With insight that only comes from a life spent with God, The Journey is filled with wisdom, encouragement, hope, and inspiration for anyone who wants to live a happier, more fulfilling life. In this culminating work of a lifetime, the remarkable Billy Graham invites you to join him in discovering God's plan for this exciting journey called life. Wherever you are in your journey -- just beginning, at the middle, or near the end – you've already learned that life offers a variety of paths. The good news is that we aren't alone. Graham knows that not only did God carve out the path for us, but He wants to join us on the journey -- to help us with challenges along the way, and eventually lead us home. In The Journey , you will Seasoned with many personal stories from his own life, this magnum opus from Graham offers guidance with the hope that God will use it to help you begin a new journey.
Billy Graham was an American evangelical Christian evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister. Graham is best known for his evangelistic missions or “Crusades.” He believed God knew no borders or nationalities. Throughout his career, Graham preached to millions around the world. He met and prayed with every U. S. president from Dwight Eisenhower to Barack Obama.
Graham authored 34 books, including his memoir, Just As I Am. In 1983, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan. In 1996, Graham and his wife, Ruth, received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award Congress can bestow on a private citizen.
Graham married Wheaton College classmate Ruth Bell Graham in 1943. They had five children ( Ruth Graham, Gigi Graham Tchividjian, Anne Graham Lotz, Nelson, & Franklin Graham) and made their home in the mountains of North Carolina. They were married for 64 years before Ruth’s death in 2007. Graham died from natural causes on February 21, 2018, at his home in Montreat, North Carolina, at the age of 99.
This book was a gift to me from a Methodist minister, someone I like and respect. I assume it was given to me in good faith (no pun intended) with the expectation that it would change my outlook, perhaps inspire me to "return to god." What it has done is reinforce my conscious, informed decision to part ways with dogma and blind obedience by reminding me of all the reasons I left this bullshit behind in the first place. But, in the spirit in which it was gifted, and as an act of friendship and courtesy, I agreed I would read it and write an honest review. What follows is by no means a thorough critique. I literally took issue with every single page. A thorough evaluation would be much longer than the book itself and neither you nor I have that kind of time, so a few points of contention will have to suffice. Let us begin:
"The Bible (the source of our information about Jesus) tells us something that staggers our imagination. It tells us that Jesus was God in human form. He was a man, fully and completely. But He was more than that: He was also God. He was not just a godly man; He was God Himself, wrapped in human flesh." (pg. 46)
Mr. Graham was correct about one thing, this does stagger the imagination, but only because it flies in the face of reason and critical thought. The bible, specifically the new testament, teaches that there is only one god who exists in three forms: a father, a son, and a "holy ghost." This is a theological concept that evolved as a means to an end. To remain monotheistic [one god] early christians had to resolve a dilemma: how do we reconcile the existential question of there being only one god and still stay true to the supposition that Jesus is himself a god? The concept of trinity provided an answer. But if Jesus was indeed the offspring of god, that would make him a god as well, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is what is known as polytheism [more than one god]. Let’s break it down:
I could say that the concept of trinity, about how Jesus who is theoretically god has conversations with himself, how he asks himself when he sacrificed himself why has himself forsaken himself, is absolutely ludicrous, but I won't. I could point out that when he died on the cross god was both dead and alive at the same time, but I won't. I could take the argument that was put forth to me by an evangelical christian, that god is one soul with three minds, by asking the question: what would be the point? I could propose that three minds that cannot disagree are redundant, and if they can then there is no consensus of the soul. But that would be too logical.
I'm certainly no biblical scholar, but searches on the singularity of the christian god produce a multitude of verses: "I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no god" Isaiah 44:6, "The lord is one" Deuteronomy 6:4, etc etc etc Or how about all the verses where Jesus himself implied that he is something less than god: "The father is greater than I" John 14:28, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except god alone" Mark 10:18. No trinity in these verses. In fact, my search for the keyword "trinity" in literal verse turned up 0 hits. I could find no "trinity" or "trinity doctrine" verbatim in scripture. Trinity exists because it has to exist in order to make sense of this mess.
Back to Mr. Graham . . .
"Satan rejoices when we are inconsistent, because he knows that an inconsistent Christian is an ineffective Christian - or worse." (pg. 189)
If satan rejoices at christian inconsistencies then the bible must indeed be his favorite book. If we are to believe what is written, satan is the quintessential fallen angel and god himself created angels presumably to deliver messages and protect humans. Why? Why would an omnipotent god need winged helpers? No angels = no mutiny, no mutiny = no satan, problem solved. And if god made the angels, why did so many go bad? An omniscient god would have known they would go bad. An omnipotent god could have made them differently. A benevolent god would have wanted to save them. If satan is evil then evil is a conscious and purposeful construct of god OR god made a mistake. There is no third alternative.
Satan, as he exists in the new testament, is a projection of christian doctrine onto the jewish bible. I could find no instance in the old testament where satan opposes the will of god. When satan appears in old verse, which is surprisingly rare, he is either acting with god's permission or under god's direct instructions. Even when satan tests Job [Job 1:6-12] he first requests permission from god. God grants his permission but gives satan a strict set of guidelines, and satan does not deviate from those guidelines.
While we're on the subject of satan, let me address satan in the garden of eden: I was brought up to believe that the talking serpent in eden was indeed the devil in animal form. This is simply not the case in the Jewish bible. In Judaic format, it is just a talking serpent, an animal of fable and folklore. The concept of satan-as-serpent or serpent-as-satan is a gentile invention, a come-lately christian overlay of their doctrine onto Jewish scripture. And herein lies my beef with the christian version; genesis 3:14 states that snakes slither on their bellies to this day as god's punishment. Why? Why would god punish snakes (and their descendants) (for ETERNITY) if satan was the culprit? Either there is no satan in this story at all OR god is an asshole. You decide.
So... The Journey is a DNF. I plowed through 62% of this pointless endeavor and threw in the proverbial towel. In the end, I believe Mr. Graham to be, at heart, a good man. An indoctrinated, misguided, mistaken, puppet - but nice, and with excellent oratory skills. I truly don't take issue with those that have faith. It was once put to me this way: If it gives you comfort to believe that invisible unicorns live in your shoes then I will pat you on the head and say, 'well good for you!' But, if you try to force me to wear MY shoes a certain way, so as not to upset the unicorns, that's where I draw the line.
In the end, this review has been an exercise in futility. If you started reading this as a person of faith then nothing I've written here will have swayed you otherwise. In fact, I'll wager you poo-poo'd me about halfway through the first paragraph, somewhere around "this bullshit," and never made it this far. If, on the other hand, you are secular, agnostic, or downright atheistic, then the only thing new you'll come away with is a friend (me 😊). Either way, it's late, I'm tired, goodnight.
What an amazing testimony and read! This book was published in 2006 and categorized into four sections and 30 chapters. The heavy book of 310 daunting pages appears to be a monumental read, but once I got into the first chapter, it was a captivating read throughout. Section one is titled "The Journey Begins," section two, "Strength for the Journey," section three, "Challenges along the Way," and section four, "Staying the Course." I wish I had read this book earlier when it was first published; it would have been helpful at that time, but there is a season for everything. Nonetheless, I am glad I took the time to read the book in this chapter of my life. Within the chapters, the reader will discover a) How to know God through his son The Lord Jesus Christ b) Encouragement and great recaps on the basics of faith in Jesus c) Answers some of the difficult questions that a lot of skeptics ask Seasoned with many personal stories from his own life, Graham offers guidance with the hope that God will use it to help you begin a new journey.
The great thing about this book is Billy Graham’s ability to take the reader through the Christian journey in simple terms. He takes the reader from the importance of that first step of accepting Christ as our savior and the steps that we need to take to cultivate our relationship with the Creator.
The most interesting parts for me were: Why we do not grow in our faith and how we move from an immature Christian to a mature one and his discussion about discipleship and time alone with God.
Best quotes from the book: About the guarding our tongue, “How many marriages or friendships have been destroyed because of criticism that spiraled out of control? How many relationships have broken down because of gossip or a word spoken thoughtlessly or in anger? A harsh word can’t be taken back; no apology can fully repair its damage”.
“If you are ignorant of God’s Word, you will always be ignorant of God’s will”.
I greatly admire Billy Graham and in my opinion, he epitomizes what Christian behavior should look like.
Billy Graham delivers a clear, comprehensive overview of the Christian faith. A few keys points:
How to make an impact for Christ: • "Ask God to help you see the world as He sees it" • "Demonstrate Christ’s love by the way we live" • "Learn to share your faith with others"
Billy Graham notes essential Gospel messages to be spread:
• "God created us, He loves us and wants us to live at peace with Him forever" (Genesis 2:7; John 10:10). • "We have sinned and turned away from God, and as a result we are cut off from Him and subject to His judgement" (Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:2). • "God still loves us, and He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to take the judgement we deserve and bring us back to God" (Romans 5:8; Romans 6:23; 1 Peter 3:18). • "We must respond in faith by trusting Jesus Christ as our Savior and committing our lives to Him as Lord" (John 3:16; John 1:12; Romans 10:9).
This was a suggested book by a friend. For my friends sake I will not say who.
I did notice some verses that I had memorized that Mr. Graham uses:)
When I started reading I told myself that I have to at least finish 60 pages before judging book. Well at page 52 I hadn't learned anything new and the author then asked the reader to say the sinners prayer. Well I never got page 52. I drew a frowny face and put the book away. If you can get past the sinner's prayer someone might be edified by this book. So 2 stars.
I enjoyed this book from Billy Graham and found it inspiring for Christians, especially those who are discouraged. Also, the information provided is basic enough to be helpful to those new in their beliefs. I would recommend it for fellow Christians.
The Journey by Billy Graham is written in an easy to understand chapter by chapter of life as a Christian. This book is for the non-Christian, the new Christian and those who are mature in Christ. Rev Graham to me has always had a concise and easy way to understand the Bible.
As some have stated in reviews, wished I'd had read this book in my younger days alongside the Bible.
Life is a journey and its not without its trials and tribulations. Rev Graham covers these and more and how to overcome these. Not one human is perfect, and this book shows this but through Christ we are made new.
This will be a go-to book for Bible Study, or to help others in life.
This book was amazing & really shows why Billy Graham is such an effective evangelist. The language is plain & simple so absolutely anyone can understand it, yet never gives the impression of "speaking down" to the reader. Some things that I've thought about but really never was sure of the simplest way to give witness to people who haven't been exposed to the Bible or faith in any form. This book has it. I found it very enriching & is definately a book to be shared.
I really enjoyed this book. It had a lot of great points and I think I'm going to buy it so I can read it again and write things down this time! I would recommend it to people of all ages because he acknowledges kids and adults.
This is my first BG book and wow! I was blown away at how great a book this is. What a perfect gift for a new believer or a seasoned follower of Christ. Pastor Graham did a wonderful job writing clear, easy to understand words for the reader as he walked them through the journey of being a follower of Christ. Would be good for someone who is not a follower but would like to understand what Christianity is. Very well done. I read this like a devotional, 1 chapter a day for 30 days.
A Christmas present from my Mom, I would never otherwise have read this. I'm glad I did. Filled with a wholesome wisdom, you can't read this and not be better for it. Decades ago, (late 80s or early 90s), Mr. Graham brought his crusade right here to Cleveland Ohio. He preached at Municipal stadium, then home of the Browns/Indians. Mom wanted to go. I didn't. She was a single, working mother, raising 5 kids on her own. She never asked much of us, for herself. Actually she never really asked Anything for herself. This one time she did. She wanted me to go with her, and I put up Such a bratty fight about it. After all my kicking and screaming, finally she put her foot down and let me know in no uncertain terms - I Would be in attendance that evening. It breaks my heart today, to look back on that, to see what a punk I was to this Great lady, - and to think what mightve been if I had been even Worse. She would've gone alone, if she had to. Or she Wouldn't have! Which of those two possibilities is worse? Anyway, go we did. What a privilege that was, to see the reverend himself, live, in person. It was quite an event. He had opening bands and everything. (DC Talk was one).
Around the late 50's to early 60's I attended one of Billy Grahams crusades in Denver. I remember there was a slight drizzle coming down and he was dressed in a white raincoat as he stood on stage at the then Denver Bears baseball stadium. I had watched Graham on television several times with my parents and was always inspired by him. As I read this book, I was taken back to that night. When the call came to come down to the field and give myself to Jesus Christ, I went down. Almost 60 years later and reading this book, it brought it all back to me. Over the years I have often thought of that night. My theology sometimes comes in conflict with his, but I never doubted his sincerity and commitment to his own faith journey. His message never wavered and such is the case in "The Journey." Even though my perspective has changed, he continued to inspire me and did so once again "We are not alone" through all of life's twits and turns Graham preached, and this message alone is worth reading this book. A good and inspiring read.
I got this book as a gift and have been reading it as a devotional. It is not that bad. I give it two stars because so much of it is the very basics of Christian faith, things I learned in Sunday school ten years ago. It is not bad to be reminded of those things, but it is also not extremely engaging a read. The good part of the book is that it is by Billy Graham and is a sort of culmination of his life's work; the title the journey is apt for someone who has journeyed so far and long with Christ. There are nuggets that were inspiring and I recommend this book to anyone starting out in faith in Christ or anyone who is seeking a devotional book that will remind them of the basics of Christianity.
This book covers everything in your life journey- Salvation through Jesus Christ and then he covers Christian principles for every part of life! Grief, live, parenting, marriage, work -it is an excellent book I listened on CD in Jeep and it was 19 hours long so it took a couple of weeks. I heard many things that I need to apply to my life!!! We have the tools we just have to use them.
I recommend this book to everyone. If you aren't a Christian hopefully it will change you. If you are already a Christian it could change you as well, but more importantly it will strengthen you.
Billy Graham has left us a lasting legacy with this book. It would do well for us to read it.
Absolutely an incredible Christian book for anyone searching for clear understanding on how to live a Christian life. The book doesn't condemn, but helps the reader dive deeper in their faith. It was an amazing book and I was strengthened in my walk with Christ. I recommend it from the newest convert to the elders.
I assumed before starting this book that it would be similar to The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. It isn't. It is an excellent book for a new Christian to learn about how to grow in the Christian faith, but it is also an excellent reminder for not-so-new Christians that they can and should still be growing.
Wow !! This is one of the wisdom keys which opens the gate of Heavens and closes the darkness ones !!! May your joy be more and more Billy Graham in heaven while God’s children read and got the spiritual weapon to destroy the darkness strategies in life and escape from their Kingdom. Amen.
I LOVE this book! Billy Graham did an amazing job with this book! I was right in the middle of it when he passed and went home to Heaven. This book has a bunch of practical advice and much needed heart medicine!! Praise the Lord for Mr. Graham!!
Billy Graham never disappoints. Regardless of your position in life, viewpoints, past mistakes, Billy gently but firmly returns us again and again to The One and give sound reasoning always based on the Bible.
Billy has delivered a great tool for anyone not understanding their path in life. I pray you take to heart what is said and use it for the glory of God!
This book was a wonderful guide to life - wherever you are on your journey, and whatever your status, Billy Graham points the way for you to have a better life, a more wondrous journey, and a Heavenly destination. It is through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
This is a compendium for all new believers. I was shocked he wrote so much about new beginnings and what to learn/expect in the gospel. I liked some stories he shared that made me sympathize with those who suffer for the kingdom of God.