Message by:  Pastor Derry L. Moten

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Receiving the Mantle of God

Key Scriptures: Proverbs 29:18; 2Kings 2:1-15; Acts 1:8-9, 2:38-39

Supplemental Scriptures: John 20:22

Proverbs 29:18 teaches us that where there is no vision/revelation, the people will perish or run wild!  If that’s the case, how and where are we to get this vision/revelation so that we can stay in tune to what God wants to do in our lives?

In this particular passage in Proverbs, however similar, there is a distinction between the usage of the words “vision” and “revelation” – revelation as something God Himself discloses or communicates directly to us, while vision is what we see supernaturally and in anticipation of the thing God shares/reveals to us.  Thus, without God revealing a thing to us, God’s vision cannot fully be comprehended by us.

In today’s message, we learn how important it is to receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit and His fullness in our lives as we remain persistent and diligent in seeking to fulfill God’s mission and vision in our lives.

Just as Elijah’s mentee Elisha served him and followed him more closely than all the others who honored Elijah, and as the remaining 11 disciples followed Jesus more closely than everyone else who loved Jesus- those that remained the closest received from God, that which only He could give; His anointing and Holy Spirit.

So what’s the correlation of these two passages of scripture about Elijah and Elisha and Jesus and his disciples?

In the Old Testament, Elijah represents Jesus, just as Elisha and the other prophets represent the Church. The mantle that Elijah passes to Elisha as he ascends into heaven represents the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.  This is in fact, a shadow of what we see Jesus say and do before He ascends to heaven before His disciples.

In 2 Kings 2, there were at least fifty prophets who stood and watched from a distance when Elisha receive the mantle as Elijah went up to be with the Lord and there were hundreds of followers of Jesus who were too distant at the time Jesus breathed on them and said “receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20).

Let’s not be like those who stood and watched from a distance and did not receive the mantle/anointing of the Holy Spirit.  Let’s be the ones who refuse to leave our Lord’s presence, staying as close as possible to receive His full anointing and thus being able to accomplish even greater things in Christ as a result!

Questions to Consider

What is keeping you from following the Lord more closely?  What may be keeping you from asking the Lord for a greater anointing? Do you believe that God wants this for your life?