Brian Miller Group Blog

  ¹⁰ On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal (Meaning Wheel or Rolling Away) on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover. ¹¹ The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. ¹² The manna stopped the day after  they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan.

The Fall of Jericho

 ¹³ Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?"

 ¹⁴ "Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?"

 ¹⁵ The commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so...

An unexpected neighbor visited me this last Saturday afternoon, November 14 as I was resting. He asked if he could talk with me. I invited him in and gave him a drink of water. He told me that he had been with other good people who were discussing the future of our nation. I said I was sorry that I was not able to meet with them because I was very tired and feeling  a little overwhelmed- just so much to do...My neighbor told me that he understood and felt the same too. He asked if he could share Joshua 5 with me and wanted me to know that many people are tired now, but God was calling now and now is the time to act...He assured me that fellow neighbors would also help to carry out the necessary tasks together.

Just as we feel we have no more time and energy left to fight the enemy, our Holy Father comes to visit us unexpectedly during a quiet moment. The Holy Spirit is revived by a good friend or kind stranger that truly knows how we feel. God assures us that our patient search for Him will be rewarded with the necessary provisions at just the right moment that only He decides for us.

Despite our weary flesh, God's Word builds us up spiritually and prepares us for our next task- our next battle in this world to behold His Glory. When His time is at hand and He is with us...Do not be afraid. Give yourself to the One True Master -Jesus- He is Holy... And be of good cheer for the Victory is already written. Amen.               

In Samuel 1:7, the suffering Israelites chose to change their ways under the leadership of the great prophet Samuel. The Israelites saw the signs of their wickedness all around them...They mourned the loss of the precious and Holy Ark of the Covenant. They suffered bloody onslaughts by the terrible Phillistines into their land.  Samuel spoke truth to the whole of Israel and called them to turn away from their idols and tear down their pagan structures. They gathered at Mizpah (Meaning Watchtower), fasted, and prayed for forgiveness of their sins. Earnest prayers, fasting, and sacrifice of a baby lamb by Samuel brought peace back to the nation of Israel for a lifetime. Samuel built an altar to God near his home and prayed daily for his people. Eventually, the ark returned to the first great temple provisioned by God through the annointed Warrior-KIng David...

To all of you who wonder about the evil onslaught in our land today and the persistent wars overseas, there is hope for the return of peace and prosperity. The truth freed the people of Israel and can free our nation too.

In this month of Thanksgiving, let us thank our God, YHWH, most of all for the holiest of sacrifices, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew 17 that the greatest healings can only come through much prayer and fasting. Many of us fast now from the warm physical presence of our Messiah and we pray daily for His return. We also seek the mercy of God- not only for ourselves, but on the behalf of many of our so-called leaders and fellow citizens who coldly shun the holy spirit in this land where legions of demons now terrorize.

Let us learn the ancient story of Samuel patterning our own times, for as God says in Ecclesiastes 1, ...there is nothing new under the Sun. 

Do not be ashamed of the one and true living God. His judgement is real. Do not seek the kIngs of this world whose bodies and works return to dust, but seek the almighty power of Jesus Christ and the Eternal KIngdom of Heaven.

Amen.   

In I and 2 Kings of the Old Testament,  a blunt-spoken and uncompromising prophet named, "Elijah" is called upon to reawaken the Israelite people who have gone faithlessly wayward because of Queen Jezebel's paganism, deceptions, and violence. Elijah guides them back to worship their one true living God through a miraculous fire and the return of rain after a terrible drought. Despite Elijah's successful mission of restoring the faith of the Israelites in God's power and mercy, he fears Jezebel's efforts to crush him. But as sure as it is written, the enemy fails to withold God's victorious will and Elijah is carried to safety by way of angels and a chariot of fire...

Jesus also mentions Elijah's Mission in Matthew 17. His disciples understood that he was also referring to the rugged and righteous, "John the Baptist," in their own time who proclaimed the approach of their Messiah.

Who now shall take up the role in this time as the forerunner to call our people back to the one living God and proclaim the sure return of Jesus Christ, our Messiah???

I pray that we are empowered in our faith to boldly raise the banner of Jesus in the noble character of Elijah and rekindle the Holy Spirit in this dry land where the Living Water may return before the final hour approaches...

Mercy, miracles, and provision are still available to all when we open the eyes of our hearts to the Word of God and repent of our sins before the Lord- before it is too late.          

Ephesians 6:10-18

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance...

As we rest today and sup on the sweet words of the Lord, let us pray for all good people who defend us in this world and those who speak Truth to defend in the spiritual realm. Every battle in this world is only a mere reflection of the greater war for our eternal liberty and peace. If we cannot bear the hellish onslaught from Fort Hood to Afghanistan, how can we bear the truth for souls that are not redeemed? The full armor of God through Jesus Christ is the one sustaining power that conquers every nonbeliever, every bullet, every pain, every fear, and every weakness that we must endure to the end.  Amen.     

2 Chronicles 7:14 (New International Version)

Do you start the day with good intentions of avoiding temptation and sin? Do you try to bear those around you who do not share the same respect for God as you hold in your heart? Discouragement is the work of the enemy. Take heart.

When you stumble or feel discouraged, do not take God's precious mercy for granted nor the salvation Christ. After the Gospels, follows the Acts...

Find the way between sin and Grace , for the Lord desires us to be more in His Likeness daily. but knows we are are mere flesh in this world.    

Psalm 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

The Pharisee and Tax Collector

 ⁹ Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: ¹⁰ “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer^k]">[k]: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! ¹² I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’

 ¹³ “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

I remember someone explaining to me how someone as "good" as a preacher could stand nearer to God based upon his Holy Goodness compared to a common criminal...

Although the preacher would be standing minutely closer to God, both the preacher and the common criminal would still be standing light years of distance away from God in his Holiness. Despite our works and lot in this life, the only true closeness we have with God is through the pure righteousness of Jesus Christ who suffered on the cross above Calvary. 

When we kneel in prayer to God and we repent of our sins in Jesus' name, we accept our flaws in this world of flesh and cover ourselves only in the righteousness of Jesus. Not only is it humble, but it allows us by Christ's authority, to be spiritually exalted in this world and under God, the Holy Father.

This is so much greater than any vain attempt to see ourselves as "number one," to receive a presidential medal, or a Nobel Peace Prize. The miraculous power granted through the authority of Jesus in this world stands eternal- not a term nor a lifetime. Amen.