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November 7th, 2013
06:08 PM ET
Billy Graham turns 95 at star-studded birthdayBy Phil Gast, CNN (CNN) - The Rev. Billy Graham took people to church, perhaps for the last time, as hundreds joined the iconic evangelist Thursday evening for his 95th birthday. A guest list that included former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Rev. Rick Warren and businessmen Rupert Murdoch and Donald Trump came to pay tribute to a man beloved for his humility and faithfulness. Because the frail Graham no longer has the strength to speak behind a lectern, his enduring message of salvation through Jesus Christ came in the form of "The Cross," a 30-minute DVD that made its debut at the celebration. "He is my spiritual hero," said entertainer Ricky Skaggs shortly before the celebration began at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina. "He exemplifies brokenness and humility." Graham, in a wheelchair, entered the room to a standing ovation. Although he did not give a formal speech, he later made impromptu remarks from his table, thanking family and friends. "The Cross" was filmed in part this year at Graham's remote mountaintop home in Montreat, east of Asheville. His hearing and eyesight have dimmed, but Graham has remained true to his familiar themes. "Our country is in great need of a spiritual awakening. There have been times that I have wept as I have gone from city to city and I have seen how far people have wandered from God," the pastor said in what is expected to be his final video production. "Of all the things I have seen and heard, there is only one message that can change people's lives and hearts." That message, as billions around the world have heard for more than six decades, is salvation and the need to live a new life because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Graham has provided counsel to generations of U.S. presidents beginning with Harry S. Truman. Staging revivals that he called "crusades" around the world, the founder of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has reached untold millions of people in person. In the video, Graham said when he was young he did not foresee speaking to large audiences. "As I look back over my life, it is full of surprises. I never thought I would become friends with people in different countries all over the world," he said. Singers Lecrae and Lacey Sturm also are featured in the video, which can be watched online and will be played in churches across the country. It is part of the "My Hope America with Billy Graham" series. The production included recorded sermons and footage of a younger Graham. Skaggs, singer Michael W. Smith and TV host Kathie Lee Gifford were among those leading the singing of "Happy Birthday" to Graham. About 850 well-wishers were on hand at the resort inn. Palin told Graham that his Christian message is needed for a "great awakening" the nation and world need. Graham is a member of the Rev. Don Wilton's church, Spartanburg First Baptist in South Carolina, and he still watches Wilton's sermons on TV. "He'll look at me and say, 'Don, let's talk about that second point you had on Sunday,'" said Wilton, who drives up at least once a week to Graham's home. "My favorite part is when he puts his hands on me and prays with me," Wilton told CNN affiliate WYFF in Greenville, South Carolina. Graham, a Charlotte native, began his missionary work in 1944 when he started speaking at rallies for the Youth for Christ/Campus Life ministry. Five years later, Graham was holding a "crusade" in tents in downtown Los Angeles. Cliff Barrows was with Graham in the early years and for decades has served as music and program director. Barrows, 90, turned to his boss on Thursday evening, paying an emotional tribute. "I praise God for the journey we have had together. Thank you with all my heart for the privilege. Happy birthday."
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Just read from a book, throw in a little theatrics and shazaam! People throw money at you!
You don't even have to write the material!
What a scam
He looks like Biden's dad....
"Robert Brown
I'll make a deal with you Sam. You tell me where I can see the atheist experience and I'll watch it, if you will watch the cross. Then we can compare notes. Deal?"
when she gets movie privileges after 6 months of good behavior after she is released from solitary she may watch
isn't that sweet?
faith has yet another screen name
how is that big, big lawsuit coming, gash?
Jesus or his disciples would never have connived to get photo ops with US presidents like Billy did so shamelessly. They would never have spent million that collected “for gawwwwd” to live in a mansion like Billy did. Jesus never would have promised his followers that one of the perks of giving him 10 percent of their earnings is that gawwwwd wants them to drive pimped-out limos as Joel ‘preaches’ in Texas. Jesus turned over the money-changers tables at the temple back then. He’d be even more outraged today.
Abide in the Word! good call.
Photo ops didn't exist then so you just don't know. Jesus is long dead.
Seems,
You ever watch one of those old reruns out of the 70's where billy is preaching to a stadium full of people and hundreds come forward at the end of the service? Now I understand we can't know the heart of another, but even if only a small percentage came to salvation, many have been saved in his 60 years of preaching. I agree with you on the money thing, do you think billy was a great evangelist?
He was a great con artist, and became rich on that.
Except that Jesus did have dinner in the houses of anyone who invited him – including prominent men such as, for example, the tax collector Zacchaeus in Luke chapter 19. He spoke in public many times. Clearly any scandal of 'photo ops' is not automatic to meeting with well-known persons.
Even a cursory investigation of the two people seems to reveal that Osteen and Graham are two very different persons, with extremely different proposals from Scripture. As I understand it, Osteen teaches a 'prosperity gospel' which isn't really Christianity at all.
Rev Graham. with all due respect for your life's work, such as it was, you should count yourself as someone who has "wandered from God", when you got into the mess of endorsing politicians, especially that heretic Romney. By endorsing a politician whose Mormon religion rejects the eternal deity of Jesus Christ, and puts themselves on equal footing as Almighty God, you became an ally with children of Satan. And your accommodating friendships with certain politicians and celebrities is very troubling. I hope that your recent stumbles are the product of a deteriorating mind, but it appears to be more likely the ultimate sign that your life was a hoax, an embrace of a false gospel. Our nation is no more evil than it always has been. It is not your "message" that saves people, it is the grace of God, and only the grace of God that provides regeneration. And "living a new life" does not earn salvation; living the new life is a result of the regeneration of our spirit by God alone.
I agree with you about living a new life, you must be born again before you can become new. The few times I've heard billy preach the gospel, I've thought he did a great job. He lays it out plain and simple, sinner meet savior.
Maybe Billy has a spiritual gift that is ordained and consecrated through the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Graham is s very skilled sales guy / con man. He's merely good at that game and has personally made many millions of dollars at it.
I feel sorry for those speaking against the man of God. If I were you I would repent real quick.
Who is ANYONE TO JUDGE or threat of repent. There's more to life n death then getting choked out w rambling god garbage. Then Wat r we before we r born? Yea no answer. You ppl don't under the concepts of the human biology and cells called PROTEINS. I'd have no trouble burning tons of bibles in front of a large church gathering. Bring it. I also believe it's okay for abortions. I believe its okay for ppl to kill themselves. I'm NOT OK w priest touching kids. Let's think before we act. Hmm breaking their own " laws"
There is a guy in the video you may be able to relate to.
MJ: Pascal's Wager. Google it.
Zeus is gonna whup yo fat ass.
spend a lot of time on your knees, do you?
which god?
Rev. Billy Graham was truly a man of God.
So he was a man of nothing at all then...
Indeed, it seems that he was. He certainly worked hard and didn't retire until he absolutely had to. I find the examples of lifelong perseverance of both he and John Paul II to be challenging as I acknowledge my own laziness. And yet he's accused of being a liar, and greedy to boot. But then again Jesus was also called a liar.
Of course he could have easily retired sometime around age 40 if he really wanted to, and would have been quite well off.
Happy Birthday to Dr. Graham.
Happy Birthday Rev. Graham!
🙂
Because the frail Graham no longer has the strength to speak behind a lectern, his enduring message of salvation through Jesus Christ came in the form of "The Cross," a 30-minute DVD that made its debut at the celebration.
If you're an atheist, I hope you will watch it.
http://myhopewithbillygraham.org
Why would atheists want to watch that? When was the last time you watched The Atheist Experience?
If you'll watch it Sam, you may obtain faith.
if you watch it, robert, you may obtain reason
I hope you watch The Cross, it may give you a reason to believe.
Unless "The Cross" refutes some of the Bible, it likely won't give more reason to believe.
The video is classic billy graham, in that he presents the gospel in very simple terms. It is a little different in that you have some visual storytelling and a couple of powerful testimonies. Watch it, you may be surprised.
Robert Brown is a classic Christian moron. Billy Graham is just a rich, very successful con man.
spiritual gifts of faith are authenticated through pondering and wrestling with reason, by a power that is supernatural. Keep struggling .
watch The Atheist Experience, Robert.
it may bring reason to your snivelling sycophantry
I'll make a deal with you Sam. You tell me where I can see the atheist experience and I'll watch it, if you will watch the cross. Then we can compare notes. Deal?
We've already read your bible in detail Robert. If you are stupid enough to believe the tales in that, no wonder you've fallen so hard for rich con artist Graham. You stupid fool. Billy Graham has been laughing all the way to the bank for decades with money from stupid folk like you.
I've never given money to billy.
works for me, robert
Alrighty then, post the site where I can see it and we'll talk again tomorrow evening.
Ok Sam, I googled it. Any particular episode, it is a weekly show?
go to you tube and type in The Atheist Experience
i watched it, robert. it is the same old christian tripe. it only resonates with those who are searching for something to believe. they have music throughout and testimony of those who believe to elicit an emotional response. there is not a bit of reason in the whole thing. let me know what you think of The Atheist Experience, if you have the courage to watch it
have you watched it, robert?
come on, we made a deal. i watch that billy graham thing and you watch The Atheist Experience? Tell us the truth, are you as much a coward as gopher?
Hey Sam,
I'm glad you watched the video, but sorry you didn't get the message. You mentioned emotion, were you moved to emotion by the testimonies, or were you describing those who were testifying? What was the girl going to do before she went to church and got saved?
I watched the atheist experience. The episode was about morality. After the first few minutes, I thought they were arguing about what to argue about, then it got a little more interesting. I heard some quotes from the hosts that were word for word what I see posted on here a lot. So, either the hosts of the show post on here or some folks who post on here watch the show. I thought they were pretty rough on the guy who called in. He was clearly out debated. I didn't agree with much either side said.
i was speaking of the shmaltzy presentation. the only emotion i was moved to was incredulity that people actually believed that tripe
i think you will find that theists are out debated a lot when they attempt to engage former theists.
the main guy in The Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty, was working toward becoming a minister, so it appears that he knows his stuff
it remains amusing that you desire ETERNITY with a being from whom you have to be "saved"
it seems much like the abused spouse relationship.
oh well, believe what you want
if you try to convince others, you will be opposed
[Sam] "it remains amusing that you desire ETERNITY with a being from whom you have to be "saved""
Sam,
Christianity does not teach that we must be saved from God; it teaches that we can be saved from ourselves.
"The Lord ... is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9.
This is authentic Christianity; not the thing you've been led to believe.
Sam, one way of thinking about hell is, eternally spending time with myself. Just my thoughts. Not drinking beer around the campfire with my buddies, talking about how, hey I guess there was a God after all, oh well. Or talking about how hey I guess there really was nothing at all, how interesting, pass the pretzels. Not fishing, not 'relaxing', just with my own thoughts. Just as some spend their days today. Worse than nihilism. Eternally.
Does it include anything new such as actual evidence for even a single supernatural claim? If not, no need to waste even a second.
I have evidence!
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John 15:26
King James Version (KJV)
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
Ace,
What if I double dog dare you to watch it.
?
How about you answer the question – anything new? Don't lie now!
There is evidence in the form of two very powerful testimonies. Testimony is evidence, yes?
No, testimony unless substantiated by facts is not evidence. So, nothing new then.
Then you better get busy worshiping Zeus, Ra and Quetzalcoatl because there's plenty of testimony that those gods existed as well.
in a court of law, it is. when it comes to "spiritual" matters, it is not. there are those who will testify that allah is the real god. how is their testimony any less valid than the people in the video?
Brilliant reply, sam stone.
In response to Sam,
Testimony is a type of evidence. Where do you get your authority to summarily dismiss a category of 'matters'? The depositions of witnesses are what are considered in order to decide whether to bring a case to court or not. The testimonies are then in court listened to, and their plausibility weighed. Witnesses are judged on their credibility based on their accounting of events. Based on their believability. There is a lot of personal interaction in courts – and we judge as human beings the believability of our fellow human beings. There are quite a lot of Christians who are historically able to articulate their beliefs quite well, and with reason and faith in harmony.
Go ahead and study the faith of Islam as well, if you like. You may find that it is more believable, or not, than Christianity, or even atheism. 'Whateverism' is the easy way out. And citing the number of different beliefs, or even similarities as a way to dismiss all of them is an intellectual misstep.
Happy Birthday Billy Graham!
Dr. billy Graham
God bless you happy blessed 95th birthday
The almighty will bless your fruitful works
Your rewards are great
God of heaven reign blessings on this sweet servant
Amen, he is a great evangelist. Have you watched the video?
http://myhopewithbillygraham.org
The video sucks. Graham is a rich successful con artist, nothin more.
Did you watch it carter? What happened to the cross when the girl was singing near the end?
Billy Graham is a rich old con artist, nothing more.
Watch it carter, you don't have to give billy a cent.
This is a much better video about god and religion than any of con artist Graham's sales pitches.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPOfurmrjxo
Poor Billy Graham. He used to be one of the nation's most-respected citizens – because he focused only on the simpe "message of the Gospel".
I do not support his theology or his methods, but I used to respect his refusal to engage in politics.
Now, we see his much less-talented son trying to create an evangelical political party by issuing stupid and untruthful proclamations and by teaming up with the bigots and haters of tea-bagger persuasion.
The Bily Graham Center resembles a shrine to some soviet dictator, and the "gospel" is all about a cult of personality.
Seeing him pushed around in a wheelchair by his ambitious and grasping son was deeply saddening.
Watch the new video, it may change your opinion.
http://myhopewithbillygraham.org
This is a much better video about god and religion than any of con artist Graham's sales pitches.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPOfurmrjxo
blah blah blah ".............................haters of tea-bagger persuasion......................" blah blah blah
Gubnor Quinn the original democratic tea bagger. See corruption in the Big O's state here"
http://www.quinnforillinois.com/content/classic-quinn-power-pet*itions-tea-bags-and-referendums
".......................Just after the 1978 elections, legislators voted themselves a pay raise which Gov. James Thompson approved. So, on the 205th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party (also Quinn’s birthday), Quinn got on the radio and urged listeners to send a tea bag to the Governor. Within four days the Governor’s Office was swimming in tea bags – 40,000 altogether – so Governor Thompson rescinded his approval of the pay raise and even apologized for it in his Inaugural Address.............................."
WAKE UP silly socies to yer own dance.
Star-studded spectacular. Jesus would have been so proud. It's pure cosmic irony that his congregation, the most eager mocker of Christians-following-popes, has in fact elevated this self-appointed religious authority to something even worse: a cult leader with rock-star status. Not surprising for the congregation with the highest percentage of hypocrits. (I know a fair number of S.Blabtists who are humble, loving Christians... but they are a minority.) Hope he wrote a good will so Frankin gets all those millions...
Check out the new video.
http://myhopewithbillygraham.org
the video is emotional tripe, robert. the only people that would consider it evidence of the god of the bible, or any god, already believe and are brain damaged.
This is a much better video about god and religion than any of con artist Graham's sales pitches.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPOfurmrjxo
The love of money drives this cult. Build the biggest church in town and 'they' will come... 'they' being those who want to be seen... it's all about appearance for them and all about cash-flow for the church. The same Jesus who over-turned the money-changers tables at the temple would be disgusted by this vile and cynical behavior. God isn't fooled.
So his last message was delivered to a gaggle of tea-partiers?! That says a lot. I believe the Old and, especially the New Testaments contain many wonderful stories and lessons on how to live. And in fact, I believe Jesus was real. I just can't stand it when people use my bible to support their bigotry and lack of compassion.
You should watch his video, then offer your thoughts.
http://myhopewithbillygraham.org
it is blather, robert
This is a much better video about god and religion than any of con artist Graham's sales pitches.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPOfurmrjxo
And was George Carlin a happy, peaceful man?
This same cult that condoned and encouraged slavery (and was a major cause of the Civil War) continues to make its bread and butter by appealing to bigotry. No change in strategy... just a different face... two-faced. That's Blabtists.
Good point... the invited guests at this staged media spectacle say it all. Tea party = extremists. The Graham dynasty has gone Talibananas...
A well spoken bs artist offering false hope to gullible fools. There is nothing respectable about a person who tells lies for a living – even if the lies are what some people want to hear.
It's respectable from a business standpoint. It's not as easy to squeeze money out of stupid people as people think it is.
It is very easy – if you have no morals.
Irony anyone?
I have no morals and I assure you that it isn't easy.
Every image of "Billy G" standing beside every US president must have raked in millions from the pride his backward southern followers felt just seeing their self-appointed 'pope' looking like a celebrity on the front page of their trashy tabloids. Beig a tacky, shameless self-promoter sure bought him a mighty expensive mansion in the NC mountains. Would Jeeeezus have done it? Nope. Will Franklin keep it? Only if he's shameless and greedy.
How about a person preaching the truth and leading countless souls to Jesus?
http://myhopewithbillygraham.org
Billy Graham is a rich old con artist, nothing more.
Countless? Believe me, this bean-counting cult tallies everything. Bodycounts and cashflow are their sole aim. Money, money, money....
I respect people who are looking for the truth,
I am suspect of anyone who has claimed to have found it.
Then you've set the bar impossibly low for God to have a two-way dialogue with you.
This isn't meant to be flippant, nor an insult to you. But, what then do you expect to find, if you've already set up your criteria to discount a positive answer?
We THIS LOVE BEING Under HIS FEET 24/24/7/365/366 EVER.
Happy Birthday, Rev. Dr. Billy Graham!
You are really the best preacher in our planet earth.
You are the most influential Christian evangelist in our world and you shared the Gospel all over the world, to both the rich and the poor, the powerful and the weak, the saved and the unsaved and you brought millions to Christ.
Thank you, Dr. Graham, for living a life of integrity. Thank you for modeling the faith so well. May God bless you on your birthday, and may He continue to sustain you in the days to come.
Thank you Dr. Graham, you are and have been a great witness for Jesus,Your reward will be great.your crowns will be many.You have fought a good fight and kept the faith.Thank you so very much ,Your rewards will be great...may God bless you, keep you. guide you and use you more and more for his glory.
Your brother in Christ,
Shapour Pourpashang
International Persian Prayer Center
Yes. Also, thank you for stunting American medical and scientific advances. Thank you for hindering and stunting individual civil liberties and equality. Thank you for helping the South become the bigoted evangelical armpit of America that it is. Thank you for making your rich adherents richer and your poor adherents poorer. And most of all, thank you for making evangelicals so obviously batshit crazy that it makes them easy to spot by the rest of us...
I other words, he left no pocket unturned.