Charlie Daniels Reminds Us "Jesus is the Reason for the Season"

By Timothy Yap Dec 24, 2015 04:08 AM EST

Throughout his career, Daniels has never been shy about his faith. In a video Christmas card sent to all his fans, Charlie Daniels - seated in front of a fireplace -- wishes his fans a Merry Christmas and urges them to remember that "Jesus is the reason for the season - that is what it's all about, Charlie Brown."

Daniels has released a few Gospel albums, with his latest being How Sweet the Sound: 25 Favorite Hymns and Gospel Greats. The record is a studio double album released by Sparrow Records. It was released on January 29, 2002 and it peaked at number 40 on the Top Country Albums chart. On the album, he sings his Gospel favorites and hymns, such as "I Saw the Light" and "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" to "I'll Fly Away" and "Nothing But the Blood."

Daniels calls forgiveness the cornerstone of Christianity: "The Bible says all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So where do we go from there?" he said. "We need to be forgiven."

In August, Charlie Daniels joined the Rev. Dr. Billy Graham's son, Franklin Graham, for the Three Rivers Festival of Hope in Pittsburgh, Pa. The music legend has a long history with BGEA and isn't shy about the faith in Christ that led him to perform at some of the organization's events. "Billy Graham is one of my heroes and has been for a long time," Charlie Daniels said with a well-worn Southern twang. "I have the utmost respect not only for him but for the entire Graham family."

Daniels was born in Wilmington, N.C., in 1936. Growing up just hours from the Grahams, he often heard about the evangelist just as Mr. Graham's ministry was getting started. But it wasn't until the Charlotte Crusade in 1996-when Mr. Graham preached in his hometown-that Daniels joined him onstage.

"It's just incredible to sit on that stage and watch all those people who accept the Lord coming down," Daniels said, recalling Mr. Graham's invitation to receive Jesus at the end of the Crusade. "It's almost like liquid draining down a big bowl, watching these people coming down from every direction, from all sides of the stadium, to confirm their acceptance of the Lord."

Daniels called it an honor to be involved in the Crusade-as well as several Crusades after that-and said he has always admired Mr. Graham's humility and devotion to God.

"He's all the things you can expect a really nice guy to be," he said. "Nothing other than a Carolina country boy."