Lessons From Billy

Since I was a small child (born in 1970) I always remember there being a Billy Graham TV special on. I never really cared what Billy had to say because I was a little on the crazy side as a child and teenager. When I was in my 20's and still far from Christ I thought for some reason that Billy Graham was pentecostal and just wanted people to send him their money. It's funny how quick we judge others without knowing anything about them. When I became a Christian at the age of 27 I finally tuned into Billy one night and discovered a man who has a genuine heart for the lost. While I am not affiliated with any Baptist Denomination I have enjoyed reading books by Billy Graham through the years and have always been intrigued by his life.

Several weeks ago I received an issue of the 50th anniversary of Christianity Today which had an article about Billy Graham. I had not read the article immediately since there were other things I wanted to tackle in that issue. This past weekend I opened up the article which reflected on the life, ministry, and character of this renown Evangelist. I discovered 2 very significant things from that article. The first think I discovered was that Billy Graham started Christianity Today 50 years ago with the intention of having a solid publication that reached and touched the lives of Christians. When I read that I remember thinking "why did I never know about this?" Starting a major Christian publication is not an easy task, but it can be done when someone has a good heart and the right intentions.

Going through the article on Graham I discovered the most significant thing was that Billy stated he had wished he would have studied more. This grabbed at my heart in a very significant way. It hit me right between the eyes you could say. It was a gentle rebuke from an older preacher that I had needed for some time. I needed to hear this from a fellow Preacher because I realize that sometimes I go through seasons where I do not study like I should. When I do not study I become dry because I stop growing. Those who spend a good amount of time studying the word and growing through solid Christian writings always have something to share about God with others and always have enough spiritual food to get them through the dry seasons. I do not feel obligated to study the Word and to study about the Word because I am a Pastor. I feel obligated to spend time in study because I am a Christian who wants to experience God in greater ways each day of my life. Psalm 111:2 says "Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them." Thank you Billy Graham for that reminder this past week of what one of my Christian duties are.