Melissa Miller |
| Follow The Leader |
| 2009.09.08 15:09:53 | |
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John 2:1-10 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!" Follow the Leader When you ask the average American how they are doing, they often answer "tired!" or "busy!" We have said yes to so many things in our lives, that we often find ourselves overwhelmed, overworked, busy and tired! Most, if not all the things we are doing are good things...but are they things that God has called us to do? God only has to give us enough grace and anointing to do what he has called us to do, not everything we think is a good idea. Jesus’ mother says something powerful in this passage, "Whatever he tells you to do, do it." In other words - follow the leader! It was at Jesus’ command - at HIS leading that they followed and a miracle took place. I believe that if we applied this simple principle to our lives, we would also begin to see miracles take place. Whatever He says to you, do it! The tricky part is waiting for his instructions. We may be anxious for something to take place in our lives, but rushing into decisions and commitments can often become like the person who races to the red light. Have you ever wondered why people do that? What is the point? Why would you spend all the effort to speed and swerve through cars, only to have to slam on the breaks when you get to the existing red light? When you take a step in a direction you were not called to take, you end up like the frustrated driver sitting at the stop light wondering why you can’t make any progress. I believe we would experience a lot less frustration and a lot more miracles if we would learn to follow his lead. There are many Christians who are burnt-out, exhausted and running races they were never called to run. They become uptight with their loved ones and wonder why they can’t seem to produce any fruit. Is it that they are trying so hard to "do good" that they forget to follow the leader?
This is why I love our church so much. Urban has decided not to have certain ministries, not because they think they are bad, but because God hasn't said to do it yet! Our pastors have commited not to do something because it is they way churches have traditionally done it, but to follow His lead. I believe Urban will be spared from fruitless ministries and frustrations because we are committed to waiting for God to speak before we act.
The disciples may have not understood why they needed to follow his instructions, but nevertheless they obeyed. They filled the pots with water, and took them over to the master of the feast. After the water was turned into wine (not just any wine, but the best wine!), I am sure the disciples were amazed at this miracle and thankful they chose to follow his instructions. Nothing beats His amazing grace that enables you to do almost effortlessly what you could never do on your own with all the strength and effort you have. Pray. Wait. Pray some more. Follow the leader, and he will show you exactly what he wants you to do. It is a simple formula for miracles: "Whatever He tells you to do, do it." |
| Church |
| 2009.09.04 10:20:13 | |
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Church. Some have stuck it out, some have found another church and some have just plain given up on church all together! Sam Chand says "The difference between reality and expectation is conflict."
The expectation is that the pastors are perfect or that the church is perfect. The reality is the minute any one person walks into a church, it becomes imperfect. The difference: Conflict! I will never forget years ago, when I was smacked in the face with this reality. I held my pastors up on a pedestal, until I got close enough to them to realize they had faults and failures just like me. Not only were they not perfect, the ministries of the church were not perfect! I had ideas of what could be improved, and found myself standing on the sidelines complaining and finger-pointing. I listened to a message that week by TD Jakes. He said "The very thing that bugs you, is the very thing you are called to." What a thought...you mean the thing that I am vehement about is the role I was meant to fill? You mean I actually have to be the change I want to see?! What a concept! Ghandi says "Be the change you want to see in the world." I say, do that...and include the church! My husband and I had a decision to make. We could stick it out, find another church or give up on church altogether. I suppose the other option would be to start our own church...but you better have a strong desire and calling for that one! We have neither! As you can imagine we stuck it out. Our years of choosing to "be the change" turned into the most fruitful years of our lives. Not only did we grow, but we were helping others grow and experiencing great joy and fulfillment in the process. While many can look back on their church experiences with a bad taste in their mouth, we have nothing bad to say. It was not perfect and it was full of imperfect people, but we decided to become too busy helping people to notice. Is the church missing so many vital elements because the gap-fillers became angry spectators? Do we have holes in the ministry because passionate and gifted people have simply allowed bitterness and offense to creep into their hearts? What would the church look like if those who had a passion for the poor didn’t get mad a the church for not reaching the poor, but instead started to lead by example? I have seen successful ministries started from one person just trying to be the change within the four walls of an imperfect church! I hear many stories from offended and hurt people. I am not saying some of those stories weren’t justified...there are certain situations when such serious immorality and injustice is taking place that it is much better that the person find another church! There are certian churches that are not leading people in the right direction and even Jesus became indignant with these (Matthew 21:12-14). For those that have given up on church all-together, does that mean your salvation is in question? No! The church doesn’t save you, Jesus does. Our very own pastor, Ben Brinkman says "Going to church doesn’t save you, but it sure helps keep you saved." He compared it to going on dates with his wife. Was going on dates what got him married? It helped, but no. However, going on dates with his wife will sure help keep him married! For those that are against "organized religion" I pray that it doesn’t hinder your relationship with Him, but I do believe that finding the right community of believers provides great support and strength. Acts 2: 42-47 gives us a great model of what church is supposed to look like, and it is a model that URBAN strives to follow; "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Hopefully you have chosen to join us at URBAN, but if you decide to search for another place of worship, find one that follows this pattern and remember to be the change!
Thanks for reading and responding! Melissa Miller |
| Your dream, RIGHT NOW! |
| 2009.08.19 06:19:54 | |
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If someone asks me "what is your dream" it becomes a hard question for me to answer. It has shifted and changed so much in the past five years and at times it incorporates many different elements that I often have no idea how they relate to one another (God knows). I want to speak, travel and write. I want to have a Christian talk show, a children’s dream center and a women’s ministry. My husband and I want to go to the nations and help rebuild communities and help teach them how to become economically independent. Most of all, I have said that all these things will be a means to an end. They will be a means to be able to advocate for children’s rights and the injustice that happens to them internationally. Recently my husband and I have decided to put on a benefit concert to support IJM and their efforts towards ending child trafficking. It has been a long time coming for us to be able to take action for this cause, but finally we are able to do something with this burden on our hearts. Although it has been taking up a lot of my time and myself and a few others are working many hours to make it a success, there has been an overwhelming joy and excitement in the whole process. As I reflected on why this is so exciting, I realized something. This is my dream. I am living my dream right now–TODAY!!! I always thought about my dream as off in the distant future, after I have had this platform or this experience on my resume, then I would be able to do what was really on my heart. It is probably the case for most of us...we are waiting for someone to promote us, recognize our "talents" or give us the green light to pursue what we really want. If our dream is really about people, then we will be reaching people RIGHT NOW! If our dream is really about helping others, then we will be helping others TODAY! If our dream is simply not about ourselves, then there shouldn’t be any reason we can’t be experiencing an overwhelming joy and excitement EVERY DAY in the journey of walking with God and making a difference in the lives of others. Matthew 5: 13-16 says "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."Many times we get focused on the part that says we should be put on a stand. We like the sound of being promoted, but we forget that we are first must be a light before anyone is going to want to put us on a stand. I am not going to put a broken lamp on a stand – that lamp is useless! What was the purpose? To be a light to everyone in the house. Being put on a stand is only a means to let light shine on more people. We should stop focusing on whether or not we have a stand, and just start focusing on being a light! I pray that your dream doesn’t become about you. I pray that you can see past the "what" into the "why." I challenge you to examine your motives, stop looking for promotion and begin to live in your dream RIGHT NOW! Mel |
| Stream or a Swamp? |
| 2009.08.17 00:23:31 | |
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The other day, my family and I went to Balboa park. We have not fully explored this massive park, so we went down a different trail that we haven’t been down before. As we went down the trail we noticed what looked like a small stream off to the left of us. As we walked closer, we realized that it wasn’t a stream it was actually a small swamp. It was pretty nasty and although the rest of my family was fascinated by it, I was ready to move on. I didn’t really want to look at it’s murky waters or the creepy little worms swimming in it, it was gross! Ezekiel 47:9-12 "Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Great Sea. But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing."Ezekiel describes two different bodies of water: swamps and rivers. The river is described as a place that flows where life abides and flourishes. There are living creatures and fish inside, and trees with fruit blossoming grow abundantly along the banks. However, the swamps don’t give out. They remain stagnant and devoid of life. A swamp might look like a stream from far away, but as you draw closer you realize it is not a pretty sight! One of my favorite scriptures is Proverbs 11:25 "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." The reason I love this scripture so much, is I have seen it come true in my life time after time. Whenever I start to get focused on myself, I start to feel dissatisfied and discontent, God is faithful to remind me to keep my eyes on him and on serving others. As soon as I start to focus on how I can refresh someone else, I immediately start to feel refreshed myself. It is a picture of a stream, constantly being refreshed itself but then taking that refreshment and giving it away. Our lives should be an example of a stream. John 7:38 says, "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." It is amazing that people are searching so hard for what to add to their lives to make it better, and adding things is not bad, but if you keep adding and don’t ever give anything away that still makes you a swamp! As we seek to know and understand Him better we are receiving life! The problem comes when we start to get stagnant and forget to be a stream – one that gives out! Giving of our time, money, words of encouragement, love, and our knowledge of the truth are ways that we can practice being a stream and not a swamp. It is in those simple acts of giving that we walk away feeling that we ourselves have been refreshed It is a beautiful life-giving cycle that we can sometimes loose sight of in the chaos of life. My husband and I have had a burden for children ever since we became parents. We have used the excuse that we have two children and don’t have a lot of time to get involved with organizations that are making a difference. I watched a video of a child slave who was 10 years old working at a brick-kiln. With no breaks and little food or rest, he slaved away every single day hauling heavy bricks. He has nothing to look forward to. I realized in that moment that if I worked as hard in a few months as that boy does in a single day, I could make a huge difference! After watching a clip of him working a 14 hour day my excuse of not having enough time, was not an excuse anymore. I don’t know about you, but it is a story like that child’s that ignites me to be a stream and not a swamp. We are blessed to be a blessing! We are blessed with time to be able to give time to someone else! Blessed with finances to be able to give out to those in need! The knowledge of the truth to be able to share that with someone who doesn’t know. I really believe, once we start to put this into practice we will experience a greater refreshment in our own souls than we ever thought possible. Mel |
| A Time To Heal |
| 2009.07.25 06:25:11 | |
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"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance." Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 NLT Mel |
| When God Shows Up |
| 2009.07.19 19:17:02 | |
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Luke 5:3-11 "Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net." And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. Mel |
| Desires or Delight? |
| 2009.07.12 00:57:22 | |
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If I had to choose my favorite scripture it would be "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Prophet Dick Mills spoke this scripture over me when I was pregnant with my daughter. My greatest desire at the time was to have a girl. After my mother passed away, I longed to share a mother-daughter friendship that I wasn't able to fully experience myself. Only after she was brought into this world did I realize that it wasn't about me at all. Me having a girl wasn't because it was my desire that God fulfilled. She was God's perfect plan, his perfect will and she is fully and completely the Lord's. My prayer lately has been "Lord align my desires with your will." Although that is a good prayer, the scripture reminds me that it is when I delight myself in Him that my desires will be fulfilled (because they are His desires!) Out our our joyful intimacy with Him comes the fruition of promises, desires, hopes and prayers. Does the vine ask the branch which direction it should go? No. It naturally curves, bends and grows in a direction based on it's connection to the branch. When we are connected to Him, we don't have to ask so many questions. We don't have to wonder as much what is His will and what isn't. The confusions of life fade away and we are left with the beauty of experiencing the abundant life in Him. Don't focus on the desires today, focus on the delight. Mel |
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