The other day I was flipping through channels and came across a very old Billy Graham crusade video on one of the Jesus channels. It was mesmerizing. I didn't end up watching the whole thing, but I did find myself flipping back to it, so I watched a good 15 minutes of it. I found out later it was at a stadium in San Francisco on Memorial day weekend, 1958, and the title of the message was "The Handwriting on the Wall."
I didn't agree with everything that was said, but I was mesmerized by his communication ability. It was like the last of the old revival preachers, the sermon was a bit of a "hellfire and brimstone" sort of sermon, and it's easy to see why thousands of people would flock down onto the lawn to "accept Jesus Christ." I think his style at that time was what was relevant, it was what fit. Today, his style would probably not come across that well to the typical 20 something, but preachers today may have something to learn from him. He kept his audience captive through his striking and passionate persona behind the pulpit.
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