Sermons & Devotionals by J.R. Miller
J.R. Miller
September 23. Two Prayers
"God, I thank you, that I am not as other men are!" "God be merciful to me, a sinner!" Luke 18:11, 13 Here we have two kinds of prayer set side by side for our instruction. The first really is no prayer at all; it is only a bit of self-congratulation in the presence of God. Yet it was not much comfo... Read More
J.R. Miller
September 24. The Children's Friend
"Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them." Matthew 19:13 Those children must have been glad in after days, to remember that Jesus had laid His hands upon their heads and blessed them. Sometimes the remembrance even of a human hand laid on the h... Read More
J.R. Miller
September 25. Forbid Them Not
"Jesus said: Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14 The love of Christ for children, was one of the most beautiful qualities in His life. It revealed His true human-heartedness. But we must remember too, that it ... Read More
J.R. Miller
September 26. The Rich Young Ruler
"As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Mark 10:17 This was a young man, with all his abilities fresh and full. He was rich, with all the honor, ease, distinction, and influence that riche... Read More
J.R. Miller
September 27. Not Far from the Kingdom
"Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," He said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven. Then come, follow me." Mark 10:21 Our Lord's answer to the young man's question is very instructive. What is the one thing which, besides all w... Read More
J.R. Miller
September 28. Serving Others
"The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28 The art of photography is now so advanced, that a whole page of a newspaper can be taken in miniature so small — as to be carried on a little button, and yet every letter and point be p... Read More
J.R. Miller
September 29. Jesus Passing By
"When he heard that it was Jesus — he began to cry out." Mark 10:47 No doubt the blind man had been wishing that Jesus would come to Jericho. He had grown to believe that if he would only come — He could open his blind eyes. What a burst of joy filled the poor man when he learned that Jesus was pass... Read More
J.R. Miller
September 3. My Neighbor
"A certain Samaritan … had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds" Luke 10:33, 34 Now we must not conclude that the half-heathen Samaritans were better as a class, than the highly-favored Jews. Our Lord uses a Samaritan in His parable, because He wants to impress the law of love... Read More
J.R. Miller
September 30. Faithfulness
"Well done, my good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities!" Luke 19:17 It is remarkable how much the Word of God makes of faithfulness — simple faithfulness. It is not great things which God requires of us — unless our mission is to do great things... Read More
J.R. Miller
September 4. Spiritual Blindness
"As Jesus went along, he saw a man blind from birth." John 9:1 The blind man illustrates every person's natural condition. For one thing, he had never been able to see. So men are born in a state of sin. Whatever we may say about the sweetness, innocence, and purity of childhood — the Scriptures pla... Read More
J.R. Miller
September 5. The Night Comes
"As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work." John 9:4 Even Jesus felt the pressure of time's brevity, and the necessity for doing promptly and quickly, the work which had been given Him to do. How much more should we feel this pressure, and h... Read More
J.R. Miller
September 6. Sight to the Blind
"Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. 'Go,' he told him, 'wash in the Pool of Siloam' (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing." John 9:6-7 It is related that one day, several summers ago, the Empress of... Read More
J.R. Miller
September 7. The Blind Man's Obedience
"So the man went and washed — and came home seeing!" John 9:7 We must mark the promptness of this blind man's obedience. See him rising from his place, and led by some attendant, walking along the street with the patches of mud upon his eyes. People probably laughed at him as he went along — but he ... Read More
J.R. Miller
September 8. The Good Shepherd
"The sheep listen to His voice. He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out." John 10:3 There is a great difference between the care which the owner gives — and that which a servant or hireling gives. There is a difference between the way a true mother looks after her child — and the way a hir... Read More
J.R. Miller
September 9. Following Jesus
"The sheep listen to His voice. He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. When He has brought out all his own, He goes on ahead of them, and His sheep follow Him because they know His voice!" John 10:3-4 The shepherd does not drive his sheep — but leads them wherever he wants to take them. ... Read More
J.R. Miller
Serving Our Generation
"David served his own generation by the will of God." Acts 13:36 It gives dignity and also sacredness to our life--to think as serving our generation. Every true-hearted person, realizing this truth, will seek to work out God's thought in his own character and life. Of course, we cannot do this perf... Read More
J.R. Miller
Shall We Worry?
"The little worries which we meet each day May lie as stumbling-blocks across our way, Or we may make them stepping-stones to be Of grace, O Lord, to Thee." A. E. Hamilton When you are inclined to worry—don't do it! That is the first thing. No matter how much reason there seems to be for worrying—st... Read More
J.R. Miller
Shut In
"A little bird I am, Shut from the fields of air, And in my cage I sit and sing To Him who placed me there, Well pleased a prisoner to be, Because, my God, it pleases Thee." —Guyon In a midsummer business-letter to a lady whose pen writes many bright things for children's papers, the writer, not kno... Read More
J.R. Miller
SILENT TIMES
"Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." Mark 6:31 In Wellesley College, a special feature of the daily life of the household is the morning and evening "silent time." Both at the opening and closing of the day, there is a brief period, marked by the strokes of a bell, in whi... Read More
J.R. Miller
Some Indirect Ways of Lying
There are many forms of untruthfulness. One may be by a tone of voice, or by an emphasis, so playing with the words he uses, as to make them give an impression altogether different from that which the same words would give if written or printed. It is said that figures do not lie — but figures are o... 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.