Grahams

Football fans and observers of the NFL playoffs are still searching the Internet for the meaning of the Bible verse John 3:16, which was initially prompted by Tim Tebow’s 316 yards passing in the Denver Broncos playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers more than a week ago.

For some, that search is leading to salvation.

According to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Internet Evangelism team, which launched a special “John 3:16” Web page the day after the winning stats were put up by Tebow, there have been 11,000 views of the page and 207 people indicating, by way of filling out a short contact form, that they had made decisions to follow Jesus. more >>

The millions of searches on Google for "John 3 16" after quarterback Tim Tebow racked up 316 yards passing in the Broncos' NFL playoff win over the Steelers Sunday resulted in 170 people making decisions to accept Jesus Christ through a Billy Graham Evangelistic Association website, the group's Internet evangelism leader said.

Falling just short of saying that Tebow, a devout Christian currently riding a media storm, was the reason for the new believers, BGEA’s John Cass said that his team of Internet evangelists took advantage of the opportunity to lead people to their Web page created especially because of the frenzy.

On Monday, when “John 3 16” was at the top of Google Trends Hot Searches for most of the day, Cass said his team launched a special John 3:16 Web page through its Internet site PeaceWithGod.net. more >>

Billy Graham Evangelistic Association President Franklin Graham believes 2012 will be one of the most significant years in U.S. history for Americans.

Graham, who is also the president of the Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, stated in a year-end letter posted on BGEA’s website last week that the nation is in bad shape in a few key areas.

“We are beginning a new year, and I believe we are facing what could be one of the most significant years in our nation’s history,” wrote Graham, 59, who is the fourth of five children of evangelist Billy Graham and wife Ruth Bell Graham. more >>

Evangelist Franklin Graham raised concern over the rise of Islamism in the Middle East, saying it threatens America’s security but more than that it has put the lives of the Christian minority in the region at risk.

The fall of authoritarian regimes and ongoing protests against the ones that remain in power have created a power vacuum that the Muslim Brotherhood is exploiting to “establish Shariah law in every one of these countries and they will roll back the clock in the Middle East,” the son of Billy Graham told Newsmax Sunday.

Since a wave of protests began across the Middle East and North Africa in December 2010, the regimes in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya have fallen while President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen has agreed to step down and there’s a civil war underway in Syria. more >>

After nearly two years of serving in earthquake-ravaged Haiti, the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team is completing the mission and chaplains are set to come home, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association reported Wednesday.

More than 120 chaplains spent 22 months in the devastated country, after arriving in Haiti immediately following the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake. Chaplains typically stayed for two-week periods and were rotated in and out regularly, said Keith Stiles, deployment manager of the Rapid Response Team.

“We were in clinics, orphanages and school. We worked with Samaritan’s Purse at the shelters … we ministered to Samaritan’s Purse volunteers in the camps at night,” said Stiles. more >>

Zambia is rejoicing after a recent Christian outreach program resulted in thousands embracing and even converting to Christianity.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) coordinated the program known as My Hope.

It involved at least 60,000 believers who were encouraged to unite friends and family for prayer and ultimately to learn the word of God. more >>