Building Or Tripping

May 22, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Building or trippingOne of the things I love about Peter, the disciple of Jesus, is the great opportunities he gave for Jesus to teach us!

Peter said something brilliant when Jesus asked, “Who do you say I am?” Peter quickly responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!”

Now catch Jesus’ reply to Peter: “This was not revealed to you by man, but by My Father in Heaven” (Matthew 16:17).

When I have my mind open to the things of God, the words I use are rock solid: “On this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hades will not overcome it” (verse 18).

But just a couple of verses later, Peter’s heavenly insight vanishes. Jesus told him “you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men” (v. 23). Jesus went even further to say that Peter’s words were a “stumbling block” to Him.

Did you notice the contrast? My Father spoke to your mind versus You aren’t listening to God but to man.

The difference is in my agenda: I can either try to “gain the whole world” for myself (v. 26), or I can “deny [myself] and take up [my] cross” to follow Jesus (v. 24).

Following God’s agenda = a solid foundation. 

Following my agenda = a stumbling block to the work of Christ. 

It’s my choice. And your choice too.

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It Is Finished (book review)

May 20, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

It Is FinishedDavid Wilkerson was a gentle man (yes, I did intend for that to be two words). The best definition I’ve heard of gentleness is “strength under control,” and that certainly describes Rev. Wilkerson’s words in It Is Finished: Finding Lasting Victory Over Sin.

Pastor Wilkerson’s words carry all of the weight and authority of an Old Testament prophet crying out, “This is what God says!” But his message is delivered with the lovingkindness of a gentle shepherd. Rev. Wilkerson is hard on those things that keep Christians at a distance from God, but loving on those at-a-distance Christians.

It Is Finished is a series of eleven sermons delivered by Pastor Wilkerson just prior to his death. They deliver a powerful message of God’s redemptive love from a man who was constantly learning what that love really meant. He shares his own personal struggles with feeling accepted by God’s love, and then presents a hope-filled message for all of us to accept the Holy Spirit’s invitation to enter into greater intimacy with our loving Heavenly Father.

These sermons are easy to read and will lift your spirits to new heights in God. I recommend this book to all Christians, but especially to those who struggle with feeling accepted by God.

I am a Chosen Books book reviewer.

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Binitarians

May 20, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

BinitariansI love this insight from Dick Brogden regarding too many Christians’ view of the Holy Spirit—

“Often our heads become stumbling blocks to our hearts. We cognitively admit that the Holy Spirit is a Person in the triune Godhead, but we live as functional binitarians. Comfortable with Father and Son, we are not quite sure how to interact with the Spirit….” —Dick Brogden

The promise of the Holy Spirit’s help for those who desire to follow God with all of their hearts permeates the entire Bible. Passage after passage in both the Old Testament and New Testament tell of the incredible life-altering, heart-molding, stronghold-breaking, love-creating, Christlike-empowering of the Holy Spirit.

How sad when we try to put the Holy Spirit in a box! 

“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as My Father promised….” —Jesus

“…You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” —Peter

“But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses….” —Jesus

“Now we have not received the spirit that belongs to the world, but the Holy Spirit Who is from God, given to us that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly bestowed on us by God.” —Paul

“But you have received the Holy Spirit, and He lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what He teaches is true….” —John

I pray more and more of us will move from binitarians to full trinitarians!! 

Please join me next Sunday as I continue our series called Come Holy Spirit.

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O Holy Spirit

May 19, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Come Holy SpiritBreathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. 

Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. 

Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. 

Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. 

Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. 

Amen!

—Augustine

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Ministers Are Standard-Bearers

May 17, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Pastor, this is a challenging word to us all…

McCheyne“Your sermon on Sabbath lasts but an hour or two; your life preaches all the week. Remember, ministers are standard-bearers. satan aims his fiery darts at them. If he can only make you a covetous minister, or a lover of pleasure, or a lover of praise, or a lover of good eating, then he has ruined your ministry forever. Ah! Let him preach on fifty years, he will never do me any harm. Dear brother, cast yourself at the feet of Christ, implore His Spirit to make you a holy man. Take heed to yourself and to your doctrine.”

—Robert Murray McCheyne

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Thursdays With Oswald—Are Christ’s Teachings Nonsense?

May 16, 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.

Oswald Chambers

Are Christ’s Teachings Nonsense? 

     Every Christian worker has to decide this question: Is Jesus Christ’s mind infallible, or is the modern Western mind infallible? The tendency abroad today is to think ourselves infallible, and the Bible a jumble up of the most extraordinary stuff, good stuff, but we cannot be expected to accept all its views. That means we believe ourselves to be more infallible than Jesus Christ. 

     We would repudiate this statement if made baldly, but we all act as if it were true, we all take for granted that Jesus Christ’s teachings are nonsense; we treat them with respect and reverence, but we do not do anything with them, we do not carry them out. 

From The Highest Good 

“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” —Jesus

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One Year Book Of Personal Prayer (book review)

May 15, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

One Year BookI believe in the power of prayer. I’ve not only heard incredible stories of how God has answered the prayers of others, but I’ve personally experienced those answers to my prayers. Prayer changes things so we should pray more, and The One Year Book Of Personal Prayer may just help you do that.

This book is designed to be read every day for a full year. Each day starts off with a passage from the Bible that can be turned into a prayer. Then there are two quotes from seasoned spiritual men and women with their insights about prayer.

I found this book to be both convicting and encouraging: I was convicted that I should be praying more, and encouraged to pray more through the Bible passages and the powerful words of tried-and-true prayer warriors. The One Year Book Of Personal Prayer will enliven your prayer life.

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What Are You Looking At?

May 15, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

LookingIn the feeding of the vast multitude, Jesus had very little in the way of natural resources: five loaves of bread and two fish. He also had the skepticism of His closest followers.

But all three synoptic gospels record a very telling phrase—Jesus looked up to heaven.

Jesus didn’t look at what He didn’t have; He looked up to His Father in heaven.

Jesus took His eyes off the limited and put them on the Limitless.

Then Jesus taught us to pray: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Are you looking at your poverty, or the Provider? 

Are you looking at your sickness, or the Healer?

Are you looking at the skeptics, or the Promise?

Are you looking at your confusion, or the All-Knowing?

What are you looking at?

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Come Holy Spirit

May 14, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Come Holy Spirit [web]The Bible is so full of the amazing promises that come when we allow the Holy Spirit to move in our lives. Things like…

  • Anointing for service
  • Empowerment for telling other about Jesus
  • Answering those who criticize the gospel
  • Praying more intimately
  • Wisdom
  • Growing in Christlike character
  • Insight into difficult situations
  • Discernment
  • Creativity where there was stagnation
  • And on and on and on

With all of the blessings that come with the Holy Spirit’s move in our lives, why wouldn’t we pray more frequently, “Come Holy Spirit”?

Beginning this Sunday I will be talking about some of the roles the Holy Spirit plays in the lives of Christians. I hope you can join me each week at Calvary Assembly of God.

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Careless Words

May 14, 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. 

“But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.” —Jesus Christ, in Matthew 12:36

The King James Version uses the phrase idle words, which is a rather apt description. The root Greek word is the picture of a worker, but the prefix “a” with it means that the worker is either lazy or unemployed. Not only that but he couldn’t care less (“careless”) about his unemployed, unproductive state.

It’s lazy to use whatever word comes to mind, especially if it’s not the right word. 

It takes hard work to say the right word at the right time. 

It requires great care to leave the wrong word unspoken.

Just prior to the above quote from Jesus, His critics had just thrown out the line, “He casts out demons through the power of the devil.” They didn’t think about what they were saying, so Jesus said, “If you had thought that through before you said it, you would have realized that it makes no sense. That was an idle, unproductive, lazy thing to say.” In the meantime, who knows how many people heard that throw-away line and then turned away from Jesus (see Matthew 12:22-37).

Words have consequences. Idle, careless words may have eternal consequences. I’ll have to stand before God to explain my careless words some day.

And so will you.

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