the horns of ames

I read this story today and I thought it was amazing.  How much time do I spend trying to prove the Bible is accurate instead of letting God's words (1 Thessalonians 2:13) pierce the hearts of the unbelievers and let the Holy Spirit do His work.  For me, a natural debater, that's hard for me to do.  I will just relay it here from Dr. Adrian Roger's study on "The Incredible Power of Kingdom Authority - Achieving Victory Through Surrender."  Copyright LifeWay church resources.

 

BILLY GRAHAM AND THE POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD

 

In 1949, when Billy Graham was a very young man, he harbored the same doubts about the Bible that many young people have.  When he stood up to preach there was a lack of power.  He knew an intellectual battle was waging in his mind over the authority of God's Word.

 

That year God allowed Billy to spend some time in the mountains outside of Los Angeles.  There, he wrestled with God and with himself.  He said, "In desperation, I surrendered my will to the living God revealed in the Scripture.  I knelt before the open Bible and said, 'Lord, many things in this book I do not understand, but Thou hast said the just shall live by faith.  All I have, I have received by faith.  Here and now by faith, I accept the Bible as Thy Word, I take it all, I take it without reservations.  Where there are things I cannot understand, I will reserve judgement until I receive more light.  If this pleases Thee, give me authority as I proclaim Thy Word, and through that authority convict me of sin and turn sinners to the Savior."

 

Within six weeks of that prayer, Billy Graham preached the great Los Angeles crusade where thousands were swept into the kingdom of God.  His ministry caught on fire for the Lord - making a global impact for the Savior!  Now, he recognized that he didn't have to prove the Bible was true.  He had settled it in his mind and that faith then impacted his preaching and the men and women who were saved as a result.  Now he had a quick, powerful weapon in his hand - a two-edged sword that could pierce the heart of people.  He had a flame with which to melt away the unbelief of people, a hammer to break up the stony covering of hearts.  All this, Billy Graham says, is why, to this day, he frequently begins sentences with the phrase, "The Bible says..."