Harmless

April 13, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

When a story from the past is so well known, we can easily insert ourselves into it with a certain bias. When we do this, we read things into the story because of the facts we know now.

For instance, we know Judas betrays Jesus. So when we see his name in any story in the Bible, we immediately associate the word traitor with him, and we can only view him through that lens. Therefore, it’s easy for us to put ourselves in the place of one of the other eleven disciples of Jesus, and assume that they too knew Judas was a traitor.

Except they didn’t.

Look at this verse after Jesus says, “One of you will betray Me”—

His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them He meant. (John 13:22)

The Eleven were not suspicious of Judas. They didn’t say, “Well, I just knew it was him,” or “I kinda expected that from Judas.”

One of the things Jesus taught His followers was for them to be gentle as doves. I like how the King James Version says it: harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16).

Pastor, I know you especially have been hurt by people in your church. They have betrayed you, gossiped about you, turned on you. If people did that to Jesus, why would you expect anything less? And yet we are still to remain harmless as doves.

The Eleven never suspected a traitor. They were innocent. I think they were so focused on Jesus, they didn’t have time to be cynical about others. We view Judas cynically; they didn’t.

What a testimony to others when we are harmless:

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and depraved nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. (Philippians 2:15)

You may have been hurt many (many, many, many…) times in the past. But being harmless means that, like the disciples, we are “at a loss” as to whom it could be when someone tells us there is a traitor in our midst.

  • Stay focused on Jesus, so you may love others as He loves them.
  • Allow God to heal the wounds others have inflicted on you.
  • Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any cynicism in your heart.
  • Repent of your suspicion of people.
  • Be harmless toward everyone.
  • Grieve over the traitor.
  • Then stay focused on Jesus, not the traitor and not your wound.
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Thursdays With Oswald—The Realness Of The Holy Spirit

April 12, 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 Realness Of The Holy Spirit

     The Holy Spirit makes Jesus Christ both present and real. He is the most real Being on earth, ‘closer is He than breathing, and nearer than hands and feet.’ Simply receive the Holy Spirit, rely upon Him and obey Him and He will bring the realization of Christ….

     The Holy Spirit is seeking to awaken men out of lethargy; He is pleading, yearning, blessing, pouring benedictions on men, convicting and drawing them nearer, for one purpose only, that they may receive Him so that He may make them holy men and women exhibiting the life of Jesus Christ. How the devil does rob Christians who are not thinking on Pentecostal lines of the tremendous power of the Presence of Jesus made real by the Holy Spirit!

From Biblical Ethics

When Jesus said He would never leave us, He fulfilled this promise by sending the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our constant Guide, our wisest Counselor, our kindest Teacher, and the illuminating Spirit of Truth.

Think about this: The same Holy Spirit who inspired the writing of the Scriptures, is the same Holy Spirit Who will illuminate those Scriptures to you. How the devil does rob Christians who are not thinking on Pentecostal lines!

Holy Spirit, I willingly yield to Your illuminating and transforming presence in my life today!

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My High Wire Act

April 11, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

“Ladies and gentleman, high above you, balanced precariously on the tightrope high over your heads—and performing it all without a net—is your pastor!”

Well, that’s sorta what it feels like to me!

Last year, I took a couple of Sundays to field questions from our congregation. My hope was that lots of people would turn in their questions early, to give me a little time to prepare (that’s like performing with a net). But instead, most of the questions came as I was standing at the front of the church with the microphone in my hand. That’s definitely performing without a net!

But it was very well received, so we’re trying this high wire act again. Beginning next Sunday The Q Series allows anyone in attendance to ask their questions about the Bible, God, or anything else that’s on their mind about spiritual matters. People can either ask their question verbally, or they can text their question anonymously to the techs in our sound booth.

Of course, if you’d like to help me perform with a net, please ask a question or two (or three, or four…) in the comments below. If you’d like to see me perform without a net, join us at 10:30am this Sunday morning.

Here are some of the questions we have addressed:

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Remaining

April 11, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

In John 15, Jesus uses a Greek word that gets translated in the English as remain fifteen times. If anyone uses a single word that many times, you know it must be important. The same Greek word is also translated in and last in this same passage. The word means:

  1. continually present (in reference to time), and
  2. not leaving a certain orientation (in reference to state or condition).

The big idea Jesus is trying to convey here is connectedness. So I’m asking myself, Is my life so connected and reliant on Christ’s life, that it is nearly impossible to perceive two? Do we look and operate like one? Is my life completely sustained by His life? When people look at me, can they tell I am remaining in Jesus?

This same Greek word is translated living in (John 14:10) when Jesus says, “It is the Father living in Me, Who is doing His work.” When we see Jesus, we see the oneness—the remaining—between Father, Son, and Spirit.

This same remaining oneness is possible for me because of the promise of a Helper. Jesus said the Counselor (the Holy Spirit) would be with you (John 14:16). This is the exact same Greek word. The word is used again in the following verse: He lives with you and will be in you.

The Holy Spirit helps me look more and more like Jesus. He helps me remain. He develops the oneness.

Oh, marvel of marvels! To be one with Jesus! To remain—to last! To have Him in me, and I in Him!

I want to remain more deeply, more “one-ly,” that God may be glorified in the lasting fruit that my remaining will allow Him to produce.

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Torn Veil

April 10, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Our Where’s God? Easter drama reached its climax when the veil in the temple was torn by Christ’s death on the Cross. All three of the synoptic gospels record this—

At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. (Matthew 27:51; also see Mark 15:38 and Luke 23:45)

This was so significant in answering the question “Where’s God?” The veil prevented anyone from going into God’s presence (except the high priest on the Day of Atonement). This made God’s presence something of a mystery: Does God see me? Does He care about me? How do I get to God? Can I even approach Him? Would He receive me or would He reject me?

The best way to remember the definition for atonement is like this: at-onement.

In one moment, when Jesus said, “It is finished,” all that separated us from God was removed! And we can now live forgiven! We can now be at onement with God!

The veil not only literally and physically hung in the temple, but it figuratively and spiritually hangs in our hearts. This is what the Apostle Paul writes—

But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, Who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:14-18)

Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross allowed the Heavenly Father to tear apart the physical veil in the temple. Have you allowed the Holy Spirit to tear apart the spiritual veil in the temple of your heart? Here’s how you can know that the veil has been torn apart—you can notice that you are being transformed more and more into Christ’s likeness.

That’s the significance of the torn veil! That’s the power of Christ’s atonement!

If you missed any of the message in our Where’s God? series, you can find them all here.

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Now What?

April 9, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Easter is over. Some people may have come to a church yesterday and may have even stepped into a relationship with the Risen Savior Jesus Christ. Wow, what a day!

Now what?

Is it back to church as usual?

What’s different because Jesus arose?

More specifically, what’s different about my life because I encountered Christ?

I don’t think Jesus suffered, died, and arose from the grave so we could maintain the status quo, or so that we could return to our normal humdrum lives, or so that church could become ‘the usual weekend routine.’

Dorothy Sayers said it this way:

“To do them justice, the people who crucified Jesus did not do so because He was a bore. Quite the contrary; He was too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround Him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have declawed the Lion of Judah and made Him a housecat for pale priests and pious old ladies.”

Although Easter is over, I pray my life with Christ is never tedious, never boring, never predictable, never as tame as a housecat.

I want to know and see firsthand in my life that the Lion of Judah is not safe, but that He is good (thanks to C.S. Lewis for that wording)!

Jesus conquered death so that you and I could really live. Don’t ever settle for the boring, humdrum, usual routine. Discover the exciting life Jesus has for you!

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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!

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Why Jesus? (book review)

April 7, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

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.

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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. ◀︎◀︎

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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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