WHO HAS BILLY GRAHAM'S 'MANTLE?'

The late Rev. Billy Graham was an extraordinary evangelist. His commitment to soul winning was second to none. With his recent passing; this had led to many questions of, "who is the next Billy Graham?" Or, "who has Billy Graham's mantle?" While this may come as shocking to some; I would hope that no one has his mantle.

Why would I say something like that? First, the body of Christ must realize that according to Ephesians 4:11 God gives us gifts of men and women of God. But, often we get confused and instead of seeing them as "men of God" we see them as "gods of men." While many men of God have accomplished great and mighty deeds; none of us can come close to the stature of God or His Son, Jesus Christ. 

Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

Second, especially in the Black community, forms of ancestral worship are very common. There is definitely nothing wrong with honoring the legacy, accomplishments and standards of those who have gone before us. But, the ancestors are not are standard; the LIVING CHRIST is!

Revelation 1:18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Third, We have something greater than a mantle. A mantle was a cloak (which functioned as an overcoat) for prophets and those in what we call the "Middle East." In the story of Elijah (the older prophet) and Elisha (the younger prophet); Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah's spirit (2 Kings 2:9).

Elijah was taken up into Heaven and his mantle fell on Elisha; who ended up working twice as many miracles as Elijah (2 Kings 2:13). However, we have MORE than a mantle. Jesus had more than a double portion. He had the Spirit WITHOUT MEASURE! And, He said we can have EVERYTHING He has!

John 3:34 ³⁴For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.

John 14:12 ¹²Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Romans 8:17 ¹⁷Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

1 John 4:17 ¹⁷This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.

Finally, God created us to be originals. While we have mentors and those we look up to; we were not designed to be like anyone else. Why follow after another person's pattern; when God can use you to be a pattern? Our prayer should be for the will of God to be done in our lives; not for us to be a copy or imitation of something that has already occurred before (see Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36).

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