Billy Graham

Billy Graham devoted his life to spreading the gospel message of Jesus Christ.  Jesus died on the cross so that anyone who believes in Him will be forgiven their sins and inherit eternal life.  This is the gospel message.  No one communicated this message in clearer and simpler terms than did Billy Graham.   If I was Probably every adult in American and much of the world otherwise knows who Billy Graham was.  He took seriously the command capable I might write many books about Billy Graham but that would only be scratching the surface of what could be said about him and his remarkable life.  There is much about him in books, on the internet and you can listen to some of his sermons on YouTube.   My purpose in this post in not to go too deeply into his life but to recognize the simple message he delivered many thousands of times.

Billy would open with the fact that God loves you.  He would point out that we are dead to sin and are separated from God.    Next, he would explain that God the Father sent his only begotten Son to die for our sins, Jesus Christ.  Then, he would say that if you repented for your sins and asked Jesus into your heart and believed that Jesus would forgive your sins you would be born again and come into a personal relationship with Him where you would experience love, peace and joy and gain eternal life.   There is much more to learn after that from reading the bible, prayer and listening to the Holy Spirit.  It’s a simple message and it is completely true.  Both of my parents were greatly influenced to accept Christ as their Savior by Billy Graham.   My fathers mother had everyone eat dinner while watching Billy Grahams crusades on television.  My father gives Billy Graham the credit for leading him to Jesus Christ.

Billy Graham went to heaven to be with Jesus on February 21, 2018.  Millions of people have been blessed because he passed this way.

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa was born in 1910.  She founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta India in 1950.  The Missionaries of Charity to care of those with diseases, those on poverty, orphans and dying.

Mother Teresa had a strong personal relationship with Jesus and because of this she realized the positive value of a personal relationship with everyone she cared for.  These people were often the outcasts of society with little or no relationships with others.  She gave generously of her self and time by nurturing each person with a very personal relationship.  This inspired hope and security and often led to conversions and healings from the sufferings of those in her care.  She spent 45 years of her life ministering in Calcutta and lived the same impoverished life of those she helped.  Mother Teresa is one of the great examples of Christian love.

JOHN WESLEY

John Wesley was born in Lincolnshire England in 1703.  His father was a member of the clergy of the Church of England.  This religious upbringing greatly influenced his life.  As a young man he became a strong preacher in the Anglican faith.  Early in his career he was influenced by the Evangelist George Whitefield who reached  people in his preaching  who were excluded from attending a traditional church.  Following Whitefield's example he began preaching outdoor sermons going from place to place.  His focus was to reach those who were not being exposed to the gospel by the traditional churches.  Wesley spent much of his life traveling and preaching the gospel.  He wrote, "I look at all the world as my parish".

Wesley believed, "love is the fulfillment of the law.  It is not only the first and great command but all the commandments in one".  He believed that anyone could directly experience Gods love through a personal relationship with Him.  He also firmly believed God loved everyone and wanted everyone to be saved.  Because of this he opposed the Calvinist doctrine of predestination.  During his travels Wesley build many small chapels and ordained ministers to preach in them.  He believed scripture gave him this authority. He established a strong body of believers over a large geographic area.   In doing so John Wesley established Methodism.  His teachings greatly influenced the protestant evangelical movement.

William Wilberforce

William Wilberforce was born on August 24^th in Yorkshire England into a family of wealthy merchants.   He was influenced by relatives as a young child to become an Evangelical which his mother disapproved of being a member of the church of England.  This influence lasted for the rest of his life.  At the age of 21 he ran for a seat in Parliament and won.  Uncompromising in his convictions he was an independent who sometimes had conflicts with both the Whigs and Tory’s.  He was committed to voting his conscience on all issues.  Sometime in 1795 Wilberforce converted to Evangelism and went from a worldlier lifestyle to one of total commitment to God.  For this he considered moral behavior as an expression of his Christian dedication.  In 1787 he became involved with a group of anti-slave trade activists.  He became convinced that God had called him to lead in the effort to abolish slavery.  From then on until his death in 1833 he was a major leader in the movement to abolish the slave trade and used his seat in Parliament to further this and other causes he associated with his relationship with God.   He actively fought for a greater sense of morality and for the rights of animals believing they were also Gods creatures.  His efforts of many years led to the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 just three days before his death.  His story is particularly inspiring because his love for God led him to dedicate himself for nearly half a century to fight for a cause he eventually won.  His efforts also influenced the rise of abolitionist sentiment in the United States and other nations.