Don Miller's Prayer

Look at our house

We had someone come and look at our house today - our first potential buyer. It was weird having a stranger walk through our house with such a critical eye. But she seemed pleased and stayed for a while. She said that she would like to bring her husband by later. Her response to our house doesn't surprise me. Pattie fell in love with it the first time she saw it. It seemed to be perfect for us. I also love this house. It was an answer to prayer and a fulfillment of dreams. God was good to us in giving us this house for the last so many years and I expect His goodness to continue as we seek to follow Him.

We've come full circle.

Today was the last time that we would be meeting on Sunday morning as Axios Church. The irony of it all is that a little over 6 years ago, we began Axios by meeting in this same living room with a handful of people about the size of the group that met today (Jim, Donna, me and Pattie are the only one's left from that original group). At the first of April 2002, our group began to visit different churches on Sunday morning and then met at our house on Sunday nights to pray and look at Scripture and seek guidance concerning starting a church. At the first of May, we felt led to begin Axios Community Church. We began giving and praying because we knew we would need God's power and financial resources to take on this endeavor. God began to immediately move and amazingly and , to me, miraculously provided a warehouse space for us to begin in. We had our first official service on June 2, 2002 with 50 people. There are too many stories to tell of the good things we accomplished, the lives that we touched, and also of how God worked in me to mold and shape my faith, my thinking, my life into the follower I am today. Of course, there are also stories of failures, disappointments, missed opportunities that have also led us to where we are today. But I am not sad, nor full of regret, or ashamed but honored by this opportunity called Axios, grateful for this journey, and excited about the next endeavor, dream, challenge that lies ahead. In 2002, while we met in our home, we looked at the different prayers that Paul prayed for the young churches that he had helped start but then had to leave behind. Through this study, we discovered our name "Axios" in a prayer in 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12. It is the Greek word translated "worthy." Today, we looked at one final prayer which is also my prayer for all who have been a part of Axios, for all those who read this blog and all who seek to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. It's found in Ephesians 3:14-21 and says:

"For this reason I kneel before the Father,
from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
I pray that out of his glorious riches
he may strengthen you with power
through his Spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
may have power, together with all the saints,
to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—
that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more
than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us,
to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations,
for ever and ever!
Amen."

Home For Sale!

This evening at approximately 6:00, a "For Sale" sign was placed in our front yard. It is a glorious sight. It is the day we have been working toward. It took me about 20 minutes to get the sign into the parched, dry, hard ground but it is in. Hopefully that will be the hardest part of selling this home.

Why would God need me in Denver?

Church planting can be a mystery. I have seen church plants come into this area only to disappear in a short time and some that have taken root and seem to be fruitful. There are other churches in Cherokee County that started about the same time or shortly after we started Axios in 2002. Several of these churches have pastors that are not from around here. They moved from Iowa, Arizona, Ohio, or from other parts of GA just to plant churches in this area. During the year or so that we struggled at Axios, I would often wonder why God had to bring these guys in from other places when I was right here, ready, willing and able to be God's man in this area. Now that I tell people that I am moving to Denver to start a church, I often get the this reaction, "Why would God need to send you to Denver to plant a church? Doesn't he have someone in Denver that He can use in Denver?" I have some thoughts about this:

1. I am not a Georgia native. Most of my life has been outside the state of Georgia. I was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, went to college and seminary in Chattanooga, TN, worked in Geigertown, Pennsylvania and Chicago, Illinois and then moved to GA in 1986. I may have moved here before these other church planters but I still had to move here to get here. The point is that I don't necessarily belong here. I do believe that God divinely led me here and that He has used me here in ways I never could have imagined but He is now divinely moving me again and as His follower, I must simply go. The only difference in this move is that I am not alone. I am moving with my wife and daughter and the ones that I am leaving behind (especially my 2 daughters, 2 sons, 2 sons-in-law, 4 grand kids) are more dear to me than any I have ever bid farewell to. It makes it harder yet I feel more excitement than sadness and more love and encouragement from those closest to me than ever before.
   
2. Just because I have lived in Cherokee County for 22 years doesn't necessarily mean I am the best man to reach Cherokee County. If being a native of an area makes you the best candidate to reach that area, then no one should ever venture out and missionaries should all stay home. Jesus seems to teach the opposite. He said in Matt 13:57, "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor." Longevity and familiarity do not always translate into converts and disciples.
3. "Going" and "sending" have been a part of the Christian mandate since Jesus' ascension. How else could the Gospel be spread around the world? Why wouldn't God send me? Why isn't He sending you?
4. In Acts 21, the Apostle Paul was staying with Philip who had 4 daughters that prophesied. But it was a prophet from Judea that God used to bring His message to Paul. 4 prophets right in the house where he was staying but God brought the message from somewhere else. Sometimes the outside voice is more readily received than the insider's voice that has been there all the time.
5. Isaiah 28:11 says "Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people." This may be a loose translation of Isa. 28 but it seems that God is saying that the people of Ephraim were not listening to local voices so He was bringing in outsiders as a last resort to bring repentance. Sometimes the foreign voice brings about the results God is looking for better than the local voice that has become common and drowned out. Maybe this is why there is a church planting movement going on right now. Maybe God is doing everything He can to get the attention of people. And if that means moving a guy from NC to Woodstock or a guy in Holly Springs to Denver then so be it. And praise God that He is active and moving and expanding His Kingdom.
   

Something Weird!

I had this song stuck on my mind last week. It came out of nowhere and I sang it on my bus everyday last week.

"Don't pull your love out on me, baby
If you do then I think that maybe
I'll just lay me down and cry for a hundred years
Don't pull your love out on me, honey
Take my heart, my soul, my money
But don't leave me drownin' in my tears"

Then I was driving in the car Friday night and scanning through stations and this song came on the radio. What are the chances of that happening? It was weird.

And then today, I went to the dentist, a new dentist that I had not seen before. He thought I looked familiar and in talking found out that he went to school with my daughter, Jenny. Not only was that weird, it made me feel old. I have been here too long. I'm ready for Denver.

The Inevitable and the Possible: Part 3

Finished this series by looking at the end of Matthew 25 and what is known as the "Judgment of the Nations" or "The Sheep and the Goats." God gets very specific about what He is looking for as evidence of our relationship with Him: feeding, clothing, sheltering, healing, befriending those who cannot feed, clothe, shelter, or heal themselves. I don't believe that this is a complete list but it does give us a picture of what a follower of Jesus Christ should look like. Of course, we could sum it up by asking "Are we living a life of love?" After looking at several passages concerning this judgment, I am convinced that the Bible teaches that it is possible to do these things (acts of compassion) as well as other Christian activities (Matt 7:21-23) and not have a personal relationship with God. But it is impossible to have a relationship with Jesus Christ and not do these things. It's what we do because we belong to Christ. We care, we love, we are moved with compassion to meet the needs of others. I don't feel like I have been honestly taught about this in my younger Christian life. I feel like we have been more concerned about "being good" rather than "doing good." That we have concentrated on not doing something wrong rather than attempting something great for God. "Separation from the world" trumped "compassion for the world." Its time to get our hands dirty, to dig a well, to rescue a child caught in slavery or sex trafficking, to take a meal to a neighbor, to visit a widow, to give more money than you have ever given before. Its time because the inevitable IS going to happen and maybe sooner than you think. It is possible to make a difference today. Its up to you to do it.

Working hard!

• I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel about the house being ready. I'm so tired of working on it and talking about it and blogging about it. But, I must say, the house looks great.
• Rachele came over Saturday and helped all day with the house. That also meant Camille was here and that's always a good thing. We got a lot done between Rachele, Pattie, Joe, Joe Stag and myself.
• Ben came home for the weekend. He said it was weird knowing that their was no bed and really no place for him to come home to. It was a little sad. The good thing is that he loves his new college and believes that the Lord did an amazing thing to get him there. I'm very excited for him.
• Jim and Donna came over last night. Jim helped me with an electrical issue that I am just not comfortable to try myself. He did it easily and then we all went out to eat.
• Friday was a good bus driving day. I received an unsolicited hug from an ES kid and 3 "I love you"'s, 1 "you're awesome" and 1 "you are the sweetest man" from my high schoolers. Its nice to be loved. Giving out blow-pops didn't hurt any.
  

Sunday Recap

Continued my series on "The Inevitable and the Possible" from Matthew 25. Looked at the parable of the talents. According to this parable, to prepare for the inevitable (standing before God and giving an account for your life), you must see yourself as a servant and a steward. When we see that we are servants, we realize that we serve Someone greater than ourselves. It keeps us from becoming self-serving, self-centered, and just plain selfish. The selfish life is not a rewarding life and leads us far away from the possibilities to change the world and live a meaningful life. A steward is someone who has been entrusted with someone else's stuff. God has entrusted us with much (wealth, time, talents, etc.) but make no mistake, it all belongs to Him. It may feel like yours but He could take it all back tomorrow. So make a point to use it all wisely and with His goals in mind. To know that God trusts me with His stuff and that He wants me to use it for His kingdom opens up a world of possibilities. He doesn't micromanage. He leaves it up to us on how to invest and what to invest in but make no mistake, He expects a return. What are you doing that proves that you are ready for the inevitable? There is a whole world out there that needs you. Find a cause to champion and be a hero to someone in need.

Busy Life!

• Did a wedding on Friday night at Lake Arrowhead. It was outside, right on the water and was absolutely beautiful.
  
• Spent Saturday cleaning out the rest of the garage and started on the basement. The basement is filled with sound and a/v equipment from the church. It was a big task. Took most of the day. Joe and Joe knocked a couple of other tasks off our list and Pattie was also hard at work. We got a lot done and our to-do list got much shorter.
• They started our roof late Friday afternoon and worked till they ran out of shingles on Sat. Finally finished on Monday. It looks great.
• Sunday, we installed a dishwasher. I say "we" but I mainly watched my friend, Jim Warrington, do most of the work.
• Monday, Pattie and I took Ben to Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs, GA. It's about 2 hours away. Ben has a basketball scholarship there. Nice but small school. He was able to get an apartment which is as close to the school as most of the dorms. It's good to see him back at school and pursuing his dreams.
• Jim and I were going to take Ben's bed and desk to him tonight since his apartment is unfurnished. But the rain made us put that off until tomorrow.
• Pressure washer guy is coming Thursday and hopefully we will have a sign in the yard by the weekend.
  
• My friend, Dwayne, told me that I should stop working on the house and just put a sign up. He says God wants to sell my house but all my fix-it stuff is holding up progress. I'm starting to believe that.
• And in the midst of all this, the other things of life are happening. I'm still pastoring a small group and driving a bus twice a day and getting my ice coffee. Plus trying to plan for Denver.
  
• You all can put your violins away now, I know that you are busy, too.
  

School Started.

Monday put me back behind the school bus wheel. It wasn't bad. I got chewed out by a mom who said I got to her son's stop 4 minutes too early and preceded to tell me that I was not running the route properly and didn't like the fact that he had to cross the road to get on the bus. I would have had a little sympathy if her son was in kindergarten but he is in high school. She needs to let go of his teenage hand and let him experience life on the other side of the street. Then I have a high school route and mistakenly picked up a middle school girl. Which, after we both figured out she was on the wrong bus, I had to take her back to her house only to discover more of my actual high schoolers at the stops that I had already been to. So I ended up driving the route twice. But other than that, it was a great day.

The Inevitable and the Possible

There are things in this life that are inevitable because God has willed it. There are things that are going to happen that we can't stop no matter what we do. And then there are things in this life that are possible because we will it. We decide to get involved, to engage the culture, to create a new future. We make things happen. For example, it is inevitable that Jesus is returning. God has willed it. But it is possible to be prepared for His return. It's not inevitable but possible. It is inevitable that we will give an account for our lives. God has willed it. But it is possible to be found faithful at that judgment. Its our choice. It is inevitable that God is going to change this old world. God has willed it. But its possible to change the world or at least somebody's world now if we decide to. It is inevitable that life as we know it will end either through death or His return. God has willed it. But it is possible that our life can make a difference and can be well lived. Its our choice.
I do not fear the inevitable. God has given me time to prepare for those events. But I am excited about the possibilities that lie ahead of me and my family. When you are prepared for the inevitable, the possibilities are limitless. I can make a difference. I can join with God in creating a new world. I can change the future. Its possible to do the impossible. And the great thing is that you can, too, if you so choose.
We are following a new path full of uncertainty. Success (or what we think success is) is not inevitable. Ease, comfort, wealth are not guaranteed. But the possibilities of God using us in Denver is enough to make the journey worth it. I'm thankful for the opportunity.