March 2, 2013

Walking the Tight Rope Between Reserve Chaplaincy and the Pastorate

I trust the following question and answer about chaplain ministry and the local pastorate will provide some opportunity for prayerful reflection by those considering the call. Dear Dr. Milton: May I ask you a question about the chaplaincy? The biggest Continue Reading

February 24, 2013

Considering a Call Amidst the Clamor of Bigger is Better

Dear Students of the Pastoral Ministry: Charles Haddon Spurgeon had it right when he commented on Zechariah 4:10: "It is a very great folly to despise 'the day of small things,' for it is usually God’s way to begin His great works with small Continue Reading

November 24, 2012

My Hope with Billy Graham: A Theological Affirmation

My Hope with Billy Graham: A Theological Affirmation By Drs. Lon Allison, Timothy K. Beougher, Alan Myatt, and Michael A. Milton “Daddy thinks the Lord will allow him to live to 95.” It was not a prophecy but a hope. And the hope was, Franklin Continue Reading

September 20, 2012

Inaugural Prayer for 9/14/2012

The Reverend Robert E. Baxter is the most noble man of God that I have ever known in my life. He is, now into eight decades of living, a very active preacher and pastor and encourager of the saints. He is the Associate Minister, First Presbyterian Continue Reading

September 16, 2012

Entrusted with God’s Truth to Extend God’s Grace (2 Timothy 2:1-2)—An Inaugural Address

An inauguration is not a coronation. An inauguration is a consecration—a setting apart for the purposes of God. This service is a consecration of our institution, our vision and values, and a consecration of our very lives, with my life intertwined Continue Reading

March 29, 2012

New Song for Easter: Free for Download—”I Glory in the Cross”

As the Lenten season now gives way to Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter Sunday, our hearts are again lifted to the glory of the cross of Jesus Christ. That which was a sign of shame  became the symbol of salvation. That which was an instrument of Continue Reading

March 21, 2012

On the Occassion of the Baptism of Infants: A Letter to Pastors-to-Be

auntjojo /Free PhotosMy dearest students in the pastoral ministry and colleagues in the Gospel of His grace: There is no greater joy in the Christian ministry then holding an infant in your arms, slipping your hand into the baptismal font, scooping up Continue Reading

January 24, 2012

Crawl Before You Preach: Advise from a Friend on Preparing Your Sermon (and your life)

I read this letter and begin to ask myself, "Milton, are you preaching with the twigs still in your hair and the smell of the earth still in your nostrils? Are you preaching with the dirt on your face?" Let me set the scene for you. There is a young man, Continue Reading

January 10, 2012

The Secret Love Life of the Passionate Pastor: Paul’s Compelling Vision of the Pastoral Ministry in 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20

Every pastor should have a passionate love life. I remember my old mentor, Dr. D. James Kennedy, telling me that the pastor must love three things more than all others: God, God’s Word, and God’s People. I believe his commendation of these simple and Continue Reading

December 13, 2011 Leave a Comment

When God Calls: Genesis 12:1-2

Have you ever had a call in the middle of the night, when your teenager is out? When the phone rings, you look at it for a few seconds before you pick it up, don't you? It seems that your heart stops beating in those suspended seconds. When God calls, it Continue Reading