A Billy Graham Bob Jones Might Be Proud Of.....

Just John

Just John

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well....maybe.  :)

This is an excellent interview with Billy Graham in the new issue of Christianity Today with interestingly enough, Graham's concern about "easy believism".

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/october-web-only/billy-graham-interview-my-hope-easy-believism.html?start=1

He leaves no question on his view on the reality of hell. And offers humility:

"Whether we preach from a pulpit or sit in quiet contemplation, there is always much more to learn as we seek the face of the Lord. Looking back there are times I was not as strong as I should have been, but my heart and my ministry have always been rooted in God's Word. The message I preach is anchored on what "the Bible says."

Hopefully it will spark some good argu..., er discussion.  :)


My company will be supplying 300-400 phone operators, Lord willing, to pray and lead callers to the Lord during the upcoming televised "crusade". They are expecting 200,000 calls. They are not looking for donation calls.

 
Post his interview with Schuller


 
So what do you choose to believe? What he had preached all his life or one interview that he gave several years ago with an answer that if is out of the mainstream of evangelicalism, it's certainly not far and to my knowledge he has not repeated. But then, some are perfect. LOL

Some just can't stand for the myth to die.  ;D
 
Just John said:
So what do you choose to believe? What he had preached all his life or one interview that he gave several years ago with an answer that if is out of the mainstream of evangelicalism, it's certainly not far and to my knowledge he has not repeated. But then, some are perfect. LOL

Some just can't stand for the myth to die.  ;D
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I hope that his compromise was short lived and that he believes, as he says, "what the Bible teaches" but what he said in that interview was indeed him and clearly his own plain spoken words which hardly constitutes "a myth"!
 
Just John said:
So what do you choose to believe?
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I choose to believe that a man who spends decades of his life as an evangelist does not give an "out of the mainstream" answer by accident.  It comes from the abundance of the heart.  If he misspoke in the interview, it was his responsibility to correct the heresy he espoused. 
 
Holy Mole said:
Just John said:
So what do you choose to believe? What he had preached all his life or one interview that he gave several years ago with an answer that if is out of the mainstream of evangelicalism, it's certainly not far and to my knowledge he has not repeated. But then, some are perfect. LOL

Some just can't stand for the myth to die.  ;D
Click to expand...


I hope that his compromise was short lived and that he believes, as he says, "what the Bible teaches" but what he said in that interview was indeed him and clearly his own plain spoken words which hardly constitutes "a myth"!
Click to expand...

My choice of the word "myth" is representative of some who think Graham was a representative for Satan and has no redeeming value.

I do not choose a 90 second clip from a satellite interview which isn't particularly easy to understand the context of to hang a theological noose around someone who has 70 years of ministry to the contrary. And why would anyone choose to hang onto that when what he says now is clearly different what he MAY have meant 20 years ago in that clip? It would appear to me to be those who refuse to believe anything good could come from him because they have been told such from their X'er churches. Where's the grace?  :)
 
JrChurch said:
Just John said:
So what do you choose to believe?
Click to expand...

I choose to believe that a man who spends decades of his life as an evangelist does not give an "out of the mainstream" answer by accident.  It comes from the abundance of the heart.  If he misspoke in the interview, it was his responsibility to correct the heresy he espoused.
Click to expand...

I know! How dare he echo the words of Paul in his letter to the Romans!
 
Just John said:
well....maybe.  :)

This is an excellent interview with Billy Graham in the new issue of Christianity Today with interestingly enough, Graham's concern about "easy believism".

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/october-web-only/billy-graham-interview-my-hope-easy-believism.html?start=1

He leaves no question on his view on the reality of hell. And offers humility:

"Whether we preach from a pulpit or sit in quiet contemplation, there is always much more to learn as we seek the face of the Lord. Looking back there are times I was not as strong as I should have been, but my heart and my ministry have always been rooted in God's Word. The message I preach is anchored on what "the Bible says."

Hopefully it will spark some good argu..., er discussion.  :)


My company will be supplying 300-400 phone operators, Lord willing, to pray and lead callers to the Lord during the upcoming televised "crusade". They are expecting 200,000 calls. They are not looking for donation calls.
Click to expand...
This statement from him is hardly a delineation, but rather an attempt to stand firmly in the gray area he enjoys, safe from criticism by the purse-holders.
The line :"but my heart and my ministry have...", is a trump card played over the bait of a weak apology.  He was undoing any perceived repentance, by saying in essence: 'I may have appeared weak, but it was just poor communication on my part'.  Or :'My only vice was not spelling out my position so that everyone would realize that I'm right'.
He is still hoping to appease evangelicals whom he distanced himself from in search of acceptance from Rome. 
Although I will allow that he sincerely desires to see Catholics saved, what he succeeded in doing was to make any subsequent stance he would take to be of none effect.  Now he is perceived,  by any wiseman, or even any pragmatist, as another waffling opportunist.

Anishinabe

 
He mentioned people who sense their need without hearing the name of Christ will be in heaven.

I have heard the stories where a person in the jungle (or bush or desert) will testify that they worshiped the God of the gods or the creator (the idol maker who knew his wares were only hunks of wood so he worshiped the God that made his hands) and the missionary led them to Christ.

The question is whether they were "saved" having the deeper understanding of their place in contrast to God prior to actually hearing Christ preached.

That is what I thought of by Graham's comments. I believe that our sovereign God can reach whom He will by whatever means He chooses (think of the recent stories of muslims having dreams of Jesus calling them to Himself). I wouldn't say it with the surety brother Graham did in this case but I can't rule it out either. I will be happy to let God sort those cases out.
 
Our church is actually taking part in this event.  We have over 100 people signed up to invite "unsaved" relatives/friends to their home to view his video.  We are praying for many to come to the Lord through the message and are excited to see what the Lord does through this. 
 
Marji said:
Our church is actually taking part in this event.  We have over 100 people signed up to invite "unsaved" relatives/friends to their home to view his video.  We are praying for many to come to the Lord through the message and are excited to see what the Lord does through this.
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Sounds great...just don't get the 2 videos in this thread mixed up at homes.  :D

Good to see you here, Marji.
 
"Bishop Gerald Kennedy in his book, God’s Good News, p.125, the blaspheming Bishop declares, "I believe the testimony of the New Testament taken as a whole is against the doctrine of the deity of Jesus."



But I guess it's all right that some yrs back he {Kennedy} chaired one of Billy's crusades and folks that came forward at the altar call were sent to his denomination. Ya know, it's alright to deny the deity and virgin birth of our Lord. It's not a "deal breaker". Ya, right. .................One day it will all come out in the wash and we'll see who's what.








 
Bob H said:
"Bishop Gerald Kennedy in his book, God’s Good News, p.125, the blaspheming Bishop declares, "I believe the testimony of the New Testament taken as a whole is against the doctrine of the deity of Jesus."



But I guess it's all right that some yrs back he {Kennedy} chaired one of Billy's crusades and folks that came forward at the altar call were sent to his denomination. Ya know, it's alright to deny the deity and virgin birth of our Lord. It's not a "deal breaker". Ya, right. .................One day it will all come out in the wash and we'll see who's what.
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Yes, "some years ago" equals exactly 50 years ago.  LOL. And "his denomination" was the United Methodist Church. Fifty years ago there were plenty of good UMC churches. (I saw the same David Cloud article but did a bit more research).

Graham made plenty of mistakes. His involvement with the NCC and WCC notably. Again, 40 and 50 years ago. Do people change their opinions over time? Are any of us comfortable with what we believed 50 years ago? I'm only 51 but I can say I'm not comfortable with everything I believed theologically 30 years ago...and I can say I think my heart was in the right place, even though I was wrong.

 
subllibrm said:
He mentioned people who sense their need without hearing the name of Christ will be in heaven.

I have heard the stories where a person in the jungle (or bush or desert) will testify that they worshiped the God of the gods or the creator (the idol maker who knew his wares were only hunks of wood so he worshiped the God that made his hands) and the missionary led them to Christ.

The question is whether they were "saved" having the deeper understanding of their place in contrast to God prior to actually hearing Christ preached.

That is what I thought of by Graham's comments. I believe that our sovereign God can reach whom He will by whatever means He chooses (think of the recent stories of muslims having dreams of Jesus calling them to Himself). I wouldn't say it with the surety brother Graham did in this case but I can't rule it out either. I will be happy to let God sort those cases out.
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As I recall this was about a 9 minute video and this is more in line with what Graham had to say.

I'm not a big Graham apologist but I like to tweak the hard-core fundies who try to make it sound like Graham was evil incarnate. :) 
 
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