Just The Facts

"Strength and dignity are her clothing and she smiles at the future."
Prov. 31: 25
"Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." Prov. 31: 29-30

I became a fan of "No Fear" gear in the mid 90's. I loved their take no prisoners attitude and slogans on their t-shirts. I think the Proverbs 31 woman would have liked the message. Although the chapter primarily deals with a husband's praise for his "excellent wife," the remarks found in v. 30 include all women young and old, single or married. I love the picture I see of a strong woman, standing tall in the middle of the storm and never losing sight of her destiny. She smiles at the future, not because it is easy to stay on course, but because it is a challenge that brings the best out in her. She is not seeking a safe harbor, but sailing her ship into the gale. She has the rain in her face, the wind in her hair, and an air of excitement about the undiscovered adventure that lies ahead.

When the old, black and white "Drag Net" series was popular in the fifties, I always enjoyed hearing Jack Webb's detective character say, "The facts ma'am. Nothing but the facts." He was a man on a mission and would not digress to the inconsequential. I will try to do the same as I introduce you to a Proverbs 31 woman that you may not know. She is my excellent wife, Dana Walker Miller, and today she shall be praised." So here are the facts about Dana:

• Dana has been the love of my life for over 35 years. I was 24 when I met her in a friend's home on Monday night, Sept 9, 1974. I was newly arrived from two years in East Africa, and a first semester student in seminary. I attended classes in the morning and worked all afternoon running a jack hammer. When I saw her walk through the door, she rocked my world. What a Gospel Fox! I made sure I sat across from her at the card table to get better acquainted. For me it was love at first sight. For her, not so much. She thought I had Parkinson's. Remember the jack hammer. When I rested my hands on the table it would visibly shake. The ordeal of getting food to my mouth and keeping tea from spilling out of my glass was not pretty. Not a great start, but the chase was on.
  


• Dana and I were engaged Sept 24, 1976. I will never forget her words, "I'm allergic to inexpensive jewelry." I knew what she meant, but it just came out wrong. The truth is she wasn't kidding. She wanted to pick out the ring. Not alot of trust in those days. I was working for the church and she knew my pay so it was probably a wise move. Still, I wanted to surprise her. When I picked up the ring, I called and told her our credit had been denied. She was very disappointed. When I "surprised" her that night with the good news, it was not a Hallmark moment. Note to self: Never lie to Dana. She just looks little.


• Dana married me on January 1, 1977. The church flooded after a severe freeze burst a pipe in the Bride's Room. Missed the Joe Montana comeback in the Cotton Bowl. Spent the whole day with 50 men and two fire companies pumping the water out in time for the wedding. Found her wedding dress floating in a plastic bag in the Bride's Room. Never told her, but didn't lie. Progress being made in that area. At the appointed hour a severe ice storm hit. After the ceremony the kitchen in the fellowship hall caught on fire. DFW was closed down. When we arrived to spend the night. The lobby looked like the fall of Saigon. Couch space was going for $100.00 a person. Things were off to a rocky start. After 32 years and ten months, we can safely say that we have celebrated at least 1o years of happy marriage. In MLB those numbers will get you in the Hall of Fame.



• Dana has made 17 moves and decorated seven homes and assorted parsonages, apartments, patio homes and guest houses. Hence the batting average listed above.



• Dana has been an invaluable partner and team mate in ministry in the nine churches we have served in four different states. Three of those churches have been in the oil patch during the flip side of prosperity. Retirement is as remote as the next boom.



• Dana has helped me pick out and drive 22 cars over a 1,000,000 miles in 45 states.
  


• Dana has borne two beautiful children. They are now accomplished, strong Christian women. We have an empty nest. They emptied the nest, but filled the garage.



• Dana talked me into one cat. It left. Never came back. My story. Sticking to it.
  


• Dana interceded for our girls to get a puppy. They had been praying for a dog and she didn't want them to lose faith in God. I resisted. I told her disappointments build character or something like that. I was on thin ice. She said I ought to be glad they weren't praying for a pony. PTL! God gave them a puppy. When it died of natural causes, I almost died of grief. I buried "Duchess" in my golf bag. My heart and my golf game have never been the same. No more puppies Dana!



• Dana has no grandchildren to report, but she does have terminal grand baby fever. Pray for the antidote.



• Dana has been my best friend and personal prayer partner for 29 years. I had the toughest time praying with her in those early years of marriage. She coached me into being a better husband and a stronger Christian by helping me understand the mind of a woman. She said, "I am not looking for perfection from you, but I am looking for you to get direction from God."


• Dana is a pastor's wife or "The First Lady"as one congregation loved to call her. She has had no peer. She walks slowly among the people. She touches their lives with a winsome word and a gentle touch that is a perfect balance of my "chihuahua on a hot plate" personality. When she walks into a room she still rocks my world and lights up the place.


• Dana will always be the beautiful high school cheerleader from Mansfield, Texas. For me she has been an amazing cheerleader and team mate rolled into one. She encouraged me to pursue three seminary degrees, survive middle school ministry, disciple students, take numerous ski trips, organize countless camps and retreats. She had her home open for small groups four nights a week before small groups were cool.
  
• Dana has a wry and potent sense of humor. One night when the members of our singles ministry were saying some kind words, she came on stage to make the final response. Several had said they appreciated the way Dana was so patient when I was helping them, and not able to be home to her. She took the mike, turned sideways and with a deadpan look and sarcastic voice said "Obviously he found his way home at least one night." She was nine months pregnant with our second child. She brought the house down! I was speechless. What a woman!


• Dana has developed creative women's ministries, birthed a radio ministry, and launched a television ministry. She has helped start and guide a crisis pregnancy center. When a huge hail storm ravaged the community around our church she climbed up on dozens of roofs to assist with our disaster relief ministry. One day we were spreading plastic on a roof across the street from the church. I was instructing her, "If the wind gets under the plastic let go....let go....LET GOOOOOOOOOO!" She was up in the air about three feet. She calmly let go of the wind filled plastic, and landed with the grace of a ballerina. She stuck the landing and moved on with the job. She was wearing her leather tool belt, work boots, gloves and earrings. She had her game face on, make up and all.


• Dana has accompanied me to mission trips to Hong Kong, Japan, Switzerland, Tanzania, Germany, and Kenya. While we held a bush crusade for a small church in Kenya, we slept in a tent next to the church. When she found out how far women were carrying water for her to bathe, she limited herself to one cup of water a day for 10 days. This won the hearts of the women in the village. She carried on women's ministry all day long, and we held services at night. She still laughs about finally getting to the hotel in Nairobi, and shampooing her hair six times before all the red clay dust was washed out.
  
• Dana has provided compassion for 500 funerals and direction for 300 weddings. She has been a conference speaker, retreat leader, and a hostess renowned for her hospitality. She has held open houses over the past 30 years that have earned her the title, "The Czarina of Christmas.


• Dana has nursed me through several relapses of malaria, and three major car crashes in three different states. I couldn't remember my name in the first wreck. I had been a passenger in a '57 Chevy hit broadside by a car going 60 miles an hour. The impact spun the car around and into an auto parts store. I tore out an eight-track tape deck with my right knee. When she arrived at the site, she climbed into the wreckage, and was weeping and calling out "Gary! Gary!" I remember thinking Gary was one lucky guy. I wasn't blind! I just had a brain concussion. The girl was really pretty and she seemed to know me. This wasn't a bad a deal at all. She rode with me in the ambulance to the hospital. Good times.
  
• Dana is fearless. She fears God but does not fear man. The closest I have ever seen of fear in her life came on the drive to the hospital for the birth of our first child. She said,"I've finally gotten myself into something I can't back out of." It didn't last long. She was a real champ. When we were driving home with our newborn the fear hit me. I blurted out, "We don't know what we're doing. We have a license to get married, but we never got a license to have a kid." I ranted and vented about how unprepared we were. She said in a calm, steady voice, "I know exactly what I'm doing. I've been preparing for this my whole life." She is made of velvet steel. After our second child was born, I returned home with our first born for the evening. Dana called before the lines went dead. "Can you come back to see me, I'm bored." Even during Hurricane Alicia '83, she was up for a party.


• Dana is a promise keeper. During those early days of tight money, and expanding family she became an accomplished seamstress. She was true to her word. Standing by me looking at a new sewing machine she said, "If you will buy that I will save you a ton of money." I did and she did. People have always asked where she got her beautiful clothes. The Proverbs 31 woman would have smiled at this too.
  
• Dana has worn many hats to make ends meet: licensed hair stylist, accomplished chef, challenging cheerleader coach, unmatched special events coordinator, and successful sales rep just to name a few.


• Dana is a warrior. For the past two years she has suited up with the Armor of God in her battle with breast cancer. I have watched her fight for her life with six months of chemo, complete loss of hair, and radical surgery. She has turned a struggle for survival into a call for revival. She has never lost sight of our destiny together. She has always wanted to be part of something only God can get credit for. One of her favorite lines during the months of chemo was, "Nothing goes with chemo better than a new pair of shoes." After each treatment, we would go to Brighton's. She inspired everyone there with her fighting spirit and her great taste in scarves and footwear.
  
• Dana is faithful. During the past two years she has never missed a Sunday. She said she didn't want cancer to rob her of her favorite day of the week. She is the greatest cheerleader and most faithful prayer warrior a preacher husband could ever have.
  
  Someday I hope to meet the husband of the woman outlined in Proverbs 31. I believe he would agree with me that most men are part of a Band of Brothers who married way over their heads. I know I did. For that reason, I offer praise to God for allowing me the privilege of being the unworthy husband of an excellent wife. His grace is so amazing to me. I praise God for Dana.
  
  GMillerLight4U

Word Up

"Every word of God is tested. He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him." Prov. 30:5

For eight years I pastored in a community on the edge of "The Hood." It was a war zone, and earned its rep as one of the highest crime areas of the city for more years than I care to remember. Running battles between The Crips, The Bloods and The Latin Kings shifted the boundaries of their turf every day. One of my more exhilarating moments of ministry was a drive by shooting. It resulted in two men crashing their car into a telephone pole near the front steps of the worship center. Did I mention that this was on a Saturday morning right after I had conducted a wedding? You just have to admire that kind of initiative. While other gang members slept in, they were on the job. This event provided alot of excitement for the out-of-town wedding guests. Locals pretty much knew the drill. I walked outside to meet with the police and to assess the damage. One of our visitors from Oklahoma kindly warned me that it could be dangerous out there. I responded with, "Welcome to my world."

Ministry there was a baptism of fire in more ways than one. I was constantly introduced to new vocabulary words. Many of the young people in this area came to know Christ as a result of some great student ministers who invested their lives in them. Mike Kinser, Ben Bush, and Rusty Wirt come to my mind. I learned a great deal from these "young guns." Today one of them is a respected Christian counselor and the two others are seasoned pastors. Challenging work no doubt, but easier than what they dealt with on "The Hill."

I would sometimes ask these student ministers to take me to school on the urban lingo I was encountering. One of my favorite expressions was, "Word up!" I was unclear on what this meant when these new believers said it to me. I learned it was at times meant for, "Yeah, that's right." It could also mean acknowledgement, approval, or an indication of enthusiasm. My favorite, erudite explanation was, "I comprehend what you are saying and I verify that your statement is true, my brother." In other words, "word up" was a good thing to hear someone say. They were in agreement with what they had just heard you say. Kind of an urban, inner-city "Amen."

Proverbs 30: 5 takes us to school to learn God is not a remote Creator. He is a speaking God who delivers protection to His people. His powerful Word is trustworthy. He can be trusted to be present to provide refuge and to supply courage to those dealing with an intimidating enemy.

One of my favorite Bible stories, David and Goliath, has all the great themes. Good versus evil. Small man battles huge giant. The crown of victory snatched from the claws of defeat. You can't make this stuff up. This is great drama delivering even greater truth. From my "Beamer" status "back in the day" in Miss Bennett's Sunbeam Class to my present status as a "Baptist Boomer," this story has inspired me. Little is much when God is in it.

Don't overlook David's statement made when trying on King Saul's armor: " 'I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.' And David took them off." (1 Samuel 17:39) After David took off the borrowed armor, he picked up his shepherd's staff and bagged five smooth stones. Goliath approached and began to intimidate him with ridicule and disdain. David responded with the Hebrew equivalent of , "Bring it on!" Boldly, he took refuge in God. "I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel...This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands...that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by the sword or by the spear; for the battle is the Lord's and He will give you into our hands." (1 Sam. 17:45-47)

The story line turns on these words, "Then it happened...". David appealed to God and revealed his strategy. He ran towards the enemy. He took the offensive, and attacked with the unexpected. The giant had seen the stick in his hand, but didn't know the bag on his shoulder held the secret weapons. Before his shield bearer could provide Goliath any cover, David released a small, smooth stone from a leather sling and killed a great, big giant. (I Sam. 17:48-49)

The summarizing verse is a classic understatement, "Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone." (1 Sam. 17:50) No brag. Just Fact. Nothing brassy, just classy. One giant. One stone. For Texans, this reminds me of the legendary words, "One riot. One Ranger."

You can't convince me David never sat down and shared this story with his sons. Solomon was the wisest of them all, and he compiled what he learned in the Proverbs. His goal was to equip his sons to study and apply this wisdom literature when they became princes and judges of the realm. It was one of the first leadership seminars. Although Prov. 30:5 was apparently contributed by a little known oracle named Agur. The truth is no less powerful. provides God's wisdom for us today.

The New Testament echoes this Old Testament truth with a resounding "Word up!." "In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one." (Ephesians 6:16) The earth and the Christ followers of your local assembly still need to know that the battle is the Lord's. This is a battle we can win through prayerfully taking our refuge behind God's protective shield. Security is not found by hiding in the tall grass. It comes from trusting God's Word, taking up our personal shield of faith and taking out the enemy. Don't run from the fight. Pray in it! Run to it. Face forward! Shields up!

Word Up!

GMillerLight4U

The Vision Center

"Where there is no vision the people are unrestrained, but happy is he who keeps the law." Proverbs 29:18

This time last year, I was preaching from a large print Bible and wondering if the next step was going to be a family Bible with a wheel barrow attachment. I was gradually losing my sight. Reading, one of my favorite things to do, was a daily struggle and a constant reminder that something was wrong. Driving at night was a blur of confusing lights and narrowed vision. What was wrong needed to be made right.

Dana scheduled me for an exam at a local opthamologist/optometrist (Not sure which. Don't judge me. Remember I couldn't see very well.), and find out if he could help me. After a thorough look at both eyes, he informed me I had cataracts. I responded that I was too young to have them. He responded with a cheerful, "Happy Birthday!"

The next step was to find a surgeon who could remove the cataracts and restore my vision. I met with a highly respected doctor in Dallas, who had a soft spot in his heart for preachers and world class athletes. His waiting room walls were covered from testimonials from a wide variety of sports heros, broadcasters and musicians. I began to search for place to put mine. When he looked at the reports provided to him by his associates, he remarked that I had some very serious cataracts. I told him I was having tough time reading my Bible. He wryly commented on how that isn't a good thing for a preacher. Someone had blown my cover.

During our 45 minute conversation, he revealed that he had been memorizing the Book of James. I was impressed. He admitted it was easier to memorize than it was to exercize. I was beginning to like this guy. He revealed his wife pointed out on occasion that he was a better Christian at home than he was at work. He confessed he had alot of trouble with the part about, "Consider it all joy, my brethren when you encounter various trials." In an effort to be transparent without being invisible, I agreed.

Have you ever thought of something clever to say after a conversation had ended? I wish I had said, "Although James delivered a tough word, it was not an impossible assignment. If it couldn't be done, we wouldn't have been told to do it. God does the impossible in us. He doesn't expect the impossible from us." Anway, I just said to him, "It is easier to preach it than to live it."

When I asked him what causes cataracts he told me to blame my dad. Something from the gene pool gets passed on from one generation to the other. It is gradual, and subtle. It is usually revealed by the mid-to-late fifties. My father later confirmed that he had the same issue with his eyes about the same age. His dad, my grandfather, had the same health history. What a legacy.

The result of the good doctor's analysis was the scheduling of two operations, one in December and the other in January. This resulted in a restoration of sight and a clarity of vision in each eye. The successful surgery allowed me to have the restriction of corrective lenses removed from my driver's license. I could see colors clearly for the first time in years. I had not been aware of how much I was missing. It was a transformation of biblical proportions. "I once was blind, but now I see ;" held a new meaning for me.

Proverbs equates vision with a "revelation." God revealed The Law was to Moses and he brought it to the people. God did not give The Law to squeeze the joy out of His people, but to give them what they need for a happy life. Good news. Good times.

When Moses brought the tablets down from the mountain, I am pretty sure some cynic mumbled in the crowd, "Not another vision statement!" Vision statements became fashionable among churches in the late 20th Century. Every church had to have one. They were easier to form than they were to keep. They rarely turned death-defying mausolems into life-giving movements of God.

What Moses saw when he gave the people the law was an unrestrained people. Sheep without a shepherd to help them see where they are going are prone to wander. God released The Law and the people unleashed their lawlessness. What God meant to help them, they considered a hindrance to them. Receiving the law of God, and keeping the law of God are too different things. My surgeon discovered that to be true in memorizing the Book of James.

Jesus had a two word Vision Statment: "Make Disciples." This vision is essential for a Christ follower. The church is meant to be a Vision Center for people who want to see God at work in their lives and in the lives of others. It is not a haven for the blind leading the blind, or the bland excusing the bland. Vision comes from God. Proverbs reminds us that it is a revelation, and that His vision for us, is the only way to a happy life.

Examining ourselves based on the two word eye chart Jesus uses is the only way to know if we are losing our sight of what is important to Him. Even those of us who have been around a while need to have our vision checked on a regular basis. Christ's chart is found in His Word. When we lose sight of His Word in our lives we start losing our sense of direction and our awareness of what He is up to in His World. We begin to lower our standards to fit what we have made of life rather than the receive the life He offers to us. When begin to compromise, we lose the clear distinctions between right and wrong. Black and white becomes a hazy gray when our vision is clouded.

The church is God's Vision Center. It is not valuable to God for its death-defying survival, but for life-giving transparency. The church was meant to equip people to take the log out of their own eye before trying to take a speck out of a brother's eye. Christ followers look on others with a generous eye, not an evil eye. Green-eyed jealousy, envy and covetousness are marks of person who has a vision problem. Instead of passing on to the next generation a blurry vision of what you may have received from the gene pool of the past, cover your bad eye and please read the following chart.

M
AK
EDIS
CIPLES
FORMENOW!

GMillerlight4U

The Heart of a Lion

"The wicked flee when no one is pursuing. But the righteous are bold as a lion." Pr. 28:1

When I enrolled in seminary in Ft. Worth in the fall of 1974, I didn't have a great track record of lionhearted living. I have to admit, I spent the first semester sitting in classes looking over my shoulder. I just knew someone was going to walk into class, ask me to step outside, and tell me the admissions office had made a terrible mistake. No one ever came, so I stuck it out. I was more afraid to quit than anything else. If I had anywhere else to go, I might have run there.

My first staff position was another stretch. I was given some on the job training by another member of the staff who had a worse background than mine. His professional pedigree included some gang activity that had interrupted his education. When God got hold of his life he went back and graduated from high school at 21. We were both amazed at where we were compared to where we had been.

One day while visiting the hospitals we entered one man's room, but found him in a deep sleep. We prayed silently, and in order to get credit for the visit, we decided to leave a note. You preachers know what I'm talking about. The Lone Ranger left a silver bullet, and preachers leave cards. We were in the process of writing a note on the back of our freshly printed business cards when he suddenly sat up in bed and shouted. We threw our cards in the air, ran from the room and raced down the hall to the elevator. When we finally stopped we were breathless and heaving for air. We laughed at each other and between gasps for air screamed, "Why did we run? We didn't do anything wrong." We marked it down as unconfessed sin in our lives. No, we didn't' go back...ever!

Once a month for the past 20 years I have read Proverbs 28:1 and I still think about that hospital visit. Since that day I have become more and more convinced that my friend and I were probably closer to the truth than we knew.

A wicked person is a crooked person. The word for a wayward person in our culture is...crook. They do not walk a straight path, but willfully and regularly choose to wander off the right path. Their "fight or flight" survival instincts kick in when they even suspect someone may be about to catch them in the act. They flee further away from the light whenever they hear a twig snap in the dark.

The righteous person is "confident" or as "bold as a lion." Their confidence is not in themselves, but in the knowledge that what has been wrong in their lives has been declared right by a Sovereign God. They are not victims of imaginary fears, but they are victors over a real adversary.


"Your adversary the devil prowls about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour...but resist him firm in your faith." I Peter 5:8-9


Look carefully at Proverbs and I Peter. They say, "the righteous are as bold as a lion," and "the devil prowls about like a roaring lion." Who has the heart of a lion here?

The devil is a transliteration of the Greek word "diabolos." The word is a combination of, "dia," a preposition and therefore a moving target that I could never really hit in Greek class. The other is "bolos" rooted in the verb "to throw." It literally means to throw across or to mark through. It has come to mean "the slanderer" or "the accuser." The enemy is always trying to throw an accusation against the character and confidence of a Christ follower to see if it will stick.

The righteous are confident in the grace of God. They know that whatever Sovereign God has declared right cannot be made wrong. They have nothing to fear from an accusation made by a someone parading around in a lion suit.

One night in East Africa, I was invited to dinner by some friends. After the meal we went out in the garden of the restaurant and sat in the dark enjoying the cool of the evening and the magnificent display of stars. Suddenly, from behind the hedge a lion's roar erupted and tore through the still of the night like the roar of a jet engine. I jumped up, and was prepared to bolt. I was like a man with one foot nailed to the floor. I was disoriented and didn't know which way to run. My two friends were on the ground laughing at me. I had been set up. They eventually calmed down enough to coax me to take a look behind the hedge. What I saw I have never forgotten. It was a huge male lion roaring at the moon from behind a cyclone fence. He was loud, but he was caged. He was real, but he was not free. He could intimidate me but he could not touch me. He was alive, but not so well. The more I stood my ground, the less I feared him. I could have foolishly climbed inside his prison, and paid for my waywardness, but if I stood my ground I not be harmed by his threatening roar.

Christ followers must resist the urge to run when they hear the "lion-like"roar in the night. Proverbs and I Peter are potent reminders that God's offspring possess the heart of The Lion of Judah. When Winston Churchill was complimented on his ability to rally the British people during the dark days of WW II, he responded by crediting the courage of the lionhearted people of his nation. He said, "I was not the lion, but it fell to me to give the lion's roar." That inspires me to keep...

Resisting and Roaring,

GMillerLight4U

How Do Ya Like Me Now?!

"Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips." Prov. 27:2

Toby Keith's song by the same title as this blog is one of my favorites. It obviously struck the right chord in alot of other people too. It remains one of his best sellers, and his music video is a scream. There's nothing quite as satisfying, and at the same time as deflating as having to praise your own accomplishments.

I had walked for six hours from a small church in Kenya to a clearing in the bush where a rustic school had been built. It was very impressive operation considering the remote location. Children were everywhere and they were excited. Many of them were frightened because they had never seen a white man. It was quite an experience for them and for me.

The headmaster invited me to speak to the older students. There were about 200 children roughly equivalent in age to American eighth graders. He called them to order and surprised me with the news that if I wanted, I could tell them about the love of Jesus. Did I mention this was in Kenya. Many people still think of it as deepest darkest Africa. As the children settled into the room and took their seats on the floor, I had a moment to reflect. I wondered how my visit would have been handled, and if I would have been permitted to speak freely of Jesus if I arrived unannounced in most schools in America.

Sharing the Gospel in a cross-cultural setting, I used two chairs and called for a couple of volunteers. I asked the students who was the smartest student in their school. There was no sound made, but all heads turned to a young man who was sitting with his head down and his hands on his face. He was hiding in the tall grass in a room full of young scholars. He knew and they knew, and every eye in the room was on him. He was busted. I asked him to step forward and take a seat in one of the chairs. I then asked who was the strongest athlete, fastest runner, and could jump farther than anyone in the school. Again all eyes turned towards another young man who was seated on the floor. This time there were some giggles from some of the young ladies who were obviously smitten with him. Some things defy cultural differences. When I called him forward he stood up with an easy grace, an unassuming confidence and walked towards me to take his seat in the other chair. All the children knew these young men were the best and the brightest. Neither of the two men had raised their hand, or sought recognition. Their culture rewarded personal humility with public respect.

I have used this same method of communication when speaking to children in America. The reaction I get from them is polar opposite to what I saw in Kenya. Most kids in a stateside room are wearing jerseys with the name and number of their favorite NFL or NBA star. On their feet they have state of the art footwear, Nikes,Air Jordans and such. Their parents have covered them in enough brand-name sports wear to stock a good sized sporting goods store. When asked who the smartest kid in the class is, all hands go up and everyone starts shouting and grunting, "ME! ME! OOH!OOH! ME! Their reaction to who is the best athlete is met with a similar sugar induced surge of enthusiasm. "PICK ME! PICK ME!" Somehow, somewhere along the way, they picked up and held on to the lie: buy a labeled product and this will make you someone special. Couch potatoes and wannabes wearing the latest fashions posing as world class athletes...so sad.

Proverbs 27:2 provides God's insight on our obsession to make a name for ourselves. He frowns on self -congratulatory behavior, but we live in a world that says, "If you don't toot your own horn, you can't play in the band." This creates a conflict in the soul of the Christ follower that must be reconciled.

"Do you want to make a name for yourself or do you want to make a difference?" I had just met a guest preacher at the airport. We shook hands and headed to baggage claim. The guy didn't waste time. He cut to the chase. I had invited him that week to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable in my church. He was good at it, but he was starting with me. That annoyed me. This was going to be a long week. I told him I knew the right answer to the question, but I still found myself tempted to take the short-cut to making a name for myself. The road was easier. It's all down hill.


Why should I have to choose between making a difference in life or making a name for myself? The first can only be accomplished by a work of God, something only He can get credit for. The second can be accomplished by building a puff sheet resume or a self congratulatory website. In Proverbs, God tells us that He is not pleased when His people brag about what they have done with their lives. He considers it a higher form of praise when even strangers can tell He has made a difference in His children. The choice is yours, God reports and you decide which path to take in life.


During the Gilded Age of the 19th Century, D.L, Moody was challenged with the words, " The world has yet to see what God will do with and for and through and in and by the man who is fully consecrated to him." His response was, "I will be that man." God used a meagerly educated salesman to straddle the Atlantic Ocean and shake America and England with Spiritual Awakening. The 21st Century could benefit from people who weren't so full of themselves. The strangers of this century and in this culture need to see people who give God elbow room in their lives. People who allow Him to do a work in them will be privileged to be a part of something only He can get credit for. God save us from self-made men and women.


"For I am confident of this very thing. That He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil. 1:6


BTW: God is doing a great work in you, and His handprints are all over your life.


GMillerLight4U

Keeper of the Flame

"For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down." Proverbs 26:20

Last night, during our Pastor Appreciation Dinner, Dana and I were honored with gifts of letters, love offering and a trip to a beautiful mountain retreat. At the end of the presentation, I was handed a mug. It was a gift from a man who is not a member of our church, but I am his pastor. You preachers know how this works. We have become friends as a result of two hunting trips to Colorado. He had a mug made for me that had my name on it, and the inscription, "Keeper of the Flame." I loved it. He was making a good humored jab at my obsession with keeping a fire going in camp 24 hours a day. I have to admit I earned it. Believe me it takes alot of wood to keep Colorado warm. "Keeper of the Flame" was one of those left handed jabs men give to each other to let them know they are accepted into the circle of friendship. It was my favorite gift of the night, and I will use it for morning coffee. BTW: I was writing this blog on Pr.26:20 before the gift of the mug. God's timing is perfect when He delivers a line he wants me to get.


"I guess you're just another one of those preachers who believes if we don't like it then we should just leave." I was caught off guard by the remark. I had just finished preaching for a pastor friend who was out of town. The accusation was coming from a man with a red face and a v-shaped vein on his forehead. I responded with , "Whoa. You are going to have to take me to school on this." I admit I knew what was on his mind. There had been some mumblings and grumblings about a new worship format being introduced in the church. I was buying time trying to diffuse him with humor. I laughed and said, "Usually, my wife is the only one I can get this angry at me." He wasn't in a mood to be humored. With a stern voice he said, "With this new disco music in the church, we might as well require a cover charge." I told him it had been a while, but I was familiar with the disco, and doubted it would ever make a comeback. I was still trying to buy time with an another attempt at humor. Meanwhile a crowd had gathered around us in the foyer. This "keeper of the flame" had been active and people could smell the smoke. A personal grievance was building into a pubic hazard.


After a comment about my pastor friend that I just couldn't receive, I remembered the words of Oswald Chambers. "Discernment is given for intercession, never fault-finding." I asked him if God had given him discernment about this issue, and if he believed our pastor hears from God. He said he believed that he did. I shared the Chamber's quote with him and added "I believe he hears God too. So, who's going to pray for him first, you or me." He was a real man and said, "If you get us started I'll do my best to finish up." We bowed our heads, and stood side by side with our arms around each others shoulders. We had an unscheduled prayer meeting right there. We asked God to give our pastor strength and wisdom to guide us. We admitted our reaction had been worse than the offense we had with our pastor or with one another. We asked God to let us learn what we needed to learn through this. When I looked up no one was around. Prayer had bonded two men into friends, protected a pastor's back and dispersed a crowd. I sometimes get a note from this man, "Thanks for helping me get over the disco thing."

"I've come here to whip your @$$!" Standing on the other side of my desk was an older man who I had considered to be my friend. So much for the gift of discernment. He was hot, and I didn't have a clue what he was fightin' mad about. I told him to stop where he was before we did something both of us would regret. I warned him I had a gun in the desk drawer and I knew how to use it. I was bluffing. It was a staple gun, but he didn't know that. He calmed down a bit, and took a seat. In a short while we were able to talk and pray our way to a healthy appreciation for one another. He later put a tank of gas in my car. It wasn't unleaded so it burned up my engine, but his heart was in the right place.

Both of these good men had become "keepers of the flame" ignited by a tiny spark of resentment. One had found fault with a friend of mine. The other had become critical of me. Each had taken the log out of their eye and had placed it on the fire in their heart. What had once been small had increased in size as more and more oxygen was put to it. The more they shared their concerns with other people the bigger the flames of resentment grew. The wind of many whisperers fanned their resentment until it became a powerful force with momentum that could overrun the firebreaks of even the strongest relationship. Resentment had smouldered inside of them long enough for others to notice. They had begun to talk more and more about their irritation. The breath from their own mouths had caused the initial flare up, but fuel from the lips of others was keeping the flame alive.


It is not unusual for people to disagree. If three people get together they can usually form five differing opinons. What is the wisest way to handle this fact of life? Prayer is a great flame retardant. When applied to the initial flare up of resentment, it can restrict the whispers that add oxygen to fires of disagreement. Discernment is a gift from God. Fault-finding is not. Chamber's call for intercession is crucial to maintaining the right motive for prayer. The role of the Risen Christ is our best role model for life. Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He intercedes for his followers. He does it because they are in need of it.

"Christ Jesus...is at the right hand of God...also interceds for us." Rom. 8:34


Most of the time women get a bad rep over the gossip thing. Whispering campaigns among men are just as relentless. Proverbs holds a dim view of gossip hiding under the thin gauze of senstive, whispered sharing. More fires have been started and stoked in "share groups" than anyone wants to admit. Sharing and caring are not synonyms. Jesus cares enough to pray. His followers should do the same. With your next breath be a "keeper of the flame" of prayer.

"Discernment is meant for intercession, never faultfinding." Oswald Chambers

Who's going to pray first? You or me?

GMillerLight4U

Famous Last Words

"Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord. Praise the Lord." Psalms 150:6


Praise the Lord!, as the ancient Hebrews would shout...Hallelujah!, was the last word spoken in the original collection of Golden Oldies of Praise and Worship. Dr. Vaughan, my former professor of New Testament, was fond of telling us that Hallelujah was the greatest word in the English language, even if it was Hebrew. The psalmist must have felt that his famous last words were extremely important. He mentioned praise 13 times in six short verses.


I have to admit a certain fascination with famous last words. What a person says just before he passes a baton to another or utters from a death bed carries a peculiar significance. What people write on an epitaph as the last words or thoughts of a friend or family member often reveal a gem about the dearly departed. I search the web for famous last words, or books of quotations that have mined farewell addresses, or old cemeteries. What I discover sobers me and at times amuses me. How so?

• Boot Hill Cemetery of Tombstone, Arizona carries an epitaph of a man who came in second in a gun fight. HERE LIES LES MOORE SHOT WITH THREE SLUGS FROM A .44, NO LESS NO MORE.
  
• One urban legend claims an epitaph. I TOLD YOU I WAS SICK.


• Who can forget W. C. Field's chiseled comment...I'D RATHER BE IN PHILADELPHIA.


• Jeff Foxworthy's line about famous last words of a Redneck...WATCH THIS!

Praise the Lord! The famous last words of the psalmist found in Psalms 150 leave behind a much more valuable vapor trail of wisdom. They are balanced with a ring of urgency and the weight of importance. From the first to the last, they point out the need to praise God anywhere we go (v.1), for who He is (v. 2), with everything at hand (v. 3-5), and with all the breath we have (v. 6).

Praise is not about the style of music. Nor is it an itch to be scratched by our claws of personal preference. No style of music holds God's attention any more than another. It is much more than that. It is a matter of the heart. It is an absolute focus on God as an audience of one and expresses an attitude of awe and gratitude. It includes thanksgiving for His works, but it is also a an admiration of His character. Mining the riches of the Psalms reveals powerful words that provide priceless clues about who He is.

Those who continue adding fuel to the flames of worship wars are going to be surprised at what real praise sounds like when they get to heaven. Some are convinced Bach, Beethoven or more contemporary artists are the only source of sacred praise. Others envision Peter, James and John waiting at the Pearly Gates for the next Texas turbo tenor to round out their Southern Gospel quartet. It would just be like God to have these people room together in Heaven and spend the first 1,000 years in choir practice until they all got it right. But I digress.

The famous last words of Psalms 150 reveal praise is for anyone that has breath in their lungs. I remember meeting with a former NASA engineer to help me take stock of my life. He described a walk with God as the next 20 seconds. When I heard those words my whole perspective of praise changed. He continued to talk, and I continued to nod my head respectfully at all the right places, but I couldn't tell you anything else he said. Kinda like church.

He could have said any number of things. Read the Bible through in a year. Attend this three day conference. Fill out this notebook. Memorize a Scripture a day. Listen to this sermon. Read this book. Meet with an accountability partner. If he had done so, I think I would have collapsed in despair or thrown up my lunch. My walk with God had become like a bone in the throat and a rock in the shoe. I was not sure if I was tired of it or just tired in it. I was coughing and limping through an endless series of personal, and professional crises. They were not the kinds of things that called for all night prayer and fasting. I could get my game face on for huge challenges. Most days it was the steady drip or the relentless grind of having more bills than bucks, driving in traffic that never moves, lights that never change, tires that go flat, cars that won't start, dishes in the sink, kids at the doctor, people on the phone focused on whining not winning. It had all begun to choke and cripple me into a poor role model of man with a walk with God.

When I left my friend's office, I got in my car with the thought, "My walk with God is the next 20 seconds!" How hard could this be. I have that much breath in my lungs. It gave me joy for the journey home. However, the gauntlet of rush hour traffic, just mile down the road, was about hit my new walk with God with an unexpected road block.

Some idiot (Bless his heart!) tried to merge his over sized pickup into the go-kart sized space in front of me. I honked my horn, raised my voice, and pounded the dashboard. I slammed on my brakes. My little car was no match for him. His trailer hitch was now even with my eyes. The sound of his glass-packed pipes drowned out my Maranatha Praise Band music. I didn't give him the international sign of contempt, but I did think about it. If I had been equipped with a rocket launcher on my VW I would have turned his truck into toast. Bless his heart. Note to self: Just because you say, "Bless his heart!" doesn't mean you can say anything you want. I know people do it at church, but people reading this actually want to walk with God.

"My walk with God is the next 20 seconds!" came to my mind again. I refused to wait until my powers of rationalization started making excuses for my behavior. I didn' t search for another dysfunctial believer to agree with me that what I was doing was the normal Christian life. I just simply admitted to God what I was thinking and saying was not right (Exhaled). I asked him to forgive me (Inhaled). I practiced this breathing exercise all the way home. It has served me well for the past 22 years. It gets the tiny bone out of my throat and the irritating grain of sand out of my shoe, the little things that can kill my walk with God. Walking with God is as simple, but as crucial as exhaling and inhaling are to breathing. Excuse me a minute. Its my cell phone.

The local police called. There was a gas leak in our neighborhood and all homes had to be evacuated for the day. Before I left, I saved a draft of this so I could come back to it. BTW: When I went out to start the car it was dead. Yesterday, I spent $490.00 to get it "fixed." I'd like to fix that mechanic. Bless his heart! Sorry about that. I still have flashbacks and choke and limp from time to time in my walk with God. The good news is when I get the breath knocked out of me I know how to get it back. Exhale. Inhale. Don't quit. The joy is the journey. I take a breath and praise the Lord. My walk with God and yours is the next 20 seconds.

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." Psalms 150:6

GMillerLight4U

P.S. "Halitosis is better than no breath at all." Anonymous

Debt Free Living

"Do not say, 'Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.' " Pr. 24:29

"I owe you one." is the 21st Century reaction to an offensive person. It creates a mountain of debt that crushes the life out of the one holding on to the offense. Debt free living places IOUs in God's hands and trusts Him to settle accounts.

"Gary! Is that you?" It was a voice calling out in the dark of night from the back of a predawn shuttle to the airport. It was an old friend, and a pleasant surprise. He mentioned the death of a man we both knew. I said I was sorry to hear that. He went on to say the man had experienced a slow painful death, and his once powerful body had deteriorated to less than 80 pounds before he died. Again, I said something appropriate. After all the van was packed with people, and you never know who's listening. His final comment brought back memories. He said, "He was a pastor's worst nightmare." I nodded and admitted that he had given me a few sleepless nights too. The shuttle pulled out, and the road noise made any further conversation impossible.


Riding in the front of the van, I was alone with my thoughts. As the sun rose, another ray of light dawned on me. I didn't feel anything. No anger. No fear. No resentment. No need to pay an enemy back for all he had put me through years ago. I had forgiven him back in the day, but there were times when someone would mention his name and a chemical reaction would kick in. My survival instincts would be on full alert. Obviously, I was still holding a few IOUs in case I met up with him again. You know the drill. Bury the hatchet. Put the blade in the dirt, but keep your hand on the handle.


I don't know exactly when my self-imposed sentence in debtor's prison ended. God had taken my IOU with that man's name on it and had settled the account in my heart. I am not saying God gave the man a painful death to satisfy my offense. That would be sick. The on-going transaction of regularly giving my IOU to God had eventually released me from the spirit of "I owe you one!" When I heard his name mentioned the debt was gone positionally and experientially. It was one of God's "divine Ah-hahs." He told me he would do it. He just didn't tell me when I would know it had happened. Gotta love God's way of surprising His kids with the news that He has been up to something in their lives.


It doesn't matter if an IOU is generated by taking offense over a personal slight, or if it is activated by taking up another's offense. The interest of irritation compounds from mild disgust to brooding angst, then to resentment, on to malicious thoughts, angry outbursts, and sometimes moves to litigation or physical confrontation. The more it grows the more we owe.

Debts from these IOUs rarely get paid back. Why? Because the offender who is owed the most simply doesn't care if the person offended is drowning in a sea of IOUs. It didn't cost him anything to cut someone off the road; he enjoyed it. He probably felt superior when he did it. When he failed to yield and didn't merge into the highway he caused motorists to slam on their brakes. The fact that Starbucks coffee landed in their laps is of no consequence to him. As a matter of fact, when they honked horns to warn him, he gave them the international sign of contempt. When the contractor promised the moon and then took money without completing the job, he just moved on to the next sucker. He's asleep and the cheated client is awake. Who's paying here?

Mounting road rage is a public expression of an ever growing private debt load. It resembles the hidden mass residing under the tip of the iceberg. Road rage won't disappear by banning cars or attending anger managment seminars. If people walked everywhere they went, they would start shoving each other to the ground. Why? Because the issue is not the vehicle of choice, but the resentment of choice. One offense can grow into unmanageable debt. One IOU will mature into IOU ALL!

Do you see the problem? Carrying a load of debt for something a person did to you or to those you love will land you in debtor's prison. Proverbs warns against looking for satisfaction from rendering or "bringing back" on a person's head the same treatment the offender gave to you.

Paul strongly challenged early Christ followers to "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written. VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY SAYS THE LORD." (Romans 12:19)


Prayer initiates debt free living when you hand your IOUs over to God. Prayer sustains debt free living by transforming any debt thought to be owed to others into an investment of life in them. Praying for someone makes it harder to hate them. Trust me...not impossible, just harder. However, praying beats paying every time. The more we invest the less we owe.


"The church should seek above everything to cultivate the power of an unceasing prayerfulness on behalf of those without Christ." Andrew Murray

Looking for debt free living? Let go of what you owe and... Pray More to Pay Less. Anybody ready for a jail break? Pray More (for the offender) & Talk Less (about the offense).

Gary Miller

Blog Through the Fog

One of my favorite memories as a ten year old boy living on Long Island was my first visit to the Montauk Light House. Located on the eastern end of the island, it still safely guides ships in the Atlantic ocean through the night and the fog with a powerful beam of light.

The light house keeper took me up the steps and let me see the source of this magnificent beam of light that can cut through the darkness to keep ships on course. What I saw surprised me. It was a relatively small bulb, surrounded by dozens of clear prisms. As keeper, his job during the day was to clean each prism and put it back in its place. I remarked that they looked clean to me, and he said they were not clean enough until each one had been removed, wiped, and replaced. Each day the salt spray, dust and debris would settle on the prisms and dull their ability to let the light fully pass through them. When the night came, they needed to be at their best to let the light flow through them unobstructed so they could magnify the beam of a relatively small bulb and penetrate the darkness so ships could see clearly the dangers ahead.

If the light did not reach out into the dark, then a ship captain or pilot might not see the shore until it was too late. They could miss the entrance to Long Island Sound or fail to navigate around the rocks that would safely put them on the South Shore heading towards New York Harbor.

The prisms needed to be cleaned in order for them to magnify the light. They were not the source of the light. They were designed to be instruments that allowed the light to pass through them individually and corporately. If each prism performed the function for which it was designed, and was rightly related to the prism next to it, then the light was magnified. One prism with fissures, fractures, or film would inhibit the light of another. All needed to be at their best when the darkness fell.

As a Christ follower, I offer this word of encouragement to those who sometimes wonder if one person's life can make a difference in what is fast becoming a world of increasing spiritual darkness. Jesus is The Light of the World.

I believe the local church is still the world's best hope for seeing The Light of Jesus and guiding lost people to a right relationship with God. Christ's followers are like the prisms that surrounded the source of light in the Montauk Light House. When the followers of Christ see their need to be cleaned each day by the gentle hand of the Holy Spirt, and be rightly related to one another, the church penetrates the darkness with the Light of God's Truth and the warmth of Christ's Love.

Chisled in stone over the entrance to a church in England is a quote that reminds me every generation has had to make the choice to let the Light of Jesus shine through them in the context of their own immediate circumstance and intimidating darkness. It says,

"In the year 1653 when all things sacred in the Kingdom were either profaned or demolished, this church was built...to do the best of things in the worst of times."

My challenge to Christ followers is to let your light shine. Jesus said: "I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12) Cursing the darkness generates heat, but sheds no light for those looking for a way home out of the night of fear and through the fog of confusion. So together now, every body sing, "This little light of mine. I'm gonna let it shine!"

Gary Miller