0 Comments
This was my waitress at an IHOP off of 410 in San Antonio this morning. When I walked in, the place was empty. So, I took the opportunity that the Lord presented and asked if I could pray for her. Good thing I did. Her mother was sick, her father has passed away, and she was a bit lost in everything the world was throwing at her. Thankfully, I have been taught to share the gospel and my testimony in 60 seconds, and that's exactly what I did. After telling her about how Christ had died for our sins and how He had transformed my life, I asked if she had ever made a similar commitment to Christ. Her answer was, "No." Of course, just at that moment customers came flooding in the doors! So she left to attend to them. When she was free though, she came back and asked, "how can I have that?" What joy it is to hear those marvelous words! I led her through the Romans road and told her if she was willing to acknowledge that she deserved judgment before a Holy God, that Jesus was the Son of God who paid her penalty, ask for forgiveness, and commit her whole life to following Him, that she would be saved. "Are you willing to do that," I asked. "Yes," she replied, and we prayed together. There is no greater joy, no greater purpose, and no greater calling than to preach the gospel and lead people into the Kingdom of God. Please, pray for this girl and her mother. If you would like to learn how to share your story and the gospel anywhere, with anyone, in about 60 seconds, then please contact me so we can expand God's Kingdom together. May God be praised in the name of Jesus. Where Ministry BeginsThere is nothing more crucial in the life of a Christian than knowing, and understanding God's word. It has the inspired words of eternal life, Spiritual strength, and is filled with God's promises and faithfulness to us. It is our gateway to knowing the Father, through the Son, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and having a solid grasp on the word of God is where ministry begins. The Living Word Bible SchoolThe Living Word Bible School will be a 1 or 2 year certificate program in Bible and ministerial teaching. There will be no tuition charged to the students who wish to attend. Students need only to sign an agreement form and pay for their own supplies. Though the Living Word Bible School will be non-accredited, it covers the same curriculum that any Bible major would study in their first 2 years of college, and the curriculum being taught is already being used to raise up church leaders around the world! The teachers of the Living Word Bible School will be local pastors and volunteers who are highly educated and have years of experience. What Now?I am currently have already printed the workbooks and materials and am organizing meetings to establish the school location and schedule. I plan for the first class to be in session by the summer of 2017. As with anything of quality, this will take some funding to start, but not a lot. Already basic materials and supplies have cost $300. Please help cover this cost as it has come out of my own expense, and I personally ask for you to pray about making the Living Word Bible School part of your monthly giving. You can give a tax deductible gift by sending a check to Friendship Bible Church, 413 Lois St, Kerrville, Texas, 78028, with "Living Word Bible School" on the memo line or help support my family in our living costs by clicking "donate now" below and selecting "Darrin and Courtney Miller" under the mission designation tab. Thank you, and God bless.
New Year, New Goals
To reach the place you want to go, you have to start by setting goals.
Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible. -Tony Robbins
God has commissioned me to do amazing things for His name sake in 2016! Fulfilling them all is going to take a lot of prayer, Spirit lead service, and of course faithful support from brothers and sisters like yourselves.
As I am buckling down and considering the course I'll take in ministry over the next 12 months, I'm setting goals to build towards, and I'll be using them to measure my obedience to the Lord. Let me show you where we are going in the marvelous year of 2016. Establish 10 Home Churches
God spoke to me while I was in Romania and told me the problem in America is that we are trying to build up one church, rather than plant many. The churches grow and grow, but the areas for service and leadership don't, and we end up with huge masses of people simply sitting in pews.
It's time Christians take ownership for their faith and commission. Planting home churches allow more areas for service, deeper discipleship, and real accountability. It also breaks down the walls of rivalry and denominationalism. The best part though, is that people can still have a church they go to on Sunday or Wednesday other than the home church. My goal is to have 10 thriving home churches and in process many new baptisms by the end of the year, and I am currently training leaders to raise these churches up. Establish 2 Year Bible School
Last year, God placed it on my heart to see a Bible training school here in Kerrville. This is part of larger vision God has given me, but He is putting the big vision together in small pieces. The school will be a 2 year, non-accredited, certificate program for Bible and ministry training. Though the school is not accredited, the curriculum was developed by Joshua Nations and is currently being used in over 150 countries and at least 55 different languages.
The school will be mostly free. The students will only be responsible for their books and materials which will be very reasonable. My hope is to have all the plans and staff ready for our first class in 2017. 1st Annual A4TW World Missions Conference
As the Media Director for AIM 4 THE WORLD, I get to see and read all the wonderful things God is doing around the world through indigenous missions. His people are truly the extension of the book of acts, and there is no short of miracles and martyrdom in the world today, I can assure you. As a representative for the organization, I went to a world missions conference last October in Shell Lake, Wisconsin, and was completely blown away by the love, support, and testimony that took place over my three and a half days there. So, since I have direct access to many pastors, churches, and missionaries around the world, I will be hosting the first annual A4TW World Missions Conference. The conference will be hosted at Zion Lutheran Church in Kerrville, Texas, October 6-9.
Travel to India
Coming off my trip to Romania, I see the true value and importance of short term mission trips in ones personal life, but as the Media Director for A4TW, there are many more important reasons why I must travel overseas. So, late in 2016 I will be raising money to travel to India in order to visit our largest Indian ministry, Soul Winners India. You can learn more about Soul Winners India (SWI) by signing up for the A4TW E-Newsletter HERE.
Raise My Salary
Last, but definitely not least, I am responsible now for raising my own salary. I have never been the fundraising type, and have never liked asking for money, but the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 9:14, "...that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel." All of these things will have an amazing impact on Kerrville, and for God's Kingdom, but they cannot be done by themselves, nor do they come without expenses. All of the things listed are in addition to the regular evangelism and discipleship I do, as well as preaching every Wednesday night, and once a month on Sunday. As you are reading this, please prayerfully consider donating a one time, or, better yet, a recurring gift of any amount that will enable me to continue in God's work. I thank you all for your faithfulness. God bless.
Click to set custom
2 Timothy 4:1-5 (NKJV)Preach the Word4 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at[a] His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
A Story of ReconciliationI wonder if this story describes you. Not the past you, but you right where you are, right now....As I took a look at the Parable of the Lost Son, a.k.a. " The Prodigal Son," in Luke 15:11-32, I saw a story more relevant to us today than I previously realized. The story, is a story of reconciliation. It showcases the immense love of the Father, but it also shows.... well, us. I have come to learn was that reconciliation is an ongoing ministry, and is needed inside the church just as much as it is needed outside the church. With that being said, I wonder if this story describes you. Not the past you, but you right where you are, right now. Lets take a look at the two sons in this parable; you might just see yourself in the story. The ProdigalFirst, let's look at the prodigal son in verses 11-16: Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. There are some characteristics in his life that many of us may identify with, and the outcomes of his life are sure to be the same in ours if we follow his path. Here's a breakdown of the what led to his downfall.
Is This You?Like this man, maybe you have distanced yourself from our Father in heaven, or maybe you've never even known Him. Maybe you've taken for granted all the goodness and provision that he provides, and instead, you sought to find your fulfillment in the world. You've turned your back on God, or maybe you've just taken your eyes off him long enough to end up in over your head. Now your down, at the bottom of the bottom, and everything feels as if it's being taken from you. You have no peace, your joy is being stolen, and your becoming a wreck. Or, maybe you're just not quite where you should be. You see, the world will always attempt to draw us in with its desires and promises, but they are all lies. The more you give into the world, the more it will take, and when you feel like you're at rock bottom, it'll get even worse. One day, there will be nothing more to give. If this is you, I want you to know that there is hope, and yes, there is a way out. Go Back to the FatherNow let's take a look at what he decides to do, and how it works out for him. Starting in verse 17 it says, But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him,“Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” And he arose and came to his father. He made the decision to turn away from the world and go back to the Father. This is a beautiful example of what the word "repent" means.
And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." And they began to be merry. Notice that it says, "when he was still a great way off, his father saw him..." It seems to me that his father was looking for him. He was hoping and waiting for his son to return. Now it doesn't specifically say this, but the father was probably waiting and longing everyday for his son to return. Likewise, our Father in Heaven longs for each one of us to admit our sinfulness, turn our back to the world, and come home. And even though the son said he was unworthy and wanted only to be a servant, the Father clothed him in distinction and authority, fed him, and celebrated his return. Knowing what his son had confessed, the Father simply loved him and continued to call him his son. God is our Father, and He sent His only begotten son into the world to fulfill His law on our behalf, and though He was God in flesh, and perfect in His ways, Jesus Christ died on a cross, and took the Father's judgement for our sins, so that the Father is free to love us, forgive us, and take us in just as the father in the parable does for his son. God promises that all who repent and confess will be forgiven, and will become sons (heirs of God's kingdom) forever. If you're reading this and realize that you have been lost and unfulfilled by the world, Jesus wants to know you, and save you from your sinfulness. He wants to feed you, fill you, and clothe you with righteousness that will be for you eternal life. You can pray and ask Jesus Christ to forgive you and save you right now. Ask him to be your Lord and King, and to teach you to obey and love Him forever, just as He will forever love you. Please, if you are choosing today to pray a prayer like this, or want someone to pray or speak with, Contact Me. This Isn't You? Then What About The Other Son?Now we get to touch on the part of the story that doesn't get much attention, the second son. For those of you who are already Christians and in the Church, you may identify more with this son. Luke 15:25-30 says: Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’ But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ Now if you have been angry over someone coming to salvation, then I think the issue is clear, but I want to speak on different issues, which are not having the heart of the Father, and not being part of the party. Here's a break down of the second son:
Is This You?Maybe you feel like you've been a great Christian. Maybe you fell like you've lived according to the Bible as best you could and been a faithful person, but do you really have the heart of the Father? As Christians, we should long for the salvation of others. We should long to see others come walking out of the world and into the Kingdom. We should love people so much, that we are daily praying for them and showing them God's love, hoping that they'll repent and be saved. Maybe you haven't been this person. Maybe you don't rejoice to see others dedicating their lives to Christ and being restored. Or you maybe you're saying, "What are you talking about? I love to hear that others are accepting Jesus!" Well let me ask you this.... are you giving your Father a reason to rejoice? Are you an active part of the celebration? Or are you like this brother, just watching and listening from the sidelines. Go Back to the FatherOur Father wants His children to be part of the celebration. Representing our Heavenly Father, the father in the story says some very interesting things. Read verses 31-32: And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ The father tells the son, "you are always with me, and all that I have is yours." I wonder if we sometimes forget that God is always with us, and actively working in our lives. Even beyond that though, that all of the resources of our heavenly Father, all of the riches of Christ, are at our disposal. Are we making good use of our resources? Are we showing our Father our love and gratitude? Or are we living for ourselves, and taking it all for granted? What if this son had taken some of his resources and reached out to his brother? What if he had reminded him how much their father loved them and wanted him to come home? Sometimes it takes hitting rock bottom for people to come to their senses, but as Christians, we need to have the heart and the love of our Father, and use all of our resources to bring the lost home so that we can be part of the celebration when our Father is rejoicing. Maybe you have just been sitting on the sidelines watching everyone else work, watching everyone else serve, and saying, "that's just not for me," or, "good for them, I'm glad." Maybe you're angry that some one "that bad" was accepted into the church and saved, or that someone is blessed more than you yourself have felt blessed. If this is you, today is the day to be reconciled. God wants you to have a heart like his own. He wants you to be blessed, fruitful in service, and overflowing with a love like His. Right now, if you feel conviction in your heart, confess it all to God. Pray right now that God will forgive you and teach you how to love like He loves, and to see people the way He sees them. Decide today, to do more than sit on the sidelines. Ask God how you can serve Him in love and devotion, and ask Him daily to use you.
Please, if you are making a commitment about something today, Contact Me and let me know so I can pray for you and rejoice together with our Father, or just comment below. Go and be blessed. |
Details
Darrin MillerWorking for the Lord. Archives
October 2016
Categories
All
|