John Coleman has been warning you about Billy Graham (yes, Billy Graham the premier evangelist who had been preaching the Gospel for over fifty years). I’m afraid I have to join him in sounding the alarm.
But before you pop a vein, I am not equating Graham to the usual subjects of this blog. Graham has not lived an opulent lifestyle. He has not been involved in scandals (sexual, financial, or otherwise), and he has not been involved with men and women who preach ridiculous God-wants-you-rich-if-you-give-me-money doctrines.
However, at what is arguably the end of a mighty career in evangelism, Mr. Graham is now in danger of following the examples of several great men of the Bible. It appears that Mr. Graham, for whatever reason, is going to leave this earthly coil, having denied the essence of the Gospel - that Jesus is the only way to God. And that is a sad thing. The full article is here (clcik here). The following is an exerpt from the last page
A unifying theme of Graham’s new thinking is humility. He is sure and certain of his faith in Jesus as the way to salvation. When asked whether he believes heaven will be closed to good Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus or secular people, though, Graham says: “Those are decisions only the Lord will make. It would be foolish for me to speculate on who will be there and who won’t … I don’t want to speculate about all that. I believe the love of God is absolute. He said he gave his son for the whole world, and I think he loves everybody regardless of what label they have.” Such an ecumenical spirit may upset some Christian hard-liners, but in Graham’s view, only God knows who is going to be saved: “As an evangelist for more than six decades, Mr. Graham has faithfully proclaimed the Bible’s Gospel message that Jesus is the only way to Heaven,” says Graham spokesman A. Larry Ross. “However, salvation is the work of Almighty God, and only he knows what is in each human heart.”
It becomes more and more obvious that no one is immune to wandering off course. If nothing else, this development should make each of us humble ourselves before God. If the evangelistic lion can come to the conclusions he has, this close to death, what could happen to each of us?
Am I a clever fellow able to put a doctrinal argument together in a convincing manner? Sure. Is that any guarantee that I can’t somehow screw up? Not at all. In fact, seeing what has happened to Graham (and some other folks from further back) I pray everyday that He guide me and keep me from wandering down some idiotic doctrinal dead end.
I trust the rest of you (including all of you who are so sure I’m going to hell and your pimps speak for God) are doing the same thing.
:lol:...
This is not a new development, Billy Graham has always compromised. read about him with Nixon anmd some of the other presidents that he counselled. This is no new thing.
melvin…once again you’ve proven yourself faithful in warning the flock! billy graham has compromised his message in his last fleeting years.
this should be a strong warning to all those who think that they are immune to compromise. pray for billy.
I read this article and felt sorrowful. Also, I read your response to my blog and hopw you got a chance to check out my response. Thank you brother.
I heard Pastor John speaking on Billy a while back. You can hear it from time to time on the site, but it seems this compromise message is getting more and more publicity.
For anyone who thinks that they will always be lined up with the truth by religiousness should definitely peep this article. Truly submitting yourself to the Lord and not thinking you ‘have everything right’ will keep one in line, and ones soul from the heat.
Melvin, is it possible that he was playing with words? When he says he does not know which hindus or muslims etc are saved, is that because God could save them at some point in their life? Thus they would put their faith in Jesus Christ? In other words, are there hindus and muslims etc practicing their faith now, however will turn to Christ eventually? That could be a possible explanation to Billy’s comments. What do you think?
flojo, I would hope that your explanation is indeed the correct one. However, in light of other statements Dr Graham has made, I doubt it.
It’s very sobering………..
I had a similar thought after reading this post, flojo. It appears that this post alone is not enough to write the man off as “fallen away”.
WOW! That’s a huge judgement call on a man based on a few words reported (and edited) by someone else.
Melvin, look at the quote you pulled from the story closely. Mr. Graham’s statement is true! Only God knows who will end up with Him and who won’t. Also, it is the reporter who calls Graham’s spirit “ecumenical” - but it really isn’t! For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son - for the world - even while they were still sinners, while they were still pagans, while they were still followers of other gods. While I was a still a Muslim, following allah, Christ died for me! People like you wrote me off, too, judged me “fit for hell”. Apparently, they didn’t know the power of God, although they pretended to know.
Flojo’s explanation should be given a little more thought, especially before slamming your gavel of accusation and condemnation.
That still amazes me! When I was a muslim, I hated Christians in part because of their arrogant, “know-who’s-going-to-heaven” attitude. Now that I follow Jesus Christ, it still irritates me to see Christians trying to play Judge on other Christians.
Leave Judging to condemnation to God and leave the accusing to Satan! Take more time to search for a way to pardon a man for a fault or flaw, rather than accepting the quickest way to write a man off!
I’ve never followed Billy Graham. I heard about him from time to time in my life, but I never really followed his crusades. What’s interesting though is that with all of the hundreds of thousands of statements this man has made throughout his life in working for Christ, people will take a relatively small handful of statements and then yell, “See, here’s another misleading worker of evil!” You remind me of the people claiming that Jesus was doing the work of the devil.
That’s what’s really sobering to me!
No, I don’t condemn any of you to hell. Far from it. Maybe God is trying to keep you from wandering down some idiotic doctrinal dead end, even now.
Respectfully,
ITNOJ
Taurus,
Go back and read my post. I don’t think I condemn anyone to hell. In fact, I use me as an example (that I’m quick and witty but even that doesn’t make me immune to going down a wrong path.
I also try to make it clear that I am not putting Graham in the same category as the pimps.
But do be careful. The number of statements a person makes in one directions versus the number the person makes in another direction doesn’t determine which way I should decide he is going. The statements he makes (not just this one) are startlingly explicit, not leaving much, if any, wiggle room with respect to the intent.
Visit John Coleman’s site (www.johnecoleman.org) and listen to additional clips, not edited or reworked.
While I certainly can’t say that you are not saved, I can with great certainty say that if you have heard the Gospel and rejected it (as in never accepted it) then you will spend eternity separated from God. This doesn’t require that I play God. It only requires that I agree with what he says in the Bible.
Some of Graham’s very explicit statements directly contradict this teaching.
(MN: You have made some most interesting statements about Billy Graham. Please provide documentation. Otherwise I will have to pass on posting the information. )
Take a gander at this.
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/16979/songwriter%e2%80%99s-death-leads-to-suits-against-preacher