Erik and Lynn Miller's Blog

This summer of raising support has been at times very challenging and very encouraging. It is always a joy to meet with people and to hear more about their walks with Christ. However, one couple we met with reminded me of the joy and beauty of our salvation.

I think that so often in our modern-day Christianity, we have lost sight of what a true conversion to Christianity looks like. We have instead replaced it with a formula of praying a sinner’s prayer lacking repentance and then being told that they are a Christian.

In many cases we then end up with a person who was never really converted, and now is considered a “backslider.” I believe that the Bible depicts a salvation and conversion that is so much more than that.

He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”-Luke 24:47

The Bible calls people everywhere to repentance; to turn from their sin. (I don’t know why we don’t use that word-- repentance--much anymore) Not only are we called to repent, but to then trust in Christ as our substitute. Our sin is then exchanged for Christ’s perfection and we can have a right relationship with God.

One of the key aspects to a true conversion I see in the Bible is that when someone is truly converted they receive the Holy Spirit and their life changes. They start to desire the things of God more than the things of the world.

'The Bible does not recognize “conversion” that lacks this radical change of direction. A true believer cannot remain rebellious--or even indifferent. Genuine faith will inevitably provoke some degree of obedience. In fact, Scripture often equates faith with obedience. “By faith Abraham [the father of true faith] ... obeyed”. That is the heart of the message of Hebrews 11, the great treatise on faith.'--John MacArthur

When I reflect on my own conversion and the miraculous work that God has done on my heart, I cannot help but be amazed and worship Him. God is so very kind to offer such a salvation to sinners like you and me and we would do well to have a biblical understanding of salvation and conversion.

God is very good at changing plans and He did that for us this summer. As mentioned in our last letter, we were planning on joining staff and attending training this summer. However, we will not be doing so any more. Instead, we will finish out our internship, and switch to a “part-time” status for six months. The “part-time” status is basically identical to our internship. We would not see any changes in our salary, or involvement on campus. It would give us a sort of six month extension of our internship until January, when we will join staff and attend training. One of the reasons is, as interns, we are allowed to opt out of Campus Crusade’s benefits package and enroll in our own choice of private benefits. We have done just that, and are currently only a few dollars away from meeting our deductible. Going on staff and attending training would force us to enroll in Campus Crusade’s benefits and we would then have an entirely new deductible. In addition to the insurance issue, there were other factors that played a role in our decision. If you have given a gift specifically for training, don’t worry, it will still be used in January for just that purpose. If you are a little confused, that’s OK, because we are a little bit too. Please let us know if you have any questions. We would love to talk to you more about his.

God answered our prayers through a sophomore named Jordy Broberg. She is like most students on her campus and is stretched beyond her limits in student involvement. She is a two sport athlete who is juggling a double major on top of being heavily involved with the youth group in her church. I scheduled a recent appointment to meet up with her at McDonald’s and as I waited for her, I sat there praying. I asked God that this one conversation would have a big impact on her somehow. When she arrived in crutches and a boot on her foot she responded to my puzzled expression and mentioned that she had a long overdo foot surgery. As we talked, I found out that she had already shared the gospel with over three-fourths of her cross country team and that she had a passionate prayer life for the lost on her campus. Jordy realizes that this recent surgery may be the end of her sports career and that she is spread a mile wide and an inch deep and even being sensitive where the Lord is leading her on her campus is hard because she is swamped. So I processed a few of those areas with her and I told her to pray and seek the Lord’s voice on what He was calling her to do at Hastings College. Shortly after our two hour conversation, I received a phone call from Jordy sobbing on the other line. She told me that she was at a church prayer time and that God had revealed to her that she was the answer to so many of her own prayers to reach the lost on her campus. She said that God had placed it on her heart that He was sending her to reach her campus, but she didn’t quite know what that all entailed. Please pray for her as she listens to our amazing Savior’s voice on how to reach her campus for Christ the next school year.

As I briefly mentioned in our last newsletter, this summer we hope to be in Orlando, Florida to attend New Staff Training with Campus Crusade. The training that we will receive will be ministry training, and Bible classes. We will be in Florida for a total of 5 weeks during the months of June and July, and will be staying in apartment-style housing with many other individuals and families hoping to join staff with Campus Crusade. Many of you may have been wondering how this transition from Intern to Staff might work. In all reality, we won’t see much difference. Our two directors, Ethan and Terah Wiekamp have given us a lot of freedom during our time as Interns. We will, however, see a few minor changes. The first change (likely our most difficult) will be financial support. I’m sure that you all get tired of hearing about support. The reality is, that support is a very large part of ministry and we could not do what we do without God moving people to give generously to the mission. The second change will mainly involve Lynn and her role as part of our growing family. Campus Crusade considers the role of wife and mother to be a high priority and allows mothers to stay at home with their children while still receiving a paycheck. While interning, Lynn had to work at least 30 hours a week which caused a tension within her own heart--having a drive to do ministry and yet knowing her responsibility to her home/family. One of the most exciting changes are the opportunities that open up to us once we become senior staff. Senior staff in Campus Crusade have opportunities to spend 1+ years overseas, leading summer projects anywhere in the world, and pioneering new ministries in unreached areas. Overall, these are minor changes within the big scheme of what we do on campus with students. Please let us know if you have any questions about this change. We want you to be in the loop during these changes and feel like you are well informed of how this change will work.