Billy Graham was an American evangelical Christian evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister. Graham is best known for his evangelistic missions or “Crusades.” He believed God knew no borders or nationalities. Throughout his career, Graham preached to millions around the world. He met and prayed with every U. S. president from Dwight Eisenhower to Barack Obama.
Graham authored 34 books, including his memoir, Just As I Am. In 1983, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan. In 1996, Graham and his wife, Ruth, received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award Congress can bestow on a private citizen.
Graham married Wheaton College classmate Ruth Bell Graham in 1943. They had five children ( Ruth Graham, Gigi Graham Tchividjian, Anne Graham Lotz, Nelson, & Franklin Graham) and made their home in the mountains of North Carolina. They were married for 64 years before Ruth’s death in 2007. Graham died from natural causes on February 21, 2018, at his home in Montreat, North Carolina, at the age of 99.
“God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, 'I love you.”
“Only God can give us a selfless love for others, as the Holy Spirit changes us from within. This is one reason we must receive Christ, for apart from His Spirit we can never be freed from the chains of selfishness, jealousy, and indifference. Will others see Christ's love in your life today?”
“That was then---This is Now”
“I feel sorry for the man who has never known the bracing thrill of taking a stand and sticking to it fearlessly. Moral courage has rewards that timidity can never imagine. Like a shot of adrenaline, it floods the spirit with vitality”
“We are not cisterns made for hoarding, we are channels made for sharing.”
“Self-centered indulgence, pride and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle.”
“Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.Billy Graham”
“When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.”
“You cannot come to Christ unless the Spirit of God brings you. But what if you ignore His warnings? Then you are in the gravest danger, for some day God will no longer be speaking to you. Then it will be too late. Come to Christ while there is still time. Christ, God's greater Ark, stands ready to welcome you to safety today.”
“The happiness which brings enduring worth to life is not the superficial happiness that is dependent on circumstances. It is the happiness and contentment that fills the soul even in the midst of the most distressing circumstances and the most bitter environment. It is the kind of happiness that grins when things go wrong and smiles through the tears. The happiness for which our souls ache is one undisturbed by success or failure, one which will deeply root inside us and give us inward relaxation, peace, and contentment, no matter what the surface problems may be. That kind of happiness stands in need of no outward stimulas.”
“Remember: He WANTS your fellowship, and He has done everything possible to make it a reality. He has forgiven your sins, at the cost of His own dear Son. He has given you His Word, and the priceless privilege of prayer and worship.”
“Many invest wisely in business matters, but fail to invest time and interest in their most valued possessions: their spouses and children.”
“Golden years' must have been coined by the young. It is doubtful that anyone over seventy would have described this phase of life with such a symbolic word.”
“Sincerity is the biggest part of selling anything -- including the Christian plan of salvation.”
“World events are moving very rapidly now. I pick up the Bible in one hand, and I pick up the newspaper in the other. And I read almost the same words in the newspaper as I read in the Bible. It’s being fulfilled every day round about us.”
“Comfort and prosperity have never enriched the world as much as adversity has.”
“Worship leader George Beverly Shea kidded Billy Graham that the latter would be unemployed in Heaven -- while Shea would still have a job leading worship.”
“End of Construction. Thank you 'for your patience. " Inscription on Ruth Bell Graham's grave -- inspired hy a road sign she saw.”
“I'm in a win-win playoff. " Response of a Christian dying of cancer at thirty on the prospect of miraculous healing.”
“therefore i live for today-certain of finding at sunriseguidance and strength for the way.power for each moment of weakness,hope for each moment of pain,comfort for every sorrow,sunshine and joy after rain!”
“your faith and hope are in god.”
“The will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us.”
“A real Christian is the one who can give his pet parrot to the town gossip.”
“My home is in Heaven. I'm just traveling through this world.”
“Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion; it is like a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.”
“God has given us two hands--one to receive with and the other to give with. We are not cisterns made for hoarding; we are channels made for sharing.”
“I've read the last page of the Bible, it's all going to turn out all right.”
“God never takes away something from your life without replacing it with something better.”
“Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen!”
“Women need a reason for having sex, men just need a place”
“We are the Bibles the world is reading; We are the creeds the world is needing; We are the sermons the world is heeding.”
“Tears shed for self are tears of weakness, but tears shed for others are a sign of strength.”
“When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.”