Billy Graham Talk

Franklin Graham is asking concerned citizens to commit to praying for America. This comes on the heels of what Graham calls “political correctness gone amok”. It seems that leaders who are speaking out about the dangers of Islam are being chastised and even made to seem “radical” by the mainstream media. Graham claims that in an effort to be politically correct, many people are offending no one-except Christians that is.

The key verse of scripture used to urge believers to a call of action is 2 Chronicles 7:14 which reads "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land”.  (NIV) This means that even though the United States has turned from her Godly heritage, our nation can be made whole again if the people of this country unite and turn back toward our Christian faith.

Although Franklin Graham does not raise any particular issues when asking people to pray for America, there are some that are definitely worth mentioning. As we are in an election year, we need to pray for Godly leaders to be chosen for office. There are also several key issues that will soon be decided by the United States Supreme Court. Finally, we can also pray for our economy and national defense.

If you’d like to be counted among those who are committed to praying for America go to: https://secure.billygraham.org/pray-for-our-nation/pray-for-our-nation.aspx. Fill out a short contact form and you will be emailed updates from the ministry from time to time.

The Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina is open year-round to the public. Admission is free, and individuals, families, and large groups are welcome to visit. While reservations are not necessary, the staff at the library recommends calling in advance to make arrangements for groups of 15 or more to tour the facility.

The reason why large groups are asked to make reservations is due to the amount of space available on the walking tour. The tour begins inside the main building of the library which resembles an oversized dairy barn. Throughout the tour, guests are taken through numerous exhibits detailing the life and ministry of Reverend Graham including many of his televised evangelistic outreaches.

By making reservations, group leaders can make sure their members can embark on the tour together. Individuals who are visiting the library can start and finish the tour on their own. These tours begin approximately every 15 minutes in the lobby of the barn with an introduction from a talking cow. They end at a reception area where volunteers ask guests to pray and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior before exiting into the gift shop and bookstore.

A typical tour lasts around 45 minutes to an hour inside the library. While visiting this facility, guests can also browse in the gift shop or take a look at some of Graham’s memorabilia. There is also a restaurant that features Ruth’s favorite chicken salad recipe along with many flavors of real dairy ice cream for visitors to enjoy.

  Ruth Bell Graham was born on June 10, 1920 in China. The daughter of two medical missionaries, Ruth lived exclusively in this country until her high school years. At that time, her parents returned to the states and Ruth was allowed to finish high school in Montreat, North Carolina.

Although she attended school in North Carolina, Ruth did not actually meet Billy until 1940. At that time, they were both attending Wheaton College in Illinois where he was known as “the preacher”. After being introduced by a friend, the couple began dating. Once they had both graduated from Wheaton, they decided to get married and tied the knot on August 13, 1943.

During their marriage, Mrs. Graham gave birth to five children, three daughters and two sons. They are: Virginia, Anne, Ruth, Franklin, and Nelson. She spent much of her time alone with her children while they were young, as her husband was often on the road preaching the Gospel.

While Ruth was rarely in the spotlight, she did a great deal to help with Billy’s ministry. She would often give him sermon ideas or critique some of his writings. Mrs. Graham was a talented author in her own right and penned many books including Legacy of a Pack Rat and One Wintry Night along with a few devotional booklets.

Ruth Bell Graham passed away on June 14, 2007 which was just days after her 87^th birthday. She is buried on the ground of the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her tombstone reads “end of construction, thank you for your patience.”

Since beginning his ministry in 1949, the Reverend Billy Graham has often been known as the “preacher to the presidents.” Graham has ministered to every chief executive from the Eisenhower administration until the George W. Bush presidency and was even honored with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation Freedom award.

Eisenhower and Kennedy were both concerned with life after death and often talked with Reverend Graham about heaven. In an interview with Time magazine, Graham remarked that Eisenhower was concerned with knowing how people could be sure whether or not they were going to heaven. Lyndon B. Johnson also had conversations with the preacher on heaven. He was concerned about seeing his parents in heaven and even asked Billy Graham if he would be willing to preach his funeral. Johnson asked that Graham “tell ‘em what Christianity is all about” and to “tell them how they can be sure they can go to heaven.”

Billy Graham in fact ministered to more than one chief executive concerning the loss of a loved one. He attended the funeral of President Nixon’s mother in 1967, and in 1989 he also ministered to a close friend of President Clinton who was dying. After notifying family members of President Reagan’s death, Reverend Graham was the first person Nancy Reagan notified of his passing.

One of his last acts in ministering to the nation came after the tragic events of 9/11. In delivering a message, Graham stated that “… today we come together in this service to confess our need of God. We've always needed God from the very beginning of this nation. But today we need Him especially. We're involved in a new kind of warfare. And we need the help of the Spirit of God.” These words are just as true today as they were when they were delivered more than a decade ago.