Ask & Act

January 16, 2013 — 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.

Do you want to mature as a Christian? I do! So here’s the first step…

…you may be mature and complete not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God… (James 1:4-5).

The dictionary defines mature as “complete in natural growth or development; fully developed in body or mind as a person.” The Bible has a higher definition of maturity. The phrase mature and complete (the King James Version actually says perfect) is just one word in the Greek: teleios. It’s the same word Jesus uses when He sets this standard for maturity:

Be perfect [teleios], therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect [teleios]. (Matthew 5:48)

Yikes! Talk about a high standard! I certainly can’t reach that level of perfect maturity on my own! That’s why James says we should pray for wisdom. The kind of wisdom God gives is heavenly knowledge that is perfectly practical on earth. It fits with the prayer Jesus taught us to pray, “Your will be done on earth, even as it is in Heaven.”

But there is more to maturity than just asking for wisdom. I have ASK for wisdom and then I have to ACT on that wisdom—but when he asks, he must believe and not doubt (James 1:6).

Growing in maturity is never a passive process; I must be actively engaged. God will not waste knowledge or experience. He won’t give it to me unless I’m going to be obedient enough to mature by its application.

Ask and act. God wants you to be teleios (perfectly mature) because it brings glory to Him. So ask for wisdom, but then be ready to act on it. This is the only path to godly maturity.

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Eye On It

January 15, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

I love the new TobyMac album Eye On It, because every song has a great message. Here’s the music video for the title track, which reminds me of Hebrews 12:1-2 and 1 Corinthians 9:24.

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Sanctity Of Human Life Month

January 15, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Sanctity Of Human Life MonthJanuary is designated as sanctity of human life month. This is an issue about which I am passionate. Life is a gift from God, and the attacks against this gift are a slap at the Hand of our gracious Heavenly Father.

When a biblical principle is being attacked, we have two ways to respond: (a) Curse the darkness, or (2) Light a candle.

Since Jesus told us that we were to be the light of the world, I choose to light a candle.

There are lots of ways to do this:

  • Support pro-life legislators
  • Stay informed, and then write appropriate editorials and letters to editors
  • Pray, pray, pray!
  • Get involved with those on the front lines

In Cedar Springs we have a great pro-family, pro-life organization on the front lines called Alpha Family Center. (In the interest of full disclosure, I currently serve as the board president of Alpha, but I was a huge fan before I signed on for this.)

At Calvary Assembly of God, we are showing our support for the sanctity of human life by collecting needed supplies for Alpha during the month of January. Over the next weeks, please donate baby items like onesies, pacifiers, diapers, pull-ups, baby wipes, baby socks, or receiving blankets. You can also make a financial donation to Alpha Family Center (PayPal link).

Let’s shine brightly for life by supporting Alpha!

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From Azusa To Africa To The Nations (book review)

January 14, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

AzusaMost people are familiar with George Santayana’s powerful reminder: “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” This is why I love reading books of history. Denzil R. Miller has given us a powerful lesson of the history of the Pentecostal church in From Azusa To Africa To The Nations.

Denzil, a missionary in Africa, had a very specific motivation for writing this book: To remind African Christians how the full gospel message came to them, and how they should be responding to it. But I found that this book is a great reminder for all who call themselves Pentecostal.

From Azusa re-tells the story of the Pentecostal reawakening in the early days of the 1900s in a small church in Los Angeles pastored by William Seymour. From that small church, a worldwide revival to the fullness of the operation of the Holy Spirit began. It was a call to return to biblical roots; a call back to the message of Jesus, “You will receive power to be My witnesses after the Holy Spirit comes upon you” (Acts 1:8).

Denzil Miller aims to call the African churches back to their Pentecostal roots, but this is a call for all Pentecostals, regardless of the continent on which they live. This is a short, but powerful book, that I encourage you to check out.

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Swing The Bat Of Prayer

January 14, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Swing the batMy son Harrison plays high school baseball. Let’s just imagine that I’m his hitting coach. In order for this relationship to benefit him, a couple of things have to occur:

  1. He has to want to improve, and
  2. He has to want to receive instruction from me.

If he thinks he knows it all already, or if he wants to just hang out with the other guys on the team to try to pick up some tips by being around them, then my role of a coach isn’t going to benefit him much.

Let’s say that Harrison knows he needs to improve, and he’s willing to listen to my instruction. We head out for some batting practice, and he lets pitch after pitch sail by him without ever swinging at the ball. If he never swings the bat, there’s only one piece of advice I can give him: Swing the bat!

The same things hold true for us if we want to improve as pray-ers. We have to want to improve, and we have have to be willing to receive instruction from the Coach (in this case, the Holy Spirit). But we also have to give Him something to work with. If we let opportunity after opportunity sail by without praying about it, there’s only one piece of advice the Spirit can give us: Pray!

Jesus said the Holy Spirit would help lead us into oneness with Him—

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)

If we want to become better pray-ers, here’s how the Holy Spirit can help:

  • You have to admit that you need help in your prayer life.
  • You need to read your Bible (the everything that God says to you), and use God’s Word to help form your prayers.
  • Then, pray… swing the bat of prayer! 
  • As you pray, listen to the voice of the the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, helping you to refine your prayers.

Your prayer time can become more meaningful, if you will tune into the Holy Spirit, and give Him something to work with.

To check out the others messages in this series on prayer called Praying Circles, please click here.

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Praying The Word

January 13, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Dietrich BonhoefferI shared this quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer this morning in my message—

“Meditation lets us be alone with the Word. …In our meditation we ponder the chosen text on the strength of the promise that it has something utterly personal to say to us for this day and for our Christian life, that it is not only God’s Word for the Church, but also God’s Word for us individually. We expose ourselves to the specific Word until it addresses us personally.”

Using the Bible as your prayer guide will take your prayers to a whole new level!

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The Pastor & Prayer

January 11, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

E.M. BoundsMy fellow pastor, please consider these wise words from E.M. Bounds—

“No one having any knowledge of the existing facts, will deny the comparative lack of expository preaching in the pulpit effort of today. And none, we should, at least, imagine, will do other than lament the lack. Topical preaching, polemical preaching, historical preaching, and other forms of sermonic output have, one supposes, their rightful and opportune uses. But expository preaching—the prayerful expounding of the Word of God is preaching that is preaching—pulpit effort par excellence. For its successful accomplishment, however, a preacher needs must be a man of prayer. For every hour spent in his study-chair, he will have to spend two upon his knees.”

I believe God will be honored if we spend twice as much time praying our sermons as we do preparing our sermons. 

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Thursdays With Oswald—New Eyes Of Grace

January 10, 2013 — 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.

New Eyes Of Grace

     Wherever the grace of God works effectually in a man’s inner nature, his nervous system is altered and the external world begins to take on a new guise. Why? Because he has a new disposition. “If any man is in Christ Jesus,” his nervous system will prove that he is a “new creature,” and he will begin to see things differently. 

Heaven above is a brighter blue,

Earth around is a sweeter green;

Something lives in every hue

Christless eyes have never seen:

Birds with gladder songs o’erflow,

Flowers with deeper beauties shine,

Since I know, as now I know,

I am His and He is mine. [Loved With Everlasting Love by George Wade Robinson] 

From Biblical Psychology 

There is so much more to see, if we’ll just let God open our eyes. One of the byproducts of His grace: Experiencing the world through our five senses which are now fully alive.

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God Chose You

January 9, 2013 — 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.

Sometimes life is hard and we can lose sight of a very important fact. Through the trials, and the testings, and the difficult situations, and the valleys, and the times we’re tempted to throw in the towel, you must remember this one fact…

God chose to give you birth (see James 1:18).

You are not an accident.

You are not an after-thought.

You are not an unintended consequence.

God chose to give you birth.

He planned for you to be here.

Therefore He pours out His lavish gifts, including the greatest gift of all—eternal life.

Think about it: What greater proof is there that God chose you than He sent His Son to earth to make it possible for you to live with Him forever! 

Let those words sink in—GOD WANTS YOU WITH HIM FOREVER!

God chose to give you birth, and to give you a second birth—eternal life.

For God so loved you, that He gave His One and Only Son as a sacrifice for your sins. If you believe that, you will spend eternity with Him! 

God chose you!

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. Like some exclusive quotes from a book I just reviewed. ◀︎◀︎

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I Am Doulos

January 8, 2013 — 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.

In this era of LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram, and the like, we are so concerned about connections, friends, followers, and likes that it consumes our thoughts.

We self-promote and pray for popularity.

Well, I don’t think anyone is actually brazen enough to pray, “God, make me popular.” But we often live as if popularity was the answer to a prayer.

We gain our status by who we know, what we’ve done, what we are doing, the places we’ve worked, and the number of “friends,” “followers” and “connections” we have accumulated.

James wrote a book of the Bible. As he opened the letter he introduced himself. He could have said:

  • I am the half-brother of Jesus
  • I am the leader of the Christian Church
  • I chaired the Jerusalem Council

Instead he simply said, “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Not even the servant, as if he were distinguished among others, but the indefinite article a servant. The Greek word here (doulos) means:

  • A slave
  • “One who gives himself up to another’s will for Christ to use his service to advance His cause among men” (Strong’s Greek Dictionary)
  • Devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests

Any connections, friends, followers, skills, talents, or opportunities I have are wholly God’s. He gave them to me so I could serve Him and serve others. I am merely a steward of what He’s given me—I AM DOULOS.

(To see a negative example of this, check out my post Trading Truth for Popularity.)

My desire for my eulogy and my tombstone is for it to simply say: “He was a servant.”

I am living to hear my Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

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

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