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But God...

It's Time to Man Up! / Nikita Koloff
The Truth Network Radio
April 9, 2022 1:00 am

But God...

It's Time to Man Up! / Nikita Koloff

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April 9, 2022 1:00 am

In today's episode Nikita is joined by Maury Scobee for the third part of his story about former Reverend Billy Graham.

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Hey, this is Mike Zwick from If Not For God Podcast, our show.

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This is the Truth Network. Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is set for one flaw. Introducing first, from Lithuania, he weighs 123 kilos, the Russian nightmare, the Kita Kolob. Now, the Devil's Nightmare. Welcome back to another episode of It's Time to Man Up.

Welcome back to It's Time to Man Up with the Devil's Worst Nightmare, Jethoita. Nikita Kolob. Today is part three of the amazing story of Morisko. For those who've been listening to parts one and two, he was personal aide and personal assistant to the Reverend Billy Graham and his wife, Ruth. And he has so many amazing stories and personal memories. Just have to bring it back another time. Well, we want to welcome our listeners back.

Nikita Kolob, It's Time to Man Up. And we have been having just, I mean, this is such a special treat for me, talking with Moriskoobi, personal assistant aide to Reverend Billy Graham, Ms. Ruth Graham, and the Graham family as a whole. So some amazing memories in traveling to China. Is there another country that perhaps you escorted the Grahams in or were a part of that trip or a part of that crusade, something that jumps out that really is a fond memory of yours?

Well, we had three huge congresses in Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 83, Amsterdam, 86, and Amsterdam, 2000. And so I was there with the Grahams in 86 and 89. And then we were planning to go back in 2000. But then Mr. Graham had brain surgery.

He had to have some surgery at the Mayo Clinic. And so we were unable to go, but they rigged up satellites for us in Minnesota at the Mayo Clinic. And we watched it live every day. All the meetings over there.

And then they had a cameraman there with us so that Mr. and Ms. Graham ever wanted to make your comment on a certain creature or a lot of times they did interviews back and forth, but evangelists who were speaking from certain parts of the world during their time of speaking wanted to ask Mr. and Mrs. Graham questions. So all that was capable with this modern technology. Yeah, right. I know.

It's pretty amazing what we can do, especially in today's day and time. Oh, yes. And we're talking with Maury Scobie, who was 43 years now with Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. If you want to say personal assistant, personal aide to the Grahams. And you were with him, right, Maury? I mean, right up to the passing of Mrs. Graham, as well as... Oh, yeah. I was up at the house with Mr. Graham when Ruth was ticking down and her nurses were coming and telling Mr. Graham. And so at an appropriate time, probably a couple hours or maybe a little more than two hours before she died, they thought that'd be a marvelous time. And he went in there and sat by her bedside and held her hand and they had their last visit, as it were. And that was kind of sad. And then he didn't really say, but I think that he realized that he kind of wanted to not be in the same room when she took her last breath.

So I think that that'd be hard for any married couple, especially all the longevity of the years that they had been married. So at some point, he walked back to his office and we sat there and visited and prayed. And he knew that at any minute they'd come in and say that she had gone to heaven.

And that's what happened. I think what fascinates me is... I've been out to the Billy Graham Library. We'll talk about that in just a moment, in a few minutes here as well, or we'll circle back around to that. And what they always fascinated me was what's on the gravestone, end of construction.

Thank you for your patience. There's a song behind that, right? Oh, I know. See, Miss Graham had such marvelous wisdom about things, but then she also had a comical side to her. And I remember that there was a lot of interest in the fact that she came up with that little saying, and that's what's on the grave.

That's pretty amazing. And so she would pass and you continued on with Billy Graham and just assisted them in his needs then, right? So I was up there the day he passed and he was getting more and more quiet, but we had plenty of around-the-clock nurses, 24-7, and then I filled in. I usually work the evening shifts so that I could be...

They wanted... I had a couple of men that worked in the daytime with the nurses, and then I worked in the evening with the nurses. But it made it special for Mr. Graham to have me for the second half of the day.

Well, that's a huge blessing. We're talking with Maury Scobie, personal assistant aide to Reverend Billy Graham, 43 years with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. We're going to talk some more. When we come back, we're going to talk about the Billy Graham Library. We're going to talk about the Cove, talk about Montreat, Franklin Graham, Samaritan's Purse. We'll be back in just a moment. Just some phenomenal stories that Maury is sharing with us, and I think, Maury, I think I could talk forever with you, but I sure appreciate all the stories, and I, for one, am glad that Bill Murdock connected us together and brought you into my life, and it's just been such a joy getting to know you and... Oh, absolutely.

Yeah, hearing some of these stories, and let's talk for a moment. Let's just reflect back for a moment for our listeners. Maybe some of them aren't familiar with Franklin Graham or what he does, I mean, through Samaritan's Purse. Can you give our listeners just kind of a snapshot of what all Franklin does?

Well, I thought maybe I'll at least get him fit into the family correctly. When the Grahams got married, they had three daughters right in a row, and then the fourth child was a boy, and so Reverend Graham's father was named William Franklin Graham, and then when Billy Graham was born, they named him William Franklin Graham Jr., and so then when Franklin was born, he's William Franklin Graham III, and then Franklin has a son that goes by Quinn, and he's William Graham IV. So now when he... He's just a teenager, so down the road, I'm sure the Lord will bless them with another William Franklin Graham.

That's pretty amazing. I know you shared on one of the other shows how you first met Franklin, and in those days, he was, I guess, transparently... Being transparent, he was living the college life, right? But at a certain point in his life journey, God grabbed a hold of his heart, and turned a corner, and from there, he launched into... Of course, he travels around the world and around America, having prayer meetings everywhere. I mean, he's very influential everywhere he goes, and of course, Samaritan's Purse, which if our listeners aren't familiar with, can you give them a little snapshot of what's Samaritan's Purse all about?

What do they do? Well, it seems like... I think Franklin actually inherited that. It was started by a man named Bob...

I don't get grief, all of a sudden his name swept me, but he started in California, and... But then, through the scheme of things, because of his friendship with Billy and Ruth, and then as he got to know Franklin, then the Lord laid it on his heart. Bob Pierce was his name.

Bob Pierce. And so, Bob led them to give the association, give Franklin the keys to operate, you might say. So Franklin then took over Samaritan's Purse, and I had a little bit of involvement, because it was based in Los Angeles, but Franklin, just once he moved to Boone to go to college, and then stayed there, and that has remained his home place all these years, he didn't want to move...

He didn't want to have to go to California to run the Samaritan's Purse, so he actually brought the whole thing, lock, stock, and barrel, all across the United States from Los Angeles to Boone. And of course, so they... I mean, they do everything... For those who don't know, they do everything from going into disaster relief areas or some...

Many times... Exactly. Yeah, they're the first boots on the ground many times, right? And bringing disaster relief.

Oh, yeah. But I mean, praying for people. I mean, if you follow the organization at all, they do amazing work, and just loving on people, trying to comfort people through disaster relief, those sorts of things. But also, the Christmas shoebox, right, is interesting, you know? That... I forgot that... Somebody actually suggested that to Franklin, and then they more or less brought the idea for him to move that forward, which he has, and it's quite an organization, and so it's well looked into, as far as all of your listeners, to see what a global Ministry of Samaritan's Purse really is.

It's gone to every continent. Yeah, and I know that the Christmas shoebox, if you're not familiar with that, I mean, it's just an opportunity, a way for whether it's your church or you individually, just an opportunity really just to bless an underprivileged child, and in many cases in other nations, and it's the only... Perhaps the only time they've ever even gotten a gift. They open up this shoebox, and it's filled with all kinds of toys, and just different things that you see the expressions on these kids' faces. It's pretty amazing, right? Somebody else had coined the idea of doing that, but then they realized that Franklin would be wonderful to keep it going, so they gave him the idea to move it forward, and oh, to this day, I mean, there'll be a gigantic ship that arrives on a certain country, and they go all over the country giving out these shoeboxes. It's just... I've helped on it quite often, and it's such a blessing, and to see the faces of these children once they get that box and open it up, because they also put a Bible in a tract, and they're certainly hoping, while it's a humanitarian thing, of course, but on the other hand, they want it to be a witness so that each recipient of the box will have an opportunity to have a Bible and then learn about the plan of salvation, and hopefully, prayerfully consider becoming a believer. Man, that's amazing.

That's the found... It was really what it's all about, right? Oh, sure.

We've got a plan of salvation and surrendering our heart and our life to Jesus, and Maury, just tell us briefly about... I know you've been helpful in escorting some of my friends to the Billy Graham Library. I know the first time I went there, I brought my dad prior to his passing. We spent three hours at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte. Folks, if you've never been, put it on your bucket list, put it on your things to-do list, because it is a phenomenal... It's really kind of a self-guided tour, but Maury, tell the folks... Because I know you worked there briefly as well, at the Billy Graham Library as well. Yeah, I'm still connected with them, and right now, with all this COVID and everything and coronavirus, the numbers are down because everybody's sort of afraid to get out, and I wear a mask everywhere.

Who knew that we would have to live our life like this, and you know how it spread around, but yeah, we still have people that are wandering in, and the numbers are greatly reduced. Again, I think people are afraid to be in a crowd, but still, people drive in and see the signs for the Billy Graham Library, and they're familiar maybe with his name and his ministry and his longevity, and so they come wandering in, and there's different rooms that you go through the whole thing. I think you could probably take, oh, comfortably two hours to see the whole thing, and then after that, you can spend almost another hour in the bookstore. They've got a marvelous bookstore. There's a lot of people that come through, have never even become Christians, and a lot of them pray for salvation, and then one of the first things they want after that is to buy a Bible.

So we've got quite a number of Christ Bibles for everybody that can afford maybe a paperback or somebody else might want a little bit by survival. We're listening to the Truth Network and truthnetwork.com. Nikita Kolob, and I am here with a huge announcement, like big, big announcement. Man Up Men's Conference, Morning Star Ministries, Fort Mill, South Carolina, August 25th to the 27th.

You're thinking, that's a ways away. No, not too soon to sign up. What a lineup of speakers we have. The Benham Brothers, David and Jason Benham, All Star, NBA All Star, Al Wood is speaking, World Wrestling Champion, the Total Package Lex Luger, Chris Reed, Rick Joyner, Delta Force Commander, General, Lieutenant General, Jerry Boykin retired, yours truly Nikita Kolob, world renowned evangelist Frank Shelton. Register today. It is live. M Star Events, mstarevents.com slash man up. Go get registered. You will not want to miss this event. Nikita Kolob here.

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Be sure to check them out today at wsmcthenumberone.com because you are number one. So it's been a wonderful extension, you know, sort of furthering the arm of responsibility to look out for these people that come to the library and then accept the Lord and then want to begin their path. Which is amazing, and yeah, so for the listener, again, you've never been, so you hear Billy Graham Library, you might be thinking public library, but I assure you this, Maury mentioned the bookstore, so there is a bookstore, and there are books there, but this is not like the public library where you're going in and checking books in and out. This is a tour of Reverend Graham, Reverend Billy Graham's, and he and Ruth and the Billy Graham, life stories, so you are really walking through history of his life story, and I want to tell you, the first time I ever did it, Maury, I was just blown away. I know my dad was greatly impacted by it as well. He was already in his 80s, my dad was, yeah, but we were blown away just by, you know, one surrendered life, what God can do with one man or woman, one child who's fully committed, fully surrendered, fully yielded to the call upon your life, and just the impact that this one man made worldwide, and so folks, it's an opportunity really to tour his life, and then as he's a couple points of reference, it's interesting, Maury, like when you walk in the place, of course, there's a giant glass cross when you walk up, and so the interesting thing is, whether people know it or not, like you said, there's a lot of people who are not even believers who come to tour the library, but what they don't realize is they're entering, when they enter the doors, they're entering through the foot of the cross into the library, which is pretty cool.

That's a good point, that's such a good observation, but you're exactly right. Yeah, they're kind of indirectly already coming to the foot of the cross, which my dad, part of his testimony was when he grabbed the old rugged cross, right? And so that's pretty amazing, and then as you're kind of completing the tour before you enter into the bookstore, you walk through, not to give it away, but you walk through a tunnel of cross, of neon crosses, which is a pretty cool photo op, by the way, and not to mention, you know, that you're gonna at least leave understanding there is a plan of salvation and an opportunity, as Maury said, to make that decision and to give your life to Jesus. Maury, any idea, just curious, any idea to date, since the library was open, approximately how many people have made that decision, that have surrendered their life to Jesus? I started to say scores, but I've got to believe it's hundreds by the time you think about when it opened.

That's been 20, 25, 30 years ago. Maybe even thousands by now, right? Oh, it very well could be, and then we've got counselors there so that when you finish the tour, you end up right where there's some counselors there. That's the first thing they meet, and they say, if you are moved to want to talk about this anymore, and then you'll see one or two or three on every tour every day, all throughout the day, that they say yes, you know, sometimes you can see that they've been moved to tears, and then otherwise you can just tell by their countenance that they were affected by what they saw on all the different rooms that you go through as part of the tour.

Sometimes displays and sometimes videos, they've done a remarkable job, they really honestly have. Well, yeah, and I can diddle that, and one last favorite memory for me for the Billy Graham Library is when you gave our dear friend Bill Murdock and myself a special tour, kind of a private tour. Yeah. Yeah, with lots of special stories. That's what amazes me about all the stories you have about all the different things, countries, and things that you have shared with me over the years, and things that are on display there. But the special memory, Maury, is we had lunch, because if you get hungry while you're there, they actually have a cafeteria, and if you get hungry, I had the opportunity, I was just blessed to sit down and not only have lunch with you, but a dear friend of yours by the name of Rose Adams, right?

That's right. And she took care of Billy Graham's mother for the last three or four years of her life, and was right there the day that she died and went to heaven, this Mother Graham. And so Rose Adams comes every Saturday for any of your listeners that happen to come by on a Saturday.

I think it's been limited because of COVID, but before too awful long, I think she's going to be back, being there every Saturday, and she's got some marvelous stories to tell. She does, and folks, she still drives, she's 94 years old, she still gets her head in. Pretty amazing woman, and in fact, she has a book, I'll just mention, of reflections on when she was taking care of Reverend Billy Graham's mom. She has a book.

That's absolutely right. Yeah, of those reflections. She had journaled, and you want to talk about a fascinating story as well. Maybe one day we'll get Rose Adams on the show here, maybe one day as well. Oh, that would be marvelous.

It would be wonderful. Well, Maury, we've got just a few more minutes, and let's talk about, I know you, where we first met, let's just talk about the Cove, where we first met, you giving me a private tour of the Cove. Share for our listeners what the Cove is, where it's located, and what it is all about. The Cove is located in Asheville, and initially it's year-round conferences that are anywhere from a week to 10 days, and just marvelous evangelical groups that come in, and it could be anywhere from 150 to 200, and you can certainly look it up as the Cove, T-H-E-C-O-V-E, in Asheville, North Carolina, and just look up on the internet and just see if there's some conference that looks like it would be a real blessing to go to, because all of them are.

They're on different topics, and some of them are packed out where they'll have every seat in the chapel full, and then others are sometimes a little bit smaller, but it would be well worth your listeners to consider coming to the Cove sometime. Yeah, one that comes to mind, if I'm not mistaken, just being an athlete, I seem to recall that a Hall of Fame coach, Tony Dungy, if I'm not mistaken, he's just one example of some of the caliber of speakers and ministers that they bring into the Cove for these conferences, so that's... Even for some of your older listeners, you can go back to your 50s baseball player, Bobby Richardson. Wow. Okay. Bobby is still around, and that would be a wonderful guest on your show.

I almost hate to think of somebody else while we're talking, but please make yourself a note, because that'd be wonderful to have Bobby on the show, just like I'm doing now. Well, absolutely. I may lean on you to help me make that connection, so... Oh, absolutely.

That'd be fantastic, because this is so doable with me sitting at my home on my phone, and you sitting at your home on your phone. Well, absolutely, Maury. Well, so last little story here, let's, for our listeners, let's talk just for a couple minutes about Montreat, and I know recently you gave me a tour, a full tour of Montreat, and even showing me where Reverend Graham and Miss Ruth lived, and even where you lived at some point. Tell our listeners... Yeah, that's true. Yeah, tell our listeners just briefly about Montreat. Well, it's just a real homey, beautiful part of Western North Carolina, and it's kind of at the end of a road where you get to Montreat, it was the conference center for the Presbyterian Church USA, and all over Western North Carolina, as some of your listeners are probably aware, you've got Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, they've got... Every one of these have got their own Bible centers where they have conferences every week all through the year.

Sometimes they're year-round, sometimes they work better in the spring or just in the fall, and so Montreat is just one of them. Well, Maury, you have shared some amazing stories, and certainly I'd love to... Will you come back? If I invite you back, will you come back on the show sometime? Oh, absolutely. I would do anything with you.

You're wonderful to be with. Well, I know I want to be respectful of your time, and I know you have so many more amazing stories that you can share with our listeners, and Maury Scobee, personal assistant, personal aide to Reverend Billy Graham, Miss Ruth, and the Graham Family Organization, now 43 years and counting, right, Maury, 43 years and counting. It's more like, where did that come from?

How did these years of mass? Well, I have a dear Jewish friend of mine who says this, the days and weeks sometimes drag on, but the years fly by, right? And... That is pretty good. I like that.

A lot of truth to that. Well, Maury, thank you so much for being a part of It's Time to Man Up. Oh, my pleasure. You are so welcome. I'm so glad to have been a part of the program, and I just hope and pray I had a little element of interest, and thank you so much for proposing the idea, and I'm so happy to have been a part of it today. Well, you know, you have a special place in my heart. I love you, my friend, and I appreciate all that you've done in serving the Lord and serving the Graham family, and you have made an indelible mark upon mankind, and thank you for your contribution. Oh, my heavens, and same to you. You're a remarkable person.

I'm so blessed that God allowed our paths to cross. All right, Maury, well, you take care, and we're gonna hopefully be talking to you again sometime soon, okay? That'll be fantastic. All the best. I'll talk to you later. All right. God bless you.

It's time to man up. There we go. Bye-bye.

Bye. This podcast is made possible by the grace of God and your faithful prayers, support, and generous gifts. May God bless you for your continual contributions. Go to coloff.net and donate today. If you would like to support Koloff for Christ Ministries, for a gift of $25, Nikita will send you his two CDs, Adoration and Declaration.

For a gift of $50, Nikita will include his book, Wrestling with Success, and for a gift of $100 or more, Nikita will include a signed copy of his newly updated life story, A Tale of the Ring and Redemption. Go to www.koloff.net and donate today. All feet agree. Clemens carpet is where you need to be, with carpet, vinyl, tile, and hardwood from the top brands. Clemens carpet does it right from beginning to install. Voted number one by you in the Reader's Choice Awards, Doug, Chad, Benny, Pee Wee, and the team at Clemens carpet look forward to seeing and serving you soon. This is Nikita Koloff, and I want to thank Clemens carpet for supporting my new show, Man Up, Saturday afternoon at 1230 on the Truth Network. This is the Truth Network.
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-05-09 14:05:27 / 2023-05-09 14:16:21 / 11

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