Billy Graham went to meet his Lord this morning. He was 99 years old and had suffered health problems for several years.
I first saw Billy Graham on black and white television in 1959 on the farm at Basil, Ohio. His message made a great impact on me. Although I never made a commitment to Christ at the time, I did find myself drawn to the family Bible; when no one was looking I would open it and read a few scriptures from Genesis or Matthew. The words seemed foreign to me at the age of 12, yet I felt a tugging on my heart.
Whenever I have had the opportunity I have always stopped to listen to this man preach the Gospel. He was totally sincere in his desire to see people find a personal relationship with Christ. The only other man I held next to him in honor was my first Pastor in Lancaster, Ohio: R.G.Cook. Both of two different walks of faith, yet totally sincere men of God preaching from the heart and living their message.
I am sure he has an important role to play in the New Earth and the New Heavens that God will soon bring to pass. I look forward to seeing what God has for those like Billy Graham and R.G. Cook. So many preachers today fall far short of the character of these men of God.
He certainly showed us how to use his years of suffering to draw closer to the Lord.
“That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.” (Philippians 3:10)
Here is a video of Billy Graham in 1959. Take time to go back in time and pause to give thanks to your Lord for the many ways He uses to spread His message in different degrees of faith around the world and down through the ages of time. I still have the Holy Ghost quicken the words of his signature hymn to my spirit in the middle of the night.
Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc__iuJ6Y6Y