Evangelist Billy Graham celebrated his 90th birthday with his family Friday near his mountain home outside Asheville, N.C.
Christianity Today has a special section on Graham, including articles, sermons and a collection of quotes.
During his birthday week, Graham reportedly plans to use the Internet for the first time by sending an e-mail:
"We're helping him write it, but he's going to push the button," CT quotes Graham's son Franklin, who has received more than 100,000 letters through the Internet to give to his father for his birthday.
"He was asking me the other day, 'How does it work?' And I said, 'I don't know, but I know it does.'"
http://video.google.fr/videoplay?docid=-7692661360707872468
I had the great privilege of hearing Billy Graham speak on two different occasions. One was in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas in 1972 and the other time was in Camden Yards in Baltimore in 2006. The anointing on the music, preaching and invitation is very special in crusades that are held in stadiums and arenas.
I will always remember that experience in Dallas, Texas. I was attending a Christian Convention sponsored by "Campus Crusade for Christ" called "Explo 72". One of the neat things about this convention was that for one year before the Crusade, the Dallas telephone book was torn apart page by page and each page was distributed to various prayer groups throughout the United States. For one year before the actual week of meetings, every person/family whose name appeared in the Dallas telephone directory was prayed for. The Lord really prepared the people and city. Many people from Dallas came to the hotels and motels where many of us were staying. They begged us to leave the motels and hotels and come and live with them during this week. They said that it was not proper or hospitable for us to stay in the hotels and motels. They gave us the keys to their homes and some gave us their cars to use to travel back and forth to the Cotton Bowl and other convention centers.
Dallas, Texas was suffering from a severe drought back in the summer of 1972. When the 85,000 Christians met in Dallas, they began praying for rain. It was on a Wednesday night and 85,000 plus Christians gathered in the Cotton Bowl to hear Billy Graham and various Gospel singing artists. About 45 minutes into the program, the Heavens literally opened and poured rain on the 85,000 plus Christians(many were sitting on the infield). When the thunder would roll, the thousands of Christians stood up and praised the Lord in the drenching rain. As if in answer from the Lord, another roll of thunder would sound and we would praise the Lord even more. This went on for hours and created quite a problem for the film editors who were recording the event for a later telecast. Just before Billy Graham was to speak, the rain suddenly stopped and a huge cloud appeared over the one end of the Cotton Bowl and a fantastic rainbow appeared. The evening remained rain free as we heard Billy Graham speak. The following morning the Dallas newspapers in Second Coming type, had the following headlines, "LARGEST BAPTISM IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD".
I have heard that Billy Graham actually visted York, Pennsylvania during the early part of his ministry. The story goes like this: Billy Graham was a personal friend of Ralph Boyer, the minister who founded the York Gospel Center which was originally located on South Pine Street in the City of York. Ralph Boyer was the the father of Dave Boyer, the famous night club singer turned Gospel singer/recording artist. I think Ralph Boyer originally pastored the Pleasureville United Methodist (formerly E.U.B.) Church when he felt led of the Lord to leave that ministry and start the York Gospel Center. Ralph Boyer and Billy Graham may have been classmates in Bible College or Seminary. I am also told that originally that church was a huge tent and was called the "York Tabernacle". It was during this time that Billy Graham visited the "York Tabernacle" and spoke on more than one occasion. A friend of mine told me that when Ralph Boyer went to be with the Lord, Billy Graham sent a personal flower arrangement to the funeral.
I am sure some of the older members of the York Gospel Center could give more accurate information on Billy Graham speaking in their church or tabernacle.