No One Can Help Me

August 31, 2021 — 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. 

David uses the phrase “no one” three times in verse 4 of the 142nd Psalm. This verse is also the middle verse of the psalm. Since Hebrew literature often puts the central message in the center, we should start with this verse and then see the message that radiates out from the center. 

In this middle verse, David realizes that no earthly help can sustain him: 

  • no one is at my right hand with any strength to lend to me
  • no one is truly concerned for my wellbeing 
  • no one can help my eternal soul 

Radiating out from this middle verse we see…

  • …God, You watch over me, and You are my refuge (vv. 3, 5)
  • …I pour out my complaint to You, God, and You listen and respond to me (vv. 2, 6) 
  • …God, I cry to You for mercy, and You set me free from my prison (vv. 1, 7)

I find it interesting that David calls it “my prison.” David has learned that God may allow affliction and shaking so that he will see that there is only One who is reliable and stable. Trusting in anything or anyone else becomes, in essence, a prison. 

In verse 7, David mentions God’s “goodness to me.” Sometimes this word for goodness is translated “bountiful,” and it comes from a Hebrew word that can mean “to be weaned.” David is sharing with us that our afflictions can wean us from all human help so that we can fully enjoy the bountiful goodness of our loving God! 

When it appears that there is no one around to help me, that is actually a good thing.

It’s a good thing because it means that now that everything else has been cleared out of my way, I can clearly see The Only One that truly cares about me both today and forevermore! 

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Abiding In God’s Omnipresence

August 30, 2021 — 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. 

Why do Christians say things like, “Let’s go to church” or “Let’s go meet with God”? 

Do we forget that Jesus said He would never leave us, or that He sent the Holy Spirit to be our constant Companion, or that our very heart is the temple of God’s presence (Matthew 28:20; John 14:16; 1 Corinthians 3:16)? We are naturally self-focused creatures. It takes discipline on our part to keep reminding and re-reminding ourselves that God is always with us. 

Psalm 84 and its two Selahs is one way of re-reminding ourselves of God’s abiding presence. The Selahs are reminders to pause and consider, “Where am I?” and to know that the answer can always be, “Surely I am in God’s presence!” 

This psalm is divided into three 4-verse stanzas. Stanzas 1 and 2 end with the call to Selah, and all three stanzas feature a powerful name for God: LORD Almighty. When we see LORD in all capital letters, that is God’s covenant name: Yahweh or Jehovah, which means that He is the “I AM that I AM.” Almighty signifies that He is the invincible, un-defeatable Captain of angel armies. 

In these two combined titles, we have the personal intimate God of love and the unstoppable God of limitless power! If He were just the God of love, we may not be able to trust His power. If He were just the God of power, we may not be able to approach Him. He is the All-Loving, Ever-Approachable Power. 

Another important recurring theme in Psalm 84 is the word blessed. It’s used three times in this psalm, more than in any other single psalm. This word means God’s unmerited favor, and the word either begins or ends each of the three stanzas.  

In stanza 1 (vv. 1-4), twice we have that combined title of LORD Almighty. But we must always remember that our God is not distant and unapproachable, but the sons of Korah call Him “my King” and “my God.” At the end of this first stanza, we are invited to Selah—a pause to praise our glorious King! 

Stanza 2 (vv. 5-8) begins with that reminder that we are blessed. The psalmists tell us that God’s blessings flow even in my Valley of Baca (or weeping). With God’s presence surrounding me, I can go from “strength to strength” because the LORD Almighty hears my prayer and responds to my prayer! So at the end of this stanza, we are again invited to Selah—this time it’s a pause to pray to our listening God. 

In stanza 3 (vv. 9-12), another important word is featured that reminds us that our God is not a stingy King, but One who delights in His children and wants to lavishes them with His blessings: the word is favor. We read, “look with favor on Your anointed one” and “the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” God’s favorable blessings flow toward us as eternally as He exists! 

This psalm is circular: it begins as it ends, so it invites us to continue to praise, continue to pray, and continue to abide in His presence. We’re called not just to know about God’s presence, but to rejoice in His presence. 

It’s one thing to know about God’s omnipresence, but it’s an entirely different thing to abide in God’s omnipresence! 

This isn’t something that happens overnight. Brother Lawrence reminds us that this is a progressive revelation for Christians: “One does not become holy all at once. … The more one knows Him, the more one desires to know Him. And as knowledge is commonly the measure of love, the deeper and more extensive our knowledge shall be, the greater will be our love: and if our love of God were great we should love Him equally in pains and pleasures.” 

I encourage you to Selah frequently so that you can move from mere head knowledge of God’s presence to becoming intimately aware of His closeness! 

If you’ve missed any of the messages in our series looking at the Selahs in the Psalms, you may find the full list by clicking here. 

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Poetry Saturday—Sun Of My Soul

August 28, 2021 — 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.

Sun of my soul, Thou Savior dear,
It is not night if Thou be near;
Oh, may no earthborn cloud arise
To hide Thee from Thy servant’s eyes.


When the soft dews of kindly sleep


My wearied eyelids gently steep,


Be my last thought of how sweet to rest


Forever on my Savior’s breast.




Abide with me from morn till eve,


For without Thee I cannot live;


Abide with me when night is nigh,


For without Thee I dare not die.




Come near, and bless us when we wake,


Ere through the world our way we take;


Till in the ocean of Thy love


We lose ourselves in Thee above. —John Keble




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Thursdays With Spurgeon—Active Love

August 26, 2021 — Craig T. Owens 




This is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Charles Spurgeon. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Spurgeon” in the search box to read more entries.


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






Active Love


     True love next shows itself in obedience. … ‘Tis love that makes our willing feet in swift obedience move.’ We can do anything for those we love, and if we love Jesus, no burden will be heavy, no difficulty will be great. We should rather wish to do more than He asks of us and only desire that He was a little more exacting that we might have a better opportunity of showing forth our affection. …


     The apostle says, ‘Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth’ (1 John 3:18). Actions speak louder than words, and we will always be anxious to tell our love in deeds as well as by our lips. The true disciple asks continually, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’ (Acts 9:6). He esteems it his highest honor to serve the Lord. …  


     I believe in an active love that has hands to labor and feet to run as well as a heart to feel, eyes to glance, and ears to listen.


From The Church’s Love To Her Loving Lord


Those who love Jesus obey Him (John 14:15). 


Those who love Jesus serve others out of that love (Matthew 25:31-40). 


Those who love Jesus put action to their faith in Him (James 2:14-18). 


Those who love Jesus continually ask Him, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” 


Love for Jesus isn’t just something we feel, it’s who we are and it’s how we act and speak and serve every single day.


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My Theme Song

August 25, 2021 — 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. 




… my hands … my mouth … my lips … my heart … my head … my words … my eyes … (Psalm 141) 


David’s all-in attitude toward God reminds me of the words of Jesus: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength (Mark 12:30). 


Clearly, David wants God to have full access—no part of his life is exempt from God’s lordship:


    

  • hands lifted in worship
    • 

  • mouth and lips free from ungodly words 
    • 

  • heart not drawn to unrighteousness 
    • 

  • head receptive to godly correction 
    • 

  • words always well-spoken and God-pleasing 
    • 

  • eyes fixed steadfastly on God 
    • 



This is also what the Holy Spirit wants to do for me in the process of sanctification: Bringing me into the place where no part of my life is exempt from His lordship. This reminds me of the words of an old hymn, “All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give.” 


May this ever be the theme song of my life! 


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Podcast: Leaders And Friends

August 24, 2021 — Craig T. Owens 




On this episode of “The Craig And Greg Show” we talk about: 


    

  • some people wear the cliche “It’s lonely at the top” like a badge of honor, but it’s not [0:40] 
    • 

  • the best leaders are always developing new leaders [1:25] 
    • 

  • do people say, “It’s lonely at the top” because they don’t want others alongside them or because they don’t know how to develop people? [1:55]
    • 

  • some people are talented in leading but not talented in friending … what kinds of friends do leaders need? [2:52]
    • 

  • what are the differences and similarities between friends, peers, and colleagues? [4:57]
    • 

  • a huge leadership challenge in a new position or a new organization is quickly identifying your allies [6:00]
    • 

  • a teammates’ participation in team sports can give a leader great insights into that teammates’ leadership potential [7:00]
    • 

  • leaders that try to fly solo set themselves up for failure … what are the common traits of leaders who successfully raise up new leaders? [8:08]
    • 

  • Greg confesses a leadership mistake he had to correct in himself [9:20]
    • 

  • character is vital in emerging leaders [10:59]
    • 

  • compassion is valuable in emerging leaders [11:44]
    • 

  • consistency helps emerging leaders develop into solid leaders, and it helps the team leader to excel … great insight from Patrick Lencioni about being present [12:15]
    • 

  • teams must embrace diversity and find commonality [13:08]
    • 

  • I elaborate on Greg’s point about a leader’s presence and consistency [14:10]
    • 

  • the team leader has to take the initiative in identifying and raising up new leaders [15:47]
    • 

  • leaders need to continue to replenish themselves [17:22]
    • 

  • Greg shares a great leadership example from the life of Moses [17:50]
    • 

  • we are here to encourage you—check out information on our leadership huddles [18:20]
    • 

    • 



Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.






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Godly Leaders Do God’s Justice

August 24, 2021 — 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. 




How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked? (Psalm 82:2)


It’s been said that those who attain a position of authority or leadership will make it their sole focus to retain that position of leadership, even to the point of judging unjustly or showing partiality to the wicked. 


In my book Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter, I wrote, “When God uses the word ‘Woe!’ we should definitely take that seriously. He uses that very word to warn shepherd leaders who were shirking their responsibility when He said, ‘Woe to those shepherds who only take care of themselves’ (Ezekiel 34:2).” 


God is the Ultimate Judge, yet while we are here on earth He chooses to allow men and women to be leaders and judges. We can do this in a God-honoring way only when we lead and judge like God. 


In this psalm, God Himself calls out the ungodly practices that self-serving leaders employ to keep themselves popular and in their positions of leadership: 


    

  • partiality = wickedness 
    • 

  • biases = wickedness 
    • 

  • apathy = wickedness 
    • 

  • injustice = wickedness 
    • 

  • ignoring = wickedness 
    • 

  • seeking earthly applause = wickedness 
    • 

  • taking advantage of others = wickedness 
    • 



Instead, God calls on leaders to lead according to the principles He both exhibits Himself and lists for us in the Bible. Things like…


    

  • defending the poor 
    • 

  • serving as a father to the fatherless
    • 

  • dispensing justice to the disempowered 
    • 

  • speaking up for the voiceless
    • 

  • standing up to the wicked 
    • 

  • and doing all of these things in a way that God is glorified 
    • 



I must always remember why I am in any position of leadership: God chose me for that position and placed me there to do His justice in the world. 


A mark of a godly leader is one who is doing God’s justice in God’s way.


This is part 57 in my series on godly leadership. You can check out all of my posts in this series by clicking here.


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Perspective On Persecution

August 23, 2021 — 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.




Around the world we hear of Christians being persecuted for their faith in Jesus: Afghanistan … N. Korea … China … even in the USA, Christians like Jack Phillips and Barronelle Stutzman are being persecuted for standing up for what they believe. 


Here’s an important principle to keep in mind: In times like these, we need to remember there have always been times like these. Especially because the psalmist Asaph, Jesus, and the apostle Paul all forewarned us about persecution (Psalm 83; Mark 13:9, 12-13; 2 Timothy 3:12-13). 


Jesus said that our persecution should only come “on account of Me.” And Asaph notices the same thing in his prayer, using phrases like “Your enemies,” “Your foes,” “they conspire against Your people,” and “they form an alliance against You.” 


Asaph also recognized that times like these call for a Selah pause—a pause to calmly consider. 


I think the first thing we need to consider is our part in bringing on the persecution. I need to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal if I may have been the trigger to the anger of these wicked people. If I have done something, I need to repent, ask forgiveness, and see what I can do to make restitution. 


Next, we need to Selah to consider this: It might look desperate, but God has handled these kinds of evil people before. Asaph mentions several enemies of God’s people whom God decisively defeated in the past. Our Selah pause will help us recall that God is the same today as He was yesterday—He is more than able to handle these persecutors. 


With all of these bullies ganging up on Israel, you can understand why Asaph cries out for God’s strong action against them. But I want you to notice that the call for judgment is NOT vindictive but redemptive. Asaph asks for punishment “so that men will seek Your name, O LORD” and that they may “know that You, whose name is the LORD—that You alone are the Most High over all the earth.” 


In other words, this isn’t a “Get ‘em, God” prayer, but a “Save ‘em, God” prayer! 


We’re not looking for relief for ourselves—that’s only temporary—but we’re looking for glory for God—that’s eternal!


Jesus and the apostle Peter both tell us that God’s desire is for no one to perish apart from a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ (John 3:16-17; 2 Peter 3:9). 


The reason we need to Selah and ask that introspective question about our words or actions triggering our persecutor’s anger is because God will use our righteous response to persecution as a testimony. 


Jesus said our persecution should be because of Him, but He also told us that there would be a blessing in it (Matthew 5:11-12; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:17-19). And Paul tells us that this reward isn’t just a silver lining to a dark cloud, but a reward beyond compare (Romans 8:18). 


Asaph went to prayer when Israel was attacked, and that should be our first response too. 


But let’s Selah in that prayer to make sure we’re not the trigger, and then may our prayer be more for God’s eternal glory than it is for our temporary relief. 




If you’ve missed any of the messages in our series looking at the Selahs in the Psalms, you can access the full list by clicking here.


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Poetry Saturday—The Wond’ring World Inquires To Know

August 21, 2021 — 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.




The wond’ring world inquires to know


Why I should love my Jesus so:


“What are His charms,” say they, “above


The objects of a mortal love?”




Yes! my Beloved, to my sight


Shows a sweet mixture, red and white:


All human beauties, all divine,


In my Beloved meet and shine.




White is His soul, from blemish free;


Red with the blood He shed for me;


The fairest of ten thousand fairs;


A sun amongst ten thousand stars.




His head the finest gold excels;


There wisdom in perfection dwells,


And glory like a crown adorns


Those temples once beset with thorns.




Compassions in His heart are found,


Hard by the signals of His wound:


His sacred side no more shall bear


The cruel scourge, the piercing spear.




His hands are fairer to behold


Than diamonds set in rings of gold;


Those heav’nly hands, that on the Tree


Were nailed, and torn, and bled for me!




Though once He bowed His feeble knees,


Loaded with sins and agonies,


Now on the throne of His command


His legs like marble pillars stand.




His eyes are majesty and love,


The eagle tempered with the dove;


No more shall trickling sorrows roll


Through those dear windows of His soul.




His mouth, that poured out long complaints,


Now smiles and cheers His fainting saints


His countenance more graceful is


Than Lebanon with all its trees.




All over glorious is my Lord


Must be beloved, and yet adored;


His worth if all the nations knew,


Sure the whole earth would love Him too. —Isaac Watts




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Thursdays With Spurgeon—Such Love!

August 19, 2021 — Craig T. Owens 




This is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Charles Spurgeon. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Spurgeon” in the search box to read more entries.


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






Such Love!


     Our Savior so loved us that He stripped Himself of His robes of radiance. Listen, you children of God, it is the old story over again, but it is always new to you. He stripped Himself of His bright array. He laid aside His scepter and His crown and became an infant in Bethlehem’s manger among the horned oxen. Thirty years of poverty and shame the King of heaven spent among the sons of men, and all out of love to us. Jesus the heavenly lover, panting to redeem His people, was content to abide here without a place to rest His head that He might rescue us!


     Do you see Him yonder in the garden in His agony? His soul is exceedingly sorrowful even to death! His forehead, no, His head, His hair, and His garments are red with bloody sweat. Do you see Him giving His back to the smiters and His cheeks to them who pluck off His hair? See Him, as He hides not His face from shame and spitting, dumb like a sheep before her shearers and like a lamb that is brought to the slaughter! He opened not His mouth but patiently bore it all on our behalf. See Him with the Cross upon His mangled shoulders, staggering through Jerusalem’s streets, unwept for and unpitied, except by poor feeble women! 


     See Him, you who love Him, and love Him more as He stretches out His hands to the nails and gives His feet to the iron. See Him, as with power to deliver Himself He is made captive. Behold Him as they lift up the Cross with Him upon it and dash it down into its place and dislocate His bones. Hear that cry, ‘I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint’ (Psalm 22:14). Stand, if you can, and view that face so full of grief. Look till a sword will go through your own heart as it went through His mother’s very soul. Oh, see Him as He thirsts and has that thirst mocked with vinegar! 


     Hear Him as He prays and has that prayer parodied, ‘Look, He is calling for Elijah! … Let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down’ (Mark 15:35-36). See Him as they who love Him come and kiss His feet and bathe them with their tears. Will you not love Him who did all that friend could do for a friend? He who gave His life for us?


From The Church’s Love To Her Loving Lord


My friend, if you don’t know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, I ask that you would consider this amazing act of love all for you. Jesus went through all of this for you! Won’t you accept His love and invite Him into your heart today? 


If you do have a personal relationship with Jesus, look again at your Beloved Savior. Let this love rekindle your heart to share Christ’s love with everyone around you.


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