Sermons & Devotionals by J.R. Miller
J.R. Miller
July 11. A Royal Coward
"The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted" Matthew 14:9 Herod called himself a king — and yet see what a poor slave he was, what a craven coward! He was sorry he had made the oath, exceedingly sorry. His conscience was not altoge... Read More
J.R. Miller
July 12. Death of John the Baptist
"And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison." Matthew 14:10 This seems a sad end for this holy man's life. After a few months of faithful preaching, he was cast into a dungeon, where he lay for a year, and where he was beheaded as a felon. To us it is very mysterious. Why did God permit such a fat... Read More
J.R. Miller
July 13. Tell Jesus
"The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught." Mark 6:30 That is just what we should always do — when we have been trying to do any service for our Lord. We should do it as well as we can — and then go and tell Him what we have done. At the close of each day w... Read More
J.R. Miller
July 14. Quiet Resting-Places
"Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." Mark 6:31 How thoughtful Jesus is for the comfort of His disciples! He never wants to overwork them. He provides seasons and places of rest for them all along the way. One of these "quiet resting-places" is the night, coming after each... Read More
J.R. Miller
July 15. Divine Compassion
"When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd." Mark 6:34 Here we have a window through which we catch a glimpse of the heart of Jesus. Every scene of sorrow touched Him. It is a great thought, that the heart of the Son of God is... Read More
J.R. Miller
July 16. The Barley Loaves
"He took the five loaves." Matthew 14:19 We are not surprised that a disciple asked, of the five loaves and two fish, "What are these for so many?" What a little way they will go in feeding such a multitude! Why bring out this poor, paltry store at all? Surely Christ can feed the hungry people witho... Read More
J.R. Miller
July 17. Straining at the Oars
"He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them." Mark 6:48 Jesus always sees our toils and distresses in this world. We do not see Him — and sometimes we think that He has forgotten us; but that is never true. He is never forgets us, or is indifferent for a moment. On... Read More
J.R. Miller
July 18. Never Forgotten
"He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night — He went out to them, walking on the sea." Mark 6:48 It was a long night for the tempest-driven disciples; they were in great distress. But Jesus saw their struggle and danger. He put... Read More
J.R. Miller
July 19. Christ Walking on the Sea
"When they saw Him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking He was a ghost. They were all terrified when they saw Him!" Mark 6:49-50 It seems strange to us, that the disciples would ever have been afraid of their own Master. They had been in great distress all through the night — jus... Read More
J.R. Miller
July 2. Jairus' Daughter
"While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. 'Your daughter is dead!' they said." Mark 5:35 So it seemed that Jesus had tarried too long on the road. To us it may appears that He ought not to have stopped at all to heal or talk with the woman. The Jai... Read More
J.R. Miller
July 20. Peace in Storm
"Then He got into the boat with them — and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded!" Mark 6:51 When Jesus comes to us — our trouble ceases. At His bidding — the wildest storm instantly becomes a calm. The trouble itself may not go away from us — but it is no longer a trouble, when He is with... Read More
J.R. Miller
July 21. One Thing Needful
"Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life." John 6:27 We would call a man very foolish who, in building a great and costly house, would look only after the outside, spending large amounts of money in exterior decoration — while he left the interior in a rough, unfi... Read More
J.R. Miller
July 22. The Work of Faith
"This is the work of God — that you believe on Him whom He has sent." John 6:29 People are puzzled to know how they can eat spiritual bread. They cannot see it, nor take it into their hands. When they are told to work for the food that endures to eternal life — they ask how they can do it. Here Chri... Read More
J.R. Miller
July 23. The Bread of Life
"The Bread of God is He who comes down from Heaven" John 6:33 No bread which grows on the earth — will furnish food for a human soul. In all our worldly strivings and ambitions — we are thinking only of our perishing part, we are looking only after the poor, frail tabernacle — while we are allowing ... Read More
J.R. Miller
July 24. Spiritual Food
"I am the bread of life! He who comes to me shall never hunger" John 6:35 How is Christ, bread? We understand what the bodily needs — are those which common bread satisfies. What in the soul corresponds to these cravings? The most intense of the soul-cravings is for pardon of sin. All men sin — but ... Read More
J.R. Miller
July 25. A Welcome for All
"All whom the Father gives Me — will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me — I will never cast out!" John 6:37 We need not worry ourselves trying to harmonize the two parts of this verse; we can believe them both, and find great comfort and joy in them. Together they bring to every Christian a glo... Read More
J.R. Miller
July 26. Our Security
"And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day!" John 6:39 There is not a shadow of doubt in the Christian's security. There is not a broken or weak link in the chain which binds the believer to eternal blessedness. The... Read More
J.R. Miller
July 27. Pharisaism
"The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat, unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing — holding to the tradition of the elders." Mark 7:3 The religion of the Pharisees consisted not in love to God, and in disposition, character, and conduct — but in certain ceremonial rites which they observ... Read More
J.R. Miller
July 28. Corban
"But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me, is Corban' (that is, a gift devoted to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed dow... Read More
J.R. Miller
July 29. What Defiles?
"What goes into a man's mouth — does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth — that is what makes him 'unclean.'" Matthew 15:11 There are many applications of this principle. The food we eat does not affect our moral character. No external ceremonies really touch the soul. Indeed, no... Read More
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J.R. Miller (1840 - 1912)
Prolific author and pastor of Presbyterian churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois, Rev. James Russell Miller served the USCC as a field agent in the Army of the Potomac and Army of the Cumberland.J.R. Miller began contributing articles to religious papers while at Allegheny Seminary. This continued while he was at the First United, Bethany, and New Broadway churches. In 1875, Miller took over from Henry C. McCook, D.D. when the latter discontinued his weekly articles in The Presbyterian, which was published in Philadelphia. J.R. Miller D.D.'s lasting fame is through his over 50 books. Many are still in publication.
James Russell Miller (March 20, 1840 - July 2, 1912) was a popular Christian author, Editorial Superintendent of the Presbyterian Board of Publication, and pastor of several churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois.
In 1857, James entered Beaver Academy and in 1862 he progressed to Westminster College, Pennsylvania, which he graduated in June, 1862. Then in the autumn of that year he entered the theological seminary of the United Presbyterian Church at Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Mr. Miller resumed his interrupted studies at the Allegheny Theological Seminary in the fall of 1865 and completed them in the spring of 1867. That summer he accepted a call from the First United Presbyterian Church of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. He was ordained and installed on September 11, 1867.
J.R. Miller began contributing articles to religious papers while at Allegheny Seminary. This continued while he was at the First United, Bethany, and New Broadway churches. In 1875, Miller took over from Henry C. McCook, D.D. when the latter discontinued his weekly articles in The Presbyterian, which was published in Philadelphia.
Five years later, in 1880, Dr. Miller became assistant to the Editorial Secretary at the The Presbyterian Board of Publication, also in Philadelphia.