This should offend someone ...

I originally posted this on the message boards on AotC MUD, and thought to share it here. It was originally written when inspired by a message about the Reverend Billy Graham on the occasion of his 90th birthday.

In honor of the Reverend Billy Graham's 90th birthday today, I'd like to share some thoughts that came to me when his son, the Reverend Franklin Graham was being interviewed on the radio program Primetime America on the Moody Broadcasting Network.

They were interviewing Franklin on the occasion of his Dad's 90th birthday, and having been asked what one thing would Billy say about today's church (Christianity as a collective whole) that was not true back when he started preaching in the 1950's.

Franklin only hesitated a brief minute before responding that the church today was too fearful of causing offense among those who come for services. People who feel that they can get to heaven by doing the most volunteer work for the poor, or can support a church financially don't want to hear that it is not by our WORKS that we are saved, but by God's grace through Jesus Christ.
Today, people want to come to church to hear a topical sermon, something to tickle the ears and that has 'relevance' to their situation and lives. They don't want to ponder the fact that we are all sinners in need of a Savior's love.

The problem is, we ARE all sinners in need of a Savior. The struggle doesn't end when you say the Sinner's prayer. Each day of our lives, for as long as we live, we deal with the imperfections of our human bodies. We must daily depend on the grace of a God that loves us more than it is possible for us to love ourselves or others.
The love of a Savior who left the Father's side, and came down here on earth and took our likeness, and did the one thing we could not do for ourselves. He died for us.

There's no way we could WORK hard enough.
There's no way we could spend enough money.
There's no way we could pray enough prayers till the heavens rang with our utterances.
There is only one way.

Romans 10:9-10 tells us 'If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus,and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.'

The NRV (New Ronald Version) would read that If you believe it in your heart, and tell everyone around you; and if you confess to Jesus that you are a sinner and wish to be forgiven, then you will receive forgiveness. Because if you accept your sin, and admit it to God, He will forgive you.

Yeah, I know. We don't like having to admit that we're not the greatest thing since sliced bread. We want to think that we're really cool. Or that at least, we're cooler than that bunch over there. But we're no better or no worse than they are. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. But do you want to know the REALLY cool part? Jesus loves us so much, that he's ready to be that Savior!

And Reverend Graham has been telling people the secret for over 50 years. And if you didn't already know it, I've just shared it with you too!