December Ministry Update

December 2015

Harvest Dinner

About four years ago now we started doing a Harvest Dinner as a way to reach out into our community around Thanksgiving. The first year we had the Harvest Dinner at the church but because it was so crowed we decided to do it at our local Senior Center. Since we have moved the dinner to the Senior Center we have seen more people from our community showing up for the event. Each year we have had between 40-50 people and this year was no exception. Please pray as we follow up with those who came to the dinner.

Hospital Visits

This month I have made several trips to Denver to visit a family in the hospital. Melody had developed a blood clot in her brain and she was life lighted to Denver from Scottsbluff. The doctors are not sure if the blood clot caused the swelling or if the swelling around the clot caused the blood clot. She is just regaining the ability to perform normal tasks but even simple things have become hard. Please pray for Melody and her family.

Thanks so much for your prayers and support,

Jason, Becca, Elizabeth, Andrew, & John Miller

 

To view/download our monthly updates from the past please use the link below.

Miller Family Updates

October Ministry Update 2015

Special Meetings

This month had Evangelist Barry Webb in for Special meetings and really enjoyed his ministry. He incorporated his chalk drawing and puppets to tell Bible stories and teach spiritual lessons. The Children really enjoyed his puppets, but I’m not so sure the adults didn’t enjoy it just as much.

The week of meetings was not without its difficulties. Brother Webb broke a leaf spring on his trailer somewhere between Utah and here and there was several distractions that the devil threw at our church families during the week. God did a work in many hearts and it was neat to see the decisions that people made to follow Him. I also saw some of the decisions being put into practice before the week was over with people I have been working with and was very excited. Also, during the course of the week about three people responded to accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

Cowboy Laid To Rest

During the special meetings with Evangelist Barry Webb I received a phone call that Albert Martin, the husband of one of our church ladies, was about to pass away. He was in hospice care in Cheyenne and had been battling alzheimers for over 4 years. The alzheimers had been a burden the whole family had been bearing for some time. They all lovingly pitched in to care for their father and had sacrificed much to care for him in the last 4 years of his life. Dori, Albert’s wife, has been one of our faithful members since before we moved out to Wyoming and we have walked with her through this trial for the last 4 years. Please pray for Dori and the Martin family as they move forward after Albert’s loss.

Here is a link to Alberts Obituary 

Thanks so much for your prayers and support,
Jason, Becca, Elizabeth, Andrew, & John Miller

To view/download our monthly updates from the past please use the link below.

Miller Family Updates

Planting a tree with Dad

 

The Milk Man's Raid on the Refrigerator

I have no idea where he got this idea.

Taking The Text Seriously

 

See, I think you really have two options. You can either be—as you preach—like a garden hose or a tree. A garden hose transmits water. Water goes through it, but it doesn’t change the hose at all. Some people try and preach that way. “This is a job. It’s a task. I’m going to give these people the information that they need, and I’ll give it to them, all right. It won’t change me. I’ll just be a garden hose; I’ll just be a conduit to get this information out.” I don’t think that’s what God wants from us.
I think He wants us to be [trees]. I think He wants us to take in some of that water. I think He gives us the privilege of learning, studying, and communicating biblical truth so that we can be transformed in the image of Christ. I think you need to grow and be nourished in God’s Word. I think you have to allow it to change you. How dare we tell people to take a biblical text seriously that we have not taken seriously? Come on, isn’t that hypocritical? Don’t become Pharisees. Let’s not do that. Look inward. “God, what do you want to do in me because I have encountered this truth this week? What are you saying to me?”

J. Kent Edwards, CM103 Invitation to Biblical Preaching II: Preaching Biblical Sermons, Logos Mobile Education (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).

Ministry Update

 

Summer’s End

As summer draws to a close we have enjoyed the fellowship and preaching from several evangelist and missionary families. We enjoyed spending a day with Andy Gleiser and his family at the Wyoming State Fair and then hearing him speak to us for a Wednesday Night service. We also have had Glen and Sarah Swanson stay in our prophets chamber as they travel back and forth through the west. We also had Josh and Karan Swieringa and Chris and Rebekah Lowe present their works in the last month. It is always encouraging to hear of the work God is doing around our nation and around the globe.

 

Special Meetings

This upcoming month we are having Evangelist Barry Webb in for meetings and would desire for you to pray with us that God would work through these meetings. Please mark your calendar and give special times of prayer for God’s working here.

 

Help Wanted

God has taught me that “No one has it all together, but together the body of Christ has it all.” I’m looking for someone who would be interested in helping us with some video work. This work could be done from a distance so if you are interested please contact me. It is nothing complicated but just involves a bit of time each week.

 

Thanks so much for your prayers and support,

Jason, Becca, Elizabeth, Andrew, & John Miller

To view/download our monthly updates from the past please use the link below.

Miller Family Updates

Special Meetings with Evangelist Barry Webb

We are looking forward to having Evangelist Barry Webb and his wife with us at Oregon Trail Baptist Church from September 20-25th. As the meetings get closer please pray that God would prepare your heart as well as the hearts of others. If your not able to attend the meetings due to distance please pray that God will work. We will also be holding special prayer meetings every Sunday night at 6:30 leading up to the meetings. Prepare your heart for God to work.

Dates: 

September 20-25th

Time: 

7Pm

Where: 

Oregon trail Baptist Church

310 S. Dakota Ave. 

Guernsey, Wy 82214

Learning Greek with dad

https://my.playosmo.com/masterpiece/drawing/1esydykzksg/

Ministry Update for August 2015

August 2015

Special Speaker

We were privileged to have Evangelist C. T. Spear and his wife with us for a special evening service. He gave his testimony of going to High School in our area and how he had made a commitment to carry his Bible to school. Although he took a lot of flak over carrying Bible back then he was recently invited back to pray for their class reunion. He was glad to report that some who were closed to the gospel during his High School days were now interested in talking about the Lord.

 

 

 

Baptism Service

Sydney and her parents have been visiting our church for about a year now. This year when she went to camp Sydney responded to the Gospel and trusted Christ as her Savior. Her counselor did a very good job explaining the gospel and baptism so when we sat down to discuss baptism with her she already had a good idea of what it was all about. After our morning service we headed to the river where we had our baptism then enjoyed a carry in dinner.

 

Baptism Photos VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

 

For a more detailed updates please visit our www.OTBChurch.com and click on “Pastor’s Page” or visit www.jasonandbeccamiller.blogspot.com.

Thanks so much for your prayers and support,

Jason, Becca, Elizabeth, Andrew, & John Miller

To view/download our monthly updates from the past please use the link below.

Miller Family Updates

Putting Bullies, Bosses, and Bills in Perspective

 

I must confess that sometimes I read about the forgetfulness of Bible characters and chide them in my mind. I think, “If God showed me a burning bush, I would never doubt him again.” But I would. And so would you.

God knows our propensity to forget. That is why he is adamant that his people be intentional about remembering his goodness. He also knows that remembering helps us.

Christy Tennant, “Remembering to Remember the Goodness of God,” in Moment with God: A Devotional on Every Biblical Book, ed. John D. Barry and Rebecca Van Noord (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).

Thankfulness is an express acknowledgment of the goodness of God

For as thankfulness is an express acknowledgment of the goodness of God towards you, so repinings and complaints are as plain accusations of God’s want of goodness towards you.
WILLIAM LAW

The Fruit of Bible Study

Into the Storm

Matthew 14:33

Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

When you’re in a storm with the wind raging and the waves pounding, and you feel like you’re sinking, know this: The same Lord who stills the storm allows the storm. Why does God allow storms?
Scripturally, storms appear for two reasons. First, there are storms of correction. Ask Jonah about them. If we’re out of the Lord’s will, He will use a storm to get us back to where we need to be. Storms of correction discipline us. Second, there are storms of perfection that develop us. In this passage, the disciples were obeying Jesus’ command to go to the other side. Thus, this was not a storm to correct them, but to perfect them. In this storm, Jesus was saying, “I want to test you now. I’ve been teaching you. I’ve been with you. And now I want you to exercise your faith to go through this storm.”

You see, faith is developed through struggle. If you ask people what faith is, most will answer, “Faith is believing even though you don’t have evidence.” Not true. Faith is not “believing in spite of the evidence.” Faith is obeying in spite of the consequence. Faith says, “I will do what the Lord says, even though it means a storm is headed my way. Even though it means there will be difficulties, obstacles, and challenges, even though it may be brutal and difficult, even though I must struggle, I will obey.”
When Jesus came to His disciples, they thought He was a ghost. So, too, we can look around and say, “The Lord is nowhere.” Or we can slow down and say, “Wait a minute. Is the Lord speaking to me through my sister, through my mother, through that preacher, or through the radio?”
And suddenly, “The Lord is nowhere” becomes “The Lord is now here” by adding a little space.
I find if I slow down and give the Lord a little space, He appears through my brother who shares with me, through my wife who gives encouragement to me, or through my children who challenge me. He sent you into the storm, He’s praying for you through the storm, and He’ll come to you in the storm—perhaps when you least expect Him.

Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 115.

Enjoyed a visit from grandpa and grandma

Ministry Update for July

July 2015

Teen Activity

We had a wonderful youth rally where several teens came to compete in Bible Quizzing. This time the teens were quizzed over Romans 7 and afterwards Pastor Driskell preached to the teens. We closed out the activity with a photo scavenger hunt around Guernsey.

 

Visit from Pastor VanderHart

We also were privileged to again have Pastor VanderHart join us on his way out to Yellowstone with his wife Donna. It is always special and exciting to spend time with those who have invested so much into our lives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preaching at Camp Grace

After Pastor Vanderhart left for camp grace we headed up to Camp Grace for their first junior camp for this year. I was on the docket to be their speaker for the week. At first I was a bit nervous because it has been a long time since I have preached to juniors however all of my previous experience with children’s ministries came back and we had a wonderful week were many decisions were made for Christ.

Photos From Our Week At Camp Grace

Power of Prayer

““prayer and pains with faith in Jesus Christ will do anything.””

http://ref.ly/o/hdsntlrrlyrs/116363 via the Logos Bible Android app.

Wonderful Services with Pastor VanderHart

This weekend we were privileged to see Pastor Ron VanderHart again and his lovely wife Donna. They are passing through on their way to Yellowstone and joined us for our services on Sunday. Each time they had visited in the past I have had Pastor VanderHart teach for Sunday School and Church but this time I taught Sunday School and Pastor Preached for the morning service. I think that although I grew up under their ministry this was the first time they heard me teach. It was very exciting and engaging.

 

The Great Test: Modifying the Truth

There is a great decision that every denomination has to make sometime in the development of its history. Every church also has to make it either at its beginning or a little later—usually a little later. Eventually every board is faced with the decision and has to keep making it, not by one great decision made once for all, but by a series of little decisions adding up to one great big one. Every pastor has to face it and keep renewing his decision on his knees before God. Finally, every church member, every evangelist, every Christian has to make this decision. It is a matter of judgment upon that denomination, that church, that board, that pastor, that leader and upon their descendants and spiritual children.
The question is this: Shall we modify the truth in doctrine or practice to gain more adherents? Or shall we preserve the truth in doctrine and practice and take the consequences? If the decision is that we modify the truth and practice of the church, then we are responsible for the consequences, whatever they may be. God already knows what the consequences are, and history has shown what they are. But if we choose to preserve the truth, then God accepts the responsibility.
Business people have to make that choice in business. Everyone has to make it at income tax time. Students have to make it in school. We have to make it everywhere in our lives as we touch society. Shall we preserve the truth and the practice of the truth, or shall we alter it just comfortably in order to be more popular, gain more adherents and get along easier in the world?
Actually such a question should never need to be asked. It is like asking, “Should a man be faithful to his wife?” There is only one answer to that question. When we ask, “Shall we preserve the truth and practice of the church, or shall we modify it for immediate and visible results?” we ought to have only one answer. It is not a debatable question, and yet it is one that has to be constantly debated in the secret prayer chamber. It is constantly debated when conferences meet, when boards meet and when a pastor must make a decision.
A commitment to preserving the truth and practice of the church is what separates me from a great many people who are perhaps far greater than I am in ability. This is my conviction, long held and deeply confirmed by a knowledge of the fact that modern gospel churches, almost without exception, have decided to modify the truth and practice a little in order to have more adherents and get along better. When we make a decision to modify the truth, we bring the consequences of that choice upon ourselves. What have the consequences been?
One has been an absence of a spirit of worship in the church. Many people do not even know what is meant by a spirit of worship. That is tragic. I wish God would either change things a little or give me a sight of His glory among His people. I admit that sometimes I feel like the man of God who said,

And I said, Oh that I had wings, like a dove! For then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. (Psalm 55:6–7)

Many of the Lord’s people do not know what you mean when you mention a spirit of worship in the church. They are poor victims of boards, churches, denominations and pastors who have made the noble decision to modify the truth and practice a little. But God responded, “If you do, I will withdraw from you the spirit of worship. I will remove your candlestick.”

Taken from Aiden Wilson Tozer, Rut, Rot or Revival, 1st ed. (Camp Hill, PA: WingSpread, 2006), 151–153.

When The Church Begins To Die

The only reason, then, that the church could be lured into a false religious discipline was if it removed itself too far from the Head who had done these acts. Just as in some way in Paul’s analogy, the body’s vitality and life is related to its closeness to the head, so the church begins to die as it separates itself from the Head to unite with others.

Gary Weedman, Philippians–Thessalonians: Unlocking the Scriptures for You, Standard Bible Studies (Cincinnati, OH: Standard, 1988), 104.

Andrew Caught His First Fish

National View of God

One Nation Under God

The most vital fact about any nation is what it thinks of God. I am not a historian, neither by profession nor by any great amount of study. But I do believe I could predict the future of any nation if I could discover exactly what that nation’s concept of God is—if I could learn exactly what America thinks of God, what the rank and file, the masses, the lower echelon leadership in America thinks about God; if I could send out a questionnaire and ask the question, “When you think of God, what do you think of? What concept enters your mind when you think about God?”
If I could find an instrument that would tell me what the majority of the people thought about God, I could predict the future of the nation, barring of course the possibility of revival, which would change all that. But even a revival cannot come where a concept of God is low. A missionary cannot go to a heathen land and immediately preach the gospel. One of the first things they have to do is talk about the high God and purge the minds of the people from low and unworthy and ignoble concepts of God. We cannot rise higher than our concept of God.
Personal faith cannot rise higher than a person’s concept of God. That is why I for one am indignantly crusading against this concept of God as “the man upstairs.” The nice, lovely God that you can slap on the back, laugh, and tell Him a joke; the God that will condescend to anything and pal along with anybody. That kind of God is not the kind of God of the Bible. That is not the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; it is not the God that gave the law to Moses; it is not the God that led the children of Israel out of Egypt; it is not the God of Isaiah or David, John or Paul; it is not the God of Martin Luther or John Wesley; it is not the God of the Church. It is another kind of God, a soft God that will condescend to anything and overlook anything, with no spine and no character. That God is the divine teddy bear, the huge panda that everybody can cuddle to and coo about but they have no respect for Him because they have no concept of Him.

One Church Under God

I say that not only of a nation but also of a church. You say, “Oh well, every church has the same concept of God, every church knows about God; they read their Bible. They have a Christian concept of God.”
Our concept of God could be thought of as a river where we receive tributaries from everywhere—from books and unworthy songs and fiction and religious literature of various kind—until even a church that ought to be a sound, biblical church is a poor, anemic imitation. Our concept of God is likely to be down so that instead of thinking of God as He is—high and lofty, inhabiting eternity, He whose train fills the temple and who walks on the wings of the wind and makes the clouds His chariot—instead of our thinking about that high God, the God we know about or think about or conceive is a very much smaller God.
I believe in evangelism, but I have listened to evangelistic sermons that set forth a God I could not respect and would not want to go to heaven and live with for another few million eternities. I do not want to live with a God like that, the kind of God I have heard set forth in pitiful, nose-wringing, eye-drenching stories as though God were like one of us. The poor little undersized, small-minded preacher gets up and begins to chatter about a God he has made in his own image, and then I’m supposed to want to go to heaven and sit beside the throne of a God I could not respect on earth?
No, I want the God of the Old Testament and the God and Father of the New, or else I do not want to go to heaven. I would rather go somewhere in some neutral place. I have not courage enough to say I would rather go to hell, but maybe a limbo in between where I can stay as far as possible from these teddy bear gods that are being preached now and again.
Some have a lot against John Calvin. I do not go along with everything John Calvin believed, but there is one thing he did believe that I go along with. He had a high concept of God. He believed in God’s sovereignty—God high and lifted up. And so do I.
If we could find out exactly what a church thinks about God, we would know that church’s future. We would know where they are going for the next several years.

A. W. Tozer, And He Dwelt among Us: Teachings from the Gospel of John, ed. James L. Snyder (Ventura, CA: Regal, 2009), 205–207.