Dr. Billy Graham, a Man of Inspiration

On February 21, 2018, Heaven gained a champion, Dr. Billy Graham. For me personally, as a follower of Jesus Christ, I am inspired as I consider his life. I love this quote, from the man himself, that I have seen and read countless times in the last 48 hours, "Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don't you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God."

Twenty four years ago, I had the privilege of being a part of the counseling team for one of Dr. Graham's crusades here in Atlanta. I was still in high school, but God led me to be a part of the counselor training a month before the crusade, and then to be prepared each night of the crusade to meet teens at the alter who were ready to meet Jesus. I remember thinking, "What is so great about this man that he is able to draw thousands of people, to fill our Georgia Dome, to hear him preach?" Throughout this crusade, I realized that this man was simply being used by God. He was empowered by the Holy Spirit. He had a firm but sincere way of communicating the gospel. Every night of that crusade, the Scripture and the stories were different, but the gospel of Jesus Christ was proclaimed clearly, and many rushed to the front to surrender their lives to Jesus. I remember praying with several teens that week, who went down to the alter, and were weeping in conviction and ready to follow Jesus.

Dr. Graham is inspiring. There are many things that personally inspire me as I remember the life of this champion. I want to share with you three that stand out to me above the rest.

First of all, I am inspired by Dr. Graham's integrity. He was the same man in private as he was in public. He is the most recognizable preacher in all of history, but his biggest accomplishment, in my opinion, was his outstanding Christ-like character. People who knew him the best describe him as humble and genuine. In the words of his long time song leader, Cliff Barrows, "He practiced what he preached."

One mark of a man of integrity is the willingness to admit when he has done wrong. Over the years, Dr. Graham made his share of mistakes, and some of them were in the public eye. Instead of shrinking back or covering them up, he owned up to them and made public confession. This is godliness.

Dr. Graham sought every day to pursue purity. Back in the 1940's, he and other Christian leaders gathered in Modesto, California to lay out what is known as the "Billy Graham Rule". He shares in his book, Just As I Am, “We all knew of evangelists who had fallen into immorality while separated from their families by travel. We pledged among ourselves to avoid any situation that would have even the appearance of compromise or suspicion. From that day on, I did not travel, meet or eat alone with a woman other than my wife.”

Over the years, this passion for purity served Dr. Graham well in avoiding major pitfalls that would have derailed his life and ministry. In 1943, he married Ruth and they enjoyed 64 years of faithful marriage. They raised 5 children together. Dr. Graham has said that his ministry would be impossible without Ruth. What a beautiful example of integrity, character and faithfulness.

Secondly, I am inspired by Dr. Graham's passion for the gospel. He preached Jesus Christ without reservation to millions. So many Christians buckle at the knees at the thought of sharing their faith. It is reported that Dr. Graham preached to over 215 million people in 185 different countries. I have read recently that approximately 1 million people were born again in Jesus Christ because of his proclamation of the gospel. That is significant kingdom ministry.

Dr. Graham had a way of explaining the truth of the gospel in a way that engaged everyone. He was anointed by the Holy Spirit. His messages were so convicting that even atheists would be found running to the alter to be saved. I cannot imagine the scores of people in Heaven because of Dr. Billy Graham. I have a feeling he is bombarded with people coming to him in Heaven saying, "Thank you".

His life verse, that could be found pinned on the walls of his home, is Galatians 6:14. It says, "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

Lastly, I am inspired by Dr. Graham's love for all people. He worked hard to end segregation. He fought for civil rights. In the 1950's, Dr. Graham was scheduled to lead a crusade in the South, and when he got inside the stadium, he noticed that there were sections roped off based on the color of skin. He said, "No more of this!", and then went to the head usher and told him to take down the ropes. The usher refused and so Dr. Graham took down the ropes himself.

This stance that Dr. Graham took in taking down the ropes led to a friendship with the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. They developed such a close friendship that Dr. Graham would call Dr. King by his nickname, Mike. At one point during their relationship, Dr. Graham would bail Dr. King out of jail following protests in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Graham lived by the position that he preached many times, “There is no excuse ever for hatred. There is no excuse, ever, for bigotry and intolerance and prejudice. We are to love as God loves us.” Dr. Graham spoke clearly that the Bible has no truth that promotes segregation. Graham helped tear down the walls of segregation. What an example for us today.

Dr. Billy Graham was an incredible example for each of us. His legacy will continue to inspire those who know him. These are the areas of his life that inspire me. What is it about him that inspires you? I would love to read your thoughts in the section below. My prayer is that Jesus will continue to shine His light and pour out His love, to bring salvation to the lost, as we remember the life of Dr. Billy Graham.

Quoted Book: Just As I Am, Billy Graham, Harper Collins Publishing, New York, 1997.

A Dangerous Little Prayer

I was reading Philemon this morning. Yes, Philemon is a part of the inspired word of God and yes, it is possible for the Holy Spirit to draw you into it's verses. Smile. The average Bible reader will quickly read from Titus to Hebrews. This morning as I was reading this book, one of the shortest in the Bible, and the Lord stopped me in my tracks as I read verse 6. Paul prays a dangerous little prayer as recorded here. The NIV reads, "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith." In this context, Paul is writing this to and sharing his prayer for Philemon, Apphia and Acrhippus. Paul is praying that they will share with pre-believers what Jesus has done for them through His death and resurrection. However, this morning it was as if the Lord was telling me through a mega-phone, "Fred, that one is for you to pray for yourself."

Over the years I have been a seasonal evangelist. I will go through spurts of being on mission with Jesus as being His witness, and then I will have weeks where I will go without even speaking the name of Jesus in public. I have trained countless students in how to share their faith and I have led countless people to Christ, but I sometimes go weeks without sharing my faith. Yes, I have admitted here that even as a pastor, I have not been faithful in being consistent salt and light. That needs to change.

Friends, let's face it, our world is a wreck. There are signs everywhere that match up with what Scripture tells us are the last days before Jesus comes back. Whenever we consider end times prophecy, it should always fuel our efforts to reach our neighbor for Christ. There are people all around us who are not ready for the return of Christ. I am asking the Lord to give me urgency in my witness where God has planted me.

I want to be active in sharing my faith. There are too many excuses that I come up with for not being active. I need to surrender my pride. I also need to realize that being turned down by someone who doesn't want to hear about Jesus is better than not saying anything at all. Life should never be too busy to stop and share the love of Jesus with someone.

I am relying on God to empower my witness. May I develop a burning desire to see people cross from death to life. I may not have the gift of evangelism, but I do have a mandate from Jesus to go into all the world and make disciples. As I seek to reach my neighbors, may the Lord give discernment, tenacity and boldness. May I see through the eyes of Jesus as I encounter people every day. May God motivate each of us to reach a lost world for Jesus as the time of His second coming gets closer.

What do you offer God?

Recently, I read again the account of Jesus feeding the five thousand men from John chapter 6. Now, I have read this passage numerous times and have heard it taught in different settings as well. One of the magnificent facets of God's Word is that no matter how many times you read it, there is always more to learn and understand. I had one of those experiences in reading this account as the application bomb went off in my heart as I read it again.

Here is a description of this account. Five thousand men were hungry. It wasn't just a Promise Keepers rally, there were woman and children there as well, but there is no record as to how many of them there actually were. It was late in the day and their stomachs were growling. Jesus didn't want to send them away and lose His audience. Jesus probably just assumed to keep them there so He could keep preaching. The disciples didn't have a clue what to do in order to feed this many people. They scratched their heads in mystery. Jesus sent them to find food. Andrew brought a young Jewish boy to Jesus who had five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus then took what the boy offered and He gave thanks. Then the disciples facilitated a lunch for everyone in the crowd. The Bible says that "they all ate and were satisfied". They actually had leftovers when they were full.

Here is what hit me as I read this: No one knew what to do except Jesus. He simply asked the disciples to do what they could to find food. All that was available was a Jewish boy's lunch. When Jesus took seriously the boy's offering (lunch), I could imagine the disciples snickering at Him. I mean, how could such a small meal feed such a large crowd? In the eyes of the world, it was a joke. But with Jesus, it was potential for a miracle.

The beauty of the Jewish boy is that he offered all he had. Yes it wasn't a lot, but he offered everything. The principle that I learned is that God takes what we offer and multiplies it. The disciples represent our own human flesh. We may think that what we have to offer the Lord in terms of our gifts, talents and abilities isn't all that great, however, in the hands of a miracle worker, God can use us mightily for His honor and glory.

I have seen this principle in my own life. Since I was young, I always sensed the Lord calling me into ministry. One fear I had almost derailed my calling. Growing up, I always had a fear of public speaking. I would watch my Dad do it week after week as a pastor of our church and in other settings, and I saw him as being a great communicator. I never felt that I had what he had, if you know what I mean. I was actually terrified of speaking in public. 

I remember as a senior in high school considering my calling and being afraid to declare a ministry major in college because of my fear of getting up in front of a group to say something. This fear was crippling my ability to follow the call of God.

As I started college, I declared as a business administration major. I figured, I could easily go into business and not have to do much up front communicating. After all, I was better in small groups and one-on-one. Every time I considered getting up in front of a group, I would literally get sick to my stomach. I thought, there is no way I am cut out to be a pastor.

During my freshman year in college, the Lord spoke to me about my calling through a guest speaker we had in a chapel service. He challenged us to not allow anything to keep us from the calling God has on our lives. He pointed out how Moses, when called by God, looked at his inadequacies and questioned God's call. But God commanded Him to trust His power and His provision. That day, I went to the registrars office and changed my major to youth ministry. God told me that He was going to give me the strength to overcome my fear.

Overcoming the fear of public speaking has not been an easy road. I remember the first time I stood before my public speaking class as a sophomore in college and with fear and trembling delivered a seven minute speech in front of my professor and my critiquing classmates. God gave me strength and I made an A in that class. Every time I have spoken since, the Lord has given me everything I have needed to become a better communicator.

I have heard it said that God will equip those He calls. I have seen this true in my life. God can make impossible situations a possibility. God can take what we offer, or what we "bring to the table", and multiply what we bring and make it better. All that is required is our willingness to step out and make an offering. He won't bless and multiply if we are holding back and not stepping out for His use.

In closing, I want to ask you, what do you offer God? Are you allowing Him to use you at your full potential. Matthew 11:12 says, "God's kingdom is advancing and forceful people are taking hold of it." As followers of Christ, we are called to be missional. Being missional means to have a heart for and to be proactive in living the gospel before our neighbors with the intentions of leading them to faith in Jesus Christ. This can be done by getting involved in local church ministry, sharing Jesus with your neighbors, or living out your faith before your co-workers and classmates. I pray that each of us will offer God what He has given us. Bring to God what you have and watch to see what He will do to multiply your offering.