If you won't or don't - then you can't.

Question: What kind of person is unable to pray the Lord’s prayer?

Answer:
If you don’t know Christ … you can’t pray, “Our Father.”
If you glorify yourself … you can’t pray, “Hallowed be Thy name.”
If you reject His rules … you can’t pray, “Thy kingdom come.”
If you won’t submit … you can’t pray, “Thy will be done.”
If your life is only for here and now … you can’t pray, “On earth as it is in heaven.”
If you are self-sufficient … you can’t pray, “Give us our daily bread.”
If you won’t forgive … you can’t pray, “Forgive us our debts.”
If you seek sin … you can’t pray, “Lead us not into temptation.”
If you are a friend of evil … you can’t pray, “Deliver us from evil.”
If you build your own kingdom … you can’t pray, “Thine is the kingdom.”
If you want power … you can’t pray, “Thine is the power.”
If you always take credit … you can’t pray, “Thine is the glory.”

The way to pray.

What's the best way to pray? Various prayer positions are described in the Bible:

• Standing (Mk. 11:25)
• Sitting (1 Chron. 17:16)
• Bowing (Ex. 34:8)
• Reclining (Psa. 6:6)
• With lifted hands (Psa. 28:2)
• On one’s face (Mt. 26:39)
• On one’s knees (1 Kings 8:54)
• With the face between the knees (1 Kings 18:42)

The following amusing poem aptly summarizes this subject the best:

“The proper way for a man to pray,”
Said Deacon Lemuel Keyes,
“And the only proper attitude
Is down upon his knees.”

“No, I should say the way to pray,”
Said Reverend Doctor Wise,
“Is standing straight with outstretched arms
And rapt and upturned eyes.”

“Oh, no, no, no,” said Elder Slow,
“Such posture is too proud.
A man should pray with eyes fast-closed
And head contritely bowed.”

“It seems to me his hand should be
Austerely clasped in front
With both thumbs pointing toward the ground,”
Said Reverend Doctor Blunt.

“Well, I pray while resting every day,”
Said Mr. Henry Pack.
“So I should think you say your prayers
While lying on your back.”
“Last year I fell in Murphy’s well—
Headfirst,” said Cyrus Brown.
“With both my knees a’stickin’ up
And my head a’pointin’ down.”

“And I made a prayer right then and there,
The best prayer I ever said,
The prayingest prayer I ever prayed,
A’standing on my head.”

“So, if your prayers come
From mouth and not from soul;
God may just someday let you
Fall into a hole!”

Bottom line: In matters of true prayer, it is not the position of the body but rather the condition of the hearts that counts!

Monologue or Dialogue?

There was a member in one of the churches I pastored who regularly called my wife for some Christian ‘fellowship’ each Monday morning. Following this she often would phone my office, expressing just how much she enjoyed conversing with Sue. But this was really not the case. In reality the only word poor Sue could contribute was the word ‘hello’ as she answered the phone. Then, for the next ten or fifteen minutes the caller would go non-stop and abruptly conclude, saying how great it was to talk with her again. But sadly the ‘visit’ was over 99% monologue and less than 1% dialogue!

So it is, all too often regarding our prayer life. Effective prayer may be best defined as ‘having fellowship with God.’ It is more than simply talking to God, but rather talking with God. It implies a two-way give-and-take.

All too often this simple, basic, bottom-line definition is either misunderstood or simply ignored.

Simply stated:
• I talk to Him through my words.
• He talks to me through His Word.

Eternal Security: Fact of Fable?

“Why, if I believed that way, I could go out tonight, get drunk, lie, cheat, steal, commit adultery, and live like the devil, and still be saved.”

I would like to relate a personal experience here. Some years ago an Arminian friend of mine would often repeat the above words to me. One day I said, “Glen, you’re always bringing this up. Let me ask you a personal question. Are you telling me that the only reason holding you back from going out tonight and doing all these things is the knowledge that if you did, you’d be lost?”

He quickly assured me, “Oh, no! That’s not the main reason why. I don’t do them because I love my family and the Lord!”

I then told him, “I feel the same way! I simply have no desire to do those things. My belief in eternal security has nothing whatsoever to do with the matter.”

But someone might object, “How about the person who does all the terrible things but still claims to be eternally saved?” Well, I think the first question I would ask him is just what the Savior has saved him from! For such a one the following verses are sobering indeed:

• Examine yourselves whether you be in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5)
• Bring forth fruits showing your repentance (Mt. 3:8)
• A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit (Mt. 7:18)
• Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Cor. 5:17)

Salvation Tag-Team.

Imagine justification and sanctification sitting together in some large city rescue meeting. Both listen intently as the visiting preacher proclaims the saving work of Jesus Christ and then invites any and all to come forward and accept this glorious Redeemer.

As they watch, a poor wretch of a man gets to his feet and stumbles forward, wearing filthy and tattered clothes, his breath reeking with alcohol, his eyes bloodshot, his body covered with bruises caused by fighting and falling, and his mouth showing traces of dried vomit. Soon his sobs fill the room as he cries out, “Oh God save me for Jesus’ sake!”

Justification whispers to Sanctification: “Excuse me, I see I’m needed down front.” Five minutes later Justification returns and reports to Sanctification: “Well, that didn’t take long, did it? But everything went according to plan. I’ve declared him righteous before God. He’s your worry now.”

With a nod of agreement, Sanctification replies, “Yes I know. But you needn’t wait for me for my divine assignment will take a little longer than five minutes. In fact, it will continue non-stop until the Rapture or when he is called home by way of death.”

Thank God for those two faithful friends of all repenting sinners! The first friend (justification) saved us from the penalty of sin, while the second (sanctification) saves us from the power of sin!

Don't Be Too Quick To Judge.

As a personal note, to my shame, I did not start drinking until after my conversion. The reason for this is that I began running with a crowd of unsaved boys. I’m sure an Arminian would have pointed to me back then as an example of someone who “had it,” but through booze had “lost it.” Of course, they had no way of knowing the terrible struggle and conviction that were raging inside me during that period. The Spirit of God literally had my carnal soul in a divine vise, applying the pressure that only He can. Part of my carnality in those days was an attempt to escape the call of God to preach. I knew He was calling me, but, like Jonah, I turned and ran. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, I submitted my will to Him. What peace and joy then filled my heart as I enrolled in the Moody Bible Institute to prepare for the gospel ministry.

The point of all the above is simply this: we cannot make a final judgment concerning the salvation of any professing Christian, for only God knows those who truly belong to him. “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2 Tim. 2:19).

As a final illustration, imagine yourself in the vicinity of the Garden of Gethsemane on a warm April night some 2,000 years ago. As you watch, a man walks up to Jesus and begins kissing him. You would probably conclude how this man must love the Master!” Shortly after this you are shocked to hear another man bitterly cursing Christ. Now your conclusion would be, “How this man must hate the Master!” But both times you would be wrong. Judas, the man who kissed Christ, really hated him, and Peter, the one who cursed Him, really loved Him.

Want God to use you? Don't ask...

This advice sound strange to you? I know it sure did to me as I stood at the altar of Moody Memorial Church in Chicago, Illinois along with several hundred other young people over a half century ago. We had just answered the call to dedicate our lives to God following a sermon by Dr. Vance Havner. Looking down at us, he said:

“In a few minutes I’m going to ask the dear Lord to honor your commitment. However, before I do, I want you to pray for yourself. But, don’t pray, ‘LORD USE ME!’ ”

I still remember how shocked I was to hear those words. What did he mean by them? After all, that’s why we were standing there. But, as if he had read my mind, he continued:

“Don’t worry, He’ll use you alright. In fact, He’ll wear you out. There’s not enough of you to go around as it is! No, don’t pray, ‘LORD USE ME,’ but rather, ‘LORD MAKE ME USABLE!’

What a simple but profound truth. In other words, he was saying that in order to be used, one must make himself or herself usable.

The bottom line? God does not require golden vessels or demand sinless ones, but He absolutely insists upon clean ones.

Don't fuss and chide by the river side.

The Bible clearly presents in the strongest language both the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. The sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man cannot be totally reconciled in the mind of man. To do so would be like attempting to pour the Atlantic Ocean into a small bucket.

Consider the following illustration. Here is a mighty river flowing from eternity past to eternity future. Its ultimate destination is the glory of God and the good of the elect. On either side of the river is a clay bank side. One side is called the Sovereignty of God Bank, and the other side is the Responsibility of Man Bank. Some of the elect can be seen standing on both banks discussing (and on occasion perhaps denouncing) the theology of the opposite bank dwellers. But in doing this, the great and glorious River of Grace flowing at their feet is overlooked. The perfect will of God would direct both sides to embark upon that river and experience all its bountiful blessings. It takes two bank sides to make a river.

As a final thought here, what happens to a river if one of its supporting banks is removed? This, of course, has happened to earthly rivers through earthquakes or enemy bombs. When this occurs, the once life-giving waters cease flowing and the river becomes an ill-smelling, insect-ridden swamp.

To overemphasize one aspect of election and ignore or deny the other side is to turn salvation’s river of redemption into a theological and sectarian swamp.

P. S. May I ask you to tell someone about Emmaus Bread?

Friendship: Mid-Eastern Style.

There is an old Arab proverb that says: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Simply stated, this refers to and occurs when two previous enemies team up against a common and more hated enemy.

Interestingly there is an occasion in the Bible where this actually happened. It involved two bitter political rivals, Pontius Pilate, Governor of Judea, and Herod Antipas, Governor of Galilee.

However, during the trial of Jesus, Pilate at first refused to condemn the Savior but instead recognized the authority of Herod to do so. The Gospel of Luke gives us the results:

“And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves” (Luke 23:12).

All this of course happened 2000 years ago. Is there however, a modern Middle East parallel illustrating this parable? Consider: it has been estimated that over 50,000 Iraqi citizens have been killed since the U. S. invaded their country, and that some 90% of this frightful number met their deaths NOT by American soldiers, but rather at the hands of their own countrymen! Murderous mobs of Shiite Arabs and Sunni Arabs seek out and destroy each other daily!

Now, quickly travel 1500 miles west from Iraq where the nation Israel is fighting a battle of survival against the Hamas in the south, who are Sunni Arabs and the Hezbollah in the north who are Shiite. So what do we find? Simply this, that both previously bitter foes are now pledging full support to their beloved Arab counterpart brothers in a common goal to annihilate the Jewish state! What a strange world we live in.

One final thought: How does God view all this? The answer is surprising—the followers of Jesus are instructed to utterly destroy all their enemies if possible! What’s that again? Well, here is God’s divine proverb:

“The most effective way to destroy your enemy is to make him your friend!”

Crisis In Israel

Can the current Middle East situation be viewed as a dress rehearsal for the final battle of Armageddon, and how might the coming Antichrist exploit it for his own wicked agenda?

Many students of Bible prophecy see those Middle East events in the future transpiring as follows:

Jesus Christ returns and removes all His followers from the earth (1 Thess. 4:13-17; 1 Cor. 15:51-53)

The situation reaches a boiling point, resulting in Israel’s very existence to be in question. Note the O.T. prophet Zechariah’s words along this line:

Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about . . . in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people . . . the people of the earth (shall) be gathered together against it. (Zech. 12:2, 3)

Suddenly when all hope for the Jewish people seems to be gone, a powerful Western leader (the Antichrist) suddenly steps in and, to astonishment of the world and to the relief of Israel, signs a seven-year peace treaty with that nation!

Some believe he will not only guarantee Israel’s security, but help finance their centuries’ old desire to rebuild their temple. Sadly, Israel will swallow this poison bait hook, line, and sinker. But after 3 ½ years he will break the treaty and attempt to destroy all Jews worldwide.

Finally, Jesus returns—this time to planet Earth—defeats His foes at Armageddon and institutes a one-thousand year reign of peace called the Millennium!

In light of all this, what should be the response of all followers of Christ? Simon Peter provides the answer: Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless (2 Peter 3:14).