TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! The Heart

"This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me." Isaiah 15:8

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Say it loud! Say it proud. I never get tired of hearing or saying these two small words. For me and millions of other people they carry a great deal of meaning. For years I have been on a one man mission to remove the use of the auto response mechanism, "You too!"

There is a reason why "YOU TOO!" is not emblazoned upon Hallmark Christmas cards. It will never become a best seller.

It's not too much to expect another Christian to celebrate the meaning of the season and to simply repeat, "Merry Christmas!" It may be a bit of a stretch to hold a high expectation for a person who doesn't hold any meaning to the birth of Christ to respond with a hearty "Merry Christmas!" However, don't expect those of us who place great meaning on it to stand by and watch "Merry Christmas" bullied off the scene by a plethora of politically correct phrases. In other words, don't mess with Christmas!

Still, the militant Merry Christmas cadets ought to have some degree of understanding about what they are saying before they arm twist a perceived heretic into spouting them out. They should also avoid saying the words without having their heart engaged in obedience to the One who gives the words substance. There are more platitudes and pop culture Christianity on tap this season than at any time of they year. I draw little Christmas cheer from mindless mantras repeated over and over,

• "And that's what Christmas is all about."
• "Jesus is the reason for the season."
• "Keep Christ in Christmas!"
• "Put Christ back in Christmas!"
• "Christmas is not just one day a year."
• "Celebrate the Spirit of Christmas all year long."
• "Cash or charge?"
  

OK, I threw that last one in just to see if you were still there. I know it was a little off message, but not by much. Christians could do with a healthy appreciation of what it took for Christmas to have any meaning for them at all. They can fall prey to the same advertising campaigns and commercialization of Christmas as those who have no comprehension of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Don't fall into the trap of becoming a Christmas snob who thinks that repeating two words makes them better than those who have yet to see The Light.

It is important to remind those determined to put Christ back into Christmas that they were never commanded by The Christ to celebrate His birthday. He placed no great significance on it. His last words to His disciples challenged them to remember His death, burial and resurrection. They were told in no uncertain terms, "DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME!"

Putting Christ back into Christmas simply requires obedience to what He said. To do this is going to really cramp the style of churches all over the world. The bale of hay and a bathrobe pageants, the live nativity scenes, the lazer light shows, and the countless cantatas will take a back seat to Baptism and The Lord's Supper. Not quite as flashy, but they carry the reason for the season with a great deal more substance.

It dawned on me this year, that THE CRADLE, THE CROSS, and THE TOMB are all vacant. I know I'm not the sharpest knife in the theological drawer so cut me some slack on this, but to make much of them and still miss Jesus is still disrespectful to Him. THE HEART is the only place where Jesus can be found. A heart filled with Jesus gives His Spirit elbow room to keep Him as the focus of a person's life every day of the year. That kind of fulness is marked by obedience to what The Risen Christ desires for His followers to be and to do in His name.

"This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." John 15:12

"Love one another." Profoundly simple, and simply profound. It describes the unconditional love to be expressed to those closest to us, and to those who drive us away from them. Simple? Yes, but simply impossible until there is a change of heart in the one required to do the loving. Jesus describes this kind of love as obedient behavior in response to His command. Singing the "Happy Birthday" song or choking "Merry Christmas" out of a heretic is not on His "To Do" List.

In September 1996 I had the privilege of attending a conference at The Cove in Asheville, NC. Warren Wiersbe was teaching that week on The Book of Romans. It was an amazing experience. The setting was spectacular with The Smokie Mountains, and The Lodge at the Billy Graham Center serving as a backdrop to the study of the Scripture. It just doesn't get much better than that for me.

One of the statements made by Dr. Wiersbe that has stuck with me over the years was his reference to sin as it related to the teaching in Romans. I believe I am doing him justice to quote him as saying,

"The heart of the matter is the heart, and the matter of the heart is sin."

He went on to describe how Paul taught that a person's heart cannot be made right by keeping The Law or through a slow process of self-correction. The sinner's heart required a state of grace to be declared between The Law Giver and The Lawbreaker. There was simply no hope for a change of heart to take place in the life of the sinner without an act of grace being administered in the heart of a sinner.

Sin separates a person from Holy God. Only a righteous Judge can declare an end to the separation. Healing of the breach is not a matter of want to on the part of the sinner, but can do on the part of the Judge. God judges a person to be right with Him based on the work done on behalf of a sinner by His Son, Jesus. When Jesus came to THE CRADLE it was a start. When Jesus died on THE CROSS, it was a finish. When Jesus rose from THE TOMB, it was a promise. THE CRADLE, THE CROSS AND THE TOMB are all vacant. Only THE HEART can be filled with Jesus.

THE HEART remains the one place in the world where JESUS desires to live. Without Jesus there is no reason for the season. Without The Spirit of Christ there is no Spirit of Christmas. All that is left is the tinsel, the glitter and the sentiment, but there is no change of heart. THE HEART filled with Jesus is filled with His Spirit, and allows Him the elbow room to develop the character of Christ in the life of the follower of Christ. The change of THE HEART is in an instant, but the development of The Character is a process that will take a life time.

THE HEART of the matter is still the matter of THE HEART. A life of obedience comes from a heart full of Jesus. THE CRADLE preceded THE CROSS and THE TOMB. Jesus told His disciples to remember His death, burial and resurrection, not His birthday, but none of those remembrances will have real meaning until THE HEART becomes the residence of THE RISEN CHRIST.

"Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said...'What shall we do?' Peter said, 'Repent and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, and as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." Acts 2:37-39

Don't forget the real gift giving of Christmas. Give your heart to Jesus and experience The Gift that keeps on giving, The Spirit of Christ.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Gary Miller,

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Whitefield Project

gmillerlight@gmail.com

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! The Room

"O, magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt His name together." Psalm 34:3

December 1, 2011 our immediate family gathered in Fort Worth, Texas at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary at a brief ceremony for the rededication of THE DON and LIBBY MILLER PRAYER ROOM. Dr. Jack Terry was our gracious seminary host for the event. We were honored by all the family and friends who took time out of busy schedules to make this special occasion even more meaningful for my parents, Don and Libby Miller. Mom and Dad are in their nineties and still two of the greatest prayer warriors I have ever known. They have been married for 66 and a half years, and their life verse is:

"O, magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt His name together." Psalm 34:3

After serving as pastor and church planter for Southern Baptist churches in Texas and in New York, God called my parents to launch a prayer ministry in 1977. For over 34 years of their marriage, Mom and Dad travelled around the world challenging people to get alone with God and pray. Their ministry has taken them to every continent of the world, and most of these United States. They have personally led prayer conferences in over 1,000 churches, and their teachings on prayer have been expanded to countless other venues by video and now DVD formats. They made the transition from overhead projector to PowerPoint in their late eighties. My favorite quote on prayer comes from my Dad.

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

The Room is located on the northwest corner of the second floor in the new McGorman Chapel on the campus of Southwestern Seminary. The Chapel, named for Dr. Jack McGorman, honored and respected New Testament professor of the Seminary, is spectacular. Dr. McGorman remains to this day one of the finest Greek scholars ever produced by Southern Baptists, and the Chapel is a fitting tribute to this rare treasure of a man. He and Dad have been long time friends, and it was a precious moment being able to reconnect these two war-horses over lunch. It was a great reunion, and designed by God to take place.

The Miller clan was invited to take part in a delightful luncheon prior to the dedication service. Mrs. Dorothy Patterson was our gracious hostess. The Miller family wishes to express to Dr. and Mrs. Patterson their deepest appreciation for their willingness to prioritize the space in the new Chapel for The Room. At the luncheon, Mrs. Patterson was so apologetic that all the furnishing had not arrived, and that she feared it might appear to be incomplete. I was glad to quote what I have often heard Dad say, "Less is more, when God is in it." I assured her my parents would be pleased if there was room enough to kneel.

After the final wave of family arrived, I looked around to see if I recognized anyone in the room that Dad might want to meet. I was pleased to see that Dr. McGorman was just a few steps away from Dad's table. I went over and reintroduced myself to him. He had been Dad's New Testament Greek professor while he was in seminary. I had followed in Dad's footsteps and studied Greek under Dr, McGorman twenty-five years later. I remember Dad referring to him affectionately as "Cactus Jack" McGorman. It was a nickname he had earned among WWII veterans who entered seminary after the war. Any cockiness they brought to the campus after defeating the Axis powers soon evaporated in the battle they faced with "Baby" Greek. "Cactus Jack" was a tough drillmaster. They discovered that what he knew about Greek prepositions could make a grown man cry. My days with him translating Galatians still brings tears to my eyes. It was pretty embarrassing! But I digress.

As soon as I mentioned Dad's name, Dr. McGorman's eyes lit up. He exclaimed, "Your father is Don Miller! Is he here?" I was thrilled to be able to escort him over to Dad and watch them reconnect. Dr. McGorman said, "Don, do you remember when we were together at Wilmer?" They rolled down memory lane like it was yesterday. In a flash, they were young guns again recalling when they had teamed up to lead First Baptist Church of Wilmer in revival services. Dad had pastored this church during his student days over sixty years ago. It was my first church too. I was born on a Sunday afternoon while Dad served as the pastor of FBC, Wilmer.

I am not doing a very good job describing the scene that I witnessed. I can only hope you get a little bit of the picture. It was a glimpse of two warriors on the threshold of Heaven who have fought the good fight and finished the race with their friendship and their character in tact. As the young people often say, "Sweet!" Men like these two giants are my "Rock" stars. I want to be like them when I grow up.

The Room has a view. Three spacious windows offer an elevated perspective of the beautiful 100 year old campus. There is a spectacular stain glass work depicting the artist's Biblical perspective on the bowls of prayer. It is set in the window on the west wall, and when the setting sun hits the stained glass, that room will be a rainbow of inspiration to people gathered to pray. However, the view of the room is not to be found by looking out, but by looking up. Prayers in The Room will be offered up behalf of the pastors and the churches of North America. The best view is always seen from God's perspective.

The call to pray for the next Great Awakening will take place in The Room. Prayers will be lifted up to God that will call on Him to do what only He can do. There has never been a greater need for Spiritual Awakening in America. The soul of a nation is at stake. The nation is in a crisis that man cannot solve. The view of The Room will be best seen by kneeling down before God and lifting up our empty bowls to Him in prayer. God's view will not be found by standing up and looking out the window, but by kneeling down in prayer and looking up to Him. When things look their worst, often God is up to His best.

"Man's extremity is God's opportunity." George Whitefield

It is my prayer that what takes place in The Room will become a model for what needs to be birthed in the lives of pastors and churches all over America. The Great Awakening that takes place in this nation will be a gift from a gracious Father who has heard the cries of His children. The Room can become a lab where the next generation of church leaders learns to cry out to God for what only He can give. If this inspiration takes place in the life of a pastor while a student on the campus, it will be replicated in the life and ministry of a pastor in the church.

"The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless work, prayerless studies or prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray." Samuel Chadwick

The Room is furnished with kneeling benches and a wonderful clock that shows the path of the sun as it moves across the nations of the world. The most important message contained in the room may very well be the Scripture verse that is framed, and placed on the wall to the left of the entry doors. It is an important reminder to the purpose of The Room.

"Call unto me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, that you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3

Father, we know from Your Word that You answer when Your children call, and admit to You that they do not know everything they need to know. Father, grant that The Room will be graced with the humility of those who enter this place to seek Your face, and discover the great and mighty things that will bring about The Great Awakening that only You can provide. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Dr. Gary Miller

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

GMillerLight4U.blogspot.com

gmillerlight@gmail.com

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! The Lie

"Put away from you a deceitful mouth. And put devious speech far from you." Proverbs 4:24

The truth need not be a victim of a lie. The casusalties only mount up when words stop meaning what they once meant. Liars are shameless posers who use the same vocabulary other people use, but they change the meaning of the words to fit their own purpose. They have learned to be influence people by using their own private dictionary. They change the meanings to fit the occasion.

For a liar to be a very effective, they must first lie to themselves. This kind of deceitful and devious behavior is nothing new. Proverbs warns about deceitful lips of salesmen, strange women, and self-delusion. Listening to a lie and buying into it always exacts a high price from the consumer. Putting away a deceitful mouth and devious speech starts in one's own heart. The greatest protection a believer can have is the guard placed on his own mouth. Speaking the truth to oneself helps a believer identify when someone else is lying to them.

Recently I returned to my college notes from an upper level religion course taken at Baylor University in the Fall of 1971. The course was entitled: "American Cults and Sects." There were several comparative religion textbooks used for the course and the syllabus was a detailed outline of the various religious groups that have sprung up in the United States in the 19th and 20th Century. Mormonism was a major emphasis of this course of study.

The professor, Dr. Wood, was well prepared, non-judgmental and throughly professional in his presentations. Dr. Wood offered wise counsel to us. He told us we did not thoroughly understand what someone believed until our description of what they believed was agreed upon by them. I have found this to be great advice over the past 40 years. I have also found it extremely difficult to achieve. There is often a theological slight of hand that takes place in the arena of ideas. When people keep moving the pea under the cup, it is hard to pin them down of the differences between the defining issues.

My notes reflected that the original followers of Joseph Smith flirted with the same qualities associated with less accepted cults. They also revealed similarities with groups known as "Sectarian Judaism." Neither of these two positions made them embraceable by mainstream Protestantism in the 19th Century. Simply put, they used the same vocabulary, but they had a different dictionary. This is what makes what they really believe so difficult to describe to a post-modern culture in the 21st Century. Secularism has become the unwitting friend of Mormonism by expunging Christian beliefs from the public square for almost 100 years. Today when Evangelical Christians try to express what they believe in contrast to Mormons they are labled as intolerant bigots by the professional and social media. Even more disturbing is the fact that they are criticized by those who claim to hold mainstream Protestant beliefs.

Recent remarks by two pastors, one from Dallas and one in Houston, on the differences between Mormons and Christianity have gone viral. One simply stated what was taught 40 years ago, without venom or angst, at the largest Baptist University in the world. He was vilified as the new poster boy of intolerance. The other embraced Mormons into the mainstream of Christianity. He was deified as the new and improved Rodney King. In other words, "Can't we just all get along."

Mormons believe some things that I cannot bring myself to believe. That is why I am not a follower of their teachings. I take no offense at what they believe. I take offense only when they want me to believe that we believe the same thing. I would like to suggest that what a person believes says alot about them.

For someone to say that they do not care what a person believes as long as they do what they want them to do makes some kind of sense. For instance, a person who is a fine Christian and a lousy mechanic is going to be a huge disappointment to someone needing their car repaired. The better mechanic may not know the Good Book, but if he is Mister Good Wrench, the consumer leaves satisfied with the job that was done. He may also leave overcharged for the work that was done, because the mechanic has no value system that would stop him from doing unnecessary work and charging double for it.

Deceitful lips and devious speech have been around for a long time. The best protection from deception the believer has is the Word of God. It is the source of truth, and the well spring of God's wisdom. Read His Word, and liars stand out like microbes under a magnifying glass. The first level of exposure is in our own hearts. When we lie to ourselves, we do the most damage to ourselves. When we read God's Word we find how far we have drifted from Him. My father wrote in the fly leaf of a Bible he gave to me on my 12th birthday, "Sin will keep you from this book or this book will keep you from sin." Great advice.

We have very little control over the problem of deceitful and devious speech coming at us from the lips of others. They say it. We hear it, and something once said cannot ever really be unsaid. The best way to recognize it for what it is still comes from reading God's Word. Martin Luther once said, "I can't stop the birds from flying over my head, but I don't have to let them build a nest in my hair." Great perspective.

I am praying for two pastors today, one in Dallas and one in Houston. For the first one, I am praying for courage. For the second one I am praying for clarity. Oswald Chambers observed, "Discernment is given for intercession, never faultfinding." I think it is time for me to pray for them. They need it, and I need the practice. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

Dr. Gary Miller, Director

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! Ministries

gmillerlight@gmail.com

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! The Honor

"Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of your produce." Proverbs 3:9

Jesus lives to give. His life and death exhibit the character of God on the issue of giving. Paul reminded the Church at Ephesus of the last words Jesus spoke on the subject, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35

The glorification of the consumer culture often misses the point God has in mind when He blesses His children with more than they need to survive. He intends for His children to pour out on others in the same way He has poured out on them. It honors Him to see His children exhibit the character of Christ when He places in their hands the means to be a blessing to others.

God is not honored by His children hoarding what He has given them. He intends for His children to be known as generous, and life-giving relief to those who are passing through difficulty. Honoring the Lord with "your" wealth is a far cry from the demands of selfish people who expect to meet the needs of people they don't know with resources taken from someone else.

The tragedy of compassion in America began when the church of Jesus Christ abdicated to the government their God-given responsibility to care fo the needs of people. Tax exempt status for churches was established on the principle that the family of God was critical to providing the care and compassion needed by the less fortunate.

When churches of the Son of God become self-absorbed country clubs that ignore the cry of the less fortunate, it brings dishonor to the Father, and shame to the family name. For churches to mobilze marches and verbalize support for their pro-life position and yet have no passsion for funding adoption services or formula for single mother's is an appalling expression of hypocrisy.

God calls on His children to honor Him with their own wealth. This means giving from what they have in their hands, not what they hope to take from someone else. This also means includes setting a priority on giving to God first, and not leaving His Church the leftovers.

Honoring the Lord with your wealth takes place respect for Him is shown when dispensing discretionary income. We honor the Lord with our wealth when we ask for His wise counsel before we buy something stupid. Q: Is there any connection between consumer debt and being to proud to pray and ask for His advice before a purchase is made? A: HMMMMMMMMM! Can I get a big O yeah?!

A child enters into the world looking out for number one. A hungry child is only interested in having their own needs met. When they have fouled themselves, they scream for their own relief. The have no concern for the comfort of others. When faced with a competitor for a toy, they instinctively pull, pout and proclaim, "S'mine!"

The difference between a newborn child and a reborn child of God is the mature desire to bridge the gap between, "Mine!" and "Thine!" When seeking to honor the Lord with your wealth, prayer turns "Mine" into "Thine" every time. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

Dr. Gary Miller, Director

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! Ministries

gmillerlight@gmail.com

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! The Cry

"For if you cry for discernment; lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures, then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowlege of God." Proverbs 2:3-4

Allyson, our youngest daughter, was born in Houston, Texas on the eve of Hurricane Alicia, August 16, 1983. In July, Dana and I had been called to pastor a church in Tempe, Arizona and we were waiting for our new baby to arrive before making the move. We have often thought that in all the confusion of both arrivals, the names of Alicia and Allyson may have been switched. From the moment they both hit our beach the impact was life-changing.

Allyson was to have been our son. We had already picked out the name Austin in anticipation of the big day. When that little girl came on the scene, all pink and cuddly, she won my heart. No regrets here.

However, we soon discovered Allyson was a world class crier. She was relentless. She only let up due to complete exhaustion. After a little nap, she was back at it again. We did not know what to do, and she was getting on our last nerve. When you get thrown out of a McDonald's Burger joint, you know something has got to change.

Dana was at her wit's end with this new baby. She took being a good mother seriously, and having a baby that she could not comfort was very disconcerting for her. With both of her newborns, Dana readily embraced God's way for feeding her little ones. I fully supported her in that choice. It just didn't make sense for me to get up for those 2:00 AM feedings. Since I couldn't do anything to help her, and I might get in the way, I stayed in bed and prayed for her. You get the picture.

Still, I was beginning to have second thoughts about this second child. If we didnt' get some answers soon, life for us and Allyson was not going to get any better. We made another trip to the pediatrician, and he discovered the solution. He said, "She's crying because she's hungry." Dana felt so guilty. She had done everything by the book, and had been faithful to feed Allyson every time she cried, but nothing she did ever satisfied her. The doctor asked a few questions and concluded that the trauma and drama of the move from Texas to Arizona may have impacted the level of nutrients the baby was getting from mother's milk. He suggested starting her on cereal to see if that would solve the problem. It sounded too good to be true, but...

It was a miracle! I remember the day when the spoon touched Allyson's lips. Her little eyes widened in surprise, and then her survival instincts took over. She swallowed the contents and immediately opened up for more. After devouring everything she was offered, she became content, and fell asleep...for hours! It was amazing. Her crying stopped. She was transformed. She became more loveable. Her cries had finally been satisfied. She received what she needed, and she was at rest. Her crying had been an indication of her hunger. She was not being difficult or rebellious. She was calling out for help. She was not ever going to stop crying until her need was satisfied. Her crying was a call for someone to meet her need. Sound familiar?

"If you cry for discernment...then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God."

Proverbs reminds us that the person who refuses to accept substitutes for what he really needs is going to have to cry out to God for wisdom. The word "cry" carries with it the idea of accosting a person met. Almost 700 times in the Old Testament, this Hebrew word is translated "call" or "cry." It communicates the passion of someone who willingly admits they are in need of knowledge and they hunger to be taught. Hungry people are not unreasonable. They are actually teachable. They know they will perish without consuming what they need. This is not a whimper, a whine or the faint cry of a victim. This cry is like that of a new born baby screaming for the nourishment that it needs for survival. This is not a point of preference, but an issue of survival.

Prayer is God's design to meet the needs of people who hunger after Him. From the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus was very clear,

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." Matthew 5:6

The way you come on is the way you go on. Hungry people keep seeking nourishment. No matter how good the meals were yesterday, they are insufficient for the nourishment that is needed today. Prayer is God's meal plan for hungry people. When they read His Word, and cry out to Him for discernment, He supplies what they need...knowledge. This knowledge is tempered, flavored and guided by the character of Christ...wisdom.

It is not enough to know the truth about God. We must spend time with Him. Those who hunger after His Presence will receive insight that satisfies the longing of their heart.

"Knowing God's will in specifics comes out of consistent companionship with God." Lloyd John Ogilvie.

Discerning the fear of the Lord leads a person to intercede for the needs of others. God feeds His children to empower them to lead others to Him. The family name is not honored when His kids become self-absorbed Bible brats or divine divas seeking out preferential treatment or pious perks from their Super Sweet Sugar Daddy. Prayer provides access to God and releases the character of Christ that turns a person's focus away from their own navel and towards a lost world. Being fed results in being led to pray more for others than you do for yourself. It certainly means a well-fed person should learn to discern the difference between sharing and caring. Gossip is fed by talk and leads you to share. Compassion is fed by prayer and leads you to care. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

Dr. Gary Miller, Director

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! Ministries

gmillerlight@gmail.com

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! The Reproof

"Turn to my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make my words known to you." Proverbs 1:23

Ron Dunn was the man God used to point out to me the importance of being under authority. He poured great insight onto a statement made by a Roman soldier who crossed paths with Jesus. The Centurion desired for Jesus to heal his servant, but he saw no need for Jesus to make a trip to his home to accomplish the task at hand. When Jesus offered to go to his home and heal his servant, the Centurion humbly expressed that he was not worthy of the honor. He said to Jesus, "I also am a man under authority."He encouraged Jesus to just speak the word and the will of The One He represented would be done. His submission to Caesar's authority enabled him to recognize Jesus held a similar position. Jesus had influence and power because of the honor and respect he held for the One who had sent Him. Jesus remarked, "Truly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel...Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed." Matthew 8:5-13

Reproof carries the description of a verbal rebuke. It is a concerned call to turn back from a dangerous path. It involves chastening and correction meant for direction and protection. It is based upon a genuine love that a parent has for a child, or a teacher has for his disciple to avoid the disastrous consequences that will result from uncorrected behavior. The word spoken is swift and it is sharp. It is meant to cut through the din of deafening and deceiving voices that have led someone to make poor choices. The same word is is used to describe correction, argument, rebuke, correction, chasten and reasoning. None of these word indicate a concern for a person's feelings, self-esteem, ego, or a toleration for the platitudes of political correctness. They are meant to convey a crisis is at hand and that a correction must take place immediately.

Turning, in and of itself, is a learning experiencing. Learning to trust God's Word to speak to us at the first sign of enemy activity allows Him to provide us direction, correction and protection. God's Word provides His Wisdom. The character of Christ, unveiled by His Spirit, sheds light in the darknes. We sometimes wander into the dark due to our own inclination to sin. We are inlcined to separate ourselves from The One who loves us the most. When we trust to be true in the dark, what we knew to be true in the light, we take a huge step in the right direction.

Repent is not a word that will ever be popular word in a culture that honors self-absorbed and the self-destructive behavior. Waywardness is wilfuluness moving away from the sound of God's still small voice of reproof. The longer we walk in the wrong direction, the stronger the reproof must be. Gov. Mike Huckabee was once asked if he had every heard God speak to him in an audible voice. Huckabee responded, "No it was much louder than that!" Now that's what I'm talking about! Can I get a witness?



Jay Strack passes on a valuable piece of insight for anyone interested in correcting behavior. He often says, "Rules without relationship always lead to rebellion." In other words, it is unlikely that you are going to have much success in turning a person back to the right path if that person has no respect for you. If the person in need of correction senses that you place more value on your rules than you do on them, they are likely to reject both you and your rules. Being right and being rightly related to someone are not one and the same thing. Go figure!

I know this is anecdotal analysis, but I am pretty sure the first complete sentence a child learns to say is, "You're not the boss of me!" There is something in the human spirit that makes even the youngest fool resent the fool out of being called a fool. There is even greater resentment and resistance generated by having to admit to being a fool.

Wisdom is a sign of maturity. It is not found in taking pride or taking credit for being right. It comes from the humility of making course corrections that are a result of having to admit that we are often wrong. One of the great reliefs of a child of God is the coming of age revelation that Father knows best. Reproof from God the Father is sent to His children with the divine intent of providing direction, correction and protection to the ones He loves the most. The rules are based upon the relationship He provided for His children through the death, burial and resurrection of His Son. He sustains this relationship with those He loves by the outpouring of His Spirit upon those who will quickly turn to the reproof of still small voice and the truth of His Word.

Turning leads to learning more about the Father's love for you. Thank God for His love for you. He loves you exactly the way you are, but He loves you too much to leave you the way He found you. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

Gary Miller
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
gmillerlight@gmail.com

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! The Shield

"Every word of God is tested. He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words or He will reprove you and you will be proved a liar." Proverbs 30:5-6

"In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints." Ephesians 6:16

"Is this going to be on the test?" Every teacher has heard these words uttered in their classroom. It often expresses a lack of interest in what is being said at the moment. It reveals an inclination to ignore the lesson completely unless there is a consequence for not paying attention. In other words, "Is this important? Is it necessary? Is it something I need to know? Is this going to come back and haunt me at a later date?" When asked if a particular person was a student in one of his classes. A professor replied,

"No. He is not one of my students. He just attends one of my classes." Dr. William Barclay

Ouch! I sometimes resemble that remark. How about you? Know doubt about it, The Word of God has been tested and tried. These two words desribe a process. Tested involves purification. It comes from jettisoning a trust in anyone else but God. Tried refers to proven confience that results when protection from God is provided. When people face their toughest tests in life, they discover that the Word of God can be trusted for the answers to the test. Purification comes from God knocking you out of you so He can fill you with Himself. Proof in His protection comes from having tried a number of disappointing substitutes before coming to the conviction that God is really who He says He is, and everyone else is lying. People who are satisified to be filled with themselves or the false promises of others never hunger and thirst for what God has prepared on the menu for them.

The truth of the Word of God does not always make the test any easier, but it leads a genuine student of the Word of God. Jesus is always the right answer to any test that comes our way. Passing the test does not always mean surviving the test, or eventually thriving from it. The test is meant to be passed. This means the student of the Word must trust his Teacher for the length and the outcome of the exam. If the test is before him, it must be necessary and it must be passed. When asked what he had learned from a prolonged, and painful illness that would eventually take his life, one great man of God replied:

"Tell them the last test is always the hardest." Allen Redpath

There are no short cuts or easy roads for the person God intends to prepare for a great work. Dependency upon the Word of God provides refuge from the fire of the enemy, but not an exemption from the battle. Refuge is often only sought after running out of supplies. Reaching a point of physical exhaustion or spiritual battle fatigue leads a person to then end of themselves and the beginning of God. As long as a person feels adequate for the mission, they are tempted to believe they are equipped for it. Receiving new power for God's work comes from seeking greater protection from His Shield. This learning curve of preparation is not painless or void of fear. It comes from consistent companionship with The Champion, Jesus Christ, and it involves the fellowship of His suffering.

"For God to use a man greatly, He must hurt a man deeply." A.W. Tozer

The shield of faith provides protection from the flaming arrows of the enemy. Fear tempts a warrior to run in spite of having been ordered to stand and face the enemy. When the smell of the burning tar reaches his nostrils, and the screams of the wounded fill his ears, the warrior begins to doubt what he knows to be true.

Paul challenged the Church at Ephesus three times to stand firm and reminded them to pray at all times in the Spirit. He knew then what we know now. Prayer raises The Shield of The Champion to protect us while we shove The Sword of The Spirit down the throat of the enemy. Prayer silences the voice that questions the integrity of God's Word.

Prayer fuels faith. Talk feeds fear. Talking about a crisis takes our eyes off of The Champion, removes us from behind The Shield of protection, and fans the flames of the enemy. When the enemy hears believers talking themselves into fear it raised their morale, and encourages them to pour it on. Prayer turns our fear into faith, and drives the enemy to fear.

"The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless work, prayerless studies or prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray." Samuel Chadwick

Prayer draws us closer to the protection of The Champion's shield of refuge. Running to Jesus is how the warrior is able to stand firm in the face of the enemy's fiercest attack. Running away from the battle line leaves the warrior unprotected and vulnerable to the worst attack the enemy has to throw against him. The choice is between running away and running to pray. Choose wisely. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! The Summit

"I will lift up my eyes unto the hills. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord." Psalm 121:1

In August of 1973, I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with a team of thirteen other people. Our two Tanzanian guides led us on a five day journey that would cover 85 miles and reach an elevation of 19,700 feet at Uhuru Peak. The first three days covered rolling foothills, rainforest, alpine meadows, high sierras, and the dusty saddle between Mt. Mawenzi and Kili. After three days, we found ourselves at 17,500 feet elevation at the base of "The Scree." This steep slope of fine, grey, sandy, volcanic ash created a formidable barrier between us and The Summit.

We were resting in crude shelters trying to rest up for the final ascent. The climb would begin at Midnight and take approximately eight hours to cover the last 2,000 feet. It would be a long cold night. Sleep was hard to come by, and food made us nauseous. Altitude sickness added to the sense of foreboding. We felt pretty bad right where we were, and were not looking forward to what was ahead.

We had a team meeting. We were now down to thirteen. One of our party had been escorted down the mountain due to oxygen deprivation. This meant we had one guide left. We could not make the climb without a trained, professional mountaineer. He was certified to take us to the top. He was the only one who had been to the summit, and he alone knew the way there and back. If anyone else had to turn back, the climb was over. We had come a long way. We were close, but we were still far away. One of our team had unsuccessfully attempted to make the climb on two other ocassions. She had made it this far, only to be turned back by sickness somewhere between The Scree and The Summit. We pledged to her, and to one another that we would all make it. It was a simple statement. There was no drama in saying it, but there would be trauma in keeping it.

We headed up the mountain in a slow, measured pace that traversed The Scree in a zig zag pattern of steps that seemed slower than necessary. We became impatient and critical of the guide's patient plodding. We were ready to get on with it. He knew more about the next few hours than we could understand at that moment in time. We would become quick learners. As the slope grew steeper, our pace grew even slower. The dust from the ash coated our tongues, and dried out our mouths. When we reached for our canteens, we found the water frozen by the drop in temperature we were encountering. Thirst would soon become a huge issue. The darkness made the climb seem endless. It became an intimidating series of steps that were three paces forward, and two paces back. We were almost walking in place. Progress was slow, and our lack of depth perception gave us no markers to help us gain our bearings. We were in the hands of the guide.

At one point, we came to a frozen spring seeping through the rock wall, and we broke off ice-cycles to try and suck some water out of them. It stuck to our lips and tore at our flesh. It was frustrating to be so close to water, and not be able to get life from it. We moved on into the night. Halfway through the night, our legs and our lungs were on fire, but our hands and our feet were freezing. We had two members of the team experience servere reactions to the lack of oxygen. One collapsed and the other started moving down the mountain. I had to tackle the one who had reversed course, and drag him on my back, until we regained our ground. The guide said that if anyone else tried to leave, he was taking us all down the mountain. Four of us began to trade off carrying the two sick team members up the mountain. Literally, we took two steps and collapsed. Then we passed them on to the other. It was a rotating, passing of a heavy baton for the next four hours. I thought my lungs would explode.

By dawn, we arrived at the lower summit, and saw the sun rise up out of the clouds. We were all very near the highest peak on the continent of Africa. However, there was still more ahead for six of us who pushed on to The Summit. It was only another 500 feet, but by the time we crossed the soft snow and melting ice of the glacier, we arrived at Uhuru Peak four hours later. This meant, we had time to take a picture, and write a message in the log book, and then leave before the snow storm that was heading our way socked us in. I wrote the verse of Scripture that I quoted at the top of this blog. I did one more thing. I promised myself that I would never scratch the itch to come back to this spot on the earth.

When we made our way down The Scree, it took minues as opposed to hours. What was once a night filled with gasping for air and grasping for a foothold, was now filled with laughter and joy. What took eight hours to climb took less than an hour to descend. Gravity was our new best friend. When we arrived at the base of The Scree we were ravenous. We had not eaten the night before, and we had expended a huge amount of energy. We didn't count calories. We shoved everything edible into our mouths and washed it down with ice cold water. A group of Dutch Air Force climbers were observing us as we gorged ourselves. They had just arrived at this level of elevation, and I remember their faces were a serious shade of green. They all suffered from the nausea of oxygen deprivation, and could not comprehend our behavior. How could they? They had not been to the summit. We had been to a place in our lives that had made a profound difference in our ability to cope with conditions that had once been a major obstacle to us. We had returned to the same location, but we had a different perspective. We were able to overcome the obtacles down below, because we had been to The Summit. We did not have the capacity to live at The Summit. The climb had been part of the journey to prepare us for The Summit. The Summit had prepared us live life with a greater degree of joy in the face of people who could not comprehend where we had been. Even though we had to return to a lower elevation we were experiencing a higher standard of living.

This week of ReFesh at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia has reminded me of that week on Mount Kilimanjaro. The climb up Kili did not prepare us to be planted permanently at The Summit, but it equipped us to handle life in the valley in ways that once seemed inconceivable to us and to others. ReFresh is a great opportunity to meet with Jesus. I am so glad that God has sustained the vision for this conference in the heart of Michael Catt, and the sweet people of Sherwood. Since 2003, I have always looked forward to it as a time to gain a higher perspective and prepare for a restorationof power for life in the valley.

When I leave the city limits of Albany, I do not leave my Guide behind. The climb to The Summit of Refresh is not the ultimate goal of the conference for me. It is all about reconnecting with my Guide. Jesus guided the couple on the Road to Emmaus back from the intimidating hill of Calvary and gave them a new perspective as they made their way home. Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished." On the Road to Emmaus, The Risen Christ interrupted two despondent people gasping for breath and grasping for a foot hold on a slippery slope of dispair. They had talked themselves senseless, when He showed up, and asked them what they were talking about. In anger, Cleopas snapped saracastically, "Are you the only one who doesn't know about the things that have been happening around here." Jesus responded graciously, "WHAT THINGS?" He interrupted their independent lecture series and turned it into a converstation with Him. The more He shared with them, the greater their heart burned for more of Him. He did so by responding to their invitation to stay with them.

Jesus always responds to the invitation, "Stay with us!" He always has more to share with us. When we are willing to let Him make sense out of the senseless, the valley experiences are enriched and impacted by what He teaches us at The Summit. My prayer for those who attended ReFresh 2011 is for their heart's cry to be "STAY WITH US!" As we return to the valley, there is no need to leave the guiding hand of Jesus. He has so much more to share with us. What He finished on the cross has just begun to be shared with those around us. If you pass me on the road, honk if you have learned to TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

Thanks Michael!

Gary Miller and Dana L. Miller, TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

3717 Mossbrook Drive FTW, TX 76244

gmillerlight@gmail.com Twitter@garydonmiller

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! The Distance

"The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayers of the righteous." Proverbs 15:29

"If I could hear Christ praying for me, I would not fear a million enemies. But the distance makes no difference. He is praying for me." Robert Murray M'Cheyne

This morning I woke up with the sobering realization that this is the last day I will have my little family of four under the same roof, and under the same name. My wife and daughters are fast asleep for a little while longer. Hopefully, changing the battery in one of the chirping smoke detectors will help them rest without any further interupptions.

Tonight we go to a rehearsal to prepare for the wedding of our first born, Ashley. She will spend tonight with us for the last time as a Miller. She will change her name to Warren on Friday night, and it comes as no surprise that she won't be living under my roof or under my name any longer. This is a great day for her and a sad day for me all rolled into one. Don't ask me to explain it. I can't. It must be a Dad thing.

There have been so many "last minute" things to do to prepare for the wedding rehearsal and dinner, that the final hours are coming at me with the speed of light. There has been the moving of our daughters from their apartment to our home. We transferred Ashley's furniture over to her fiancee's home, and painted bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchen. Allyson downsized and moved in with us for a few months. She needed time to let the dust settle after serving as Maid of Honor, taking on a new job, and graduating with her Master's Degree in Leadership from Dallas Baptist University. Her move-in meant a move for me too. My upstairs office had to be reduced and relocated downstairs. I sifted through my shelves and culled out, gave away or reboxed my books for storage in the garage. Did I tell you this has been the hottest summer on record in Texas? We have chosen to do the craziest of things in the hottest of times.

There are family and friends gathering, from all over the country. Some are on the road, and expected momentarily. Others are heading to the airports and their ETA's are in God's hands. We are anticipating a houseful in a few short hours. There will be a wedding rehearsal at the church and a dinner at a restaurant tonight. Dana will host a Bridesmaid's Brunch in our home on Friday morning, and then it will be time to head to the church to decorate and prepare for the wedding at 7:00 P.M.

It doesn't take much of a prophet to foresee that solitude to reflect on this day in such a concentrated space and tight time frame will be hard to come by. These early morning hours are quiet enough now for God to give me a little peace of His mind. I'm going to take advantage of his availability while everyone else is sleeping.

Father, thank you for placing Ashley into my life. She has been an answer to my prayers and the deepest longing of my heart. As a young husband, I recall the season of my life when you placed in me a hunger to be a Daddy. It was a new feeling for me. I had never experienced anything like it.

When Dana and I discovered she was expecting, it was a great day in our lives. We couldn't wait to share the good news with everyone we knew. We will always be grateful for those folks at First Baptist Church of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma who prepared such a soft landing zone for Ashley. When they discovered that the church's health insurance plan did not cover pregnancy, they put together a party and raised up a "Money Tree." When we picked the fruit, we had $2,500.00 to pay for the hospital and medical bills. God, you have such a great and generous family. Thank you for letting us be a part of it all these years.

Ashley, you have been loved by some of the finest people God ever made. You may not remember their names, but just the same, never forget them. They have not forgotten you. I am so glad that you arrived in my life on December 6, 1979. I will never forget what Sharon Ross said to me that day. She was standing next to me at the window of the hospital nursery. You were only a few hours old, but already such a beautiful little girl. I was trying to take it all in when she said, "That is a little blank slate, and you can write on it anything that you want." I almost passed out with fear. I had never felt so indadequte for task in all my life. I still do. Being your Daddy has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Trainng up a child in the way she should go has brought me to the end of myself so many times. Often I felt unprepared for the calling, and I called out to God on your behalf for Him to do for you what I could not do. I believe my prayers have been heard. You are an amazing work of His grace and His handprints are all over your life. Thank you for listening to God when I did not know what to do.

My heart has ached for you to know the love, the companionship and the completion that comes to a person when God brings a mate into their life. Truly, Dana has been God's perfect gift to me. I have prayed that your marriage partner's heart would be stamped with the same undeniable impression, "MADE IN HEAVEN." Again, my prayers have been heard. Receive Brent as God's perfect gift to you. God picked him. God prepared him. You prayed for him. Don't stop. "No complaints. No exchanges. All sales final." THE MANAGMENT.

Back in December 0f 2010, you were facing another birthday, and you could not see what God had in store for you. You needed hope. I felt strongly impressed to buy your wedding dress for you as a statement of faith in God's plan for your life. In days of old, young ladies would prepare for their wedding day, and marriage by setting precious items, momentos, or clothing in a hope chest. I felt you needed to place your hope in God, and prepare for this day with a sense of expectation and joy. It was my joy to take you out and buy your wedding dress before God revealed His choice of your husband. I loved seeing your face light up with the idea that God was up to something in your life. Never forget that you are always on His mind, and He is always planning how to place the gift of His grace in some new package just for you.

God's delay does not always mean His denial. It may mean that He is doing such a great work that He wants to complete His finishing touches on His gift. He loves to see the look on His child's face when He exceeds their expectations. You might recall, the night I shared with you about my sense of urgency for your dress, I was scheduled to have coffee with Brent at the Starbuck's in Southlake Town Center. He and I spent the evening catching up on what had been going on in his life. In a few weeks, he was asking my permission to step into your life, and ask you into his. The rest of your love story has yet to be written, but I really like the intro.

Ashley, I have always enjoyed our morning times together. Since you were a little girl in second grade in Borger, Texas, we have been going out on breakfast dates together. I was so glad when the day came that we moved from Burger King to McDonalds. Then we graduated to I-HOP, and a real breakfast menu. Recently you have shared your love for Starbuck's with me. So, today Starbuck's it is. I look forward to our last cup of coffee with Miss Miller, but I am looking forward to many more with the lovely Mrs. Warren.

Remember that your Heavenly Father is only a prayer away. Keep Him on speed dial. He has a great long distance plan. I am on call too, and always will be proud to be called...

Your Daddy.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! The Wedding

"On the third day there was a wedding...and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding." John 2:1-2

"Whatever He says to you, do it." John 2:5

"Fill the waterpots with water. Draw some out now..." John 2:7-8

In just a few days our daughter, Ashley, will marry her fiancee, Brent Warren. Today is the 12th, and on the 15th we head to the rehearsal. Three days to go. So much to do. So little time.

I have been in my share of weddings, and conducted hundreds of them. This is not my first rodeo, but I feel strangely unprepared for the occasion. It is different from anything I have ever done before.

Don't get me wrong. I couldn't be happier for them. They are in love, and their story is one for the ages. God made them for each other, and He has put them together. God has begun something in their lives, and He has promised to complete it in them. Marriage has always been God's plan for turning two people into one, and Ashley and Brent are ready for the next step.

Dana and I have prayed for Ashley to find God's man, and to be patient enough to give Him the elbow room and the time to prepare a husband for her. I have seen God work in Brent's life. I saw God call him into the ministry when he was a college student. I was there when he was ordained to the ministry. For over 20 years I have watched God develop him into the kind of man He uses. Humble. Available. Teachable. Moldable. Dependable. Expendable.

Dana has prayed for Ashley's husband and for this day with an intense fervor long before she was born. Dana carried the significance of this day in her heart while carrying Ashley in her womb. When Dana was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer in March of 2008, she determined to do everything in her power to be a part of this special occasion. She prayed with more power and greater passion than I had ever seen. She asked to be granted God's favor for healing, so she would have the privilege of taking part in her daughter's wedding day. Her prayers were answered. Mine too. This is a big deal.

Any Dad who has ever viewed the Steve Martin version of "The Father of Bride" can remember the scene where he hears his daugher's unexpected engagement announcement. He hears her, but cannot process what she is saying. He can only "see" her sitting across the table from him as as his little girl. It is a great scene, and based on more fact than fiction. I can relate to Dad's who have a tough time letting their little ones grow up. This is a big deal too!

Back to The Wedding. I am meeting with Ashley and Brent tomorrow to go over the final details of the wedding ceremony. Father's of the Bride and Ministers conducting the wedding have one thing in common. They come at the end of everything else. Rings - check. Counseling - check. Church - check. Invitations printed-check. Invitations addressed -check. Invitations mailed - check. DJ- check. Music - check. Flowers - check. Decorate- check. Photographer-check. Cake-check. Food-check. Beverage- check. License- check. Minister - oops! It happens all the time, but I have learned over the years, it always pays to have the last word.

I love the fact that marriage was God's idea. This is what I love the most about Ashley and Brent's wedding. God put them together, and they have invited Jesus to take part in their great day. They are following in a grand and glorious tradition of couples who expect the Son of God to show up at their wedding, and do something in their lives that only He can get credit for. The couple at the wedding in Cana made sure that Jesus was invited. To their great joy, he decided to show up. Note to any future wedding planners out there: Jesus shows up where He is invtied. The Bible records the first miracle of Jesus, the turning of water into wine. It may not have been his first miracle, because His mother, Mary, said to the servants,

"Whatever He says to you, do it."

Mary seemed to be aware of the potential of something special breaking loose any time her son took hold of what others couldn't handle. Mom's are like that. They are special ladies who always seem to have a sense that God is on the move in the lives of their children. The wise mother doesn't panic when life overwhelms their kids, they pray and point them to Jesus.

"Whatever He says to you, do it." What great advice! Ashley and Brent, I cannot improve on this. I believe no less of a miracle takes place every time a couple invites Jesus to take what they give Him, and do something with it that only He can get credit for. You are both called, anointed and accomplished servants of God. He has done great things through you individually. It is only the beginning of what He has had in mind to do through you as a couple. Don't forget the lesson of the couple in Cana. They invited Jesus to show up at the beginning. When their challenge was put in His hands, He orchestrated a happy ending. Coming to the end of yourselves is the best preparation for receiving from Jesus what He wants to do for and through you.

Ashley: Thank you for being patient with me, and allowing me to discover the joy of being a father to a precious little girl who has become a woman of God. I am so proud of you, and always feel a little taller when I am introduced as Ashley's Daddy. I will always be there for you. I have passed my sword of protection to your warrior husband to stand by your side. I have kept my shield, and I will hold it over you both as you take your stand as husband and wife next to your Champion, Jesus.

Brent: Thank you for allowing God to work in your life. Continue to yield to His will for your lives as Ashley's husband. Run to Jesus and let Him walk you both through every trial, test, tear and triumph. Take this sword from my hand and protect my daughter with your life. She is worth fighting with and fighting for. She is an amazing woman, and I am grateful that you receive her as God perfect gift to you.

Well nuff said. Time for me to take my own advice and TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

Gary Miller, TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! Ministries: C/O The Whitefield Project 3717 Mossbrook Drive FTW, TX 76244 gmillerlight@gmail.com Twitter@garydonmiller

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! The Wise

"Reprove a wise man and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Proverbs 9:8-10

God is reachable. Prayer makes that possible. The Wise are teachable. Humility makes that possible. The distance between reachable and teachable is only as far away as a teachable spirit. People who know it all are very common, and so are their first cousins... The Fools. The Wise cultivate a heart that is open to receive the seed of God's Word. They allow it to take root until it bears the fruit of His character, and they are able to reap a harvest of His wisdom.

The wisdom literature of Proverbs points out that success in life is a result of meeting God at the juntion of the vertical and the horizontal. Being rightly related to Him holds the key to being rightly related to others. Self-absorbed people blasting through life politely ignoring God end up running over others who get in their way. When someone gets the idea that God is merely a speed bump on their road to success, they do not mind crashing through a crowded crosswalk filled with ordinary people.

"The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right name." Author Unknown

Prideful people are prayerless people. There I said it. Calling pride by the right name leaves some hope for putting it where it belongs. It must be kicked to the curb or it will constantly try to get in the driver's seat. Prayerless people have great difficulty yielding the steering wheel to God and allowing Him to be in control of their lives. They have grown accustomed to being large and in charge. They don't know where they are going, but they are making great time. Racing everywhere they go, running on fumes, and terrorizing anyone who gets in their way, they seldom stop and ask God for directions. The last words out of their mouth as they crash through the last barricade and plummet over the cliff is, "Jesus Take the Wheel!" It is little wonder that the writer of Proverbs saw this coming from a long way off.

"The wise at heart will receive commands, but a babbling fool will be ruined (thrust down)." Proverbs 10:8

My first born, Ashley, opened up a Twitter account for me. She has introduced me to the sound byte world of Tweeting. I love the gentle reminder that flashes on the screen, when I have used more than my 140 characters to Tweet my message to the waiting world. It is profound to be told by an unseen monitor of the account that I must be more clever. WOW. That is a nice way of saying, "You twit!" It gives me pause, causing me to distill my thinking into less expansive prose or write in unintelligible text-speak. U No Wht I mn?

A recent study of the Hebrew word, "wisdom" led me to "Hebrew for Christians." Thanks to John J. Parsons I learned that the Hebrews defined wisdom (khohkh-mah) as a noun that meant wisdom or cleverness. They thought of the wise man (khah-kahm) as one who was prudent and clever. The Hebrews believed that the sage advice of a person who was wise at heart came from walking circumspectly. This describes someone who had lived a life clever enough recognize what they had learned was a landmine, and to see the wisdom in walking around it rather than stepping on it. They did not yearn to personally experience the trauma and drama of an explosion. They chose to learn, not to yearn. I was reminded by Parsons that the "wise" are "clever." I couldn't agree more. I think the person who had a hand in setting up the automatic warning on my Twitter account might agree with him too. Less is more. Be brief. Be clever. Be safe. Be quiet.

"A babbling fool will be ruined (thrust down)." What a statement! It makes a strong case for keeping one's proverbial pie hole shut. Clever people are those who learn to listen to the one in authority. A fool yearns for the sound of his own voice. Go figure. Clever people learn to pray through a crisis. The Fool yearns to talk his way out of it.

The writers of Proverbs would feel right at home on a Twitter account. Very few of the statements made in the thirty-one chapters of this book would violate "The 140 Rule." The prose, parallelisms, and poetry of Proverbs are brief, to the point and packed with wise counsel.

The clever person will learn to pray. They hear and obey God's voice. The Fool debates with God and delays obedience to His counsel. The Wise learn to listen. The Fool yearns to speak. The clever learn. The foolish yearn. One humbly places themselves under authority and listens for marching orders. The other grabs the command seat, and starts giving directions. Humility leads a clever person to realize that there is no need to experiment with every disastrous decision in life. The humble do not yearn to use their lives as a test lab or their bodies as a crash dummy to prove God wrong. Through prayer they yield to His perspective, His principles, and His Person. They are wise because they have learned to listen. They have heard God's voice, and have come to trust His direction, protection and correction. They are clever because they have come to the end of themselves, and the beginning of God. They are not whipped down, stripped down versions of what God had in mind for their lives. Through prayer they have learned to rest in God's best for them. Through prayer they turn their eyes towards Jesus, and away from themselves as their center of attention and center of gravity. Prayerless people are prideful people focusing only on themselves and their own solutions.

"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less." C.S. Lewis

The Wise lead the way to the next great spiritual awakening. It will begin in the Church, and it will be a result of the obedience of Christ followers to the commands of Jesus. He described what He was looking for from His Church as a First Love Awakening. Jesus called His Church to remember that leaving Him and serving Him are not compatible concepts. Lack of intimacy with Him reveals a corrupted character that must be corrected. The Wise hear and obey. They learn to TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Revelation 2:7

Gary Miller, TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! Ministries

C/O The Whitefield Project

3717 Mossbrook Drive

Fort Worth, TX 76244

gmillerlight@gmail.com

Twitter@garydonmiller

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! The Condition

"There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him. Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers." Proverbs 6: 16-19

Proverbs reveals the heart of God. It serves as a Leadership Training Manual for the young princes, governors, rabbis, and judges of Israel. God's character takes shape as each chapter unfolds more and more about His will and His way for His people. Perhaps the most succinct synopsis of what He holds dear is the revelation of the things he hates the most. Reading it is like taking part in an autopsy of The Fool. All the body parts are identified, and the cause of death is catalogued. It leaves even the casual observer with an inclination to hold his breath, as the stench in God's nostrils begins to reach his own. The list is short, but it is long enough to cause the reader to hope for it to end sooner than later.

The point is clear for the future leaders of the land. Love who God loves, and hate what God hates. Don't change the price tags of His value system. The currency of the realm is God's character, and He is the bank you go to get what you need. The Wise hear and obey God. The Fool ingores God, takes his own counsel and makes up the rules as he goes along.

Prayer brokers a heart exchange between you and God. When you pray, you come to God with your heart, but you leave with His heart. Rushed and harried as people are by the cares of their lives, they seldom spend enough time in God's Presence to receive what He has for them. They have such tight grip on their "Whine List" that they forget to leave it with Him and refuse to take hold of what God wants to give to them. Putting God on speed dial for a quick solution to a long standing problem in your life seldom transforms your restless heart into a peaceful one. Receiving God's heart requires you too pray long enough until God completes the transplant. God is not done with you until you have His heart in you.

The only condition of Paradise was obedience to God's commands. From the very beginning of His relationship with man, "The Lord God commanded the man." Genesis 2:16. Intimate communication is based on obedience of the child to the Father's command. "Prayer is intimate communication between the Heavenly Father and His child." Don Miller, Bible Based Ministries

"In the beginning" God ordained obedience to Him as the basis upon which His favor is found and His blessing is received.
Hearing the voice of God and obeying what He says to do are one in the same thing in the mind of God. The Hebrew language places equal importance on hearing and obeying, by utilizing the same word for both. The Hebrews understood that to hear God was to obey God. Hearing God speak was not a matter of receiving information or increasing intelligence. It required a response. The only condition to an unbroken relationship between God and man was immediate, complete, and absolute obedience. Disobedience to God resulted in Paradise Lost. There will be no semblance of Paradise regained by cultivating a deaf ear and a rebellious spirit to the commands of God. "The Father in heaven asks, and requires, and actually expects, that every child of His yield Him whole-hearted and entire obedience, day by day and all the day." Andrew Murray, "The School of Obedience," 1898

Obedience to the commands of God is the condition upon which Paradise is regained. God provides a way for His disobedient children to get back in touch with Him. The whole redemption of Christ restores obedience to its place of honor. The call to spiritual awakening at this time in the life of The Church is an invitation of The Spirit of God to restore what has been lost.

When Jesus confronted the Church at Ephesus, He challenged them to return to their First Love. His call to them was not for renewed effort, but restored intimacy. Obedience to His call has always required a response. Can you hear Him praying for you? He lives to intercede for His followers. Respond in kind. Through prayer make your voice familiar in Heaven. Prayer enables you to take your disobedient heart and place it in the hands of Jesus. The Son intercedes for you with the Father, and The Spirit transplants God's heart in you.

Prayer is a heart exchange. It transforms you into an obedient child of God who loves who He loves and hates what He hates. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

Gary Miller, Founder and Executive Director
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! Ministries
c/o The Whitefield Project
3717 Mossbrook Drive
FTW, TX 76244
gmillerlight@gmail.com
Twitter@garydonmiller

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! The Watch

"For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He watches all his paths." Proverbs 5:21

One of the discoveries a new father makes is the joy it brings to their child to call out, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy...Watch me!" The most important thing for my two little daughters was the need to verify that Daddy was watching them. Every time they attempted to repeat something they had just learned to do, or if they were about to enter into a new adventure, they would call out, "DADDY! WATCH ME!" It still brings a smile to my face when I recall those times when it meant the world to them to have their Daddy's eyes on them. It still means the world to me, and now from the predawn hours, until I call it a day, I am still watching over them whether they know it or not. Some things never change.

Dads know a child can be relentless in the pursuit of their undivided attention. It is not enough for them to know that they are being heard. There must be eye-contact. There must be acknowledment. It is hugely important that their call is heard, but then in addition to this, they MUST be seen. Children have been known to drive their fathers to exasperation with the constant, repeating of and ramping up of the attention-getting cry, "Daddy. Daddy. Daddy. Daddy. Daddy? Daddy? Daddy? DADdy! DADdy! DADdy! DADDEE! DADDEE! DADDEE!" The call of the child is for the father of the child to make eye-contact with their own child to assure the child that their words are being heard and their presence in acknowledged. No other Daddy will do. Their call is directed to the one who they want to impress the most.

Being heard and being seen are evidently HUGELY important to little girls. I can remember times when my girls would call out to me while I was on the phone, in the middle of another conversation, or watching a particularly exciting sports program on TV. I would ignore their cry for a while, knowing deep down inside that it was futile to do so. When I just couldn't stand it any longer, I would blurt out, "Why don't you just go ahead and ask the question?! Why do I have to be watching you when you say it?" For them, it was more about eye-contact with me than the answer they got from me. What they were looking for was a sense of my presence and interest in their life. If they wanted a really good answer, they were smart enough to know they could go ask their mother. What they wanted was time with me.

Note to fathers of little girls: Your daughters get their sense of self-worth and self-esteem from you. Don't make them vulnerable to the schemes of others who are willing to give time to them to get what they want from them. Give yourself to your little ones. Make time for them in your life. Let them know that they are important to you. I will yield to the parents of little boys to speak on the possiblity of any similarities.

The message of Proverbs reminds us that the Father is always watching over His children. He is aware of the choices made and the paths taken by His children. This is not meant as a threat to His children, but an invitation to seek His direction, protection and correction. The Wise child of God will never tire of running into their Father's Presence and calling out, "Watch me!" The Fool hides behind their own "I" problem and refuses to make eye-contact with their Father. They are deluded into believing that God cannot see what they are up to if they don't put it before Him. Prayer becomes harder and harder for them the longer they postpone coming into His Presence willingly. The Wise know that nothing is hidden from God. They have learned that any degree of separation from the path He has chosen for them is best corrected by immediate admission to Him and themselves that they are off course. Prayer promptly intitates immediate obedience and avoids the accumulative error that separates children from the awareness of their Father's watchful eye.

Prayer makes eye-contact with your Father. It brings joy to His heart to have His children cry out to him, "Watch me!" Two things break your Father's heart, rebellion and repentance. When a child separates himself from the love of their Father it is because of the "I" problem. Whenever you find sIn in your life, you will find "I" right in the middle of it. Children with an "I" problem need to run into the Presence of their Father more than ever, and call out, "Watch me!" Prayer is practicing the Presence of the Father, and it leads a child to a new level of confidence in His desire to listen and look at them with love in His eyes for them.

Don't make excuses for your "I" problem. Talking about your separation from the Father only prolongs the degree and lengthens your distance from Him. Praying puts the turnaround into motion. Prayer enables you to face your Father, and make eye-contact with the one who was watching you all the time you thought you were on your own. Trade your "I will" for
"Thy will" today. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

Gary Miller, TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! Ministries

C/O The Whitefield Project

3717 Mossbrook Drive
FTW, TX 76244

gmillerlight@gmail.com
Twitter@garydonmiller

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! The Balance

'Two things I asked of You, do not refuse me before I die: keep deception and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, that I may not be full and deny You and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or that I not be in want and steal, and profane the name of my God." Proverbs 30:7-9

My wife, Dana, is the most even-keeled person I have ever known. Her favorite word is...BALANCE. The sole exception to her passion for balance is her love for shoes. However, in her defense, she would point out to you that her workout shoes are made by New Balance. The siren call of a shoe store is hard for her to resist, but in her eyes her passion for shoes is not an inconsistency to her philosophy of life. She reminds me that she always maintains her balance by buying two shoes at a time, one for each foot. How can you argue with logic like that?

Proverbs records the ancient writer's prayer for balance in his life. His call to God was for a blessing to be relieved from the tug of war between his need and his greed. Reading his request to God, reveals to us that he has known the chaos and confusion of trying to discern the difference between the two. He has determined that he wisest thing for him to do is to ask
God for help in pointing out what is best for his life.

Lies and deception have always been a part of the contest of wills that takes place between seller and buyer. Proverbs reveals the struggle in the heart of a person that comes under that influence of a consumer culture. Truth in advertising is a moving target in any generation. To be aware is to beware of the pitfalls of believing everything a salesman tells you to close a deal. There has rarely ever been better advice than, "Let the buyer beware."

The balanced life begins at the point of prayer. Prayer is the means by which we can ask God for help in revealing the difference between our need and our greed. A person who becomes satiated with everything he needs is often the very first to resent God's delayed response in granting what they want and when they want it. People who feel entitled to what they want and take it rather than wait for God to give it to them are no better than common thieves.

Prayer purifies our motives and clarifies the difference between our wants and our needs. God's delay does not necessarily mean God's denial, but the process of praying does remind us God is the source of all provision. Prayer places our need and our greed before God, and lets Him make a judgment call on what is best for us. God is not a divine delivery boy for petulant children who pout when they hear the word "No."

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus taught the fundamental lesson of "The School of Prayer." Facing the crisis of the crucixion, He prayed, "Father, not as I will, but Thy will be done." Grasping for what looks good to us is a poor substitute for waiting on God to provide His best for us. When the lines get blurred between your need and your greed. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

Gary Miller, TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! MINISTRIES
c/o The Whitefield Project 3717 Mossbrook Drive Fort Worth, TX 76244
gmillerlight@gmail.com
Twitter@garydonmiller

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE: The Breath

"Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his his spirit." Proverbs 25:18

"Your walk with God is the next 20 seconds." In December 1986, I had been in very long meeting with a former NASA engineer, when I heard him make this statement. It was a life-changing moment. A month later, I met with him for a followup session, and had a chance to thank him for his input. He did not remember saying it to me. Go figure. I believe God used this short, simple phrase from this man to get my attention. He wanted to focus me on the breath in my lungs, before I tried to get a handle on His future plans. Think about it. Without being able to take a deep breath and get out a stop watch, how much breath do you already have in your lungs? Without warning, what do you have at your disposal to do business with God? I know, I know, it is a personal question. For some it may be more, and for others a bit less, but for me, it is 20 seconds.

For the past 25 years I have tried to keep breathing on a regular basis. That is how the system works. I know it is alot more complicated than that, but I can't get into a study of the whole cardio-pulminary connection without getting a bit queasy. So there you have it. Keep breathing on a regular basis and you will live. Use the breath in your lungs to keep walking and talking with God on a regular basis, and you will find it hard to drift into breathless panic or detour from a close walk with Him.

The problem is this. Life has a way of knocking the breath out of us on a regular basis. When Emmit Smith, former running back for the Dallas Cowboys, surpassed Walter Payton's NFL rushing record, someone figured out how many miles he had run. It was not very impressive compared to marathon runners. It takes on a whole new level of achievement when you realize those two guys had to run all those miles getting knocked down and getting back up every 3-5 yards. Looks a little bit like sport imitating life. Can I get a witness?

Proverbs warns us about losing control of our spirit. The Hebrew word means breath, and refers to the content and the character of a person's heart that flows out of person's mouth when they are under pressure. People under great pressure seldom say things under their breath. Crises on their mind or fears in their heart have a tendency to come out of their mouth. The older a person gets, the less control they seem to have over their mouth. Speaking one's mind has sometimes been referred to as the privilege of old age. It can also be a sign of approaching dementia. You are never get too old to watch your mouth.

"He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city." Proverbs 16:32

The Roman army was described as patient, or long-tempered. That would mean that as a military force they were not quick to take an offense, but when they were finally put into the field, there was going to be hell to pay. They were not in the habit of going to war unprepared, unarmed, or unaware of the consequences. The opposite is usually true of the short-tempered. They rush in where angels fear to tread. They speak their own mind before they seek to know God's mind. They bring a knife to a gunfight and end up stabbing themselves. The former description never found its way into active use in contemporary language. The second is alot more familiar to us. Little wonder that the God-breathed Scriptures describe two of the Spirit's characteristics as, "The fruit of the Spirit....is patience...self-control." Galatians 5:22-23

The sad truth is that we often find the fruit of the field to be more reliable than what we try to pass off as the fruit of the Spirit. When you squeeze an orange, you get orange juice. You can wrap a Christian in the latest holy logo wear, but when you squeeze him you don't always get what is on the label. Pressure on a Christian reveals the breath in their lungs and the focus of their lastest conversation. If they have been listening to the fears of their heart, and been intimidated by the things on their mind, it is revealed by the breath of their mouth. When our breath sheds more heat than light on the crisis around us, it is time to let God's light shine on the darker corners of our nature. He always picks up right where we left off in our last conversation with Him.

"The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of his being." Proverbs 20:27

Dr. Bill Hendrick was one of my seminary professors. His sanctified sarcasm speaks to me at this point. He always said this whenever anyone in the class asked permission to ask him a question in the middle of one of his lectures.

"Halitosis is better than no breath at all."

Talk is the bad breath we spew when we panic under the pressure of something we do not understand or cannot control. Prayer puts the same breath to better use, and calls on Jesus to step in and provide life support. When we are under attack by the enemy, talk reveals our vulnerable position and encourages them to keep pouring it on us. Prayer calls on our Champion, Jesus Christ, to take the field. When we pray, we have the courage to stand next to Him. Prayer takes the fright out of us, and the fight out of the enemy. They don't want any part of what Jesus brings to the battle. The enemy does not fear us, but as Sam Chadwick used to say, "... he trembles when we pray."

Jesus approached a down-hearted couple on the road to Emmaus, and found them talking about all the things they had seen happen in Jerusalem. The more they discussed, the more they were depressed by what they had experienced. Jesus stopped them, and asked them what they were talking about. Cleopas responded to His simple request with the bad breath only prolonged panic can put in a person's mouth. He rebuked Jesus for not being aware of all "the things" that had taken place in the last few days. Obviously, it had been over 20 seconds since their last conversation with Jesus. Their absence from Him had not made them more sensistive of His Presence with them. It always happens that way. Jesus spoke two little words that will always turn a panic into a promise.

"What things?" Luke 24:19

Talking results in alot of hot air, but it does not provide the breath of life. Talking about a crisis does not have the power to provide power to move us through the crisis and onto victory. It is bad breath. Talk leaves us stranded, vulnerable, dead in the water and reveals our weakened position to the enemy. Prayer calls for reinforcements, and gives us the courage to take our stand next to our Champion, and face the worst the enemy can throw at us. Prayer is the means by which our breath is put to the best possible use. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

"Prayer is how we set our sails to catch the wind of Heaven." G. Campbell Morgan

Gary Miller, TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! Ministries

c/o The Whitefield Project 3717 Mossbrook Drive FTW, TX 76244

gmillerlight@gmail.com

Twitter@garydonmiller