C. John Miller

Grace of Repentance

/ Dennis Griffith / 1 Comment

 

Today is Ash Wednesday. That does not mean much to many in my theological circles.  But for many other Christians it is a day that launches the Season leading to Easter – the Season of Lent.  This day is designated Ash Wednesday because of an ancient practice of marking believers with ashes as a symbol of repentance. 

Hopefully it is more than symblolic, but is also a reminder that, as Martin Luther said, “When Christ said ‘Repent’ he called for the entire lives of Believers to be lived out in repentance.” 

Repentance is a lost art.  Repentance is also a neglected practice.  I suspect that many assume repentance is someting to be avoided; that repentance is what we must do if we have sinned; but if we can avoid sin we have no need of repentance. 

Seems logical. Except it mischaracterizes the nature of sin.  Sin is not what we do, sin is the condition we have, whether we are aware of it or not.  I find helpful the old saying: “We are not sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners.”  Thus, as Luther suggested, the necessity of life lived out in repentance. 

Perhaps a better way of putting it might be that our lives should include repentance.  I say that because repentance never stands alone. Repentance should always accompany Faith; and Faith should always accompany Repentance.  They are two sides of the same coin of Gospel Christianity.

I like the way the old Puritan Thomas Watson says it:

“Faith and Repentance are the two wings by which we fly toward heaven.” 

I love the imagery. It shows us that our salvation involves not only our conversions (which, by the way, requires both Faith & Repentance), but is a sanctifying journey which requires us to grow in our awarenss of both our ungodliness and the greatness of the Gospel.  To have one wing longer than the other; or worse, to have only one wing, would be disastrous.  Try it for yourself.  Try flying one of those balsa wood planes, with one wing longer than the other and see how it flies.  But this is life without both Faith & Repentance.

Three books I have found helpful in shaping my understanding and appreciation of the need of ongoing repentance:

Repentance & 21st Century Man by C. John Miller

The Doctrine of Repentance by Thomas Watson

Repentance: The First Word of the Gospel by Richard Owen Roberts

Frontline Prayer

/ Dennis Griffith / 2 Comments

  

 Jack Miller, in his book Outgrowing the Ingrown Church, makes a distinction between two types of prayer meetings: Maintenance and Frontline. Miller confesses to having led both kinds in churches he  pastored. 

Here is how Miller describes each:

The Maintenance meeting was largely designed to maintain the the existing life and ministry of our congregation. Believers came to be edified by a Bible study that took up most of the hour and to pray for the internal needs of the church.  Expectancy seemed to be at a low ebb among the attenders, evidenced by the fact that none of us bothered to keep a record of prayers offered and answered. I also do not think that Christians came to this prayer meeting expecting to meet God in a life-changing encounter.”

“…The conception and format were designed more to preserve the status quo…” 

In other words, Miller is saying that people came to the meeting, perhaps out of a sense of duty, and perhaps a sincere priority. They may have acknowledged that God was present because, afterall, God said he would be. But they were not in any way effected because of God’s presence. And the prayers offered were probably from the sick list, and for some generic “blessing” on various ministries and programs.

On the other hand,

“By contrast, people came to the Frontline prayer meeting to be changed. They discovered what Augustine had emphasized, that man’s chief need is to fellowship with God, to find fulfillment in Him, and to experience the abiding presence of Jesus. (Psalm 27.4; Psalm 36.7-9; John 14.18-23; John 15.1-10)  So they came to be changed, and they were changed because Jesus kept his promise to be wherever two or three gather in his name. (Matthew 18.19-20)  From him they received grace to confess and forsake their sins, to be touched with his compassion for the lost, and to go forth to ‘put feet on their prayers’ through witnessing by words and deeds of love.”

“…The Frontline prayer assembly has a revolutionary purpose.  The prayer of those who attend it is summarized in the words: ‘Thy Kingdom Come’.  Their spirit imparted desire is to see the power of God’s kingdom revealed and to see the social segregation of the ‘turned-in’ church replaced by a welcoming community of faith and love.

Having spent most of his pastoral ministry leading the maintenance oriented church, and despearate to experience the presence of God, Miller “began to pray for the Spirit’s presence… with almost everything I did.  I especially began to pray with shameless boldness for his working in our prayer meeting.  I asked God to give us His Spirit that we would know how to pray, that our hearts would be surrendered to His missionary will, and that we would leave the prayer meeting freed of guilt and fear and ready to witness fearlessly for Christ.”

Frequently Miller asked God to visit the church and equip the people with three things:

1. His self-forgetting love for others.

2. his wisdom for praying specifically and intelligently

3. His boldness for prayer and risk-taking witness.

Miller says a Frontline Prayer Meeting itself becomes an expression of kingdom power when the following conditions are met:

1. Faith/Expectancy

A minimum of two or three believers gathered together to devote themsleves to prayer and confidently claim Jesus’ promise to be present with them. (Matthew 18.20; Acts 1.13-14; Acts 2.42)

2. Oneness of Purpose

A seeking of “agreement” (Matthew 18.19) or “one-mindedness” (Acts 1.14; Acts 2.1; Acts 4.24; Romans 15.5-6) on key subjects for prayer.

3. Authority

A humble but bold claiming of the authority of Jesus’ name in making requests of the Father. (Matthew 18.20; John 15.16; John 16.24)

4. Commitment

A surrender to the will of Christ as revealed in the Great Commission, and a willingness to take “risks” in obeying that will.  (Acts 1-4)

As our church, Walnut Hill Prebyterian, ventures into 40 Days of Prayer, on our journey toward becoming a House of Prayer, we would be wise to learn from Jack Miller’s insight and experience.

“Lord, be gracious to us, and shine your face upon us.”