On Monday I had the opportunity to visit the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, NC. While there I noticed the following engraved on a plaque in one of the display rooms. It reminded me of the words of Paul to a much younger Timothy.
Paul’s words went like this:
The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:2)
It seems that obedience to the Lord, even in the smallest of matters, can profoundly impact the world for years to come. You don’t agree?
Then consider the following chain of obedience that led to the salvation of Billy Graham.
On July 1, 1885, Edward Kimble felt constrained to share his faith with a young shoe salesman he knew. That day Dwight L. Moody prayed and received Jesus Christ as Savior.
Several years later a pastor and well-known author by the name of Frederick B. Meyer heard Moody preach. He was so deeply stirred by Moody’s preaching that he himself embarked on a far-reaching evangelistic ministry.
At one of Meyer’s speaking engagements, a college student named Wilbur Chapman accepted Christ. He later employed a baseball player to help him prepare to conduct an evangelistic crusade.
In 1924 a group of businessmen invited that ballplayer, Billy Sunday, to hold an evangelistic campaign in Charlotte, North Carolina, which resulted in many people coming to Christ. Out of that revival meeting a group of men formed a men’s prayer group to pray for the world.
They prayed for Charlotte to have another great revival. God sent another evangelist named Mordecai Hamm to the city in 1934.
On one of the last nights under the big tent, a lanky 16-year old walked up the aisle to receive Christ. That young man’s name was Billy Graham.
From generation to generation… may we be faithful as well!
From Kimble to Moody to Meyer to Chapman to Sunday to Hamm to Graham and to hundreds of thousands more. Praise the Lord for the faithfulness and obedience of one, Edward Kimble.
