On Nov. 7 Billy Graham was 91 – now not an unusual high age.  But various physical frailties have prevented him from speaking to the masses anymore which he did for many decades in simple, passionate terms,  Christ-centered and appealing to the individual to stand up for Christ.

I heard him for the very first time as a 17 years old lad in the summer 1954.  I don´t remember the text he preached on, but I think it must have been either about the rich young ruler or Christ´s solemn words to Nicodemus:  “You must be born again!”  Anyway, many on their way home that night talked between themselves of what it meant to be ”born again”?

Next year he spoke in Oslo, Norway, and he started by saying to the masses, ”We´ve not come here to entertain you, but to open the Bible for you!

His entry in Copenhagen created a great stir. The biggest opposition came from the Lutheran state church ministers.  A leading ungodly newspaper, however, printed in full one of his sermons.  In the Copenhagen cathedral a meeting was held where Billy Graham spoke to Christian leaders.  So the Lutheran opposition against him wasn´t total.   Billy was at that time only 35 years old.

I later heard him in America.  What a joy it was to open the radio Sunday night to listen to “The Hour of Decision” where he spoke powerfully to the nation.  One night a friend from New Tribes Mission, Roy Christopher, and myself went to a Youth for Christ meeting in Williamsport, Pa., to see a Billy Graham movie about his crusade to Australia in 1958.  We didn´t like the meeting.  I remember Roy whispered to me, “Jesus is not here!” – Then the beautiful movie started and we heard Billy preach.  Now Roy whispered again to me with enthusiasm, “He preaches the same as we do!”

He came to Denmark in 1954 immediately after 12 weeks crusade meetings at the big Harringay Arena in London reaching its climax with the big open air meeting at Wembley where abt. 120,000 thronged the stadium.  A theologian went afterwards up to him and said, “I´ve been listening to you for 12 weeks, and you are preaching the same every night!”  Billy liked that and said, ”We may preach the message in a different way every night, but the gospel is the same for the need of the human heart is always, always, always the same!”  At another occasion he said, “Don´t be afraid of repeating yourself, take glory in it!  Jesus repeated Himself abt. 500 times, a theologian has found out!”

I´m not sold on the entertainment part of the Billy Graham rallies, so common as the years went by.  In fact I´m grieved about it.  Still I must say that during my own life time I´ve never heard any evangelist speak the gospel so manly, simple and passionate as old Billy.  At one time an employee from the Harringay Arena found him lying flat on the platform groaning before God.  Everything was in dark, the people had gone home, but Billy was now alone struggling in prayer.  I can´t think of anything more beautiful to say of that humble servant of God.

-jn-

18/11.09



On Nov. 7 Billy Graham was 91 – now not an unusual high age.  But various physical frailties have prevented him from speaking to the masses anymore which he did for many decades in simple, passionate terms,  Christ-centered and appealing to the individual to stand up for Christ.

I heard him for the very first time as a 17 years old lad in the summer 1954.  I don´t remember the text he preached on, but I think it must have been either about the rich young ruler or Christ´s solemn words to Nicodemus:  “You must be born again!”  Anyway, many on their way home that night talked between themselves of what it meant to be ”born again”?

Next year he spoke in Oslo, Norway, and he started by saying to the masses, ”We´ve not come here to entertain you, but to open the Bible for you!

His entry in Copenhagen created a great stir. The biggest opposition came from the Lutheran state church ministers.  A leading ungodly newspaper, however, printed in full one of his sermons.  In the Copenhagen cathedral a meeting was held where Billy Graham spoke to Christian leaders.  So the Lutheran opposition against him wasn´t total.   Billy was at that time only 35 years old.

I later heard him in America.  What a joy it was to open the radio Sunday night to listen to “The Hour of Decision” where he spoke powerfully to the nation.  One night a friend from New Tribes Mission, Roy Christopher, and myself went to a Youth for Christ meeting in Williamsport, Pa., to see a Billy Graham movie about his crusade to Australia in 1958.  We didn´t like the meeting.  I remember Roy whispered to me, “Jesus is not here!” – Then the beautiful movie started and we heard Billy preach.  Now Roy whispered again to me with enthusiasm, “He preaches the same as we do!”

He came to Denmark in 1954 immediately after 12 weeks crusade meetings at the big Harringay Arena in London reaching its climax with the big open air meeting at Wembley where abt. 120,000 thronged the stadium.  A theologian went afterwards up to him and said, “I´ve been listening to you for 12 weeks, and you are preaching the same every night!”  Billy liked that and said, ”We may preach the message in a different way every night, but the gospel is the same for the need of the human heart is always, always, always the same!”  At another occasion he said, “Don´t be afraid of repeating yourself, take glory in it!  Jesus repeated Himself abt. 500 times, a theologian has found out!”

I´m not sold on the entertainment part of the Billy Graham rallies, so common as the years went by.  In fact I´m grieved about it.  Still I must say that during my own life time I´ve never heard any evangelist speak the gospel so manly, simple and passionate as old Billy.  At one time an employee from the Harringay Arena found him lying flat on the platform groaning before God.  Everything was in dark, the people had gone home, but Billy was now alone struggling in prayer.  I can´t think of anything more beautiful to say of that humble servant of God.

-jn-

Nov. 18, 2009