Billy Graham turns 90
Posted: Friday, November 7, 2008, 8:42 (GMT)
World renowned evangelist Billy Graham will celebrate his 90th birthday on Friday with an intimate family gathering near his mountainside home in North Carolina.
"I never expected to live this long, and it is hard to believe I have reached the age of 90," Mr Graham said.
"Every day is a gift from God, no matter how old we are. I have discovered that just because we grow weaker physically as we age, it doesn't mean that we must grow weaker spiritually.
"In fact, we ought to be growing stronger spiritually, because our eyes ought to be on eternity and Heaven - on the things that really matter."
Christians all around the world have been submitting their birthday greetings to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, the ministry founded by Graham in 1950, and sharing their personal stories of how Graham has touched their life.
Tens of thousands of messages have been sent in so far and will later be presented to the evangelist as part of the birthday celebration.
Billy Graham spent more than six decades preaching the Gospel to thousands-strong crowds at evangelistic crusades in more than 185 countries and territories.
Since his last crusade in New York in 2005, Graham has remained an active spiritual guide particularly in the written word, writing columns for a number of Christian publications and nearing the completion of a book project based on his personal experience with growing older and how to be prepared emotionally and spiritually for what he says can be the most fulfilling years of life.
Graham expressed his hope in seeing his late wife, Ruth Graham, in heaven. His ministry partner of more than 63 years, she passed away on June 14, 2007.
"I look forward even more to the time when I will be reunited with my wife in heaven, and neither of us will ever experience again the physical aches and pains brought about by age and illness," Graham added.
Mr Graham maintains a keen interest in the ongoing ministry of the Billy Graham
Evangelistic Association (BGEA) under the leadership of his son, Franklin. This past year, he joined ministry board meetings and other activities as his health has allowed.
His legacy lives on in his son and grandson, Will, who regularly hold evangelistic festivals and rallies all around the world, including most recently one in Taipei in Taiwan earlier this month.
"I am proud of Franklin's leadership of the BGEA, and the way it is showing the love of Christ to a hurting world and using new technology to share the Gospel message," said Graham said.
Graham has also followed closely the race for the White House at a time of economic instability and an ongoing war on terror.
"President Elect Barack Obama faces many challenges, and I urge everyone to join me in pledging our support and prayers as he begins the difficult task ahead," he said.
The comments below are readers' personal opinions and are in no way intended to reflect the editorial opinion of Christian Today.
Added: Wednesday, November 12, 2008, 3:27 (GMT)
Billy Graham, America's pastor?
Jennifer Pifer-Bixler writing on CNN.com called him that but it is more accurate to describe him as the master peddler of one superbly marketed yet grossly under-performing product!
Mr. Graham and his kind claim the gospel message is life-changing. Why then do Christians not mobilize politically to end genocide the way they do to ban gay marriage? Lives changed to defend theology instead of human life? Seventy-three million dollars were spent as a result of Proposition 8! That same money could have gone toward supplying much-needed helicopters for the U.N. mission in Darfur. Laws can always be reversed later, suffering on such a massive scale cannot!
Although Billy Graham cannot prove the existense of his god, he tries hard as hell to sell you something you really don't need! He doesn't deserve our honor and respect; those fighting to end crimes against humanity definitely do!
Cecil Crasto, Richmond Hill, Canada
Added: Sunday, November 9, 2008, 16:16 (GMT)
PRAISE GOD FOR USING HIS SERVANT BILLY GRAHAM MIGHTLY FOR THE EXTENSION OF HIS KINGDOM
BLESSING, INDIA
Added: Saturday, November 8, 2008, 21:07 (GMT)
I heard Billy Graham preach at Wembley Stadium (England) in 1965, at Earls Court a few years later and then in Norwich as part of the Mission England Campaign where my late husband sang in the Choir. What Billy said varied little but always pointed to Christ. His and Ruth Graham's books supplemented what Billy preached and have proved helpful to me and many others over the years.
Billy wasn't perfect of course. I have grave reservations about his close connnections with various US presidents and feel that he was somewhat naive and seduced by his connection with power (particually Nixon, Bush Snr and Bush Jnr ). I am saddened that that while Billy refused to preach to segregated audiences he nevertheless supported and endorsed racists like Senator Jesse Helms, Rev Jerry Falwell ( founder of Liberty University) etc who not only oppossed civil rights legisltion in the US but supported the evil apartheid regime in Souh Africa. I also regret Billy's apparent support of American involvement in Vietnam and his silence on the US backing of South American right wing dictatorships, the illegal invasion of Iraq, US atrocities at Abu Ghraib, Guantanomo Bay, Diego Garcia etc.
I believe that Billy's father-in-law Dr Nelson Bell had some influence on Billy's thinking and his refusal to ally himself more closely with the civil rights movement and to make a moral Christian stand for social justice for all.
Sadly some of Billy's children and grandchildren .........Anne Graham Lotz, Franklin Graham and various members of the Tchivdjian family etc have also spoken out in support of of Jesse Helms , Jerry Falwell etc and have appeared on the American television 700 Club programme run by the very right wing, materialistic racist Pat Robertson who, among other things that brings Christianity into disrepute, has called for the assassination of the democratically elected President of Venezuela.
Billy I am impressed by your long life of service and relatively simple lifestyle, saddened that you have sometimes appeared to think that the Kingdom of God and US Foreign Policy were the same thing and concerned by the antics of some of your children and grandchildren and grandchildren-in-law. Nevertheless I wish you a happy 90th birthday and am sure that you will receive a "well done good and faithfull servant " from the Lord.
Florence, UK
Added: Saturday, November 8, 2008, 10:23 (GMT)
Billy Graham NOT The God. God will decide If Billy going to hell or heven.........& dont forget the day of Judgment.
ahmed, uk
Added: Saturday, November 8, 2008, 2:43 (GMT)
yes we have a new president and yes we need to support him and not down him cause i believe in my heart that he will do a very succesfully job may god bless him and family
Sharon cato, aiken south carolina
Added: Friday, November 7, 2008, 11:07 (GMT)
Wow, 90 years old, and what years they were!! If I live to be 90 I hope that each of my years can be as meaningful and inspiring as yours were in the service of the Lord. God bless you!
Nigel Watson, London
Added: Friday, November 7, 2008, 9:21 (GMT)
Just an oversight on your part, I'm sure! You obviously meant to say that the legacy lives on in his son and daughters! See Anne Graham Lotz ministry (http://prayerfoundation.org/billy_grahams_daughter.htm); and Ruth Graham and Friends Ministry (http://ruthgrahamandfriends.org/default.asp.
Happy Birthday Billy Graham
Rachel at Re vis.e re form
Rachel, derby england
