It’s Friday, the week is almost over. It’s been a good week with many new challenges mingled with reminders of past years and the time when those days were also with new challenges. It’s Friday. Saturday is coming soon, but today is Friday.
One of my greatest desires of life, especially in recent years, has been to honor the life of Billy Graham and those who served so faithfully with him through the years by attending Billy Graham’s funeral. Like many of my desires; some day owning a boat with a steering wheel, driving to Honduras one more time, owning a motor home, etc. wasn’t to happen. God had other plans, of which I had no knowledge until this week. We were to be in Guaimaca, Honduras, where God placed JoAnn and me. There’s no place so wonderful to be as being where God places us. Through the years I’ve learned that and am totally content there/here.
Billy Graham passed from this home in Montreat, NC to his final “Montreat”, which he called Heaven, last week. I was not there last week, but do recall how beautiful the mountains around his home must be, because I have been blessed on many occasions to visit the Billy Graham Training Center, which is only a short distance away. Each and every time I visit the Training Center I feel, upon entering the Holy Grounds, that Jesus is standing by every tree, His voice is in every brook, His reflection is in every pool, His presence is in the air, and His message of love is in the whisper of the breeze as it moves peacefully through the forest. I long to hear the great men and women of God speak from the platform of the Billy Graham Training Center, his place, and also His place.
The Billy Graham Library in Charlotte is, likewise, a warehouse source of great and wonderful words, words from the Bible, words of infinite wisdom, words of encouragement. It’s a place for reflection and thanksgiving. It’s a quiet and peaceful place, where God’s presence is always felt and where lives are touched by Him each and every day. It’s a place where Jesus’ love and message of Salvation is proclaimed throughout the world in every imaginable language, culture, and by every available means,. Children hear stories about Jesus, busy working people and intellectuals are challenged by the simple words of a simple man, who delivered a simple message of Jesus’ love, The old are strengthened and encouraged by the reassurance that soon, very soon, they will be with Him throughout eternity. That’s what the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, the Billy Graham training Center, and the Billy Graham Library are about. Just a simple message, from a simple man, about a gift of indescribable value, and purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.. It’s a message of Salvation for all who believe in Jesus Christ. It’s late on Friday. Tomorrow is Saturday.
It’s Friday. The wonderful team from Iowa has served all week in schools in and around Guaimaca with great joy and success. Hundreds have seen the face of Christ through their compassion and love. The Cerro Grande Baptist Church finally has a beautiful red roof and the people have a place to worship Him, study His Word, and share Christ with others. Pain and suffering has been relieved for those who attended the medical brigades provided by the team and others, unable to come themselves, who were visited in their homes. Most importantly, each was ministered to by the hands of Jesus and saw His love in the faces and actions of those who served so faithfully.
After driving the team to the airport to board their flights home, I returned to Guaimaca to join tens of thousands, who set aside this day to honor and reflect on the lives of Billy and Ruth Graham. I prayed that God would allow me enough saldo/recarga (internet time on my modem) to be able to watch a recording of Billy Graham’s funeral by some means. God honored my request and I am using the, probably fleeting, remainder of saldo to publish this note to you.
This is a historical day in world events and in our lives as Christians . It is a day that demonstrates to all of us that a life lived for Christ is a life well worth living. Our time here is short. It’s Friday. Saturday is coming soon and then it will be time to rest on Sunday. We can’t afford to waste a moment. We just simply can’t. The remaining time is too precious and important. We must be about our Father’s business. It’s Friday and Saturday is only a few hours away. Sunday is coming.
I pray that God will give me what I need to reach more for Christ while it’s still not too late. Tomorrow may be too late for some, We must tell them before Sunday. The sun is going down on Friday.
I’m so thankful for the years we have partnered with Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. God has opened the doors and we have been given so many opportunities to serve Him. Tens of thousands have been served by the hospital, medical brigades, churches, schools, seminary, much of which were sponsored by the Billy Graham Ministries. World Baptist Missions has been blessed so many ways by the Billy Graham Ministries. I pray that God will grow the seed planted and that as a result thousands know Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.
Tomorrow is Saturday and Sunday is coming. I want to rest on Sunday without the fear I did too little, waited too long, shamed my Lord, or wasted away the time. It’s already late on Friday afternoon.
Please sign onto the Billy Graham website at billygraham.org and watch the entire funeral service, speakers, family members’ comments, dignitaries from around the world. Reflect on the fact that we didn’t live in the time of Christ, but we have lived during the life of the man who has witnessed to more people for the Lord than anyone in the world since Bible times. Let’s pray that God will send another Billy Graham, or better still, Jesus Himself. In the meantime, let’s tell as many about Christ as possible using Billy Graham’s simple, but truthful and accurate message.
Be blessed today and siempre. .
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