ing? The light doesn’t come on if we leave some of these doors open or even ajar. When you close the door on everything that hinders prayer, the light will come on. I’m convinced that the old saint was right when he said, “What a preacher is in his prayer closet is what he is, no more and no less.” What a Christian is in Kis prayer closet is what he is—period. You may be able to sing a fine solo and you may be able to give a thousand dol lars to the church, but what you are when you are all alone with God is what you really are. I think of Wil liam Lowell who said a long time ago, “Who am I to lie folded up in a bed late of a morning when the farmers have already gone about their work and I’m so far behind with my sancti fication?” I love that. The saints and theologians have argued sanctifica tion for a long time. We can all agree on one thing: we’re all behind with our sanctification. It behooves us to take advantage of the open door into the Father’s presence. Thank God for that ripped veil! We have heard a great deal about iron curtains and bamboo curtains, but I thank God for the red curtain allowing us ac cess into the Father’s presence.
try to get them to sing the last one with true feeling, “I bid farewell to the way of the world, to walk in it never more.” They never seem to have caught on to the idea that a Christian can’t go in two directions at the same time. We have to tell this world good bye. When Cortez came over to these shores, we are told that he burned his ships so that his men couldn’t possibly go back to the old country. Many Christians have trouble because they have never burned bridges behind them. Let us not forget our text, “When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father.” In a day of space travel we forget the greatest of journeys. One can close his eyes day or night, in the noisiest crowd or in the darkest solitude and be instantly in another world. What’s a trip to Mars compared with this? Blessed is the Christian who knows how to shut his door. Sometime ago, a man was in a telephone booth, trying to find a number in the directory. He couldn’t see too well. Somebody came by, and seeing his predicament, sug gested, “The light comes on when you shut the door.” Isn't this the trouble with a lot of us who are pray
1968 graduates of Biola await the time for their names to be calledat annual commencement exercises. More than 3000 people attended the service which was held out of doorsat the school.
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