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Thread: Why Billy Graham Was Different.He leaves an example for us all. - Michael Brown

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    Why Billy Graham Was Different.He leaves an example for us all. - Michael Brown

    What is it that stood out about Billy Graham? What made him so unique, that, with his passing, it's clear we have no one to take his place?

    I never met Rev. Graham or heard him speak in person. But a few years ago, I was given a personalized tour of the Billy Graham Library by one of the senior staff members. It was only then that I fully grasped the scope and power of his ministry, even though I had deeply respected him for decades.

    Here are three things (out of many) that struck me about the uniqueness of this servant of the Lord.

    1. He was not just a public minister. He really cared about people.
    I once interviewed British journalist David Aikman on my radio show.

    Aikman, fluent in Russian and Chinese, had interviewed many famous world leaders, including Boris Yeltsin, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Manuel Noriega, not to mention some infamous terrorists.

    When I asked him which person made the greatest impression on him, he immediately responded, "Billy Graham."

    When I asked why, he explained that every interview he did focused on the person he was interviewing. But when he interviewed Graham, the focus turned to Aikman. Billy wanted to know about him.

    Jim Bakker, once disgraced and imprisoned as a fraudulent televangelist, said that "at my lowest moment, Billy Graham walked into my prison, threw his arms around me and said, 'Jim, I love you.' The day before, I had heard that he had been voted one of the top three most respected men in the world, and now he was in my prison, comforting me.

    "The week I was released from prison, I was sitting in the Graham home eating chicken dinner. That first Sunday out of prison, I was surrounded by the Graham family."

    While the world mocked Bakker and the church discarded him, Billy Graham embraced him.

    2. He was truly humble and knew that without God, he was nothing.
    All of us who are in the ministry understand that we are only here by God's grace. That is a given.

    But sometimes, we think to ourselves, "I don't deserve God's calling and I'm only here by His mercy and kindness, but the Lord has given me the ability to write (or speak or sing or lead), and that's part of why He is using me."

    So, there's humility and appreciation, but there's also the recognition of a gift we've been given.

    In contrast, Billy Graham seemed genuinely baffled that the Lord used him the way He did. As he explained in an interview from the 1990s that aired again this week, when he got to heaven, one of the first things he wanted to ask the Lord was why He chose to use him as He did.

    Because of that, his dependence on the Lord was great. No relying on his own abilities.

    In fact, later in life, he expressed regret that he didn't spend even more time alone with the Lord, saying to Larry King shortly after his 80th birthday, "I am the greatest failure of all men. I was too much with men and too little with God. I was too busy with business meetings and even conducting services. I should have been more with God, and people would've sensed God's presence about me when they were with me."

    How we all need to learn that lesson.

    3. He was always on message. He was always Evangelist Billy Graham.
    The month I toured the Billy Graham Library there was a special emphasis on Graham's appearances before the media, and I was amazed to see how clear and unwavering his message was on secular TV.

    He spoke the truth to people like Phil Donahue and Woody Allen, he exalted Jesus, he came against sin, and he did it without apology and without venom.

    He was not Politician Billy Graham or Salesman Billy Graham. He was Evangelist Billy Graham. You knew what you were getting every time, and he was simply there to tell you what the Bible had to say.

    I remember seeing him on the Johnny Carson Show in the 1970's. Carson was embarrassed to say that he couldn't even remember all of the Ten Commandments. Graham smiled at him and said, "Yes, but you've broken them all."

    Take a few minutes and watch him interact with an agnostic Jew like Woody Allen. It is classic Graham.

    What's interesting is that he also had a strong social conscience, famously removing barricades from his meetings in the 1950s where blacks were separated from whites and once bailing Martin Luther King out of jail. It's no surprise that Dr. King said, "Had it not been for the ministry of my good friend Dr. Billy Graham, my work in the Civil Rights Movement would not have been as successful as it has been."

    Yet he never deviated from his main calling of preaching the gospel of salvation, and for the rest of eternity, he will be meeting people who were saved through his words.

    He leaves an example for us all.

    https://stream.org/billy-graham-different/

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    GodismyJudge (03-02-2018), Smitty (03-03-2018), Valiant Woman (03-04-2018)

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    Senior Member Valiant Woman's Avatar
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    Question

    I read most of this, but not all of it, so I'm not sure if he spoke of or referred to other preachers. Learning of other preachers of the past who had powerful ministries and were supernaturally anointed men of God, yet many of them died early (before the age of 70).

    I wonder if their passing had to do with not sticking with the ministry God assigned them. For instance, I read about preacher in particular in the book God's Generals, how he in left the preaching/healing ministry God assigned him and began to teach.

    God warned him through other ministers, but he just shrugged them off and continue to teach and wound up teaching erroneous doctrine, and died early. I think that is the case with some and another area why Rev. Graham was different. He stayed true to his calling.
    When your praise match your prayers, the answer will come.
    https://www.facebook.com/Valiant-Wom...1103844642026/

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    Quote Originally Posted by Valiant Woman View Post
    I read most of this, but not all of it, so I’m not sure if he spoke of or referred to other preachers. Learning of other preachers of the past who had powerful ministries and were supernaturally anointed men of God, yet many of them died early (before the age of 70).

    I wonder if their passing had to do with not sticking with the ministry God assigned them. For instance, I read about preacher in particular in the book God’s Generals, how he in left the preaching/healing ministry God assigned him and began to teach.

    God warned him through other ministers, but he just shrugged them off and continue to teach and wound up teaching erroneous doctrine, and died early. I think that is the case with some and another area why Rev. Graham was different. He stayed true to his calling.
    Seventy years are given to us.
    Some even live to eighty.
    But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away (Psm 90:10 NLT).

    Jack Coe lived 38 yrs.

    William Branham lived 56 yrs.

    A.A. Allen lived 59 yrs.

    John Alexander Dowie lived 60 yrs.

    Kenneth E. Hagin lived 86 yrs.

    Out of this group of ministers, only Rev. Hagin fulfilled his years of living out his life, plus some, according to Psm 90:10.
    If you put God First, you have Him at Last.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Smitty View Post
    Seventy years are given to us.
    Some even live to eighty.
    But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away (Psm 90:10 NLT).

    Jack Coe lived 38 yrs.

    William Branham lived 56 yrs.

    A.A. Allen lived 59 yrs.

    John Alexander Dowie lived 60 yrs.

    Kenneth E. Hagin lived 86 yrs.

    Out of this group of ministers, only Rev. Hagin fulfilled his years of living out his life, plus some, according to Psm 90:10.
    Actually, God gave man 120 years. Moses wrote that (Psalm 90:10) because of the events that occurred when they were in the wilderness.

    “And the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”” **Genesis‬ *6:3‬ *
    When your praise match your prayers, the answer will come.
    https://www.facebook.com/Valiant-Wom...1103844642026/

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    Senior Member Smitty's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Valiant Woman View Post
    Actually, God gave man 120 years. Moses wrote that (Psalm 90:10) because of the events that occurred when they were in the wilderness.

    "And the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years."" **Genesis‬ *6:3‬ *
    We know Abraham lived for 175 yrs. Joseph was 110 when he expired and Moses lived for 120 yrs, yet life spans kept dropping after them.

    In spite of all the modern advances in medical technology and modern medicine, hardly anyone lives to 120.

    The global average is a little below 70 at the present time.

    Current studies have shown that the Japanese live the longest. Men average 79 yrs and women 85 yrs.

    In the current day in which we find ourselves living, I would suggest that Psalm 90:10 would be a more of a reality of a normal human life span, not 120 as recorded in Genesis 6:3.
    If you put God First, you have Him at Last.

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    Senior Member Valiant Woman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Smitty View Post
    We know Abraham lived for 175 yrs. Joseph was 110 when he expired and Moses lived for 120 yrs, yet life spans kept dropping after them.

    In spite of all the modern advances in medical technology and modern medicine, hardly anyone lives to 120.

    The global average is a little below 70 at the present time.

    Current studies have shown that the Japanese live the longest. Men average 79 yrs and women 85 yrs.

    In the current day in which we find ourselves living, I would suggest that Psalm 90:10 would be a more of a reality of a normal human life span, not 120 as recorded in Genesis 6:3.
    Not really interested in the stats, or so called “reality” or what’s “normal” for today.

    I’m only interested in, and believe what God said, and He said 120 years, that settles it for me whether anyone makes it to that age or not. Period.

    Medical science has proven that the human body can live 120 years. We are the ones that don’t exercise our right to living that long. We can choose to live that long but most of us don’t, and probably a great many don’t want to.
    When your praise match your prayers, the answer will come.
    https://www.facebook.com/Valiant-Wom...1103844642026/

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    Quote Originally Posted by Valiant Woman View Post
    Not really interested in the stats, or so called “reality” or what’s “normal” for today.

    I’m only interested in, and believe what God said, and He said 120 years, that settles it for me whether anyone makes it to that age or not. Period.

    Medical science has proven that the human body can live 120 years. We are the ones that don’t exercise our right to living that long. We can choose to live that long but most of us don’t, and probably a great many don't want to.
    I'm in the category of "a great many don't want to" VW. I'm down here in Mesa, AZ on vacation. We are staying with my mother in law at the Viewpoint Retirement complex. Yesterday, we went to a fabulous ballroom here in the complex for a memorial service for 40 residents who passed away during 2017. Two of those residents were my father in law Linn Epperely, who died last year at the age of 90. And his younger brother, Joy Epperely, who died at 87 five months after Linn.
    My mom also died last year 4 months shy of her 80th birthday. The point is, we live in a fallen world where sin, corruption, and death exist. One out of one dies, there is no way to avoid it. Some go sooner than others. As I was Looking at all the pictures on a long table of the 40 people who died here recently, they all had grey hair and wrinkled skin, which are the result of the fall back in the garden. All these I've mentioned here enjoyed a retirement of a few "golden Years" of their lives.
    I will retire in 3 yrs and 4 months at the age of 65. If the good Lord allows me 20 golden years of retirement, and I'm still here at the age of 85, I will consider myself a blessed man who lived a long life.

    For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.
    For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.
    The last enemy that will be abolished is death' (1 Cor 15: 21-22, 26).
    If you put God First, you have Him at Last.

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    Senior Member Valiant Woman's Avatar
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    there is no way to avoid it.
    That’s the attitude and belief of most...And that’s why most do not live to 120, because they believe they aren’t suppose to live that long, so they die at the time they believe they should die.
    When your praise match your prayers, the answer will come.
    https://www.facebook.com/Valiant-Wom...1103844642026/

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    Senior Member Smitty's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Valiant Woman View Post
    That’s the attitude and belief of most...And that’s why most do not live to 120, because they believe they aren’t suppose to live that long, so they die at the time they believe they should die.
    Well, you know where I stand. If I live to 85 there is no way I would want to live another 35 years in this old sin sick failing broken down body to 120.
    How about you VW? Are you believing God to live for 120 years? If so, be blessed dear sister.
    If you put God First, you have Him at Last.

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    Senior Member Valiant Woman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Smitty View Post
    Well, you know where I stand. If I live to 85 there is no way I would want to live another 35 years in this old sin sick failing broken down body to 120.
    How about you VW? Are you believing God to live for 120 years? If so, be blessed dear sister.
    “You shall have what you say.” Mark 11:23b

    Don’t be concerned about how long I’m believing God for. That’s between He and I. My point is what God said about man’s lifespan. I’ve proven by scripture that He gave man a lifespan of 120 years. Now whether we take advantage of that is up to us. Take it or leave it, like it or lump it, it is what it is. Period.
    When your praise match your prayers, the answer will come.
    https://www.facebook.com/Valiant-Wom...1103844642026/

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