Page 546-547 "The Family" Kitty Kelly
Random House ISBN 0-385-50324-5
Ever since George had come to Jesus in April 1984,his religion had ruled his life. He became
born-again after the bottom dropped out of the oil
boom in Midland,Texas. When the National Bank of
Midland, the largest Independent bank in the nation,failed, fortunes crashed and overnight
millionaires tumbled into life-wrecking debt."What
happened in this town was a catastrophe,"said Bill
Meyers, one of George's friends from Community Bible Study."Everyone was affected."In a desperate
effort to rescue lives and restore morale,some of the church elders invited the evangelist Arthur
Blessit to stage a revival.Among born-agains,
Blessit was known as the man who had wheeled a ninety-six-pound cross of Jesus into sixty countries on six continents, making a place for himself in the THE GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS.
Posters around Midland advertised the meeting as
"A Mission of Love and Joy to the Permian Basin"
Loudspeakers on flatbed trucks exhorted the populace to gather at the Chaparral Center in the evening" to experience the love of God, the grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of
the Holy Spirit." Residents lined the streets
during the day and watched Blessitt roll his
twelve-foot-high cross through the boomtown gone
bust. Many bowed their heads as he passed. One
little boy shouted," It's the Lord Jesus on wheels!"
I was speaking during the day all around the city
and carrying the cross in the streets," said Blessitt."It was the focus point of the city of
Midland for that week with the meeting being
broadcast on the local radio."
George felt uncomfortable about attending the
revival, but he listened to the broadcast.On
the second day he asked his friend Don Pogue
to arrange a meeting with Blessitt."I want to
talk to him about Jesus", George said.
The three men met the next day at the coffee shop
in the Best Western hotel. As Blessitt recalled
the meeting, George began with a few pleasantries, and then plunged in.
"I want to talk to you about how to know Jesus
and how to follow Him."
“I was quite shocked at his direct and sincere approach,” said Blessitt. “I slowly leaned forward and lifted the Bible that was in my hand and asked him about his relationship with the Lord: ‘If you died this moment do you have the assurance you would go to heaven?’” “No.”
“Then let me explain to you how you can have that assurance and know for sure that you are saved.”
“I’d like that.”
The evangelist read from the Book of Romans. He quoted Mark, John and Luke to the vice-president’s son, who held hands, repented his sins, and proclaimed Jesus Christ as his saviour.
"It was an awesome and glorious moment,"recalled
Blessitt. He later wrote in his diary on April 3,1984:" A good and powerful day--Led Vice Presidents Bush's son to Jesus--George Bush Jr!!
This is great.Glory to God.But I won't speak about it."
That coffee-shop conversion eventually led to
George to give up tobacco,alcohol, and drugs
at the age of 40, illustrating the wisdom of
William James, who said" the only radical remedy
I know for dipsomania is religiomania.
In his memoir, A CHARGE TO KEEP,George W. credited his family's good friend the Reverend
Billy Graham with planting "a mustard seed in my
soul" He did not mention coming to Jesus with
the flamboyant Blessitt and his cross on wheels
,figuring, perhaps, that Graham was more
palatable to churchgoing voters.
Now let push back an be fair and hear it from
Arthur Blessitt himself.
Blessitt/Bush
snippet:
wrote him several times and we spoke on the phone a time or two during the next year or two. He was on my newsletter mailing also. I was carrying the cross around the world and gone sometimes for months at a time. I lost contact but often prayed for him. I would read of him first as president of the baseball team the Texas Rangers and then as Governor of Texas. As news of his interest in running for President of the United States appeared in the news I read of George W. Bush speaking openly of his following Jesus and having received Christ as his Savior. I was thrilled and kept praying for him.
In his book “A charge to keep my journey to the White House” by George W. Bush pages 136-139, he tells in quite some detail about a visit with Rev. Billy Graham in Maine where he says “Reverend Graham planted a mustard seed in my soul”.
snippet:
I was trembling at the glorious work of the Holy Spirit. My wife Denise did not attend, as it would have cost another thousand for her.
George W. Bush, the oilman I prayed with to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord on April 3, 1984 has gone on to become President of the United States of America. All glory to God.
I am publishing this on my website at
www.blessitt.com. Why?
1. President George W. Bush has openly written and spoken about his meeting with Billy Graham. Where he talked about Jesus and following Him.
2. He has told of his Bible study with Don Evans and the Midland men’s Bible study group.
3. President Bush has openly witnessed to and prayed with others to receive Christ as Savior as he did at a recent largee gathering of a thousand or so in Washington D.C. This was well reported by the news there and by eyewitnesses.
4. President Bush has met and prayed with world leaders in the White House.
5. The president is not ashamed of his relationship with Jesus and is open in his witness.
6. I want to encourage people in witnessing for Jesus! I have always heard it said ‘the person you lead to Jesus may someday be President of the United States. Well it’s true!
7. Be faithful in sharing Jesus with everyone. Jesus said “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every person”. Mark 16:15
8. I pray that this very report will result in others believing and becoming true followers of Jesus.
9. During the years of my walk around the world I have met and prayed with many leaders. One of the most public was with Yasser Arafat in Beirut, Lebanon during the war in 1982. CNN TV saw me praying with him in the streets and filmed it and reported it around the world.
10. Billy Graham and I walked in the battlefields of Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1972 and prayed with people. He even took a cameraman along to record the walk and witness.
11. I carried the cross in Midland. Had prayer in the city center and did a crosswalk. Often when I am carrying the cross people get in touch with me and want to talk and pray. So I consider this as just another part of the crosswalk witness. Along the way of the cross I have prayed with thousands, even millions of people. Many are household names and other unknown outside their own family and friends or area. To me it matters not. In my books, videos and website I tell experiences of praying with all kinds of people around the world the known and unknown.
12. May God bless President George W. Bush in every way and my God bless each of you who read this report.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6014570/
Though he was always somewhat religious, Bush said, a turning point came in a private talk with the Rev. Billy Graham along the coast of Maine in 1985. Graham's words planted the "mustard seed in my soul" that eventually led to a decision to "recommit my heart to Jesus Christ," he wrote.
