My Billy Graham Story…

I’m sure you heard that Rev. Billy Graham passed away last week at the age of 99.  Were you familiar with him?  Do you have a Billy Graham story?  So many people do.  Something that my husband and I always say when we saw him on an interview or if we heard he met with a US President or a celebrity, is we know that whomever he was speaking with, would hear the gospel in a simple, easy and non-intimidating way.

Wouldn’t you love to be known as a person that people always knew that they could count on you to share the gospel with everyone you met.

The Holy Spirit does the work, all we have to do is share the message of Jesus Christ.  We aren’t responsible if someone chooses to believe or not.  We are just responsible for telling others that Jesus loves them and that He died on the cross for our sin.

Do you feel confident in sharing this message with all that cross your path?

In a typical day, we have so many opportunities to share Christ with those we meet.

Now for my Billy Graham story:

I heard Billy Graham for the first time when I was 14 years old.  He was on television the evening I was all set up to watch an Elvis Presley movie.  My mom said we were going to watch a preacher she heard about named Billy Graham.  I was heartsick in missing the Elvis movie!

I wrote out my story and it was selected to be published in Decision Magazine, which is a Billy Graham publication.  This particular issue was a 60th Anniversary Issue.  They spotlighted a story from each decade of Billy Grahams ministry.  My story represented the 70’s of someone who  came to Christ because of hearing Rev. Graham.

I think the hardest part of having my story published was the editor sent a photographer to my home to take pictures.  I DO NOT like to have my picture taken, so this was really hard for me. With a couple of outfit changes and trying several locations around our home, they had what they needed.  A few days later, I was sent a few pictures that were taken.  If you are like me, you don’t like any pictures of yourself.  I could live with most, but, there was one that was really bad, I thought.  Well, a couple of months later when the magazine was out and I opened it up to my story, guess which picture was used.  Yep….that one.  What can I say?  I had to tell myself, it’s not about the picture, it’s about the story and the message.  Despite the picture of myself, the article in this magazine is one of my favorites that I’ve had published as it means the most to me.

Click here to read the post about getting my testimony published.

Click here to read my salvation story.  The actual article in Decision Magazine was titled, “Better Than Elvis!”

I have to add this one tiny story.  Several years ago we were sitting in a church service.  The pastor was preaching and for some reason he mentioned Billy Graham.  I will never forget what he said.  He said, “By the way, Billy Graham has done more to hurt the cause of Christ than anyone I know of.”  I didn’t hear anything else he said as in my head I kept thinking, why is he saying that?  What in the world?  The thought kept going through my mind that I was someone that first heard about Jesus because of Billy Graham.  I put my faith and trust in Christ the first time I heard the message of “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son.”  To this day, I still remember that pastor’s words and it is just a reminder that the world if filled with so many opinions.   We need to know what God’s Word says and then when all those opinions are thrown at you, you can match them up to the Word of God.  You will then know where those opinions come from.

I pray that each one of you reading this has a salvation story that you can freely share.

If you have never put your faith and trust in Christ, don’t wait one more second.  He’s waiting for you.  Click here to learn how to ask Jesus Christ into your life!