Hallowed Be Thy Name

This is a great message.  He gives some great insights into what using God’s Name in vain actually is.  Toward the end of the message, he gives a couple of incredible testimonies.

The Key to the Battle

The Key to the Battle

 

We are told in Psalm 149:6 to let the praise of God be in your mouth. Notice what this verse doesn’t say. It doesn’t tell us to praise God when we feel like it, when things are going well for us, when we are joyful, or when it is convenient for us. Instead, the command is to let the praises of God be in our mouth……period!

 

We base so much on our feelings because they are so real. We feel things so deeply. Sometimes it is hard to praise God when we feel overwhelmed with the trials of life. However, it is imperative that we learn to praise Him in spite of our feelings or our circumstances.

 

When the Israelites went up to conquer the land of Canaan, the first group sent into battle was the tribe of Judah. Why is it important to note the first group that was sent? Judah was the worshipers! Before they faced the battle, they worshiped!

 

Why is that so important? When we worship God for who He is, it builds our faith! It turns our focus away from the problem and puts it on God. We can magnify our problems, which does nothing but depress us and wear us down. Or we can choose to magnify our God and increase our faith. Whatever we focus on becomes magnified in our minds, so it is important to magnify the right thing!

 

Even in the small things of life, I choose to have worship music playing. For instance, we were dealing with the flour bugs (weevils). I needed to find the source that was drawing them in and remove it, then clean that area really well. I don’t like bugs of any kind. They creep me out! To help me remain calm and joyful in my spirit during this arduous task, I listened to a playlist on You Tube that was scripture set to music.  It helped me in battling those nasty little bugs!

 

When dealing with other kinds of trials, listening to praise music reminds me of God’s faithfulness, love, protection, and His promises. On my morning drive to work, I will often spend time praising the Lord. Focusing on His wonderful attributes during that time helps keep me from stressing out later when things get busy or chaotic at work.

 

Just like Judah helped prepare the Israelites for battle, it can do the same for us! For instance, I recently shared about the tree which fell on our house, leaving eight holes in the roof, and even crashing through the ceiling in one spot. Had my focus not been on the Lord, I would not have handled that news with nearly as much grace, poise, and confidence.

 

The next time you are in the midst of a battle, remember to worship! It changes everything!
© 2018, Stacy R. Miller

The Ministry of Encouragement

What an excellent message!  It will encourage you! 

My Heart Cries “Abba Father!”

My Heart Cries “Abba Father!”

One of my dearest friends recently lost her daughter to breast cancer. It was heart wrenching to hear her sobs when I spoke with her. My heart ached for her, and I felt so helpless because I live two hours away, so there wasn’t much I could do to help her. When you add to that burdens I was carrying for some of my own family, you have a perfect recipe for a heart that is overwhelmed.

There were times I just wanted to run away. At times, I just wanted to immerse myself in watching Netflix. I quickly discovered that activity only left my spirit parched. There were other times when I wanted to do what I often did when I was a distressed little girl: Run into the strong arms of my dad, crying, “Daddy!”

As God’s beloved children, we have the wonderful privilege of crying out to Him, “Abba Father!” in our own distress. What awesome comfort and peace we can have in those times when we are overwhelmed with life!

Do you need to cry out to Abba Father?
© 2018, Stacy R. Miller

 

Just Like Daddy

Just Like Daddy

I remember years ago when my cousin’s son was born. He looked just like his daddy! What’s even more amazing was when Benji was older, he walked just like his dad did! It was hysterical to watch!

It seems all children love to imitate their daddy. Some pull this off perfectly, even down to daddy’s quirky mannerisms. It is a remarkable sight to behold, often causing laughter to erupt. Their ability to mimic daddy so well comes from having spent much time with daddy, intently watching how he does things.

As Christians, we should also be ‘mimicking’ our Father. In Matthew 5, Jesus told us that He did nothing on His own, but only what He saw His Father doing. We can do the same by intently studying the Word and praying. When we spend time studying the word, the Lord begins the process of conforming us into His likeness. We will then begin to see things with His eyes, feel things with His heart, and do the things He shows us to do. As that transformation takes place in us, we will begin to do only what we see our Father doing.
© 2018, Stacy R. Miller

 

Dealing With the Fallen Tree

Dealing with the Fallen Tree

 

Yesterday, I shared the story of dealing with our house being covered in large tree limbs, all due to being infested with carpenter ants.

 

Today I want to share with you how I reacted to that situation from the moment I got the call at work, to when I got home and saw the damage firsthand. Initially, my husband said the oak tree fell on the house. My initial reaction was, “Are you kidding?” I was trying to picture our huge, trusty, solid, strong oak tree just falling over on the house, and I just couldn’t see it happening. But my next thought was, “If it did happen as he described it, then we have no home, and everything in our home would have been destroyed.” However, instead of complete panic and a meltdown, I held it together, asking more probing questions to determine exactly what happened. No, the entire tree did not fall on the house, but a large portion of it did. There were some holes, but we still had a home, and we could still live in it.

 

I still had over six hours to work before I could go home and see the damage for myself. Normally, my stomach would have been in knots and I would have a sense of panic about me. This time I didn’t. Instead, I just thanked the Lord for protecting us, prayed for His guidance as we had some quick decisions to make to deal with the issues at hand. I also kept pondering, thinking, “Lord, I know there is a devotion to be written about this mess. What is it?” All I heard was His silence. BUT, I still felt His peace – that wonderful peace which passes all understanding.

 

I have to admit – this is not my normal reaction when things go wrong. I usually go into panic mode because in my natural self, I stress out very easily.

 

Once I got home, I was stunned by what I saw. I expected to see a few limbs on the house, not the entire house covered in limbs and leaves. Even then, I still didn’t panic.

 

My husband is usually the calm cool, and collected one. He is usually the one telling me, “Honey! Calm down! It’s going to be ok.” However, this time, he was stressed out. But he was the one making the myriad of phone calls, talking to the insurance man and the tree cutter when they arrived. He had been dealing with it all day long. Normally, if I see someone else stressing out, I can easily get caught up in their emotions, and start reacting the same way. However, this time I didn’t. Instead, I kept telling my husband, “God’s got this. We will be fine.”

 

When we noticed the loose branch, barely hanging on to the tree, I refused to fear. I knew how, for years, I had been daily praying for God’s protection on us, our home, property, and our vehicles. I knew it was time to put my faith to action. I wasn’t swayed by what I saw. Instead, I chose to follow God’s Word – we have not because we ask not. I asked Him to send angels to hold that branch in place and I went to bed and slept peacefully, resting in Him. Also, that same evening, I learned something that resonated with my spirit. In Psalm 23, when it speaks of Him anointing my head with oil, it is because the shepherds anointed the sheep’s head. If they didn’t, the sheep would get bugs in their wool, and worms in their nose. By anointing their head with oil, the shepherd was protecting them because if they got those bugs and worms, they would beat their heads against rocks, trying to get them off. I asked the Lord to anoint my head with oil, protecting my mind from the doubts and fears the enemy wanted to feed me. I didn’t even have nightmares about the ordeal we were experiencing.

 

Now some of you may think, “Wait a minute! You said you have been praying for God’s protection over your home, but He didn’t protect you! You have a tree on your house!” Ah….but He did protect us! Instead of those huge branches just dropping abruptly on the house and crushing it, those branches dropped little by little, lessening the impact. And because they fell, it caused us to look at the rest of the tree, seeing a huge, gaping hole in the middle of it. This showed us that it is imperative that we get the entire tree taken down, before the rest of it falls and crushes the house. If something happens in your life, where at first, it appears the Lord did not protect you, look again. Look at the big picture. Perhaps there is something you missed in how He protected you.

 

I was sharing with one of my coworkers how I kept speaking faith and confidence in God and how I knew He was taking care of us through this. She commented, “Yes, I’ve been watching you.” You see – my coworker has worked with me for seven years. She has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. When she would see me exemplify doubt, fear, or rebellion, she would also call me out on it. She knows how I tend to go into worry-mode. She has seen a big difference in my reaction to this. I commented on the peace of God – it is so strong – to the point that when I think about it, it moves me to tears. It truly is a peace that passes all understanding.

 

What is the secret to my being able to be at such peace through this trial? It is abiding in the vine. That doesn’t just mean saying that I am abiding in the vine. It means proving it by my actions – praying, reading, studying, and meditating on the Word. Doing so builds that strong foundation where when the storms of life hit, my spiritual tree just sways along with the wind, bending, but not breaking. Why? Because I have invested the time to dig, and to dig deeply, into His Word, and it has caused me to become deeply rooted in Christ.

 

I wish I could sit with each one of you in person, sharing this. It is so hard for you to fully sense my heart and my passion by just reading this. If you could see my emotions, the expression on my face, and the tears in my eyes, you would understand this deep, deep passion of mine to want to wake up the church with the importance of diligently studying God’s Word. If you aren’t being faithful to read the Word every day, you are missing out on such a rich and precious treasure. My heart aches for every one of you to experience this richness, this peace, this thrill! Nothing compares to it!

© 2018, Stacy R. Miller

The Fallen Tree

The Fallen Tree

 

That morning started out just like any others. I got up around 4:45 AM and started getting ready for work. Ninety minutes into my shift, I got the call. “The oak tree fell on the house.” In reality, it wasn’t the entire oak tree, but it was a large chunk of it. One branch went through the ceiling of our home. There were eight holes in the roof, several trusses were damaged, and the entire roof of our home was covered with branches!

 

Even though my daughter had texted me a few photos of the damage, to see it in person, it was shocking to the eyes! The limbs were huge! Some had fallen between our house and the house next door – to the point that there was no way to walk in between. When I walked into the house, the kitchen and family room were darkened because of the leaves which covered two windows of our home. It was eerie to say the least.

 

For years, I have prayed every morning for protection over our family, our house, our property, and our vehicles. I know God protected us when those branches fell. First, no one was in the house. Secondly, my husband was in the garage, and he heard it falling. It didn’t just crash like most branches do when they fall. Had it done so, it would have crushed the entire house. Rather, he heard “creak, creak, creak,” then it fell the rest of the way. I believe the Lord placed angels there to gently let it down on the house, so that it didn’t destroy our entire home.

 

The first question to us has been, “Was it from storm damage?” No. And there weren’t strong winds that day either. What could have caused that kind of damage? It…..was…..carpenter……ants. Who would have thought that such a small insect could cause that kind of damage?

 

My husband walked over to a large limb that was on the ground. He put his hand in the middle of it, and grabbed what looked like a pile of dirt from the middle of that massive branch. That ‘dirt’ was from the destruction of those carpenter ants! There was even a huge, gaping hole at the end of that branch!

 

Immediately, a spiritual correlation to this damage came to me. And with being a writer, far be it from me to go through a trial without getting at least one devotion from it!

 

As Christians, we are a temple (house) of the Lord. Proverbs 24:3-4 tells us that it is by wisdom that a house is built. It is through understanding that it is established. Through knowledge, its rooms are filled with precious and pleasant riches.

 

Psalm 1 describes the righteous. They are like a tree, planted by the water. They yield fruit and their leaves will not wither. They will prosper in all that they do. So how do we get strong like this and bear fruit? To understand this, we must back up a few verses. First, we must not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Second, we must not stand in the path with sinners. Next, we must avoid the sitting with scoffers. Finally, we must find our delight in God’s Word, meditating on it day and night. That is how we make our temples spiritually strong.

 

Can I just be honest with you? The majority of the church is lazy. The majority of the church is worldly and compromising, refusing to see the significance of diligently studying the Word of God. Many churches are nothing more than a social club – looking to entertain people.

 

The sad result of a lazy, biblically-illiterate church is that we have no roots to help us stand in times of trouble. Many people do not realize that the elements of life infiltrate to the very core of our being – much like those carpenter ants infiltrated the inner branches of our tree. They weakened that tree, making it impossible for the branches to stay connected any longer. Do you realize that when you refuse to study and meditate upon the Word that this is what happens to you spiritually? You make yourself a prime target to become weakened by the things of this world – things which eat away at the core of your spiritual foundation, little by little. Suddenly, a trial comes, and you find you have nothing solid within you to help you stand. Instead, like our branches, you fall. There is no life within you, keeping you connected.

 

Church, I beg you to wake up! Time is short. It is time to armor up, strengthen that which remains, and get your house in order! It is time to start feasting upon the Word of God! Your spiritual life depends upon it!

© 2018, Stacy R. Miller

Hillsong – Shout to the Lord

I do not like Hillsong.  There are several reasons:

• One is their compromise, in letting homosexuals sing in their choir.  (Hypergrace, false love = accepting them without addressing their sin)

• Many of their songs are not biblically sound.

• Many of their songs are more like a love song, and Jesus is not my boyfriend.

• The constant repetition in many of their songs reminds me of New Age stuff where people meditate on the same phrase, emptying their minds.  (We are to be filled with the Spirit, not emptying our minds.)

Standing in the Gap

What a wonderful, powerful, encouraging word!

Crucified With Christ

This is such a powerful and beautiful song.