General
Remembering Billy Graham: You Must Be Born Again
This world lost a great figure last night when Billy Graham passed from this earth to his heavenly home.
Dr. Graham was 99 years old.
I’d like to honor the memory of Billy Graham, not only for who he was, but to give glory to the Person who made him so–the Lord Jesus Christ.
I remember many wonderful things about Billy Graham, but one stands tall above all else:
You must be born again.
I had the privilege of meeting Billy Graham in person a few times during the 1980’s. My most special memory was having lunch with him and Loren Cunningham and two other friends just prior to his D.C. crusade in 1986.
We met at a restaurant near the crusade venue and enjoyed a hour or so together over lunch. Dr. Graham was easy to be around and shared a trait that most great leaders possess–he didn’t talk about himself but seemed very curious about the needs and lives of those at the table.
I was impressed–and grateful for the opportunity. Billy Graham was one of my heroes.
Before I share some of the traits that I admired in him, here’s a quick bio to help put his life into historical context.
His was a life well lived.
Billy Graham was born Nov. 7, 1918, in Charlotte, N.C., and raised on a dairy farm. He graduated from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. – the current home of the Billy Graham Center Museum and where he met his wife, Ruth McCue Bell, the daughter of a missionary surgeon to China. They were married for over 60 years until Ruth’s death in 2007.
He personally gave his life to Christ during a crusade meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1934 led by evangelist Mordecai Ham.
Rev. Ham gives the historical detail: “Two young high school boys attended our meeting. They thought that everything I said was directed their way; so they decided to take seats in the choir, where I couldn’t point my finger at them. They didn’t pretend to be singers, but they wanted to be behind me.”
“One night a man spoke to them during the invitation and said, ‘Come on; let’s go up front.’ Billy and Grady (Wilson) both went to the altar. Billy was saved, and Grady dedicated his life to Christian service.”
That was a night that impacted the world.
Billy Graham went on to preach the Gospel to more people in live audiences than anyone else in history. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association estimates that he preached live to nearly 215 million people in more than 185 countries and territories, and hundreds of millions of more people through television, video, film and webcasts.
He led hundreds of thousands of individuals to make personal decisions to commit their lives to Jesus Christ. He certainly impacted my life with his witness.
Following are some of the qualities that I most admired about him.
First, I deeply appreciated his humility. Though he probably shook hands with and knew more heads of state and VIPs than most people in history, he possessed a down to earth quality about him that made him very approachable. Maybe it was his farm roots and blue collar background. But the higher he rose, the personal humility stayed the same.
Part of his humility included his willingness to admit mistakes and learn from them. He regretted later in life his lack of involvement in the civil rights marches of the 1960’s saying, “I should have gone to Selma.” He was also deeply sorry about his undiscriminating relationship with former president Richard Nixon who was exposed during the Watergate revelations. Graham repented for his naivety and vowed to never make that mistake again.
He continued to advise and counsel many presidents and world leaders, but with a closer eye to not condoning bad behavior.
Second, he mentored two generations of Christian leaders in moral purity and integrity. Early on in his public career, he made a decision to never be alone in a room with a woman not his wife so that his testimony would be above reproach. When he traveled and stayed in hundreds of hotel rooms during his seventy years of evangelistic work, he always placed associates on either side of his own room–so that his virtue and integrity as a follower of Christ would not be sullied.
In today’s world of #MeToo and with the revelations of sexual assault and improprieties mushrooming daily, Dr. Graham’s principles stand out as a shining light. He not only didn’t assault or prey on women, he went out of his way to avoid all appearances of evil.
Vice President Mike Pence recently said he practiced the same principles (learned from Billy Graham), and people laughed at him. In today’s environment of debauchery, should anyone be snickering? No. They should be grateful that Billy Graham raised the bar for generations of leaders.
Third, Billy Graham knew who He was . He understood God’s call on his life. Due to his high profile notoriety, he could have dabbled in politics, business, and many other ventures. But he was ordained by Jesus to be an evangelist–and stuck to that mandate like a laser. (His son, Franklin, follows his father’s example when, in every interview, he shares the truth of John 3:16).
Finally, the Rev. Dr. Billy Graham knew the simple message God had given him to share with the world. It was concise, powerful, and true.
“You must be born again” (John 3:7).
No man in the history so focused on those five important words. I, for one, took them to heart and found salvation in Jesus Christ in 1968. So did many others.
Humility. Purity. Calling. Simplicity. Billy Graham both learned and was empowered with these qualities by Jesus Christ Himself. That’s why he once admitted when he was asked what was the secret of his ministry: “The secret of my work is God. I would be nothing without Him.”
Jesus gets the credit for the laudable life of Billy Graham.
His son, Franklin, posted these words after his father’s passing: “We honor a man who served the Lord with his life, loved his family, and was always grateful for God’s faithful people who supported him in the work of the ministry in Jesus’ Name.”
“As we lay to rest this very public ambassador, please pray with us that the testimony he leaves behind will touch many lives and point them to salvation in Jesus Christ.”
His grandson, Will Graham, also shared this perspective in a statement to the Christian Post:
“My grandfather once said, ‘One day you’ll hear that Billy Graham has died. Don’t you believe it. On that day I’ll be more alive than ever before! I’ve just changed addresses.’ My friends, today my grandfather moved from the land of the dead to the land of the living.”
“We mourn that he is no longer with us physically here on earth, but we don’t grieve as those who have no hope. My grandfather invested his entire life in sharing the promise of eternity through Jesus Christ, and today he had the opportunity to realize that hope himself, kneeling before his Savior and hearing the words, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’”
Now it’s our turn to be faithful, and bring honor and credit to Jesus, the Savior of the world.
You must be born again.
That’s where it all begins.
A Triple Level Conspiracy
I hope this don’t sound like a broken record (now that’s an old analogy), yet, so little of what we hear on the news, read in print, or glance at on our phones gives an accurate perspective on what is really happening in the world.
Conspiracy theories are not my thing, but I’ve begrudgingly come to believe we’re in dangerously conspiratorial era–much more so that at any time in my six-and-a-half decade lifetime.
In the United States, in 2018 AD, we face a grave triple level conspiracy.
How should we then live?
For the Glory of God
If you’re a football fan, I’m sure you enjoyed Super Bowl 52 where the GQOAT (Greatest Quarterback Of All Time)–Tom Brady– passed for 500 yards but still lost to a back-up quarterback named Nick Foles.
Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles 41. Brady and the New England Patriots 33.
Great Game. David vs. Goliath in a photo finish when Brady’s last second Hail Mary pass into the end zone fell harmlessly to the turf, and the Eagles from the City of Brotherly Love won their first-ever NFL Super Bowl Championship.
Glance at the picture above and notice the finger of Nick Foles pointing upward after the victory. I love that gesture which means one very important thing:
For the glory of God.
Are you living with that same motivation?
When Nick Foles realized that the Philadelphia Eagles had won Super Bowl 52, he raised his eyes upward, pointed his finger toward the heavens and gave all the glory to God.
Gave glory to God. What does that mean?
To give “glory” to someone else is to give them credit and honor for something they’ve done. It is to deflect praise from yourself to another who is more worthy of that adulation.
This act takes great humility and the willingness to see things in reality:
- A humble person knows that their natural gifts and abilities come from God (“You can’t put in what God has left out”).
- They understand that it’s only through their Creator that they “live, move and have their being” (Acts 17:28).
- Humble people comprehend that “from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. To God be the glory forever and ever” (Romans 11:36).
- They are grateful that God has saved them, changed them, and is producing character qualities in their life–allowing them to succeed–which are primarily of His making, not their own.
Humility is the opposite of pride, which selfishly pretends that I am the center of the universe, self-made, and should be congratulated for my achievements. That attitude cost Lucifer his place in heaven and curses every human being who follows his example.
It’s humble faith that gives God his rightful place in our lives.
Rick Warren is right. It’s not about you. Everything you have and are comes from others, especially your Maker and Savior God. The paint can’t take credit for the painting–that goes to the artist. The rocket fuel and boosters don’t applaud themselves for a successful SpaceX launch. That honor goes to the visionaries, producers and technicians who created and operated it all.
When Nick Foles exercised refreshing humility and pointed millions of people to the reality of the Incomparable God, he gave great glory to Jesus Christ who once said in divine humility:
“If I am lifted up, I will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32).
I’m praying that multitudes of people will launch their salvation journey through watching Nick Foles point the way.
The Washington Post told part of Foles’ personal story this past week.
“’I want to be a pastor in a high school,’ Foles said Thursday. ‘It’s on my heart. I took a leap of faith last year and signed up to take classes at seminary. I wanted to continue to learn and challenge my faith. You want to impact people’s hearts.’”
“Foles is part of a team that has a strong Christian brotherhood. MVP contender Carson Wentz has been outspoken about his faith and many players spend a lot of time together in prayer, studying the Bible and sharing devotionals.”
“Foles was one of the study leaders during his first stint in Philadelphia and has become a go-to source for younger guys. Left guard Stefen Wisniewksi also plans to become a pastor after his career ends. ‘Guys like Nick and Wis can spit out Scripture all day and it’s awesome to take in that knowledge,’” said special teams ace Kamu Grugier-Hill.”
“Foles is passionate about helping students find their way and plans to use his experiences to inspire and encourage them.”
“‘When I speak to (students), that’s such a time of young men and young women’s lives that there’s a lot of things that are thrown at them. So much temptation in this world, so much going on with social media and the internet that you want to talk to them and address it and share all the weaknesses I have because I’ve fallen many times,’ Foles said. ‘It’s something I want to do. I can’t play football forever. I’ve been blessed with an amazing platform and it’s just a door God has opened, but I still have a lot of school left and a long journey.’”
“Foles says prayer helped him decide to stay in the NFL, and he returned to the Eagles to be Wentz’s backup. When Wentz tore his left ACL in Week 14, Foles stepped in and led Philadelphia.”
“’It took a lot more faith to come back and play than it would’ve to go in the other direction,’ Foles said. ‘Either way would’ve been fine. Either way, I would’ve trusted in God. I would’ve done something else and glorified God in that instance.'”
Glorified God.
Nick Foles is one of many Philadelphia Eagles who understand where their true power comes from.
Bob Ditmer shares this team perspective:
“Philly fans have a reputation for being a little raucous. Did you know they once booed Santa Claus and threw snowballs at him? This year’s Eagles are an entirely different breed. Many attend regular Bible studies, they constantly talk about their faith and they say they just want to glorify God in all they do.”
“And one other detail separates the 2017 Eagles from their predecessors, the nice guys have a Super Bowl ring. After Super Bowl LII, arguably the most entertaining of all time, the Eagles kept up their praise of God. Those who have been most outspoken in their faith also made a huge impact in the game.”
Yes sir.
Did you notice that when the Super Bowl trophy was presented to Coach Doug Peterson, tight end Zach Ertz (who caught the winning TD pass), and Nick Foles, the first thing ALL THREE did was give glory to God?
Refreshing. Uplifting.
How can we bring glory to God and follow their example?
Here are some suggestions from John Piper entitled, “How We Bring Glory to Our Heavenly Father.”
- Jesus clearly commands that the goal of our lives should be to behave so that God gets the glory. Live so that people will see your life and give your Father in heaven glory, not you. It is a peculiar kind of living.
- In order for God to get glory from the way we live, we must be engaged in good deeds. It is not so much by avoiding gross sins that God’s people display his glory, but rather in the pursuit of good deeds, acts of generosity, works of kindness, ways of love.
- It is possible to be a kind of do-gooder that brings no glory to God. There are philanthropists and benefactors who spend time and money to alleviate suffering, but who may not even believe in God let alone do it all for his glory. So when Jesus says, ‘Let your light shine that men may see your good deeds and glorify God,’ the light must include more than the mere action of the good deed–but your attitude and your motivation also.
- We have to do good as one does it who is depending on God’s strength. Not mere good deeds, but good deeds done in a spirit that comes from a joyful dependence on God’s help.
- We owe every fiber of intelligence to God, and the slightest resolve to do good is a gift from him. Apart from him we are all cripples. And worse than cripples. We would fly into nothingness without his sustenance, and we would degenerate into devils without his grace.
- God gets glory not from our heroic exertion but from our reliance upon his strength—when we serve as one who serves with the strength which God supplies.
Piper ends with this encouragement:
“Glorifying God is not a weight to make us sigh. For it is wings to make us fly. On wings like eagles.”
Exactly. Like Philadelphia Eagles
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31).
I remember the first time, and many times since. when I intentionally committed myself to live for the glory of God, the One who truly deserves all the praise and the honor.
Is that your motivation for living?