Life Together

April 10, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Life TogetherOne of the things that stands out so clearly about the first century church is this—they really liked being around each other! Even though the early Christians faced persecution, rejection by the Jewish religious leadership, and even martyrdom, they truly enjoyed a special bond with one another.

In fact, that’s the key phrase: one another. The New Testament says they were devoted to one another, they helped one another, they prayed with one another, they confessed their sins to one another, they opened up their homes to one another, and on and on. This doesn’t mean they were without problems and personality clashes at times, but they found that one another was so much more enjoyable and productive than being on their own.

This Sunday I begin a brand new series called Enjoying Life Together With One Another. I hope you can join me at Calvary Assembly of God as we learn the joy and effectiveness that comes when we experience the power of one another.

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Attaboy!

October 19, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

October has been designated as Clergy Appreciation Month. Some pastors live from “Attaboy!” to “Attaboy!” from their congregation, so October is like a feast for them!

But the Apostle Paul has a slightly different perspective on this. More than getting an “Attaboy!” from a church congregation, he is joyful over the “Attaboy!” he hears from God.

For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when He comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20; 3:8-9)

Paul’s goal is seeing people who have been changed because of their relationship with Jesus. And these changed lives are all the reward he desires!

YOU ARE OUR GLORY AND JOY! 

Pastor, it’s nice when you get the “Attaboys!” from your congregation. But what’s even better is to help your congregation enter into a deeper relationship with Christ, and then hear the “Attaboy!” from God Himself!

What an amazing joy that we get to play a small role in helping people stand firm in the Lord!

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Pastor, Do You Enjoy Pastoring?

August 10, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Phillips Brooks was a pastor, teacher, and song writer. These words of his should be read very carefully and thoughtfully by every pastor…

I think, again, that it is essential to the preacher’s success that he should thoroughly enjoy his work. I mean in the actual doing of it, and not only in its idea. No man to whom the details of his task are repulsive can do his task well constantly, however full he may be of its spirit. He may make one bold dash at it and carry it over all his disgusts, but he cannot work on at it year after year, day after day. Therefore, count it not merely a perfectly legitimate pleasure, count it an essential element of your power, if you can feel a simple delight in what you have to do as a minister, in the fervor of writing, in the glow of speaking, in standing before men and moving them, in contact with the young. The more thoroughly you enjoy it, the better you will do it all. 

This is all true of preaching. Its highest joy is in the great ambition that is set before it, the glorifying of the Lord and the saving of the souls of men. No other joy on earth compares with that. The ministry that does not feel that joy is dead. But in behind that highest joy, beating in humble unison with it, as the healthy body thrills in sympathy with the deep thoughts and pure desires of the mind and soul, the best ministers have always been conscious of another pleasure which belonged to the very doing of the work itself. As we read the lives of all the most effective preachers of the past, or as we meet the men who are powerful preachers of the Word today, we feel how certainly and how deeply the very exercise of their ministry delights them.

Pastor, what unspeakable joy should thrill us to know that God Himself called us to do what we do!!

I know that being in full-time ministry is tough. I know the demands on our time. I know that we are often targets for criticism. But still this should never diminish our joy in being God’s ministers!

Heavenly Father, I thank You for the calling to be a pastor! Today I pray for pastors who don’t feel the joy they once felt. Holy God, will You reconfirm Your call on their lives. Reassure them that they are doing what they are doing because You called them to do it. And I ask that Your Holy Spirit would reinvigorate them with holy joy. Let the hands that hang low be lifted up in praise! Let mouths that have been tightly shut open wide in holy laughter! Let Your joy be their strength and encouragement. May You be glorified in joy-filled pastors!

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More Glory For God

August 5, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

You may be aware of this statement from the Westminster Catechism: The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

I love how John Piper elaborates on this in his book Desiring God—

In view of God’s infinite power and wisdom and beauty, what would His love to a human being involve? Or, to put it another way: What could God give us to enjoy that would prove Him the most loving? There is only one possible answer: Himself! …So if God loves us enough to make our joy full, He must not only give us Himself; He must also win from us the praise of our hearts—not because He needs to shore up some weakness in Himself or compensate for some deficiency, but because He loves us and seeks the fullness of our joy that can be found only in knowing and praising Him, the most magnificent of all Beings.

The cycle here is similar to the cycle I talked about last week, but it looks something like this…

God is delighted when we’re delighted in Him. Why? If we are enthralled with Him, why would seek enjoyment in anything else?! So as we glorify Him, He shows us more of Himself for us to delight in. And as we delight in the newly-revealed view of Himself—as we are more and more captivated by His greatness—we glorify Him even more.

Which starts the glorifying God and enjoying Him forever cycle all over again. I LOVE IT!!

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Getting Back Up When Life Has Knocked You Down

July 23, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

The Bible never presents life as some sort of pie-in-the-sky, walk-in-the-park, everyday-is-always-rosy picture. If it did, we would reject the Bible because our experiences would immediately tell us otherwise. Instead, the Bible realistically portrays the challenges, and the pain, and the heartache, and the disappointments of life. But as it does so it also shows us that God’s way is the only way out of our sorrow and into His joy!

In our P119 Spiritual Workout series, we saw the bookends of the section daleth (Psalm 119:25-32) are:

I am laid low in the dust (v. 25) → You have set my heart free (v. 32).

How do we get this freedom when we are knocked down and laid low in the dust?

The Jews saw the Hebrew letter daleth as a door. Specifically a door through which humble people stepped into a greater realization that He is God, and I’m not … that He has the answers, and I don’t … that He is in control, and I’m not. So part of going from down in the dust to a free heart is humbly acknowledging that you need God’s help!

In verses 26 and 27, the psalmist recalls his past history, and in so doing he is reminded that God has always been there. God has never left him nor forsaken him, so here’s what the psalmist resolves to do:

  • Teach me = I learned something before, so let me learn again.
  • Let me understand = help me to discern, distinguish; tell things apart. This word is used for things that are divinely disclosed; in other words, they’re things you and I cannot figure out on our own.
  • Meditate = talk with my soul about these new things the Holy Spirit has disclosed to me.

In verse 28, the psalmist says that his soul is weary with sorrow (or as the King James Version states it: my soul melteth for heaviness). The only way to overcome this is to ask for God’s help to energize us to go forward.

In the final four verses of this section you can sense the psalmist’s strength returning as he makes these bold statements:

  • keep me from deceitful ways (v. 29a) = keep me from lying to myself (NLT).
  • be gracious to me (v. 29b) = give me the privilege of knowing Your instructions (NLT).
  • I have chosen (v. 30a) = I have determined (NLT).
  • I have set (v. 30b) = I am long-sighted (on God), not short-sighted (on my problems).
  • I hold fast (v. 31) = the KJV says I have stuck to it!
  • I run (v. 32) = I will [not merely walk, but] run the way of Your commandments (AMP).

So when you are sad/disappointed/injured, run TO God. Don’t cling to your own (old) ways of thinking. Let Him take you from I am laid low → You have set my heart free.

I hope you can join me next Sunday as we continue our look at this amazing workout!

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Amazing Grace In The Life Of William Wilberforce (book review)

April 5, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

If you know anything about the life of William Wilberforce, you may know that he tirelessly worked for the end to slavery in the British Empire. You might think that this singular focus, and uphill battle would make Wilberforce a joyless, serious person. But according to John Piper’s book Amazing Grace In The Life Of William Wilberforce, nothing could be further from the truth.

You might also be familiar with John Piper’s writing about joy-filled Christians (in his classic Desiring God). So it makes sense that Piper would be attracted to the life of a man like Wilberforce. He was one who was described as, “His presence was as fatal to dullness as to immorality. His mirth was as irresistible as the first laughter of childhood.”

John Piper uncovers what made Wilberforce tick. What helped him stay so relentlessly focused on eliminating the slave trade, and remain a joy-filled Christian as well? Piper writes —

He was a radically God-centered Christian who was a politician. And his true affections for God based on the ‘peculiar doctrines’ of Christianity were the roots of his endurance in the cause of justice.

This is a great “starter book” for anyone who doesn’t know much about Wilberforce. It’s a quick and easy read. But there is so much more to learn about this amazing man. If nothing else, John Piper’s biopic on this great politician’s life should serve to whet your appetite to learn more about him. It did that for me!

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If Anyone Ought To Be Happy

May 27, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I remember once going to play golf with two other friends. When we got to the course, the starter added another guy — someone we didn’t know — to our group to round-out our foursome. We began to “play” our round of golf (I use the term play loosely), and joke, and laugh, and enjoy ourselves.

About 4 or 5 holes into our round, our new friend asked what we all did. I responded, “He’s a pastor, I’m a pastor, and that guy over there is a missionary.”

Our new friend looked shocked. “You mean you’re all Christians?!?”

“Yes, we are,” I said. “Does that surprise you?”

“Yes,” he replied, and then quickly added, “But I’ve never had so much fun playing golf before!”

It’s funny, and yet sad. Why would Christians be thought of as boring? dull? killjoys? Shouldn’t we be the most happy and joy-filled of all?

Here’s what Charles Spurgeon said —

We ought to be glad and rejoice forever in that which God creates. Ours is a heritage of joy and peace. My dear brothers and sisters, if anybody in the world ought to be happy, we are the people.

How large our obligations! How boundless our privileges! How brilliant our hopes!

What should make us miserable? Sin? That is forgiven. Affliction? That is working our good. Inward corruptions? They are doomed to die. satanic temptations? We wear an armor which they cannot penetrate. We have every reason for delight, and we have moreover this command for it: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). May God bring us into that blessed condition and keep us there!

God intends not only that we should have joy but also that we should spread it among others. He intends that wherever we go we should be light bearers and set other lamps shining.

Can people tell you have the joy of the Lord? Are you bringing light and laughter to dark and somber people? If you are filled up with God, how happy you should be!

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No More Fear

December 25, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

Have you ever noticed the overarching message throughout the Christmas story? In both Matthew’s and Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus there is a repeated angelic message to humankind: “Do not be afraid.”

  • “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard” (Luke 1:13).
  • “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:30).
  • “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife” (Matthew 1:20).
  • “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people” (Luke 2:10).

Why all this fear? Quite simply sin brings fear: Fear of God’s impending judgment. But the canceling power is Jesus. In the Christmas carol Joy To The World there are powerful, fear-lifting words in the third verse —

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

His blessing comes to bring joy wherever the curse of sin has brought fear! Jesus defeats sin, and so therefore His joy displaces all fear!

  • “His mercy extends to those who fear Him” (Luke 1:50).
  • “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come and has redeemed His people…. To show mercy to our fathers…. To enable us to serve Him without fear…. To give His people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins” (Luke 1:68, 72, 75, 77).
  • “He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
  • “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

Sin forgiven. Curse canceled. Fear removed. Joy has come because Jesus has come.

My prayer for you is that you are living without fear because you are living without sin. It’s only possible because Jesus came for you. Merry Christmas!

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Pursuit Of Happiness?

August 31, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

I was driving behind an SUV this morning which had the following decal on its rear window —

In Pursuit Of Happiness

Interesting. So I began having an imaginary conversation with the driver of the SUV. (Don’t laugh; you know you’ve done the same thing with other drivers on the road!)

“So is the day a waste if you’re unhappy because you got fired? Or because it rained when you planned a picnic? Or because the ice cream store was out of your favorite flavor?

“How far will you go in your pursuit of happiness? Would you cut corners? Would you compromise your values? Would you break the law?”

I like what John Piper says,

“The chief end of man is not just to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. And if we don’t enjoy Him, we don’t glorify Him.”

The pursuit of happiness will leave you disappointed. The pursuit of happiness will tempt you to cut corners.

But the pursuit of God’s glory and the enjoyment of His favor will never leave you disappointed nor cause you to compromise a thing. And do you know what else: the pursuit of God will bring a deep-down joy that will bubble up in happiness.

Instead of pursuing happiness, pursue God with all you got.

I’m in this pursuit with you today!

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Opposites

August 20, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

For everything there is a season,
      a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
      A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
      A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
      A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
      A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
      A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
      A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate.
      A time for war and a time for peace. (Solomon)

Everything in life has an opposite.

For every hello, there’s a goodbye.

Every time you say yes to something, you’re saying no to something else.

Sweet has its bitter; and bitter has its sweet.

Your day may be gloomy, but the sun will shine.

You may have sorrow, but there will be joy.

You may be in the dark night of your soul, but a bright dawn will appear.

Just remember: God has made everything beautiful in its time.

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