AMERICAN EVANGELIST WILL GRAHAM ROOTS FOR PACQUIAO
By Tonton Alcos-Antogop
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 09 Apr 2015
CEBU CITY- "What I am excited about is May 2, I am American but Manny Pacquiao is my favorite" evangelist William Graham so declares here recently in his press conference prior to the start of the Cebu Celebration of Life which would have Manny Pacquiao as guest.
Graham said he is definitely watching the much awaited fistic encounter between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, revealing, he is rooting for the former.
According to Graham, the son of Franklin Graham and the grandson of Dr. Billy Graham of the Billy Graham Evangelical Association (BGEA), he would not be at the ring side though in the MGM Grand in Las Vegas since he is always on mobile due to his evangelization activities but definitely he is watching it on pay per view.
Prior to the Cebu Celebration, the BGEA through its Philippines country director Jeff Ferries has personally handed over to Pacquiao an invitation to be with Will on the occasion but the Filipino boxing icon then told Ferries that he could not make it because he will already be in the thick of his training for the May 2 fight against Mayweather.
Pacquiao said then he could if the date would be move or the fight postponed but since the fight has been fixed, the Filipino world boxing champion politely relayed his final decision that he would not be available.
Meanwhile, Erik Ogren, BGEA senior public relation specialist revealed that 74, 630 have attended the evangelization of Will, also involving Tacloban City, which came before the Cebu City celebration in the sprawling South Road Properties (SRP) last March 27-29.
The Greater Tacloban Celebration of Life took place March 21-22 in the city that is best known for being ?Ground Zero? for the devastating and deadly Super Typhoon Yolanda in November 2013. Thousands were killed, and the city is only now beginning to recover.
"Your city looks like it's being rebuilt, but in your heart you're struggling. God wants to come into your life tonight and make you whole,? said Graham. ?God wants to give you joy, purpose and peace. Despite your circumstances, God wants to work in your life tonight."
A total of 14,630 attended the two-day event, and 2,678 ? nearly 20 percent of those in attendance ? came forward at the invitation.
Among those who responded was a security guard who saw the banner outside and entered on his own. ?He just felt led here, went inside, and listened to the preaching of Will Graham,? marveled Pastor Gamaliel Aliposa, whose church member counseled the man. ?After that he came forward and surrendered his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Simple as that!?
From there, Graham continued on to the ?Queen City of the South,? Cebu, where he preached to 60,307 over three days at the Cebu Celebration of Life.
?How does an imperfect person have a relationship with a perfect God?? Graham asked the audience. ?There?s nothing we can do to save ourselves. Jesus came and took our place.?
BGEA evangelist Will Graham (with microphone) expressed that he is rooting for Manny Pacquiao this May 2. (Tonton Antogop photo)
He continued, ?It doesn?t matter if you?re Filipino or American. It doesn?t matter if you?re old or young. Every person has to answer this question. What will you do with Jesus??
More than 8,000 responded to the Gospel message and began a new relationship with Jesus during the Cebu Celebration of Life.
?It was almost like a magnet when the invitation was given,? said Pastor Jo Alfafara. ?It was like a slingshot and people couldn?t wait to get out of their seats and they all just rushed forward. No hesitancy at all. It was like a flood of people running forward towards the stage.?
The events in Tacloban and Cebu were Graham?s second and third outreaches in the country. His first took place in 2011, when he held a four-day event in Bicol. Just prior to this trip, Graham visited China and preached the Gospel in two cities, including Huai?an, where his great-grandfather was a medical missionary and where his grandmother, Ruth Bell Graham, was born.
Graham?s next event will be the Ohio Valley Will Graham Celebration in Owensboro, Kentucky, in April. (With BGEA press release)"
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Tonton Alcos-Antogop.
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