Uncategorized | Craig T. Owens

October 2026
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	31

Thursdays With Oswald—The Vocation Of A Saint

October 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.

The Vocation Of A Saint

The vocation of a saint is to be in the thick of it “for His sake.” Whenever Jesus Christ refers to discipleship or to suffering, it is always, “for My sake.” The deep relationship of a saint is a personal one, and the reason a saint can be radiant is that he has lost interest in his own individuality and has become absolutely devoted to the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

From Christian Disciplines

As the Westminster Catechism states: The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

It is in this glorifying of God and the enjoyment of Him that the saint becomes radiant. And this radiance continues even through suffering or persecution. Am I willing to step into this discipleship relationship, and stay in it? YES!!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: discipleship, God's glory, Oswald Chambers, persecution, relationship, saints, suffering, Westminster Confession. Leave a Comment »

If … But If … If … But If …

October 9, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

No, I’m not repeating myself; I’m just quoting the pattern in the Bible (specifically Leviticus 26).

God’s laws are inviolate. No conditions will be made, nor any exceptions allowed. The conditions in Leviticus 26 apply as much to the Israelites in 1400 BC as they do to us in the United States of America today.

IF we obey God’s Word, He will bless us with His favor (verses 3-13).

BUT IF we disobey, He will set His face against us (verses 14-17).

IF we continue to harden our hearts and remain unrepentant, God’s punishments will grow increasingly more severe (verses 18-39).

BUT IF we repent wholeheartedly, God will again restore us (verses 40-45).

It’s time for us in America to wake up to this reality! If God held His chosen people, the Israelites, to this, how much more so will He not hold us to it.

We in America have violated God’s principles for too long. We have clearly moved through the first IF and BUT IF stages. I believe we are now in the second IF stage. But the hopeful news is that there is still another BUT IF stage for us to obtain, if only we will repent and ask God’s forgiveness.

It starts with me and with you. Will you join me in asking for repentance and praying for God’s favor to visit us once again?

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: forgiveness, God's Word, judgement, law, Leviticus, repentance, restoration, sin, unrepentant. 2 Comments »

You Are My Lamp

October 8, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

You are my lamp; my God illuminates my darkness. (Psalm 18:28)

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: encouragement, God's love, light, psalms. Leave a Comment »

Weigh The Options

October 7, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

The message Jesus had to deliver to the church at Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11), was a heavy message. It’s a message I believe Christ is still speaking to the church today. In essence Jesus said, “I know how hard it’s been for you as a Christian. You’ve stood tall so far, but brace yourselves because more persecution is coming.”

Charles Spurgeon said, “There are no crown-wearers in Heaven who were not cross-bearers here below.” How true!

But I love the message from Jesus to us: “Yes,” He says, “things are hard, but weigh those things against the rewards I have for you! Hang in there! You will bring Me glory and you will earn the very highest rewards I can give!”

I tried to illustrate Christ’s message this way—

I will be continuing my series on The 7-Star Church next Sunday. If you are in the Cedar Springs area, I would love to have you join us!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Calvary Assembly of God, Christianity, church, courage, eternal life, Jesus Christ, persecution, poverty, Revelation, rewards, sermon, slander, temptation, video. Leave a Comment »

Thursdays With Oswald—Do I Have “Will-Issues”?

October 3, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Do I Have “Will-Issues”?

You will find the supreme crisis in your life is “will-issues” all the time. Will I relinquish? Will I abandon? It is not that God won’t make us fit, it is that He cannot. God cannot make us fit to meet Him in the air unless we are willing to let Him. He cannot make us fit as the dwellings of His Son unless we are willing….

From Christian Disciplines

Think of how Jesus approached people in the gospels: Will you follow Me? Will you sell your possessions to become My disciple? Will you let Me heal you? Will you take up your cross and deny all else?

Too many times I have a tendency to answer, “Yes, but….” Instead of simply surrendering my “will-issues” to Christ, I want to call the shots, at least some of them. But Jesus says clearly:

“If you want to be My disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be My disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow Me, you cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26-27, NLT)
“So then, any of you who does not forsake (renounce, surrender claim to, give up, say good-bye to) all that he has cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:33, AMP)

Holy Spirit, help me to give up my will-issues!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: disciples, discipleship, Jesus Christ, Oswald Chambers, surrender, will. 2 Comments »

The Holiest Moment

October 2, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

The holiest moment of my week shouldn’t be singing songs.

It shouldn’t be listening to a profound sermon.

Not even partaking of Communion.

My holiest moment should be my going out to show Christ’s love to a hurting world.

“The holiest moment of the church service is the moment when God’s people—strengthened by preaching and sacrament—go out of the church door into the world to be the Church.” —Ernest Southcott

“To a man who lives unto God nothing is secular, everything is sacred. He puts on his workday garment and it is a vestment to Him. He sits down to his meal and it is a sacrament. He goes forth to his labor, and therein exercises the office of the priesthood. His breath is incense and his life a sacrifice. He sleeps on the bosom of God, and lives and moves in the divine presence. … You housemaids, you cooks, you nurses, you ploughmen, you housewives, you traders, you sailors, your labor is holy if you serve the Lord Christ in it, by living unto Him as you ought to live. The sacred has absorbed the secular.” —Charles Spurgeon

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Charles Spurgeon, church, Ernest Southcott, God's love, Jesus Christ, sacred, secular, work. 2 Comments »

Keep Going

October 1, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3:12-14)

“Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out if they’ve got a second.” —William James

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low but the debts are high,

And you want to smile but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit…

Rest if you must, but don’t you quit!

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many failures turn about

When we might have won had we stuck it out.

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow…

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the struggler has given up

When he might have captured the victor’s cup;

And he learned too late when the night came down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out…

And you can never tell how close you are

It may be near when it seems so far.

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit

It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit. —Edgar A. Guest

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: art, Edgar Guest, endurance, perseverance, Philippians, poetry, stick-to-it-iveness, video, William James. Leave a Comment »

Overcoming The Goliath Fears

September 30, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Rev. Jeff Hlavin brought such an amazing and timely message to Calvary Assembly of God yesterday! Using the well known story of David and Goliath (see 1 Samuel 17), Pastor Jeff showed us how to defeat the giants of fear that stare us down. Here are the notes I took during his message—

“Unhealthy fear is anxiety-producing and diminishes the quality of our lives. It negatively affects our behavior and our relationships.”

“Unhealthy fear dominates our thinking … It looms larger in consequence … It intimidates… All other options seem to evaporate.”

On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. (1 Samuel 17:11)

“Who decides the battle gets to be fought this way? We don’t have to let the enemy dictate the terms of engagement! If we let the enemy define the battle, our fearful state becomes our new status quo.”

“A Christian cliché will not overcome fear. We need to assess the situation accurately: (a) in the light of what fear is and does, (b) in the light of who and what you are, and (c) in the light of who and what God is.”

“…Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26)

We overcome personal fear through personal faith. Not someone else’s faith or experience or testimony, but mine.

“I cannot go in these,” David said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. (1 Samuel 17:39)

“God wired you the way He did on purpose. Use what is ‘you’ and ‘yours.’” Look at David’s faith. He tells Goliath he’s going to take his head off, but he doesn’t even have a sword! He used what God gave him and then he used the enemy’s own weapon against him. Once one fear is defeated, the other related fears flee too (v. 51b).

I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak His praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt His name together. I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; He saved me from all my troubles. (Psalms 34:1-6 NLT)

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Calvary Assembly of God, David, fear, God's strength, Goliath, help, intimidation, Jeff Hlavin, quality, status quo. 2 Comments »

Thursdays With Oswald—Time To Get Active

September 26, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Time To Get Active

We must take heed that in the present calamities, when war and devastation and heart-break are abroad in the world, we do not shut ourselves up in a world of our own and ignore the demand made on us by our Lord and our fellow-man for the service of intercessory prayer and hospitality and care.

From Christian Disciplines

Instead when times are tough, Christians ought to be at their best! Open your eyes and you will see opportunities all around you to pray, to open your home, and to open your arms.

Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

It’s time to open your eyes and get active!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Christianity, faith in action, good deeds, hard times, heartache, hospitality, intercession, Jesus Christ, love, Oswald Chambers, prayer, war. 1 Comment »

Distinguishing

September 25, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

A week ago I blogged about why some people avoid reading some of the Old Testament books because they seem tedious, or even out-of-date. But if you look at the Old Testament through the light of Jesus, you will find a rich beauty in its pages.

In Leviticus 11 God lists all kinds of food that is considered clean or unclean, and the proper ways to prepare and eat certain foods so as to not become unclean.

I believe one of the reasons God gave the commands for clean and unclean food was to cause His people to pause. Instead of just gobbling up what was in front of them, without any thought as to what it was, they would have to slow down to distinguish. God even said, “You must distinguish” (Leviticus 11:47).

Slowing down gives time for thankfulness too. How many times do I grab whatever is close by when I’m hungry? I shove anything in my mouth just to satisfy an immediate hunger, but there is no distinguishing, no thought, and no gratitude.

If I were to pause long enough to distinguish, how much healthier and grateful might I be?