BYM ONLINE DESK Blessing English April 2018 Emagazine | Page 4

APRIL 2018
6. He edified the Family (Church) of
God
In all his evangelistic endeavours, Billy
Graham was committed to strengthen the existing
Churches. The forerunners of his Crusades would
spend months in seeking the cooperation of the local
Churches. Billy was transdenominational. Do you
know that he was a Baptist and his wife, Ruth
Graham (1920-2007) was a Presbyterian? An
interdenominational family! Besides labouring for
bringing sinners to repentance and salvation, Billy
had a passion for revival in the Church. He believed
that unless the Churches were revived, the fruits of
evangelism could not be preserved. The International
Congress on World Evangelisation in Lausanne,
Suitzerland, July 1974, was initiated by Billy
Graham. It drew delegates from more than 150
nations. One of the slogans from the Congress was,
“The whole Church must carry the whole Gospel to
the whole World!” Though Billy Graham is never
said to have spoken in tongues, even hard-core
Pentecostals thronged to hear him, both in local
Crusades and international Conferences. Though he
was more an Evangelist, than a Revivalist, local
Churches experienced a spiritual awakening during
and after his Crusades.
7. He was filled with the Spirit of God
Billy Graham's sermons are known for their
simplicity but they did not lack power and authority.
Apostle Paul's testimony suits Billy: “My speech and
my preaching were not with persuasive words of
human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit
and of power” (1 Cor 2:4). The presence of the Holy
Spirit would engulf his audience. That was
unmistakable. He always stressed to Christians the
necessity to “be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Eph
5:18). One of the evening talks in Amsterdam '83 was
on the Holy Spirit and the speaker was Dr. Bill Bright
(1921-2003), the Founder of Campus Crusade for
Christ. His talk was descriptive but not prescriptive
enough. Dr. Graham went to the podium after Bill
Bright sat down, and this is what he said with deep
R
O F I N T E G
evangelism, Dr. Graham never thought that he was
superior to other servants of God around the globe.
Since 1947, some 215 million people at more than
400 Crusades, including the one in Soviet Russia,
have heard him! His love and appreciation for his
associate evangelists in the Billy Graham
Evangelistic Association (BGEA) is a living
testimony for oneness among Christian workers. Dr.
Cliff Barrows (1923-2016) and Mr. George Beverly
Shea (1909-2013) had been working with him for so
many decades. He treated his associates as his friends
(Jn 15:15). Cliff Barrows a singer once told Billy
Graham, “Billy, you won't have any job in Heaven,
because there is no preaching there. But I would be
fully occupied with singing!” Dr. Graham was not
without critics from among preachers, Bible scholars
and Church leaders. But he didn't waste his time and
energy in responding to their criticism. His policy
was, “No offence, No defence!” When he came to
India, Brother Bakhtsingh was one of the outstanding
servants of God who refused to cooperate with him.
Bakhtsingh was not for sending the altar-call
respondents back to “dead” Churches! But Billy
Graham graciously visited him and sought his
prayers! Billy Graham as the Chief Guest delivered
the Dedication Address for the Oral Roberts
University in April 1967. President Jimmy Carter has
said, “Broad-minded, forgiving, and humble in his
treatment of others, Dr. Graham exemplified the life
of Jesus Christ!”
*2018*
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