King Interview with Billy Graham

Remember you are a different person than BG with a different audience and gifts. I mostly deal with intellectuals and when that same question comes up I usually answer it the same way BG did. Most of the time it is a smoke screen hiding something else. If I answer it differently then I get into the proof of the resurrection. Which is usually a much longer conversation that what BG had with King.

That interview was an interview with BG and he elected to turn it toward the good news instead of a debate about other religions making it a comparative religions session. That interview would have gone out to possibly people of 1000s of different backgrounds who would have immediately disagreed with him and not heard the rest of what he had to say. King could have asked about those who never heard or about those doing good works and turned it intro a theological debate or treatise rather than the gospel.

If I remember right that interview was only a few minutes.

BG made it quite clear that God has called him to preach the gospel. The gospel is good news not a debate of other religions. The kind of question that King asked him could be a smoke screen for several follow up questions and steer away from the gospel. Certainly one has got to know that often people will want to put a Christian in a corner by asking him leading questions that will put God and Jesus in a light that does nothing to get to the gospel but rather steer them away and get sidetracked into discussing religions rather than Christ. Those are the kind of arguments that do not deserve one minute. BG is an evangelist not a pastor. He is highly focused on winning the lost not debating various religions. If I were Larry King I could have taken an entire hour discussing religions without ever discussing Christ. If BG had answered as you suggest a question could have been followed up by asking questions in reference to the OT before Christ and so many other things that would detract from the gospel.

If BG had responded by simply saying Jesus was the only way then King could have debated him on polytheism and many other points of view. BG is not equipped to deal with those kinds of issues. He is equipped to say what the Bible says.

Often we forget that when Jesus addressed the Sadducees he only used the Torah and when he addressed the Pharisees he sued the entire OT. We must use that kind of wisdom in our discussions with non-believers and believers. When we share our faith with anyone we must start with common ground where we do agree and then move ahead. To say that God is the judge is right. Most would agree with that. That is a starting point but not where you end up at.

 

No, Marcia,

I am not making personal attacks on you.
[personal attack snipped]

I don't judge much in life, I really don't, but this is one I draw the line in the sand on.

[personal attack snipped]

[ June 24, 2005, 02:16 AM: Message edited by: Dr. Bob ]

 

If we look at Paul's writings we see very little spent on his past life but much much more on his life in Christ.

Too many who give their testimony spend so much time dwelling on the past and not on Christ and the good news. When we go to a football game we don't spend our time talking about the losses of the winning team but rather how good it feels to see them win. When I was a new Christian I would hear these fantastic testimonies of deliverance when I had no testimony like that. I was just a noraml kid who did not get into trouble and was a good student. The point is that I was just as lost as they had been without Christ. When we look at scripture we see little time spent on the past life of anyone who followed Jesus but rather following Jesus.

 

Can't everyone cool down here and try to work things out?

So someone else doesn't have to be banned??

 

Yikes! I have to break a promise but it is worth
it since I like both these two ladies. This may
have to do more with personalities than posistions but Marcia has supported me during my
Sung Yung Moon poll and she posted some very good
information and TexasSky has brought into the board a lot of mercy that is always needed here
at BB...so do we all lose our way? ...do we all have our favorite nemisis that pushes our button?...To be fair to Marcia in explaining
her testimony she must present a base and foundation to the reader on where she came from and how severe it was..so as to be a warning sign to those who get into self and deny a Good
God.

Marcia you know that you and I mixed it up over my Star Wars analogy during the discussion over
the Holy Spirit ..I felt you were being dogmatic
which is fine and I understand ..I was once that
way but edges have fallen off over the years and
toes of well meaning christians are less black and blue.

TexasSky by all means a lot of people want you to stay but Marcia really does have a point and it is personal..her testimony...perhaps another
board another topic parsed a different way could
bring on discussion that has more give and take
but her testimony must be respected and if I have
problems with it, my discernment is silence not
unless it is grossely negligent in revealing God
and Jesus Christ.

Listen come on over to the current events and political board if you really want to mix it up
you will come away wondering if we worshiped politics or God

Sincerely Aslanspal

take a deep breath..watch the sun...do not let it
set and cause you to have heartburn in the middle
of the night...I have personally done 2 mea culpas on this board and I am still here.

 

Aslanspal and Marcia,

Other Christians have taken the time to pm me and tell me that even though they understand where I am coming from in my concerns about Marcia's testimony, they have had the opportunity to see her witness, and love her dearly.

Marcia, you feel I am calling you a Satanist, and I don't mean to do that. NEVER meant to do that.

The Occult is a very touchy thing with me, and as you know, a very dangerous thing. It is also an extremely seductive thing. I've seen so many, many, many young people, damaged by it that I don't even like it to get air time at all.

I remember when the Occult was most active in my home town, the pastor of the largest church in a very large city, saying, "Don't mess with it, don't give it a voice. Don't think you can prove to a kid that the tarrot is false by trying to show it can't accurately predict the future, because Satan will use your innocence to seduce a child to him."

I remember young people, raised in God's house, warned against it, getting out Ouija boards with the belief that "they're just toys," and ending up in mental and spiritual counseling because they didn't know how to close the door they opened.

So, I'm not intending to call you a Satanist. I just beg you to put Christ, and how wonderfully He changed your life at the top and the bottom of your testimony.

I said I wouldn't apologize, but if I hurt a sister in Christ I do apologize for that.

 

Did anyone happen to capture page 7 in its entirety before all that snippin took place??? I sure would like to see the full text for myself.

 

Marcia...maybe she was just trying to help you. sheesh...

 

I went onto the Billy Graham web site today and on his home page he asks for "persistent prayer" for the Crusade that he is conduct right now as I write this. That phrase caught me in its grip. It is a catch phrase and made me stop and think about just what that word persistent means.

PERSISTENT PRAYER!!! When applying for a job one time I was told to approach the selection with persistence as employers like someone who is interested and persistent about wanting that particular job.

PERSISTENT........ not being satisfied with second best.

 

*** Let the words of the man speak for themselves regarding whether he gives the message of Christ or not. ****

Words from Graham and his teachings:

The bible is the inspired word of God. All scripture will interpret scripture. If we could find ONE scripture anywhere that would cast doubt on any doctrine then that doctrine would have to be declared IMPURE.

2 Pet 1:20
20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation

God is sovereign. He alone sets up the Kings and Rulers of the world. God is all knowing. He is everywhere. He is all wisdom. God is omnipresent (everywhere) and omnipotent (All powerful).

Unfortunately, many people today have distorted the meaning of salvation, saying that it means only political, social and economic liberation in this life. Certainly, Christians should be concerned about injustice and do what they can to promote a more just world. But lasting and complete liberation from social injustice will come only when Jesus Christ returns to establish His Kingdom. Biblical salvation is far deeper, because it gets to the root of our problem—the problem of sin. Only Christ can change the human heart and replace greed and hate with compassion and love.

First, all are sinners and stand under the judgment of God. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23, NIV). We might believe that we are good enough to win God's favor or that we can perform certain religious acts to counterbalance our bad deeds. But the Bible states that we are all condemned, for "there is no one righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10, NIV).

Second, we need to understand what Christ has done to make our salvation possible. God loves us, and Christ came to make forgiveness and salvation possible. What did He do? He died on the cross as the complete sacrifice for our sins. He took upon Himself the judgment that we deserve.

Third, we need to respond to God's work. God in His grace offers us the gift of eternal life. But like any gift, it becomes ours only when we take it.

We must repent of our sins. Repentance carries with it the idea of confession, sorrow, turning and changing. We cannot ask forgiveness over and over again for our sins and then return to those sins, expecting God to forgive us. We must turn from our practice of sin as best we know how, and turn by faith to Christ as our Lord and Savior. "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV). Christ invites us to come to Him, and God has promised, "to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12, NIV).

Fourth, we must understand the cost of coming to Christ and following Christ. Jesus constantly called upon those who would follow Him to count the cost. A person must determine to leave his sins behind and turn from them. Some people may be unwilling to do so. And there may be other costs as well when we decide to follow Christ. In some cultures, a person who turns to Christ may be disowned by family, alienated from social life, imprisoned or even killed.

The ultimate cost of true discipleship is the cost of renouncing self: self-will, self-plans, self-motivations. Christ is to be Lord of our lives. Jesus declared, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23, NIV). Jesus does not call us to a life of selfish comfort and ease—He calls us to a battle! He calls us to give up our own plans and to follow Him without reserve—even to death.

Yes, it costs to follow Christ. But it also costs not to follow Christ. It cost the Apostle Paul the prestige of a high-level position in the Jewish nation. But he declared, "whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things" (Philippians 3:7-8, NIV). Christ calls men and women not only to trust Him as Savior, but also to follow Him as Lord.

"We might believe that we are good enough to win God's favor or that we can perform certain religious acts to counterbalance our bad deeds. But the Bible states that we are all condemned, for 'there is no one righteous, not even one.'"

Fifth, salvation is intimately linked to the cross. The man who hung there between two thieves was without sin. His virgin birth, by the miraculous intervention of the Holy Spirit, meant that He did not inherit a sinful human nature. Neither did He commit any sin during His lifetime. Mary gave birth to the only perfect child. He became the only perfect man. As such, He was uniquely qualified to put into action God's plan of salvation for mankind.

Why was Calvary's cross so special, so different from hundreds of other crosses used for Roman executions? It was because on that cross Jesus suffered the punishment for sin that we all deserve. He was our Substitute. He suffered the judgment and condemnation of death that our sinful nature and deeds deserve. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21, NIV).

Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, "I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2, NIV). Paul knew there was a built-in power in the cross and the resurrection.

I remember a meeting early in my ministry when I walked away from where I was preaching, disheartened and disappointed. A businessman who was with me asked me if I knew what was wrong. I couldn't put my finger on it until he told me. "Billy," he said, "you didn't preach the cross!"

He was right. The message had been theologically sound, and I had preached it as best I knew how. But that vital ingredient was missing. I learned my lesson. From that day to this, I have never preached an evangelistic message without pointing the listeners to the cross.

Finally, faith is essential for salvation. But we must be absolutely clear on what we mean when we speak of "salvation by faith." There are various kinds of belief or faith, and not all are linked to salvation. In the New Testament, faith means more than intellectual belief. It involves trust and commitment. I may say that I believe a bridge will hold my weight. But I really believe it only when I commit myself to it and walk across it. Saving faith involves an act of commitment and trust, in which I commit my life to Jesus Christ and trust Him alone as my Savior and Lord.

In the same way, saving faith is a commitment to Jesus as Savior and Lord. It is a personal and individual decision. It is more than assent to historical or theological truth given to us in God's Word. It is faith in the promises of God that all who trust in Christ will not perish but have eternal life.

Remember, we must admit that we are sinners. We must turn away from our sins and to Christ. We must trust Him as our Savior and follow Him as our Lord. God promises that when we do this, He will save us and make us His children, and we will live with Him forever. Will you turn to Christ now?

*** Let the words of the man speak for themselves regarding whether he gives the message of Christ or not. ****

 

Words are insufficient. Actions count too. God calls us to obey him, not merely say the right things.

 

You are right, Larry, words are insufficient, actions count too.

Your actions, in condemning Graham on his words, then retreating and substituting, "actions" are deplorable.

Your refusal to accept a Christian man's request for forgiveness, and the evidence of his repentence is deplorable.

Your continuing to try to condemn a man who tries, day after day after day, to deliver the right and true word of God, is deplorable.

Actions do speak louder than words.

The heart of Christ was a heart of mercy and forgiveness.

Even those who say that Christ granted permission of Christians to correct a brother in Christ can see the difference in correcting a brother and spreading ill words about him.

You've don't absoultely NOTHING to uplift or teach Graham. You're rejected his apologies, you've ignored his true message.

All for your vindetta of proving, "Larry is better than Billy." Its sad.

Your actions speak volumes.

I suggest, if you want to see a Christian perspective, look to Dr. Bob and many other men on this board who also disagreed with Graham at times. They had a Christian attitude and a Christian approach. You could learn from them.

 

You are kidding me right?

I have not retreated and backpedaled. I have been clear from the beginning that Graham, in words and actions, has compromised the gospel. I have shown the biblical passages and principles, combined with teh evidence from Graham's life. If doing that is deplorable, than I join Paul and plead guilty.

I am not condemning a man at all. In fact, I have repeatedly praised Graham's personal integrity and testimony of purity. I have talked about his spiritual compromise and disobedience in obedience to what God commanded. If that is deplorable, then I join Paul and plead guilty.

I have not spread one ill word. Everything I have said has been proven. I have not questioned his salvation, and I think those who have are out of line.

When you say I have done nothing to uplift or teach Graham, that is irrelevant. I am not trying to reach Graham. He has, for 50 years, rejected the teaching and uplifting of men of God using the Scriptures. I am warning those who will be taken in by his compromise.

I have no intent of proving that "Larry is better than Billy." That is far, far from my mind. In fact, I earlier said that I pray that when I get to the end of my life I have the testmony of personal integrity that Graham has. I have great respect for that.

You say that my actions speak volumes. I hope so. I hope they speak loud and clear to my commitment to God's word, even when it is unpopular. I hope they speak loud and clear to my defense of the biblical gospel of salvation. I hope they speak loud and clear of my love for God and his truth, even when many are going the other way. I hope they speak loud and clear of my love for others by warning them against falling into disobedience by ignoring God's word.

For you to charge me as being unChristian in my approach seems out of place. You haven't shown any place where I have been unChristian. Everthiing I have said I have supported from Scripture. I have said it in a loving way, hoping for Graham's repentance and hoping that others will learn from his failures of obedience. I have followed the Scriptures. What else would you like me to do?

 

To all concerned,

I have watched Billy Graham for years. I have only heard him preach the Word. I seen interviews where he showed Christian grace and humilty. People will say what they want to about him. His life speaks volumes.

He is the greatest soul winner of our generation. He has preached to the masses and God has annointed him. Countless people have met Christ thru the work of this man. He has devoted his life to the cross.

He could have made hard political stands on issues and people would not have responed as they did. Fallwell has little influence outside of the hloy huddle. We have to meet sinners where they are and then start to mold them like Christ.

Jesus went to where the sinner was. He did not speak to please the relgious of his day. In fact He made them whether angry at Him. In fact they had Him killed. Graham keeps doors open many slam shut by condeming others.

Show me one sermon he has preached where he compromised the Word. I will be the first to recant my support of his ministry. He has led more people to a saving knowledge of Christ than you or I can even dream of.

Liberals and conservitives alike have bashed his ministry. He must be doing something right

 

My one beef with Graham has always been his practice of sending new converts to "the church of your choice".

This is "smorgasbord" christianity, not biblical christianity at all. And it is dangerous to send new converts into what often times are dens of false doctrines. This is how "the enemy" snatches the Word from a new believer. And that new believers is "lost". Once he is swallowed up in false doctrine, many times, he is useless to God.

BG should have NEVER compromised. He should have stood firm and encouraged his new converts to find a Bible preaching church which is able to teach them how to grow in Christ. Instead BG feared man and allowed himself to be persuaded by all sorts of man pleasers in encouraging his converts to seek out a "church of your choice" when he KNEW they had no discernment to be able to make wise decisions in that area.

THAT'S my one problem with BG.

Other than that, he is a well respected man.

In HIS service;
Jim

 

"The ultimate cost of true discipleship is the cost of renouncing self: self-will, self-plans, self-motivations. Christ is to be Lord of our lives. Jesus declared, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23, NIV). Jesus does not call us to a life of selfish comfort and ease—He calls us to a battle! He calls us to give up our own plans and to follow Him without reserve—even to death."

Would that mean Christians not crying "slander" all the time?

 

Larry said: "For you to charge me as being unChristian in my approach seems out of place."

That is true brother. I don't know how one can feel free to charge brothers on this site with anything...yet the President is off limits. The world is crazy.

 

Amen Patrick.


av1611jim said---Instead BG feared man and allowed himself to be persuaded by all sorts of man pleasers in encouraging his converts to seek out a "church of your choice" when he KNEW they had no discernment to be able to make wise decisions in that area.


Rachel--
I don't know about that. I wonder if it's that way at all, BG 'fearing' man and all?
When me and my husband was a brand NEW Christian we knew for some odd reason to check out different denominations to see what they taught. To look to see which lined up the most with the Bible, as we followed along with ours. lol We didn't end up in a cult type church or anything. It was a good bible believing, teaching, & preaching church.