EDITOR'S NOTE: The Rev. Billy Graham passed away at the age of 99 on February 21, 2018.
Billy Graham preached the message of Christ’s freedom and forgiveness around the world, reaching over 200 million people in more than 185 countries. He lead hundreds of thousands of people to pray to receive Jesus Christ into their lives as Lord and Savior. His integrity and wisdom opened doors to offer spiritual support and guidance for United States presidents from Eisenhower to Bush. He was a friend to celebrities, politicians, athletes, and leaders, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Bono, Muhammad Ali, Johnny Cash, Larry King, and WWII hero and Olympian Louis Zamperini.
Billy Graham was named by Americans as "One of the Ten Most Admired Men in the World,” a record-breaking 59 times with the Gallup poll. He was known through the years as not only a world renowned evangelist, but as a kind, non-judgmental, accepting, and humorous soul.
His message is timeless, powerful, and relevant for today. The phrase, “the Bible says,” resounds throughout his sermons, and the truth he preached for years still transcends all barriers of denominational differences, age, nationality, and culture. It has stood the test of time and generations, pointing millions to Christ.
The Reverend Billy Graham preached God’s Word with conviction and passion for over 60 years. Here are just a few of his words of wisdom.
40 Powerful Quotes by Billy Graham:
On Heaven:
“My home is in Heaven. I'm just traveling through this world.”
“Heaven is full of answers for which nobody ever bothered to ask.”
“God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he'll be there.”
“The moment we take our last breath on earth, we take our first in heaven.”
On Jesus:
“God proved his love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, ‘I love you.’”
“Christ not only died for all: he died for each.”
“We say to our children, 'Act like grown-ups,' but Jesus said to the grown-ups, 'Be like children.'
"The only hope for enduring peace is Jesus Christ."
“Without the resurrection, the cross is meaningless.”
“The cross shows us the seriousness of our sin—but it also shows us the immeasurable love of God.”
On God's Will and Purpose for Us:
“The will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us.”
“God never takes away something from your life without replacing it with something better.”
“Take one day at a time. Today, after all, is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.”
"God has given us two hands, one to receive with and the other to give with."
On How to Live with Eyes Fixed on Eternity:
“I've read the last page of the Bible, it's all going to turn out all right.”
“There is nothing wrong with men possessing riches. The wrong comes when riches possess men.”
“If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life.”
“The only time my prayers are never answered is on the golf course.”
“When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.”
“Knowing we will be with Christ forever far outweighs our burdens today! Keep your eyes on eternity!”
“World events are moving very rapidly now. I pick up the Bible in one hand, and I pick up the newspaper in the other. And I read almost the same words in the newspaper as I read in the Bible. It’s being fulfilled every day round about us.”
On Loving God and Loving Others Well:
“It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict, God's job to judge and my job to love.”
“A real Christian is the one who can give his pet parrot to the town gossip.”
“Sin is the second most powerful force in the universe, for it sent Jesus to the cross. Only one force is greater—the love of God.”
“The framers of our Constitution meant we were to have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.”
“They asked her (Ruth Graham) did she ever think about divorce and she said, ‘No, I’ve never thought of divorce in all these 35 years of marriage, but,’ she said, ‘I did think of murder a few times.’”
“Our society strives to avoid any possibility of offending anyone – except God.”
On Evangelism:
“We are the Bibles the world is reading; we are the creeds the world is needing; we are the sermons the world is heeding.”
“I have never known anyone to accept Christ’s redemption and later regret it.”
“Tears shed for self are tears of weakness, but tears shed for others are a sign of strength.”
“Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion – it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.”
"The message I preach hasn't changed. Circumstances have changed. Problems have changed, but deep inside man has not changed, and the gospel hasn't changed."
On Suffering:
“Comfort and prosperity have never enriched the world as much as adversity has.”
"Mountaintops are for views and inspiration, but fruit is grown in the valleys."
“When we come to the end of ourselves, we come to the beginning of God."
“Someone asked me recently if I didn’t think God was unfair, allowing me to have Parkinson’s and other medical problems when I have tried to serve him faithfully. I replied that I did not see it that way at all. Suffering is part of the human condition, and it comes to us all. The key is how we react to it, either turning away from God in anger and bitterness or growing closer to him in trust and confidence.”
“Believers, look up – take courage. The angels are nearer than you think.”
“Quit beating yourself up. We all live under grace and do the best we can.”
From Billy Graham's 9/11 Message at the Washington National Cathedral:
I’ve become an old man now. And I’ve preached all over the world. And the older I get, the more I cling to that hope that I started with many years ago, and proclaimed it in many languages to many parts of the world.”
That hope he speaks of so passionately, is the powerful message of Christ and the cross.
“The cross tells us that God understands our sin and our suffering, for he took them upon himself in the Person of Jesus Christ. From the cross God declares, 'I love you. I know the heartaches and the sorrows and the pain that you feel. But I love you.'
The story does not end with the cross, for Easter points us beyond the tragedy of the cross to the empty tomb. It tells us that there is hope for eternal life, for Christ has conquered evil and death and hell. Yes, there is hope.”
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Just as I am.
All is grace.
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References:
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
Just As I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham, by Billy Graham (Harper Collins Publishers, 1999)
Debbie McDaniel is a pastor's wife, mom to three amazing kids and a few too many pets, dramatist and writer. She has a heart to communicate God's hope though the everyday moments of life - the good, the bad, the ugly, and the ones that take your breath away. A lover of every sunrise, forever needy of His grace, this Texas girl finds joy in the simple gift of each new day. Debbie invites you to join her at www.freshdayahead.com, and Facebook and Twitter.
This article is part of our larger Inspiring Quotes resource meant to encourage strengthen your faith. Visit our most popular quotes by well known Christians and theologians to find more inspiration. Remember, the Holy Spirit can work through us when we increase our faith and share it with us! Please pass along any quotes that touch your heart because you never know light you can shine on someone else’s dark day!
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Originally published Thursday, 22 February 2018.
