story. You are not alone.


https://vimeo.com/442132432

https://vimeo.com/445602603


​Sonlight Church in Chesapeake has been a portable church ever since they started almost 21 years ago. That means that they've had to make adjustments to their online presence to continue reach people with the Gospel during this season. One opportunity provided a church member with sharing their faith with an online gamer who then attended online church for the first time in their lives. After church, they were then led to Christ by Pastor Hershel Adams! Watch how God is on the move with this church family. You are not alone.

The feeding program at Halifax County Schools was forced to temporarily cease due to an employee who tested positive for COVID-19. Pastor Ken Warfield at Fork Baptist Church asked his church to step in, and the results stunned everyone involved. Watch how this church on mission answered the call that is leading to Gospel conversations in surrounding communities. You are not alone.

​https://vimeo.com/432913027

From feeding the hungry to making personal phone calls to church members, Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg went back to the basics to meet needs in the church and surrounding community. Tim Grandstaff is the missions pastor and shares how the needs were found and met during the crisis. Here's their story. You are not alone.
​https://vimeo.com/432183395

Donna Paulk and Brandon Pickett talk with three women's ministry leaders about the current racial climate. These ladies open up about how racial tension and injustice is always right under the surface and what we as Christians can do about it right now in our churches and our communities. You are not alone.

​https://vimeo.com/425661768

Job situations are changing unexpectedly. To help with that need, Eric Fannin, lead pastor of Vansant Baptist Church, shares a new job placement ministry the church is launching to equip job hunters with the skills to build a resume. In addition to the new video services reaching several shut-ins and lost people, they are making masks and partnering with a local food pantry in Southwest Virginia. Watch this Not Alone story. You are not alone.

​https://vimeo.com/420409301

“In us not knowing what God is doing, God still works. God still saves,” says Josh Cottrell, lead pastor of Mount Calvary Baptist Church. Once this South Chesterfield congregation started holding drive-in services they saw an immediate result as a little girl accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior. Hear the rest of the inspiring story from Pastor Cottrell. You are not alone.
https://vimeo.com/417328552
​

​20200508 Northam Religious Service Guidelines
 
Religious Services
Phase I: Religious services must be conducted according to the following requirements.
Given the public health implications of the 2020 global pandemic, the Commonwealth’s diverse faith community quickly adjusted in response to this unprecedented crisis. 
Therefore, it is important that the diverse faith communities in Virginia stay informed with local, state, and national officials using the links below:

• CDC’s main COVID-19 Web page
• Virginia Department of Health COVID-19 Web page
• Virginia Governor’s COVID-19 Web page

Mandatory Requirements
Religious services must strictly adhere to the following requirements:

• Occupancy shall be limited to no more than 50% of the lowest occupancy load on the certificate of occupancy of the room or facility in which the religious services are conducted.
• Individuals attending religious services must be seated at least six feet apart at all times and must practice physical distancing at all times. Family members, as defined in Executive Order 61, Order of Public Health Emergency Three, may be seated together. Mark seating in six-foot increments.
• It is recommended that persons attending religious services be encouraged to wear face coverings over their nose and mouth at all times (See CDC Use of Cloth Face Coverings guidance for more detailed information.).
• No items must be passed to or between attendees who are not family members as defined in EO 61, Order of Public Health Emergency Three. 
• Any items used to distribute food or beverages must be disposable and used only once and discarded.
• A thorough cleaning and disinfection of frequently contacted surfaces must be conducted prior to and following any religious services.
• Post signage at the entrance that states that no one with a fever or symptoms of COVID-19, or known exposure to a COVID-19 case in the prior 14 days, is permitted in the establishment.
• Post signage to provide public health reminders regarding social distancing, gatherings, options for high risk individuals, and staying home if sick (samples at the bottom of this document). 
• If any place of worship cannot adhere to the above requirements, it must not conduct in-person services.  Other suggested guidance for faith communities and funeral directors can be found below. 

Best Practices
In addition to the requirements provided above, faith communities are encouraged to utilize the following best practices to the extent they are feasible: 

• Designate a health coordinator and/or health equity team who will be responsible for COVID-19 planning and preparation for your place of worship.
• For the building:
  • Conduct thorough cleaning before and between services.
  • Use separate doors to enter and exit the establishment when possible. 
  • Allow interior doors to remain open to limit touching of door handles.
  • Provide sanitizing stations throughout the building, particularly at entry and exit points. 
  • Consider installing touchless door entry systems or providing single-use barriers (i.e., paper towels) for use in touching door and sink handles in bathroom facilities. 
  • Use messaging boards or digital messaging and social media for announcements to eliminate use of bulletins and handouts.
• For weekly religious services:
  • Members are safer at home.  Continue to provide and encourage use of online streaming and drive-in options for people who can utilize these options. No place of worship should feel obligated to return to in-person worship before they are ready to do so.
  • Consider holding multiple services, with time for thorough cleaning in between each service, to allow for greater distancing during services.
  • Suspend the choir as part of services.
  • Consider shorter services to avoid the need for people to use bathroom facilities.
  • Consider limiting or suspending youth services until a safer time.
  • Consider holding small group or separate services for senior citizens and other high-risk populations
    • Consider making this the first service of the week, after thorough cleaning and disinfection of facilities have been performed. 
    • Ensure the use of face coverings and physical distancing is maintained between individuals at this service.
    • Ensure social distancing in parking lots or common areas.
  • Consider discontinuing use of common items (e.g., microphones, books, hymnals, scriptural texts) that may be shared between people and are difficult to clean. Consider assigning religious books to a family or individual that they can bring to each service, or use a projector for the display of sacred texts, scriptures, and songs.
  • When oils, water, ashes, or other materials are applied to a person’s forehead, self-application should be used, to the extent possible. 
  • Discontinue shared meals and other activities where people may gather in groups (e.g., limit or suspend coffee stations, shared food, meet and greet time before and after services etc.), with the exception of essential food services for low-income residents.
• Possible methods for religious services:
  • Drive-in/parking lot church: This is the safer model of religious service where social distancing may be maintained.
  • Sign-up worship services: This will limit the number of live worship services. Ask members, visitors, or guests to sign up for one live service per month, or every other week (in Phase 1). If needed, members can take turns between online and in-person worship services during this interim time. Allow space for impromptu visitors by registering fewer people (for each worship or religious service) than the maximum allowed per the occupancy restrictions.
  • Multiple gatherings during the week: A place of worship may divide the number of congregants by the maximum occupancy level and offer worship services at that level. Consider adding online services, multiple services on one day, or alternative services during the week and/or on Saturdays and Sundays. 
  • Utilize multiple methods:  As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, most places of worship lost the ability to gather in-person, but many gained a stronger online presence. Consider nurturing both aspects for at-risk individuals, as well as for the increased capacity to reach and serve those outside of the walls of the faith organization.
  • Adult-only services: This method asks parents of young children to alternate worship attendance (naturally reducing attendance, as one parent stays home with children).
  • Online-only: Take this approach if you are in a high-risk area, your place of worship is not yet prepared with the conditions outlined in the state guidelines for opening, you or a member of your family has COVID-19 symptoms, or the governing authorities have requested additional measures in the interest of public health.

 

​Open Letter sent to Governor Northam.


Re: Modification of Executive Orders to exempt weekly religious gatherings

Dear Governor Northam:
As pastors of churches in Virginia, we thank you for your labors these last several months to care for the people of the Commonwealth. We have been praying for you. We write now to urge you to modify Executive Orders 53 and 55 to allow – at minimum – once-weekly gatherings of religious organizations, provided that reasonable public-health precautions are taken.
COVID-19 has taken a grave toll on the health of the Commonwealth. Many of our fellow Virginians have suffered the physical effects of the coronavirus, and many more have experienced fear, hopelessness, loneliness, and despair during this dark time. This spiritual suffering is among the very real harms from the pandemic.
The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a hospital for the spiritually sick. Yet corporate worship services of more than 10 people have been banned in Virginia since March 23, regardless of the public-health protocols in place and notwithstanding that groups are permitted to gather in settings such as non-retail offices and “essential” retail businesses. Prohibiting corporate worship services has exacerbated the sense of sorrow, isolation, and fear felt by so many citizens across the Commonwealth.
Corporate worship is commanded by Scripture and has been a foundational element of Christian life for nearly 2,000 years. Alternatives such as live-streamed services and “drive-through” worship are not adequate substitutes to the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-27) united together in corporate worship. God, through Holy Scripture, commands believers in the Lord Jesus to assemble. In Hebrews 10:24-25, the writer to the Hebrews exhorts Christians not to neglect meeting together, but instead to stir up one another to love and good deeds and to encourage one another. In 1 Timothy 4:13, the Apostle Paul exhorts Timothy, a pastor in the city of Ephesus, to devote himself to the public reading of Scripture. People must be present for the reading to be public. Ephesians 5:19 tells Christians to address one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Indeed, physical presence is vital for all aspects of corporate worship – prayer (1 Timothy 2:1), teaching (Colossians 3:16), preaching (2 Timothy 4:2 and Galatians 1:23), baptism (Matthew 28:18-20), and the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:27-34). The early church assembled weekly each Sunday, the day of the resurrection of Christ, to worship (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:1-2). Scripture is clear: God’s Word calls for the regular, physical assembly of God’s people.
These gatherings are one of the means God uses to heal and restore our souls – they are part of God’s treatment plan for the spiritually sick. The longer the government bars Christians from meeting, the more damage is done to the spiritual well-being of Virginians in need of spiritual care during this difficult time.
Because corporate worship is central to Christian life, it is extraordinary for churches to forego meeting for even a single Sunday. Thus, with each passing week that corporate worship is banned, as churches stand ready to implement reasonable public-health precautions, the government pushes Christians closer to the point where they must choose to sin against God and conscience or violate the law. Ultimately, as Christians, we are compelled to obey God’s law (Acts 5:29); as the great Virginian James Madison explained, “It is the duty of every man to render to the Creator such homage and such only as he believes to be acceptable to him. This duty is precedent, both in order of time and in degree of obligation, to the claims of Civil Society.” The Commonwealth has long recognized that it should not force citizens to choose between their conscience and obeying the law unless there is truly no possible alternative. This is the principle embodied in the Commonwealth’s Constitution, which provides that “all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience” (Article 1, Section 16), as well as Virginia’s Act for Religious Freedom (Va. Code Sec. 57-2.02). The ban on corporate worship prevents Christians who believe that Holy Scripture commands them to assemble for worship (Hebrews 10:24-25) from acting as their consciences – and God Himself – dictates.
We fully recognize that you have limited gatherings with the goal of reducing the spread of COVID-19. As pastors, we share that desire and are committed to protecting the physical well-being of all who attend church services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, protocols such as those recommended by the CDC – including disinfecting hard surfaces, abstaining from physical contact, providing sanitizer, keeping six feet of distance, encouraging the sick and vulnerable to stay home, and closing our nurseries and Sunday School classes – would fulfill the Executive Orders’ goal of protecting public health while also permitting us to satisfy our religious obligations and serve the spiritual needs of our communities.
The Executive Orders are rightly intended to prevent avoidable deaths. Yet the sobering truth is that, unless the Lord Jesus returns, each of us that survives the pandemic will still die. There is no escaping death, for death is the wages of sin (Romans 6:23), and we have all sinned (Romans 3:23). But there is good news: The Lord Jesus came to save all who repent and believe through his life, death, and resurrection, and he will come again to make all things new. This gospel message means hope for sinners and the downcast. It is the good news that the spiritually sick in Virginia need to hear in these dark days, and which churches long to celebrate corporately.
For these reasons, we respectfully implore you to modify Executive Orders 53 and 55 to permit – at minimum – once-weekly gatherings by religious organizations, provided reasonable public-health precautions are taken. We stand ready to serve the people of Virginia as ministers of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Warmly,

Mike Law

Pastor
Arlington Baptist Church
www.arlingtonbaptist.com

In Spotsylvania, Good Hope Baptist Church is meeting needs. One huge need is helping feed the families of one of the county's elementary schools three times a week. This feeding ministry has opened many doors in the community to reach students and families for Christ. Senior Pastor Gene Lancour shares how God has helped the church revitalize through an outward focus. You are not alone.

​https://vimeo.com/412867045

Great news! The Salvation Army just received a large shipment of HAND SANITIZER. The picture is attached.
 
We are giving away this sanitizer to anyone who needs it. The sanitizer is included in our food pantry along with dry goods, fresh food, frozen food, and paper products. The food pantry is open in Culpeper at 133 E Culpeper St on Tue and Wed from 9-3 and Fri from 9-1. We’re open in Warrenton at 62 Waterloo St on Mon and Thur 9-3.
 
Lt Jared Martin
Commanding Officer
The Salvation Army of the Virginia Piedmont
Serving Fauquier, Culpeper and Orange Counties
Office 540-317-5873
VirginiaSalvationArmy.org/CulpeperVACorps
​

New Valley Church, a young church plant in Waynesboro, launched January 12 this year and, like other churches, quickly adjusted to how people connected virtually. Pastor KJ Washington says the refining process has challenged them to not just be the church gathered, but the church scattered. Several members are volunteering for a local food-filled backpack ministry when normal helpers could not due to health concerns related to COVID-19. Watch this Not Alone story. You are not alone.

​https://vimeo.com/409996783

The town of Saltville is no stranger to poverty. With the quarantine in effect, there are hungry children and adults who may get some food during the week, but on the weekends are starving. Northwood Fellowship is providing food to those in need, while also sharing the Gospel - and people are listening and responding. Hear Pastor Billy Gwinn as he shares how God is using this time to draw lost people to Him. You are not alone.

https://vimeo.com/405971374

​No toilet paper? Visit The Salvation Army!
Food pantry offering toilet paper, paper towels, and disinfectant


Culpeper and Warrenton, VA (April 9, 2020) – Many of us start to panic as we run low on toilet paper. Luckily, The Salvation Army was able to order bulk toilet paper, paper towels, disinfectant cleaner, and dry goods. The Salvation Army even has special Easter Boxes of Fun for children stuck at home. The boxes contain art supplies, board games, and children’s Easter devotions.


“There’s no need to panic,” said commanding officer, Lieutenant Jared Martin. “The community is coming together to help each other. If you have a need, visit us and we’ll help. If you have more than you need, then donate something so no one goes without.”


The Salvation Army pantries provide free food and commodities to clients one on one. This method is especially helpful to those who would like to avoid large crowds. Our social worker cleans the client area every hour. The Culpeper pantry is in The Salvation Army Center for Worship and Service is at 133 E Culpeper St, next to Uncle Elder’s BBQ, and is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 9-3 and Friday from 9-1. The Warrenton pantry and store at 62 Waterloo St is open Monday and Thursday from 9-3. No appointment is necessary.


If you would like to help financially, you can give online today at VirginiaSalvationArmy.org/VAPiedmont. If you would like to donate food or commodities, you may take your donation to The Salvation Army Center for Worship and Service, or The Salvation Army Family Store in Warrenton.


Online: VirginiaSalvationArmy.org/VAPiedmont
Mail checks to: The Salvation Army P.O. BOX 3474 Warrenton, VA 20188
Please make checks payable to The Salvation Army of the Virginia Piedmont


Lt Jared Martin
Commanding Officer
The Salvation Army of the Virginia Piedmont
Serving Fauquier, Culpeper and Orange Counties
Office 540-317-5873
VirginiaSalvationARmy.org/VAPiedmont

​Pastors,
One resource that was shared near the conclusion of our Zoom Call this morning was from Pastor Josh Daffern at Centreville Baptist Church.
This is an on-line Discipleship Resource for New Believers. As we pray for, prepare for and expect for people to come to faith in Jesus this weekend and in the following weeks,
This could be a tremendous resource to access to begin immediate discipleship. Check out all of the details at the link and in the statement from Pastor Josh below…
www.myfirststepswithjesus.com
 
Statement from Pastor Josh…..
I’m developing for our church that could benefit other pastors as well. Since we’re living online for the foreseeable future, I wanted to develop a resource for new Christians, particularly for people who are making decisions for Christ through online services. Normally a pastor would follow up with them in person, but because of social distancing that’s a lot more difficult.
 
I’m developing My First Steps With Jesus and will have it ready for Easter Sunday. It’s basically an email campaign through MailChimp. When someone signs up for it, they’ll get 40 emails over 40 days walking them through the basics of Christianity and will give them tools to help them develop spiritual habits that will help them grow right away.
 
Here’s the basic outline of what I’ll be writing:
 
Days 1&2 - What salvation is and isn’t
Days 3-7 - What’s new about you and God, self, others, Satan, heaven
Days 8-38 - GROWING series (7 guaranteed places of encounter where you can meet God and grow your new faith)
G - Get into God’s Word
R - Relate to God through prayer
O - Obey with humble faith
W - Walk in biblical community
I - Ignite your church through your spiritual gifts
N - Nourish your soul through worship
G - Generously share your faith with others
Days 39-40 - Recap



We’re using it for our decisions at CBC but I’m creating a link where other pastors can use it if they’d like for people coming to Christ through any church.
 
I’ve got a URL that will be live in the next 24-48 hours (www.myfirststepswithjesus.com), where you can sign up for the emails.
 
Until that goes live, you can sign up for the email campaign here: https://www.joshdaffern.com/my-first-steps-with-jesus
 
You can sign up for the emails and see what they’re like. Here’s day one: https://us8.campaign-archive.com/?u=f7b91118756fecd4f281d2303&id=6d81d162ce&e=[UNIQID]
 
This won’t replace in-person discipleship for new believers, but it will give them resources immediately to help them in their new faith.
 
You may contact Pastor Josh Daffern at  jd@cbcva.org .
 
Blessings,
DARRELL WEBB
REGIONAL CATALYST - NORT

​Dear Friend,

I wanted to write you with an update. The coronavirus has turned everyday life for most people upside down. America, like most of the world, is in a state of emergency. Millions are faced with unemployment or business loss, and most tragic of all, so many are facing this pandemic without the hope of Jesus Christ. People are filled with anxiety and fear.

At the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, we opened a 24/7 prayer line for people who want someone to pray with them. Early this week, we began airing a 60-second evangelistic message on TV across the entire United States, and we have had thousands of people call. We are humbled by this opportunity to share about His love and salvation.

If you are struggling with worry in the midst of this crisis, call us at 888-388-2683—or share this number with your loved ones, friends, or others on social media. We know that prayer does make a difference.

Chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team are in Italy, the epicenter of this crisis. As they minister to medical personnel, patients, and families, pray with us that many will find new life in Christ.

I am deeply grateful for your partnership. Your financial support and your prayers make this ministry possible.

The days may feel uncertain, but we serve a God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He alone “is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1, ESV), and we are urgently sharing that truth with a hurting world.

Give Now
 
See Callers Find Hope

May God richly bless you,


Franklin Graham
President

P.S. If you would like to watch the 60-second evangelistic message that is running on TV—or to find resources you can share on social media about our round-the-clock prayer line--click here. You can also make a secure online gift there as well.

​Dear Friend,

I wanted to write you with an update. The coronavirus has turned everyday life for most people upside down. America, like most of the world, is in a state of emergency. Millions are faced with unemployment or business loss, and most tragic of all, so many are facing this pandemic without the hope of Jesus Christ. People are filled with anxiety and fear.

At the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, we opened a 24/7 prayer line for people who want someone to pray with them. Early this week, we began airing a 60-second evangelistic message on TV across the entire United States, and we have had thousands of people call. We are humbled by this opportunity to share about His love and salvation.

If you are struggling with worry in the midst of this crisis, call us at 888-388-2683—or share this number with your loved ones, friends, or others on social media. We know that prayer does make a difference.

Chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team are in Italy, the epicenter of this crisis. As they minister to medical personnel, patients, and families, pray with us that many will find new life in Christ.

I am deeply grateful for your partnership. Your financial support and your prayers make this ministry possible.

The days may feel uncertain, but we serve a God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He alone “is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1, ESV), and we are urgently sharing that truth with a hurting world.

Give Now
 
See Callers Find Hope

May God richly bless you,


Franklin Graham
President

P.S. If you would like to watch the 60-second evangelistic message that is running on TV—or to find resources you can share on social media about our round-the-clock prayer line--click here. You can also make a secure online gift there as well.

The Breadth, Length, Depth, and Height of God’s Love (Edited by J. L. Ayers)
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
“That you may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fulness of God.” —Ephesians 3:18-19
This is the actual petition which was offered by the Apostle {Paul} for the Ephesians. It is that, having been rooted and grounded in love, they may be fully able to comprehend with all saints “what is the breadth, and the length, and the depth, and the height, and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge {all understanding}”. We must remind ourselves that we are dealing, not with our love of God and of Christ and to the brethren, but with His love to us.
So far, we have looked at it very generally. We will now consider it in a more detailed manner. Before we examine the nature or the character of that knowledge we must consider the knowledge itself, and find out what can be known of the love of God.    
The terminology used by the Apostle suggests vastness. And there is no doubt that he chose to describe it in this four-dimensional manner in order to give that very impression.
It is interesting to speculate as to why he decided to do this. I agree with those who say that probably he had still in his mind what he had been saying at the end of the second chapter, before he began on the digression which occupies the first thirteen verses of this chapter. There he had been describing the Church as “a holy temple in the Lord”, as a great building in which God takes up His abode and in which He dwells. I am ready to believe that that was still in his mind, and that as he thought of the vastness of the Church as an enormous temple, he felt it to be a good way of describing the love of Christ to His people. It is similar to the breadth, length, depth and height of such a great building.
Whether that is so or not, the Apostle was certainly concerned to bring out the vastness of God’s love. Indeed in doing so he almost contradicts himself by using a figure of speech called an oxymoron. He prays that we may “know” the love of Christ “which passes knowledge”. How can you know something which cannot be known? How can you define something which is so great that it cannot be defined? What is the point of talking about measurements if it is immeasurable and eternal?
But, there is no contradiction here. What the Apostle is saying is, though this love of Christ is itself beyond all computation, and can never be truly measured, nevertheless it is our business to learn as much as we can about it, and to receive as much of it as we can possibly contain. So it benefits us to look at this description which he gives of the love of Christ.
We are about to look into something so glorious and endless that it will be the theme of contemplation for all the saints, not only in this world, but also in the world which is to come. We shall spend our eternity in studying it, and wondering at it, and in being astounded by it. But it is our business to start upon this here and now in this life.
It has ever been one of the characteristics of the greatest saints that they have spent much time in meditating upon the love of Christ to themselves and to all God’s people. Nothing has given them greater joy. Indeed this is a characteristic of love at all levels; it delights in thinking not only of the object of its love, but also of the love it receives. Nothing therefore should give greater joy to all God’s people than to meditate upon this love of Christ. Indeed, our chief defect as Christians is that we fail to realize Christ’s love to us. How often do you think about this? We spend time thinking about our activities and our problems, but the most important necessity in the Christian life is to know Christ’s love to us, and to meditate upon it. This has always been the spring and the source of the greatest activity that has ever been manifested in the long history of the Christian Church. So let us try to look at it in terms of the dimensions which the Apostle uses.
I. Have you ever considered the breadth of His love? There are several places in Scripture where this particular dimension is put before us in a striking manner. In the Book of Revelation, for instance, we find the words: “. . . and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue and people, and nation”. And again: “. . . and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” (5:9, 11). The book of Revelation seems to be particularly interested in the breadth of Christ’s love. As it gives us the picture of the glorified saints, and of the Son of God with His redeemed, it uses these figures:
“After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the Lamb” (7:9).
One day, in the glory, we shall see that perfectly. But in a discouraging time like this in the history of the Church, what can be more encouraging and more exhilarating than to think of this breadth of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ? As Christians we are but a handful of people in this country today, a mere percentage. That thought sometimes tends to depress us and to discourage us. The antidote to it is to consider the breadth of Christ’s love.
The ultimate cause of the failure of the Jews was that they never grasped this particular dimension. They thought that salvation was only for the Jew. But those of them whose eyes were opened by the Spirit, including the Apostle himself, who was “a Hebrew of the Hebrews”, and had once held this exclusive view, had come to see that that narrow, naturalistic dimension was altogether wrong, and that in Christ there is “neither Gentile nor Jew, Barbarian nor Scythian, bond nor free” (Col 3:11)Nothing is more encouraging and invigorating than to recollect that even in these days of religious divisions there are in the world, in every country, in every continent – though differing in color, in culture, in background, in almost everything men and women meeting together regularly to worship God and to thank Him for His dear Son and His great salvation. In glory we shall all be amazed at this, as we realize what the love of God in Christ has accomplished in spite of sin and hell and the devil.
Ten thousand times ten thousand,
In sparkling raiment bright,
The armies of the ransomed saints
Throng up the steeps of light.
‘Tis finished, all is finished,
Their fight with death and sin;
Fling open wide the golden gates,
And Jet the victors in!
That is the glorious prospect on which we must dwell and comprehend.
We have no conception of the greatness of this plan of salvation and of its scope. In Luke’s Gospel we are told that certain people came to our Lord one day and asked the question, “Are there few that be saved?” (13:23). I do not know the precise answer to that question, but I do know that Scripture teaches that we shall be astounded when we see all the redeemed gathered in – the “fulness of the Gentiles”, the “fulness of Israel”, “all Israel” saved, and the redeemed standing in the presence of their Redeemer. It is not surprising that the Apostle should pray so earnestly that these Ephesians might know this because this changes your entire outlook when you tend to feel depressed, when you are tempted to doubt whether there is any future for the Church seeing that we are but a handful of people. The answer is to look at the breadth of Christ’s love, to look ahead, to look into the glory and see the final result of His finished work. Once you begin to realize the breadth of His love you will lift up your head again, your heart will begin to sing once more, and you will realize that you are having the precious privilege of being one humble member in a mighty army, one in this thronging multitude who will spend their eternity in the presence of the Lamb of God, and enjoy Him forever. The breadth of His love!
II.  Let’s now look also at the length of His love. I am convinced that the Apostle specified these particular measurements in order to encourage the Ephesians, and us, to work this out in our minds. To meditate upon the love of God in an abstract manner is not profitable. We have to work it out in detail as it has been revealed. The length surely conveys the endless character of the love of Christ. Sometimes we read in Scripture about the “everlasting” love of God
-“I have loved thee with an everlasting love” (Jer 31:3)
Have you ever considered the eternity of Christ’s love towards you and towards the saints? This dimension of length reminds us that this is a love which began in eternity. It was always there. The superiority of the Reformers, the Puritans and the evangelical leaders of the eighteenth century over us is seen in the fact that they were more theologically-minded than we are. We foolishly think that the most important thing is to be practical. We agree that the practical is most important; but the men who have accomplished most in have been theologically-minded. A man who rushes into activity without studying theory is finally seen to be a fool.  
The great evangelical leaders of the past saw the importance of theology and doctrine, and they spoke and wrote much about what they called the Covenant of Redemption which led in turn to the Covenant of Grace.
What they meant was, before time, before the world and man were ever created, an agreement was entered into between God the Father and God the Son. It was an agreement concerning the salvation of those who were to be saved by the Lord Jesus Christ. The Fall of man was foreseen, everything was known; and the Son, as the Representative of this new humanity, entered into a covenant with His Father that He would save them and redeem them. The Father covenanted with the Son to grant certain privileges and blessings to the people who were now given to the Son.
How important it is to meditate upon such a theme! To do so brings us at to realize the love of Christ of His own began before time, back in eternity. Christ’s love to us did not suddenly come into being, it existed before the beginning of time. And we read that our names were “written in the Lamb’s book of life from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8; 17:8). This is, one “of the most staggering things of all, that I was known by Christ in eternity. I, in particular, and every one of us who belong to Him, in particular. We were known to Him, and our names were written in His book. What a dignity it adds to human life, and to our existence in this world, to know that He has set His heart upon us, that His affections rested upon us even in eternity past! That is the beginning of the length of His love towards us. Before time!
But let us look at this dimension of length as it works out in life in this world. The love of Christ for His own is from eternity to eternity. It began in eternity, and it continues through time. We can be certain that it will never change, that it will never vary, that it will always be the same.
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Heb 13:8).
And His love is always the same. There are no interruptions in it. This “length” is an unbroken line. Whatever may happen, it goes on; it is not a variable, it is a constant. It does not suddenly cease, and then start again. “Yours is an unchanging love”. It is a line, a straight line, no variation. It is a love that never gives us up or lets us go; it is a love that never despairs of us. God’ eternal love.
One of the most perfect expressions of the length of God’s love is found in our Lord’s parable on the prodigal son. In spite of the fact that the younger son had been a fool and had gone to the far country, spurning the love that had been shown him in his home, and had wasted his substance on the gaudy and tawdry pleasures of that far country, his father still loved him and was waiting for his return and showered blessings upon him. This is the picture of the love of Christ towards His own patient, long-suffering, bearing with us, never giving us up. Nothing is more wonderful than to realize that, even when we in our folly turn our backs upon the Lord, and even sin grievously against Him, His love still remains. God has said, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee”.
It is important that we should meditate upon this love and continually grasp it! If we fail to do so that we tend to think at times that He has forgotten us, or that He has left us.
When troubles and problems and trials come, and we meet difficulties and disappointments, we tend to ask, “Where is His love?” The answer is that it is there, always there. The fault is in us, that we cannot see it, and have not grasped it, have not realized its eternal character, and have not understood its dimension of length. The Apostle Paul expresses this truth in these words:
“I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height, nor depth nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8: 38-39).
What comfort, what consolation, what strength it gives; what a stay in times of trial and adversity! If He has set His heart and His affection upon you, they remain there. Nothing will ever be able to pluck you out of His hand, nothing will ever rob you of that love. Nothing! If hell be let loose, if everything goes against you, nothing will ever cause Him to let you go.
And this love continues into eternity. It has started in eternity past, it manifests itself in time, and it goes again into eternity future. This line is unbroken. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews states it thus: “Wherefore” – in other words, because Christ has an eternal priesthood -“He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them” (7:25). He will save us “to the uttermost”. Nothing is to be left undone. Whatever may happen, His love for His own will continue until the plan of redemption has been completed. Our Lord is in heaven making intercession for us now, and will always be there. He is not like the earthly priests who died and others took their place. “He ever lives”; He is always there and always will be. That gives us some idea of the length of His love.
III. Now look at the depth of His love. As we look at each dimension of His love we are tempted to say that it is the most wonderful of all, the truth is it is true of each one! As we consider the depth we can do nothing better than to read what the Apostle wrote to the Philippians in the second chapter, where he shows that the depth of Christ’s love can be seen in two main respects. First, in what He did! How guilty we are of reading hurriedly and perhaps thoughtlessly some of the most staggering words ever penned. In eternity our Lord was “in the form of God”. He was God the Son in the bosom of the Father from all eternity. But the Apostle tells us that “He thought it not robbery to be equal with God”. That means that He did not regard His equality with God as a prize to be held on to at all costs. Rather He humbled Himself, He divested Himself of those signs of His eternal glory. And He came into this world of sin and shame in the likeness of man, in the form of a man.
This is entirely beyond our understanding; as Paul says, it is “the love of Christ which passes knowledge”. These are facts. He deliberately did not hold on to what He had a right to hold on to, but rather humbled Himself, and entered into the Virgin’s womb, and took unto himself of human nature, and came and lived as a man in this world. Recall what we are told about the poverty and the lowliness of the home into which He was born. Recall what happened to Him while He was in this world, how He performed a menial task; He who was equal with the Father, the Son of God eternal.
Next consider what He suffered at the hands of men, the misunderstanding, the hatred, the malice and the spite. Think of His suffering from weariness and hunger and thirst. Think of men laying cruel hands upon Him, arresting Him and trying Him, mocking Him and jeering at Him, spitting in His most holy face. Think of cruel men condemning Him to death and scourging Him. Look at Him staggering under the weight of the heavy cross on His way to Golgotha. Look at Him nailed upon the tree, and listen to His expressions of agony at the thirst He endured and the pain He suffered. Think of the terrible moment when our sins were laid upon Him. He even lost sight of the face of His Father for the one and only time, and gave up the ghost and died, and was buried and laid in a grave. He, the Author of life, the Creator of everything, lies dead in a grave. Why did He do this? The astounding answer is, because of His love for you and me; because He ljoved us.
His love shows yet greater and deeper when we remember that there was nothing in us to call forth such love. “All we like sheep have gone astray”. We all have “come short of the glory of God”. In our natural state we all were hateful and hopeless creatures. That we may have some true conception of our actual state and condition, and the depth of His love, let us turn to what Paul tells us about the condition of mankind until the grace of God in Christ entered in us. We find it in the third chapter of Romans, where it says, “There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongue they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace have they not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law says, it says to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (vv. 10-19). This is for whom Christ came, enduring the Cross and despising the shame. The Apostle makes this point in the fifth chapter of Romans. Our Lord had said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”; but says Paul, “God commendeth His love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” and “If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled unto God by the death of His Son. . .” He did all this for sinners, for His enemies, for those who were vile and full of sin and who had nothing to commend them. That is the measure of the depth of His love. He came from heaven, He went down to the depths and rose again for such people. It is only as we meditate upon these things and realize their truth that we begin to know something about His love.
IV. That brings us, in turn, to the height of His love. By this dimension the Apostle expresses God’s ultimate and final purpose for us. Or we may say that this is the way in which he describes the height to which God proposes to raise us.
Most of us tend to think of salvation only in terms of forgiveness, as if the love of Christ only purchases for us the forgiveness of our sins. Anyone who stops at that has clearly never known anything about the height of the love of Christ. Something of this height is seen in the fact that:

• He died not only that we might be forgiven;
• He died to make us good.
• He died not only that our sins might be blotted out, but also that we might be given a new birth; not merely to save us from punishment, but also that we might be made children of God, sons of God, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.

Such is His purpose for us, and all He did had that end in view. Furthermore, having given us this new birth, this new principle of life, He causes to dwell in us the same Holy Spirit that was in Himself. “God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him”, we are told (John 3:34). He gives the same Spirit by measure to us. That is the height of His love to us.
But, as Paul has already been reminding the Ephesians, His love to us is so great that He has actually joined us to Himself. We are united with Christ, He has made us part of Himself, of His own body. That is why we were “quickened with Him” and “raised with Him” and are “seated in the heavenly places” with Him. In the fifth chapter of the Epistle he goes on to say: “We are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones”. It is His love that has done that for us. But we read in the Epistle to the Philippians that He is not only saving us in a spiritual sense, He is even going to save our bodies.
He purposes to redeem us entirely, so we look for the coming from heaven of the Savior, “who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (3:20-21). Have we realized that Christ will not be satisfied until our very body is glorified as His own body was glorified?
We must go even beyond, and remember how in His last prayer on earth to His Father, He prayed these words, “Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory” (John 17:24). Our Lord’s love toward us knows no bounds; His desire for us is that we should be with Him and see something of that glory which He has shared with the Father from all eternity. He is not satisfied with purchasing our forgiveness and delivering us from the sickness of this sinful world, He wants us to be there with Him in the glory and to spend our eternity there.
The Apostle John in his first letter, describing this height, says: “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth, us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (3:1-2). A lover always desires that the object of his love should share all his privileges and blessings and enjoyments, and so our Lord desires that we should enjoy something of His eternal glory. He will not be satisfied until, as the Apostle says in the fifth chapter of this Epistle, We shall be “a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish” (v. 27). This is His ambition for the Church and for all whom He loves. We shall be glorified in spirit, in soul, and in body: there will be no fault, no blemish, no wrinkle. We shall be perfect and entire and filled with “all the fulness of God”. The final word is, “and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (I Thess 4:17)
So, we have tried to get a glimpse of the love of Christ. Have you been feeling sorry for yourself, and somewhat lethargic or lazy spiritually? Have you been regarding worship and prayer as tasks? Have you allowed the world the flesh or the devil to defeat you and to depress you? The one antidote to that is to meditate upon and to contemplate this love of Christ. Have you realized its breadth, its length, its depth, its height? Have you realized who and what you are as a Christian? Have you realized that Jesus is “the Lover of your soul”, that He has set His affection upon you? Have you realized the height of His ambition for you? “Child of God, shouldst thou lay back”? Are we but to shuffle through this world?  
One great problem for the Church is that we do not know Christ’s love to us. We spend our time with petty things, and in fussy activities and discussions. Had we been full of His love and of the knowledge of His love we would be entirely transformed. It is this knowledge that makes us mighty. That is why the Apostle prayed without ceasing that these Ephesians might “with all saints comprehend what is the breadth and length and the depth and the height, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge”. Oh that we might know it, and grow in it and rejoice in it. Let us follow Cennick as stated in his hymn:
Shout, ye little flock, and blest,
You on Jesus’ throne shall rest;
There your seat is now prepared,
There your kingdom and reward.
Lift Your eyes, ye sons of light,
Zion’s city is in sight;
There our endless home shall be,
There our Lord we soon shall see.
Fear not, brethren; joyful stand
On the borders of your land;
Christ your Lord, the Father’s Son,
Bids you undismayed go on

Lord, obediently we go,
Gladly leaving all below;
Only Thou our Leader be,
And we still will follow Thee.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones was born in Wales and at the age of 13 moved to London in 1914. It was here that he as trained for a medical career and was associated with the famous Doctor Thomas Horder. During his medical years he was a much sought after physician and was well respected in his field. He abandoned his medical career for the Gospel ministry, and served a pastor at the Presbyterian Church at Sandfields from 1927 to 1938. His teachings were respected by many including G. Campbell Morgan. He was offered and accepted the post as associate pastor under Dr. Morgan in 1938. In 1943 when Dr. Morgan retired he succeeded him as Pastor of Westminster Chapel. His teaching attracted many and his lectures on Friday night where attended by a wide range of the populous. He was loved and admired for his dedication to the scriptures. He retired in 1968, but was much sought after as a special speaker until his death.
JESUS SPEAKS (1 OF 2)
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National Bible Week
At the beginning of World War II, a group of leaders in New York City searched for a way to inspire hope during that time of world conflict They agreed that the Bible was the greatest source of hope for any people and any nation. In 1941, leaders of the Laymen's Bible Association were invited to the White House to announce the first National Bible Week to raise awareness about the Bible and encourage people to read it. (In 1944, Franklin Roosevelt went further, asking the nation to read the Bible not just for one week but for several weeks, specifically from Thanksgiving to Christmas.) Over the decades, this celebration has continued, being commemorated during Thanksgiving week. So, this week is National Bible Week!

I AM A VETERAN
by Andrea Christensen Brett
You may not know me the first time we meet
I'm just another you see on the street
But I am the reason you walk and breathe free
I am the reason for your liberty
I AM A VETERAN


I work in the local factory all day
I own the restaurant just down the way
I sell you insurance, I start your IV
I've got the best-looking grandkids you'll ever see
I'm your grocer, your banker
Your child's schoolteacher
I'm your plumber, your barber
Your family's preacher
But there's part of me you don't know very well
Just listen a moment, I've a story to tell
I AM A VETERAN


I joined the service while still in my teens
I traded my prom dress for camouflage greens
I'm the first in my family to do something like this
I followed my father, like he followed his


Defying my fears and hiding my doubt
I married my sweetheart before I shipped out
I missed Christmas, then Easter
The birth of my son
But I knew I was doing what had to be done


I served on the battlefront, I served on the base
I bound up the wounded
And begged for God's grace
I gave orders to fire, I followed commands
I marched into conflict in far distant lands


In the jungle, the desert, on mountains and shores
In bunkers, in tents, on dank earthen floors
While I fought on the ground, in the air, on the sea
My family and friends were home praying for me


For the land of the free and the home of the brave
I faced my demons in foxholes and caves
Then one dreaded day, without drummer or fife
I lost an arm, my buddy lost his life


I came home and moved on
But forever was changed
The perils of war in my memory remained
I don't really say much, I don't feel like I can
But I left home a child, and came home a man


There are thousands like me
Thousands more who are gone
But their legacy lives as time marches on
White crosses in rows
And names carved in queue
Remind us of what these brave souls had to do


I'm part of a fellowship, a strong mighty band
Of each man and each woman
Who has served this great land
And when Old Glory waves
I stand proud, I stand tall
I helped keep her flying over you, over all


I AM A VETERAN
Copyright Andrea C. Brett 2003