 Hi, this is Pastor David Rosales of Calvary Chapel of the Chino Valley, California. Today, instead of answering a question concerning the Christian faith, I would instead like to take a moment to honor the world's greatest modern evangelist, Billy Graham. Very few people who have ever lived have had the kind of impact on the world that the evangelist Billy Graham had, and he will continue having an amazing impact long after his death, as his sermons will continue being broadcast on radio and television, and his books will continue being read by millions. Billy was born November 7, 1918 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and lived his early life on the family's dairy farm in Charlotte. At the age of 17, Billy attended revival meetings that were being led by an evangelist by the name of Mordecai Ham. And though Billy was an outwardly moral and good young man, he knew that he was not as good as others thought him to be. Billy said, when I came to Christ, I was head of the young people society. The clergyman thought that I was the finest Christian among the young people, but he didn't know me very well. He didn't know the hunger of my heart. He didn't know the sins of my life. When I was 17 years of age, I gave my life to Christ, and he changed me. After graduating high school, he attended various colleges and ultimately graduated from the Florida Bible Institute for the bachelor's degree in theology. He moved to Illinois and rolled at Wheaton College and there met his future wife, Ruth. Shortly thereafter, Ruth and Billy married and together had five children. He pastored the first Baptist Church in Western Springs, Illinois and left to join Youth for Christ until 1952 when he resigned to concentrate on preaching the gospel and ultimately preached the gospel and established leadership summits in around 185 countries and territories around the world. And he preached to over 200 million listeners over the span of over 60 years. He was named by Americans as one of the 10 most admired men in the world, a record breaking 59 times, a well-deserved honor for such a courageous, faithful and humble man of God. Billy was willing to go anywhere to preach the gospel. The story is told of a well-known sportswriter who was in Africa for a safari. He was traveling on a dirt road when the car in front of him stopped and then proceeded to attempt to make a U-turn in front of him. As it was taken much longer than he would have liked the sports writer, he yelled out at the driver and said, Where are you going for Christ's sake? To his embarrassment, the other driver turned out to be Billy Graham and Billy said to him, I go everywhere for Christ's sake. This lifelong work made him the most influential preacher of the 20th century. Billy preached the gospel in a simple way because he knew that in its essence, the message is one that reaches into the most basic needs of the human soul. Man has terribly fallen hopelessly lost. He's lost his way, but God has loved him and sent his son to save him and bring him home. Simple words, but the heart of the message of the gospel. Billy said, I have one message that Jesus Christ came. He died on a cross. He rose again and he asked us to repent of our sins and receive him by faith as Lord and Savior. And if we do, we have forgiveness of all our sins. This simple message was given throughout the world and will continue going forth by others who also hold tightly to the truth that it reveals. As a young Christian, I had the opportunity of attending a few crusades and rallies and over the years was always moved by the simplicity of his message, his absolute conviction that God's word is true and his careful, scriptural presentation of the gospel message. I loved how he would say the Bible says and then carefully quote a scripture to present a clearer picture of our need for Jesus Christ and his promise to fill all the empty spaces of our broken lives. To see this great man give the invitation and then quietly wait with his hand on his chin as he prayed while hundreds responded and came forward to the song just as I am was always spiritually and emotionally moving. And for me as a Christian, this continues to encourage hope in my own heart as I attempt to share the same timeless message with any who would hear in a day when it can seem that people are just not that interested in hearing the message of the gospel. I've come to believe that it is for such a time as this that we the church have been commissioned to preach the hope and love of our God and Billy Graham will always be a great model for doing just that. It is not time for us, the church to take our rest and it is certainly not the time for us to give up hope in the darkness of the moment. We still hold forth the light of life that is found in the gospel for believers everywhere. It is time to once again preach with confidence the powerful and timeless message of God's love and of his forgiveness to any and all who would receive Jesus as savior. Billy once said courage is contagious when a brave man takes a stand. The spines of others are often stiffened. This is true and it truly is time for the church to take a stand and to renew our confidence in God's word and its transforming power in the heart of the hopeless sinner. His beloved wife Ruth went home to be with Jesus in 2007 and Billy said at that time I will miss her terribly and look forward even more to the day I can join her in heaven. Billy has done just that. He's joined the multitude of faithful saints that have preceded him to heaven many of whom are there because of his faithful preaching of the gospel over so many years. When asked concerning his success in evangelism concerning the secret of its impact Billy said the secret of my work is God. I would be nothing without him. May we all learn this lesson today. We all are nothing without him. We have not lost a great man because when you lose something you simply do not know where it is. We know where Billy is. He is with the Lord and he is with his beloved wife and he is worshiping and beholding the face of the one he so faithfully presented to the lost world that was and is in such great need for love and hope. We will miss Dr. Graham but one day we will all be together in heaven worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ the one Billy loves so very deeply. May God continue bringing comfort to his family and may we all continue faithfully serving Jesus with courage and confidence that we might also hear the well done that will be given by our loving savior Jesus to all who have faithfully served him. This is Pastor David Rosales of Calvary Chapel of the Chino Valley.