Jonathon Miller's Blog

You'll be in my Prayers

2011-06-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

Having grown up in the Christian Church my whole life, I have heard this phrase and used it my whole life. I've told people that I would pray for them and their situation but most times I didn't actually pray.

I don't like listening to people about their problems because I know most times I can do nothing to help them. I always feel terrible about this but I have no idea what to do. I really wish I could help them, but I have nothing within my resources to help them. So, because I know there is nothing I can do, I give them some sympathy by letting them know, "You'll be in my prayers."

My intention is not to point the finger at anyone about this. I am writing about this because I know that this has been something I have done many times. We tell people that we will pray for them and their circumstances, but I am afraid that we only say this because it is a way of only showing sympathy. If it were more than showing sympathy then we would actually be praying for these people and their circumstances. Many situations are hopeless and we don't know what to do with them, so we make others feel a little better by saying, "You'll be in my Prayers."

Just today I found myself telling someone I would pray for them because I knew I couldn't help them.

I believe that coming up against hopeless situations is good for us though. This is where we are actually pushed to bring people and their situations to God in prayer. And we don't have to just tell people, "You'll be in my Prayers" to make them feel better, but we can tell them this because we actually will pray for them and because we actually believe that God will these people in our lives through their circumstances.

In 1 Timothy 2:1, Pauls tells Timothy, "I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them." Verse 3 says, "This is good and pleases God our Savior..." Paul didn't tell Timothy this because it sounded nice, but he told Timothy to pray for everyone because, he knew that hopeless situations would come up and because he knew that God would hear his prayers.

God really does hear our prayers. So, let us then take our hopeless situations, as an opportunity where God can be glorified, and actually pray for His help. If we never pray or ask for God's help, how can we ever expect to receive His help. Let's not use it as a sympathetic way of telling people that we care for them but we can't help. We can do something, we can pray!

I Need You More

2011-04-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

Seeking Direction from the Father

2011-02-16T08:51:00.000-08:00

Mark 1:35-39 "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: 'Everyone is looking for you!' Jesus replied, 'Let us go somewhere else, to nearby villages, so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.' So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons."

In this section of scripture we see that Jesus sought out the direction from the Father. How much more should we seek out direction for our lives from God! From spending time with the Father and seeking out direction Jesus was given direction for what his next step was and he also was reminded of what his call was. So many times I think we neglect spending time with God and we miss direction and we aren't reminded of our call.

I believe our lives as witnesses can be much more effective if we live like Jesus did and seek the Father. Like Jesus, when we spend time with God and seek him, we will receive direction from God, and also reminders of why we are here. God deeply loves us, that is why He sent His son Jesus to come and die for our sins, and through this He also has a wonderful plan for our lives and this plan can only be walked out through relationship with God and through direction from God.

To be a "Christian" and do "christian things without a relationship with God is the hardest thing you could ever do. It is from God through prayer that we receive direction, call, and also His heart. Like any relationship changes us, relationship with God changes us, it changes our heart and causes us to care about what He cares about. When we care about what God cares about, doing "christian" things will just be what we do naturally. It will be from the outflow of our hearts, instead of us trying to be "christian" through the gritting of our teeth.

Let us seek the Father! First and foremost God calls us to seek Him and out of the outflow or our relationship with Him we will change the world!

Failure is Ok

2010-12-15T10:03:00.000-08:00

Recently, I just started reading a book by an author I have never read from before. The book is Awakening by Stovall Weems. It is about renewing and revolutionizing your relationship with God. A good amount of this book that talks about fasting. This is challenging for me because fasting for me has never been a strong suit for me. The longest fast I have ever done without food was for 5 days, the only reason I was able to do that was because I was fasting with about 60 other students as well and we spent all 5 days of the fast together and food just wasn't available. The obvious pressure of not wanting to look like a failure in front of everyone was what keep me in that particular fast. But as for any fasts that I have done or attempted on my own, I have rarely ever completed one. Just a one day fast without food is difficult for me. When I have attempted these fasts it was a rare occasion. I have always hated the thought of fasting, because I always knew I would end up failing.

As I was thinking about this today, I pondered all the different things that God has been teaching me lately. One thing especially, has been the reality for me that nothing I ever do or don't do will ever qualify me for salvation. My salvation and righteousness before God is only because of what Jesus has done for me. The only reason I am saved is because I chose to identify myself with the death and resurrection of Christ and call upon His name. One particular story in the bible that helped me grasp this was the story of when the Israelites were set free from Egypt. The last of the ten plagues that came upon everyone in Egypt was that the first-born of every household would be killed unless they marked their doorposts with the blood of a sacrificed lamb. It wasn't anyones actions that caused them to be saved from this plague, but it was the blood of the sacrifice on their doorposts. This same principal applies to us in salvation. We are only saved by having the blood of Christ marking the doorposts of our hearts. Nothing I do or don't do, can save me but the blood of Christ.

With this reality, God was showing me that it's ok to fail. We will never be perfect on our own. The fact that Jesus died, gives us freedom to fail. We can boldly pursue spiritual things. If we fail at living for God perfectly thats ok, we are still saved. Jesus died so that we don't have to fear of failing anymore. Most often we don't endeavor in pursuing spiritual things is because we know we'll fail. But since Jesus died we have no reason to fear. Because of Jesus we can only grow more in Him. It is better to pursue spiritual things, such as fasting for me, and fail along the way and experience and know God, then to never do those things at all. So lets not put so much pressure on ourselves to perform for God. If we could live pleasing lives for God in our own strength, then how would God ever receive the glory? If it was ever at all possible for us to follow the old covenant of keeping the law, then why did Jesus die? Jesus paid it all for us and our salvation is free, so let us boldly pursue greater things and if we fail along the way, it's ok, lets get back up, that failure has not disqualified us.

Driving Home

2010-10-02T18:21:00.000-07:00

Tonight, as I was driving, thoughts were just racing through my brain about all the things that I have to get done. I had just finished attending an all day class for my theology schooling and I was on my way back to Castle Rock. Feeling overwhelmed and drained, I was wondering where my joy had gone.

Right then I felt as if God was asking me where my focus was. "Are you doing this for eternal purposes or are you doing this to make a name for yourself?" At that moment I began to think of what a glorious day it will be when we join all the angels in singing and worshiping God. It will be such a glorious day.

When we look to Jesus and spending eternity with Him, the things we endure here on this earth are become such a light burden. It all becomes so worth it.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Just as Jesus endured the cross because of the coming glory, we too should also endure faithfully to the end in serving Christ Jesus as he served us. Any length of suffering doesn't even compare to eternity in heaven with Him. So let us not become tired in serving Jesus, but let us look to eternity and rejoice that we have an eternal home that we are bound for. May we, for the joy set before us endure our crosses. Oh, it will be such a glorious day!

God Interruptions

2010-09-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

This morning I had such neat experience. I had just worked out for the first time at the gym in a long time and was on a great start for the day getting settled in at Starbucks for some time spent with the Lord and reading His word. It was completely packed today and every table was full except the handicap table and I felt bad for taking it but I did anyway. I made sure to keep my eye out for anyone who might need the table more than I.

Then a guy asked me if I was meeting anyone here and if he could share the table with me and I had no problem with it so I let him join me. Right at that moment I really felt like this guy was also in ministry and at least a christian himself and I thought about asking him but I decided against it. I just put my headphones back in to some worship music, while I continued to read my daily reading of the Bible. Just a few minutes later my friend Jon a creative arts pastor from a church in southern Denver walks in and we start a conversation and talk about the books were reading and what theology classes I am taking. This conversation is obviously heard by the guy sitting across from me and he asks me if I am in Seminary.

From this point on I find out that he had just finished Seminary out in Portland and was in the process of possibly becoming a youth pastor at another church in town! The guys name is Brandon and the three of us just ended up talking for at least an hour about ministry and all the stuff that God is doing in our lives. It was such a cool meeting and I really felt that God had orchestrated it all.

I am not sure what this connection holds for the future, but I know that if God put it together then He definitely has some plans in the future and I want to be a part of it. Moral of the story is that, don't be too busy to be interrupted by appointments that God may have planned for you throughout your day. In the long run you'll be better off for it. My day has been so blessed by this interruption from what I had planned and I am so thankful. Ill be praying for Brandon as he finds out so soon if he gets the job as a youth pastor or not.

What's Keeping You?

2010-09-24T10:22:00.000-07:00

I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free. - Isaiah 44:22 (NLT)

As I came across this verse in today's One Year Bible reading plan, I got a better picture of how much God paid for us by having Jesus die on the cross for our sins. God,..."wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth." 1 Tim 2:4 (NLT) So logically He paid a price that would be enough to cover all the sins of all the world through all ages of time. That's a HUGE price! The enemy likes for us to think that our sin is too great for us to ever come back to God. But when you think about this, how could your sin ever be to great for what Christ did on the cross? It is a slap in the face to God saying that He didn't pay enough.

So then we can simply come to God in repentance, which is refocusing our eyes back on Jesus and allowing Him to change us, and know that we are made righteous. It is only through Christ that we have right standing with God in heaven. So what is keeping us from God? Maybe it's because we think we messed up too much in our lives. If that's the reason, then know that it's a lie from the enemy. You have nothing holding you back from God.

Go In His Strength

2010-08-14T20:59:00.002-07:00

"Cursed is the strong one who depends on mere humans, who thinks he can make it on muscle alone and sets God aside as dead weight. He’s like a tumbleweed on the prairie, out of touch with the good earth. He lives rootless and aimless in a land where nothing grows.”

“But blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the woman who sticks with God. They’re like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers— Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, Serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season.” - Jeremiah 17:5-8 (MSG)

There is not much else to say after reading these verses, they are so powerful and so opposite of how this world operates. As I am getting involved and invested in working with Summit Church here in Castle Rock, it is my desire to be completely rooted in the strength of God. He must be my source of strength, joy and peace as I begin in this endeavor. I don’t want to be tossed back and forth like tumbleweed responding in panic with every emergency that may come my way.

Like tumbleweed, those who are not rooted in God will be blown back and forth by their circumstances. This world is full of uncertainties and people and our circumstances will disappoint us time and time again. Therefore, we must be rooted in Christ our strength. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow and He will never change. His words will never fail.

Those who stay rooted in Christ will not fail in producing fruit. They will be like Jesus sleeping in the boat through the storms, never worrying about anything but continuously trusting in the strong arm of God.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” - John 15:5 (NIV)

Dear Lord, help me to continually be rooted in your strength. May my roots go deep in you, so that through every circumstance I may be able to please you and produce much fruit as I am here in the new season of life. Thank you so much that I may come boldly before your throne and receive strength from you. Amen

Cling to Jesus

2010-08-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

Recently, I have been diving more into God’s word and just simply spending time in His presence. I have been reading a daily bible reading plan and reading blogs of preachers and teachers and books about Jesus. I have found that it gives me such peace. I have been in a habit before of reading and spending time in God's presence daily but I stopped doing it as frequently, because I let life get busy around me. I let sleep and apathy take over. As I let them enter into my life I became less and less filled with peace and joy and life became more cloudy. I felt like I didn’t know where to navigate my life. Everything was grey and I was never sure what to do. I got along fine. That was the problem, things in my life were just fine, and nothing had life in it like it did before.

A few weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to interview for a position as a youth pastor at a church that has been planted for about 3 years and I got the job!! I thank God for this opportunity and how He has ordained and directed my every single step. The sad thing is that it took this position that I am taking to really make me get serious again about seeking after the Lord daily and gaining my strength from Him. I am now so glad though that I am thriving in the presence of the Lord; there is so much life in His presence.

As I was reading today in John 12, I came across these two verses and they really spoke to me. I have heard this truth before but it really came alive to me today.

Jesus said, "For a brief time still, the light is among you. Walk by the light you have so darkness doesn't destroy you. If you walk in darkness, you don't know where you're going. As you have the light, believe in the light. Then the light will be within you, and shining through your lives. You'll be children of light."

- The Message John 12:35-36

In these two verses Jesus tells His disciples to cling to the light, Himself, and they will become children of the light. I believe that to often Christians, don’t walk in the light. We neglect spending time with Jesus, and when we do that deceive ourselves into thinking things are going to be ok if we just plan on doing it later. I once heard a friend say that everyday we go without spending time with Jesus is a boast against God that we don’t need him. We may think we're fine living on old revelation for a few days, weeks, or even months but soon we will find ourselves lost, blind and confused as someone lost in complete darkness. Jesus warned His disciples to walk in the light so that the darkness wouldn't destroy them. We need Jesus!! He is our guiding light, he is the one that puts our feet on solid ground and directs our steps. We must continually cling to the light. When we cling to Jesus he is faithful to lead us through every step of our lives no matter how small or big they are.

As I am preparing to take on this new position, I have felt completely weak and unable for this task at times, But through spending lots of time in the presence of Jesus He has given me courage for this new season. He reminded me of Gideon and how when the Lord called him to action, he told the Lord that his clan was the weakest in Manasseh and that he was the least in his family; He felt totally unqualified and unable, yet the Lord used him mightily. This gave me so much courage, strength and clarity from God, but it only came from spending time with Jesus.

There is no formula for spending time with Jesus. Do whatever it takes to get close to Him. I live at a church right now, but I don’t spend the majority of my times with Jesus there. It’s just a building that I happen to be living in. I go where I can set aside all distractions and read about Jesus and listen to worship. Also I have found that if you find yourself at a complete loss of where to read in the Bible or what book to start reading, don’t let that stop you, just read something about Jesus that will bring you into His light; start in the gospels in Matthew 5-8 or something. Cling to Jesus in anyway that you can. The Gospels in the Bible are a great way to start, they are full of the life of Jesus; it’s the richest text you can find about Jesus. If it’s a book outside of the Bible make sure it lines up with scripture.

Dear Lord, I ask that you would help me to continually see my need for your presence in my life. Help me to become a child of your light. May I never stray from spending time with you, for I know that your arms are always open wide for me to come to you. Thank you Jesus that you paid the ultimate price so that I can boldly enter into the presence of the Father. Amen

Give Generously

2010-04-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6

God has made a promise to us that if we sow generously into His kingdom, He will reward us greatly. The more generously we give to those in need, the more we will receive a generous crop.

Now usually when I think of this verse I think of being rewarded by men. My thoughts are, if I help them in their time of need then someday when they are doing well they will bless me for helping them. As I was thinking about this verse I realized that this wrong thinking. When we give to those in need and to the least of these, we are giving to God and we are serving Him. He is the one who will reward us. We do not receive our reward from man, but from God. God will reward us so much more than man ever can; everything on this earth and in heaven is His.

So let us keep this in mind. Christ will reward those who sow into His kingdom. Let us not bless others so that we may receive the approval of man and their blessing, rather let us bless others in secret so that only God will know and He will reward us.

One more thought to add; Christ's reward to us and answers to prayer are not always what we may think.

Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks

2009-09-04T21:41:00.000-07:00

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NKJV

When I read this verse, I understand that Christians should be joyful--they should be in touch with God--and they should always be thankful. I have to admit that I am not always like this. Too many times it seems like I am cast down and trying to figure out my own life, and in the midst of everything I forget about God. I forget about rejoicing in the fact that he sent his Son to die for my sins. I forget that God yearns to know me and desires to be in communication with me. I forget to thank Him in every circumstance and remember that every breath I breathe is a miracle from Him.

God wants us to live our lives in that way. He wants us to be joyful, and we have reason to be. He wants us to pray and to talk to Him. He loves it when we do that. He yearns for us to know him. God has given us so much. Whenever you're down, remember what God has done for you. Remember that He has given you life. Do all of these things for the glory of God. When you seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, everything else will be added unto you as well.

Dear God, please help us to always remember You. Help us to be joyful, to always stay connected to You, and to give thanks to You in everything, because that is Your will for us.

Daily Provision

2009-09-01T23:10:00.000-07:00

"The believers comfort is like Israel's manna. It is daily rained, as that was, from heaven. We are told that God gave people manna to humble them (Deuteronomy8:16). Do not suppose it humbled them because it was poor man's food, for it was in fact angels food (Psalm 78:25). Rather, the manner of dispensing it kept them meek. God held the key to their cupboard. They were forced to wait upon him and continually acknowledge that He and He alone was the source of their need. God communicates our spiritual comforts in the same way and for the same purpose - to humble us." -William Gurnall

I read this tonight, and it spoke so much to me. It is a lesson I must learn over and over again. God will provide for us what we need daily. Not only is this true of our physical needs--such as finances and health--but it is also true with our spiritual needs. We need to daily come before God for our spiritual food. We need to come to Him daily for His strength to empower us through our day.

God not only provides for us our daily needs, but He provides for us more than enough so that we may be a blessing to others. There is no need for us to hoard what God provides. The Israelites were told not to save the day's manna for tomorrow. They were told to take what they needed for the day. If we try to hoard what God blesses us with, it will soon spoil.

Dear God, help me to trust in Your provision. Help me to daily come before You for my sustenance. Do not let me put my trust in my own strength, but may I always look to You for everything.

No Worries, God Cares for You!

2009-07-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

Scripture: "Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

Observation/Application:
This is such a simple short verse, yet it has so much truth and life-changing freedom behind it. Too many times as Christians, we give into the worries of our day and of the future, when we should be trusting in God for the future. If we are on the right path with God, then we should not worry because God will sustain His will in our lives. Worry and anxiety should only be in the lives of those who live apart from God and apart from His will for their lives.

One of my favorite verses, Matthew 6:33, says, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." This verse promises us that when we live for Him and His purposes, He will then take care of the rest. What is put into motion by God will be sustained by God, and what is put into motion by our own strength has to be maintained in by our own strength.

So be encouraged, you who follow Christ, He cares for you and will take care of your every need. As Christians, we must do what Christ has for us just today and not worry about the future. For if we only keep our eyes on the end goal, we will miss what is here and right now. God not only has a plan for our futures, but he also has a plan and a will for where we are right now.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to cast all our worries upon You. Do not let us worry, but instead help us to trust in You and believe that You have our best interests in mind. Thank You, Lord, that You care for us and all the little details in my life. Amen.

There is Rest!

2009-07-07T20:11:00.000-07:00

Scripture: Hebrews 4:10-11 "For anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.”

Observation: I have been pondering this verse all day since my God time this morning, and it has taken me until this evening to figure out what it means to enter into God's rest. In this chapter, the author of Hebrews is talking about the Israelites. The reason he writes the whole chapter is to tell us to enter into Christ's rest so that we don't become like the Israelites. The first verse states, "God's promise of entering his place of rest still stands..." Woot woot, we still have the opportunity to enter into God's rest.

Application: What does it mean to enter into God's rest, and how do we do it? Well, that is what I discovered tonight—or probably relearned. As I have walked with Christ, I have seen that we have to be reminded of things over and over. Paul is always reminding the churches he writes to about the same fundamental things again and again. Anyway, to enter into God's rest is to let him take control of the situation and let him worry about whatever worries you. Today, I was discouraged throughout most of the day. I was thinking about my future: what should I do; should I really go back into school; will I be able to pay for it? And there is a slew of other thoughts racing through my mind as well that I won't bother you with. So today, I just wanted to throw up my hands and quit. Life just seemed too complicated, and it didn't seem worth it to try and figure out it all.

Tonight, though, I had a meeting of prayer and worship that I had to attend called Revival Town, and that is where God gave me rest. When I came to God, dropped everything, and simply lifted up His name in worship, letting the desires of His heart become mine, I received rest. When I let Him reassure me that everything will be okay, I received rest. He filled me up, and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. Jesus took my burdens, and I didn't have to worry about them anymore. I received rest. He spoke His promises over me and told me that I am on the right path: I received rest. There is rest for those who give up trying to figure it all out and simply follow Jesus and worship Him. There is rest for those who put their trust in God and believe in His promises.

My dear friends, let us trust in God, and put all worries aside. For He is in control, and He loves you and will watch over you. He has your best interests in mind.

Prayer: God, I pray that you would help me to always put my trust in you for every circumstance in my life. Do not let me fall into a life of worry; let me be filled with joy and peace that overflows into the lives of those around me.

Warning Against Unbelief

2009-07-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

Scripture: Hebrews 3:19 "So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief."

Observation: In this area of Scripture, the author of Hebrews warns against having unbelief. In the verses prior he explains how the unbelief of the Israelites led to their never being able to enter into the land that was promised to them. God did many miraculous things before them. He led them out of slavery, through the Red Sea, and to Mt. Sinai; He led them by a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day—yet in spite of all of these great and glorious miracles God did for them, they still did not believe in the promise of God. Because of their unbelief they did not enter the promised land.

Application: How do we apply this to our lives? By believing in the crazy things that God tells us. For many of us it is so hard to even believe that we can get to the place of hearing the voice of God, but God is speaking—are we listening? God works in mysterious ways; He speaks to us mysterious things. Are we going to believe the things he tells us?
A good friend told me once that I have to believe in the crazy things God tells me. Hebrews 11:6a says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God..." When the Israelites were trapped at the Red Sea God told Moses, "Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.” Now, we would all think it would be absolute madness to believe this divine whisper from God, and we would not follow through with it. If Moses would not have believed and stretched out his hand over the sea, they would have never crossed through it and escaped the Egyptians. It takes believing the crazy things God tells us to see the fulfillment of his promises.
This believing also requires us to take action to what we believe. We have to move forward believing, not just sit back, waiting for things to happen. Moving forward in our belief speaks of a faith that is real and of a faith that will see miraculous things.

Prayer: Father, give me faith to believe in your divine whispers and to move forward in them as you direct me. Do not let me be filled with doubt and believe in the lies of the enemy. Let my hope always be in you, and may my thoughts be filled with your Word and your Truth—and may I always be listening.

1st Blog!

2009-03-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

Someone recently encouraged me to start blogging and put my thoughts out there for others to read and learn from hopefully. I am currently in DLA (Desperation Leadership Academy) serving as associate staff for the program. DLA is a program that is designed to train leaders that will lead our generation in desperate pursuit of God, by teaching them to lead prayer meetings, and to live a life fully in love with the Creator.

If I am to be in a program where I am helping to lead others and training them to be leaders then I should be learning to teach and share the things God has given me. If I never tell people then the things I learn will go no where and benefit no one. So hopefully I can keep this updated fairly often so that others can in someway gain what I gain.