gordon 2
Senior Member
Billy Graham.
The Father of neo evangelism who denied the existence of a literal place of fire and torment, held hands with the pope and preached a soft gospel that left sin out. Im way more impressed with his son than I was with him.
Q:
Where did the idea of CensoredCensoredCensoredCensored come from? I don't believe there is such a thing because God is for life and for love, not destruction and hate, like some people seem to think.
A:
It might surprise you to learn that the person in the Bible who spoke the most about ****’s reality was Jesus. He repeatedly warned us not to take it lightly: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in ****” (Matthew 10:28).
Is CensoredCensoredCensoredCensored just an idea someone dreamed up — or is it real? The Bible’s answer is clear: CensoredCensoredCensoredCensored is real just as real as heaven. You and I will live forever because God gave each of us an eternal soul or spirit. Death isn’t the end; when we die, we will enter eternity either with God in heaven, or separated from Him forever in the place the Bible calls CensoredCensoredCensoredCensored.
Yes, you’re right up to a point; God is a God of love. But He is also a God of justice. Do you honestly believe God will overlook the horrors committed by a Hitler or Stalin? Do you honestly believe God will overlook the evils and injustices that ravage our world? The Bible warns, “All will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness” (2 Thessalonians 2:12).
These are sobering words. But the Bible tells us something else about CensoredCensoredCensoredCensored: You and I don’t need to go there! Jesus Christ came to destroy sin and death and CensoredCensoredCensoredCensored and when we put our faith and trust in Him, haven’s door opens before us. Don’t be deceived, but turn to Christ and accept the salvation He offers you today.
When once asked, ‘What is the definition of sin?’ Billy Graham gave the following answer:
A sin is any thought or action that falls short of God’s will. God is perfect, and anything we do that falls short of His perfection is sin.
The Bible actually uses a number of examples or “word pictures” to illustrate what this means. For example, it tells us that sin is like an archer who misses the target. He draws back his bow and sends the arrow on its way—but instead of hitting the bull’s-eye, it veers off course and misses the mark. The arrow may only miss it a little bit or it may miss it a great deal—but the result is the same: The arrow doesn’t land where it is supposed to.
The same is true of sin. God’s will is like the center of that target—and when we sin, we fall short of His will or miss the mark. And this is something we do every day; as the Bible says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Even when we aren’t aware of it, we commit sin by the things we do (or fail to do), or by the way we think.
This is why we need Christ, for only He can forgive us all our sins, and only He can help us live the way we should. We can’t forgive ourselves, nor can we change our hearts and make ourselves better in God’s eyes.
Mr. Graham has also been asked whether all sins are equal in God’s eyes. This was his answer:
It is always difficult and dangerous to attempt to list sins according to their degree of seriousness. In one sense, all sins are equal in that they all separate us from God. The Bible’s statement, “For the wages of sin is death …” (Romans 6:23), applies to all sin, whether in thought, word, or deed.
At the same time, it seems obvious that some sins are worse than others in both motivation and effects, and should be judged accordingly. Stealing a loaf of bread is vastly different than exterminating a million people. Sins may also differ at their root.
Theologians have sought for centuries to determine what the essence of sin is. Some have chosen sensuality, others selfishness, and still others pride or unbelief. In the Old Testament, God applied different penalties to different sins, suggesting variations in the seriousness of some sins. A thief paid restitution; an occult practitioner was cut off from Israel; one who committed adultery or a homosexual act or cursed his parents was put to death (see Exodus, chapter 22 and Leviticus, chapter 20).
In the New Testament Jesus said it would be more bearable on the day of judgment for Sodom than for Capernaum because of Capernaum’s unbelief and refusal to repent after witnessing His miracles (Matthew 11:23-24). The sins of Sodom were identified in Ezekiel 16:49-50 as arrogance, gluttony, indifference to the poor and needy, haughtiness, and “detestable things.”
When Jesus spoke of his second coming and judgment, he warned that among those deserving punishment some would “be beaten with many blows” and others “with few blows” (Luke 12:47-48). He also reserved His most fierce denunciations for the pride and unbelief of the religious leaders, not the sexually immoral (Matthew 23:13-36).
However, remember that whether our sins are relatively small or great, they will place us in CensoredCensoredCensoredCensored apart from God’s grace. The good news is that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins and the sins of the whole world at the Cross. If we will repent and turn to Jesus in faith, our sins will be forgiven, and we will receive the gift of eternal life.
God's working in his ministry is one of the reasons I am in Christ today as a result of a 1973 crusade in Atlanta, GA.
Grateful that he is a man that introduce many to Christ.
The Father of neo evangelism who denied the existence of a literal place of fire and torment, held hands with the pope and preached a soft gospel that left sin out. Im way more impressed with his son than I was with him.
The Father of neo evangelism who denied the existence of a literal place of fire and torment, held hands with the pope and preached a soft gospel that left sin out. Im way more impressed with his son than I was with him.
In the 60's Billy Graham was preaching against things that are now supported by Franklin's ministry. Was He wrong then or is Franklin wrong now?
The Father of neo evangelism who denied the existence of a literal place of fire and torment, held hands with the pope and preached a soft gospel that left sin out. Im way more impressed with his son than I was with him.
Yeah, it's not like he was friends with Oprah.
Arthur Smith, the Guitar Boogie guy, opened a recording studio in Charlotte. It was quite successful. George Beverly Shea recorded there as well as Billy Graham.
Billy Graham's Hour of Decision radio program was first produced in Smith's studio.
Smith himself had or has been on a few radio and TV shows as well. I can remember watching one of his weekly shows when he was older.
Arthur Smith was a big part of the "Singing on the Mountain" yearly sing on Grandfather Mountain back in the 50's and 60's.
Admission is free with the motto remaining the same for 89 years: “Whosoever will may come.”
Now another Billy Graham connection. In 1962 it was the 38th annual sing and Dr. Graham was to give the sermon. They have a sermon at every one of these things beings it's on Sundays.
On that day thunderstorms threatened the event.
The clouds parted as Graham stepped up to the microphone and the sun shone brightly on the gathering while he shared his message of God’s amazing grace.
Many Christians are going to be shocked as to what their behavior and beliefs on Earth does or does not earn them in the end. Especially those that are convinced that their judgmental beliefs are superior to all others.
Back in the day Billy simply offered a message from God's word and preached take it or leave it style. No ''gimmick'' was offered. No concert then we'll tell 'em about Jesus, no festival then we'll tell 'em about Jesus, nope it was just telling them about Jesus. Folks came knowing it was about Jesus. Will this not work any longer? Do we have to entertain to slip the message in? If so, why?