Upside (book review)

August 2, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

Have you ever heard how a TV news producer decides what the lead story will be? Or how a managing editor decides which stories get the front page of the newspaper? It comes down to this: “If it bleeds, it leads.” Sad, but too often true. With all of this negative news leading, Dr. Bradley R.E. Wright’s book Upside: Surprising Good News About the State of Our World is indeed surprisingly good news!

Dr. Wright notes that sociologist Joel Best “classifies the different types of bad statistics as follows: some numbers are bad to begin with; some numbers get bad as they are passed along; and some numbers are chosen because they are bad.” In other words, there’s just a lot of bad news out there!

But despite all of this negative press, people around the world are surprisingly upbeat. That’s because when a sociologist like Dr. Wright gets a hold of all of these statistics, he can put them into the proper perspective. He looks at the data on a variety of topics:

  • Personal finances
  • Education
  • Health
  • Crime and war
  • Marriage and divorce
  • The environment

“The trouble with this country is that there are too many people going about saying ‘the trouble with this country is….’” — Sinclair Lewis

Do bad things happen? Yes. Are there some issues that still need to be addressed? Absolutely. Is the world ready to collapse all around us? It doesn’t appear so. Christians should have the clearest and keenest worldview because it’s a biblical worldview. Dr. Wright does an excellent job of helping the reader find the perspective that is realistic, yet balanced.

Economist professor Julian Simons summarized it this way —

Almost every economic and social change or trend points in the positive direction, as long as we view the matter over a reasonably long period of time. That is, all aspects of material human welfare are improving in the aggregate.

I am a Bethany House book reviewer.

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Do You Read The Bible Or Does The Bible Read You?

January 19, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I’ve been studying the lives of the kings of Judah. The last God-fearing king before the fall of Jerusalem was a man named Josiah. He became king as an 8-year-old, and really began looking for God as a teenager. Apparently during all of this time, the book of the Law (the first five books of our current Bible) was hidden away and forgotten. As Josiah started seeking God, he gave orders that the temple in Jerusalem be repaired. During the clean-up work, the workers rediscovered the book of the Law and brought it to the palace. They began to read the Law to Josiah…

When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes.

Tearing of the robes is a sign of deep mourning. The words of Scripture cut Josiah like a dagger to the heart because he knew he and his people weren’t living according to God’s standards. He started telling everyone the Scriptural standards that they needed to honor, and had the words of the Law read aloud for everyone to hear. Then in the presence of everyone, Josiah reaffirmed his commitment to be a man who lived by the words of God’s Word.

This got me thinking:

  • Do I have an emotional response when I read the Bible? Or is it just a mental exercise? Or worse yet, just a meaningless daily habit?
  • Am I truly sorry when I read in the Bible where I’ve fallen short of what God desires? Or do I make excuses?
  • Do I ask the Holy Spirit to help me live out what I’ve read in the Word? Or do I convince myself that those parts don’t pertain to me?
  • Do I share with others what’s been revealed to me? Or do I keep it to myself?
  • Am I willing to be accountable to others about the changes I need to make? Or am I trying to be a lone ranger saint?

Do I just read the Bible? Or do I allow the Bible to read me?

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Challenged

December 7, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

During my daily devotional time I’m reading a book by Smith Wigglesworth called Power To Serve. And I’m really being challenged by it. Sometimes a certain book crosses my life at just the right time, and it really begins to stir something in me. Just thought I’d share a couple of quotes from the book, and how I’m trying to process/apply it to my life —

  • “Prayer is a time during which God wants you to be strengthened, and He wants you to remember that He is with you. …People come with their needs, they ask, and then they leave with their need because they do not faithfully wait to receive what God has promised them.”
    • So true for me! I’m such a hurry-up-and-get-it guy. I’m trying to learn to wait in God’s presence, and not take my need back with me.

 

  • “Today is a day of inspiration and divine intuition, a day in which God is enrapturing your heart, breaking all shorelines, getting my heart to the place where it is responsive only to His cry, where I live and move honoring and glorifying God in the Spirit.”
    • Wow, I’d love to be in the place where my heart is responsive only to His cry. Too many times I’m too responsive to other voices clamoring for my attention. Be still, my heart, listen for your Master.

 

  • “You never lose as much as when you lose your peace. …Possess patience to such an extent that you can suffer anything for the church, for your friends, for your neighbors, or for anyone. Remember this: we build character in others as our character is built.”
    • I want to live my life with the same confidence that the Apostle Paul did when he wrote, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” May my life be a blessing to others.

 

  • “O God, give us such a holy, intense, divine acquaintance with You that we would rather die than grieve You! Oh, for inward character that will make us say, ‘A thousand deaths rather than sinning once.’”
    • I want to be at this place. Amen!

 

What are you reading/listening to that’s challenging you to live differently?

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The Importance Of Purity

December 4, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

Yesterday I read the Family Resource Council’s report about the devastating effects of pornography. You can read the full report here.

Some highlights (or should I say “lowlights”?):

  • Married men who are involved in pornography feel less satisfied with their conjugal relations and less emotionally attached to their wives.
  • Pornography use is a pathway to infidelity and divorce, and is frequently a major factor in these family disasters.
  • Pornography viewing leads to a loss of interest in good family relations.
  • Pornography is addictive.
  • Men who view pornography regularly have a higher tolerance for abnormal sexuality, including rape, sexual aggression, and sexual promiscuity.
  • Prolonged consumption of pornography by men produces stronger notions of women as commodities or as “sex objects.”
  • Child-sex offenders are more likely to view pornography regularly or to be involved in its distribution.

This is the reason my wife and I stress purity so highly with our children. Betsy is going through Every Young Woman’s Battle with our daughter, and I’m using Every Young Man’s Battle with our sons.

There are only two battles that Scripture consistently warns us to flee from: idolatry and sexual promiscuity. We cannot stress purity enough, and it’s never too early (or too late) to talk to your kids about this.

Hey, parents, don’t let their peers have the loudest voice in your kids’ ears about sexual standards. You help them set godly standards. And do it now.

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Windshield Time

November 4, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

I’ve got to put in a lot of time on the road over the next few weeks. I’m already using iTunes for several podcasts that I enjoy, and I’ve got a couple of audiobooks too. But I would like your help.

What are you listening to that I should check out? Audiobooks? Music? Sermons? Podcasts? Share some good stuff with me so I can use my windshield time more profitably.

Thanks!

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Winning The Argument Or The Battle

June 11, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

When I entered college, I did so as a science major — pre-med biomedical chemistry, to be exact. I still really enjoy all of the medical sciences: biology, microbiology, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry and the like.

As you might be aware many of the scientists today have a bent toward the theory of evolution. That means that a few of my professors and several of the authors I was reading taught and wrote from that paradigm.

Which setup the environment for me to want to debate my Creationist beliefs.

I had one professor who would specifically challenge me during lectures to refute what he had just said about evolution. An author who wrote a lengthy book about evolution carried on a year-long correspondence with me where we each brought out our best arguments. In all instances — although we all believed passionately in our positions and could adequately defend them — the discussions never became shouting matches.

The Bible taught me how to do this. (This week I’m discussing my favorite book — the Bible — from a couple of different aspects. You can read more here, here and here.)

At times I was tempted to “cross the line” to win the argument. And I may have won the argument, but I would have put myself in a position to lose the overall battle. There are two key passages of Scripture that I keep in mind to help me with this.

(1) In telling His followers about the Holy Spirit (John 14-16), Jesus said, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). And also, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26).

The Holy Spirit helps me apply biblical truths and principles to my everyday life. He guides me and reminds me of what I have studied.

(2) The second key passage is, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander” (1 Peter 3:15-16).

Yes, it is important for me to be prepared to give an answer, but this is the middle thought. First, I have to make sure what I’m saying is exalting Christ as Lord. Then I do my best to study and prepare to give any answer, but I must give that answer gently and respectfully.

Allowing the Holy Spirit to help you prepare from the Bible, and allowing Him to guide you into answering questions/critics gently and respectfully honors Christ. And that always wins the battle.

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My Favorite Book

June 8, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

“The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold on me.” — Martin Luther

I love to read. So I read a whole lot of books. It’s not unusual for me to be working my way through four or five books at a time. I read the classics, poetry, history, biographies, autobiographies, devotionals, leadership training, personal development, marriage and parenting skills, and many, many other genres. I don’t have enough shelf space for all of the books I have, and I received six more books for my birthday… I love it!

But when people ask me my all-time favorite book, I don’t even have to hesitate. The book that is in a category all by itself is my Bible.

I say my Bible because I have made it my own. I highlight, I underline, I star, I jot notes in the margin, I circle key words. Sometimes I even mark all the question marks in a passage!

My study Bible is one I’ve had for over 20 years. Each time I read through my Bible I use a different color or style of highlighter. So as I look at different highlighted passages I can remember back to where I was in my life… what I was going through… the struggles I was having. Sometimes I smile when I remember what the Holy Spirit revealed to me in my Bible at that time, and how I’ve grown. Sometimes I remember the deep emotion as I see where a teardrop caused the highlighter to run, and recall the comfort my Bible brought to me.

In the month of June my family is reading through Psalm 119 (the longest chapter in the Bible). In this chapter David expresses his love for God’s Word. In 176 verses David refers to God’s Word in 172 verses. Here’s just a couple —

  • I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You. (v. 11)
  • I rejoice in following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. (v. 14)
  • Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law. (v. 18)
  • Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors. (v. 24)
  • I run in the path of Your commands, for You have set my heart free. (v. 32)

If you haven’t made Bible reading a part of your daily schedule, Psalm 119 is a good place to start. Scientists tell us that you only have to do something for 21 days in a row for it to become a habit. Psalm 119 is divided into 22 sections. And each section is just eight verses long.

You can find the time to read just eight verses a day, can’t you? If you do, you will have established one of the greatest habits in your life.

I will spend some time this week writing a little more about my favorite Book. In the meantime, I’d love to hear what you think about the Bible.

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