Posted on 03/05/2018 6:41:26 PM PST by metmom
First of all, you whine too much Bramps.
And Billy Graham saying that infant baptism regenerates babies and makes them Christian, that IS A SCANDAL.
It's to my mind a scandal of epic proportions. It's a false doctrine, it's not simply "something he said about baptism."
It is scandalous that he said it and it's worse that he believed it.
Seriously, I could over look it if he had sex outside of marriage. He was away from his wife and children far more than he was ever with them. It seems abnormal to me that a heterosexual man would be sexless over half of every year.
But I have a harder time on him being supportive of infant baptism.
I also think is scandalous, some of the positive remarks he made about Islam.
So, I'm disagreeing with the article. He wasn't scandal-free.
And no, I'm not saying at all that I'm better than him. In fact, I'm sure I'm far worse.
But it's crazy that some folks won't even cotton a discussion of the real words Graham spoke.
I went to school in that area, so I know exactly what you mean, but I attributed it to being the birthplace of Joseph Smith’s false visions and Mormonism, as well as a 19th century hotbed of gambling and bootleg era gangsterism, not Charles Finney!
Anyway, the Holy Spirit works one heart at a time, not en masse. We are to “preach the word in season and out of season”, and trust that “My Word never comes back to Me void except that it accomplishes that which I sent it out to do” Isaiah 55:11
The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal “force” - it is a person. I attended a racous non denominational spirit filled church in the area, that was very much alive... so it all depends upon the faith of the preacher and the open hearts to the “abundant life in the spirit” that Christ promises.
Revival only happens one heart at a time, beginning with us. One cannot repent for another’s sins, and repentance is the foundation of revival.
But that kind of "revival" (which can only proceed from something already gone dead) is not typical of the era reaching from the 1870s to the 1970s where "Christianity" was mostly evidenced in what may be rather called "churchianity" and exclusively denominational, and declining especially after WWII.
While I am aware of a couple of BGEA "Crusades" there, they produced a temporarily fevered response at the moment, but was quickly subsident for lack of substantive ongoing support of the denominations afterward. One should note that TV (1950+) and televangelism had a marked deleterious effect on church attendance, as well as on the power of radio broadcasting.
Right now, the whole area is full of drugs and Satanism even, maybe especially, in the rural and semi-rural areas. I don't feel that I would want to go back and live there now, it has changed so much for the worse in every area of life. Unless I felt a special call, I wouldn't even try to mount a self-conceived ongoing evangelical effort there.
New York State needs prayer for live-in "tent-makers" called to go and establish their secular work income, whilst reaching out to form up regular students from Bible-thirsty seekers who have no hope from the main-line denominations. It would not be wrrong to go and wrangle some of those sheep away from the dead churches as one aspect of an outreach.
Finneyism or Grahasmism quick-turnover mass say-a-prayer evangelism will not and cannot work in these last days before the Lord's Return for His Own.
It is only steady recruiting and induction of discipling studiers with each diligently growing from spiritual babes to children to overcomers, that will show any hope of success.
I agree with the “Grahamism” statements, I have read about and observed what you are saying about the after-effects of his crusades.
Admittedly I have only read a couple of Finney’s books, but what I’ve read is solid.
You have a heart for the people of God, be encouraged that with Him nothing is impossible. I pray for fresh vision for you... “without a vision, people perish” ... in His name.
Except for Rome's Joseph; who; apparently; put up with at LEAST 12 years worth of Rome's Mary's rejections.
Might as well; as I copied it from somewhere myself.
John 6:67-69 ESV
So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
1 Timothy 4:12 KJV
Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+32&version=NIV
See verse 6...
I have found; over the years of leading bible studies; that it is not so hard to teach folks what is in the Bible; as it is SO hard to UNTEACH what AIN'T!!
NOW you've aggravated our FR Catholics!!
We have enough of those on FR anyway!
A little along the line of Reagan’s quote?
“It isn’t so much that liberals are ignorant. It’s just that they know so many things that aren’t so
Someone has to ‘snatch them from the fire’!
Remember fellow Christians...
We seem to be like the blind men who inspected the elephant.
None had the complete picture of just what was before them.
Ther ya go!
I am not sure why Catholics would be offended, if Jesus is their Savior? Here is clear link to WHY a Christian would not want to be in Free Masons. And we cannot serve two Masters, plus Jesus Christ is Lord; First Commandment...no other God’s before him!
https://www.namb.net/Resources/PDF/Comparison_Chart_Freemasonary_and_Christianity.pdf
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