Yesterday Billy Graham celebrated his 93rd birthday. I still remember the time that I got to meet Dr. Graham in person at a mutual friend's home. What an unforgettable experience that was. Over the course of his life, Billy Graham has met personally with twelve U.S. Presidents and has preached the gospel in person to more people than any other person in history. By the time he had turned ninety, Graham's lifetime audience, including radio and television broadcasts, topped 2.2 billion.
According to the BGEA staff, more than 3.2 million people have responded to Billy's invitation at the crusades to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Countless others have received Christ upon hearing the Gospel preached by Billy over the airwaves or other means of communication.
One such man was my dad. Yesterday I asked him to share how he personally came to faith in Christ through the preaching of Billy Graham. Here's the story, in my dad's own words:
Billy Graham will always have a warm place in my heart, since he was the human vehicle through whom I came to Christ.It was September 1958, and I had just been discharged a month early from the U.S. Marine Corps in order to attend college at the University of Richmond. My brother and sister-in-law, both Christians, had invited me to stay with them until I could find a place. One afternoon after class, I was sitting in a corner of their living room, thinking about nothing in particular. Then my sister-in-law began recording a radio message by Rev. Graham, intending to send the tape to her unsaved father. So far as I know, her father never received Christ, but God had someone else in mind. The message being preached that day was about King Agrippa, and I can remember to this day the Word smiting my heart when Agrippa told Paul "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." The Holy Spirit did His convicting work, I repented of my sin, and was saved then and there.Countless others have been won to the Lord by Billy Graham, but I'm sure he was never aware that in September, 1958, a young college freshman received forgiveness from the Lord who used that message intended for someone else.
How deep, how broad, how high, and how wide is his love and mercy. To think that he reaches down in his grace and selected me (us) and some were somehow passed by is not for me to analyze, but I am so glad that he "lifted me."
ReplyDeleteHenry
Are you aware and/or concerned about the controversy surrounding Billy Graham highlighted well in this sermon by John MacArthur?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/80-227/Deliverance-From-the-Temporal-World-to-the-Eternal-Kingdom
I'm not aware of John MacArthur's comments regarding Billy Graham. However, I freely acknowledge two things: (1) I have tremendous respect for John MacArthur; he is probably my favorite living Bible teacher (2) I do not agree with much of what Billy Graham has done - not by a long shot. However, I still remain truly grateful for how God used him to save my dad and my uncle, among millions of others. My uncle got saved during the Korean War, and years later founded Pioneers missions, which has taken the gospel to the unreached peoples of the world. Billy Graham is far from perfect (as are all of us), but again, I am thankful for how God has been pleased to save millions through the preaching of the gospel.
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