Remembering Graham

I admire that man for his due diligence!

Nick Corbett
Washington

Dear Cherie,

Hello and happy Sabbath to you (it's a winter evening over here).

I just wanted to express my condolences at the passing-away of Graham Maxwell. I grew up on those Bible stories and now my nieces are reading them. Lovely man, whom I enjoyed listening to on the tapes as well. There are some people like him, you think will always be there in the flesh as an invaluable part of the Adventist church.

My condolences to his family.

Mary

MARY NAMAKANDO
England

It is with great sadness I heard of Elder Maxwell's passing today.  They were our next door neighbors years ago at Pacific Union College and their youngest daughter baby sat for us on occasion.

Peggy Harris, Maryland

from Dorothy Patchett Eby via Noni Patchett:

Mom's computer is not working well.  She wanted me to tell you this about Graham.   What she remembers him saying   I can't remember the exact words but the thought is "even if there were no pie in the sky, even if there were no heaven, God's way to live gives us the best life here on earth."

Dorothy Patchett Eby
Washington

"Fair winds and following seas."

A Friend of God has passed on. We are all poorer for that. But what a privileged to have been able to hear and receive his message. And what an honor to pick up where he left off and move forward.

I'm sure that I speak for many when I say that Dr Graham Maxwell is responsible for my still being in the church and more importantly, for my falling in love with God. My wife and I were given a set of his book-by-book tapes as a wedding present. It took me a couple of years before I got around to listening to them. But the moment I did I was hooked. Here was a man who was not only asking all the right questions, but wasn't afraid to leave the answering of those questions to the listener rather than pronouncing the solution. As marvelous as Dr Maxwell's own synthesis was, it was his methodology that most appealed to me. Look at ALL the evidence, not just the parts that support your view.

Read more ...

I have been blessed by Dr. Maxwell’s gracious ministry across the years, and while I was a long term missionary in Africa, it was my joy as a Sabbath School teacher to share his views of God and Scripture with so many.  His words will live on, and on the other side he will see and be pleased with the fruits of his work, and he will be with the One he has come to know and to love.

Ron Forde, DDS
Loma Linda University
School of Dentistry

Dr. Maxwell influenced my Christian experience more than any other individual in my entire life!  A lifelong SDA I was certainly acquainted with all of the fundamental doctrines as well as the all important "relationship with Jesus."  But God was not a personal acquaintance.

In plain and simple terms Dr. Maxwell spoke that God would be "crying over those who chose not to follow Him" and that is when reality finally reached me.  Dr. Maxwell's message that God is not willing for any of us to loose eternal life is so simple and yet so profound.

Listening to the SS tapes for 20 plus years I felt as though I knew the man personally.  Such a kind, loving Christian personality he made me feel as though he was my friend, all the while drawing me to a personal loving relationship with my Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus.  I can hardly wait to meet Dr. Graham Maxwell in person in Heaven and thank him for sharing God's real love for us.

Please convey to his family my condolences and prayer that the whole family will rest in the knowledge of "THE BLESSED HOPE."

E. J. Higginbotham
Kentucky

My heart breaks for our loss, and my loss as well.  He was to me a spiritual godfather who, at a critical time in my life helped me personally to plant my own feet in the path to God's gracious gift of His unconditional love.  I shall miss him but I also shall look forward to seeing him in heaven, and as Joyce Griffith has said, to be able to sit in on his conversations, this time not about God, but with God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

My heart also would reach out to those of his family who will carry on without him   May God bless them each and everyone.

Gerald M. Reynolds
California

Everything God does is so wonderful. He has brought us Graham when we needed him most. God have open to him the true message of church. And through his efforts  he have brought back to his church the truth about God. We who heard him and have learn from his many studies in Sabbath school and college courses are most fortunate. Graham has placed in our hands the work he has done to restore the good name of our God. Let us now go forth and continue to spread the good news. All our homes should now become a place for a Sabbath school and a book by book bible study. In so doing we will continue the work Dr Maxwell started and we would prepare a people to stand as Job did in the last days.

Dr Graham is now resting in the Lord. His memories will now live on for eternity in us who knew him. May we all give thanks to God who gave him to us for a little while. We all look forward to see him again. He  has fought the good fight, he has finished the race, he has kept the faith. Now there is in store for him the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to him on that day—and not only to him, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Don Foster
Florida

The lesson on 1 Kings 13 certainly brings back memories of Dr. Maxwell, doesn’t it?  He spoke often of this chapter.  In fact, he wrote a book for children about 1 Kings 13 entitled, Be Careful Who You Trust.  In regards to the prophet in this chapter, the story of Balaam certainly indicates that God can and will use unconverted pastors.  (Indeed, I can’t see how a loving Father could resist using anything or anyone to warn His children about danger.)  I so appreciate the evidence Dr. Maxwell shared about how God doesn’t want us to believe anything or anyone without evidence.  Even Satan comes disguised as an angel of light.  1 Kings 13 makes a distinction between a prophet and a man of God.  From the preponderance of evidence I’ve seen, Dr. Maxwell was a man of God who thoroughly enjoyed doing everything God said – to the last detail.  ;-)

Another verse Dr. Maxwell often spoke of:  “Anyone who has to drink milk is still a child, without any experience in the matter of right and wrong.

Solid food, on the other hand, is for adults, who through practice are able to distinguish between good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:13-14 – Good News Translation).  I suspect one of Dr. Maxwell’s greatest joys will be to learn how what he shared about God inspired others to weigh evidence, discern between good and evil, and trust God with their entire hearts.

Sue Lewis
Wisconsin

Friends of Christ at PineKnoll:

We share the grief at the loss of Graham, realizing that whom he believed in and what he believed will remain our comfort. Thanks for all you do May God grant many graces till we see you again.

In Christ,

Athanasios-Paul Thompson
California

Evaluating the character of God has made the change from my works to His grace, a delight and joy to share!

Thank you so much, Graham

Ron Rothe
California