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ROMANIANTIMES
Billy Graham. TheAmbassador of God
When I realized that he had passed away
to eternity, I recalled his famous phrase:
`Someday you will read or hear that Billy
Graham is dead. Don’t you believe a word
of it. I will just have changed the address.
Yes, Billy Graham emigrated among the
angels! He`ll saddle them to come after
us, to paraphrase a poet.
It was only last summer when I visited his
home where he was born 100 years ago. I
felt tingling under my skin when his voice
trumpeted God. As whoever came close
to the most prolific worldwide evangelist
either started to burn or ran away!
I was shocked when I realized that “the
world’s most known evangelist”, as the
Americans call him, the one who was
born in North Carolina, began his pastoral
service in a Village Baptist Church,
Western Springs, Illinois (near Chicago)
with 35 members, but in six decades of
career he preached the Gospel to over
200 million persons face to face. And to
over 2.2 billion persons via various media
methods! That means one in three persons
on the globe. Millions of lives changed…
however he thought it was little! And we
reached happiness if a single sinner would
come to Christ!
`My one purpose in life is to help people
find a personal relationship with God`
declared the contemporary apostle who
preached the Gospel on all continents,
in 183 countries and in 50 states of the
USA. Not only in Churches, not only in
theatres, but in tents, on the streets, in the
stadiums…on the Radio, on the TV, on
Internet. To the Presidents, kings, plain
people. To dictators, atheists, communists.
To the saints and to the bad, infamous.
God is everywhere! Seeking God’s way!
At Yaido Plazza in Seul he gathered 1,1
millions persons! (Record, 1973). In
Maracana, Rio de Janeiro 225.000 (1974),
on Wembley, Londra 95.000 (1968), on
Wanderers, Johannesburg 60.000 (1973).
90.000 people listened to his sermon in
Philadelphia (1961), 116.000 in Chicago
(1962), 80.600 inAnaheim(1965), 74.000
in Washington (1978)... In Budapest
110.000 (1989). And the examples may
continue at length as long as the Great
Wall of China!
In 1985 in Timișoara 150.000 Romanians
gathered in front of the Cathedral. The
communists foresaw only 5000 seats in
the building! In Arad people climbed up
the block of flats! In Sibiu they clustered
in the streets and at Emanuel, Oradea
4000 people cramped! When I saw the
short video about Romania at Graham
Library, I was astounded by the Militia`s
platoons which could not stop the people
gathering at to hear the sermon. “We
cannot believe how many people are
here”, a Graham`s American member of
staff shouted. We saw our brothers who
lived during the communismhaving huge
tape recorders. They kept these over their
heads so they can record the sermon.
What about today? We’re only a click
away from the Word of God and we are
not listening to the Bible.
Graham preached despite the communist
world apposition. He went to URSS (in
Moscow the Red Army choir sang to
him), in Yugoslavia, Hungary, Poland,
East Germany, Checkoslovacia. But in
China and North Korea as well! I shouted
like the roman centurion `Indeed he truly
was the Ambassador of God `!
For years he was on the front page in
published media (e.g. Time, People, U.S.
News, Newsweek, Christianity Today,
Decision – o magazine in Braille which
reaches 163 countries etc.)
He wrote 22 books. His biography (Just
I Am, 1997) was published in over
1.5 millions copies. He counselled all
American presidents after the second
World War. Only Obama did not invite
him for counselling! He talk about God
to Queen Elisabeth the 2nd, to Pope John
Pal the 2nd, to the Taiwanese Chiang Kai
Sen, North Koreean Kim Il Sung, to Boris
Elțîn, Francoise Miterrand, and even to
Indira Ghandi. (The list is so long that
it can not be finished). He only missed
Ceaușescu!
He preached at JF Kennedy`s funeral:
„We must get back to God”. But also
immediately after the Twin Towers
disaster in 2001, or at USA`s, India`s
major calamites and natural disasters., in
the Korean wars (1952), Vietnam (1966,
1968). He led humanitarian campaigns
to help the poor in Africa and Asia….
as the Gospel without actions is only
philosophy…
One of the most shocking things I found
about Billy Graham was one of his mini-
sermons which I’ve heard in `decision
room` in his Library in Westmont
Charlotte. It was not complicated. Not
theological. But filled with power. With
Jesus! With Holy Spirit! In the last 10
years only in that small room, which can
accommodate a few dozens of seats, over
10.000 persons came to Christ, repented
after listening to this particular mini-
sermon!
From `decision room` one passes through
a huge Cross of lights. This is the only gate
through which one can enter the Heaven.
And after meeting Christ one cannot walk
further without it! This has always been
Billy Graham`s way of life. With the
Lord`s Cross on his shoulders! Pastor,
evangelist, trainer, counselor, conference
speaker. He impressed with his humility,
integrity, courage, he knew how to stay
calm amidst difficult circumstances, to
love his critics. He never missed a year
from the last 60 from the top ten most
influential persons in the USA! As per
Gallup. I have no idea how many millions
of kilometers he would have ran. But I
know that for his effort he was awarded
the GoldMedal of theAmerican Congress
in 1996, a $200.000 prize from the British
Royal Family (British Crown), a `Honoris
Causa` doctorate from the University
of South Korea, Hong Kong, Hungary,
Polonia, Yugoslavia and USA. And today,
along with the crown of eternity from
Christ! He only received it now!
I won’t be there, but I know where Billy
Graham will be buried. In the yard of
the house where he was born, at about
100 meters, in a small forest. At the end
of the asphalt alley there is the grave of
his wife, Ruth. It is so simple! For such
big characters! If you want to find Billy
or Ruth, you won’t find them there. They
moved addresses.
Today, Billy Graham,Ambassador of God
has left for good! Mr. President Trump
said `there was nobody like him`. We
believe him. But we pray for God to raise
new great ambassadors for Him!
PS: I saw a picture in his album which I
received from Billy Graham Foundation,
in which the Heavens` Ambassador got
correspondence from all worldwide
countries! Tons of letters! Hundreds of
thousands of appreciations! Thank you,
Billy Graham that you showed us how to
travel through the earthy ones! `Finding
God’s will for your life. First: The Bible!
Second: Pray! Third: Use your talents,
money, or whatever you have and be
faithful and loyal to the Lord God”, is his
last message.
Nicolae Geantă - Pastor, Romania