Yes, Pat, He isn't preaching much these days due to his age and health but he hasn't died yet. Phil. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Pat Ferguson" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Friday, July 25, 2008 12:44 PM Subject: Re: The Farm > Phil, You always write with such great enthoosiasm. > > Is Billy Graham still alive? > > Thanks for sharing. > > Pat Ferguson > > > > > At 03:23 PM 7/24/2008, you wrote: > >The Power Of The Gospel > > > >By Phil Scovell > > > > > > > > > > My youngest son and I flew to Charlotte, North Carolina to > >spend the weekend with my oldest son. The next day. > > > > The first thing we did was go to the Billy Graham Library > >which had more than just a profound effect upon me it impacted me > >spiritually. I first noticed it went we approached the > >buildings, walking down the walk ways, but I didn't say anything > >until we were leaving. What did I notice? I'll explain later. > > > > The library is built to look like the farm upon which Billy > >Graham was raised. The original house is there, moved from about > >three miles distance, and about 90 percent of the house was > >reconstructed from the original. It also has many of the original > >tables, chairs, and other things needed to house a family. On the > >Library grounds, There is also a silo, and the area is constructed > >to resemble a farm house in a wooded area. You enter a barn like > >structure, check in at a desk, and soon join a tour. No, it is > >free, just like salvation. > > > > Your first stop is a mechanically constructed cow. A > >recording comes on and she tells a little of what it was like back > >in the days Billy was growing up on the farm, milking cows, > >feeding the animals, working the fields and typical farm chores. > >The cows mouth, eyes, and tail move as she talks briefly about how > >life began for Billy Graham. In the background, are chirping > >birds, chickens, and pigs that occasionally make their sounds from > >various parts of the barn. > > > > From that point, you move through various rooms with various > >themes that are characteristic of the life and times of Billy > >Graham. A greeter is at each room to offer some brief > >instructions, such as, the nature of the room, and what you are > >about to here. Nearly every room has audio and video tapes which > >start playing so even for a blind person, it is pretty informative > >without additional sighted assistance. People from the recordings > >are sharing how God changed their lives through the Gospel > >preached by a man who was nothing more than a young farm boy at > >heart. This included his mother, his wife, Ruth, of whom Billy > >always said Ruth was the finest Christian he ever knew in his > >life, his son, and many others testifying what it was like to have > >personally known Billy Graham and how Jesus had come into their > >heart and life and changed them through his preaching ministry all > >around the world. > > > > For me, it was like walking back into the history of my life. > >Room after room, and sound recordings and television productions > >of past Billy Graham crusades that began playing, reminded me > >time and time again of my own life. The presidents he knew and > >prayed with in the White House, the movie stars, and other famous > >people are all documented with pictures and magazine and newspaper > >clippings throughout the library. > > > > Each room progresses through various stages of his life, the > >times in which he ministered, and the world events that were > >occurring. I was able to identify with nearly all of these > >various events due to my age growing up as a child during most of > >those earlier events and later, of course, as I entered adulthood. > >This created a very personal spiritual atmosphere for me because > >many references were made to Billy Graham and how his ministry > >flourished especially in 1957 when he began his television > >broadcasts in black and white all over the country and soon all > >over the world. > > > > It was in late 1957 that my dad and I sat at home alone one > >evening and watched a Billy Graham crusade broadcast on our TV. I > >well remember this man, and his strong voice, described in simple > >terms the suffering of Jesus as he died upon the cross for my > >sins. He even suggested that due to the horrible beatings Jesus > >took from the soldiers and the Roman cat of nine tails, his back > >and sides lay in ripped open tatters of skin. He suggested, > >although not mentioned in the Bible, that perhaps buzzards, or > >vultures, may have landed on the arms of the cross to pick away at > >the lose skin hanging from our Savior's torn body. Later that > >night, since mom and my baby sister were gone over night to a camp > >out at a nearby lake with the teenage girls from our church, my > >dad and I lay in the darkness. I was afraid to be alone upstairs > >so dad had said I could bunk with him that night. "Dad?" I said. > > > > "What," he answered in the darkness. > > > > "Who was the preacher on the TV talking about tonight?" > > > > "He was," dad replied, "talking about Jesus. You know, the > >man who died on the cross for our sins you have heard about in > >Sunday school?" > > > > "Yes," I said quietly. "I remember the stories. This is > >the same man from the stories I hear at church in Sunday school?" > > > > "It sure is the same man, son. Why?" > > > > "Well, what did the preacher mean tonight?" and I commented > >on the vultures possibly picking the skin fragments off our Lord's > >wrecked and tortured and ripped body. > > > > Dad explained how Jesus was stripped of his clothing in front > >of everybody, and tortured by the soldiers by beating Jesus, > >punching Him and slapping him in the face over and over again, > >ripping his beard out, flesh and all, his back being literally > >torn open with a whip made to tear the skin of His back and sides, > >he described the extreme bloodiness of the torture, the crown of > >thorns they pounded down upon his head, the spike sized nails they > >used to drive into His hands and feet on to the heavy wooden cross > >and then lifted Him up into the air for all to see. My dad > >explained what hung on the cross did not even look like a human > >being by the time they got done beating and torturing him. > > > > I felt sorry for this man in my own way. "Why, daddy?" I > >asked. "Why did this happen to Jesus." > > > > "Son, He did it for us. We all have sinned. We are actually > >born sinners. We can't go to Heaven as the sinners we are born > >but Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and on the third day, > >rose from the grave. He is now in Heaven." > > > > "I remember all that now from Sunday school, dad, but what > >can I do? I would like to do something for Jesus for all He did > >for me on that cross the preacher talked about tonight." > > > > My father, a preacher himself, told me I could do something > >for Jesus and for myself. "All you have to do is pray, say that > >you believe Jesus died on the cross for your sins, realize His > >blood can cleanse you, and that you believe He died and was buried > >for three days and then was resurrected. Then just ask Jesus into > >your heart to save you. Could you do that?" > > > > "I can't remember everything to say but I would like to pray, > >dad. I want to be with Jesus in Heaven." > > > > Switching on a bed lamp, we got out of bed and got on our > >knees next to the bed. Dad said, "Just say these words after me, > >Philip, and I'll help you say the words. Ok?" > > > > "Ok, daddy." > > > > The bedroom felt different, somehow, like somebody was in > >their with us. > > > > Repeating words similar to what I write now, my father prayed > >and I echoed, "Dear Lord Jesus, I'm just a little boy. I don't > >understand everything but I believe Jesus died on the cross for my > >sins. I believe His blood was shed for my sins. I cannot save > >myself and go to Heaven without your help. Forgive me of all my > >sins and I believe you died and rose the third day for me. Come > >into my heart and save me. In Jesus name, Amen." > > > > It didn't take very long and what we prayed was way simpler > >than I just wrote just now but I often have people ask me, after > >being born again for over 50 years, did it work? The answer is > >simple. Yes. I told my mom the next day that it felt as if a > >wind blew into the bedroom and blew right through my body. I saw > >dirty and black mud washing right out of my body as the wind blew > >it all away. Then, when it stopped, I felt clean like I had taken > >a bath inside and out." That feeling, by the way, has never left > >me in all these many decades of walking with the Lord and all of > >this due to a man on television preaching a simple message about > >Jesus Christ who died and suffered for our sins." My life has > >never been the same. > > > > So, you see, walking through the library, hearing the various > >testimonies, and hearing various clips of Billy Graham as he > >preached from year to year until modern times, had more than just > >a little effect upon me personally. > > > > The tour itself inside the library ended in a small chapel > >where we all sat and listen and watched on a screen as Billy > >Graham preached a short five minute message of the Gospel and how > >to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior right then and there if > >you had not done so before. They passed out cards with the > >Gospel and showed you what to pray in order to be born again. > >Then they asked you to sign it to indicate if you were born again > >or if you have just prayed and asked Christ into your life. There > >is no way on earth that any person could have gotten through that > >tour, especially in the chapel at the end, and say to God some day > >at the Great White Throne judgment, "But Lord, I never heard you > >died for my sins." > > > > Leaving the building, we walked down to where his wife, Ruth, > >is buried in the prayer garden and then we walked back to our car. > > > > Walking to the library and away from it, speakers are > >strategically and masterfully placed which are continually playing > >soft Christian music. The uniqueness of this was how the speakers > >were placed and balanced. You never once walked out of sound and > >into more sound but instead, you felt as if the entire time, and > >every place you walked on the grounds of the library, that you > >were being bathed in pleasant soft music. It was as close to > >sensing the presence of the Holy Spirit you will ever experience > >but more than that, the whole place, inside and out, God as my > >witness, felt as if you were walking in the presence of God and > >the peace and presence of the Holy Spirit. I found myself > >blinking back tears the entire time we were on the grounds. I cry > >even now just thinking about the man who preached so down to earth > >that even a little five year old boy got the message so he could > >do something for Jesus because Jesus had suffered so much for him > >to go to Heaven. > > > >"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be > >saved," (Romans 10:13). > > > >Are you? > > > > > >It Sounds Like God To Me. > >www.SafePlaceFellowship.com > > > > > > > > > >E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (5.5.1.322) > >Database version: 5.10330e > >http://www.pctools.com/en/spyware-doctor/ > > > > > > E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (5.5.1.322) > Database version: 5.10340e > http://www.pctools.com/en/spyware-doctor/ >