Last week, we lost what I would consider the world's pre-imminent ambassador for Jesus Christ. Billy Graham went home to be with the Lord at the age of 99 years. He is now sitting at the feet of his sweet Jesus, after a life well lived.
My memories of Mr. Graham go way back. As a young child our family would watch his worldwide crusades on the television long before TV preachers even thought of coming into existence.
His love of Jesus was so evident. He spoke with such fire, such passion, and such conviction. He spoke the truth about God and His love for humanity. Billy spoke it out so clearly that anyone with a heartbeat could easily comprehend what he was trying to communicate. He told us that we are all sinners and but for the Grace of God we will all face an eternity without Him.
But Jesus changed all that when He died on the cross for our sins. Jesus was sent into this world for that specific purpose: to die for the sins of the world. And I mean any and all sins that we commit. No sin is too small or too great to be washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ.
No matter what you have done in this life, if you confess your sins, turn from you ways and put your trust in Jesus, the gates of Heaven will be open unto you. Isn't that just an unbelievable promise? Everything you may have done against God's will in this life will be wiped clean if you confess it and accept Jesus into your heart.
Billy's message was simple and oh so easy for anyone to understand. He used Bible scripture to lay it out clearly for us. Romans 3:23 tells us "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We are all born with a sin nature, courtesy of our ancestors Adam and Eve who ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.
God is holy and no one can be in His presence unless they are saved by the His Grace through his son Jesus Christ. John 3:16 says " For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
God loves us so much. He made you and he made me. Your life is not an accident. Psalm 139:13 reminds us "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. Luke 12:7 explains to us..."Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." The Lord knows all about us. He created us and he wants to live with us in eternity. That is why he sent Jesus. Through Jesus and his incredible sacrifice, we too can have eternal life with the Father.
Billy Graham knew this important fact and spent his life spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ around the globe. He knew that we are all going to stand before God Almighty in judgement. God wanted us to have a way out so he sent his son to earth to be a sacrifice for our horrible sins. All we have to do is accept this gracious gift and we too, will spend eternity with God.
Billy Graham's ministry was in a time when there was no internet, yet he spent his life spreading the love of God to everyone he encountered. He truly lived his life through the important verse from Mark 16;15..."He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. And so he did.
This is a clip from one of Billy's crusades from 1986. His sincerity is so evident.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXEFKuNe_Es
Billy Graham traveled all over the world telling anyone who would listen about the love God has for them. He told them about Jesus and how anyone can spend eternity with Him if they just repent of their sins and accept Jesus into their hearts.
Mr. Graham's passing has affected me. He touched my heart from a very young age. About 18 years ago, I was blessed to be able to go with my family and members from my church to attend one of his last crusades in Tampa, Fl. Yes, he had aged quite a bit and his son Franklin was leading the details of the crusade but when Billy spoke about Jesus, the passion was still there. He hadn't changed one bit from the man I used to watch in the living room of my family's home in Virginia.
My memories of Mr. Graham go way back. As a young child our family would watch his worldwide crusades on the television long before TV preachers even thought of coming into existence.
His love of Jesus was so evident. He spoke with such fire, such passion, and such conviction. He spoke the truth about God and His love for humanity. Billy spoke it out so clearly that anyone with a heartbeat could easily comprehend what he was trying to communicate. He told us that we are all sinners and but for the Grace of God we will all face an eternity without Him.
But Jesus changed all that when He died on the cross for our sins. Jesus was sent into this world for that specific purpose: to die for the sins of the world. And I mean any and all sins that we commit. No sin is too small or too great to be washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ.
No matter what you have done in this life, if you confess your sins, turn from you ways and put your trust in Jesus, the gates of Heaven will be open unto you. Isn't that just an unbelievable promise? Everything you may have done against God's will in this life will be wiped clean if you confess it and accept Jesus into your heart.
Billy's message was simple and oh so easy for anyone to understand. He used Bible scripture to lay it out clearly for us. Romans 3:23 tells us "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We are all born with a sin nature, courtesy of our ancestors Adam and Eve who ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.
God is holy and no one can be in His presence unless they are saved by the His Grace through his son Jesus Christ. John 3:16 says " For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
God loves us so much. He made you and he made me. Your life is not an accident. Psalm 139:13 reminds us "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. Luke 12:7 explains to us..."Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." The Lord knows all about us. He created us and he wants to live with us in eternity. That is why he sent Jesus. Through Jesus and his incredible sacrifice, we too can have eternal life with the Father.
Billy Graham knew this important fact and spent his life spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ around the globe. He knew that we are all going to stand before God Almighty in judgement. God wanted us to have a way out so he sent his son to earth to be a sacrifice for our horrible sins. All we have to do is accept this gracious gift and we too, will spend eternity with God.
Billy Graham's ministry was in a time when there was no internet, yet he spent his life spreading the love of God to everyone he encountered. He truly lived his life through the important verse from Mark 16;15..."He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. And so he did.
This is a clip from one of Billy's crusades from 1986. His sincerity is so evident.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXEFKuNe_Es
Billy Graham traveled all over the world telling anyone who would listen about the love God has for them. He told them about Jesus and how anyone can spend eternity with Him if they just repent of their sins and accept Jesus into their hearts.
Mr. Graham's passing has affected me. He touched my heart from a very young age. About 18 years ago, I was blessed to be able to go with my family and members from my church to attend one of his last crusades in Tampa, Fl. Yes, he had aged quite a bit and his son Franklin was leading the details of the crusade but when Billy spoke about Jesus, the passion was still there. He hadn't changed one bit from the man I used to watch in the living room of my family's home in Virginia.
I guess it's natural as you get older to this about what your legacy will be. What will the world remember you for? When I look at Billy Graham's legacy it's quite clear where his priorities were during his time on this earth. He always said, "My home in is Heaven, I'm just passing through this life" Billy and his wife Ruth left behind a family dedicated to serving the Lord. He founded a very reputable organization for Jesus in the Billy Graham Evangelical Association, https://billygraham.org/ People will remember the name Billy Graham for years to come and when they think of him, they will undoubtedly think of Jesus.
50th Wedding Anniversary for Billy and Ruth Graham
So what will people remember about me? Thankfully, the invention of the internet and social media sites Facebook and Instagram have aided me in quest to help others know Jesus. I know I'm no Billy Graham but I feel the Lord is still using me in a unique way to reach out to others in His name. We can all do our part. We are all God's children and we can all reach out to others in Jesus name if we will just take the time out of each day to make an effort.
I hope and pray my children will remember me as a servant of the Lord. We took our children to church and brought them up to know Jesus. I am trying my best to spread the love of Christ to my sweet granddaughter. It's hard when you live long distance, but as she looks back on me long after I'm gone, I hope she will know that I loved the Lord and did what I could to teach her about Jesus and his love. I hope my life has been an example to everyone in my life of how Jesus can give you strength and peace to face this uncertain world. I honestly don't know how I would get through my days without the love of God. He alone gives me the strength I need to face to challenges of living with a chronic debilitating disease like MS.
As my MS has progressed over these past 20 years, and especially my cognitive function has declined, I find myself more and more having a hard time putting my thoughts down on paper. The thoughts are definitely in my head, but it's hard to get them to come out in a logical manner. But I know that no matter my condition, Jesus would want me to continue to spread the word about His love for us and so I do.
But honestly for me, sometimes it's hard to know if I am are making a difference. Being home bound most days now, almost all my interactions are through social media. It's just little old me, sending devotionals out, or encouraging others through my online prayer group. I've made online friends from all over the world and I am grateful for them. I just slowly but surely keep plugging way in the name of Jesus. I pray He is smiling down on me.
One of the things I saw on the internet recently that made my heart smile was Kathie Lee Gifford when she appeared on the Megan Kelly show days after Billy had passed. The clip below shows her bold love of Jesus. All can say is WOW! What an incredible testimony for the Lord!
If we could all be so bold as Kathie, think of the souls that could be saved for Jesus.
I'm so grateful for the life and ministry of Billy Graham. He impacted the world for Jesus in a way that will most likely never be seen again. As a member of the next generation, we must continue on in any way that we can to tell others about Jesus and His love for mankind. Billy would want us to and that's good enough for me.
My verses for today are above in red.
My prayer for today:
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the life and ministry of Billy Graham. It's said that he preached the gospel to over 251 million people over the years. Thank you that he had that bold faith to go out into the world to tell others of your love and the love of your son.
Help me to be able to continue to spread the love of Jesus whenever I can. Give me the strength and resolve to lead others to you so they can have the "Peace that surpasses all understanding"
Amen.
