Dreams Unlocked

This morning I preaching on Proverbs 7 which is basically a diatribe against adultery. It describes a simple young man in the bad part of town who gets seduced by a promiscuous woman. He ends up dead or as Proverbs graphically puts it "slaughtered like an ox". The sermon  was actually about life and death. At the beginning of Proverbs 7 the writer boldly proclaims "keep my commands and you will live". Completely audacious claim. I preached about adherence to the Word of God is an entry into life and will keep us from spiritual death. But, then I went on to discuss how the gospel has been weakened and cheapened in America. The gospel as preached in pulpits across America is basically a variation of this: Got a bad life? Accept Jesus. Have a better life. Got a troubled marriage? Accept Jesus. Get a better marriage. Job problems? Accept Jesus. He'll help you out. This is not the gospel. This is a crime. This is taking the greatest news in the world...

I don't think I can recall when I first heard of Billy Graham or heard him speak. He was always in the background of my life growing up in a Christian home in Canada. Maybe it was watching a crusade on television. Here are some reflections on the man and his impact on my life.... When I was in high school, my church hosted a crusade by one of his associates, John Wesley White. I volunteered to be a counselor at the youth night of the event. I can't remember much except that the guy I prayed with to receive Christ called me the following week to tell me he got a new job and he felt his life was finally back on track. The next brush with the Billy Graham organization was when Franklin Graham held a crusade in my hometown of Saskatoon Saskatchewan. My mom was the prayer coordinator at that event and got to know many of the leaders with the Billy Graham association along with other pastors in the area. I was living in Vancouver Canada at the time so was not involved. This par...