Billy Graham

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Aquila

The Bible is infallible. Our interpretations and understanding of it are not.

For this reason, I believe we should allow God to be God. Leave it to God to determine the final outcome of those Christians who do not embrace the Apostolic doctrine as we do. For He alone is sovereign. He has the power and authority to have mercy upon whom He will have mercy. This doesn't weaken the Apostolic message. Instead, it affirms God's power and authority. It elevates Him above being a lap dog whom we expect to bark in accordance to our human interpretations of Scripture.

Hence the reason why individuals like my old pap, believed that Christians (or any religion) was delusional. It's like this 2+2 = 4, not 2,345. Or 5, or 1. You might get away your entire life not knowing math or even knowing how to read. You may of even convinced yourself that math or reading wasn't important. We even meet others who are illiterate, and we start to get comfortable. Even those who know math even give a pass to those who don't. Now we end up with a world view which is extremely skewed.
The Bible doesn't have 52 different views, that is because of a plethora of reasons you come up with bad addition. That isn't God's fault, He has been trying to teach you simple math. Yet, through arrogance, pride, and dramatic emotions we disregard God's call.

Originally Posted by Aquila

Did Billy Graham make it? I don't know. What I do know is that Graham didn't embrace Apostolic doctrine. Therefore, apart from God choosing to have mercy, Billy Graham isn't in Heaven.

Yet, the Apostles didn't preach that we had other options. Jesus was emphatic, He said that the Way was hard to navigate, the opening was almost closed, and few would find that opening Matthew 7:13-14 . Seriously?

I'm going to circumvent all that, because I want my Catholic grandmother or Jewish aunt to make it to glory by default? Here is my brother's Apostolic Abuelita praying on her knees, reading a studying her Bible, witnessing in Colombia.
She did the same things as my Roman Catholic MeeMaw. Yet, when they both get in front of God, God lets them both in? Hey, that might work in the J. R. R. Tolkien's world of Middle Earth, but is that merciful? Where is Abuelita's mercy? How was that even fair? That salvation's final outcome wasn't even predicated on scripture, but on something totally different. Something Jesus and His apostles never even taught?

The whole thing about God all of a sudden changing the rules at the last minute is our own self deception.

Originally Posted by Aquila

Do I pray that God had mercy on Billy? Yes.

Why? You looking for a ecclesiastical merit badge? Mercy on Billy Graham? My brother you have a plethora of Apostolic Pentecostals who broke their rear ends preaching, teaching, sweating it out for the Gospel. Apostolic to the bone, wearing out the tips of their shoes in a prayer room, worn out knees in suits. Walking all over the place all over the globe, trying to win souls while sucking on their wallets. Missionaries who are killing it day in and day out, sometimes living in bad conditions. Pray for them bro, pray for them. Pray for Apostolics to have mercy. Instead of some jackleg jellybean who gets prayers from you only because he is famous. Good God from Zion!

Originally Posted by Aquila

I am not ashamed to say that I took a moment and prayed that God have mercy on Billy Graham.

Your not ashamed, because it is legalism. It is being "Christian" the population around you expect you to pray for an American High Priest. Like a haircut, shave, and shoeshine can make someone "look" Churchy. So does all the piety of praying for the other team.

Originally Posted by Aquila

Will God have mercy? That is entirely up to God. And God is worthy of our praise and worship no matter what God chooses to do with a human soul. For His judgments are always righteous, just, and in accordance to His loving and holy nature.

Chris, that isn't praising Him that is accusing Him of unrighteousness. He told Balaam in Numbers 23:19 that He wasn't a liar like man, because if He said it, He would make good on what He said. You are teaching that God at the last minute and the most crucial time, changes the game. Good luck with that.