June 6, 1993....Three Rivers Stadium...."And The Pitch..."

                It was early June of 1993....at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh at the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers....forming the Ohio River. No it was not a Pirate game....nor a Rolling Stones concert....but a Billy Graham crusade....his third crusade in our city....the first two in 1952 and in 1968....where my wife and two friends went forward. Her one friend went to be with the Lord about a decade ago....the other is today very active in church missions....and we visit with her and her husband a couple of times a year.
                When he was here with his 1968 crusade I had just graduated from high school and was beginning to embark on a number of years of rebellion in many ways to God....where it was only by His grace that I survived alcohol....that put my life in danger on more than one occasion. Billy Graham was my age at the time of his 1993 crusade....74 years old. I didn't attend any of his four days of crusades....but I should have. 
                There were either 155,000 or 171,000 in attendance over the four days.....depending on the estimates that I have read....and over 12,000 went forward. Oh how we miss those crusades today.....where in the early days there were only four television channels so it was nearly impossible to not stumble across a broadcast at some point. Admittedly today the crusade broadcast would be somewhere in the hundreds of channels where it would be nearly impossible....to stumble across one!
                 Billy's fourth and last message in that 1993 crusade was titled....Is The End Of The World Close. I just watched the video....the text being 2 Peter 2. It was wonderful to see the panorama of Three Rivers....every seat filled save for those immediately behind the speaker platform. Reverend Graham began with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah....and Abraham....and Lot.....and Lot's wife.
                 At one time Billy looked into the camera and said...."and to you Christians....remember Lot's wife....who wanted the things of this world." He reminds us that there was no remnant of the righteous in either Sodom or Gomorrah....but there is today in America....and that is why it is important that we remain faithful until He comes! He warned..."You may be baptized and confirmed and a church member and all of that is wonderful....but that is not enough....for you must be born again....for at that moment your name is written in the book of life!"
               He continued...."What do you have to do....repent of your sins....surrender totally to Christ....your heart and your mind and your body...and don't delay because today is the day....and you may never have another opportunity!"
               Thirty years ago I mentioned Billy Graham to a very reformed Christian pastor....in a very conservative denomination....it may have been at the time of this crusade....this at the door of the church as we were leaving.....and he became flustered and said...."Billy Graham is no friend of mine." Ten years ago I was visiting a Christian brother....an extreme fundamentalist....just checking up on him really....and I again brought up Billy Graham....and again was surprised....as he went on a rant against Billy Graham....and literally ended our fellowship right there! We walk a fine line in evangelicalism today....if we veer off to one side....presuming to be loving....we can begin a compromising that can lead to destroying all of truth....and if we veer off to the other side....we ignore Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5: 19-21...."Do not quench the Spirit....Do not despise prophecies....Test all things; hold fast what is good." Unfortunately what we do sometimes is....we just choose not to walk that line!
               At the end of the broadcast....as people were filling the infield area....Billy looked into the camera again and suggested for some to say...."Lord....I repent of my sins as best I know how....and I'm not even sure that I know how....help me to repent." There it is. We do not know how....we do not understand many things....but we do know that we are in desperate need of a savior....for we are the one that rebelled....for without knowing that....there can be no true repentance.
               One of my favorite Bible verses is the pleading of the father of a boy possessed by an evil spirit. He responded to Jesus who told him...." 'If you can'! All things are possible for one who believes." The father said...."I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24)