I w i l l t h e r e f o r e that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” These are the words o f the Apostle Paul in First Timothy, chapter 2, verse 8, in which he tells Timothy that his own attitude toward all Christians everywhere was that they should engage in prayer. The need for praying is felt everywhere. We need help. Our loved ones need help. Yet praying should be intel ligent and understanding. It is true that in prayer, when we are asking God to do things for us, we are asking Him for that which we don’t deserve. We want Him to do more for us that we can ask or think. Yet, there should be an understanding and a reasonable ness about it. There are things that we should have in mind and heart when we pray. If a person is going to practice this exercise in prayer, so to speak he needs a floor upon which to walk. Let me set forth before you several ideas basic to the whole experience of prayer. We shall begin first with the exhortation: “Have faith in God.” “But with out faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder o f them that diligently seek him” (Heb. 11: 6). So we can ask ourselves at the very outset, “Do we believe in God?” Well if you believe in God, then you can pray. If you really think that God is, and that God matters, and that God could help, then you can pray. Do you think God could help if He would ? Then you should call upon Him. Cer tainly in any kind of praying any one ever does, if it is going to be effectual, it must have a basic confidence in God. The second idea that I think that everyone of us should have in mind is expressed in the ad mission : “ I have sinned.” An open, plain acknowledgment of our personal sin is necessary. Like the prodigal of old, those of us who are believers should be able to say, “ I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, THE KING'S BUSINESS
ever c la im perfection save in Christ. Nevertheless they antici pated the moment when they would receive a reward from the hand of their beloved Lord. The Berna, to them, was the one place they look ed forward to with pleasure. It should be borne in mind that glorification shall wipe out every thing appertaining to the old cre ation and impart to us everything that is divine, Christ-like. Then, too, our God in the riches o f His grace, not only has forgiven but also has forgotten all our sins. These shall n ev e r be brought against us at the Bema. That sim ply means that all our sins wheth er in thought, in words, or in deed, shall not be present. Our God shall be unable to indict us since He Himself has justified us and Christ shall never condemn us since He has died for our sins, been raised from the dead, and maketh intercession for us (Rom. 8:31-39). Bema is a word used to indicate the official seat o f a judge, or a structure like a throne, on which a king might sit to witness a na tional game, or from which to address his subjects, or to give a crown to the successful contes tants. It was the place from which rewards were given. There never was any thought o f reprimand, reproach, or retribution for mis demeanors. No person appearing before the judge was afraid or apprehensive but thrilled with the prospect o f receiving a prize. “ Every man shall receive praise of God” is the divine declaration (I Cor. 4 :5 ). In the way of re wards there shall be a capacity given each of us according to our spirituality here. We shall enter eternity with different capacities and abilities. As we leave the Bema, we shall be exactly what God saw us to be down here. All veneer shall be removed. This is the place where we shall be given our places of administra tion in the running of the ever lasting kingdom. Already the in ner cabinet of the King has been chosen in the twelve Apostles 30
(Matt. 19:28). Speculation has it that either Paul or Peter shall be the Prime Minister but other positions o f greater or lesser de gree shall be given those that measure up to the divine standard. Every post shall be filled and the kingdom run according to the per fect will o f God. The Bride of Christ comes in for special treatment. She will receive her wedding trousseau (Rev. 19:7-9). This is the com posite result of all her acts since Pentecost until the rapture. Every word spoken, every deed per formed, every spiritual thought entertained for the glory of God shall be like a golden thread in the trousseau. It is a perfect rep lica of the character of Christ. Finally there shall be crowns of distinction given the spiritual athlete, the tried saint, the faith ful under-shepherd, and the one who loves His appearing (see I Cor. 9:25; James 1:12; I Peter 5:4 ; II Tim. 4 :8 ). It would also appear that every promise offered the overcomer shall be made good to each saint in that day (see Rev. 2 & 3). The Bema, then, is first o f the divine agenda after the rapture and shall have us in readiness for the development of all even ts thereafter, whether in heaven or on earth. As we leave the reward Throne, we shall be like the Lord Jesus both physically and morally and with the perfect appraisal of our entire Christian life in the re wards given. Let us not dread but rather delight in the thought of meeting our Lord and being re warded by Him. H b [
by Dr. Manford G. Gutzke
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