And the Angels Were Silent

The end of the year has come again, all too soon. Yet, around us are the sights and sounds of Christmas. One cannot but be overcome with the awe and joy of this wonderful holiday. For many, this will be a bittersweet experience, remembering loved ones not present to rejoice in the physical realm, but are very much here in heart, mind and memory. In regards to those who have passed on into the heavenly places, we can at least be assured that they will be celebrating Christmas in the very Presence of the Savior, Himself, this year. Can one imagine the beauty and grandeur of hearing the hosts of heaven proclaiming their praises firsthand with their songs echoing throughout all eternity and space? Then, to be able to join one’s voice with all of the voices of those who have believed in Him throughout the ages to adore Him who came as a babe to die for His people that their sins would be forgiven, that they should be called the children of Almighty God? It is almost a thought too great for words.

But alas, words are what we are given in order to share our thoughts and the contemplations of our hearts. So, this Christmas and for the approaching New Year, I give you the following compilation of words for you as a gift. May they be to you as a means of meditation and reflection. May they draw you into a deeper place between you and our Lord. May they result in a greater celebration of His coming to us all in this celebration we call Christmas.

And the Angels Were Silent

by Dr. Chris King

September 14, 2012

Before there was time and creation began,

Before there was a universe or the discussion of man,

God in Three was in fellowship with Himself

And to all three Persons, all was well.

In His glory He created forms of music and light,

Spirit beings who would bring Him great delight.

They would sing and fly about His throne.

Now, though never lonely, He was never alone.

Their song of His greatness continued with no pause from above.

They sang of His holiness, His justice, His love

Unabated, undaunted by even fellow angels who rebelled

Their melodies rang out in the heavenlies, never quelled.

But in time one thing God in Three brought to be.

The Father called the Son to the Throne for all to see.

He sent Him to earth in the form of a man

To be born of a woman and to die at evil hands.

Hearing this, the singing spirits, who sang always, lost voice

Amazed and astounded at the Father’s heartrending choice

To sacrifice His Son for sinners among the human race,

The lesser ones of creation before the Father’s face.

Yet, even as the holy angels in silence before the Father stood,

God shared with them His plan of salvation for sinner’s good.

Once the angels heard the entirety of what God through the Son required

The spirit beings’ song returned more joyously, more hopefully inspired.

The angels now asked the Lord for opportunity to share

In this the great Incarnation taking place on earth down there.

So, God arranged for them to take the good news of His Son

To shepherds in the fields abiding so they might declare to everyone

That the Son of God has come to earth to set the sinner free

From the very sin that keeps us from the life God has for you and me.

When we see all that God has done for us to show to us His love,

We will all be awed in silence like the angels up above.

　

May you and yours be blessed with a most joyous Christmas and the best year ahead of service and praise in His Presence that you have ever experienced.

From our family to yours in all sincerity,

Dr. Chris King

Exercising Our Rights as Christians

   I am not in the habit of speaking out publicly regarding American politics.  It is not because of any cowardice on my part, I assure you.  I happen to believe that American Christianity has entangled itself too closely with American politics over the past thirty years, in particular, to the point that the “faith once delivered to the saints” has become tainted by the association.  Thus, in the minds of many in our nation, whether you represent the political Right or Left, and once you state that you are a Christian, the unbeliever as the recipient of that information often has a caricature in view that pieces the together, creating a barrier to the actual witness of the Gospel.
    In fact, I have very strong views regarding the political structures of the United States.  Many of you may not realize this, but I was a Social Science major in college.  Indeed, the Social Science major itself included political science, history and psychology.  I took every political science class Shorter College had to offer.  At the time I attended Shorter, though it was a Georgia Baptist institution, it was a liberal school, both theologically and politically.  In 1984, the Reagan/Bush ticket was running against Mondale/Ferraro for President/Vice-president.  The overwhelming majority of the faculty and staff as well as the students in the History/Political Science department supported the Democratic duo.  Less than a handful of us held out for the conservative pair of Ronald Reagan and George Bush, Sr. to continue in their administration.  Needless to say, when Reagan/Bush steamrolled over Mondale/Ferraro on election day in a landslide victory, those who had supported the Democratic ticket were none too pleased that night or the following day on campus.  It was a time to remember.
    I bring this up for this purpose.  American Catholic theologian, George Weigel, once stated, “Ideas have consequences and bad ideas can have lethal consequences.”  The political parties that we now have accepted as part of our cultural landscape have always been based on particular ideas and values.  From the very beginning of our nation, the men who ran for office represented not only themselves but groups of men and beliefs that bound them together.  For instance, in 1796, we typically think that this election was simply between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson for the Presidency of the new United States of America.  However, there were actually thirteen candidates for the office.  One was an independent, George Washington, who received but two electoral votes.  The other twelve candidates were nominees from two political parties, the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans.  The Federalists believed in a strong national government, a loose interpretation of the Constitution, and increasing business develop-ment.  The Democratic-Republicans representing small farmers, affirmed a weak central government, and a strict interpretation of the Constitution.  In this particular election, it was John Adams, representing the Federalists, who captured the Presidency, bringing in his group’s view of government to oversee the nation.
    Over time, parties and people have changed.  The Federalists are no longer in existence.  The Democratic-Republicans, contrary to popular belief, are not the same as the present-day Democrat party.  If anything, the Democrat party of today is more akin to the Federalist party of yesteryear with its desire for a strong central government and loose interpretation of the Constitution.  Added to this is the Democrat party’s ongoing mission to expand the definition of civil rights to include not only race, religion, gender and immigration status to increase its own voting rolls, but also sexual orientation.  With the 2012 election looming, the Democrat party has officially included its approval and affirmation of same-sex marriage in its platform to, hopefully, attract the young, open-minded voters to its side for the purpose of re-electing Barack Obama for President.  Just for note, the DNC has also removed all references to “God” in its official platform, including but one paragraph exuding the importance of “faith” in America and its way of life.  A day or so after the DNC began in Charlotte, God was significantly reintroduced to platform language by virtue of an amendment, forced through upon approval by the moderator after a three-fold voice vote over the loud “boo’s” of a resounding opposition!  In other words, God wasn’t welcomed there by the delegates, but only allowed in due to political pressures as feared from the pending voters come November.
    The Republican party that was formed after the fall of the Whigs in the 1850s has evolved from the party of the emancipation of blacks under Abraham Lincoln to the party of business interests in the late 1800s/early 1900s to the party of social and economic conservativism as of the late 20th century.  In many ways, the latter two forces within the Republican party, economic protectionists and social conservatives, are still endeavoring to find a common ground for the best interests of the party as a whole.   In the 2012 election, with the choice of private businessman, self-proclaimed conservative, Mitt Romney, it is hoped within the Republican party that the bridge between the two sides has been built, at least for the time being.  As noting with the DNC above, the RNC platform upon which Romney will be running is decidedly pro-life, defending the sanctity of Biblical marriage, economically conservative with a recognition that our rights and freedoms are “God-given”.
    What has all of this to do with the believers in Christ in America?  As Scripture declares, we are to “...do all to the glory of God” (rf. I Corinthians 10:31), that includes exercising our right as Americans to cast our vote.  We must research the platforms of the individual parties that are represented in each election (national, state and local) to see which ones uphold the values reflected in God’s Word and which ones stand for things that are contrary to Scripture.  Once the positions of the parties are surmised, then we will effectively know which candidates we can and cannot vote for.  From that point, it will be a matter of making sure we are registered to vote and then go do so as obedient to God’s Word (rf. Acts 22:25-29; 23:11).  Of all people who should take every opportunity that our rights as Americans give to us, it should be God’s people.  We are, after all, commanded by God to be examples of good citizens of our nation even as we are to reflect our citizenship in heaven.  Let us then do all within our power to be informed, to vote and to uphold our values as followers of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ by selecting the right people to serve this great nation for the years yet to come.

The Importance of Lineage

    Lineage.  It is a question of one’s own connection with the past.  To the denizens of the culture of the “now”, such an aspect of history has no place in life because one’s life is all about the present and the future.  However, to the wise among us, history has an exalted position of importance in life as does our family heritage.  Indeed, the immortal words of George Santayana still ring true, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”  Of course, he was speaking of the mistakes in history, but his premise of neglecting the past to our detriment still bears recalling.
    So imperative is this idea of lineage to me that I have taken up the study of genealogy as a hobby.  I have always been interested in history, so much so that it was one of my majors in college.  Indeed, my focal point of study in seminary was Church history.  It only stands to reason that I should bring to bear that interest in the area of family connections.  When I began this pursuit, I could not believe what discoveries awaited me.
    For instance, I was amazed to find out that I have through each of my parent’s lines direct connections with two different couples of French Huguenots who were the first who settled in Virginia in the 1600s at Manakin (Monocan) Town, just east of Richmond.  I have verified the connection of one of the couples while the other will have to remain unofficial due to a lack of available documentation.  The Huguenots were refugees fleeing persecution in France after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in which Protestantism was made illegal, the practice thereof made punishable by seizure of property, bodily torture and death.  These Huguenots made their way to the New World in search of freedom of religion and worship, settling in Virginia.  One couple remained at Manakin Town until the end of their days.  The other eventually moved on to South Carolina, there the husband serving as a minister of another Huguenot settlement as he had in Virginia.
    Along another line on my father’s side comes an example of those who fought for our nation’s freedom from British tyranny in the famous American Revolution.  Like many of our ancestors, he was of European descent, German to be precise, yet considered this land and its future worth fighting for.  He and his brothers were part of the formation of the German Fusiliers, a company of defenders made up of German and Dutch immigrants and their sons who felt the need to take up arms in protection of Charleston, South Carolina after “the shot heard ‘round the world” was fired in Lexington and Concord much further up north. 
    These are but two examples of many others that I could name.  Men and women of various stations of society, from yeomen farmers to knights and aristocrats.  Military warriors who fought and died in every major and minor conflict of our nation since the formation of this great land.  It seems that every time another person is located, yet another story of great interest is told.  This is why the hobby for me is so intensely exciting.
    This pursuit of genealogy is likewise integral to the serious student of Scripture.  One finds quickly as one begins the meritorious task of reading through the Bible in a year or two that, before long, one will run into long chapters of “so-and-so begat so-and-so” (KJV) and so on. These lists of genealogies of family connections seem so arduous that we are very tempted to jump ahead to the more juicy narratives because they are easier to read and understand.  However, we must never forget that these passages have, too, been included in the text under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  God intended them to be there for our edification. 
    To the Jews their family connections were of extreme importance to their heritage.  For instance, their bloodline determined to which tribe they belonged.  It revealed their land grant at the end of the conquering days of the Promised Land under Joshua and the elders.  It even disclosed whether or not there were kings of Israel of old in their past (especially if they were of tribe of Benjamin (e.g. King Saul) or Judah (e.g. kings David and forward)). 
    Most notably, the genealogies of Jesus provide us an outstanding example of the importance of lineages.  The one presented in Matthew (1:1-17) gives the reader the legal basis for Jesus’ status as the Son of David through Joseph, His earthly step-father.  We know this because of vs. 16 where the line is traced through “Jacob...the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.”  The focus of the verse is on Mary, not Joseph, though the lineage is shown to be through Joseph, revealing that Joseph was not the actual father of Jesus, yet he was the husband of Mary.   On the other hand, the lineage disclosed in Luke 3:23-38, is actually through Mary’s family line though it seemingly is shown through Joseph.  (Remember: In the time of Jesus, women were accorded little legal and social standing; therefore, in official documentation, most of the time, lineages were paternal.)  In vs. 23, Luke uses the phrase “(as was supposed)” to show that the above was the case.  Also, Mary’s father was apparently Heli and then the lineage went backward through David all the way to Adam.  Thus, her genealogy proved Jesus both to be the Son of David and the Son of Adam/the Son of Man in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
    So, the next time you read through the Scriptures, be sure to pay close attention to who belonged to whom in terms of family relationships.  It will encourage you spiritually to see how deep the grace of God really is.  It may even prompt you to see how God’s hand has been at work in your own family’s genealogy if you begin such a study into that history as well.  Never forget that, in God’s mind, the past, the present and the future are very much interconnected.  And so should they be with His people.

Thoughts Regarding Our "Adversary" and His Celebration

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
I Peter 5:8-11

    This passage was written originally by the Apostle Peter to those “who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood...” (rf. I Peter 1:2)  Suffice it to say that Peter was writing to the Christians scattered throughout the Roman Empire.  He wanted them to be aware of the dangers that surrounded the believers in Christ, dangers, specifically, that were not as obvious as others.  The Apostle Peter had learned as he had matured in the faith that the devil, the ancient “adversary” of Christ, was not as open in his opposition to His followers as they would have liked to have believed.  Therefore, Peter provides the Christian body a dire warning for them to be on the constant alert that this “adversary” was waiting for just the right opportunity to catch the believer unawares with a subtle attack for which they will not be prepared with an adequate defense. 
    Things have not changed any since the first century.  The same “lion” that awaited the early Christian body for weak believers to attack is still very present today seeking “someone to devour”.   This “lion”, “the devil”, is a very clever being.  He knows that His best offense is, indeed, invisibility or better yet, non-existence.  Thus, he has convinced first the culture and then the Church that supernatural beings such as Devil, Satan, Beelzebub, demons, angels, etc. are all mythical creatures, nice to adorn plots for horror flicks, television shows, computer games or books, but not worthy of true intellectual affirmation.  Indeed, such beings are the things to be used as an outlet for the base impulses of our human natures, the outward expressions we show forth through costumes on All Hallow’s Eve, Halloween.  They are the culturally approved vehicles by which we are allowed to celebrate that which is evil about ourselves without the pangs of guilt since all of us “have a little evil in us” after all.   It is true after all, as Flip Wilson, the comedian of old, in his character, Geraldine, used to say, “The Devil made me do it.”
    Our “adversary” is a sly character without question.  He knows he has the unbelieving world at his beckon call.  His goal is to get the Christian community as well to dance to his tune.  This is the warning to which the Apostle Paul is referring.  When we are blind to the devil’s ways, we easily fall prey to his traps.  When we do not see as evil that which is inherently evil, he has us exactly where he wants us.  Like a lion that creeps silently and stealthily in the bushes upon the unwitting antelope, so we can be completely caught off guard by the actions of the devil, not realizing that he has laid a trap for us until it is too late.
    How do we then prevent being caught?  Peter says, be “firm in your faith”.  One cannot distinguish good from evil if one is not well-versed in the truth of God’s Word.  One cannot turn away from the temptations of the “adversary” if the only time one is exposed to God’s truth is on Sundays.  It will not happen.  “Firm(ness) in the faith” comes with a commitment to be with God and in His Word on a daily basis.  This was Jesus’ example.  It must be ours’ also.
    Secondly, on the basis of that truth that is our foundation, we are to “resist him”.  This is not just a matter of telling the devil, “No”.  It is also a matter of telling why it is “No”.  Again, Jesus provides us the example.  When tempted by the devil in the wilderness, over and over again, Jesus answered each temptation with a reason from God’s Word.  The same holds true with us.  We can only do this if we are bathed in our understanding with the study of the Scriptures.
    Why do I bring this passage and discussion now?  October is the celebration of one of the holy days of Satanism.  All Hallow’s Eve is and always has been a celebration of the dead, based on the belief that the spirits of those departed must be appeased in order for them to remain in the grave.  Many say that this is not what is being celebrated today.  I concur and so does the one who gains the most glory from the celebration.  Just food for thought: if we as believers in Christ are to do all for the glory of God (rf. Colossians 3:17), how does this particular holiday and its origins qualify for us to participate?  Could it be that the “adversary” has used its trappings for “fun” as a snare to make so many of us totally unaware of what we were actually helping to promote? 
    My words are not meant to condemn or to judge, but to encourage.  Like so many of us, I was an example of Jesus’ words of being led blindly eventually toward a pit.  It wasn’t until I had my eyes opened by the reality of what was real, true and Biblical.  Then, both my actions and my perceptions changed.  I was able to do what the Apostle Peter exhorted us all to do.  Indeed, the Lord is able to “perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.” May He do the same for us all as we seek to follow Him and His Word more closely.

Godly Grandparenting

    Grandparents’ Day is being celebrated this month.  Lori and I are not yet at that season of life.  Yet, we are looking forward to the opportunity to spoil, love and invest time, resources and energy into the lives of the little ones we hope the Lord will send our way through our children and their mates in the years to come.  (Of course, we have to get all of our children married first.  We want to make sure our priorities are in Biblical order.)

    Speaking of being a grandparent, I have been around a lot of them in my years of ministry.  I can truly testify that there is a defined art to becoming a great one.  There are a number of characteristics that are essential to good grandparenting: wisdom, patience, unconditional love, etc.  These should be like wine; they mature with age.  However, there is one factor that may not be so evident, yet it is necessary if one wants to be a wonderful grandparent to his or her grandkids.  That factor is adaptation.

    The capacity to respond positively to change is one that we normally do not associate with grandparenting.  For those who are well on up in years, you may remember your grandparents as the ones who sat on the front porch of the “old home place” expecting all of the family to come to them on Sundays, special occasions, holidays, or just when they, the grandparents wanted a visit.  This may have been the usual reality when the vast majority of the family lived within a five-ten-twenty mile radius of the grandparents and could drive/ride in a short time to get there.  In those days, the “old home place” was, indeed, the social gathering spot for the family and often the largest of the places for such events.  It simply worked for that time.

    However, times have changed.  For most families, locations of the children and grand-children are extremely varied.  Some may be close at hand to the grandparents.  However, because of the transient nature of our culture and the tenuous situation of our economy, many live far away from the places were they initially grew up as a child.  The “old home place” worked well for the Waltons, but is not well suited for the 21st century family.  It is the wise grandparent who realizes this and adjusts his/her perspective to the change.

    Barring debilitating illnesses and health problems, grandparents who see themselves as the agents of travel to their children rather than visa versa are the ones who will gain the greatest blessing of this new arrangement.  It is they who will be able to bless their children and grand-children with the wealth of their experience and life lessons as they share with them the quality of their time and resources.  This is a heart and mind shift from a selfish “I want them to come to me” perspective to a “I will go to them because I am freer to go” mentality, taking so much pressure off of the children who are, in many cases, just able to make ends meet financially and otherwise. 

    In the end, all parties involved will reap tremendous dividends by the investment made in these new arrangements.   The grandkids will have a better understanding and appreciation of their grandparents because of more time spent with them.  The children will be blessed by the interaction with their parents as their grandparents give them a little time off from parenting.  The grandparents get to do what God intended for grandparents to do best, enjoy the benefits and joys of grandparenting by focusing on the grandchildren and their needs, putting off the reality of their own circumstances for awhile.

    So, as you celebrate Grandparents’ Day this year, reflect on your own perspective of grandparenting.  Are you constantly expecting your children and grandchildren to come to you or are you willing to be the one who goes to them to enjoy their company to alleviate their stress?  Change is good if it is to the end of blessing another’s life.  What greater joy is there than in bringing such joy to your children’s children, to be there for them as they celebrate life?  Make whatever changes in your own life to be there in theirs.

Report on the 2012 SBC Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA

      Lori and I always consider it a most high honor and blessing to represent Evergreen Baptist at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention.  It is one thing to call oneself a Southern Baptist simply by affiliation.  It is quite another thing to participate personally in the actual yearly decision-making process of the denomination and to be able to report back firsthand what went on at the proceedings.  It is also necessary to convey a sense of where the Convention is headed overall so that the “grassroots” constituency is well-informed and prepared for the future. 

    In that respect, I would say, there is a growing concern that the current leadership of the Convention has amassed too much power and control within the denomination.  I believe this concern has been brewing over many years, but has lately stemmed from the developments surrounding the passage of the Great Commission Resurgence Report last year which totally revamped the funding and structural dynamic of the SBC.  North American frontier mission work is suffering greatly while virtually all of NAMB resources are being diverted to church planting efforts in the major US cities.  This initiative is also including diminishing funding of mutual state missions in areas that have been heavily dependent upon NAMB support, all the while NAMB is asking for more missions giving.  This has all taken place as a result of the push by the SBC leadership to get this GCR Report passed and implemented without any prior impact study on what its effects might be before being considered. 

    At this year’s meeting, there were significant parliamentary challenges to the SBC leadership as well as other remarks and recommendations from the floor, all reflecting deep-seated cares over the power and control the SBC leadership has over proceedings and decisions.  Just in the last twelve months, we saw last year’s decision at the SBC annual meeting in Phoenix not to sell the new 2011 NIV translation of the Bible in Lifeway stores because of its gender-neutral status overridden by the trustees of Lifeway, a violation of the expressed desire of the membership of the SBC by virtue of the SBC Constitution.  This flagrant dismissal of the will of the SBC constituency is, indeed, a troubling trend that could prove devastating to the Convention in years to come.

    Overall this year’s meeting was an interesting experience.  Held in New Orleans, Louisiana for the first time in many years, the meeting was an historic one with the messengers present electing by acclamation the first black president of the largest Protestant denomination in the United States.  The action confirms a movement that has been at work within the SBC for some time now to make our body the most multi-cultural representation of the Church within evangelical Christianity.  For this feat to also reflect the conservative wing of the faith makes the action all the more potent.  It was a tremendous blessing, honor and privilege to count myself among the group who raised their ballots as a sign of agreement in electing Dr. Fred Luter, the next president of the SBC.

    Other items of business as on the agenda were not so exhilarating.  One issue in particular is needful to be shared so that all who read this will be apprised of what is actually going on with regards to denominational matters.  First of all, much was written ahead of time as to the presentation of the recommendation by a special committee in reference to the additional name “designator”, “Great Commission Baptists” that could be used, if approved at this year’s meeting, in addition to the legal name, “Southern Baptists”.  Those who serve outside the scope of the South believe that the term, “Southern” has both regional limitations and racial overtones that severely hamper the ability to minister and share the Gospel in those locations.  Thus, they were asking for the Convention to consider renaming itself, especially as the denomination pursues new courses for the 21st century.  However, after reviewing all of the legal ramifications, it was determined that a legal name change was a virtual impossibility, considering all of the problems and possible lawsuits that could arise if such action were taken.  Therefore, it was put forth by this committee that the messengers consider adding this designator, “Great Commission Baptists” that churches as well as present SBC entities could use in their literature for promotion and evangelistic purposes. 

    Rightfully, it was brought up in discussion that churches now have the ability to name themselves whatever they will, using their own designations, without the expressed permission of the Convention because churches are autonomous.  Also, many outside the faith have no idea what the term, “Great Commission” means since many are Biblically-illiterate.  In addition, though a person may use the term, “Great Commission Baptists” or any other term in their literature, an intelligent receiver of the literature can but “Google” the term itself and find out behind the term stands “Southern Baptists” and the Southern Baptist Convention.  In other words, as the saying goes from Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, “What's in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”.  One cannot run away from the fact that the denomination will still be the Southern Baptist Convention and its members, Southern Baptists.  Nonetheless, the measure to add the designator, “Great Commission Baptists”, passed.

    It is hopeful that the future of the SBC will see greater unity and mutual respect, a lesser desire for power and control in the humble spirit of Jesus along with an increased emphasis on the Biblical ideal and mandate for true discipleship.  As we return to the foundation of the Scriptures, sound doctrine and practices, not falling to the distractions that so easily lead away from His path, may we find His blessings upon us once again.

The Lord's Prayer

    For many of us, when we think of the Lord’s Prayer, we remember the words of rote memorization of a specific passage of Scripture.  This may be by virtue of a Sunday School class or a catechism lesson or a recitation that was included in the weekly worship service.  In any case, the words of the prayer are indelibly imprinted on our minds as well as our hearts.
    However, what we may know so well may not be understood so well at all, let alone applied as it was originally intended.  The prayer itself is found in two places in the Gospels, Matthew 6 and Luke 11.  In Luke 11, Jesus furnishes the prayer to His disciples, giving some context to its origination.  In this passage, the entirety of the text as found in Matthew 6 is not shared concurrently.  However, Luke does tell the reader that Jesus, responding to His disciples’ requests to teach them how to pray, provides the words of the prayer.
    We can conclude from Luke then that the Lord’s Prayer was intended to be a template of how to pray to the Father, not simply a prayer of repetition uttered without meaning or purpose (rf. Matthew 6:7).  Thus, we are to look at the content of the prayer and then structure our prayers accordingly.  For this exercise, we are directed to the complete prayer as found in Matthew 6:9-13.
    When Jesus set forth His model prayer, recognition of God the Father and the supremacy of His will came first and foremost.  He made this clear by His initial declarative statements, “Our Father which art in heaven.  Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (KJV)   In our humanness we tend to go immediately to God with what matters most to us—our needs, problems, circumstances, stresses, etc.   Jesus declares to us that God, His glory and ultimate will carry far more weight in terms of importance than do our concerns.  Thus, the primary focus of our prayer life should be the Lord and what He wants to do in this world.  If we maintain this perspective in prayer, eventually the rest of our life, mind and action will catch up to the real game at hand.
    Once we have correctly aligned our prayers with the Lord and His will above our own, we will begin to ask Him for the things that we need, but only on a daily basis.  Notice Jesus’ template once again: “Give us this day our daily bread.”  He has promised to provide for all of our needs “according to His riches in glory” (rf. Philippians 4:19).  He has also stated that worrying about tomorrow will not add anything to your life today, not even height to your stature (rf. Matthew 6:25-34).  He wants His followers to know that His provision is daily in perspective and delivery.  After all, no one is guaranteed tomorrow.  So, tomorrow is not worth being worried over.
    If there is any action upon which our prayers are contingent, it is in the forgiveness of others.  “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” So important is this provision of forgiveness,  He makes it clear by the use of a small two-letter term, “as”.   In other words, God will forgive me “as” I forgive those who have something against me or those for whom I have aught against.  Therefore, my prayers to Him and their acceptance by Him totally rely upon my willingness and follow-through to forgive others.  Otherwise, my prayers are but empty ritual, accomplishing absolutely nothing with God.
    “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” There is the imperative recognition of two distinctives about God the Father.  He is all-righteous in His character and action.  Everything that He has done, does and will do, both by direct volition and by allowance will be good in His sight and righteous by His standards.  Nor will He ever lead one of His sheep down a path into temptation and harm.  God is not the author or the originator of evil.  He will use evil and its effects to accomplish His righteous ends as well as allowing His followers to endure temptation, testing and trials to build their faith and trust in Him.  The Lord will ultimately, however, deliver His people from all of their difficulties (rf. Psalm 34:19).  This aspect of the prayer is but an understanding of this dynamic of the character of God.
    The last part of Jesus’ template, surely a very important part, is our submissive attitude.  When Jesus states, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”, He is declaring an unreserved recognition of God’s complete sovereignty over all things, that His power, dominion and glory are more important than anything in this world.  We, therefore, are called by Christ to lay down the things that we deem as essential at the feet of the Father in favor of God and what He wants to accomplish, especially in view of how He wants to use us and our lives.  The “Amen” is but the punctuation, which means all of the above “is true” to us, not just in concept, but in reality.
    With the previous now presented, are you willing to follow Jesus’ template and conform your prayer life to His?  The reason the disciples wanted to learn how to pray according to Jesus was because they had seen the power of God operational in His life and desired the same in their own lives.  Jesus’ response to them stated that this way of praying makes this happen by bringing our prayers in line with His will.  What will it take for God’s people to move from self-centered prayers to mountain-moving, world-changing praying once again? It’s all a matter of the template that we use.