Second Friend Day - Elmer Towns

God's will. However, after you receive Christ, there is a desire to do God's will (II Cor. 5:17),
even if you don't always follow your desire.
A young father put off receiving Christ for several months. The pastor went by to talk
with him in several occasions and he always said, "Later. " Finally he told the pastor that he
came from a family that always had beer and wine with their meals' "When I go back home to eat
with the family, I know I'll drink alcohol, though not excessively-" The pastor showed him the
victory that was promised in Jesus Christ and the young father was saved. A year later, the father
came to the altar one Sunday morning crying. He wouldn't let anyone deal with him but the
pastor. "I have been drinking with some buddies; I must not be saved. " The pastor prayed for
wisdom in handling the situation.
"Do you remember drinking wine with your family on New Year's Day right before you
got saved?" the pastor asked the young man. He said yes.
"And do you remember drinking wine on Christmas right before that?" Again he said yes.
The pastor pointed out that the young man did not feel convicted at that time by showing
emotional upheaval and tears.
"Why are you crying over drinking now?" the pastor asked. The rather saw the point.
Christ lived in his heart and he could no longer go back to his old habits without offending Jesus
Christ.
John tells us, "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not" (I Jn. 5:18). If you
are saved, this does not mean that you will never sin once. It means that you will not sin
continually. Some go forward in church and make an open profession, but there is no work in
the heart. There is only an outward change. You can take a pig from the mud and scrub him up
and paste on lamb's wool so that he gives the appearance of being a sheep, but when you turn him
out into the pasture, he'll go to the mud with the pigs rather than eat grass with the sheep.
2. You know you are saved when God answers your prayers. The Lord has promised
to answer the prayers of His children. "If ye shall ask anything in my name I will do it" (Jn.
14:14). Of course there are conditions to prayer, but when you meet those conditions, God will
answer your prayers.
Elmer Towns tells the story of attending only one prayer meeting in his life before he was
saved. The windows were open because it was a hot summer evening, and bugs flew in during
the message. As they were leaving, someone said, "Let's pray for screens." There were 32
windows in the church and they got on their knees and asked God for 32 screens. Getting up
from their knees, the pastor said, "Let's don't tell anyone, and watch what God does." During the
following Sunday service, a man interrupted the announcements to donate four screens. Several
others volunteered and all 32 screens were bought. Towns walked out of that building saying,
"These people must be Christians, they can pray; I must not be a Christian, I can't pray." It was
that event that led Elmer Towns to salvation.