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 temptation—never 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 ministry—in fact, before he ever became famous—he 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 happens—but 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 spiritual—it'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.
Billy Graham believed and taught infant baptism and that it was salvational.
That’s a heresy.
I could look past him stepping out on his wife. She was well known for refusing to travel with him.
But I can’t excuse him for preaching a false gospel.
If he’s saying that unbelieving babies earn salvation by getting water sprinkled on their heads, then which part of his ministry was a heresy?
Because we have him teaching two different gospels at this point.
Freemason.
Owed favors to Hearst, Inc.
People who preach a false gospel ALWAYS have unrepentant sin in their lives; just because Billy wasn’t ever caught in flagrant, Jimmy Swaggart type sin, doesn’t mean he was even saved. Anyone who is a freemason is not a Christian and cannot be a teacher of the gospel.
Wanting the love of man and the love of this world is a disqualification for heaven.
Let’s hope Billy repented.
“TIME magazine for 10/27/61 printed the following quote by Dr. Billy Graham: “I still have some personal problems in the matter of infant baptism, but all of my children with the exception of the youngest were baptized as infants. I do believe that something happens at the baptism of an infant, particularly if the parents are Christians . . . I believe that a miracle can happen in these children so that they are regenerated, that is, made Christian through infant baptism.”
What does Scripture say about those preaching another Gospel?
Thanks for the Calvary showing!
And?
Full context only accepted.
“But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 19:14
So in this context who are the such that make up the Kingdom?
Hey, I love metmom and the others. Like most conservatives, I yearn for the apparent simplicity of believing the news: that Billy Graham is a great man of God, that the Bushes were outstanding Republicans, that we can vote for Mormons like Mitt and it’s all cool with Jesus.
But then, there is the Truth, and we must be Bereans about it.
Disciples:
“What is the sign of Your 2nd Coming, and of the end of the world?”
Jesus:
“Beware deception...”
Thanks for the post; as I recall from my “exposing the N.A.R.” days, J Lee Grady and Charisma magazine were part of the problem, no discernment whatsoever.
bookmark
Young children walking to Jesus of their own free will has what to with unbelieving infants getting sprinkled on the head.
No, I can’t.
They aren’t supposed to, are they?
I thought that was the latest pronouncement from the pope....
SO true.
It occurred to me the other day (a DUH! moment) that God Himself doesn't force others to do what he wants.
What makes people think they have the right to do it?
IWO, what makes people think they have the right to do something God Himself won't/doesn't do?
Cite it please.
Your word is just your word.
Show us where he is ever recorded as teaching that.
I have HUGE issues with the NAR, but was not familiar with the name of Grady.
I just thought the article was good.
And I know that with Charisma Magazine, you do have to pick and choose.
As usual, Catholics are the first to resort to personal attacks and profanity.
Have you not read of the RF guidelines regarding profanity yet?
I'll never forget when I would walk in to the kitchen and ask my children who ate the ice cream and watch them vehemently deny that it was they who ate it. What was even funnier was that they didn't even have the presence of mind to see the ice cream on their siblings face and blame them.
Kind of reminds me of twigs and logs.
Oh well.
Does a bear, xxxx in the woods?
“In a 1961 interview with the Lutheran Standard of the liberal American Lutheran Church, Graham testified that all of his children except the youngest were baptized as infants. (Graham grew up as a Presbyterian and joined a Southern Baptist church after he started his evangelistic career; his wife, Ruth, remained a Presbyterian). Graham then made the following amazing statement:
“I have some difficulty in accepting the indiscriminate baptism of infants without a careful regard as to whether the parents have any intention of fulfilling the promise they make. But I DO BELIEVE THAT SOMETHING HAPPENS AT THE BAPTISM OF AN INFANT, particularly if the parents are Christians and teach their children Christian Truths from childhood. We cannot fully understand the miracles of God, but I BELIEVE THAT A MIRACLE CAN HAPPEN IN THESE CHILDREN SO THAT THEY ARE REGENERATED, THAT IS, MADE CHRISTIAN, THROUGH INFANT BAPTISM. If you want to call that baptismal regeneration, that’s all right with me” (Graham, interview with Wilfred Bockelman, associate editor of the Lutheran Standard, American Lutheran Church, Lutheran Standard, October 10, 1961).”
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