We have all heard the saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” I, however, would like to amend it to say simply, “Time flies while you’re living.” Think about how quickly life goes by while we are living it. In my mind, I still think I am as young, strong, and trim as I was in my twenties and thirties. However, as soon as I try to run, or walk past a mirror, I realize that the thoughts in my mind and my reality have a bit of distance between them.

God spoke to the temporary nature of this life multiple times in His Word. The Psalmist said in Psalm 103, “ 15  As for man, his days are like grass—he blooms like a flower of the field; 16  when the wind passes over it, it vanishes, and its place is no longer known.” These words are true. Other than close family and friends, for the vast majority of people who have ever lived on the earth, they will only be remembered for a generation or two after their death. John wrote these words in his first epistle: “And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does God’s will remains forever (1 John 2:17).”

When I think about the fact that I have more time in my rearview mirror than I have in my front windshield and about how quickly time has passed, I am encouraged to spend the rest of my days serving the Lord because I know that each day I wake up I am one day closer to eternity with Him. We must fight against the passage of time being a source of discouragement and depression. The greatest tool I know to aid us in this fight is to remind ourselves daily of the reality of eternity in God’s presence through faith in Jesus Christ. We are not waiting to obtain eternal life. If we are in Christ, we have eternal life now! We should not view the passage of time as the removal of days to live, but, rather as the drawing closer of life in fullness.

Imagine how awesome it will be when we no longer hurt, cry, or feel sadness, guilt, and regret. Imagine how awesome it will be when we are in the presence of Almighty God in a similar fashion as Adam and Eve were in the Garden. Imagine how awesome it will be when temporal indicators no longer seem to matter because each moment will be one more infinite moment in the eternal now of the blessedness of God’s glory.

May you draw strength from the reality of eternity in God’s presence. May you draw strength from the reality of the risen Christ reigning in your hearts and lives now and forever. Thank you, Jesus, for being our risen Lord of Lords and King of Kings!Pastor Clint Miller

Growing up, my mother used to refer to Tuesdays as “Poor Little Tuesday.” She did that
because Monday was the first day of the week, Wednesday was hump day, Thursday
was the day before Friday, and Friday was Friday. But Tuesday was just “Poor Little
Tuesday:” nothing exciting about Tuesday. As I grew older and started playing football,
Tuesday became known as “Bloody Tuesday.” Tuesdays were the days during the
season where we went full pads, full contact, full scrimmage. Tuesdays were the
hardest practices of the week, hence “Bloody Tuesday.”

Usually, perspective and reality frame our understanding of events. As a child, my
perspective was that there was very little excitement associated with Tuesdays. As a
teenager, my reality was that Tuesdays were hard. I would like to propose one more
metric for understanding events in our lives: faith. As I look back over my life and
consider all the times when I thought a situation had very little excitement and or when I
was going through a very difficult experience, I can see now that God was there with me
all along working, moving, and shaping my character and soul through the mundane
and the monumental.

Seeing God’s sovereign, providential hand and sweet, paternal heart for me is an
insight that has taken many years for me to gain, understand, and appreciate. Seeing
God’s tender care for me and tenacious control of redemptive history are truths that
comfort and calm me in the most stressful situations of life. As a grown man I appreciate
the “Poor Little Tuesdays” of life far more than I did as a child. Likewise, as a grown
man I do not go to pieces as quickly or as often over the “Bloody Tuesdays” of life as I
did as a younger person. Life has a way of teachings us, tricking us, or tackling us. The
difference between these three results is the faith, or lack thereof, that we have in Christ
and in His sovereign, providential, affection for His children. Knowing that God the
Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have been unfolding the pactum salutis
perfectly throughout my entire life brings a sense of stability that cannot be eclipsed or
replicated by anything in this universe.

As you face the monotony of “Poor Little Tuesday” or the monsters of “Bloody Tuesday”
never forget that Almighty God is with you, for you, and in you. He will never leave you
nor forsake you. Read these two verses of Scripture and let them be the anchor of your
soul and the bedrock of your life. Joshua 1:9   Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and
courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you
wherever you go.” Romans 8:28   We know that all things work together for the good of
those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose. Thank you Jesus
for redeeming our perspective and reality.
Pastor Clint Miller

“I love you.” Three little words that hold our world together. Normally, when we hear the words “I love you,” we immediately think about family and friends. The love of family and friends is, indeed, delightful and necessary for a full, healthy life. Nevertheless, there is a source of love that is even more foundational to not only healthy life, but to the very existence of life: the love of God.

Theologians refer to it as “Common Grace.” Google’s AI Overview does a good job of explaining the concept of common grace: “a theological concept describing God's undeserved kindness and general blessings bestowed on all humanity (believers and unbelievers alike) through earthly life, restraining evil and allowing for societal flourishing, distinct from "special grace" which leads to salvation. It explains why good things, talents, and general order exist in the world despite sin, enabling people to enjoy creation, pursue arts, sciences, and build societies, while highlighting God's goodness and providing a basis for Christians to engage with the world.” Without God’s common grace, stemming from His loving character, the world would instantly and violently degenerate and devolve into the worst dystopian disaster you could imagine as sin and satan would be totally unrestrained. However, God’s loving character and nature motivate Him to put restraints on evil and to send blessings on the entire cosmos. Jesus talked about this notion in Matthew 5:45b: For [God] causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. King David spoke about this notion as well in Psalm 145:9: The Lord is good to everyone; His compassion rests on all He has made.

As we move into February and enjoy Valentine’s Day, let us remember that without God’s loving character and amazing grace we would be doomed. However, we do not have to stop with common grace. Due to God’s loving nature, He has provided His people with special, saving grace in addition to common grace. This special, saving grace is seen clearly in the person and work of Jesus Christ. We read about this saving grace in John 1:16-17: 16 Indeed, we have all received grace after grace from His fullness, 17 for the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Likewise, Paul speaks of this specifical, saving grace in Ephesians 1:7-8: 7 We have redemption in Him through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. May we never forget the greatest display of love in the history of history: God’s gift of His own Son in place of sinners. May Romans 5:8 be burned into our minds and bind our hearts throughout eternity: But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!
-Pastor Clint Miller

Happy New Year! The year was 1979. The day was Monday, December 31. I was 5 years old, and my brother told me the most sobering truth I had heard in my short life: “You will never be able to live in 1979 again.” I remember my response, “Really, why not?” My brother explained to me that time is linear and once the day has passed there is no way to relive it. Of course, his response was phrased in the argot of a 7-year-old. Now, 46 years later, the linear nature of time and the inexorable passage of time strikes hard at those wishing for a brief pause in chronometry. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and now the New Years have come and gone. We are now 26 years past the dreaded Y2K meltdown. Time marches on and does not stop for anyone or anything.
 
 Well, that may not be correct exactly. There was one time in the history of time in which time stood still. Israel and Gibeon had made peace and formed an alliance. Five of the surrounding kings formed an alliance and attacked Gibeon. Gibeon turned to Israel for help. God blessed Israel and Gibeon and gave them victory. In the midst of this battle, we read the following: Joshua 10:12-14 12 On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” 13 And the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance on its enemies. Isn’t this written in the Book of Jashar? So the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed its setting almost a full day. 14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man, because the Lord fought for Israel.

            To think about the unstoppable being stopped, the unassailable being assailed, and the undeniable being denied is amazing. God did what no one else has done nor will ever do: God stopped time. There have been so many times in my life when I wished God would stop time; but, no such stoppage occurred. The miracle of God on that day in the Valley of Aijalon reminds us of two great truths: God is sovereign but time conquerors humanity. The only reality I know that keeps me from becoming depressed, cynical, and jaded by the latter truth is that Jesus Christ will culminate linear time and bring His people into an eternal state of hope, peace, and joy at His Return.

            As we enter into another year, never forget that the indomitable tyranny of linear time will be fully vanquished when Jesus descends once more and restores the created cosmos to a pre-fall garden-like state. Regardless of what tragedies or triumphs may be in store for 2026, never forget that this current realm of existence is not our forever home. God has so much more in store for those who love Jesus. John caught a glimpse of eternal glory in the Revelation. Due to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, John beheld this certain reality in its full consummation: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea no longer existed. 2 I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look! God’s dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away (Revelation 21:1-4).

Thank You Jesus, You have defeated the undefeatable foe!-Pastor Clint Miller

Eleven months have passed, one month remains for 2025. Sadly, we have lost a number of good people during these elven months. A quarter of a century has passed since the turn of the new millennium. So many people in my family, among my classmates and friends, and from my churches have passed away since the Y2K scare. The world is definitely a different place today than it was 25 years ago. Yet, one thing remains the same: the sun rises every morning and sets every night. Every morning we are reminded of the goodness and grace of our God. Jesus noted the common grace of God in Matthew 5:45: For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  As we wind up 2025, think back over the past eleven months and reflect upon God’s goodness and grace to you. Think back over the past eleven months to the stressful times when you wondered how you were going to make it through and how things would turn out. Think back over the past eleven months and ponder the lessons learned and the areas of growth in your character, faith, and life. Even though time passes by ever so quickly and never takes a break, the goodness of God is a constant that holds His people firm throughout every day of our lives.

As we enter the busy Christmas season let’s not forget that we have a God who is constantly pouring out blessing upon blessing on His people and on those who do not even believe in His existence. Every morning the atheist, the Muslim, and the satanist wake up they feel the warmth of the sun. That warmth is a gift from God. For those of us who know God personally through faith in Christ, that warmth should be a reminder of the truth that is captured in Paul’s question in Romans 8:31: If God is for us who can be against us? The God who created and controls the sun has demonstrated His great love for His people in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Every morning you see the sun remind yourself of the greatest and grace revealed to us in Romans 5:8.

The truth of Christmas that not only radically challenges and changes the world but continually calms the individual is the fact that Almighty God stepped into time and space through the incarnation of Jesus Christ. The gift and blessing of Jesus Christ go beyond common grace to saving grace. As the angel told the shepherd long ago in Luke 2:11, Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. Every morning, when you see the sun, may you be reminded of the greatest gift and blessing God has ever given to the world; may you be reminded of Jesus.
-Pastor Clint Miller

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! God has been so good to Bethel Baptist Church this year. May we praise Him passionately from our heads and hearts. The Psalmist could hardly contain his joy when he thought about the goodness of his God in Psalm 100: 1  Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth. 2  Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. 3  Acknowledge that Yahweh is God. He made us, and we are His —His people, the sheep of His pasture. 4  Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. 5  For Yahweh is good, and His love is eternal; His faithfulness endures through all generations.

As we examine verse 5, we find three reasons why the psalmist praised God. We might say that there were three aspects of God’s character that the psalmist praised. One, Yahweh is good. The name Yahweh is the proper name of God. It is the name God gives himself at the burning bush. The great I Am. So, we see that the God who reveals Himself to His people is good. The word “good” means good in the in the widest sense possible. It means good, agreeable, pleasant, sweet. In other words, God is good in every way imaginable. The God we worship, follow, love, and trust is good. No matter what we see, hear, read, observe, or even how we feel, we can have confidence that God is good in every conceivable way. Two, God’s love is eternal. The word translated “love” really has the idea of kindness or mercy. We’ve all known people who are kind and people who are unkind. There is a definite difference between those who are kind and those who are unkind. The psalmist says that God is kind. He is merciful. He will always be this way. I’m so glad that God never has a bad day. I’m so thankful that God is never moody or pouty. I’m so glad I do not have to wonder if it is a good time to approach God. Three, God’s faithfulness endures through all generations. The idea here is of the trustworthiness of God. We can count on God to be faithful to His Word. If God says it, we can believe it. The God that your momma and grand momma loved, trusted, followed, and served is the same God that you and your children and grandchildren can love, trust, follow, and serve.

In light of these three character attributes of our great, good, gracious God, the psalmist said our praise of Him and thanksgiving to Him should be three-fold. One, our thanksgiving to God should be public. We are to shout, serve, and sing. In verse 1 the psalmists says, “Shout triumphantly to the LORD, all the earth.” Some translations say make a joyful noise to the LORD. Whether you translate it “shout” or “noise,” the meaning does not change. The meaning is volume. We are to vocally proclaim our joyful thanksgiving to the Lord. Two, our thanksgiving to God should be personal. In verse 3 the psalmist says to know that Yahweh is God. We need to know who our God is. We need to have the head knowledge of God. We must know the facts of the faith. The psalmist wants us to know that the mighty creator God is also our tender Father. Please do not miss the opportunities you have at Bethel Baptist Church to learn more about God and the faith. We need to know God with our heads AND with our hearts. The psalmist said in verse 3 that God has made us, and we are His—His people, the sheep of his pasture. This imagery includes a tender, personal, experiential feeling. It’s not just head knowledge, and it’s not experience absent biblical knowledge. It’s both. We must know and experience the God who reveals Himself in the Bible. And from this personal knowledge we can’t help but praise Him and thank Him. Three, we are to thank God passionately. In verse 4 the psalmist says, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name.” If this is indeed a post-exilic psalm, then we can imagine how much passion and excitement must have been in the Jewish people when they entered the temple complex once again after being held in captivity for 70 years. Even though the temple and the city walls needed help, they were home; they were back; they were out of captivity; and they were filled with passion, joy, and excitement.

In light of our great High Priest Jesus Christ, we can boldly enter God’s presence anytime day or night. No person under the Old Covenant would have ever conceived of this intimacy with God. Therefore, may we never look like we are eating corn out of a coke bottle when we come to BBC and praise and worship our great God. May we always be filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory

-Pastor Clint Miller

I was listening to a podcast this morning (September 16th) about current political events, and I found it odd that the hosts did not have anything to say about the murder of Charlie Kirk. May God bless and comfort Kirk’s family and friends! Towards the end of the podcast one of the hosts mentioned that they were recording the podcast on September 9th. The podcast was released on September 15th. I was listening to it the next day after its release.
            Once the host stated the date of recording, their silence on the Kirk murder made perfect sense: the murder happened the next day. However, this incident made me think about all of our lives. We truly do not know for certain what will happen tomorrow. For that matter, we do not know for certain what will happen in the next 10 minutes. The uncertainty of life is truly one of the most certain aspects of our lives. Yet, most of us never give a lot of thought to the fragility and brevity of our lives.
James spoke to this reality in his epistle. He noted how we can arrogantly and from a position of entitlement make plans without ever thinking about God or His will. He wrote, “13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” 14 You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes. 15 Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:13-15). Jesus gave a parable with very similar concepts in Luke 12: 16 Then He told them a parable: “A rich man’s land was very productive. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops? 18 I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. 19 Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’ 21 “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
As I think about the brevity and fragility of human life and these words from Holy Writ, I find myself feeling convicted and comforted at the same time. May we never make big plans or even small plans without being completely aware of who we are as followers of Christ and whose we are as followers of Christ. May we seek His will for our lives and for every individual moment and decision from which the sum determines and describes our life. Likewise, as we make decisions, both big and small, fully aware of the uncertainty of our near and far future, may Jesus’ word always be our greatest source of hope, peace, joy, comfort, and strength: “27 My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand” (John 10:27-29).

-Pastor Clint Miller

As I type this month's newsletter article we are five days away from the kickoff of college football! My house is definitely a house divided. My Dawgs start the season with the powerhouse Marshall squad out of West Virginia. Tammy's team starts with a different type of opponent. Nevertheless, both of us will be glued to the television cheering on our teams.
For many of us, few events in life rival the emotion, pageantry, and at times heartbreak of college football. We can go from sheer, ecstatic joy to complete misery and despair all based on the leg of a 20-year-old kicker. At some point in the past, I made the decision that I was not going to let the outcome of a college football game ruin my day, my week, my year, or my life. I do not play, coach, or contribute financially to the University of Georgia in any capacity. I still, however, thoroughly love college football season; but there are far more important things in life to worry about than a bunch of young men playing a sport. That being said, "GO DAWGS!"
So, if college football is not worth affecting our lives in a major way, what is? The older I get, the more I realize that basically two things matter in life: Faith and Family. Jesus posed the thought-provoking question in Mark 8:36: What good is it for a person to gain the entire world and yet lose their soul? Money certainly makes us feel secure, but is that a false sense of security? What good is money when that dreaded "T-word" is used: terminal? What good is money when we lose the love of our life? In these soul-rattling moments of life a firm knowledge of Christ and His bigness and beauty will give us peace and security in ways that money never will. The Apostle Paul told us what we should give our lives to in 1 Corinthians 10:31: Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God's glory. He reiterated this sentiment in Colossians 3:17: And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Ultimately, what I'm describing is what Jesus termed the "greatest commandment" in Matthew 22:36-38. ³⁶ "Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?" ³⁷ He said to him, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" ³⁸ This is the greatest and most important command.
After our faith in Christ is firm and the health of our soul is secure the only other thing that really matters is our family. The state of the modern family in many instances is heart-breaking. The world has no credible answers to offer families true, lasting hope or help. But God and His Word is full of solid truth that will lead to healthy, happy, holy families. May you purpose in your heart to repeat and abide by the words of Joshua so many years ago: "But if it doesn't please you to worship Yahweh, choose for yourselves today the one you will worship: the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my family, we will worship Yahweh." (Joshua 24:15)
Whenever the Lord calls me home, I want to be able to look back over my life and see that I remained faithful to God and His calling on my life, and I want to see my wife and children resting in the peace that comes from knowing Christ. As your pastor, that is my prayer for you as well. May God bless you, and may you find your greatest hope, peace, and joy in Jesus!

-Pastor Clint Miller

         Strength, power, and authority are highly sought after in our world. Many wars have been fought over and because of these three realities. Ironically, peace and compliance often come through the aggressive use of force. Imagine being so strong and powerful and having so much authority that literally every single person on the planet irresistibly bows down before you and calls you “Lord!” Is there anyone with this much gravitas? Is there anyone worthy of such acclamation? Is there anyone who could handle such a position without demonstrating Dalberg-Acton’s maxim, absolute power corrupts absolutely?
The answer is “Yes!” The Apostle Paul talks about the incredible exaltation of Jesus Christ in Philippians 2:9-11: For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. However, this amazing position of authority and dignity did not come through military conquest or political machinations. The exaltation of Jesus Christ was the result of His humble, sacrificial obedience to the will of God the Father. Look at what Paul wrote immediately before describing Jesus’ great strength, power, and authority in Philippians 2:6-8: [Christ Jesus], existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead, He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross. We must never forget that verses 6-8 are the antecedent for this reason in verse 9.
As the world plots and plans, schemes and scams, and seeks to seize power and authority through the aggressive use of force, as followers of Christ, let us be gentle, humble, and determined to be obedient to the will and Word of God. In doing so, we can be confident that God sees, hears, and knows about our humble acts of obedience. Likewise, we can be confident that God will not abandon us or allow our obedience to go unrewarded. Let us remember another great statement from the Apostle Paul in Galatians 6:9-10: So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith. As the world desperately, often destructively, seeks to grasp and maintain power and authority through strength, let us take refuge in the One who has already earned the highest praise, honor, and authority through humble submission. As the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 2:5, Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, let us seek to reflect the revivifying light of the world in a very dark, desperate time as we seek to emulate Christ’s humble obedience in our daily lives.

-Pastor Clint Miller

             Tucker Carlson recently asked Senator Ted Cruz a seemingly simple question on his podcast: What is Israel? The question stemmed from Cruz’s attempt to use Genesis 12:3 as rationale for the USA bombing Iran. For some, this question may not appear difficult to answer. However, as Cruz’s answer and Carlson’s pushback demonstrated, the answer is not quite so simple. Tucker asked the question, Is the current political government of Israel the same thing as the OT descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? In other words, is there extreme congruity between the twelve tribes stemming from Jacob in the Old Testament and the present nation of Israel founded in 1948? The obvious answer, from Tucker’s perspective, is no. Once one becomes aware of the various backgrounds of modern-day “Jews” and understands the various realities of Sephardic and Ashkenazi lineages and intermarrying over 2,000 years, one may understand Tucker’s hesitancy to equate modern day Israel with the twelve tribes stemming from Jacob’s sons. So, what may appear to be a question with a simple answer, turns out to be quite controversial.
Another seemingly simple question on the surface that turns out to have a wide variety of answers is, What is worship? The Lexham Theological Workbook defines worship as the “awed response to the saving acts and praiseworthy character of God.” This definition clearly ties worship to the Gospel and character of God. I would agree whole hardily that worship is intricately and inseparably linked to the Gospel and the character of God. Therefore, one must ask, should church worship be designed for the unbeliever or for the believer? How can an unbeliever actually worship a God they are at enmity with because of their unregenerate nature? The Easton’s Bible Dictionary adds another important element to the definition of worship: “Worship is homage rendered to God which is sinful to render to any other created being.” Given this aspect of the definition of worship, one struggles to understand the mindset of “I like that kind of worship” or “I don’t like that kind of worship.” Worship isn’t directed to us. Worship is directed to God.
Worship is proclaiming the great worth, value, and praiseworthy nature of God in light of His saving acts performed on behalf of His covenantal people. This truth is not meant to be pedantic or bellicose. This truth is meant to be instructive and beneficial to our personal faith and church life. When we worship God, we are not only strengthening our mind, soul, and body, but we are strengthening our entire church.
The Scripture is replete with passages commanding God’s people to worship Him. Psalm 95:6 states, Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. The Apostle Paul stated in Romans 12:1, I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. And Jesus said in John 4:23, But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. These three verses show us that worship is inextricably connected and directed to God.
As Pastor Justin Thompson joins us in August as our new Worship Pastor may we all welcome him by turning our hearts towards God and directing our praise towards Him. The greatest gift a congregation can give their new pastor is to truly love, serve, and worship God. May we not expect Pastor Justin to worship God for us; rather, may we ask Justin to help us proclaim God’s great worth to Him.
Even if the definition of worship is not as simple as one might think, may we never forget that worship is primarily vertical in action and horizontal in corporate benefit. As we praise God for His character and saving acts, we not only find great hope, peace, and joy as individual Christians, but we find strength and unity as a church.

-Pastor Clint Miller

  The Enlightenment was a philosophical and intellectual movement in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries that had profound effects in theological and political arenas. The movement has been summarized by the phrase, “The Age of Reason.” Two epistemological views, Empiricism and Rationalism, shaped The Enlightenment significantly. Francis Bacon is strongly associated with Empiricism. Bacon and his followers expressed the importance of experience and observation in acquiring knowledge. René Descartes is strongly associated with Rationalism. Descartes and his followers expressed the importance of reason in acquiring knowledge. The acquisition of knowledge, how do we know what we know, is the primary concern of epistemology.
Now, if you’re still reading, we need to recognize the importance of the Enlightenment on our world today. Virtually all Western revolutions and movements for freedom flowed out of the Enlightenment. In addition, the Industrial Revolution and technological explosion were results of Enlightenment thinking. So, one would have a hard time dismissing the impact of the Enlightenment on contemporary existence. However, despite the great strides for freedom, economic advancement, and technological development, the Enlightenment has produced a mixed bag of results socially. Science and engineering developed new ways of producing energy to supply electricity to millions of people through nuclear fission, making life much more enjoyable. Nevertheless, this positive utility of nuclear energy was preceded by a rather deleterious use of the new technology: Hiroshima and Nagasaki. So, the Enlightenment led to many great advancements but failed to address the most basic, fundamental problem with humanity, a sinful heart. Until the sinful heart of humanity is addressed, the Post-Enlightenment world will continue to be a mixed bag of technological advancements and human destruction.
As stated above, much of the Enlightenment was a matter of epistemology. Bacon and Descartes would have benefited greatly from reading Cornelius Van Til, had he been alive during their day. Van Til strongly believed that nothing could be known unless the Triune God of the Bible could be known. Likewise, Van Til believed that profound epistemological differences existed   between regenerate and unregenerate individuals. Solomon seemed to agree: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline (Proverbs 1:7).  Solomon went on to say, For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:6). Furthermore, the Apostle Paul made a profound epistemological statement in Colossians 2:3: All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in [Christ].
The point of this discourse is simple: without God’s general revelation in creation and His special relation through His Word, His Son, and His Spirit, the mind of humanity may expand, but the heart of humanity remains tragically, fatally flawed. An expanded human mind with a corrupt human heart may very well lead to technological advancements that will support an off-world   option for human existence, but will such technology have time to develop if the on-world population destroys one another first? Only heart-transformation wrought through the person and work of Jesus Christ can enable humanity to safely, humanely steward what the mind can reason, and the senses can observe. Despite the optimism of Bacon’s empiricism and Descartes' rationalism to develop an understanding of the natural world and humanity’s place in it, God’s great New Covenant promise given through Ezekiel six centuries before the time of Christ is still the most significant shaping factor of society: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).

-Pastor Clint Miller

   I made a commitment at the end of 2024 to read through the Bible in 2025. So far, I am up to date on my reading plan. Reading through the Bible in a year is not the only way a person can read Scripture privately, but it is a good way to familiarize yourself with the entirety of God’s Word.
I just recently finished Judges in my Old Testament reading. Two truths caught my attention as I read through Judges. First, the people of Israel were incredibly, seemingly incurably bent on idolatry. For example, Judges 2:11-13 states, 11 The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. They worshiped the Baals 12 and abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods from the surrounding peoples and bowed down to them. They infuriated the Lord, 13 for they abandoned Him and worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths. Very similar remarks are stated multiple times throughout the book. Each time they turned away from their God to lesser gods things did not go well for them. Virtually every time Israel walked into idolatry they ended up in servitude to a foreign, pagan nation. May we never think we can get a better deal than the one God offers us. In John 14:21, Jesus said, The one who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. And the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father. I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him.” No greater blessing exists than to see Jesus clearly and to be satisfied with Him completely.
The second truth that caught my attention as I read through Judges was the importance of godly leadership. When Israel had a godly judge, who upheld the Word of God and demanded their purity in the worship of God, the nation flourished. However, when Israel lost their godly judge or had ungodly judges the people routinely trended towards idolatry and eventually ended up in servitude.
As I thought about this pattern in Israel millennia ago, I was reminded of the value of pastoral leadership, deacon leadership, and lay leadership within a local church. Likewise, the value of personal, familial leadership within the home cannot be overstated. As we approach the end of the school year and the beginning of summer let’s strive to be good, godly leaders in the realm and over the sphere of influence God has sovereignly placed us in currently. Look at what was said about King David’s leadership: He shepherded them with a pure heart and guided them with his skillful hands (Psalm 78:72). May we too lead with a pure heart and skillful hands!

-Pastor Clint Miller

       “April showers bring May flowers.” I have heard this saying for as long as I can   remember. For the most part, I do not enjoy rainy days. The rain often washes out our plans for anything outside. However, we need rain! After a few weeks without rain, we are all praying for rain. Without the rain we would not be able to enjoy the beauty of the flowers and a host of other agricultural products. Therefore, the temporary aggravation and   disruption of the rain is a vital necessity for life. God brings forth sustenance and life through the rain.
Now, let’s use the rain as a metaphor for the struggles, difficulties, disappointments, sicknesses, and even loss of loved ones we all encounter in our lives. None of us, if we are emotionally and psychologically healthy, enjoy these types of events. We hurt when we hurt. We are sad when we are sad. We are stressed when we are under stress. And we are scared when we face fearful situations. However, if we can understand that God not only uses the blessings and beautiful things in life to grow us, but He also uses the painful things in life to grow us, then we can approach the struggles, difficulties, disappointments, sicknesses, and even times of bereavement from a different perspective.  Yes, we still hurt; yes, we still experience sadness; yes, we still feel the stress of the situation; and yes, we may still feel a sense of fear. But underneath the hurt, sadness, stress, and fear lies a firm foundation that holds us together. Furthermore, underneath the hurt, sadness, stress, and fear lies an eternal river of glory that nourishes us with supernatural hope, peace, and joy that nothing else in the created order can replicate. What is this river’s secret sauce? It is God’s very own glory emanating from His sublime presence.
The Apostle Paul was a man who experienced many rainy days. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul lists some of his troubles: ... with far more labors, many more imprisonments, far worse beatings, near death many times. 24 Five times I received 39 lashes from Jews. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods by the Romans. Once I was stoned by my enemies. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. 26 On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the open country, dangers on the sea, and dangers among false brothers; 27 labor and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and lacking clothing. 28 Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my care for all the churches. That is some rain! Nevertheless, the Apostle Paul found his footing and an unrelenting source of strength that could only be described as divine. What was Paul’s flower that grew big and beautiful after the rain? An unobstructed view of the glory of God! In 2 Corinthians 12 Paul noted that he had a vision of God unlike others. This vision gave him insider information about the splendor and gravity of God. In addition, it gave him an opportunity for pride. Thus, in God’s grace, God gave him a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble and fully reliant upon God. This thorn must have been sharp and long because Paul begged God three times to take it away, but God refused. In His grace, however, God gave Paul a reason for leaving the thorn: 9 But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. 10 So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
The greatest source of hope, peace, and joy in this world is seeing God clearly and being satisfied with Him completely. So often in our lives, the rain helps wash away all the obstacles obscuring our view of our great big, beautiful God. For that, we say, “Thank you God for the rain!      

-Pastor Clint Miller

        YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS!
On March 28th and 29th Bethel Baptist Church will host the Reclaiming the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible Conference. This conference will be an in-depth look into God’s Word as it pertains to supernatural and spiritual realities. The Conference will begin on Friday night at 6:00PM. We will have 3 sessions on Friday night. The Conference will resume Saturday morning at 9:00AM. We will have 4 sessions on Saturday morning. This conference will be an intense time of study, learning, and discussion. You will see biblical truths you have never seen before in God’s Word. You will learn truths that will help you not only understand God’s Word more fully but will explain the motivations behind many current events.
Rudolf Bultmann was a prominent German theologian in the Twentieth Century. Although Bultmann was a critic of theological liberalism, ironically, he ultimately ended up in the same place as many of the theological liberals of his day: heresy! Bultmann is famous for his demythologizing approach to Scripture. He felt like many of the miraculous, supernatural stories in the Bible were made up by the early church. Such supernatural, miraculous stories are not consistent with modern man’s worldview dependent upon science and reason, according to Bultmann. Obviously, Bultmann was a product of the Enlightenment. He taught that the ultimate truth of Scripture, the kernel, was enwrapped in a husk of myth. Thus, to get to the kernel of biblical truth, the interpreter had to remove the husk of myth—thus demythologizing Scripture. This belief led Bultmann to reject much of Scripture, especially the supernatural portions.
Most Evangelicals would reject Bultmann and label demythologizing Scripture very problematic, if not outright heretical. Rightfully so. However, the hangover of Bultmann still exists in many Evangelical circles. Ironically, a growing trend among Evangelicals, seems to be an inherent reticence towards supernatural interpretations of many passages in Scripture. Although the motivation may not be articulated explicitly, the desire for credibility within the secular academy has led many Evangelical scholars to buffet their interpretations by modern scientific and rational limits. Such practice has led to a rejection of the clear reading of Scripture in many instances. Talk of Nephilim, demonic possession, and the like is often rejected out of hand by scholars and pastors alike. Seeking to understand the worldview of the biblical writers finds little acceptance and welcome in many pulpits; as a desire for life-application has eroded any interest in original, historical context. As a result, many people in church today have a completely individualized, pragmatic view of Christianity. In addition, many Christians in church today have no concept of the metanarrative of Scripture.  This approach will never sustain church growth and personal sanctification in an increasingly hostile environment.
Reclaiming the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible Conference seeks to push back on the tendency to reject supernatural, spiritual interpretations of a plain reading of Scripture. The conference will set forth the historical and literary context of the Bible as the primary guiding principle for biblical hermeneutics. Thus, as I have stated numerous times, a historical-grammatical, redemptive, typological hermeneutic is needed to fully understand and appreciate God’s great redemptive plan for history.

-Pastor Clint Miller

         Sometimes we read texts, emails, articles, and books in light of how we are feeling and attribute our perspective onto the words we are seeing. When we do this, we can truly misunderstand and   misrepresent the intention of the writer. For example, read this statement, “I love you.” What do you think when you read that? How do you feel?
         Usually, when I hear or read someone say that they love me I draw one of four conclusions. One, they really, genuinely love me and are concerned about my welfare. Two, they are nice people and are saying something nice to me. Perhaps they have love in their heart for me as a human, but not the kind of love a parent has for a child or a husband has for his wife. Three, they are simply full of baloney and are just saying something to be saying it. Four, they say it in a mocking way, when, in reality, they dislike me or even have disdain for me. Now, to be fair, in most instances, the first two are the true, proper conclusions to draw. Nevertheless, the latter two could be true in certain situations. Context and relationship seem to be the deciding factor as to ascertaining the intended meaning of the phrase, “I love you.”
Read this verse and think about how it makes you feel: Romans 5:8 But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! The context of this statement surrounded Paul’s explanation of Christians’ justification in Christ. The Christian is declared “not guilty” when they turn in faith to Jesus Christ. Roman 5:1 Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Furthermore, Paul made the point that God’s love has been poured out in believers’ hearts through the Holy Spirit (vs. 5). In addition, he noted that even though the ungodly (which is all of us apart from saving faith in Christ) were totally helpless, Jesus died for them (us) at the appointed moment (vs 6). That appointed moment was described by Paul in Galatians 4 as the fullness of time coming together in the First Advent of Jesus. Now, with this context in mind, Paul’s statement that God loves us does not hang in thin air. God has demonstrated and proven His love for His people with real action. Furthermore, after 40 plus years of loving and following Jesus, I have a real, genuine personal relationship with Him. I am far from perfect and have numerous moments of need of God’s grace, but I cannot see myself ever denying God’s love for me in Christ. I cannot dream of a situation where I would deny my Lord and Savior. His words sound so true to me because of the relationship I have with Him.
As we enter February and start buying Valentine cards and gifts, let’s remember that words of love without context and relationship can sound hollow and even duplicitous. Therefore, let’s strive to build real relationships with people in our lives. Let’s strive to demonstrate our love for others with real, concrete acts of kindness and service. And as always, let’s remember and find our greatest joy and comfort in the love that God has demonstrated to us in real action in Christ.
I truly love you and am blessed beyond measure to be your pastor. Please contact me if I can help you. Happy Valentine’s Day and may God Bless You!!

-Pastor Clint Miller

Of all the holidays on the calendar, New Years perplexes me the most. I say the same thing every year, “I can’t believe it’s already New Years. It seems like last year just began.” Time flies whether we are having fun or not.
Young people do not always ponder deeply the passage of time. Sure, they count down the days till Christmas or their birthdays or the end of school, but they do not always seem to understand that every day lived is one day closer to death. This statement may sound morbid or negative, but I do not mean it to sound that way. I mean it to sound like truth, because it is true. The Bible has much to say about the brevity of life and the certainty of death. Job said, “Our days on earth are but a shadow” (Job 8:9). Psalms is full of lyrics that remind the reader of the transience of life. Psalm 39:4-5 says, “4 Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. 5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.” Psalm 90:10 says, “Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” Psalm 103:15-16 says, “15 The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; 16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.” And of course, James famously says, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14).
Again, I am not trying to be negative, morbid, or cynical. I am trying to take an honest look at what God’s Word has to say about our life span, coupled with honest observations as I see old friends on social media. Wow, some of them have not aged well! (I wonder how many say that about me?)
The reality of the passage of time causes me to draw two primary conclusions as we enter 2025. One, I do not want to waste a single day of my life living in disobedience to God or in lack of awareness of God. Sadly, there are times when I am guilty of both of these failures, but I do not want that to be the case. God is so much better and greater than sin and temporary realities in this realm. Likewise, I truly find my greatest satisfaction in life when I am worshipping God and contemplating His bigness and beauty as I study His Word. As 2025 begins, please make a concerted effort to live in obedience to God and in awareness of God. For some reading this article, 2025 will be the last year in this realm of existence. Please don’t waste it.
Two, I want to maximally leverage my life for God’s glory and the growth of His kingdom. The reality for many of us is that we have more scenes in our rearview mirror than we have in front of our windshield. God is worthy of our time, talents, and treasures. I want to passionately serve God faithfully throughout 2025 because anything otherwise would be settling for less than the best. We are truly filled with a peace that passes all understanding when we honestly and passionately seek our greatest pleasure in Him. Simply put, God is worthy of our lives. May we remember throughout 2025 that God is most glorified when we are most satisfied with Him.
As we begin a new year, may Paul’s Words guide our thoughts, words, and deeds: “15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:15-21).
I love you. I am truly blessed to be your pastor. I look forward to serving and worshipping the Lord with you in 2025.

-Pastor Clint Miller

If you were asked to explain Christmas to someone who had never heard of it what would you say? What would you tell someone who had never heard about Christmas? Would you start with family, food, and fun? Or would you start with faith? For so many, they would explain Christmas as a holiday where family is emphasized. I love my family. I highly value family. God has created the family as a bedrock of society. But Christmas is not primarily about family. For others, they would explain Christmas as a holiday for giving presents to those they care about. I enjoy giving and receiving gifts as much as anyone. However, Christmas is not primarily about giving or receiving presents. Less, but some, would explain Christmas in terms of all the fun surrounding Santa Clause, decorating the tree, and Christmas decorations and lights. I love the beauty of how Ms. Tammy transforms our house into a Christmas village every year. Nevertheless, Christmas is not primarily about all the fun and enjoyment Ms. Tammy’s decorations bring to me.
            Christmas is primarily about Christ. Christmas is the day we chose to celebrate the birth of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Christmas is the truth revealed by an angel of the Lord to the shepherds in the fields 2 millennia ago: “But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:  Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.” (Luke 2:10-11)
If we analyze the angel’s words closely, we find four main truths being expressed. First, Christmas should be the season and day we thank God that He has given us hope and healing for all causes of fear. The angel’s first words were “don’t be afraid.” The world is so full of scary realities. The good news, however, is the fact that Jesus said in John 16:33 that He had overcome the world. Do not ever forget that Jesus Christ is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and still on the throne! This world has no power over Jesus. Second, Christmas is the season and day that we thank God for the good news that is offered to the entire world. God does not segregate people based on race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or socio-economic status. God’s people come from all walks of life from all over the globe. This fact is truly good news. Read John’s words as he saw the results of this good news: “After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were robed in white with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:9-10) Third, Christmas is the season and day we rejoice in the fact that we do not have to be left to die hopeless in our sins. God has provided a Savior, the Anointed One, for the world. Paul wrote about the pure essence of the work of Christ in 1 Corinthians 15: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ... He was buried, ... He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” Jesus lived a sinless life and died a substitutionary, sacrificial death in place of sinners. God poured out His wrath on Jesus instead of pouring it out on His people. In Christ, God’s people find salvation, forgiveness, restoration, and eternal joy in His presence. Forth, Christmas is the season and day we remember that God has been unfolding history according to His redemptive plan from the beginning of time. God foretold to the world that the Messiah would come from the City of David, and the angel of the Lord indicated that God’s promise was being fulfilled in the birth of Jesus.
            Merry Christmas! As we enter the Christmas Season may we never forget that the greatest gift God could ever give to us is Himself; and that is exactly what He offers to us in Jesus Christ. Furthermore, may the reality of God’s total, sovereign control over history comfort us in this season and every season of life.

-Pastor Clint Miller

What should God’s faithful people do in a time of moral, spiritual, and societal degradation and collapse? As followers of Christ and believers in the Bible we must give serious consideration to this question.
We can learn so much from the greater testament. God was finished with that particular generation of Jews in Jeremiah 7 because of their idolatry and pluralism. They thought that as long as they gave a pretense of temple worship, they were good. God would never destroy them or their temple. They were dead wrong! God was not having it: “Do you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods that you have not known? Then do you come and stand before Me in this house called by My name and say, ‘We are delivered, so we can continue doing all these detestable acts’? Has this house, which is called by Me name, become a den of robbers in your view? Yes, I too have seen it.” This is the Lord’s declaration (Jeremiah 7:9-11). A few verses later God unequivocally stated, “It’s too late for you!” God told Jeremiah, “As for you, do not pray for theses people. Do not offer a cry or a prayer on their behalf, and do not beg Me, for I will not listen to you. Don’t you see how they behave in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The sons gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven, and they pour out drink offerings to other gods so that they provoke Me to anger. But are they really provoking Me?” This is the Lord’s declaration. “Isn’t it they themselves being provoked to disgrace?” Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: Look, My anger - My burning wrath - is about to be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the tree of the field, and on the produce of the land. My wrath will burn and not be quenched.” (Jeremiah 7:16-20)
However, later in the prophecy God gives the Babylonian captives a message of hope: “This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease. Seek the welfare of the city I have deported you to . Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it has prosperity, you will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:4-7)
How do we reconcile these two chapters? The answer is the Garden and the Cross. Regardless of the cultural climate, God has never rescinded nor changed the Garden Mandate. God’s intention from the very beginning of creation has been to expand His sanctuary by expanding the Garden. In light of the New Covenant in Christ God’s sanctuary is His people. The Apostle Paul said that believers’ bodies are they sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. As the Gospel is spread across the world, the sanctuary of God expands. The moral imperative for God’s faithful remnant is the same as it has always been - be fruitful and faithful and multiply. The Garden mandate is still true. Our marching orders today, regardless of whether America repents and thrives or continues to decline and collapse, are the same as they have always been.
The Apostle Paul told his mentee, Timothy, “But know this: Difficult times will come in the last days. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of godliness but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5) What was Paul’s advice for this young minister of  the Gospel in difficult times? Paul instructed, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, and you know that from childhood you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:14-15) Are these not the same instructions God gave Moses millennia earlier? Moses told the ancient Israel, “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) May we follow God’s ancient, well-defined marching orders in theses last days!

-Pastor Clint Miller

“Don’t bury the lead!” I wish every internet “journalist” today would abide by this axiom. Anytime I succumb to the clickbait headline I immediately skip to at least the third paragraph of the article, because I know the first two will contain mindless dribble and leftist propaganda. Usually, by paragraph three or four, I can find the meat of the article. This irritating style of writing seems to be the way of the “journalism” today. I hope it is a quickly fading trend.
            As Christians, however, how often do we bury the lead of our faith? Describing major theological and historical movements by one or two primary characteristics is dubious at best. Continental Pietism, late 17th and early 18th Centuries, was too broad and rich to distill down to one or two characteristics or legacies. Nevertheless, the focus on individual salvation, as if it was the telos of Redemptive History, certainly received significant momentum from Pietism in general. I am grateful that Jesus provides me with a way to have my sins forgiven and my soul restored to a right relationship with God. I am grateful that Jesus has rescued me from the domain of darkness and transferred me into the Kingdom of God. I am grateful that Jesus has provided me with an eternal home with God. These individual blessings, however, are not the lead in the story of Christianity. Yet, these blessings are often the central and single focus of preaching in the contemporary church.
What in the world am I talking about? The telos of Redemptive History is the magnificent glory of God that will be on full display for eternity when Jesus Christ restores the cosmos to the pre-Fall, Garden-like state at His Second Coming. When we broaden our theological and biblical aperture, we begin to realize that individual salvation is a part of the story, but not the entire story. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 8:19-22, “For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to futility-not willing, but because of Him who subjected it-in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of God’s children. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now.” Not only will individual Christians be glorified in fullness at the Second Coming, but creation itself will be made right when Jesus returns. Again, Paul said in Colossians 1:19-20, “For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in [Christ], and through Him to reconcile everything to Himself by making peace through the blood of His cross-whether things on earth or things in heaven.” God is reconciling all things on earth and in heaven to Himself in and through Jesus Christ. Maybe you are thinking, “Why would things in heaven need reconciling?”
Paul is not merely talking about the abode of God, but he is talking about the spiritual realm. F.F. Bruce explains, “The universe has been involved in conflict with its Creator and needs to be reconciled to him: the conflict must be replaced by peace. This peace has been made through Christ, by the shedding of his life-blood on the cross. This note of universal reconciliation has been taken to imply the ultimate reconciliation to God not only of all mankind but of hostile spiritual powers as well (Bruce, NICNT: The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians, 74-5). God gave us vivid evidence of the beginning of the physical and spiritual reconciliation in Jesus’ First Advent as He healed the lame, cast out demons, and provided the final atoning sacrifice for the sins of humanity.
When Jesus was accused of driving out demons by the power of Beelzebub, He set the record straight. Jesus’ victory over the demonic realm was not accomplished through dark power; rather, Jesus’ victory over the demonic realm was due to the inbreaking of the New Covenant Kingdom of God established in Himself. Jesus said, On the other hand, no one can enter a strong man’s house and rob his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he will rob his house (Mark 3:27). Let’s not bury the lead: Jesus has bound the devil in manner that renders Him incapable of stopping the spread of the gospel, the growth of the church, and the reconciliation of the cosmos. To God be the glory for the great things that He has done in and through the Lord Jesus Christ!

-Pastor Clint Miller

Twenty years ago, I read a book titled Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life, written by Alister McGrath, a Christian Apologist. Richard Dawkins was a famous atheist apologist, one of the so-called "Four Horsemen" of the new atheism. Dawkins is still alive physically, but perhaps not as prominent as he once was in the world of atheism. Some of Dawkins' luster may have been lost when he recently claimed the moniker of "Cultural Christian." Dawkins noted that he was not a believer but felt at home in the Christian ethos. Furthermore, he stated that if given the choice between Christianity and Islam, he'd choose Christianity every single time because Christianity seems like a fundamentally decent religion in a way that Islam is not. Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life is McGrath's undermining of Dawkins' presuppositions based on flawed analogies and false dichotomies.

In the book, one of the subjects that stuck in my mind was a discussion on memes. Remember, this was twenty years ago, and social media was truly in its infancy. No one would have thought of a lady screaming at a cat while they read this book. In fact, I had never heard the word "meme" until I read McGrath's book. Dawkins, however, coined the term "meme" in 1976 in a book titled The Selfish Gene. Dawkins explained his understanding of a meme: "Just as genes propagate themselves in the gene pool by leaping from body to body via sperm or eggs, so memes propagate themselves in the meme pool by leaping from brain to brain by a process which, in the broad sense of the term, can be called imitation (Dawkins, The Selfish Gene, 192)." A meme, therefore, is essentially a cultural replicator.

Fast-forward a decade from the time I read the book and imagine the surprise I felt when I started hearing the term "meme" associated with the rise of social media. I thought to myself, "Wait, I've heard that term before." True enough, I heard it in 2005 in a book I read about a man who coined the term in another book written in 1976. Now, think about those dates: the term "meme" was coined 48 years ago in academia, but only popularized in the last decade by social media. Nearly four decades passed from inception to maturity of a term that was originally designed to undermine belief in God. Dawkins' basic postulation was that belief in God is a culturally developed phenomena that is propagated through "memes."

The culture at large is usually 40 to 50 years, sometimes even 60 to 70 years, behind academia. Memes are a great example. Think back to what you were taught in college, especially those who were in college in a different millennium. Think about some of the "far out" professors and ideas you heard, read, and were taught. Although to me, a person with a decided biblical worldview, they still seem "far out," to the contemporary culture, they seem mainstream. The idea of a man wearing lipstick and a one piece being hailed as brave because he beat a bunch of girls at swimming would be unthinkable for someone in their 60s or older. But, for someone in their 20s today, that's just collateral damage associated with living in a post-Christian, post-rational world.

As I reflect on these matters and ponder our future, Judges 2 floods my mind: 8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110. 9 They buried him in the territory of his inheritance, in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10 That whole generation was also gathered to their ancestors. After them another generation rose up who did not know the Lord or the works He had done for Israel. An honest realist may be accurate in concluding, "It's too late for this generation." However, for the faithful remnant in this lost generation, we must strive to raise up a new generation who will return to the faith once delivered to the saints. Although a dystopian nightmare may await this new generation of believers, if we do our job correctly, they will have a trustworthy worldview that will produce the tools necessary to demolish the demonic lies that ruined our civilization and lead the world to see Jesus as big and beautiful and His return as the fuel for religious and political revival.

-Pastor Clint Miller

The dog days of summer have come upon us! Originally, the dog days of summer stem from Hellenistic astrology and the heliacal rising of Sirius, the dog star. The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that Sirius’s dawn rising in the summer contributed to the extreme heat of the season. The name “Sirius” even stems from the Ancient Greek seírios, meaning “scorching.” The Egyptians used Sirius’s dawn rising as a “watchdog” for the flooding of the Nile. So, the phrase has been around for a while!

One of the things that helps me get through the dog days is the fact that college football is right around the corner. I truly love Saturdays during the fall. Tammy usually makes us a meat festival on the grill, and we argue all day about the godliness of the Bulldogs and the demonic oppression of the Tide. We are excited to see how things play out this year with the expanded playoff system. I suspect, when it’s all over, the same 4 or 5 teams that have been at the top for the past 20 years will be back at the top again. Nevertheless, the impending college football season makes the dog days of summer a little more tolerable.
We all need good things to look forward to so we can make it through the difficulties of life. I have found that the greater the thing is I am looking forward to, the more joy and hope I have during the stress and struggle I am trying to overcome. The future goal or blessing almost exerts force on us, drawing us forward through the difficulty.

What is it that you are looking forward to that draws you through the stress and struggle of life? The Apostle Paul stated the object of his gaze in Romans 8:18:  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. Think about what glory Paul was looking forward to beholding. It wasn’t his own glory. It wasn’t any kind of worldly glory. It was the glory of God. When I think about God’s glory, I envision the most beautiful sunset magnified to the power of a million. The immensity of God’s beauty is overwhelming and mind-blowing. And that never-ending, indescribable beauty is what awaits every born-again follower of Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul stated a very similar comment to the Corinthians: For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17). Think about what Paul is calling “momentary light affliction.” Read his testimony and realize he’s not engaging in a rhetorical flourish or self-righteous banalities. In response to false apostles who were criticizing Paul, he wrote, 23 Are they servants of Christ? I’m talking like a madman—I’m a better one: with far more labors, many more imprisonments, far worse beatings, near death many times. 24 Five times I received 39 lashes from Jews. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods by the Romans. Once I was stoned by my enemies. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. 26 On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the open country, dangers on the sea, and dangers among false brothers; 27 labor and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and lacking clothing. 28 Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my care for all the churches (2 Corinthians 11:23-28). This is a list of pain and problems unlike many of us has ever faced. Yet, he calls them momentary, light afflictions in comparison to enjoying the eternal weight of God’s glory.

How can Paul say something so radical and contrary to so much modern religious narcissism? The only answer I have is that Paul had truly seen Jesus and recognized the gravity of who and what his eyes were seeing. Our greatest need is to see Jesus more clearly and to be satisfied more fully with Him. May the future, eternal glory of the bigness and beauty of God’s presence be enough to pull you through every scorching flood of sadness, sorrow, or sickness you experience in this temporal life. Behold, the Lamb!

-Pastor Clint Miller

July has always been one of my favorite months for several reasons. One, it is my birthday month. This year I will celebrate a big one. I cannot believe I have become this old. The alternative, however, seems a bit premature at the moment. Two, my dad always bought fireworks to celebrate the Fourth. Usually, after shooting off all the fireworks, we would break out the shotguns. I’m not certain that our neighbors enjoyed them as much as we did. Three, our family took a summer vacation to Daytona Beach every year in the month of July. My dad vacationed in Daytona when he was a child. We took Clinton and Madison there a couple of summers as well when they were children.

When I think about a birthday, a celebration, and relaxation my mind goes to the new life we have in Jesus. Jesus used the analogy of birth to describe conversion. Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Furthermore, Paul told the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.” When we come to faith in Jesus, He truly gives us a new life. As we enter those long, hot days of summer thank God for the new life He has given us in His Son.

Jesus told a parable about a great celebration in heaven. The occasion for the angelic party was the repentance of a sinner. I am truly grateful that God is a forgiving God. The psalmist noted this quality about God in Psalm 86:5: “For You, Lord, are kind and ready to forgive, rich in faithful love to all who call on You.” I doubt heaven will be full of fireworks and shotguns, but I know it will be full of celebration. May we always thank Jesus for ensuring our eternal merriment in God’s presence.

We all know that this life can be full of stress and struggle. Relaxation, sometimes, seems like a carrot on a stick. However, Jesus told us in John 10:10 that He gives His followers abundant life. My prayer for all of you is that you are feeling His abundance at this very moment. However, if you are struggling, let Paul’s words in Philippians 4:6-7 comfort you and strengthen you: “6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” As always, if I can help you find peace in Christ or in any other way, please reach out to me or one of our great people at Bethel.

May God Bless You

-Pastor Clint Miller

Of all the realities in existence, two related ones are the most sobering to me: the brevity of life and the reality of death. We are not getting out of here alive! Throughout the centuries, death has been called the King of Terrors for good reason. The statistics on death are overwhelming—every one out of one person dies. Furthermore, the reality of the passing of time becomes more apparent the longer we live. The days, weeks, months, years, and even decades seem to pass with increasing frequency. Summer 2024 is upon us, although it seems just like yesterday when we were beginning a new year.

Scripture has a lot to say about these two, related realities. Perhaps James 4:14 is the most well-known verse concerning the brevity of life:  You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes. James was not the only biblical writer to note the brevity of life. King David pondered the same reality a thousand years earlier in Psalm 144:4: Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow. In Ecclesiastes 9 King Solomon noted that the wicked and the righteous share the same fate: death. Humanity has lived with this realty from the very beginning of Post-Fall existence: You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground,
since you were taken from it. For you are dust, and you will return to dust (Genesis 3:19).”

These two sobering realities have caused a vast multitude throughout time incredible stress, regret, and fear. I do not want to be one of those, and I do not want you to be one of those either. Although there is no escaping the passage of time, God has provided a way for us to have victory over death. From the earliest NT sermons until the present, believers can take comfort in Peter’s powerful Pentecostal proclamation: But God raised [Jesus] from the dead, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power (Acts 2:24NASB). Furthermore, the Apostle Paul told us that death has been abolished through the work of Jesus Christ. In addition, the Apostle Paul noted that Jesus has brought life and immortality to light. Likewise, Jesus, speaking to Martha, gave us all reassurance: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. 26 Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die—ever (John 11:25-26).

So, what does this mean for us as we live the one life we will ever have to live? The first take-away is the reality that we have eternal life now. We’re not growing nearer to the end every morning we wake up; we’re growing one day closer to eternity. The second take-away is the importance of not postponing obedience, joy, or peace. This realm is too short and uncertain to gamble with these three matters. Live the life you know God wants you to live now, because you may not be able to live it next week or next year. Serve, give, and go now how and where you know God wants, because tomorrow in this life is not guaranteed. The third take-away is the value of family. Pour your heart and soul into your family. Make sure they know the hope you have in Jesus. Enjoy as much time with them as you can because one day our family dynamic will change. Finally, continue to learn how our greatest joy truly is found in Christ. Spend your life studying His Word and enjoying His bigness and beauty. I do not know of anything that satisfies my heart more than Jesus.

-Pastor Clint Miller

I lived in a time when children went to school for nine months and had three months off during the summer. We usually got out of school after Memorial Day and returned to school sometime around Labor Day. Three full months away from school was a nice break. However, returning to school after a full summer break was a challenge. Nevertheless, this schedule made the month of May special because I associated it with the end of school.

As I became an adult, I began to associate May with another special occasion. I married my best friend, the love of my life—Ms. Tammy, on May 10, 1997. For the last 27 years God has grown our faith in Him and our love for one another in amazing ways. As a relatively newlywed, we moved to New Orleans towards the end of 1999 to begin seminary. I was enrolled in a graduate program in Georgia, finishing a master’s degree in education. So, for a brief time, I was enrolled in two schools, worked full time, and preached on the weekends. I look back on those days and wonder how we did it. But God saw us through and has been with us every single day for the past 25 years. Now, He has blessed us tremendously by bringing us to Bethel Baptist Church.

As the weather begins to turn hotter and the days get longer, take some time to reflect upon the goodness of God over the course of your life. God’s goodness is present in challenging times, even though in many instances we do not recognize it in the moment of difficulty. Once we move into a period of peace, then we can look back and see God’s hand of mercy, grace, and goodness on us the whole time. I am truly grateful for God’s goodness throughout my life.

The psalmist said in Psalm 34:8, Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him! Nahum really is a book in the Bible. Read what he said in a very stressful situation, The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; He cares for those who take refuge in Him (Nahum 1:7). The Assyrian Empire was a massive, brutal, blood-thirsty juggernaut that was destroying every nation and people group in its way. But God reassured Nahum that the wicked do not get away with their wickedness forever. Assyria would fall!

My prayer and desire for you is that your life is full of love, peace, hope, and joy. However, life can be very difficult and full of stress and struggle. If you are in a season of stress and struggle right now, hold on to the reality that God is good, and His mercies are new every morning. Hold on to the fact that although God’s goodness may feel like a distinct memory in your current situation, He is still big and beautiful. Hold on to the fact that one day you will be able to look back at the stressful struggle and see how God was with you, guiding you, protecting you, and providing for you all along. I know it may be tough in the moment of misery but remember those awesome words of the sons of Korah in Psalm 46: 1 God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. 2 Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Selah

-Pastor Clint Miller

Growing up, I always heard the saying, “April showers bring may flowers.” As we enter the second quarter of 2024 already, let’s take a minute and think about what God said about flowers in His Word. For the most part, God used flowers in one of two ways.

One, God used the beauty of flowers to assure His children that He would take care of us. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said in Matthew 6:28-30: And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you - you of little faith? The psalmist said that the beauty of nature speaks to the bigness of God. If God takes care of nature, how much more will He take care of His highest creation, humans created in His own image? Jesus concluded in verses 31-33, So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Let the beauty of flowers and their divine care encourage you in difficult times of life.

Two, God used the temporal nature of flowers in bloom to highlight the fragile, limited aspect of life in this realm. Our lives are so brief when we compare them to history. Our lives are miniscule in duration when we set them in the context of eternity. The psalmist noted this reality in Psalm 103:15-16: As for man, his day s are like grass - he blooms like a flower of the field; when the wind passes over it, it vanishes, and its place is no longer known. The reality of the passage of time would make me sad and depressed without my Chris-tian faith. I am grateful the psalmist went on to write verses 17-18, But from eternity to eternity the Lord’s faithful love is toward those who fear Him, and His righteousness toward the grandchildren of those who keep His covenant, who remember to observe His precepts. As time passes each day, the wise person recognizes that delaying happiness is a foolish gamble. As time passes each day, the godly person recog-nizes that pursing faithful obedience to God is the only thing that will matter for eternity.

May the beauty of God’s creation cause you to reflect upon the bigness of the blessing of spending eternity in the Creator’s presence. Redeem the time. Do not postpone faithful obedience. And relish the joy of the Lord every single day.

-Pastor Clint Miller