confidence in the death, burial and resur rection of Jesus Christ. The entire Bible heads up in this magnificent truth that Christ died for sinners. As a matter of actual fact, no one can ever enjoy the benefits of any of God’s grace without first coming through the door of the substitutionary work of Christ on Cal vary. There is no doubt but that such an approach to God absolutely forbids any inclusion of pride or human attain ment. All of these must be left on the outside and sinners, in order to receive the incomparable benefits of salvation, must approach a holy God on the simple basis of absolute unworthiness. Or if it be argued that the approach to choosing a favorite Bible passage be on the basis of a born-again experience, it is scarcely to be doubted that the most transcendent truth on the pages of the Bible concerns the miraculous indwelling of a Heavenly Guest within the heart of the Christian. Unbelievable as it may appear, it is nonetheless true that the ,Spirit of God, the Third Person of the Trinity, dwells forever in the newly- cleansed heart-temple of every born- again believer. His ministry there is to supply divine wisdom, power and guid ance for every one of life’s needs. The Christian need never be without succor at any time because of the Spirit’s om nipotence. There is no greater truth for Christians, on the pages of the New Testament than this. And yet, in the choice of Bible pas sages by famous Americans, the name or ministry of the Spirit is never re ferred to. If this were to be an indica tion of heart belief on the part of these who chose, it could be reasoned that they knew little or nothing of the unique and absolute indispensable min istries of the' Spirit in their lives. In all fairness, it should be pointed out that perhaps the choosing was done on the basis of a passage which is dear and precious and not concerned so much with belief or doctrine, but it would seem that to those whose lives had known the benefits of the cleansing power of the blood of Christ or those who were in daily dependence upon the Spirit of God that some mention would be made of these most important factors of the spiritual life. Prayer in the Public School T HE PRESS has contained a num ber of news items in the past sev opening public school sessions with pray er. Particularly in New York state quite a verbal battle has been going on over the State Board of Education and numer ous opposing groups. Usually a com promise has been worked out in favor of making a prayer and a suitable pray er offensive to no religious group has been suggested. On the outside this would seem like a notable thing to do and the recognition of God at the beginning of a school day ought to be an attainment in itself. The
establishment of a habit in the hearts and lives of children might carry through their entire lifetime and it has been argued that it is also a thing which is quite consistent with our American tradition and religious heritage. On the other hand, prayer is not a subjective exercise but rather a petition addressed to the God of the universe. When it comes to the matter of impor tance, prayer should first be pleasing to God, whether anyone else is pleased or not. Petition is being made for peace and blessing from the God who in the beginning created all things and who daily maintains this universe by the word of His power. The real question before us is whether or not the prayer is acceptable to Him, not whether it is a compromise prayer pleas'ng Protes tants, Catholics and Jews. Otherwise, it is so much wasted energy and in reality an affront to God Himself. The Scriptures lay down some very definite principles about prayer. Our Lord on one occasion utterly discounted ostentation in prayer. Just before the cross, the Lord added a new note to the doctrine of prayer by stating that hence forth all prayer was to be made in His Name. There is no reason at all to be lieve that God will either hear or an swer prayer which does not come to Him on the basis of the finished work of Christ on the cross. The dearest thing in all the universe, according to God’s estimate, is the precious blood of His Son. If an intercessor either consciously or unconsciously circumvents the sacri fice of Calvary, he might just as well save his breath, for the prayer has no value whatsoever. We seriously question the eternal effi cacy of such perfunctory prayer. On the other hand, there is tremendous need for those who both believe in Christ and who love the souls of lost men to earn
estly, definitely and persistently beseech the throne of grace with their petitions. Prayer is never measured on the basis of fine phrases or repetition. Rather, its essence is simple earnestness and the correct approach. Let Christian parents consistently teach their children to ap proach God in the way which He Himself has planned. Rose Bowl Easter Sunrise Service A GAIN this year, an hour-long serv ice from 6:00 to 7:00 Easter morn ing will be held in the famous Rose Bowl of Pasadena. Along with the tra ditional lovely Easter music by a huge choir, three speakers will share the time usually granted to a single speaker. The first will be Dr. Louis T. Talbot, Presi dent of the Bible Institute of Los An geles, who will speak on the subject, “ Christ Opened the Tomb.” Following Dr. Talbot, Dr. W. T. Purkiser, Presi dent of Pasadena College, will speak on the theme, “ Christ Opened Their Eyes.” The third speaker of the morning will be Dr. Wilbur M. Smith, Professor of Eng lish Bible at Fuller Theological Semi nary, whose subject will be “ Christ Opened the Scriptures.” It is understood that the service will be broadcast over a large radio network and will be televised for Pacific Coast audiences. The Rose Bowl, scene of many a football classic, seats 100,000 persons. Another Promotion As we go to press, word reaches us that Dr. Harry Rimmer, the well-known Bible teacher and scientist, went to be with the Lord March 19. Details of his life and ministry will appear in our next issue.
eral months relative to the matter of
Rose Bowl Speakers
Prominent participants in the fourth annual Rose Bowl sunrise service from 6 to 7 a.m. Easter morning are shown above, viewing announcement. They are left to right: Dr. Louis T. Talbot, of Pacific Palisades, president of Bible In stitute of Los Angeles; Dr. W. T. Pur kiser, of Altadena, president of Pasa-
dena College; and Dr. Wilbur M. Smith, of San Marino, professor of English Bible at Fuller Theological Seminary. Delegations from local churches are ex pected to attend, and local singers will appear in the massed choir of 300 select voices. Admission and parking are free.
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