Nathan Miller

For several months now I’ve been reading a devotional by Boyd Bailey called Seeking Daily the Heart of God. It has been incredible! He’s like a modern day Oswald Chambers! This morning’s section was no different. It’s entitled “God Chosen.”

Bailey begins by stating, “God uses whom He chooses, and He equips whom He calls.” That one statement is packed with so much truth. If you look at my mentor, Dr Johnny Hunt, this truth is screaming. He was a high school drop out living in the projects. He managed a pool room, and made his living hustling pool. He was an alcoholic living with no direction and purpose in life. Then on a snowy Sunday night in January he met Jesus. God radically changed His life! Now the high school drop out went back to school, became a pastor, and is now the Southern Baptist President. That’s the abbreviated story, but if you want to read more I’ll send you a copy of his testimony just contact me. Trust me it’s incredible. If you would have seen Johnny in those days you would have written him off, but God had other plans. God called and Johnny obey!

I think about it often in my own life. Why would God choose me to become a pastor/church planter? Am I qualified? Is there something in me that He saw? No! God called me on no merit of my own, and now He is equipping me to become the man He wants me to be. There is nothing to note in my life other than God. It’s only by God’s Grace I am where I am today. I know the propensity of my evil heart. I know where that evil could take me, but God’s grace keeps me from it.

Bailey continues his devotion by stating that God chose us first and foremost to be obedient. Through that obedience He will make you into the leader He desires for you to be. You must stay submitted, surrendered, and obedient, and He will fill you with His Spirit. “It’s a heart hungry for wisdom that He chooses. It is a ‘want of wisdom’ that opens up the windows of heaven’s resources.” (Bailey) Remember John 15:16, God chose me and I must spend my life doing His work!

This week I began reading E.M. Bounds book on Prayer. I’m only a few pages in and it has already begun to challenge my faith and prayer life. I know that it’s going to become a favorite of mine! This morning I wanted to give you a quote I found of particular interest:

“It’s not the intellectually great that the church needs; nor is it men of wealth that the times demand. It is not people of great social influence that this day requires. Above everybody and everything else it is men of faith, men of mighty prayer, man and women after the fashion of the saints and heroes enumerated in Hebrews, who ‘obtained a good report through faith,’ that the church and the whole wide world humanity needs.” – E.M. Bounds

May I be a man mighty in faith and prayer! Lord help me!

I just wanted to take a quick moment to comment on Dr. Johnny Hunt’s new book that will be coming out in a few weeks. It’s called Building Your Leadership Resume. This book is filled with over 30 years of ministry, leadership experience. However, the book is written in a manner that makes it applicable for the business man as well as the minister. If you are in leadership or desire to be this is a must read.

The book is 40 chapters long. Each chapter begins with a statement like “People are Underchallenged.” Then Pastor Johnny spends a few pages explaining that statement. He covers topics from Insecurity in leadership, to Assistants, to the wife of a leader. It is an easy read but challenging to your soul!

To give you an idea of the content, here are a few quotes:

• “The greatest way to know success is to help others succeed.” – pp. 220-221
• “We cannot challenge others to embrace a mission we don’t personally possess and embody.” – p. 6
• “Focused leaders put great emphasis on managing the following: their time, priorities, resources, budget, people, and influence.” – p. 18
• “Seeing the potential–believing in people–is a big part of successful leadership.” – p. 22
• “if you want to grow your ministry, grow yourself.” – p. 44
• “I have found growth to be the direct result of three things: discipline, time, and intentionality.” – p. 104
• “It’s been said that five years from now, we will be the same people we are today except for the books we read, the people we meet, the places we go, and the risks we take.” – p. 111
• “Success is not a business plan. But service is. When people know you’re there to serve them, they’ll come back.” – p. 121
• “I have learned and observed that if a leader doesn’t relate well with his staff, he won’t be able to relate well with his people.” – p. 126
• “We’re just all one decision away from doing something stupid.” – p. 161

Today I bought a new devotional from Charles Spurgeon called Look Unto Me. Pastor Johnny has been reading it and talking about it, so naturally it peaked my interest. After reading today’s installment, I know that it is going to be a great read.

The title of the book comes from Isaiah 45:22. “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” This is the verse that Spurgeon heard preached at the age of 15 showing him the way to salvation.

Today’s reading is centered around Luke 22:48 where Judas is betraying Jesus in the garden. Before you jump on the band wagon of criticism, Spurgeon warns us about our actions. We betray our Lord every day with our actions. Spurgeon asks, “Do I live as carelessly and worldly as unbelievers while professing to be a follower of Jesus?” I have to confess that I have to answer yes to this question far more than I would like to admit. For those who are willing to admit their betrayal of their Lord, Spurgeon offers this wonderful prayer:

Then, dear Lord, keep me pure. Make me sincere and true and protect me from every false action. Never allow me to betray my Savior. Dear Jesus, I do love You, and although I often grieve You, my heart’s desire is to be faithful “to the point of death” (Matt. 26:38). O God, may You keep from being a smooth-talking hypocrite, simply professing Christ, but ultimately falling into “the firey lake” (Rev. 19:20) because I betray my Master “with a kiss.”

This is my prayer, and I pray that you would make it yours!

Our Pastor Dr. Johnny Hunt has been preaching through the DNA of our church for the month of March. He is half way through his series, but he has spent the last two weeks on Worship. Before he started the series, he asked me to research some definitions or statements on worship. Here are some of the best of my findings. I hope they are as challenging to you as they were to me!

“Worship is the believer’s response of all that they are – mind, emotions, will, body – to what God is and says and does.” (Warren Wiersbe, Real Worship, p. 26)

William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury (1942-44), wrote: “Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by his holiness; the nourishment of mind with his truth; the purifying of imagination by his beauty; the opening of the heart to his love; the surrender of will to his purpose – and all of this gathered up in adoration.”

In the process of being worshiped… God communicates his presence to men. – C. S. Lewis

God wants worshipers before workers; indeed the only acceptable workers are those who have learned the lost art of worship. – A. W. Tozer

Worship changes the worshiper into the image of the One worshiped. – Jack Hayford

Worship does not satisfy our hunger for God – it whets our appetite. – Eugene Peterson

A private relationship of worshiping God is the greatest essential element of spiritual fitness. – Oswald Chambers

“Worship is an active response to God whereby we declare His worth.”  “Worship is not simply a mood; it is a response.  Worship is not just a feeling; it is a declaration.” – Ronald Allen

“Worship ‘is something we do, not just something we attend.  It is not merely an issue for the pastor and other ministers, nor for the musicians and those who plan the service.  Worship is an issue for the entire congregation, for worship is something we do together.” – Albert Mohler