God, Satan, and Katrina (Billy Graham on the storm, the mystery of evil, and a regret...)

March 20, 2006 issue - In New Orleans to preach to 1,000 clergy gathered at the First Baptist Church there—his first sermon in eight months—the Rev. Billy Graham toured the hard-hit city last week. Afterward, the 87 year-old Graham, who has also just published a new book, “The Journey: How to Live by Faith in an Uncertain World,” spoke with NEWSWEEK’s Jon Meacham by telephone. Edited excerpts:

This is your first trip to the coast after Katrina. What are your impressions?

This is the greatest disaster that I have ever seen, and I’ve seen many, all over the world. Mile after mile after mile, and not a house standing, not a thing that has been left untouched by Katrina. It’s overwhelming to me. After my first tour, in fact, I was so emotional that I could not even talk to my wife for a while.

The following is by the late Franklin G. Huling:

This question, Is it right to judge? is one that puzzles many sincere Christians. A careful and open-minded study of the Bible makes it clear that concerning certain vital matters, it is not only right but a positive duty to judge. Many do not know that--

THE SCRIPTURE COMMANDS TO JUDGE

The Lord Jesus Christ commanded, "Judge righteous judgment" (John 7:24). He told a man, "Thou hast rightly judged" (Luke 7:43). To others, our Lord asked, "Why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?" (Luke 12:57).

The Apostle Paul wrote, "I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say" (1 Corinthians 10:15). Again, Paul declared, "He that is spiritual judgeth all things" (1 Corinthians 2:15). It is our positive duty to judge.

FALSE TEACHERS AND FALSE TEACHING

"Beware of false prophets!" (Matthew 7:15) is the warning and command of our Lord. But how could we "beware" and how could we know they are "false prophets" if we did not judge? And what is the God-given standard by which we are to judge? "To the Law and to the Testimony: if they speak not according to THIS WORD, it is because there is NO LIGHT in them" (Isaiah 8:20). "Ye shall know them by their fruits," Christ said (Matthew 7:16). And in judging the "fruits," we must judge by God's Word, not by what appeals to human reasoning. Many things seem good to human judgment which are false to the Word of God.

The Apostle Paul admonished believers, "Now I beseech you, brethren, MARK THEM which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and AVOID THEM. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." (Romans 16:17-18). This apostolic command could not be obeyed were it not right to judge. God wants us to know His Word and then test all teachers and teaching by it. Notice also that it is the false teachers who make the "divisions," and not those who protest against their false teaching. And these deceivers are not serving Christ, as they profess, "but their own belly," or their own "bread and butter as we would put it. We are to "MARK THEM" and "AVOID THEM."

"Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord." (2 Corinthians 6:17; read also verses 14-18)

"From such turn away" (2 Timothy 3:5). "Withdraw yourselves." (2 Thessalonians 3:6)

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." (Ephesians 5:11)

"ABHOR THAT WHICH IS EVIL; CLEAVE TO THAT WHICH IS GOOD." (Romans 12:9)

"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

It would be impossible to obey these injunctions of God's Word unless it were right to judge. And remember, nothing is "good" in God's sight that is not true to His Word.

The Apostle John wrote, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try (test, judge) the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1). Again he wrote, "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh... If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, RECEIVE HIM NOT into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds" (2 John 7, 10-11). This Scripture commands us to judge between those who do and those who do not bring the true doctrine of Christ.

Whenever a child of God contributes to a denominational budget that supports Modernist missionaries or teachers, he is guilty before God, according to this Scripture, of bidding them "God speed" in the most effective way possible. And he thereby becomes a "partaker" with them of their "evil deeds" of spreading soul-damning poison. How terrible, but how true! Arouse yourself, child of God. If you are guilty, ask God to forgive you and help you never again to be guilty of the blood of souls for whom Christ died. When we are willing to suffer for Christ, we can readily see the truth of God's Word on this tremendously important matter. "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him" (2 Timothy 2:12).

MISUNDERSTOOD AND MISUSED SCRIPTURE

One of the best known and most important and misapplied Scriptures is "Judge not" (Matthew 7:1). Let us examine the entire passage:

"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considereth not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? THOU HYPOCRITE, first cast the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." (Matthew 7:1-5)

Read this again carefully. Notice that it is addressed to a hypocrite--not to those who sincerely want to discern whether a teacher or teaching is true or false to God's Word. And instead of being a prohibition against honest judgment, it is a solemn warning against hypocritical judgment. In fact, the last statement of this Scripture commands sincere judgment--"Then thou shalt see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."

IF WE TAKE A VERSE OR A PART OF A VERSE OUT OF ITS SETTING, WE CAN MAKE THE WORD OF GOD APPEAR TO TEACH THE VERY OPPOSITE OF WHAT IT REALLY DOES TEACH. And those who do this cannot escape the judgment of God for twisting His Word (2 Peter 3:16). Let this be a warning to us never again to take a text or Scripture out of its context.

Many who piously quote, "Judge not," out of its connection, in order to defend that which is false to God's Word, do not see their own inconsistency in thus judging those who would obey God's Word about judging that which is untrue to the Bible. It is tragic that so much that is anti- Scriptural has found undeserved shelter behind a misuse of the Scripture just quoted.

The reason Christendom is today honeycombed and paralyzed by Satanic Modernism is because Christians have not obeyed the command of God's Word to judge and put away and separate from false teachers and false teaching when they first appeared in their midst. Physical health is maintained by separation from disease germs. Spiritual health is maintained by separation from germs of false doctrine. The greatest peril of our day is not too much judging, but too little judging of spiritual falsehood. God wants His children to be like the noble Bereans who "searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11).

Romans 2:1-3 is also addressed to the religious hypocrite who condemned himself because he was guilty of the same things for which he condemned others. James 4:11-12 refers to an evil spirit of backbiting and fault finding, not to judging whether teachers or teachings agree or disagree with God's Word. The Bible never contradicts itself. To understand one portion of Scripture we must view it in the light of all Scripture. "No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private (isolated) interpretation" (2 Peter 1:20). "Comparing spiritual things (words) with spiritual" (1 Corinthians 2:13).

http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?Id=22820

Billy & Franklin Graham give spiritual
boost to New Orleans pastors & spouses
Mar 10, 2006
By Keith Manuel
Baptist Press

NEW ORLEANS (BP)--Billy and Franklin Graham were welcomed to the sanctuary of First Baptist Church in New Orleans by a standing ovation from pastors, spouses and special guests March 9 for a time of prayer for the Grahams’ March 11-12 “Celebration of Hope” in the hurricane-ravaged city.

The still strong voices of George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows led the group in worship. Barrows pointed out that the three men, Graham, Shea and Barrows, represent 267 years of collective ministry.

Franklin Graham stood behind the pulpit where his father preached in 1954 to lead a month-long crusade in New Orleans at the old Pelican Stadium. David Crosby, pastor of First Baptist New Orleans, pulled out a pen and invited Franklin to sign the pulpit that his father and the Graham team had signed in 1954.

Franklin Graham mentioned the historic nature of the Celebration of Hope. During the planning for the event, he said, “I never dreamed we would have Daddy, Uncle Cliff and Uncle Bev join us. It is such a blessing, such an honor to have them.”

The younger Graham, who peppered the meeting with self-deprecating humor, told the pastors that they would have to put up with his preaching on Saturday while they were saving the best for last at the two-day outreach, his father.

Billy Graham told the audience, “I am absolutely devastated by what I’ve felt and seen in the couple of days that I’ve been here. I don’t even know how to describe it. I haven’t even called my wife, because I don’t think I am emotionally capable of telling her what I’ve seen and heard since I’ve been here.

“The encouraging thing to me is the wonderful Christians I’ve met and the working together among the pastors,” Graham continued. “I want to thank you for the parts you are playing in this situation that the whole world is reading about and hearing about.

“Out of this disaster is going to grow a new New Orleans,” Graham said. “You [the pastors] are going to be the key to its progress because what is needed is a moral and spiritual renewal.”

Many people have asked him why the storm hit New Orleans to which Grahamn said he has replied, “I don’t know. I don’t know anyone who does know. I just know God allowed it. He didn’t send it, but He allowed it.”

Graham noted: “Jesus is no security against storms, but He is a perfect security in the storm.”

Franklin Graham, who has been in New Orleans five times since Hurricane Katrina, said a local mayor discussing the poor response by governmental and nonprofit agencies following the storm told him, “It was the churches that have saved our cities.”

A Marine who was in Falujah in Iraq and now is assigned to help a local parish told Franklin Graham of the difference between faith-based groups and other groups: “You have something that the others don’t have. It is the spiritual element. I don’t fully understand it, but when people have lost everything, there is a spiritual need in that person’s life and the other groups can’t give it.”

Franklin Graham emphasized that the goal of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is to support the work of the local churches. “Our prayer is that this weekend, hundreds, maybe thousands, will come to know Jesus Christ,” he said.

Local pastors and leaders responded with excitement to the Grahams. Warren J. Riley, superintendent of police for New Orleans and a member of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, said, “The city needs prayer. Hopefully, it’s an awakening for many people in New Orleans. Perhaps they will become more spiritual, put God in their lives, and help turn New Orleans around.

“One lesson is to be learned,” Riley said: “Those people who did not have their lives right, spiritually, maybe [Katrina] will focus them on doing what is right, based on God’s Word.”

Jim Woodard, pastor of The Crossroads in the New Orleans-area Belle Chasse community, said, “I think this is an exciting opportunity. When we first started having meetings, my impression was we are so inundated as church members and leaders, do we really need to be sidelined or distracted with something like this?

“As the meetings progressed, I have become totally convinced that God is going to do something special this weekend in New Orleans, especially to bring us a message of hope and encouragement,” Woodard said. “I felt the Holy Spirit speak to me that this is the message we need right now and this is the man to bring it to us.”

Martha Bailey, a pastor’s wife from Covington, La., said, “I have been praying that we will see that God really does mean what He says when He said, ‘Call to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.’ That is the Scripture that kept reverberating in my mind as we were in the worship service with the Grahams.”

First Baptist’s Crosby said, “I feel that God has displayed his favor to me in the most concrete way possible, by bringing Franklin and Billy Graham here. I don’t know of another thing that could have taken place that could have been more of an encouragement to me spiritually, and in every way, than for Billy Graham to say, ‘I have New Orleans on my heart and I want to come here.’”

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