Dave’s Monday Blast – March 5, 2018
In the wake of Billy Graham’s death, two quotes appeared on the Billy Graham Association website. The first is from Billy Graham: “My one purpose in life is to help people find a personal relationship with God, which I believe comes from knowing Christ.” The second is from his wife Ruth who passed in 2007 after 63 years of marriage, as she was reminiscing on what attracted her to Billy: “He was a man who had a purpose, a dedication in life; he knew where he was going. He wanted to please God more than any man I’d ever met.”
Billy went home to be with the Lord he loved and served at the age of 99 having shared the gospel to some 215 million people who attended one of his more than 400 crusades, simulcasts and evangelistic rallies in more than 185 countries and territories. He reached millions more through TV, video, film, the internet, and 34 books.
Paul’s message to Timothy was God’s message to us today and certainly was a message Dr. Graham embraced: “Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2). “Preach” and “be ready” are both Greek commands. The former means to “announce good news.” The latter means to “be prepared in every moment.” “In season and out of season” means to take EVERY OPPORTUNITY whenever it presents itself. The following story told by Dr. Graham well illustrates this truth:
Pastor Jim Denison shares the story as follows: “In January of 2000, Graham was invited to a luncheon (in his honor) in his home town of Charlotte, North Carolina. Reluctantly he agreed to attend. After many wonderful tributes were paid to him, Dr. Graham stepped to the microphone. He looked at the crowd and said, ‘I’m reminded today of Albert Einstein, the great physicist. He was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of each passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He could not find his ticket, so he reached in his other pocket. It wasn’t there, so he looked in his brief case but couldn’t find it. Then he looked in the seat by him. He couldn’t find it. The conductor said, ‘Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I’m sure you bought a ticket. don’t worry about it.’ Einstein nodded appreciatively but continued to his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket. The conductor said, ‘Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don’t worry. We know who you are. No problem. You don’t need a ticket. I’m sure you bought one.’ Einstein looked at him and said, ‘Young man, I too know who I am. What I don’t know is where I’m going.'”
Dr. Graham continued, ‘See this suit I’m wearing? It’s a brand new suit. My wife, children, and my grandchildren are telling me I’ve gotten a bit slovenly in my old age. I used to be a bit more fastidious. So I went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon and one more occasion. Do you know what that occasion is? This is the suit in which I’ll be buried. But when you hear I’m dead, I don’t want you to immediately remember the suit I’m wearing. I want you to remember this: I not only know who I am, I also know where I’m going.'”
Dr. Graham was buried in that suit last weekend and his body was placed in a $200 plywood box made by prisoners from an Angolan prison. But we know where he is. And we can help those we meet today to meet him and his Savior one day.
Recently Graham told an interviewer, “I would like to be remembered as a person who was faithful to God, faithful to my call, and did it with integrity and with love.” Truly Billy Graham was an INTENTIONAL MAN! How would you like to be remembered my dear friends?
