Billy Graham has died at the age of 99, according to CNN . Graham became well known for his powerful tent revival sermons that brought a message of faith to Christians. William Franklin Graham, Jr. had dreams of becoming a baseball player as a boy but changed directions after heartbreak and later receiving a huge publicity break in 1949 when using the powerful medium of media to spread his message in order to “win souls for Christ.”
Graham’s ministry went largely untouched by scandal, except for missteps of being too close to former President Richard Nixon and getting caught on tape making anti-Semitic remarks, as reported by Today . Graham would later apologize for such remarks.
Graham often said that he did not fear death, due to his beliefs that his faith in Jesus would send him straight to heaven after taking his last breath on Earth. The Rev. Billy is credited with leading millions of people to Christianity.
Graham died at his house in Montreat, North Carolina, after having worked with former presidents and non-famous folks as a spiritual advisor over the decades. A tall and striking man, Graham went to great lengths to ensure the integrity of his ministry remained intact.
As reported by the Charlotte Observer , Graham’s grandson, Will Graham, spoke of the times that his young and handsome grandfather checked into a hotel room – but only after first allowing a man to go in before him to ensure no naked woman was hiding in the closets or under the bed. Graham wanted to make sure that no photographer had sneaked into the room with a nude lady in order to set him up for salacious photos in order to impugn his character.
In the wake of the news about the famous preacher’s death, the name Billy Graham is trending on Twitter. On Facebook posts like the one below from the Today Show , some social media commentators are writing “good riddance” to televangelists like Graham, while others are turning to the Bible to surmise the situation: “Well done , good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”
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