TODAY THE CHRISTIAN WORLD AND THE GRAHAM FAMILY has a short time of mourning our loss of the presence of Billy Graham in our lives. But, we gather with believers, and many non-believers, around the world to CELEBRATE Billy Graham's life. For the past 70 years he has touched millions of lives around the world. My wife, Dory, fondly recalls attending a Billy Graham Crusade in her native Philippines in the 1950s.
As a young girl, Dory attended the 1950s Billy Graham Crusade in the Philippines. And she went on to attend a Bible School, then to working with a missionary lady from America, and later became a deaconess in her local church - before coming to America in 1962. She gives a lot of credit for her Christian life and walk to Billy Graham.
Billy Graham himself said: “Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God.” - Billy Graham (1918–2018)
That is true for all Christian believers. Upon death, the next moment we will be alive in the presence of Jesus Christ. About fifteen years ago, Anita, the wife of an Orange County, California, friend, Pastor Yeo, unexpectedly became ill and died suddenly. After her Memorial Service, we all went to a restaurant for fellowship and to remember Anita. As we were taking turns sharing our thoughts, one lady said, ". . . when Anita was alive." And, I added, "Anita is more alive today than ever. Before she was alive in this fallen mortal world. But now she is alive in the presence of Jesus Christ." And, Pastor Yeo agreed with me.
Our mortal bodies will be in the grave. But the spirit of the Christian believer, our true essence - will experience a great "Home Going" celebration. And all our Christ-believing loved ones and friends who have gone on before - will be standing at the door of heaven with Jesus Christ to greet us and to welcome us home!
In 1970 my step-father, Russell Arthur, (who, to me, was my father) died from a heart attack. We had his service and burial at a small country church in his hometown, Russellville, Alabama. After the service a long-time family friend, Mrs. Gibson, a pastor's widow, walked out of the small church with my mom. When they came over to me, Mrs. Gibson looked at me and said, "You really look like Billy Graham. One day I want to see you preaching on television just like him." At that time I was not a believer - so my immediate thought, although out of respect I did not say it - was, "Mrs. Gibson, you are out of your mind. You'll never see me preaching or doing any of that stuff!"
Yet, after I became a believer in 1987 - I would have considered myself so blessed to be even a small, very tiny bit like Billy Graham. Lord, just make me one thousandth of a Christian like Billy Graham - and I will be a very happy believer. I have never felt called or had any aspirations to become a pastor - but I love leading Bible studies - and I know that, in the 1980s, God gave me the gift of writing so that I can share His Word.
In the early 1980s, I had no writing skills and the internet and social media as we know it today - did not exist. Yet our omniscient God knew the plans He had for the then non-believing Bill Gray. I was asked by my company, Ferranti (a large English company) to go to our Houston U.S. headquarters and present a two-day seminar on Computer Graphics. My preparations, the material I prepared for that seminar, led me to think about writing a book. I envisioned a book with a title like "Computer Graphics For The Salesman" or "The Dummy's Guide To Computer Graphics." Honest, and that was before all the "Dummy" books hit the market.
To prepare for that book writing endeavor, I registered in a English Creative Writing Class at my local college. And, voila! - this guy who before could not put together two coherent sentences - immediately started scoring straight "A"s on all my essays and stories in that class.
A few years later the Internet was born - and some years later, Facebook and other Social Media were birthed.
Can you see the progression as our omniscient God began to prepare me? First, through the seminar and the desire to follow that up with a book (which I never wrote) - then success in the Creative Writing Class - then He introduced me to Pastor Sam Lacanienta and through attending solid Bible-based, Christ-centered church Bible studies, He gave me the desire to really dig into His Word.
Once that groundwork was well underway, He gave me the medium - the Internet - and from that the TimesDaily Religion Forum, The Conservative Voice online newspaper, my Friends Ministry eNewsletter, Facebook, the Bill & Dory Gray Christian Ministries Blog, etc. - which I use to share His Word around the world.
Though not nearly as effective as Billy Graham and the Billy Graham Crusades - at least through my writing ministry God has granted my wish, to be a small, small wee bit like Billy Graham in sharing His Word. For that gift, I praise and glorify God.
So, today let us all join with the Graham family - and the many folks around the world whose lives Billy Graham has touched as he pointed us toward eternal life at the foot of the cross - in mourning our loss and in celebrating Billy Graham's HomeGoing!
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
As a young girl, Dory attended the 1950s Billy Graham Crusade in the Philippines. And she went on to attend a Bible School, then to working with a missionary lady from America, and later became a deaconess in her local church - before coming to America in 1962. She gives a lot of credit for her Christian life and walk to Billy Graham.
Billy Graham himself said: “Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God.” - Billy Graham (1918–2018)
That is true for all Christian believers. Upon death, the next moment we will be alive in the presence of Jesus Christ. About fifteen years ago, Anita, the wife of an Orange County, California, friend, Pastor Yeo, unexpectedly became ill and died suddenly. After her Memorial Service, we all went to a restaurant for fellowship and to remember Anita. As we were taking turns sharing our thoughts, one lady said, ". . . when Anita was alive." And, I added, "Anita is more alive today than ever. Before she was alive in this fallen mortal world. But now she is alive in the presence of Jesus Christ." And, Pastor Yeo agreed with me.
Our mortal bodies will be in the grave. But the spirit of the Christian believer, our true essence - will experience a great "Home Going" celebration. And all our Christ-believing loved ones and friends who have gone on before - will be standing at the door of heaven with Jesus Christ to greet us and to welcome us home!
In 1970 my step-father, Russell Arthur, (who, to me, was my father) died from a heart attack. We had his service and burial at a small country church in his hometown, Russellville, Alabama. After the service a long-time family friend, Mrs. Gibson, a pastor's widow, walked out of the small church with my mom. When they came over to me, Mrs. Gibson looked at me and said, "You really look like Billy Graham. One day I want to see you preaching on television just like him." At that time I was not a believer - so my immediate thought, although out of respect I did not say it - was, "Mrs. Gibson, you are out of your mind. You'll never see me preaching or doing any of that stuff!"
Yet, after I became a believer in 1987 - I would have considered myself so blessed to be even a small, very tiny bit like Billy Graham. Lord, just make me one thousandth of a Christian like Billy Graham - and I will be a very happy believer. I have never felt called or had any aspirations to become a pastor - but I love leading Bible studies - and I know that, in the 1980s, God gave me the gift of writing so that I can share His Word.
In the early 1980s, I had no writing skills and the internet and social media as we know it today - did not exist. Yet our omniscient God knew the plans He had for the then non-believing Bill Gray. I was asked by my company, Ferranti (a large English company) to go to our Houston U.S. headquarters and present a two-day seminar on Computer Graphics. My preparations, the material I prepared for that seminar, led me to think about writing a book. I envisioned a book with a title like "Computer Graphics For The Salesman" or "The Dummy's Guide To Computer Graphics." Honest, and that was before all the "Dummy" books hit the market.
To prepare for that book writing endeavor, I registered in a English Creative Writing Class at my local college. And, voila! - this guy who before could not put together two coherent sentences - immediately started scoring straight "A"s on all my essays and stories in that class.
A few years later the Internet was born - and some years later, Facebook and other Social Media were birthed.
Can you see the progression as our omniscient God began to prepare me? First, through the seminar and the desire to follow that up with a book (which I never wrote) - then success in the Creative Writing Class - then He introduced me to Pastor Sam Lacanienta and through attending solid Bible-based, Christ-centered church Bible studies, He gave me the desire to really dig into His Word.
Once that groundwork was well underway, He gave me the medium - the Internet - and from that the TimesDaily Religion Forum, The Conservative Voice online newspaper, my Friends Ministry eNewsletter, Facebook, the Bill & Dory Gray Christian Ministries Blog, etc. - which I use to share His Word around the world.
Though not nearly as effective as Billy Graham and the Billy Graham Crusades - at least through my writing ministry God has granted my wish, to be a small, small wee bit like Billy Graham in sharing His Word. For that gift, I praise and glorify God.
So, today let us all join with the Graham family - and the many folks around the world whose lives Billy Graham has touched as he pointed us toward eternal life at the foot of the cross - in mourning our loss and in celebrating Billy Graham's HomeGoing!
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
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