Posted on 03/05/2018 6:41:26 PM PST by metmom
Evangelist Billy Graham lived 99 years, wrote 30 books, met with 12 sitting American presidents and preached the gospel to millions. But when he is buried this Friday, March 2, in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, he will be remembered not only as a world-changing hero of faith but as a humble preacher whose personal integrity set the gold standard for every minister in this country.
Why was this man so respected? How was he able to keep his ministry free from scandal for more than 75 years?
In 1948, when Graham was just 30 years old, he and his small ministry team met for Bible study and prayer at a tiny motel in Modesto, California. The other men in that meeting including assistant evangelist Grady Wilson, singer George Beverly Shea and song leader Cliff Barrows. Graham challenged them to pray about what codes of behavior they needed to adopt in order to keep the ministry clean.
The results of that meeting were profoundly prophetic. The men outlined what would become "the Modesto Manifesto"a list of core ministry values that became the guiding principles of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The BGEA was founded two years later, in 1950, just one year after media coverage of Graham's eight-week gospel campaign in Los Angeles made him a household word.
Here are the four key components of the Modesto Manifesto, along with notes that Cliff Barrows jotted down in their meeting:
Honesty: "It was resolved that all communications to media and to the church would not be inflated or exaggerated. The size of crowds and the number of inquirers would not be embellished for the sake of making BGEA look better."
Integrity: "It was resolved that financial matters would be submitted to a board of directors for review and facilitation of expenditures. Every local crusade would maintain a policy of 'open books' and publish a record of where and how monies were spent."
Purity: "It was resolved that members of the team would pay close attention to avoiding temptationnever being alone with another woman, remaining accountable to one another, etc. A practice of keeping wives informed of their activities on the road and helping them feel a part of any and all crusades they undertook would be encouraged."
Humility: "It was resolved that members of the team were never to speak badly of another Christian minister, regardless of his denominational affiliation or differing theological views and practices. The mission of evangelism includes strengthening the body of Christ as well as building it!"
Graham has always been a spiritual hero to me for this reason. Early in his ministryin fact, before he ever became famoushe realized that his ministry was a stewardship from God and that he could not run it any way he wanted. He had to manage it according to clear biblical principles.
Graham never forgot his humble roots, and he never let popularity change him into an egotistical monster. Even though he was invited to dine with presidents, queens and celebrities, his passion was taking the message of Christ to the common person. And when an usher tried to segregate black and white sections of an auditorium in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1953, Graham removed the barriers himself. Related Articles
"I am not a great preacher, and I don't claim to be a great preacher," he once said. "I've heard great preaching many times and wished I was one of these great preachers. I'm an ordinary preacher, just communicating the gospel in the best way I know how."
He also carried with him a healthy fear that he might try to touch God's glory or take credit for evangelistic results.
Graham said: "So many people think that somehow I carry a revival around in a suitcase, and they just announce me and something happensbut that's not true. This is the work of God, and the Bible warns that God will not share His glory with another. All the publicity that we receive sometimes frightens me because I feel that therein lies a great danger. If God should take His hand off me, I would have no more spiritual power. The whole secret of the success of our meetings is spiritualit's God answering prayer. I cannot take credit for any of it."
So much of what we call ministry today has been compromised by ego, marketing and man-made agendas. Some of our own "Spirit-filled" preachers are happy to sell a healing or a financial miracle for $29.95. Others claim spiritual superiority because they have the largest following on social media or because so many lined up to attend their packed conferences.
We have exchanged honesty, integrity, purity and humility for hype, fake anointing, manipulated photos, inflated attendance reports, sensuality and boastful swagger. God forgive us.
Billy Graham raised the bar for all ministers. I pray we will never forget his legacy.
Oh ok...thanks.
I don't know about that, but my Dad gave his life to them, especially the less advantaged kids. He would drive out into the boondocks and bring kids into Sunday School, and again to the MYF meetings. He spent nearly every day calling an various members of his constituents, or on families that needed his care.
In one instance, he had to threaten to beat the tar out of one fellow who, had the habit of spending his time over on the Mahogany Ridge, then go home and beat up his wife and kids. Dad really meant it, having been a farm boy and athlete, huge hands from many early years of hand-milking cows. He put a fear of God and his wrath into that fellow, who knew it and quit, cold, and never did that again.
Not long after, his oldest son showed up to see Dad, and vowed to become a missionary. That fourteen-year-old boy did genuinely follow through, graduated from college and seminary, was ordained, and was sent to Central Africa for many years, until he and family had to flee for their lives.
God worked a curious miracle in that family, including that many years later, my life a wreckage, I had moved back to the area, and it happened that the missionary's younger brother crossed my path. Himself having been a reprobate, but saved from a bad life, he was given the occasion, a Providential appointment, to confront me and lead me to the Cross. Haven't seen him since.
Not by my Dad's convincement and prayers for me did I come to grips with my state, but by one of the products of the Bible seed faithfully and diligently sown by my father in this man's life when he was but a lad. Just amazing. God is everywhere, sees the future, and uses it to make His Presence known. So my Dad did reap the fruit of the results of his planting as well as his cultivating, in the salvation of his own son.
Hard to believe, eh?
I cannot praise The LORD enough for His benificence to me from many avenues of seeking and saving the lost. How marvelous and mysterious the way our lives are woven together in a tapestry that proclaims His Glory and His Son's Name forever!
Your dad reminds me of mine. He was a minister, and over the 50 years he was in the ministry, probably 20 or 25 of the kids in his youth groups went on to either the mission field or pastorates in the U.S.
Well, I once qualified as a Master Gunner on the 81mm mortar, if that has any bearing on the issue. Oh, and also the Master of Science is one of the degrees awarded me; and I believe I can also say that I've been a jack of a lot of the trades, but a master of only a few. Skill as a Master of Ceremonies has escaped me, though. What do you think of that? Must these titles be contrary to Scripture? Would it mystify you to meditate on a mature Master Mason minister?
Do you have a mortgage on your house? or an auto loan? or any other debt like an appliance loan for a refrigerator, or a big outstanding balance on a credit card? Just wondering . . .
Or would it merely make you miffed, mad, and massively miserable?
I interpreted Jesus remarks to refer to not using Father or Master, etc as ONE you would follow or adhere spiritually to. The reason being the worldly mixed with Christianity, as in the chart link I sent Elsie, on this thread.
But that makes me wonder, perhaps you’ve got your “Master” metaphors mainly mixed up, or are they just mostly mismatched? Mmmmm? /llll
If you are referring to the scripture ‘owe no man anything but to love him’, then maybe that would a violation, you think, of that scripture. Maybe it is. Scripture also tells us to give others what they ask, and then some (paraphrased). Luke 6:30
You crack me up.
There is enough blame to share on this "two masters" issue that most everybody can have a little. But I doubt that Jesus meant the context of it to apply to the Master Mason title. And at least a few NT servants had masters, and addressed them as such (Eph. 6:6).
The Rom. 13:8 "owe (not)" is certainly in the present tense, active voice, and imperative mode, with the negative the most strong it can be in the Greek. It is a command of Christ, and is to be taught. Most Christians completely ignore this, to their own detriment that shows they indeed do not really trust God to provide everything they need when they need it, and thus Christ's mastery of them and their affairs is greatly diminished.
As far as the "master" thing is concerned, it seems to me that Jesus was speaking of its theistic use, not of its secular application.
No, Luke 6:30 was about last sentence, if they ask you for something, give it.
I appreciate your kind words and respect your knowledge of God’s word as well as your moving testimony. Our Heavenly Father certainly deals with each of His children in the way He knows is best and remains true to His promise to never leave or forsake us. Thank you, dear brother in Christ.
Elsie, your posts are always so interesting!
Thank you for telling this, brought a tear to my eye... thank you for posting and yes, may our lives be to His Glory and in His Son’t name forever! GBU and yours.
Yes, we see through a glass darkly but let’s not forget that truth is something that God expects us to ponder, investigate and discover.
“Tis to the Glory of God to conceal a matter,
but to the glory of Kings to reveal it...”
http://biblehub.com/proverbs/25-2.htm
We are to pursue the truth in all things, especially with the testimony of Christian leaders like Billy Graham.
HIS ways are mysterious!
Much mischief makes men meditate melodiously midday.
Rome created it;
I just reported it.
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