Sin

December 21, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

I know in politically correct circles it’s not very chic to talk about sin. After all, we’re not supposed to impose our personal values on someone else, right?

Well, I do believe in right and wrong, and the wrong is called sin. So if you are offended by me calling something sin, it would be best for you to stop reading now.

Are you still with me? Then read this: satan…incited David to sin… (1 Chronicles 21:1).

Incited means this wasn’t a straight-up fight. Sin seldom makes a bold, in-your-face attack. Sin isn’t really an ambush. It’s sort of a whispering campaign.

  • Sin is an appeal to ego
  • Sin is a half-truth
  • Sin is an attempt to be subtle
  • Sin is so innocent looking

The Bible says satan lurks like a lion in the underbrush (1 Peter 5:8).

He waits for the perfect opportunity to strike (Luke 4:13).

satan is sneaky (Genesis 3:1).

He lies (John 8:44).

He distorts the truth (Luke 4:9-11).

That’s why I cannot give sin an inch. I have to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5), and pull everything into the light of The Truth (John 3:20-21).

[Check out all of these verses by clicking here]

It’s not usually the blatant sin that brings down great men and women, but the subtle. So stay on your guard. Always!

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Raising The Dead (book review)

December 20, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

I know, I know, the title of this book sort of sounds like a horror movie, doesn’t it? But Dr. Chauncey Crandall IV’s book Raising The Dead is anything but horrific. In fact, it’s actually more like a love story.

The book opens with Dr. Crandall’s firsthand experience of praying for a patient who has been pronounced dead, and seeing with his own eyes that patient returned to life. This sets the stage for the life journey on which Dr. Crandall and his family are about to embark.

Raising The Dead traces the Crandall family’s journey of spiritual discovery as they battle cancer in the life of one of their twin sons. Throughout this story you will ride the highs as miracles appear for this family, and you will feel the heartbreak as opportunities slip away. Through it all, the Crandall family learns how to draw closer to each other, and – most importantly – closer to God. I know I joked earlier about the book’s title evoking thoughts of a movie, but in actuality, this story would make an incredibly moving film.

If you are praying for a miracle in your life, if you work with people in desperate places, or if you would simply enjoy a moving account of a family seeking so fervently after God, you will enjoy Raising The Dead.

I am a Faith Words book reviewer.

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The Case For Christmas (book review)

December 20, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

Virgin birth? The accuracy of the biblical account? God in flesh? These are all intriguing questions that crop up especially around the Christmas season, which is why The Case For Christmas by Lee Strobel is a timely read.

Lee Strobel investigates the fantastic claims that Christians make about the birth of Jesus Christ with all of the cool-headed dispassion of a newspaper journalist. Beginning with his own skepticism about the miracle of the virgin birth of Christ, Mr. Strobel seeks out the sharpest minds who have thoroughly researched the key areas surrounding this subject. In a book that reads a little like a detective story, we get to sit in on some of the fascinating interviews Mr. Strobel conducted for this book.

Whether you are an atheist, a doubter, or a wholehearted believer, there is much to ponder in The Case For Christmas. At only 96-pages long, you can read this book prior to Christmas Day, and gain a better appreciation for the true meaning behind CHRISTmas.

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Thursdays With Oswald—The Preacher And The Word

December 16, 2010 — 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.

The Preacher And The Word

     Keep yourself full to the brim in reading; but remember that the first great Resource is the Holy Spirit Who lays at your disposal the Word of God. The thing to prepare is not the sermon, but the preacher. …

     It is easy to tell men they must be saved and filled with the Holy Spirit; but we have to live amongst men and show them what a life filled with the Holy Spirit ought to be.

From Approved Unto God

My takeaways: (a) My other reading is fine, but it should never take the place of the reading of the Bible; and (b) People would rather see a sermon in me than hear a sermon from me any day.

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No Such Thing As Overnight Success

December 15, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

Although to the outsider it sometimes appears that way, success does not happen overnight. So much of the work and preparation and study that are done are simply unnoticed by others.

On the flip side, there is no such thing as an overnight failure either. So much of the work and preparation and study that was left undone is also usually unnoticed by others.

Both public success and public failure are the culmination of years of private decisions. Every single day I am either preparing for success or preparing for failure.

The battles are being won or lost before I even take the field. It’s the everyday private practice that determines the game day public performance.

I have to pay careful attention to the “little things” in private every day if I hope to successfully handle the “big things” in public someday.

The heights of great men reached and kept,
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upwards in the night. —Henry W. Longfellow

 

What are you doing to prepare today?

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Who Are You Talking To?

December 14, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

I love team leadership. I really enjoy getting a group of creative thinkers around me to do some serious brainstorming. I find it so beneficial to seek out the counsel of some wise people who have been around for a while.

But, let’s see, who have I left off this list?

Oh, yeah, I remember now—I didn’t consult God!

Be honest: have you ever done that? Have you ever consulted with a lot of wise—even God-fearing—people, but forgotten to consult with God Himself? If you have (and I certainly have), we’re in good company.

When King David got ready to move the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, the Bible says,

David conferred with each of his officers….

How’d that work out for him? Not so good.

  • Uzzah died
  • David got mad at God
  • David got scared of God
  • The ark’s arrival in Jerusalem was delayed another three months

Then David had his “Oh yeah!” moment. When he got ready to try again, David said,

We did not inquire of God about how to do it in the prescribed manner….

So here’s my simple reminder to myself (and to you too): It’s fine to consult with others, but consult with God first.

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The Dangers Of Camels

December 13, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

So glad this didn’t happen in our Living Nativity…

But on a bright note, the Cedar Springs Post had a couple of nice things to say about us (you can read the article here). And if you missed it earlier, the pictures from our Living Nativity are all uploaded here.

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The Right Person For The Job

December 13, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

Employers and pastors both have the important task of putting people into positions of responsibility. Employers do so to make their businesses more profitable; pastors do so to expand the Kingdom of God.

But employers do something that pastors often miss: They hire the right person for the job.

Check out this verse:

Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skillful at it.

Simply put: Kenaniah was in charge of the singing because he could sing; he could carry a tune; he had skill; his singing was pleasant to the worshippers in the tabernacle. This word skillful also implies that he knew how to teach others too.

You give someone the job because they are skillful at it. Not because their feelings would be hurt if you gave the job to someone else, not because you hope giving them the job will boost their self-esteem. This is just as true in the church as it is in the business world.

The way I read the Bible, everyone has a talent. One of the roles of a shepherd leader is to find the right place for every person’s talent. Pastors do a disservice to both the individual and to the whole church body when they give someone a job for which they do not have the God-given talent.

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What Do You Know About Leadership…

December 10, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

…and what are you doing with it?

I read an interesting verse about King David:

And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that his kingdom had been highly exalted for the sake of His people Israel.

“David knew” reminds me of a line from Jesus’ life: Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power (John 13:3).

David and Jesus both knew that their positions of leadership were God-granted. And with that knowledge, they both wanted to further expand God’s Kingdom.

They didn’t keep the power for themselves; they didn’t lord it over others; they didn’t hoard the blessings; they didn’t use their leadership for personal gain; they used their God-granted authority to serve others.

They were confidently humble leaders.

If you are in a position of leadership, it’s not for you nor is it because of you. Leadership is from God, through you, to benefit others and to expand His Kingdom.

What do you know about leadership … and what are you doing with it?

UPDATE: This is one of the seed thoughts that went into my book Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter.

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Thursdays With Oswald—General Maxims

December 9, 2010 — 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.

General Maxims

     (a) If you lack education, first realize it; then cure it.

     (b) Beware of knowing what you don’t practice.

From Approved Unto God

I know the maxim for some is, “Fake it until you make it.” I can’t do that. I won’t do that. The Bible has a word for doing that: Hypocrisy.

How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,” when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye (Luke 6:42).

But just as bad is when I know what I’m supposed to do, and then make excuses not to do that. The Bible has a word for not doing that: Sin.

Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it (James 4:17).

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