In the battle against the Amalekites Israel prevailed when Moses held up his hands. When he rested his arms, Amalek prevailed. Aaron and Hur helped the nation be victorious by holding up Moses’ hands (Ex. 17:9-13). Thus the phrase, holding up someone’s hands has come to mean rendering them assistance.
Once upon a time there was a man who held up the hands of brethren such as Thomas B. Warren, Alan Highers, and other faithful proclaimers and defenders of the Word of God. But then he went to Vanderbilt to get a Ph. D., which some thought would be used to fight atheism. He has used his education, however, to fight everything that he and his mentors once stood for. Like young Anakin Skywalker, Rubel Shelly has betrayed everything true and right and noble to become the Darth Vader of the church.
There was a time when Shelly would have fought against the “gospel” that Billy Graham teaches, when he would have known that “faith only” is not Biblical and therefore cannot save. He once understood the role that baptism plays in one’s salvation and would have defended it staunchly.
Formerly, he would have fought the enemy; now he is the enemy. Twenty years ago no one, in his worst nightmare, would have ever imagined that Rubel Shelly would be lifting up the hands of Billy Graham. Below, however, is the announcement of his intention to do exactly that, as it was printed in Lovelines, his weekly church bulletin (September 29, 1999).
Billy Graham Crusade * June 1-4, 2000/Adelphia Coliseum
By now it is likely that you have heard the news that Billy Graham is planning an evangelistic crusade for Nashville in the spring of next year. This crusade has the potential to be a significant event in the spiritual life of many people in our city.
Dr. Graham will soon be 82 years old, and he is being treated for Parkinson’s Disease. The Middle Tennessee Billy Graham Crusade could be among his final efforts at preaching to stadiums filled with seeking hearts.
Woodmont Hills supports the decision of Dr. Graham and his ministry team to be in Nashville. Even though traditional revivals and crusade events are no longer believed to be the best way to reach people with the message of Christ, the uniqueness of this event stands to make it effective in reaching many who don’t know Christ.
It is important for the members of our church family to understand why we will be enthusiastic participants. Billy Graham presents Jesus Christ as mankind’s only hope for eternal life. “My one purpose in life,” he insists, “is to help people find a personal relationship with God, which I believe comes through knowing Christ.” If it is right to link arms with other believers to oppose pornography and drugs, surely it cannot be wrong to join with them to preach Christ crucified.
Dr. Graham has a reputation of honesty, accountability, and moral uprightness. In a generation when so many evangelists have been tarnished by scandal, he has exhibited Christian character throughout his career.
The Graham Crusade will challenge the church in Nashville to reap a harvest of souls to God’s glory. The most important part of the crusade will not be four days of preaching at the coliseum but the months of prayer, teaching, and seed-planting that will lead up to the first week in June of 2000.
The invitation to be given each evening will be for persons to make a decision to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. Respondents will then make a self-designating choice to be counseled about the meaning of their decision by people from several different groups. We will be working closely with the campaign effort to advise and teach those who mark “Church of Christ.” We will also try to connect such persons with a congregation that can minister to them appropriately and help them in their spiritual pilgrimage.
With the blessing of our shepherds, Rubel Shelly is serving as a General Committee Member on behalf of this outreach effort. Several of our shepherds wrote letters of invitation to Dr. Graham to encourage him to come to our city. Training sessions for crusade workers will be hosted on our property. And we ask all of you to pray for the success of this effort to exalt Jesus Christ in our great city.
Jesus is not only the hope of the world–but of our city, your block, and a non-Christian friend you can begin now to pray will attend the crusade with you next spring.
[Editor’s note: No one will be saved through Graham’s “preaching” or Shelly’s follow-up work. These men and the “shepherds” are accountable; pray for them.]