SALVATION STORY OF BILLY GRAHAM

The Holy Spirit Conveys God’s Word

Billy Graham grew up during the Great Depression on a dairy farm near Charlotte, North Carolina. As a
teenager, he grudgingly attended church with his family, and found his family’s Bible-reading, praying
and psalm-singing left him feeling restless and resentful.

In May of 1934, Christian businessmen in Charlotte, North Carolina, held an all-day prayer meeting on
his father’s pasture. Billy Graham’s father, William Franklin Graham, Sr., recalled one of the men’s
prayer that day: “…out of Charlotte the Lord would raise up someone to preach the Gospel to the ends
of the earth.” “At that time, in 1934, it certainly wasn’t obvious that that someone might be me,” Billy
Graham wrote.

As time went by, local pastors and the Christian Men’s Club invited Dr. Mordecai Ham, a traveling
evangelist, to hold a series of revival meetings in Charlotte, North Carolina. Thousands flocked to hear
Dr. Ham preach inside a “tabernacle,” actually a sprawling, ramshackle building with a sawdust
groundcover, built especially for the occasion. The evangelist preached six days a week, morning and
night, for 11 weeks—and didn’t mince words about sin.

“Everything I heard or read about him made me feel antagonistic toward the whole affair,” Billy Graham
shared in his autobiography. “It sounded like a religious circus to me.” Billy Graham’s parents attended
the meeting, but their enthusiasm didn’t rub off on their typical teenage son, who was about to turn 16.
“I did not want anything to do with an evangelist—particularly with such a colorful character as Dr.
Ham,” Billy Graham said. “I told my parents that I would not go to hear him.”

A while later, his interest in the revival piqued after reading an article in which Dr. Ham claimed local
high schoolers were participating in immoral activity during school hours. Rumors flew that angry
students planned to march on the tabernacle and demonstrate right in front of the platform. And that
maybe they would even injure Dr. Ham.

The curiosity to know what would happen led Billy Graham to the meeting. Also, his friend offered
another incentive—letting Billy Graham drive his old vegetable truck into town for the meeting. Billy
Graham drove the truck, “loaded with as many folks, white and black, as [his friend] could get to go
along.”

Recounting the night many years later, he said, “I have no recollection of what he preached about, but I
was spellbound. In some indefinable way, he was getting through to me. I was hearing another voice …
the voice of the Holy Spirit.”

Billy Graham returned the very next night. “All my father’s mules and horses could not have kept me
from getting to that meeting,” he said, and he continued going night after night for weeks. Dr. Ham
preached on lively topics, such as the Second Coming of Christ, sin, money, Hell, among others. “I had
never heard a sermon on Hell,” said Billy Graham, who noted the evangelist also talked about the great
love of God.

The farmer’s son’s heart became heavy, wondering, “Why would the evangelist always be pointing his
bony finger at me? “I became deeply convicted about my sinfulness and rebellion. And confused,” he
said, recounting his church upbringing and good deeds. To avoid Dr. Ham’s accusatory stare, Billy
Graham and his new friend, Grady Wilson, put their heads together. “Grady and I had both decided on a
strategy to avoid the frontal attack by Dr. Ham,” he said. They joined the choir and sat behind the
evangelist. “Neither of us could sing, but we could move our mouths or hold a hymn book in front of our
faces for camouflage.”

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” –Romans
5:8, KJV

What was really happening during that time, Billy Graham recalled, was “the miserable realization that I
did not know Jesus Christ for myself.” A few weeks into the meetings—just a few days shy of his 16th
birthday on Nov. 7—Billy Graham remembers hearing Dr. Ham quote Romans 5:8. (This verse, about
how much God loves us, remained with Billy Graham. During his own Crusades, televised sermons, radio
messages and in person, Billy Graham regularly told millions, “God loves you.”)

After Dr. Ham finished his message, he invited the tabernacle full of people to accept Christ. Billy
Graham went forward; “I walked down to the front, feeling as if I had lead weights attached to my
feet.” Looking around, he saw a woman next to him with tears running down her cheeks. “I did not feel
any special emotion of any kind just then,” he said, and wondered if he was making a fool of himself. “I
almost turned around and went back to my seat.” It was then that a family friend came beside Billy
Graham, explained God’s plan for salvation in a simple way, prayed for Billy Graham and guided him to
pray to receive Christ.

Billy Graham was thankful that someone assured him in his salvation decision and described what he felt
after giving his life to Christ: “No bells went off inside me. No signs flashed across the tabernacle ceiling.
… I simply felt at peace. … happy and peaceful.”

Billy Graham went on to preach the Gospel to nearly 215 million people in more than 185 countries and
territories - through various meetings, including Mission World and Global Mission. Hundreds of millions
more have been reached through television, video, film, and webcasts.

In our work of soul winning and discipleship, we must always remember the words of the Lord Jesus
in John 14:10, “…the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in
me, he doeth the works.’ There is One inside us – The Holy Spirit, whose work is to convey God’s Word
and make the presence of the Father and Jesus real to those we reach with the Gospel. By the Power of
the Holy Spirit, anyone can be transformed.

Reference
Story culled from: https://billygraham.org/story/the-night-billy-graham-was-born-again/

A PRAYER THAT CHANGE HISTORY

"Lord, Open the King of England's Eye" - William Tyndale (Oct 6th, 1536)

In most nations of the world today, offences such as murder, treason, espionage, war crimes, crimes
against humanity and genocide are offences you'd consider capital crimes; but in the days of William
Tyndale, translating the Bible into the English Language also made that list!

You’ve probably heard the story of how Tyndale defied the obnoxious law against translating the Bible
and spearheaded the translation of the Bible into English Language, leading to his strangulation and
burning at the stake. Amidst several lessons to learn from the inspiring account of William Tyndale's
story, one that is pertinent at this time is that of the efficacy of his prayer.

It is reported that his last words were "Lord, Open the King of England's Eye" As simple as this prayer
was, it triggered a change that altered the course of the Gospel: Three years after Tyndale's martyrdom,
the King of England licensed English Bibles to be placed in the parish churches of England. The scholars
who produced the popular King James Bible drew significantly from Tyndale, as well as from translations
that descended from his.

Tyndale's account asserts the efficacy of our prayer in changing circumstances, similarly, history is
replete with accounts of changes that have come about as a result of prayers. Our prayers are to a God
that answers; irrespective of how things may seem; if only we will pray, we can change circumstances
and straighten out things in the realm of the spirit.

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16b)

References:
BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/people/william_tyndale
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyndale_Bibl

WHAT IS SIGNIFICANCE ABOUT 30

While many may not think of 30 years as a significant number to tag a milestone, we find that 30 years is
a significant duration of time in Scripture. The Bible provides us with instances where 30 years have
marked great beginnings in the lives of certain individuals.

Beginning with the Master, Luke 3:23 tells us that Jesus began His ministry when He was about 30 years
of age: “…Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph,
which was the son of Heli”

Another significant appearance of ‘30 years’ as a milestone age was with Joseph. Joseph was 30 years of
age when he stood before Pharaoh, King of Egypt (Genesis 41:46). That encounter marked a turn in his
life, where he moved from prison to become Egypt’s Prime Minister.

David, one of the greatest kings that ever lived, was 30 when he began to reign (2 Samuel 5:4). This is all
thought provoking, and it doesn’t end there. Did you know that in 1 Chronicles 23:3, the Levites were
numbered from the age of 30 and upward?

It is not accidental that we are celebrating our 30th anniversary as a ministry, because it is the beginning
of a new and greater dispensation for us. Remember the Lord told us that this year is that of significant
attainments, and this is one of them. Join the celebration, because our future far exceeds what we’ve
accomplished, for the glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former.