Front Row Seats

"If you have been foolish in exalting yourself or you have plotted evil, put your hand on your mouth, for the churning of milk produces butter, and pressing the nose brings forth blood; so the churning of anger produces strife." Proverbs 30:33

Deja Vus. It is that strange sensation that hits us at times, and causes us to believe that somehow we have heard this all before. It is sometimes an eerie feeling that somehow I have lived this scene or passed this way on some previous occasion. For me it has accompanied the multiple brain concussions that I have had from football injuries and automobile accidents. Kinda creepy and yet the feeling is hard to shake. No need to rush to the ER this time. The truth is Proverbs often repeats a lesson that may have been missed if it is not given again and again. Check out these parallel passages.

• "Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body, and refreshment to your bones." Proverbs 3:7-8
• "Pride comes before destruction." Proverbs 16:18

If Proverbs gives the same lesson again it may be a sign that people over the ages have had a tendency to be slow learners. Dr. Baker, my church history professor in seminary, would often chastise "the boys on the back row." He was a no nonsense prof who had been through the FBI academy and didn't suffer any foolishness in class. He had been teaching seminary students for thirty years, and he knew that a scholar sitting on the front row was going to pay better attention than the guy who barely made it to his eight 0'clock class. It is hard to sleep in class when you are sitting in "The Splash Zone," the area most likely to get hit by spit. Good times.

The New Testament authors reveal a strong background in Proverbs. The inspiration of the Holy Spirit received by these men shows a consistency between the Old Testament and the New that should not be ignored.

• "I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think." Romans 12:3
• "Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation." Romans 12:16
• "...the boastful pride of life is not from the Father..." I John 2:16

Proverbs warns against the foolishness of self-promoting pride. This is sometimes hard for people to grasp when they are so accustomed to seeing pride as an accepted form of reference for everything from marching bands to chicken. The pages of the thirty-one chapters of Proverbs are filled with caution signs that tell of the dangers of being full of oneself. Pride comes before a fall, but it is not because the barricades and flag men were not out on the road alerting people of the danger ahead.

What is wrong with a little healthy self esteem or an appreciation of ones alma mater? The answer is nothing. Proverbs is not minimizing the value of a well adjusted and balanced life. It shines the light on the all too common tendency of exalting oneself at the expense of another person's character. For some people to feel better about themselves they have to knock another person down. This scheming to bring about another person's downfall is hard to hide. It bubbles to the surface like a broken septic system or ruptured sewage line. What is considered over and over again within a person's heart comes out of their mouth. Capping the volcano is effective for a time, but eventually the molten magma of a churned up grievance flows out of the lips like lava. It destroys everything it touches. Once it cools down the damage has already been done to the surrounding landscape of personal relationships.

Being impressed with oneself rarely impresses other people. The reality is that people who cut others down for a living are rarely rewarded with statues and accolades. When was the last time a critic of the year award was given at the Academy Awards?

Covering one's mouth will cover a multitude of sins. Pressing or churning envy of another person's success or accomplishments is dangerous. It transforms a real or imagined slight into a great depression. People get depressed when they become consumed with putting other people in their place, and trying to climb on top of the lava rocks to be king of the hill. John Maxwell has stated that it takes more energy to hold a person down than to help a person up. I'll take his word for it rather than do my own field testing. Who has the energy to prove him wrong? After a life time of being knocked down, I can tell you what I prefer. I always think more highly of the person who helps me up than the person who knocks me down. Can I get a witness?

So, what is the point? Stop pressing some one's nose to get what you want. The only outcome will be a hurt hand and a bloody nose. Instead, start meeting the needs of others. It will not necessarily build your reputation, but it will build your character. It takes a life time to build the latter, and a moment to lose the former. Why do people still think so highly of Mother Teresa long after her death? Perhaps it was the way she saw herself. Her personal assessment changed the way she lived. She often referred to herself as just a pencil in the hand of God. Notice she didn't say Mont Blanc pen. The way we look at ourselves will give us a usefulness in the hand of God that will impact others.

• "And let our people also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, that they may not be unfruitful." Titus 3: 14

Don't spend the rest of your life pressing noses looking for the fountain of significance. You will be disappointed in what comes out. Forget the resentments and the knock downs that have come your way.

• " Forgetting what lies behind, and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14

Sound familiar? Get rid of envy and resentment with the same urgency you would cough up a bone in your throat or shake out a rock in your shoe. It is always easier to be an angel when no one is ruffling your feathers, but life is full of people who are more prone to pluck us clean than to help us up. Be nice to people on your way up because you are going to meet them again on the way down. Spend the rest of your life helping people up, and you will not have to worry about what people think of you. Class is about to begin, and I'm saving a seat for you on the front row.

GMillerLight4U

F.E.A.R.

"The fear of man brings a snare, but He who trusts in the Lord will be exalted." Proverbs 29:25


Solomon was a son of the palace. He was one of many offspring that his father, David, had sired from several wives and concubines. He was well aware of the power plays that surrounded the throne, and he knew that his place on it was only as secure as his trust in God. He had seen first hand what people could do. His own powerful father had been challenged for the throne by his son Absalom. David was victorious in the civil war, but his grip on his throne was weakened. There were those who skulked about the halls of power that did not believe Solomon was up for the task that faced him. Compared to the rugged upbringing that David experienced as a shepherd boy fighting against the lion, and the bear, Solomon was a mamma's boy who had yet to prove himself. He was familiar with fear and knew that his only hope was to trust in God for protection and direction.


"Fear of man brings a snare" when other people or conventional wisdom is allowed to trap Christ followers in prison walls that overshadow the Presence of God in their lives. Proverbs gives ample warning, in its thirty-one chapters, about the need to fear God. This is a reverence, awe and respect for His Presence. It is exhibited by a willingness to obey His Word for the correction and direction needed in life.


Jesus stated the issue that was at stake when he introduced the Constitution of the Kingdom in Matthew 5,6, and 7. These three chapters contain the repeated phrases: "You have heard it said...But I say to you!" The citizens of the kingdom Jesus was sent to establish would not take their marching orders from people who had lost their sense of direction. They would hear and obey what God told them to do, and point a lost generation toward His home. Nothing has really changed in the last 2000 years. Christianity is still just one generation away from extinction. Each generation faces the challenge of yielding to the wisdom of men or following the wisdom of God.


F.E.A.R. can be described as False Expectations Appearing Real. Even the smallest person is able to cast a giant shadow. When standing next to a campfire in the woods, even a munchkin can throws a monstrous shape in the dark of night. All it takes is a little light and alot of darkness. When people begin to have more influence than God does, Proverbs warns us to back away from the snare before it springs shut. Fearful thoughts are a signal that God's influence is being diluted. The more commons ones are: "What will they say?" What will they think? What will they do to me?" "Everyone is against me." People who have a fear of man get most of their exercise jumping to conclusions. They are poor mathematicians. They can add up 1 + 1 and get 3. Fear always makes the crowd of opposition seem larger than it really is. The dark always has that kind of influence.


Every child knows that things that go bump in the night can trigger an active imagination and send a bullet of fear right to their heart. Nightlights are a parents best friend, but there is no substitute for daylight. More light...less fear. When fear comes it will not bring the dawn of comfort, but the dark night of the soul. The Christ follower would do well to remember what Jesus said, "I am the Light of the World." (John 8:12)


Solomon passes on wise counsel to those who would like to be set free from fear of man. This freedom is found in The Light. Jesus offered His life on the cross to build a bridge between those who feared for their lives, and a life-giving God. Fear of man shrinks in the Presence of God. Access to His Presence has been provided by the blood of Jesus. When we pray to God we are invited to come into His Presence in the name of Jesus. Prayer is the way a believer enters into the Presence of God, and it is the way an awareness of His Presence is maintained.


Jesus said, "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may with you forever, that is the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you." John 14: 16-18


Fear is a weapon of the enemy that is deflected by truth. Truth is found in The Light not in the dark. When the words of the world strike fear in your heart, turn on the light of God's word, and renew the sense of direction Jesus gave to us to find our way home to God. Fear of man will keep your head down, and cause you to miss the sign God has had out for you. It says, "Welcome Home!"


GMillerLight4U

True Value

"He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion." Proverbs 28:13

"Allyson go put that yardstick away!" She was not quite three and we lived in a 1,200 sq. foot patio home. In this tightly packed space there was no margin for error. Our youngest had proved over and over again that she did not need an extension to her sphere of influence. She was a one tot wrecking crew and she could break an anvil. When I saw her walking and waving it through the air as she moved through the maze of lamps, vases, and ceramics, I knew she needed to be stopped. Her new toy was a three foot long wooden yardstick. Dana kept it in her sewing closet. I knew from experience that this new combination of a short kid and a long stick was going to be trouble. I decided to nip it in the bud before it brought forth bitter fruit. Sorry for the prose. Been reading Proverbs...alot! She obeyed my wise counsel, by turning sadly, and dragging it behind her, and trudging back to her mom's sewing closet. Her head was bowed, and her shoulders slumped. She had just lost her new best friend. I felt bad, but I knew it was for her own good.

In a few minutes, Allyson was back in my study. This was not hard to do. I had an open door policy with my girls, and I shared a study with Dana's sewing room. Did I tell you we were crowded? I will never forget the exchange that followed. Allyson was back with the yardstick. She had it hidden behind her buns, and holding it with both hands. I asked her if she had done what I told her to do. She said, "Yes!" I asked her again, "Did you put the yardstick away?" She nodded her head up and down with enthusiasm. I could see most of the yardstick. There was roughly 15 inches of yard sticking out on both sides of her seat. Here's the bottom line. I knew the answer to my questions before I asked them. I wasn't seeking for information. I was looking for a confession. In her childish zeal to obey, and still get her way, she had put it away in the closet, and then returned with it behind her back. She thought she could adjust my reasoning, if she stopped waving it around. For good measure, she hid it from my sight. After all, what I didn't know wouldn't get in the way of what she wanted to do. Raising children will give you a strong conviction about the reality of original sin.

"He who conceals his transgression will not prosper." Proverbs warns against concealing what we have done wrong. This kind of behavior results in costly consequences. On the other hand, God place a high value on confessing and forsaking behavior that crosses the line between right and wrong. Why does He want a confession when already has access to information? He obviously does not need to know what we have done. He even knows why we did it. The answer to the question must have to do with disciplining His children. They learn from admitting and rejecting errant behavior. Knowing the right thing to do, and doing the right thing are not the same thing. Wisdom is developed by learning to trust God to have His children's best interest at heart, even when it appears He may be a spoilsport.

Transgression is a fancy word for trespassing or coloring outside the lines. Crayons and coloring books have taught me a great deal about life. It didn't hurt that coloring was one of the things I loved to do most with our girls. I was taught how to color inside the lines and I passed my skill on to them. I showed them that if you take your crayola and heavily pressed it all around the outline of your picture before you started coloring, it would leave an impression on the paper and help you stay inside the lines. Anyone who has ever looked at a child's coloring book will have a clear picture of the human condition. We all have trouble staying inside the lines. We are prone to wander outside the lines, and invent our own picture of reality. By pressing the Word of God upon our minds and hearts, before we encounter the wandering way of the world, we get a better picture of God's best for us.

"Confessing and forsaking" are the heads and tails of the same coin. God values "confessing" because it calls on His children to admit to themselves what they have done wrong to Him, and to agree with God on the price He paid to forgive them for it.

• "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9

James, pastor the first church in Jerusalem, and brother of Jesus, lead his people to admit to each other when they had crossed the line. Keeping short accounts with God and with His children makes for a great family reunion.

• "Confess your sins one to another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." James 5:16

The transgression was against and a reflection on Him. "Forsaking" takes into account the tendency of people to be sorry for getting caught. First sermon Jesus preached after His baptism was call for people to turn away from their wrong direction in life, and return to God for a renewed sense of direction.

• "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 4:17

Children learn very early to say, "I'm sorry!" This is called talking the talk. They have a longer learning curve when it comes to walking the walk. The key to a turn around is the lack of regret for what one is leaving behind. People have a tendency to talk about their past, as if they miss the good ol' days. If there are regrets about leaving something behind on the highway of life, it may still be packed away in the trunk of the heart. There may be a need to stop and remove that dead body before continuing the turn around journey.

• "For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but the sorrow of the world produces death." 2 Cor. 7:10

Wayward adults are children who have never learned to turn their lives around without carrying excess baggage from the past. To confess and remain unwilling to turn to God and away from the behavior that He condemns gains no value in God's kingdom. He mints His coins with "Confess" on one side, and "Forsake" on the other. He wants His children to prosper in the development of their character. A life that is spent without accepting His values will be lead to spiritual bankruptcy. His compassion is available, and freely given to those who are looking for mercy from Him. He will not turn a blind eye to a rebellious child. His love includes His discipline. Confessing and forsaking need to be more than change in our pockets. They must reflect a change in our hearts to know the true value of the full love of God.


GMillerLight4U

Iron Men

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17

I once heard Lou Holtz say at a leadership conference, "You are the product of the people you meet and the books you read." I believe Solomon would have agreed with Coach Holtz. God has certainly used "iron men" to hone the edge of my life and ministry. Here are a few words spoken to me or written by them that have impacted my life along the way.

My father, Don Miller, is the greatest man of prayer I have ever known. He defines prayer as two way communication, and reminds me often to give God time to speak to me in prayer.

• "Prayer is the intimate communication between the Heavenly Father and His child."

Ron Dunn, pastor/preacher/ Bible Conference leader and author, went to heaven in July 2001.

• "Good and evil travel down parallel tracks and arrive at the same time."

Dr. W. Fred Swank, long time pastor of Sagamore Hill Baptist Church, Fort Worth, Texas. These words were spoken to me on the occasion of my wedding, and in response to my complaint that I was ready for this thing to be over. I had been so caught up on the wedding, I had forgotten about the marriage. Bro. Fred was never one to suffer a fool gladly.

• "Boy, let me remind you that you are going home with that girl after this wedding is over."

Manley Beasley, one of the greatest teachers on faith, remains one of the brightest lights God has ever allowed to shine on my life.

• "God can take a 'nothing' and so fill him with His glory that he will be equal to any task God calls him to."

Vance Havner, prolific author, pastor-evangelist, and revivalist of the 20th century. I was privileged to hear him speak at chapel in seminary before he died. His blasts from the past still warm my heart and light my way.

• "Christianity is not a matter of how high you jump in the pew, but how straight you walk in the world."

Bill "Wild Bill" Stafford currently resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His no nonsense preaching still puts God's truth on a shelf where I can get it.

• "The purpose of God is to knock you out of you."

Arville Senter, field evangelism missionary to East Africa, was my Advisor and mentor while I served two years as a Journeyman in Tanzania.

• "These people will not remember what you said here, but they will remember that you were here."

Dr. Freddie Gage, evangelist, and champion of the underdog taught me to care about pastors who have been wounded in ministry.

• "Never leave a wounded pastor behind enemy lines."

Samuel Chadwick, English evangelist, pastor and Bible teacher known as "The Wesley of the 20th Century." He was a mentor of Leonard Ravenhill:

• "It is amazing what God can do with a broken heart, if you will give him all the pieces."

Dr. John Bisagno, author, evangelist, and long time pastor Houston's First Baptist Church, taught me to think outside of the box. He is still preaching, and writing. I am proud to call him friend.

• "There has never been anything of any merit accomplished in this world without the element of risk. Take the word risk and replace it with faith, and remind yourself that without faith it is impossible to please God."

Jerry Waggoner, layman and deacon at First Baptist Church, Borger who stood by me in a hospice room when we were in a vigil for his father's home-going. This was his response to my admission that I knew enough to pray, but not enough to know how to pray for him and his dad. Bro. Jerry's words have helped me minister to people more effectively for the past 20 years.

• "I have learned that the best thing to do is to ask God for mercy in situations like this."

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, preacher, pastor and author known as "The Prince of Preachers" in 19th Century England.

• "I would rather teach one man to pray than 100 men to preach."

Oswald Chambers, professor and chaplain with the British Expeditonary Force in Egypt when he died in 1917.

• "Discernment is given for intercession never for fault-finding."

Lloyd John Ogilvie, Presbyterian pastor and United States Senate Chaplain,

• "Knowing God's will in specifics comes out of a consistent companionship with God."

Andrew Murray, missionary, pastor, and conference speaker from South Africa in the 19th Century. His little book, "Waiting on God" was my first introduction to this amazing man of prayer.

• "Has the life of God's people reached the utmost limit of what God is willing to do for them? Surely not. We want to wait for Him; to put away our experiences, and give God time and place to show us what He could do, what He will do."

George Whitefield died in New England in 1770 after making 13 crossings of the Atlantic, and travelling throughout the American colonies as an evangelist during the First Great Awakening.

• "God is thus at work. Let the devil roar; we will go on in the name of the Lord."

Note: There are times God will bring an "iron man" into your life. It may be a work spoken or a book read, but they will have an impact on you. Don't be surprised if there is a jolt to your ego, and sparks fly between you. It means God is preparing you for a battle that can be won, but you need to have the rust knocked off your blade before you can cut the enemy down to size.

GMillerLight4U

Just Kidding

"Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows and death, so is the man who deceives his neighbor, and says, 'Was I not joking?'" Proverbs 26: 18-19

The definition of neighbor may have changed a bit over the years, but it never strays far away from the meaning of someone close to you. It is someone close enough to be impacted by your behavior. Whether it means a fellow-citizen or a near one, Proverbs warns against taking shots at people close to us.

Jesus perfected the art of answering a question with a question. One day He was tested by a lawyer who was trying to trip Him up with a theological quandary, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus literally asked him, "Do you read?" It was a way of saying, "What do you think?" He meant it as an invitation for the legal beagle to bay at the moon, and strut his stuff. Jesus knew a thing or two about setting a trap. The lawyer answered his own question by quoting, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." Jesus told him his answer was correct, and then commissioned him, "DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE."

The lawyer was caught by his desire to look right in the eyes of the crowd that had gathered around their discussion. He asked his next question, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus launched into one of the most memorable of His parables, "The Good Samaritan." This has become the world standard for showing mercy. This was how Jesus defined neighbor; someone in need of mercy becomes your neighbor regardless of their address. They may be beaten and abandoned on the road, or mowing their grass next door. The one who shows mercy is a neighbor to a person in need of it. This makes a Christ follower a mobile movement of mercy to anyone who crosses their path.

One of the most destructive patterns of behavior in the world can be summed up by the phrase, "Just kidding." This is usually said after a particularly poisonous message has been delivered to friend, work associate, fellow church member, spouse, parent, child or anyone else who needs to be put in their place by a flame of sarcasm. It has become the secular substitute for "Bless your heart." Apparently, it is supposed to have the power to douse the flames that have erupted after a "firebrand" has landed in the lap of the one who needed a public burn.

My wife and I serve on a volunteer fire department of a small city. Due to the dry Texas weather and the high winds that blow across our county, it is not unusual for our department to impose a burn ban on our city. There is always someone who thinks it doesn't apply to them. They want to get rid of their trash so bad, that they are willing to risk burning the city down to "Git 'er done." One spark can do a great deal of damage. We have rushed to fires sweeping through homes, condos, and fields that all began with a tiny spark. The devastation of a runaway fire is a brutal reminder of the need to watch what we let fly into the air.

"Firebrands, arrows and death" have no word association with, "Just kidding." There is a reason for that lack of connection. They are dangerous and deadly. Firebrands thrown into a dry field will create havoc for cattlemen and city dwellers alike. Arrows shot into a crowd will hurt people at the very least, and kill them if they hit them in the heart. Words spoken with the intent to deceive a person, into believing you have their best interest at heart by publicly humiliating them, will bring about death every time they hit.

Proverbs warns the wise to remember their deceptive words are not wiped out of the memory banks of a person who has been wounded by them with the phrase, "Just kidding." This a coward's way of communicating. A cheap shot will never add more value to a relationship. This word of caution is usually stiff armed by stiff necked people who refuse to admit their real intent is to stab their victim in the back rather than "have their back." Spouses who wait for a public arena to expose a weakness in their mate that they don't have the courage to point out in private are sowing death into their marriage. Associates who have to "burn" someone in effigy in order for them to see the light are playing with fire that will scorch the life and suck the air out of the work place. BFF who make their friends a target of their pent up resentment, and embarrass them in public will find themselves hosting their next reunion in a phone booth. The wise will take these words to heart, before they let something fly out of their mouth that is going to give a neighbor heartburn.

• "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18, Matt. 5:34
• "Do not devise harm against you neighbor." Proverbs 3:29
• "Better is a neighbor who is near, than a brother who is far away." Proverbs 27:10

Fire up the mercy mobile today and deliver two words to a neighbor that will make their day. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

GMillerLigth4U

Toothaches and Trouble

"Like a bad tooth and an unsteady foot is a confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble." Proverbs 25:19

In 1983, Dana and I called a sitter, and went on a date night to see a "real" movie for the first time in a long time. I was almost in a sugar sweet coma from all the "My Little Pony," "Care Bear," and "Miss Strawberry Shortcake" movies we had been attending. The theme song of "Ghostbusters" can still bring a smile to my face, "Who ya gonna call? 'GHOSTBUSTERS!'"

Challenges to our faith do not come from ghosts who are not real, but from people who are. For almost four years, I attended a monthly meeting with a group of men who were unapologetically intent on knocking my feet out from under me. I often referred to them as "FAITHBUSTERS." They were good at it and proud of it. There were times, I would leave those meetings, and my teeth would hurt. Sounds like Solomon had some experience with this. Who knew?

I tried the Matthew 18 thing with the ring leader of this group, and went to his house to try and discover what made these guys so difficult to trust. His words were, "You just have to understand. We are all engineers." That was his answer. It was perfectly clear to him that he was not doing his job if he didn't find the flaw in every design, or the cloud behind every silver lining. He went on to describe four different times in the life of the church where they had missed God. Each story began with a pastor bringing a plan. They would tear it apart, and berate the pastor until he had no following. The pastor would leave, and they would start over. Note: This church moved 16 pastors in and out in less than 30 years. They had "U-Haul" on speed dial. One of the pastorates lasted two weeks. I was beginning to think he was the smart one.

As I approach 60 years of age, I can honestly say, I have spent almost six decades around "people of faith." There is probably no greater oxymoron to describe the Christian community. "People of faith" too often is associated with a snoozing assembly of people snuggled in a safe harbor. It should be a word picture of an army with fearless trust in God, overcoming obstacles, and conquering new territory in spite of the trouble ahead.

Over the past 60 years, I have seen trouble come, and I have seen it go. One of my favorite lines that only experience can teach you is, "This too will pass." The one denominator, all too common in the face of trouble, has been "the people of faith" have often lost their confidence in the face of unexpected circumstances.

Faith is a risky business. Faithless people have terminal "risk aversion." This causes them to get very creative when trying to make up excuses for not following through on what God has planned for their lives. If economic times are tough and money is tight, they will say, " We need to wait until times get better." If there is an economic boom going on, then their response to a "divine appointment" is, "Well, it won't last. We need to save for a rainy day." Faith is rarely improved through exhaustive examination. This is called the "paralysis of analysis." It is not a matter of dissection but it is a sense of direction.

The real "people of faith" will always be tested by toothaches and challenged by troubling times. Faithful people refuse to be intimidated by immediate circumstances. They resist the urge to doubt in the dark what they knew to be true in the light. Rather than turn up the heat of anxiety, they turn on the light of God's Word.

• "Take no thought for tomorrow." Matthew 7: 34
• "Nothing will be impossible with God." Luke 1:37
• "Casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you." I Peter. 5:7
• "My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory." Philippians 4: 19
• "Without faith it is impossible to please God."Hebrews 11:6
• "I will never leave you or forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

Faith is not a weapon to point at God in order to coerce Him to do our will. Faith is the risk we take every time we trust and obey God's Word for His will in our lives. "People of faith" should not be a laughable, contradictory oxymoron. It should be the description of people who are childlike in their trust in God. Children run up to the sign next to an adventurous ride, and stretch as tall as they can. They pop their vertebrae and eagerly search the face of a parent for the nod of permission to get on board. If they are refused access to the adventure, all hell breaks loose. In too many faith communities all hell breaks out when permission is given for the adventurous ride, not when it is refused. I think the doors of every church ought to have a sign out front, "YOU HAVE TO BE THIS TALL TO RIDE THIS RIDE!" It might save the Body of Christ a toothache.

GMillerLight4u

Take the High Road

"Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles: lest the Lord see it and be displeased. And then He turn away His anger from him." Proverbs 24:17

Manuel Noriega. No one epitomized the banana republic cliche better than the little general. He was the dictator of Panama, a corrupt, ruthless drug dealer and to top it off, he had a face that could stop a clock. During the presidency of George Bush the elder, a concerted effort was made to expose his corruption. For months, the media whipped the American people into a frenzy of outrage over the criminal activities of Noriega and his henchmen. They did a great job painting him as the personification of evil. Polls indicated the people of the USA were ready to see him go. An invasion was ordered to protect the interests of the United States in the Canal Zone. When the U.S. military landed it swiftly defeated the outmatched forces of Panama. Instead of admitting defeat, Noriega fled to the compound of a representative of the Vatican. What a weasel. Negotiations for his transfer to American authorities went on and on. Eventually he was turned over and removed from Panama to a prison in Miami. I was thrilled. I really enjoyed seeing the downfall of this guy who thought he was above the law. My itch for justice had been scratched and I was feeling pretty good about the whole outcome.

Then it happened. Two mentors and friends of mine, evangelists Cliff Brannon and Rudy Hernandez went to see Manuel Noriega in prison. They had the audacity to trust God to change the man. I saw their trip as an act of futility. Bless their hearts! Note: Didn't mean it, just said it.
Long story short, they led Noriega to a life-changing encounter with Christ. He got saved. He was no longer the enemy, but was transformed into a brother in Christ. Wait a minute! What was I supposed to do with all this moral outrage that I had worked up. I was really conflicted about the whole deal. When he got what was coming to him, I felt awfully good about his downfall. Since his incarceration, I had been enjoying a prolonged sense of well-being at his expense. It did not sit well with me that he had been brought into the family. Any other elder brothers out there?

I had gotten hold of the wisdom of Solomon, but it had not gotten hold of me. "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.' " Proverbs 24:29

OK, I know the Bible says, "For God so loved the world, and gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16). But for crying out loud, NORIEGA! Doesn't God have any standards? It embarrasses me to admit how long this conflict raged inside of me. When you are a pastor of a church you are supposed to know better. After processing this violation of my personal prejudices and preferences, I slowly and begrudgingly came to have a change of heart. It was as if I heard a voice say to me, "Get over it!" I have never heard God speak audibly to me, but it didn't sound like something Satan would say. I began to think, if I didn't deal with this here on earth, I may have to room with this guy in heaven. Never underestimate the lengths God will go to make sure you learn a lesson. I didn't want to have to stay after school here or say for eternity, "Mi casa es su casa." I admit my standards were low, but I did at least have them. God meets you right where you are, but loves you too much to leave you the way he found you. Over two decades later, I am so glad Brannon and Hernandez took the trip. Bless their hearts! Note: I really mean it this time.

Our culture has lost their handle on "The Golden Rule": Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It has been replaced by tarnished substitutes,

• "He who has the gold, rules."
• "Get all you can. Can all you get. Poison the rest."
• "Stick it to them before they stick it to you.
• "Watch out for number one!"

This isn't new. Jesus established His kingdom in the wake of one of the most ruthless regimes the world had ever seen. Whether it was Roman aggression or Jewish corruption, Jesus challenged the conventional wisdom of the day. Throughout his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus repeats over and over, "You have heard it said,...But I say to you." "You have heard it said...But I say to you...turn the other cheek."Matthew 5:39

In other words, He knew people may like the way they felt about their enemies, but He was going to change their hearts and that was going to change the way they lived. God uses changed people to bring about the kind of change that makes a difference for eternity...not just for the next election.

Abraham Lincoln described resisting the urge to rejoice over our enemies or to exact our revenge from them as, "listening to the better angels of our nature." Thanks Abe, I needed that. What Lincoln suggested, Paul declared was a moral imperative of the Christ follower. "Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, as far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge...Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:17-21)

The Noriegas of this world come and go with great rapidity. Life becomes a lot like an endless game of "Whack a Mole." If you have to get even with every petty dictator that crosses your path you are going to have great muscle tone in your arms, but a heaviness in your heart. The game is stacked against you worse than the odds at Vegas. So many moles, so little time. The house wins.

Nothing has really changed from the time Jesus first spoke to his early disciples. They too had been influenced and saturated with revenge by the culture in which they lived. Conventional wisdom today lies to us when it says, "Revenge is sweet." In place of, "Get 'er Done!", God's wisdom says, "Let it Go!" The next time you are tempted to cheer over the downfall of an enemy, ask God if He wants you to let go of your joy over their collapse. He may want you to pick them up, and help them on down the road. This means taking the high road, when the world world screams for you to take the Low Road Exit and leave your enemy in the dust. You may be surprised at what you hear God say. I know I was. Vaya Con Dios!

GMillerLight4U

On the Rock or On the Rocks

"Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of the Lord always." Proverbs 23:17

A contemporary view of envy may be: wishing I could trade places with someone else who seems to have a better life than the one God gave me. The same word for envy is sometimes translated in Proverbs for the word "reverence." This could be a warning to step away from the altar of celebrity worship. The tendency to want what others have is not new to the human condition. Words like envy, jealousy and covet fill the Word of God like flashing lights on a dashboard. When they start blinking in our lives, it is time to pull over and let God check under our hood.


As a Texan growing up on Long Island, New York, I fell in love with the New York Yankees. I still remember my first professional baseball game at the old Yankee Stadium, "The house that Ruth built." Nestled in Yonkers, like the proverbial gardenia in a garbage can , it was a magical place. When I emerged from the dark passage ways of the ball park on the evening of May 12, 1961, I got my first glimpse of the immaculate playing field. I was mesmerized. The bright lights magnified the red clay, the manicured green grass, and the perfect white stripes separating the stands from the field of play. It was a sight to behold. Then the pin-striped, "Bronx Bombers" walked from the dugout with the swagger of champions. At first, "Moose" Skowron, at second, Bobby Richardson, short-stop, Tony Kubek, third base, Clete Boyer, behind the plate, Yogi Berra, and on the mound, left-hander, "Whitey" Ford, in the outfield, Maris, Mantle, and Pepitone. Later in the evening, Pepitone would go to first base, and Elston Howard would take over in left. It was Yogi's birthday and he hit a home run. The Yanks beat the LA Angels. I was only 11 years old, but already a serious fan. I put the fan in fanatic. Being able to recite the starting lineup of this team impressed a friend of mine a few years ago, and he rewarded me with a gift of a "Whitey Ford" autograph baseball. My youngest daughter Allyson has put her claim on it when I die. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

I put this in the category of harmless hero worship. As I grew older, I learned the difference between the content of a player's character and his conduct on the field. For instance, Bobby Richardson has grown in my estimation, and Mickey Mantle has fallen a notch or two. Mickey will always have my heart, but I couldn't help his liver. Sad story. Nuff said.

Magazines like "People" and "Instyle" regale us with what the celebrities are doing, and what they are wearing. Television is overloaded with shows that stalk every move a celebrity makes and record every word they say. They seem intent on exposing the flaws of the newest flavor of the month and bumping them off the pedestal to make room for another victim of new found fame. The cult of celebrity is alive and well, and it craves more and more of what it does not have. Envious people love to hate people who have what they really want.

Envy reveals a hole in the heart, that only God can fill. Trying to satisfy hunger and thirst with anything that is man-made only leads to a more ravenous appetite. God's meal plan for our lives begins with living water and the bread of life, Jesus. Spending time with Him, and listening to what He says for us to do will give us a full and meaningful life, in spite of what contemporary culture may try to lead us to believe. The ash heap of history is littered with more examples than I can list of people who were stars, and then they fell from the sky. Charting one's ship by a course based on what the stars have to say usually ends up on the rocks.


David, the father of Solomon, must have been a hero to his son. What Solomon shares in Proverbs, his father sang about in Psalms.

• "Fret not yourself because of evil doers, be not envious toward wrong-doers. For they will wither quickly like the grass, and fade like the green herb. Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him, and He will do it." Psalms 37:1-5

Like any son, he probably wanted to be like dad when he grew up. That is not envy, but a legacy. Jesus is the Rock. A life built on the Rock will not end up on the rocks.

GMillerLight4u

THANKS

"So that your trust may be in the Lord, I have taught you today, even you." Proverbs 22:19

"Talking is not teaching and listening is not learning." I am crediting Alvin Reid with this quote. It is one of those personalized proverbial statements that has a great root system in the Book of Proverbs. Proverbs 22: 19 challenges us to learn that life is all about trusting in the Lord. Putting our confidence, and faith in God is the beginning of wisdom. This reverence, deference and respect we give to His plan for our life is the key to our eternal salvation, and results in a life filled with meaning and purpose.

How do we learn to trust in the Lord? When we come to the end of ourselves, we come to the beginning of God. When we come to the end of our rope, we need to stop making rope. When we lose confidence in our own ability, we are more likely to make ourselves available to Him. This is important to learn. God is more interested in our AVAILABILITY than our ABILITY.

The book of Luke records one of the most comprehensive pictures of the prayer life of Jesus. He made Himself available to God. When He showed up to pray, God showed up in His prayer life. The early disciples came to Jesus and said, "Lord, teach us to pray." (Luke 11:1) They had never heard anyone pray like Jesus. More importantly, they had never seen anyone get answers to their prayers like Jesus. He was always praying for the impossible. They wanted to know His secret of turning the IMPOSSIBLE into the HIMPOSSIBLE. This ought to be filed under the warning: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR. Everyone knows we pray our best when things are at their worst. If we never had a crisis, we would probably relegate prayer to a level of irrelevance. It would be placed on the shelf with other non-essential devotional disciplines like fasting, and giving.

David came to the end of himself as recorded in Psalm 23 when a "shadow of death" passed over him. The most remarkable thing happened. He stopped talking about God, and started talking to God. He moved God out of the third person singular and started talking to Him one on one, face to face.

Paul came to the end of himself more than once. He had a "shadow of death" experience on one of his journeys, and said that he even despaired for his life. "Indeed we had the sentence of death within ourselves in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises from the dead...He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us." (II Cor. 1:9-10)

Are you seeing a pattern here? Listening is not learning. You don't audit class in The School of Prayer. Once when Professor William Barclay was asked to comment on one his students, he said, "He is not one of my students. He just attends my classes." Well put. Showing up for class is not enough. Applying what you hear is where the real rubber meets the proverbial road.

Putting our trust in the Lord begins with an attitude of gratitude for what He has already done for us. In those early days of fatherhood, I felt pretty useless. As long as our baby daughters had no use for me, they didn't really warm up to me. The relationship was all about Dana. She had what they wanted, when they wanted it. How selfish! The good news is that their childish behavior did not last. Today I have a relationship with my daughters that has matured and brings great joy to me. They come to me for what they need, a personal relationship with their Dad. They trust that I will be there for them in the present, because I have been there for them in the past.

During this season of THANKS, I would like to suggest that trusting in the Lord could move from a proverb read to a principle applied. Trust is developed when we give THANKS to Him every day. This is how we begin to learn the meaning of , "I have taught you today, even you."

• Thanking: "Rejoice always; pray without ceasing."
• Him: "In everything give thanks,"
• Always: "for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thess. 5:16-18
• Nearing: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." James 4:8
• Knocking: "Knock and it shall be opened to you." Matthew 7:7
• Seeking: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33

The season of THANKS is is a great time to renew our "trust in the Lord."

GMillerLight4U

VICTORY

"The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the Lord." Proverbs 21:31

The Battle of Hastings in 1066 was a clash between the Norman invaders of William the Conqueror and the Anglo Saxons led by King Harold. In 1077 the Bayeaux tapestry was unveiled to commemorate the Norman victory. It is a 230 foot long, and 20 inch high narrative depicting the battle with a Latin inscription for every scene. It is one of the earliest examples of "spin" control.

Both armies made use of horses, but each had a different strategy. King Harold's Anglo Saxons used their horses as a means of transportation to arrive at the site of the battle. They took a defensive posture behind a wall of huge shields, and dared the Normans to take the hill. The Normans used a cavalry of mounted lancers as an aggressive attack weapon. History reveals the wisdom of the latter over the former. It was a particularly gory kind of warfare, and at times even the bravest warrior was tempted to flee the field. One of my favorite sections of the tapestry depicts Odo, half brother of William, and a bishop of the church encouraging the French warriors while waving his club or shepherd's staff in the air. He was forbidden by church law to carry an instrument of war that could shed the blood of the sheep, but he was free to club them over their helmeted heads or whack them on their backs to turn them around and face the enemy. In Latin the statement next to the picture is, "Odo... confortats." Translated, he comforts or encourages the men. One of the next scenes depicts the death of King Harold, and the Anglo Saxons fleeing the battle. The Battle of Hastings was over and the invasion of England successful. This was no small accomplishment considering, Napoleon and Hitler were never able to pull it off.

Obviously, the word "comfort" has lost something in translation down through the years. Today it used to describe a gentle touch, a soft word spoken or a blanket that is to be left untouched. The word once meant an infusion of courage. Break it down and you can see it in the word, en-courage-ment. Back in the day, comfort could be a knock on the head, or a whack on the back of a discouraged warrior to turn him around to face the enemy. There is no substitute for victory, but it will never be won by victims. Victors are just victims who have fired back at the enemy. When Jesus depicted the posture of the forces of evil, He revealed them to be on the defensive, and His church would be attacking the gates they were hiding behind. "I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it." Matthew 16:18

During my first year in seminary, I was introduced to a book, "Success Motivation and the Scriptures." It was written by William H. Cook and published by Broadman Press in 1974. The gist of it: Be filled with the Holy Spirit to become the person God intended for you to be, and leave the results up to God. It was a breath of fresh air. It is always a bad exchange to substitute personal ideas of success for God's concept of victory.

Ancient proverbs are as fresh as the latest newsprint, or the most recent Twitter of the day. They have influence far beyond the day in which they were first spoken. Their longevity is proof positive of their reliability. Keep passing on and practicing good advice found in Proverbs. Eventually it will have a positive influence. Even Wood Allen knows, "Ninety percent of success in life is found in just showing up." Scripture reminds us that victory is ours if we will get behind a movement of God, and give Him the elbow room to do what only He can do in this world through our lives.

• "Some boast in chariots, and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the Lord our God." Psalms 20:7 (David's prayer for victory over his enemies, must have been known by Solomon.)
  
• "A horse is a false hope for victory; nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength." Psalms 33:17 (Solomon collected horses, but David had known victory and defeat.)


• "Salvation belongs to the Lord; Thy blessings upon Thy people!" Psalms 3:8 (David knew that God was in control even when family turned against him.)


• "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." I Corinthians 15:57-58
  

The key to victory is not found in how fast we get to the battle, but in how long we are willing to stay and fight the enemy. War can be terrifying at times. Christ followers need shepherds who will encourage them to return to the battle, and stay on the offensive. God's people strike fear in the heart of the enemy when they mobilize as prayer warriors against the gates of hell. Fire when ready! If you listen carefully, you can hear the enemy screaming, "INCOMING!"

"We must not be content to be cleansed, but filled with the Holy Spirit. The word Comforter as applied to the Holy Spirit needs to be translated by some vigorous term. Literally it means "with strength." Jesus promises his followers, "The Strengthener" would be with them. This is no lullaby for the faint-hearted. It is a blood transfusion for courageous living." E.P. Hovey

GMillerLight4U

Flip the Coin

"The glory of young men is their strength, and the honor of old men is their gray hair." Proverbs 20:29

We live in a culture that places great value on youth, and strength. Proverbs encourages us to receive the whole coin, flip it and focus on the other side. The flip side of a strong body is a strong finish. The honor of a young man has always been his physique at the start of the rae. The splendor of an older man is his perseverance to the finish line.

Every year I live, I grow in my appreciation for the men who have run the race long and are finishing well. The roadside of life is littered with men who got off to a great start, but lost their way . I have had heroes of mine falter, and fall, but there have been others who continue to lead me towards the finish line. Today it seems right to mention at least two of them that come to mind with Proverbs 20:29.

I heard Jimmy Draper preach for the first time in the fall of 1975. I was starting my second year of seminary and he was speaking in chapel. He challenged and commissioned us to continue in our calling regardless of the circumstances that we encounter. Knowing that he was in the middle of a personal crisis himself, and handling it with grace and dignity made his message even more powerful. Thirty-five years later he is often referred to as "Mr. Southern Baptist." A title he has earned for continuing to shed more light than heat on any crisis he is called upon to handle. I still refer to him as Bro. Jimmy. To me he is the poster boy for preacher boys.

I mean no disrespect meant to Chuck Swindoll who posed for a poster back in the nineties sitting on his Harley. He was dressed in black with a smile on his face, and the word, "SERMONATOR" emblazoned across the page. It was a great combination of chutzpa, humility and humor. I loved it. These two men have set the pace for preachers and pastors for close to 50 years. They continue to be faithful flames leading to the finish line.

One night, about ten years ago, my wife and I were visiting a little lady on her first night in a Fort Worth nursing home. Her daughter had called and let me know they were headed to Houston to close out her mother's estate, and asked me to check on her. She was afraid this was going to be a rough night for her mom. She was right. When Dana and I arrived at the door of her tiny room, I could see she was sitting in a chair with her head down. She was the picture of despondency and loneliness. We introduced ourselves, and tried our best to cheer her up. I hit on the idea to ask her to tell me about churches she had attended over the years, and what kind of ministry she had been involved in the most. She told me of a church in the ship channel area of Houston, and how she and her husband had worked with youth. I asked her if youth were any different then than they were today. She lit up and said, "Oh, no. We had some rounders in that group." She went on to talk about two of them in some detail. One was the pastor's kid, Jimmy, and the other was a piece of work called Chuckie. She went on and on, and then it dawned on me who she was talking about. I asked her if she was talking about Jimmy Draper and Chuck Swindoll. She said, "Why yes, do you know them." I admitted that I had heard of them and asked if she had heard from them recently. She laughed and said, "Oh, no I haven't heard from then in years." I asked her if she would like to get in touch with them again, and she was thrilled about the possibility. I told her that I was pretty sure she could count on it.

The next morning, I made two phone calls to the offices of Dr. James Draper, leader of Lifeway in Nashville, and Dr. Charles Swindoll, president of Dallas Theological Seminary. I didn't try to get in touch with them personally. I knew it wasn't necessary. I told my story to two wonderful ladies who were able gatekeepers of these men. I requested, if possible, a letter of appreciation be faxed to the nursing home. As if reading from a prepared script, each promised it would be done that day. When I said that it wasn't necessary to do so that day, they each emphatically stated it would be something they know would be done today. They knew who they were working for. These men of integrity each took time out of very busy schedules to sit down and compose a personal tribute. They both gave glowing, and warmhearted gratitude to a woman who had invested time in them when it didn't appear that there was going to be much interest made on her principal. I went back to the nursing home the next day, and I saw a transformed woman. She was walking from room to room reading her letters to residents and employees alike. She asked me to read them to her when we sat down in her room. I was impressed by their words, but more importantly by the hearts of these men who had not forgotten where they had come from.

When her daughter returned from Houston, she called and exclaimed, "What have you done to my mother? She is a new person." Once again, the life-changing power of encouragement had left its calling card. Both of these letters were read at her mother's funeral, and remain treasured family keepsakes.

Jimmy Draper and Chuck Swindoll continue to raise the bar for ministers who do not just want to survive the ministry, but who desire to thrive in it. Some ministers are not content to retire and in some cases they just die standing up a long time before the retirement party. They would do well to take a look at men who know that one of the joys of growing older is becoming wiser. The glory of young men is their strength, but that is only one side of the coin. The flip side is where the wise man finds his greatest worth. The highest value is given to the rarest coin. Thank God for men who save their best for last, and remind us the best is yet to come.

GMillerLight4U

Come and Rest

"The fear of the Lord leads to life, so that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil." Proverbs 19:23


My first pastorate was in the City of Tempe, Arizona. It was located in an area called The Valley of the Sun. My wife loved the weather there. I should have known better. It was not like living n a desert. It was a desert. We moved there in the summer of 1983 and left in the summer of 1987. I call it four years and five summers. Man it was hot. Johnny Carson took a shot at this area's weather one night on the old "Tonight" show. He said, "They call it a dry heat. But you know folks, there is no humidity in a nuclear meltdown either. It is still going to kill you."

My wife, Dana, real sun goddess, always had a great, golden tan. I, on the other hand, was an "Irish tanner." I would burn, peel, burn, peel, burn,peel and maintain a hint of pale pink throughout the year. I had three episodes with heat stroke because I did not take my wife's advice and carry a bottle of water and drink from it like a prospector's canteen throughout the day. She kept reminding me, "We live in the desert, and everything you see is a mirage. Without water being poured into the ground every green thing you see will die. We are evaporating as we speak so drink up or die." I eventually caught on, but not after collapsing in the shower three different times. Note: When you reach a certain point of evaporation, you will not be able to suck enough water, fast enough from the faucet to replace what you lost in a day. Third time's a charm. Class dismissed.


One particularly hot day in May, 120 degrees in the shade with no shade, I was sitting at a stop light in the city and noticed an unusual church sign posted in huge, permanent letters on the entrance of their worship center. The words were, "Come...and Rest." I pulled off the road and into their parking lot. I knew from their sign that it was an unusual church or it would have said something like...

• "Come...and Serve"


• "Come...and Give"


• "Come...and Grow"


• "Come...and Go"


• "The end of your search for a friendly church."


• "First This of That"

I parked my car right in front of the sign like a man who had just found an oasis in the desert. I knew the source of the statement had to be based on the call of Jesus to His disciples, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) The cynic in me thought, "How can you build a church on calling people to rest, when there is so much of the Lord's work to do?" I should probably admit to you that I had been doing a lot of work for the Lord, but not spending much time with the Lord of the work. Later that day, I did a little research and find out that this was the largest church in the area. Evidently, I wasn't the only lost miner that had been lured off the highway by a sign that offered the promise of relief. Jesus must have known what he was talking about after all. Go figure.

One of the most prolonged and perilous epidemics sweeping this nation is sleep deprivation. It has been blamed for a host of illnesses and the possible source of road rage. There are countless numbers of remedies that promise relief. They run the gamut from surgery to sleeping pills, and mattresses to mantras. This is an indication that no one is getting the rest they need. How can this be? In spite of the economic downturn of recent months, this is still the wealthiest nation in the world. Regardless of what some would have us believe, our health-care system is still the envy of the world. Social apologists would have us believe the world hates us, but our borders and beaches are overwhelmed daily by those seeking relief from regimes that offer no hope. Comedians are flooding the airways with a constant stream of humor to relieve our stress and help us prepare for a good night's sleep. Churches on every corner offering a wide variety of sacred solutions for sinners, seekers, and saints. Why are so many people still in need of rest?

"The fear of the Lord leads to life." Proverbs provides a road map to an oasis that offers rest in the middle of the desert. The walk towards the saving shade and life-giving water begins with reverence for God. This refers to a respect for God as the source of life. He has written the book on rest, so when in doubt read His directions. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father, but by Me." (John 14:6) OK. I know we live in world that wants me to believe that there is no absolute truth, and my values should not be forced on them. So, let me put this "new" source of life to the Dr. Phil test, "How's that workin' for ya'?" Note: When people get tired enough, they will come to the end of themselves and the beginning of God. Til then, don't gouge out their eyes, just keep the light on for them. Christ followers sleep best with the light on anyway.

"So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil." "Restless heart" syndrome deprives more people of sleep than any "restless leg." The gnawing hunger of an empty heart is relentless. It will never be satisfied until it is filled with the food God has prepared for His children, Jesus. When He puts His children to sleep, he guards the door of their heart. No intrusion will ever come into the life of His child without passing through His heart first. If it comes to us through Him, it must be received for our help and not our hurt. The Psalmist comforts us with this reminder about God. "He gives to His beloved, even in his sleep." (Psalms 127:2) This may mean God gives sleep to His beloved, or God gives what His children need while they sleep. Either way, taking it to heart provides a calm in the heart of His children that cannot be disrupted by unwanted visitors or late night marketing calls. Lean on Jesus for The Rest of your life.

GMillerLight4U

A Matter of Life or Death

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit."
Proverbs 18:21


Fred Swank, longtime pastor of Sagamore Hill Baptist Church of Fort Worth, was asked one day by a colleague, "Does your church speak in tongues?" I was standing next to him when he said brusquely, "My people aren't Spirit-filled enough." He dismissed the questioner with a stern look, turned his back and walked swiftly through the noisy, convention corridor to the exit. I was a first year seminary student, and newly hired by him to be his driver/youth director. His response intrigued me. I was trying to get the courage to ask him why he was so abrupt. I didn't have to ask. He launched into one of his many impromptu lessons of life that still serve me well. No direct quotes here, but the gist of his defense was this. He said there was a movement in Baptist churches at that time to try and solve all their problems with an experience that he called "tongues-talkin.'' He personally did not begrudge them the privilege. He was of the opinion, after 42 years of pastoring the same church, that local church was headquarters. He believed what the people of a local, autonomous congregation felt led of God to do they should be able to do. However, he was convinced that gossip was the real "tongues-talkin' " that caused most problems. He was convinced it was this kind of tongues that should be kicked out of the church. Bro. Fred's earthy wisdom rings true with Proverbs 18:21.


"Death and life are in the power of the tongue." Two conversations come to mind. Both were with highly skilled, accomplished women I met while pastoring in the Panhandle of Texas. One was very faithful to attend church. I saw her Sunday after Sunday standing very uncomfortably during the praise portion of the worship service. She looked miserable. She had a frown on her face, her head down, and all of the peace of an animal with a paw caught in a trap. Whether it was oppression or conviction, I could not tell. It was painful to watch, and I just had to know. When I had a chance to meet with this lady, I discovered a great heart with a huge hole in it. She asked me if I had noticed she never sang in church. I admitted her reluctance to participate had hit my radar screen. She apologized and related her story. There is always a private story behind a public behavior. When she was a child, she had auditioned to sing in a choral group at her school. The director stopped her in the middle of her song, and shouted for the accompanist to stop playing. Loud enough for all the other children to hear she was rebuked this little girl for wasting their time. She was told, "You have a terrible voice. You should never try to sing." That verbal blast from the furnace of hell left a mark. Fifty years later I could see it. It was not a fresh wound, but a nagging scar on the soul of a grown woman. It was a privilege to walk this lady through God's plastic surgery to remove the damage done by a "tongues-talkin" terrorist. Week by week God restored her, as she focused on Him as the audience of one who loved to hear her praise Him. Never underestimate the power of the tongue to deal out death.


The other conversation took place while I was preparing for the funeral of a local doctor. We had become a personal friends. He had been an encouraged and blessed me with books from his library. His daughter came from Dallas to attend her father's funeral. She was a very successful business woman, and in her professional power suit she exuded the confidence of woman who had made something out of her life. I asked her to share any special memory she had of her father that might help me know him better. In an instant she was transformed from a woman in her late thirties to a six year old girl. She told me without hesitation, "My father loved to sing." I was not surprised by that. He was a member of the real church choir, the congregation. He would stand to my right a few rows back, and sing joyfully and heartily. He sang all the choruses or hymns that were offered up to God as worship in our church. It touched me to see a man of his advanced years and professional stature enter in with such enthusiasm and radiance on his face. She went on to say, "I remember standing next to Dad in church as a little girl. I always enjoyed hearing him sing. I couldn't read, but he would always hold the hymnal so I could see it. One day I was singing along with him, and he stopped, leaned down and whispered in my ear, 'You sing sooo pretty.' I was so touched by his encouragement that music has remained a major part of my life. Since that time, whenever I sing, I have always sensed Dad standing next to me." WOW. What a great way to describe why we need to praise God every day, not just on Sunday.


These two stories give us a picture of the death-dealing or life-giving power of the tongue. I do not know who came up with the insipid ditty, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." I am pretty sure they were from another planet. In the world where I live, I have seen murderous damage done by the tongue. James saw it in the early church and said,
"From the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren these things ought not to be this way." James 3:10


Notice, James is not talking about "cussin' " but cursing. There are people who would never say a vulgar, four letter curse word, but they are expert surgeons at cutting a person to pieces with their tongues. I have been blessed out by men on a construction site or at the close of a funeral service with the same phrase. "You did a helluva job." To the ears of the self-righteous, it may have sounded like cussin', but these were not curse words at all. They were giving me a blessin' not a cursing. I have had people avoid using the vocabulary words identified with cursing, and still find a way to speak a curse over me. You probably have too.

So what is the message for us in Proverbs 18:21? Use the breath in your lungs to build a person up rather than tear a person down. Putting a person in their place usually means you had to take the low road to get them there. Words leave a mark. They linger long after the initial sting or the pleasant touch. You might want to take a page from David's play book today. "I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue, I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle." Psalm 39:1


"And those who love it will eat its fruit." There is not a great market for rotten fruit.
People who will be taking the taste test of your fruit harvest can tell the difference between what is real, and what is fake, what is fresh and what is phony. There is not much nutrition in imitation fruit even for a starving man. Your tongue has the power to deliver life or death in the form of a verbal fruit basket to someone in need of encouragement today. How will you know who they are? Don't worry. They are everywhere, and everyone. Get with God before you pick up that rotten tomato and throw it at someone who has had their share of curses planted in their lives. Remember, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23) Trust me on this. They are going to love receiving this fruit basket almost as much as you are going to love giving it.

GMillerLight4U

What To Do Before You Spew

"The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so abandon the quarrel before it breaks out." Proverbs 17:14


Proverbs is so versatile and timeless. Who knew that it contained wise words for defensive driving. Wouldn't we all be better Christians if we had to walk everywhere we went? The vehicle of choice has changed, but road rage has been around a long time.


The City of Houston taught me the real meaning of road rage. I had grown up in New York and had cut my teeth on some of the toughest traffic and roughest road hogs the world could produce. I was not a novice at protecting my turf when I arrived in Houston in 1980. It was the epicenter of "The Oil Patch, the peak of the oil boom and the glory days of "Luv Ya Blue." It didn't take me long to get into the spirit of things. Traffic was unbelievable. Houston had the same number of freeway miles as San Antonio, and four times the population. You do the math. Rats in a maze of jams and detours does not describe it fully. Everyone was from a small town, and this driving experience was new to them, and they hated it. Signs marked "Yield" or "Merge" were ignored by them as much as their blinkers when changing lanes. Dana and I lived 11 miles from the church we were serving, and my morning and evening commute would total approximately four hours a day. This workout twice a day developed 21 ulcers in less than three years. Good times. Good times.


One Saturday morning, when traffic was relatively light, I took off to perform a 10 AM wedding at the church. The night before, I had returned from a two week preaching trip to Japan, Hong Kong, and Hawaii. Jet lag was enormous, and all I wanted to do was get to the church, grab my notes, tie the knot and get back home to sleep it off. Then it happened. The guy in front of me slammed on his brakes, and began a 9 mile amateur version of "Mad Max." I tried to exit, and he would block me. I would get off the freeway and he would follow me. He would slow down and I would pass him. He would try to cut me off and run me into the concrete barricades. He was relentless and ruthless and his truck was twice the size of my car. The gun rack in his pick up was missing a shotgun. It was in his lap, and he was pointing it at me. God Bless America! I caught a glimpse of his face, and it was a hideous contortion of demonic features. I am not ashamed to say that it scared me then, and the memory of this experience chills me to my core even today.


Proverbs 17:14 probably saved my life that day. He finally drove off with a "win" under his belt and I arrived at the church feeling like a James Bond martini...shaken but not stirred. I have used this verse on more than one occasion to avoid letting myself get suckered into a fight on the highway that can escalate from a minor mishap to mass murder. I wish I was better at using every place I go.


Clebe McClary, Marine hero and evangelist, told me that he and his wife have a code word for cutting off an argument that can develop into to road rage IN the car. It is F.I.D.O., and it means Forget It Drive On. It has become their way of stopping the rising temperature in the vehicle. When they have a disagreement over directions or any other subject that comes up, either one is free to use it as a "Get Out of Jail Free" card. Thanks Clebe, this has nipped in the bud the thorny vines of conflict that can choke the life out of a loving relationship.


Warning: When you are full of yourself, this spewing of resentment will jet out like a geyser when anyone punctures the smooth, thin veneer of your personal preferences or right of way.


"So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out." It is hard to abandon a quarrel when you are hiring lawyers, enlisting eyewitnesses and character references to prove your case before you head out the door each day. Perhaps this is honorable preparation for the trial of a life time, but most of us are not challenged by great trials as much as tedious, life-sucking tests that come our way through the relentless grind of daily life. When you wake up in the morning, remind yourself that the rest of the world is not getting up hoping you have a great day. There are huge numbers of crazy people getting dressed, into their cars and on their way to celebrate, "What's In It for ME Day." Don't be surprised if you eat their bumper on the way to work, or find them inflating balloons for an office party when you get there.


So, how does Proverbs 17: 14 help us? It reminds us that there is honor in choosing our battles, and not allowing someone to thrust their insanity upon us. It points out the inevitability of strife reaching flood stage in our lives, unless we are willing to prepare ourselves to resist the urge to take it to the next level. Abandoning the quarrel with another person is easier if you have settled the dust balls of resentment that can slowly collect under the bed of an unexamined heart.

Martin Luther said, " You cannot stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building nests in your hair."

Luther understood how easy it was or people to get in our heads. Our responsibility is to show their toxic behavior the exit before we react to it with a vengeance that belongs only to God. This is best done by what I call "Proactive Praying." Before you head out the door pray for those who will cross your path that day. Ask God to give you grace to respond rather than react. You can only die on one cross so choose it carefully. Does every traffic blunder and snide remark require a conquest over the offender that leaves them crushed at your feet? This is going to be a long day if you let other people set the agenda for you. They are messed up!

"If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, but leave room for the wrath of God...Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:18-21

Pray, proactively, before you leave the house today. Invite Jesus to carpool with you on the way to work, school or church. When another person needs to merge into your lane, ask Jesus if you should. Let God's grace empower you to let them in. You will be surprised at how many friends you can make on the road. If you are abused by another driver or person today, (and you will be) invest in them. Pray for them. It is harder to hate someone you pray for. Not impossible, it is just harder. See you on the road. I will be the one without my blinker on.

GMillerLight4U

T.H.I.S.

"The Lord has made everything for it own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil." Proverbs 16:4

"I don't need this." "I am not going to put up with this." " I don't deserve this." "I can't believe this is happening to me." THIS could be chiseled on the cornerstone of a building that is collapsing on top of us. THIS reflects the chaos, confusion, dust and debris of encountering the unexpected consequences of our own action or the undeserved results of other people's toxic trafficking in our lives. What is T.H.I.S.? It is, "The Hurt I Suffer."


The Proverbs are filled with some challenging statements. T.H.I.S. is one of the toughest to grasp. Just when we think we are getting a hold on the way God works in our lives, some unwanted interruption blasts in uninvited. It knocks the breath out of us, and brings us to our knees. Not a bad place to end up when you get taken down by circumstances out of your control.


There are times in our lives that God brings a person across our path to give us insight for the journey. I remember fondly every moment I was able to spend with a man named Ron Dunn. Over a 30 year period, God allowed a long distance admiration to develop into a personal friendship. I will always be grateful that God brought Ron into my life. To know more about him find your way to the website of Sherwood Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia. The Senior Pastor, Michael Catt, has done the world a great service by establishing a link that will put you in touch with Ron's work. He went to heaven in July 2001, but thank God Michael will not let us forget a giant walked among us.


Ron Dunn had a great perspective on pain and suffering. He had earned it. He would often say,
"Good and evil travel on parallel tracks and arrive at the same time." This may have been the greatest legacy he left for my life. He would tell the story of a woman who once came to him with a grandchild in her arms. The woman told a heartbreaking story of abuse and abandonment that had happened in her daughter's life at the hands of worthless husband. Her final words were, " I wish she had never met that man!" Ron was no coward. He was like a moth to the flame. He soared in to the fire even if he got singed. With the wisdom of Solomon and the courage of a lion he asked the question, "So, you are ready to give up the baby." The immediate response of the woman was to step back and hold the baby with a tighter grip and say, "No! I would never give up this child. This baby means the world to me." Then Ron would say, "Good and evil travel on parallel tracks and arrive at the same time." Did I mention Ron had left the pastorate.


Whenever I would have Ron come and lead a Bible Conference in our church or meet him at an airport to grab a bite of lunch, I would pour out my heart and wait for wise counsel. Ron would sit and listen patiently to my litany of woes. After enduring my "whine" list for a few minutes, he would interrupt with something sarcastic, yet supportive, "Stop! Please stop! You're making me homesick for the pastorate! I miss all those weddings and vacation bible schools and deacon's meetings." I got the message. This is life. Deal with it. Winning and whining seldom follow parallel tracks. If you want platitudes for painless living Ron's not your man. His words hit like a 22 oz. rib-eye right across the lips. "Don't just stand there, pray something!"


The message to be gained from Proverbs is very simple. Bad things do happen to good people. One of the most challenging assignments I have ever been given was to speak to a Jewish congregation in Houston on the topic, "The Christian View of Suffering." In the audience were several hundred people who were Holocaust survivors or the relatives of those who had died in it. I was young and stupid enough to accept the invitation, but smart enough to lean on the message of Joseph, "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." (Gen. 50:20) I quit talking when I saw their heads nod in agreement. They had forgotten more about suffering than I would ever know.
Thanks Joseph, for not getting twisted off by what you went through and leaving me a light to shine into the darkness of sufferng.

The truth is, suffering is hard to take by itself. God does have a purpose for it. He can give meaning to it. When it is taken alone, it is like trying to swallow a pill without a glass of water. You choke on it, before it can do you any good. The cure will kill you, unless there is some perspective that God is still at work in your life through T.H.I.S.

For the past two years, I have tried to stand by my wife as she has fought for her life in a battle with breast cancer. She has had her share of people try to minimize the experience with, "Oh at least it is curable." Tell that to someone after they have had six months of chemo and both breast removed, and you may get more than a rib-eye across the mouth. My wife just looks little. There have been others that felt compelled to blurt out, "O, I had an aunt who died from that." Well thanks for sharing. Dana had a younger sister die from it, but thanks for putting that curse into our minds. It is hard to put your head on the pillow at night and not have that blast from the past scorch your brain cells. Both of these extremely toxic remarks were spoken by well-meaning people within the walls of a church. Bless their hearts. Note to self: Stop saying that if you don't mean it.

When people minimize or trivialize our suffering, it is demeaning. Why? Major surgery is what I am having. Minor surgery is what you are having. Before you can feel for someone, you have to hurt with them. When we allow people to maximize suffering by injecting panic into our lives, it is disheartening.

I have been comforted over the past two years by the words, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose...to become conformed to the image of His Son." (Romans 8:28-29a) God never intended this verse to be a driver's manual that we toss from our window into the wreckage of suffering. Rubber necking our way past the crash site of personal crisis and dropping these words calleously into the destruction is not a wise move. Yes, it is a word of hope, but timing is everything. There are times when people are so deafened by suffering they cannot hear the truth. They are so blinded by it they cannot even read your lips when you say it to their face. What people need to be able to do, in time, is to have someone help them loosen their white-knuckled grip on T.H.I.S.. It is usually done best by someone who has been through the same thing, and learned that God can bring something good, even out of T.H.I.S. .

A picture is worth a thousand words. My mind's eye recalls watching my wife share her cancer diagnosis with our church and walk from the platform down into the congregation. She had asked people to pray for her as she began this battle. I asked people to back up the hearse and stop ordering flowers. This was a fight not a funeral. Two ladies, spontaneously, from different parts of the room moved towards her. They did not say a word. They held on to her like bookends of mercy, and wrapped their loving arms around her crisis. I found out later that both of these warriors had fought this battle, and had walked away victorious. There was a confidence, and a smile on their faces as they spilled tears on my wife's shoulder. Their radiance was a confirmation that they had become champions over cancer. Their suffering had taken on a whole new meaning when they sensed Dana's pain. They did not minimize T.H.I.S.. They knew better. They did not maximize T.H.I.S.. They prayed for her. You can't make this up.

That's it. Talk Less. Pray More and T.H.I.S. (The Hurt I Suffer) will bring us to the end of ourselves and the purpose of God. All aboard. The Monday morning train is leaving the station.



GMillerLight4u

Whining or Winning?

"All the days of the afflicted are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast." Proverbs 15:15

My father, Don Miller, has had more influence on me than any other man I know. He is an 87 year old prayer warrior/preacher/pastor and planter of churches. He has logged his share of time in multiple pastorates, operating rooms, and deacon's meetings and still has one of the most cheerful outlook on life that lets him live more like a victor than a victim. His personal triumph over adversity and affliction of the enemy has been achieved through the use of prayer as the world class weapon in the battle against evil.

Dad has introduced me to many great quotes over the years, almost all of them have to do with prayer. Go figure. One of my favorites is the statement made by Samuel Chadwick, " The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying, He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom but trembles when we pray." I have read everything I can get my hands on written by Chadwick. He was known as the "Wesley of the 20th Century" in the early years of the 1900's. He became a mentor to Leonard Ravenhill who came to the United States and had a prolonged and profound influence on many American preachers later in that century.

The Armor of God listed in Ephesians 6:10-18 should be a clear reminder that life is going to have conflict. Therefore the armored ones may expect to be afflicted. The armor will not end the conflict. Only victory ends the conflict with the enemy. Ephesians warns us that the real enemy is not the one we can see, but the "world forces of this darkness." The armor is described as being defensive in nature, except for the sword which is described as the Word of God.

Did I mention Dad prays and reads his Bible alot. All day long to be exact. His heart is overflowing with the promises of God no matter what the enemy throws his way. When you squeeze a lemon you get lemonade. When you squeeze a lime you get limeade. When you squeeze a Christian you get "whine. " In other words, everything that is God-made delivers what God has put on the inside. With Christians you don't always get what is on the label. I have had a front row seat to the crises of life that have hit my Dad for close to 60 years. The one common theme that runs through the river of my childhood memories and flows into the rough seas of adulthood is this: when Dad gets pressured Jesus comes out.

To have the fruit there must be the root. Being rooted and grounded in the unchanging Word of God and filled with the interceding Presence of Jesus is the key to having victory over affliction.
Remember Ephesians? The position of victory is "stand." When the enemy smells fear in the air as a result of the "whining" of God's people, he senses that he is close to winning a victory over them. Prayer strikes fear into his heart.

On the other hand, prayer strengthens the heart of the person who is being afflicted. When the enemy delivers an attack, rather than planning a funeral they start planning a victory party. How can they do that? They refuse to be a victim, and stand, and deliver what the enemy fears most...powerful, confident prayers calling on God to take the field against their enemy. Praying for strength in the middle of a fight as E.P. Hovey said is "No lullaby for the faint-hearted. It is a blood transfusion for courageous living." Hovey,born in 1908, was a Presbyterian minister in Idaho in the early 20th Century. He was one of the most quotable unknown preachers America has ever produced. He is another one of my heroes.

It is Sunday morning, and we all need to go to church. Let me close by saying that the Word of God clearly states that life has affliction. The cheerful person will fill his heart with the promises of God and fire back in prayer when he is under attack. Save me a place at the victory banquet.

GMillerLight4U

Hunger and Thirst

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people." Proverbs 14:34

I just finished reading a presidential biography written by a man who walked this politico through several campaigns for state and national office. If half of what written is true, we have had a country in moral meltdown for decades. The level of personal and corporate rebellion revealed in this book staggered me. The spirit of lawlessness that is held by those who hold our highest offices is appalling. The willingness of people to serve the interests of such people and then transition themselves to be highly paid spokespersons of insight and wisdom to our nation on national cable shows is troubling. Have they no shame? I am haunted by the statement, "What the leader does in moderation, the people will do in excess."

The Pharisees believed prayer, giving, and fasting were the three vital signs of righteousness. They agreed among themselves that doing these things not only made them right with God, but better than every one else. Jesus did not condemn their choice of righteous acts. He judged their hearts. He knew they may have been doing what was right, but they still had a rebellious attitude towards God. They resented having to jump through hoops, and believed God owed them health, wealth, power and prestige for doing so. They killed Jesus for exposing them as posers and hypocrites for doing the right things with the wrong heart or attitude.

Miss Sheldon was my third grade teacher at O.M. Roberts elementary school in Dallas, Texas. She was the first person who challenged me to believe one person can make a difference in the world. She saw a problem with littering and challenged us all to spend the rest of our lives resisting the urge to be a litterbug. She led us in a pledge that made us part of a club, and handed out membership cards. I kept the card in my Roy Rogers plastic wallet until it became so ragged that it had the texture of gauze. The symbol decayed, but I have kept the pledge for half a century. To this day, I still want to slam my car into a senseless jerk who can't keep his flaming cigarette butt in his car. Why does he have to throw his cans and fastfood debris out the window while speeding 15 miles over the posted limit. So glad he wants a smoke free, litter free environment in his truck. Guess his garbage is too heavy for his four wheel drive to carry. Bless his heart. Note: God knows I mean something else.

"Righteousness exalts a nation." So how does one person make a big difference? How does one person's right thinking and right living exalt an entire nation. Simple answer: One person at a time. Simply put, right is the opposite of wrong. That is the easy part. Now the real problem is for a nation to agree on what is right and what is wrong. "The Sixties" produced alot of insipid and insidious statements that became ingrained in a generation people now leading our nation. One of the most dangerous ones was, "It does not matter what you believe as long as you are sincere." I guess in the drug fogged haze of that decade this appeared to be a postive politically correct sense of direction. Guess they missed, "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." (Proverbs 14:12) Their stinking thinking, and foggy logic paved the way for good Christian people to agree that a baby did not have any rights in need of protection. The death toll is in the millions and rising. What seems right is not always what is right.

"Sin is a disgrace to any people." O, really? Recent events in our country lead me to believe that on a national level there has been the death of shame in America. We love our celebrities. Pastors can put aside their wives and still carry on national TV programs as if nothing happened. Politicians can hire a word smith to parse phrases needed to say just enough to bounce opinion polls in favorable direction. Watch an episode of "Cops," "Speeders", "Cheaters," "Dr. Phil," and you see an attitude of rebellion that reaches every level of our culture.

Sin begins with a wrong attitude and leads to wrong behavior. The message of Proverbs bases sin on a person's frame of mind towards what God has to say to them. Any defiance of God's commandments begins with a hatred in the heart for God's Word. The post-modern thought of recent years has removed the authority of God from the national arena. "What is true for you is not true for me." is their contribution to the debate on right and wrong.

So what can be done? Admit today that you are the only person in this world that you have any control over. You can whine all you want about the behavior of people in high places and the ruin posed by politically correct thinking. Stop cursing the darkness and light the way. If you are one of the few that see that our nation is in trouble it is because God is creating a new hunger and a new thirst in the hearts of a group of people who are weary of swallowing the swill of sin.

Jesus established the constitution of His Kingdom with the preamble, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." (Matthew 5:6) Your hunger and thirst are vital signs of a fresh work God is doing in your life. Don't settle for a quick snack of Christian Lite. Start savoring the smell of the feast God is preparing for people who will drop their greasy sack of politically correct or culturally compromised balogna sandwiches and come to His banquet table.

Don't substitute doing the right thing for becoming the right person. God knows you heart and will accept you just as you are, but He loves you too much to leave you the way He found you. Jesus said, "Except your righteousness surpasses that of the Scribes and Pharisees you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:20) Jesus stamps in blood, "Born Again," on the passports of the citizens of His Kingdom.

You are responsible to God for your attitude towards God and His Word. A lawyer practices law. A doctor practices medicine. A musician practices his music. A child of God practices Christianity. Each discipline has a set of guidelines that when followed will lead to the right result. Christians are declared right by Sovereign God when they place their trust in Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Citizens of Christ's Kingdom are part of the family of God. They are not immune from the temptation of sin, but they react to it differently. It shames them to bring embarassment on the family. They may stumble and fall. They may fail to make the right choices. They may not always have the right heart attiude even when they do the right thing. The difference is a willingness of heart to agree with their Father that they are on the wrong path. They step our of the dark and ask God for His light. They follow His directions to get back on course. They respect their Father's counsel, and reject their own rebellious attitude. This is called practicing Christianity. To do less is to practice sin, and God says that is a disgrace to any people. "No one who is born of God practices sin...By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious; anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, not the one who does not love his brother." (I John 3:9-10) Got to go. God has called a special practice session just for me to get me ready for the big game tomorrow.

GMillerLight4U

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