Re: Billy Graham - Tribute to Faithful Gift in the Body
This is something that I heard about Billy Graham that I thought was to be appreciated — if true, who knows... I read somewhere that when Graham realized that his ministry was growing big he handed over all matters concerning the financial aspect of his ministry to a management board.
Now Graham was of course the cash cow, and so would have had the attention of the board and could/did influence it... But the thought is what I appreciated.
Money... The love of it... Is a terrible thing... I've been through years of struggling with my human being, being tied to money... My bank account goes up, my human being goes up... My bank account goes down, my human being goes down... And the worst part about it... I knew this was my reality, and could do nothing about it in and of myself... And God used it to defeat me time and time again.
But today, things are a bit different... I'm not so attached to money as I once was... And not because I have become better in some sort of way... The Lord has simply gained me in my turning to Him rather than in turning to myself.
I'm still as weak as I ever was where my joy or lack of joy as related to my bank account is concerned... But I know that I don't want to be in this kind of bondage, and I know that the only way to be free from it is to be found in Christ Jesus.
And so, when I have a sense of any kind of connection between my being and money... I try desperately to turn to the Lord.
And perhaps that's what Billy Graham was trying to do when he first handed over his ministry's finances to a board... He felt a desperate need to not be drawn into the darkness that is related to money... And maybe even though he had this grace from God to do this, he still failed at it... As we all do.
And if we are all honest... We'd all admit that the only thing standing between any of us holding to any of the negatives folks highlight on these threads about Billy Graham, Witness Lee, or anyone else... Is God's grace.
Were it not for the grace of God... Everyone participating on these forum threads would only be sorry fallen wretches.
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