April | 2012 | Craig T. Owens

April 2012
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30

But The Best Part Is…

April 8, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

We had an amazing morning at Calvary Assembly of God celebrating the resurrection of Jesus!!

All of the behind-the-scenes help was servant-hearted.

The food was delicious.

The hospitality was sweet.

The music was uplifting.

The drama was powerful.

The atmosphere was inviting.

But the best part is: ten people invited Jesus into their lives!

It was a lot of work to put on our third Easter breakfast drama, but it was so worth it!

I am so grateful to our dedicated church family that works so hard to make sure Jesus is front and center in everything we do. I ♥ my church!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Calvary Assembly of God, Easter, salvation. 1 Comment »

This is an age of all kinds of “spirituality”: New Age, mysticism, Eastern religions, and on and on. In his typical in-depth style, Ravi Zacharias points out why Jesus trumps them all in his newest book Why Jesus?

The subtitle is “Rediscovering His Truth in an Age of Mass Marketed Spirituality,” and that seems to really hit the mark. Ravi Zacharias takes on some of the biggest mass marketers of spirituality — like Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra — and points out how their mass marketing is really just repackaging of some old, tired religious beliefs. Here’s one passage where Ravi really nails the mass marketers —

The tragedy of a worldview that is based on a blend of metaphysics, physics, spirituality, and medicine is that in the end, it violates those very disciplines to justify self-deification, which is the bottom line.

This is becoming the Absolute rather than communing with the Absolute. When you read Chopra and others of his stripe, you are told that God has a great plan for you. But the more you read Chopra, you realize that God is not visible in anything he has written. Chopra’s conclusion is that you are He… the divine is in you. Ah! But here’s the catch. To convince you of that, he has had to mutilate every other theory that holds to the contrary. How does he do that without seeming disrespectful of others? The bigger trick lies here. First, he takes their texts and strips them of their contexts. Next, he heavily quotes their own “authorities,” as long as they don’t actually believe their own texts. And finally, he dedicates his theory to all who claim to a different belief. This magical formula makes him look irenic and congenial, and then he can grace the talk shows as the ultimate glue that brings all religions together. He has provided spirituality without any absolutes and debunked any contrary claims at the same time. Anyone else may follow his lead and quote other texts out of context, but they dare not quote him out of context, unless they wish to meet him in a court of law. (emphasis mine)

There is something powerful about Jesus. Even the religious leadership immediately following Christ’s ascension told His followers to stop teaching people “in that Name.” There can be lots of gods, but there is only one Jesus.

Why Jesus? Ravi Zacharias points out that He is the One Who singlehandedly debunks every mass marketed “spirituality” being peddled today.

This is a challenging and deeply thought-provoking book, but it is well worth your time.

I am a FaithWords book reviewer.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: book review, New Age. Leave a Comment »

Christ’s Passion

April 6, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.

Good Friday is almost too heavy for me to comprehend. It’s only “good” as we view it now, after the resurrection of Christ. Looking at Calvary at the moment is so humbling.

See how the patient Jesus stands,

Insulted in His lowest case!

Sinners have bound the Almighty hands,

And spit in their Creator’s face.

With thorns His temple gored and gashed

Send streams of blood from every part;

His back with knotted scourges lashed,

But sharper scourges tear His heart.

Nailed naked to the accursed wood

Exposed to earth and heaven above,

A spectacle of wounds and blood,

A prodigy of injured love!

Hark! how His doleful cries affright

Affected angels, while they view;

His friends forsook Him in the night,

And now His God forsakes Him too!

Behold that pale, that languid face,

That drooping head, those languid eyes!

Behold in sorrow and disgrace

Our conquering Hero hangs, and dies!

Ye that assume His sacred name,

Now tell me, what can all this mean?

What was it bruised God’s harmless Lamb,

What was it pierced His soul but sin?

Blush, Christian, blush: let shame abound:

If sin affects thee not with woe,

Whatever life is in thee found,

The life of Christ thou doest not know.

—Joseph Hart, 1759

“Believer in Jesus, can you gaze upon Him without tears, as He stands before you the mirror of agonizing love? He is at once fair as the lily for innocence, and red as the rose with the crimson of His own blood. As we feel the sure and blessed healing which His stripes have wrought in us, does not our heart melt at once with love and grief? If ever we have loved our Lord Jesus, surely we must feel that affection glowing now within our bosoms.” —Charles Spurgeon

I hope you will join me in soberly and lovingly contemplating the amazing love of our Savior Jesus!

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Charles Spurgeon, Cross, crucifixion, Good Friday, Jesus Christ, Joseph Hart, passion, poem, poetry. Leave a Comment »

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!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: book review, John Piper, joy, slavery, William Wilberforce. Leave a Comment »

Thursdays With Oswald—The New Thinking Of Pentecost

April 5, 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.

The New Thinking Of Pentecost

Everywhere the charge is made against Christian people, not only the generality of Christians, but really spiritual people, that they think in a very slovenly manner. Very few of us in this present dispensation live up to the privilege of thinking spiritually as we ought. This present dispensation is the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. The majority of us do not think according to the tremendous meaning of that; we think ante-Pentecostal thoughts, the Holy Spirit is not a living factor in our thinking; we have only a vague impression that He is here. Many Christian workers would question the statement that we should ask for the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). The note struck in the New Testament is not ‘Believe in the Holy Spirit,’ but ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ That does not mean the Holy Spirit is not here; it means He is here in all His power, for one purpose, that men who believe in Him might receive Him. So the first thing we have to face is the reception of the Holy Spirit in a practical conscious manner. …

So as Christians we have to ask ourselves, does our faith stand ‘in demonstration of the Spirit and of power’? Have we linked ourselves up with the power of the Holy Spirit, and are we letting Him have His way in our thinking?

From Biblical Ethics

There are two dangerous extremes: (1) We can become so intellectual, that we never ask for the Holy Spirit’s help, or (2) We can become so “spiritual” that we ignore the development of our intellect.

I believe the proper balance is a both-and approach.

In the Old Testament, David asked for the Holy Spirit to search his heart and thoughts (Psalm 139:23-24).
Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth (John 16:13), and that He would help us to recall the things we have heard from Christ (John 14:26).
The apostle Paul talked about the Holy Spirit searching our mind and revealing God’s mind to us (1 Corinthians 2:10-16).

(check out all of the above Scriptures by clicking here.)

All of these speak of a partnership. We have to do our part AND we have to listen to the Holy Spirit’s voice. And from personal experience, I’ve found that I think much more clearly and thoroughly when I listen to the Holy Spirit!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: 1 Corinthians, creative thinking, Gospel of John, Gospel of Luke, Holy Spirit, Oswald Chambers, Pentecost, Pentecostal, Psalm, thinking, video. Leave a Comment »

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 should 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)

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: anxiety, Bible study, friends, Gospel of John, Jesus Christ, King David, peace, prayer, Psalm, storms, trouble, worship. Leave a Comment »

Temptation

April 3, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Have you ever thought, “Well, of course Jesus could say ‘no’ to temptation! After all, He is God.”

Yes, Jesus is fully God. But He is also fully Man. And it was as a Man that He defeated temptation.

“As a Man, without using any of His divine powers, Jesus defeated temptation in the same areas where Eve failed and where we fail. … By this He condemned sin in sinful man, that is, He showed we sin, not because we have to sin, but because we choose to sin and because we ignore the help available through the Word and the Spirit.” —Stanley Horton

We don’t have to sin, but we choose to sin.

Ouch!

“In His temptation, Jesus did not use His divine power to defeat the devil. Still identifying Himself with us as Spirit-filled human, He defeated satan by the same means that are available to us — the Word, anointed by the Spirit. Eve, tempted in exactly the same areas—the lust of the flesh (appetite), the lust of the eyes (desire), and the pride of life—failed (Genesis 3:6; 1 John 2:16). In these areas, which John says together comprise the things of the world or worldliness (1 John 2:15). Jesus won a complete victory for us. He has truly overcome the world (John 16:33). We can do the same by our faith (1 John 5:4).” —Stanley Horton

We can do the same thing. Instead of saying, “I gave in to temptation,” we can say, “I gave in to the Holy Spirit, Who helped me defeat temptation!”

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: 1 John, Bible, faith, Genesis, Gospel of John, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, quotes, satan, Stanley Horton, temptation, video. Leave a Comment »

Eternal Fruit

April 2, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

I love John Wesley’s commentary on this verse in the Gospel of John:

You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed you [I have planted you], that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting [that it may remain, abide], so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], He may give it to you. (John 15:16 AMP)

From John Wesley’s Notes On The Bible:

I have chosen and appointed you—for this end, that ye may go and convert sinners.
That your fruit may be lasting—that the fruit of your labors may remain to the end of the world; yea, to eternity.
That whatsoever you ask—the consequence of your going and bearing fruit will be, that all your prayers will be heard.

Leading others to an eternity with Jesus, bearing fruit that lasts forever, and having complete union with Christ in prayer. Wow! What amazing privileges followers of Jesus can have!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: fruitful, John Wesley, prayer, rewards, video. Leave a Comment »

Battling Depression

April 2, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Have you ever been depressed? I have. I know all too well how depression robbed me of sleep, sapped joy from my day, kept me from smiling and on the verge of tears all the time, made sunny days seem cloudy, caused me to sigh all the time and lose interest in the things that used to bring me pleasure, and brought such a sense of loneliness and isolation.

Did you know that Jesus felt the crushing load of depression too? As He was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane just before His arrest, listen to these words—

He began to be sorrowful and troubled
He became anguished and distressed
He began to show grief and distress of mind and was deeply depressed
He said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death”
He prayed more fervently, and He was in such agony of spirit that His sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood
“Abba, Father,” He cried out, “everything is possible for You. Please take this cup of suffering away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine.” (see Matthew 26:37-38; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:44)

The writer of Hebrews wrote this about Jesus—

While Jesus was here on earth, He offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the One who could rescue Him from death. And God heard His prayers because of His deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God’s Son, He learned obedience from the things He suffered. In this way, God qualified Him as a perfect High Priest, and He became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him. (Hebrews 5:7-9)

We learn something in suffering that we can’t learn any other way. Jesus learned how to experience all of the grief, anxiety, and depression that you and I will ever feel. And that is what qualifies Him to be a perfect High Priest for us.

Our part is to pray. Time and time and time again, not only did Jesus pray, but He encouraged His disciples to pray as well. As you continue to pray, Jesus is your High Priest praying for you. Only He truly knows how to translate the cry of your heart into a language Abba Father can understand.