Men Of The Bible (book review)

May 23, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Here’s the thing I especially like about Dwight Lyman Moody: He tells it like it is. He was not a pastor that tiptoed around an issue, nor did he have long flowery sermons. He always went right to the heart of the manner in such a straightforward way. So I was delighted to find the his book Men Of The Bible was written in this characteristic style.

Men Of The Bible digs into the lives of several men we read about in Scripture. Some of them are prominent, and some are rather obscure; some were godly men, and some were not. But in every instance, Moody gets right to the key points of their lives, and then shows us how to apply them.

Since the focus of the book is the men of the Bible, this would be an excellent resource for a men’s Bible study, or a small group meeting; although I think anyone would benefit from studying this very readable book.

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Here Comes Trouble!

April 4, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Do you see it on the horizon? Storm clouds building, blowing in fast; wind picking up; something ominous in the air. Here comes trouble!

Jesus certainly did as He talked with His followers just before His arrest and crucifixion. Just before the storm hit, here’s what He said —

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

I find something reassuring about Jesus telling me that I will have trouble. Not that trouble is enjoyable (at all!). But what is enjoyable is knowing that He knows. Nothing takes Jesus by surprise!

Jesus said that I would find my peace when I remain IN Him. When I see trouble coming, my natural tendency is to start doing things for myself. I start making plans, giving orders, gathering resources, hunkering down in my foxhole. In reality, all this does nothing but increase my level of anxiety!

Jesus has overcome. So when I stay IN Him, I overcome too.

Here’s what I’ve learned about how to stay IN Him…

  • Stay in the Word every day, but especially when I see trouble coming.
  • Stay in prayer; in fact, I increase my prayer times.
  • Stay in worship because I don’t want to focus on the storm, but on the Overcomer.
  • Stay in contact with my friends and ask them to join me in prayer.

Check out this prayer David penned when he saw trouble coming. It’s still a great prayer for you and me today —

Keep me safe, O God, for IN You I take refuge. I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.” Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure. You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy IN your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. (Psalm 16:1, 2, 9, 11)

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Thursdays With Oswald—Exhausted For God

February 16, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

This is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Oswald Chambers. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Oswald” in the search box to read more entries.

Exhausted For God

     Jesus said to Peter – “Feed My sheep,” but He gave him nothing to feed them with. The process of being made broken bread and poured out wine means that you have to be the nourishment for other souls until they learn to feed on God. They must drain you to the dregs. Be careful that you get your supply, or before long you will be utterly exhausted. Before other souls learn to draw on the life of the Lord Jesus direct, they have to draw on it through you; you have to be literally “sucked,” until they learn to take their nourishment from God. We owe it to God to be our best for His lambs and His sheep as well as for Himself.

     Has the way in which you have been serving God betrayed you into exhaustion? If so, then rally your affections. Where did you start the service from? From your own sympathy or from the basis of the Redemption of Jesus Christ? Continually go back to the foundation of your affections and recollect where the source of power is. You have no right to say – “O Lord, I am so exhausted.” He saved and sanctified you in order to exhaust you. Be exhausted for God, but remember that your supply comes from Him. “All my fresh springs shall be in Thee.”

From My Utmost For His Highest

He saved and sanctified you in order to exhaust you. I want to be continually filled up and poured out for God. But in order to be of any good to others, I have to keep going back to the Source of life. If I’m not filled up with God’s presence, I will be exhausted, but not in the right way.

Check out a very helpful video clip with Wayne Cordeiro, James MacDonald, and Mark Driscoll that goes along with this topic, by clicking here.

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Discovering Your Spiritual Center (book review)

January 23, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

I enjoy books and commentaries that help me study the Bible in a different way. Discovering Your Spiritual Center by David Teems is a unique angle at one chapter of the Psalms that I have never seen before.

The big idea of this book is to take a long, introspective look at Psalm 119. It’s the longest chapter in the Bible (at 176 verses), but it is conveniently divided into 22 8-verse sections, with each section corresponding to a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. David Teems makes the case that rabbis considered the Hebrew letters to be living things, so that there is a significance to why each of these eight verses are grouped together.

The next idea of this book is to take a 22-day journey of rediscovering the power of the Scripture, by reading one 8-verse section each day. Then to take time to reflect on each day’s passage. It’s a good idea to use this one psalm to (re)awaken a passion for Scripture, as all but four of the verses mention God’s Word (law, statutes, commands, etc.).

So far, so good.

However, I did find some of the author’s fascination with the Hebrew letters – like their shape, or their placement in the alphabetic order – a bit unsettling. I also thought at times his pointing out other words in Scripture that start with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet a bit stretched. So although the concept is good in theory (taking a 22-day journey through this psalm), I found the approach a bit, well, creepy.

I am a Leafwood book reviewer.

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Can You Hear Him Now?

January 11, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Wow, my life is busy! Sometimes I feel like a starter’s pistol goes off first thing in the morning, and I’m on a dead sprint all day long.

<BANG!> Get everyone up … get dressed … make breakfast … feed the pets … pack lunches … get everyone out the door on time … work at the church … meetings … errands … En-Gedi Youth Center … after-school activities … grocery store … make dinner … clean up … more meetings … homework … <WHEW!>

That’s why I have made it a long-standing habit to spend some quality quiet time in the morning. It’s time well-spent reading my Bible, sipping some tea, and just listening for God’s unmistakable Voice.

The Apostle Paul advised us to study to be quiet (1 Thess. 4:11). Make it a habit to tune out the noise and business.

Francois Fenelon said it this way —

“God does not cease to speak, but the noise of the creatures without, and of our passions within, confines us and prevents our hearing. We must silence every creature, including self, that in the deep stillness of the soul we may perceive the ineffable voice of the Bridegroom. We must lend an attentive ear, for His voice is soft and still, and is only heard of those who hear nothing else.”

I hope you will choose to make some time to hear His Voice today, and everyday.

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Thursdays With Oswald—No Substitution

December 8, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

This is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Oswald Chambers. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Oswald” in the search box to read more entries.

No Substitution

     If in preaching the gospel you substitute your knowledge of the way of salvation for confidence in the power of the gospel, you hinder people from getting to reality. Take care to see while you proclaim your knowledge of the way of salvation, that you yourself are rooted and grounded by faith in God. Never rely on the clearness of your presentation, but as you give your explanation make sure that you are relying on the Holy Spirit. Rely on the certainty of God’s redemptive power, and He will create His own life in people.

From My Utmost For His Highest

The Apostle Paul said,

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. …My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power. (1 Corinthians 2:1,4,5)

As a pastor I have be so careful that I am steeped in the Word of God. It’s not my persuasive words that will win people to Christ, or draw them into a deeper relationship with God. My words will only be effective to the extent that they are God’s words. Yes, I still must study to be a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth (1 Timothy 2:15), but I must not allow my “knowledge” to ever be a substitute for the purity of the Word of God.

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Has God Spoken? (book review)

October 17, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

The Bible has quite a bit to say about apologetics — defending what you believe. Paul tells Christians to study God’s Word so that we won’t be ashamed of it, and Peter tells Christians to always be prepared to answer anyone who questions our faith in Christ. But how do we know the Bible is true? Hank Hanegraaff’s latest book, Has God Spoken?, is an excellent resource to help you answer that question.

You may know Hank as host of the Bible Answer Man, and have come to appreciate his wit and wisdom. In Has God Spoken? you will be well-armed to answer any critics who claim that the Bible is not all that Christians claim it to be.

And I love the format that Hank uses to share all of his wisdom. Just like musicians learned their musical notes through such statements as, “Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge,” Hank uses a variety of acrostics to make his evidence so easy to recall. In addition, this book is fully documented, with nearly 100 pages of endnotes, so you can dig a little deeper into the evidence and proofs that he presents.

The puritan pastor Thomas Watson wrote, “The Bible is a rock of diamonds, a chain of pearls, the sword of the Spirit; a chain by which the Christian sails to eternity; the map by which he daily walks; the sundial by which he sets his life; the balance by which he weighs his actions.” But if someone ever doubts the accuracy, inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible, he will never know the treasures and life resources within its pages. That’s why this book is so valuable, and I highly recommend it to both Bible believers and Bible skeptics.

I am a Thomas Nelson book reviewer.

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What Are These?

September 14, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

What happens when you read the Bible? Do you just read it, or do you ask questions of it? Some people seem hesitant to ask any questions. But the Bible itself is full of questions.

Zechariah was a prophet in the Old testament. If anyone would have been familiar with God’s Law, it would have been this guy. He grew up as a P.K. (priest’s kid), with several generations of religious leaders in his family tree. Yet as he was being shown the word of the Lord, he realizes how special it is, and wants to make sure he fully grasps it. So he fires away with the questions —

  • What are these? (Zech. 1:9, 19; 4:4, 6:4)
  • What are these coming to do? (1:21)
  • Where are you going? (2:2)
  • What is it? (5:6)
  • Where are they taking it? (5:10)

The Word of God is living, active, powerful. I should inquiry of it: what does this mean?

The same Holy Spirit that inspired the biblical writers is the same Holy Spirit Who will illuminate your mind to understand it.

All you have to do is ask!

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Biblical Psychology (book review)

August 4, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I’m not one who’s into psycho-babble, but I do like trying to understand human nature a little better. A great book to help on this learning journey is Oswald Chambers’ Biblical Psychology.

As you might imagine, Chambers has a heavy emphasis on the biblical part. In fact, he makes the case that no one can really know themselves. But we can know God better, and He will reveal our real selves to us. Chambers delves into Scripture to teach how our body, soul, and spirit interact with each other, with outside influences, and with the Spirit of God.

It was an absolutely fascinating book to read. This is one of Oswald Chambers’ longest books, and also one of his most technical books. So be forewarned that you will have to really concentrate and apply yourself to grasp all he discusses, but if you persevere through it, you will be richly rewarded.

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Thursdays With Oswald #40

June 23, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

This is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Oswald Chambers. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Oswald” in the search box to read more entries.

Your Theology May Be Wrong

     Never be afraid if your circumstances dispute what you have been taught about God; be willing to examine what you have been taught, and never take the conception of a theologian as infallible; it is simply an attempt to state things. …Theology is the science of religion, an intellectual attempt to systematize the consciousness of God.

From Baffled To Fight Better

Far too many times I catch myself believing something just because someone else told me that was the right way to do things. I’m sure my teachers and pastors were well intentioned, but that doesn’t make them infallible.

Only the Word of God is infallible.

When someone asks you, “Why do you do that?” or “Why do you believe that?” the unacceptable response is, “Someone told me this was the way.” Get into God’s Word and find out for yourself. A theologian may start you off on a path, but allow the Holy Spirit to illuminate God’s infallible truth to you personally.

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