In a recent e-mail, I read about a woman named Pam, who knows the pain of considering abortion. More than 24 years ago, she and her husband Bob were serving as missionaries to the Philippines and praying for a fifth child. Pam contracted amoebic dysentery, an infection of the intestine caused by a parasite found in contaminated food or drink. She went into a coma and was treated with strong antibiotics before they discovered she was pregnant.

Doctors urged her to abort the baby for her own safety and told her that the medicines had caused irreversible damage to her baby. She refused the abortion and cited her Christian faith as the reason for her hope that her son would be born without the devastating disabilities physicians predicted. Pam said the doctors didn’t think of it as a life; they thought of it as a mass of fetal tissue.

While pregnant, Pam nearly lost their baby four times but refused to consider abortion. She recalled making a pledge to God with her husband: “If you will give us a son, we’ll name him Timothy and we’ll make him a preacher.”

Pam ultimately spent the last two months of her pregnancy in bed and eventually gave birth to a healthy baby boy August 14, 1987. Pam’s youngest son is indeed a preacher. He preaches in prisons, makes hospital visits, and serves with his father’s ministry in the Philippines. He also plays football. Pam’s son is Tim Tebow.

Pastor Doug Dennee

I will have you know that there are four men who grew up in our home who can attest to the accuracy of what I am about to say. Plus, how can a pastor pastor a church for 31 years and fake people out for that long?

1. We make each other laugh! Much of our marriage has been characterized by light-hearted, hilarious moments. Carol still laughs at my lame humor after all these years! We smile at each other a lot! Joy and laughter provide release and relief in the midst of a serious approach to this life.
2. We share our hearts with each other! Carol knows and cares about my struggles, aggravations, fears, and heartaches, and I know hers. We have learned what brings joy to one another, and we have learned how to assist the Lord in mending each other’s emotional wounds. Sometimes that means just hugging without words and without trying to “fix” things all at once. We are not afraid to cry in front of each other.
3. We pray with and for each other! Bringing an issue up before God is often spontaneous – in a car, on the phone, in the bedroom, in the back yard. The prayer could be silent or audible, spoken by one or both of us. Praying together is one of the most intimate and precious moments in our marriage.
4. We are committed to reconcile conflict! Yes, from time to time we strongly disagree, hurt one another’s feelings, say regretful things, and act childishly. But we cannot live with a prolonged disconnect. Most issues of this nature are dealt with immediately or at least before the day is through. We made a commitment early on not to go to sleep with unresolved conflicts and we have worked hard to maintain that commitment.
5. We encourage and affirm each other! I notice her new hairdo, dress, shoes, and tell her how beautiful she looks. She makes me feel handsome and strong by the things she says and the way she looks at me. We probably compliment each other about something every day. We feel valued and adored by one another.
6. We stoke the fire of romance! We still date! We love hugging and being hugged and we enjoy the pleasures intended and reserved for marriage.
7. We both seriously pursue God! Our #1 love is reserved for the One who saved us from our sin and gave us eternal life! Our love for God’s Word and dependence upon Him has brought us through the roughest times and produced a deep level of intimacy with each other as we have sought His counsel, strength, and healing.

Our marriage is strong and vibrant today because God has made it so. The constant decision not to demand our own way, but to serve the other’s needs above our own has been a key ingredient to our success as a happily married couple.

John Wallace Miller

Time is a gift from God to man; therefore, we must not waste it. Moses writes in a prayer to God: “Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom” (Psalm 90:12 NLT). Paul exhorts the believers in Ephesus: “Make the most of your time, for the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16).  Here, the apostle reminds us we live in a sin-sick world.

The very best use of any day is to spend time with Almighty God. In the current frenetically-paced, hyper-speed culture we live in, it is absolutely essential that we daily remove ourselves from it. Your heart was meant to beat with God’s heart, not the arrhythmic, congested, clot-prone heart of American life! In Psalm 46:10 the Lord says: “Be still, and know that I am God.” When was the last time you were truly still? I’m not talking about “forced” stillness through sickness but chosen stillness. This meditative, reflective time with the Almighty is Great-Physician recommended therapy! David wrote of God: “You are my hiding place; You protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:7). Again David sings: “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him…” (Psalm 37:7). If you expect quick “sound bites” with God – you may be gone before He shows up! It is possible that the “get it now” generation may find it difficult to relate to a God who would rather talk than text!

Slow the Pace!

We must figure out a way to slow the pace enough to meet God on His terms. We tend to be more in a hurry than He is. The demands of every day have a way of sucking the life out of time with the author of both life and time! To do things differently this year probably requires breaking bad habits and starting new ones.

Harness the Energy!

The devil loves speed and noise, Facebook, Twitter, iPods, and video games – He is the Master Distracter and he loves anything that will keep us from serious time with his Arch Rival! Who of us is good at keeping modern technology from running and ruining our lives? Sure, we can harness the power of modern innovation for God’s glory and our good. However, like nuclear energy, both good and evil are possible outcomes of its use.

Prepare a Plan!

Plan regular times to be still before God this year. Cozy up to God’s Word like a child in its Father’s loving arms! I promise that you will not regret it. In fact, if you choose to discipline yourself to get alone with the Prince of Peace, and blessed Supplier of all your deepest needs, you can be assured of the most heart-healthy, Christ-honoring year you have ever had. If we cherish the gift of time, we will make the best use of it.

John Wallace Miller

As our nation limps into 2012, we will likely hear a lot of complaining and griping about economic and political issues. It will be ever so tempting to echo the sentiment of so many and experience the instability and anxiety that comes with it. As children of God, it is very important to maintain a “Kingdom” perspective. It should be clear to us that the kingdom of this world cannot meet the deepest needs of the human heart; it never will. The idea that once our economic woes as a nation are solved, all will be well, is to believe that material things are the panacea for what troubles us. The real problem is mankind’s fractured relationship with the One who made us. Even if our pockets were full of cash, we still have to deal with a bankrupt soul.

The only remedy is an encounter with the King of an unseen kingdom. Once we are rescued from the Kingdom of Darkness and brought into to the Kingdom of Light, a whole new perspective is gained. Our trust and confidence shifts from earthly rulers to the King of Kings. He becomes our peace and stability, even while living in an uncertain, unstable, broken, earthly kingdom. That does not mean we are unconcerned or uninvolved in the proper establishment and maintenance of man’s kingdom. But it does mean our ultimate trust is not dependent upon human solutions to solve man’s spiritual problems. In other words, our pulse rate should not be linked to the fickle stock market, fractured Congress, or even the frail security of our own jobs.

God’s son entered the human race to establish His government in the hearts of those who would place their faith in Him. It is God who said: “I will never leave you or desert you,” not our government. It is God’s Word that says: “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things (shelter, food, clothing) will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

We MUST maintain this perspective as we enter 2012. Men’s hearts will fail them for fear if they pin their hopes on the institutions of man. People who trust in the uncertainty of riches will likely become increasingly insecure.

The children of God’s Kingdom truly rejoice at Christmastime because it means that the King of all Kings has come. He came to conquer sin, Satan, and death—and He did! The person who trusts in the Lord places faith in a solid foundation. This foundation will remain secure though all around us crumbles!

Kind David spoke of his King: “For who is God, besides the Lord? And who is a rock, besides our God? God is my strong fortress; and He sets the blameless in His way. He makes my feet like hinds’ feet (the incredible stability of a female deer on a precarious mountain ledge), and sets me on my high places” (II Samuel 22:32-34).

The Psalmist declares: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea” (Psalm 46:1-2).

Christ-followers who are rooted and grounded in the Lord will leap into 2012 with confidence rather than complaint and faith rather than fear. The coming days may very well reveal which kingdom we are choosing to place our trust!

John Wallace Miller

1. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17).

You absolutely must make serious study of the Bible a consistent discipline of your life. There are no fast track ways to grow. Century plants bloom only once in their life, the blooming spike is so large and grows so fast that it saps all the resources of the plant. Oak trees grow slowly, steadily, and strong – they have a reputation for withstanding the fieriest storms. Listen as God reveals Himself through His Word and through those who seek to honor His Word.

Practice the Ezra model:  “For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezra 7:10). Take the book of John for instance: Do a “fly over” of chapter one. Observe it; get a feel for the content. Then examine it; read for comprehension. Ask, “What does it say?” “What does it say to me?” and “What does it say that I don’t understand?” Then, talk to someone about it. This is key! Articulating what you have encountered greatly helps clarify and solidify the information and ultimately deepens your faith.

1. “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 17:17). What has encouraged my faith greatly is finding godly people and spending time with them. A godly person is one who has a commitment to Christ, a high view of Scripture, and a relational demeanor. Loving God and loving people are prerequisites for the mature believer – so look for those attributes. Our small groups are an excellent way to sharpen your faith.
2. Take Sunday morning sermons to heart! Paul told Timothy to “Preach the Word … with great patience and instruction” (II Timothy 4:2). I spend many hours each week in study and prayer developing messages designed to instruct and inspire, inform and transform lives. It is true that faith is caught more than taught. In other words, the Spirit of God must engage your spirit for the words to come alive in you. So prepare by praying that the Lord will deepen your comprehension of who He is and what He wants to say to you before you come to worship.
3. “Like five loaves and two fishes, your faith won’t grow unless you pass it around! I think this best begins by serving others. You have a position on God’s team (a spiritual gift). Many believers just don’t take the field! They attend the “skull sessions” learn the plays, but seldom put that knowledge and wisdom to work. Ask the Lord (and a few godly people) where you might best be used. It is in the midst of serving others that faith seems to develop no matter how mature that faith may be. If Jesus said He came to serve, not be served, then we should do likewise (Matthew 20:28).
4. Don’t measure your spiritual growth by comparing yourself to others. Let the Lord be your examiner. It is humbling, to be sure. But you will learn, as you study God’s Word, that the Lord is both gracious and patient with His own. God has set a high standard that can only be pursued by a Holy Spirit-led, surrendered life. Admit you have a long way to go and that you always will. Personal spiritual growth is hardly detectable to the person growing. The reason? The process of maturity is also a process of humility – as we come to know God better, we also see a greater degree of His holiness, purity, and righteousness as well as His intolerance toward all that is sinful. This realization deepens our awe and respect for Him and also deepens our comprehension of God’s grace and mercy toward us.

John Wallace Miller

Diversity and Sensitivity Training, Tolerance Seminars, Equality Values Instruction – these are a few of the titles cropping up across our country as part of employee training and coming to a business near you! Those college students aspiring to teach or administrate in our public schools should also be prepared to handle newly-worded, ethical questions as part of their evaluation for a position.

There will be role-playing, videos, and questionnaires all designed to find out what your views are on a variety of social and moral issues. Your acceptance or “fitness” for a job may very well hinge on whether you answer the diversity questions properly.

Watch the political debate closely in the next twelve months. As the moral/ethical climate of our country tips the scales in favor of more liberal views, you can expect conservative candidates at all levels of political office to be peppered with questions that delve into one’s personal and religious convictions on topics like evolution and homosexuality – including civil and marital unions, bioethics, and one’s literal interpretation of the Bible.

When a mother heard Texas Governor Rick Perry indicate that a God created universe was worthy of consideration along with nontheistic views in the public school, she whispers to her daughter: “Ask him why he doesn’t believe in science” – as if creation and science were incompatible.

Various conservative politicians, as they run for public office, will continue to be hammered with questions regarding gays and evolution, particularly those candidates who are suspected of holding a Biblical view on these subjects. My prediction is that, unless these individuals have well-thought-through answers, based on reasoned principles, most of them will soften or backpedal on their positions for fear they may lose votes. You see, once those driving a morally-relativistic, humanist philosophy believe they can persuade a sufficient percentage of the electorate, they will mount a smear campaign on any politician, business owner, or government employer/employee who holds to Judeo/Christian values. Therefore, you may well see outstanding, Bible-believing, compassionate believers being misquoted, mischaracterized, and made to appear as ignorant, hateful, or even harmful to society.

Further, anti-Biblical zealots will demand these “fringe elements” be marginalized and censured for their prejudice and bigotry and outmoded beliefs. Because our country and culture have strayed so far from whatever Judeo/Christian roots we began with as a nation, the prospect of the marginalization and persecution of those with Biblical convictions is more likely than ever. Be concerned about this. The temptation to compromise one’s Christian convictions and even deny the Lord for the sake of avoiding harassment or obtaining or keeping one’s job is also more likely than ever!

The test of our faith in God and His Word within our own beloved America has arrived. Better figure out how deeply you believe what you believe – now.

“Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed you fail the test?”  II Corinthians 13:5

John Wallace Miller

The Gospels of Matthew and John record Jesus stating the exact price of following Him: Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” ² That sounds like a person carrying a cross to his own execution. It is! Jesus also said: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, (process of germination) it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.” ³

Dying means putting God’s will ahead of your own.  The only way to experience the resurrected life (a life of true fulfillment) is to first experience “the crucified life” (death to fleshly desires). This “death” is such a discipline that the “not so innocent” human heart comes up with creative alternatives to dying. The heart’s inclination is to reinterpret the Lord’s call to “take up your cross.” It is a design to avoid paying the price that our Lord demands. So a new kind of cross is invented. This cross is on rollers and made of balsawood (light wood that looks heavy!) complete with a padded seat and Velcro straps! Too many believers, in order to avoid the pain of killing worldly desires and spiritual laziness, concoct ingenious ways of giving the appearance that they are taking up the cross just like Jesus! Pretty pathetic, huh?

To actually live as God intended is to die daily. By another name, it is Spirit-led self-discipline. It is consciously relinquishing control of our life to the Lord hour by hour. It is a “…not my will, but Yours be done” ⁴ kind of life. The Bible becomes our survival manual – its laws and promises our constant source of strength. We find in God’s Word the way we are to live both in character and conduct as well as the means to be and to do all that God requires of us.

The empowerment to live the hard but right way comes about as we surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit. He is the One who enables us to follow Christ as we allow Him to command the controls. As Paul writes: “Live under the Spirit’s power and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.” ⁵ However, make no mistake about it, being crucified hurts! There is no way around it. For that grain of wheat to produce fruit – it must die first. Our flesh (that part of us that demands its own way), does not give up without a fight! The true Christ-follower knows he is in a battle – a spiritual life and death struggle! And this believer believes this so deeply that he is determined to obey God’s Word no matter what the cost. And when he falls (and he will) he gets back up to die another day!

You see, the committed Christian understands that a life truly worth living is experienced only through sacrifice, which is denying self-centered desires and letting God have His way with us on a daily basis! Why would someone be willing to pay such a price? It is the response of a person who understands that Jesus Christ came and sacrificed His life for us so we might have eternal life and the idea that we can do no less than to die to self that we might live for Him.

This world is heading in the opposite direction when it comes to many values espoused in God’s Word. Our Lord has called us to a life of self-denial rather than self-indulgence; a calling not shared by very many people.

The deepest sense of fulfillment and purpose in human experience comes about only as we present this body of ours as a living sacrifice to the One who made it. God has called us to mortify our flesh, to subdue it, to kill its worldly desires. It IS possible. No matter where you are in life or how much you have been mastered by your flesh, you can get up on that altar of sacrifice and know the joy of surrender to the King!

*Receiving Jesus Christ by faith for salvation is a one-time, eternal decision: His Lordship over our lives is a decision we make daily! Make it today! It will cost you your life – but it’s worth it!

John Wallace Miller

^{______________________
1} Matthew 26:41
² Matthew 16:24
³ John 12:24-26
⁴ Luke 22:42
⁵ Galatians 5:16

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”  ~King David  (Psalm 119:105).

“Be diligent to show yourself approved to God a workman that does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth”  ~Paul (II Timothy 2:15).

“Your word is truth”  ~Jesus  (John 17:17).

The Bible is the divine optic nerve you need that allows you to see life from God’s point of view. You cannot envision the true meaning of existence without it. Think of the pages of Scripture as night vision goggles allowing you to penetrate the spiritual darkness that has encompassed this world. There are evil forces at work to entrap and enslave a person; the light of God’s Word exposes these powerful enticements and shows us how to overcome them!

You must determine to be a student of the Bible as if it were life-giving nutrition. Jesus said: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” Matthew 4:4.  We must feed on God’s Word consistently or we will become spiritually anemic, malnourished, weak and vulnerable to sinful desires. It was Jeremiah who said: “Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts” Jeremiah 15:16.

The Sacred Text is like no other book in the world. It is a supernatural preservation, an international treasure, and an ancient artifact of inestimable value. Cherish its precepts and long for its wisdom. True success in life can only be found in the meditation, comprehension and implementation of this miracle manuscript!

Mankind has been presented with a literary masterpiece that is nothing short of supernatural. The Bible is God’s way of telling us what He wants us to know in order to live life as we were intended to live it. King David describes God’s Word this way: “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight to life. Reverence for the Lord is pure; lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to those who hear them; there is great reward for those who obey them” Psalm 19:7-11.

Make this Book the centerpiece of your summer reading plans—and beyond!

John Wallace Miller

Guilt is good for the soul!

Guilt reveals that there is a conscience. Do animals “feel” guilty for killing their prey, taking over another’s territory, or (in some cases) eating their young? Likely not! Unlike animals, vegetables, or minerals, the Bible says humans are created in the image of God. Our unique creation means, among other things, that we have a “moral oughtness.” We instinctively know when we ought or ought not to have done something—and when any one of us violates this inbred morality, our conscience convicts us and we feel guilty. The notion that this guilt is brought on by an advanced stage of evolution is interesting but not very convincing!

Mankind, left to his own interpretation of right or wrong, will inevitably decide in favor of one of two extremes: legalism or licentiousness. He will either distort and add to God’s laws, like the guilt-ridden Jews experienced at the hands of the Pharisees, or abandon or minimize the idea of guilt as the ancient epicureans and modern day relativists do.

In other words, man will give himself too much freedom or too little. However, man is not the originator of right and wrong, and so it is most difficult to suppress guilt when one has truly offended one’s Maker, no matter what elaborate, manufactured social ethic is invented.

We are all guilty of  “justifying” or “minimizing” our transgressions. Pride will always attempt to lower the level of guilt or try and shift that guilt to someone else. And the farther we drift from God (the law-giver), the more successful we are at clearing our consciences of wrongdoing.

Christ was murdered precisely because He made people feel guilty. “If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father” John 15:24 ESV.  When light enters a room, the shadows hide. Darkness resides in our soul and the light of Jesus Christ reveals it for what it is and the result is guilt.  The light of Christ exposes sin much like and MRI reveals a cancerous mass, and the pride of man does not like to be exposed even if it is for his own good! “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil” John 3:19. People reject Jesus principally because His righteous life makes them feel guilty. However, people are also drawn to Jesus principally because their sense of guilt makes them want to receive Him as their Savior from guilt and its consequence! What consequence? Scripture is clear! “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” John 3:36. God’s wrath is God’s judgment on those who must pay for their own guilt!

The great irony of life is that the only way we can be relieved of this sense of having offended God is to humbly bow before the One whose laws make us feel guilty. King David understood this when he admitted: “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’ and you forgave the guilt of my sin” Psalm 32:3-5.

We all enter this life guilty before Almighty God. Only by admitting our guilt and surrendering our lives to Christ can we be forgiven and freed from the guilt of offending God. “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” So, thank God for guilt—it either has led or should lead you to the wonderful freedom found only in Jesus Christ!

John Wallace Miller

Ever since I began in church ministry in 1967, it has been a great joy for me to see people come into the church and settle in. For some, settling in can take but a few weeks; for others, it can take months—if not years.  There are certain signs that a person has made NWBC his or her home church, but the one that catches my attention most readily is when a person stops referring to NWBC as “your church” and starts referring to it as “our church.”

When a person sees NWBC as “our church,” it means that he has accepted the people of NWBC as his spiritual brothers and sisters and feels accepted, as well. When a person acknowledges NWBC as “our church,” it means that he feels a responsibility for the vision and successes for this fellowship. It means that he is willing to put himself under the authority of the leadership as it guides the congregation.

As long as someone refers to NWBC as “your church,” it means that he is still a spectator and doesn’t see this as his spiritual family. This type of a person normally stays on the periphery of the fellowship and doesn’t get involved or accept responsibility for the direction or outcome of the ministries.

It is true that there is a transition in the process of transforming one’s identity from visitor to member. However, it is those who make that transition who will gain the most from their experience at Northwest Bible. It is kind of like a man who is dating a woman but never makes the commitment to marriage. Dating is fun and one can get to know a person to a certain extent when dating. But those who are married know that the benefits of a committed relationship are so much better than those of a casual one. The step of commitment opens a door to greater joy and blessing. It is my prayer that all who attend NWBC will reach the point where they see this church as “our church.”

Pastor Doug Dennee