“We want to move closer to God, the source and goal of our existence, but at the same time we realize that the closer we come to God the stronger will be His demand to let go of the many ‘safe’ structures we have built around ourselves. Prayer is such a radical act because it requires us to criticize our world’s way of being in the world, to lay down our old selves and accept our new self, which is Christ. … Prayer therefore is the act of dying to all that we consider to be our own and of being born to a new existence which is not of this world.” —Henri Nouwen
Prayer… Is The Act Of Dying
February 26, 2012 — Craig T. OwensLife In What You Have
February 24, 2012 — Craig T. Owens
Pastors, these two quotes from Charles Spurgeon have really been working on me. This is not intended to be a pastor-bashing message. Instead, it’s more of a wake-up call.
“We too often flog the church when the whip should be laid on our own shoulders. We should always remember that we are a part of the church, and that our own lack of revival is in some measure the cause of the lack of revival in the church at large. I will lay the charge before us; we ministers need a revival of piety in our lives.”
“You don’t need a new preacher, another kind of worship, another type of preaching, new ways of doing things or even new people. You need life in what you have.”
If I’m going to pray, “Start a revival, Lord,” the prayer needs to begin with, “Start it with me!”
Thursdays With Oswald—Desperate For The Holy Spirit
February 23, 2012 — Craig T. OwensThis 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.
Desperate For The Holy Spirit
We have to learn to rely on the Holy Spirit because He alone give the Word of God life. All our efforts to pump up faith in the Word of God is without quickening, without illumination. …
If you are without the control of the Spirit of God, devotional emotion and religious excitement always end in sensuality. …
‘Be filled with the Spirit’; it is as impossible to be filled with the Spirit and be free from emotion as it is for a man to be filled with wine and not show it. … Be ‘being filled with the Spirit,’ and as we walk in the light the life of God is worked out moment by moment—a life of glorious discipline and steady obedience.
From Biblical Ethics
Oh, how I need the Holy Spirit moment by moment!
Without His counsel, the Word of God doesn’t make any sense.
Without His anointing, I only speak meaningless words.
Without His discipline, my emotions are all over the place.
Without His instruction, my life is purposeless.
May I keep on being filled with You, Spirit of God!
All That I Am, All That I Have
February 22, 2012 — Craig T. OwensWow, what a prayer by Charles Spurgeon. I hope you will join me in making this our prayer too.
“Lord, help me to glorify You; I am poor, help me to glorify You by contentment; I am sick, help me to give You honor by patience; I have talents, help me to extol You by spending them for You; I have time, Lord, help me to redeem it, that I may serve You; I have a heart to feel, Lord, let that heart feel no love but Yours, and glow with no flame but affection for You; I have a head to think, Lord, help me to think of You and for You; You have put me in this world for something, Lord, show me what that is, and help me to work out my life-purpose: I cannot do much, but as the widow put in her two mites, which were all her living, so, Lord, I cast my time and eternity too into Your treasury; I am all Yours; take me, and enable me to glorify You now, in all that I say, in all that I do, and with all that I have.”
Present Tense
February 21, 2012 — Craig T. OwensListen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
I never want my best days to be in my past.
I don’t want things I’ve learned to become old.
I don’t want nostalgia for God’s moving and provision in my life to be greater than my current joy in His moving and provision.
I don’t want to live in the past tense, but always in the present tense.
For Christians there is a danger in reflecting more on the past than on the present. God says He is the I AM, not the I WAS. He wants to do something new in you and I today—present tense.
I love what Smith Wigglesworth said:
“Beloved, don’t forget that every day must be a day of advancement. If you have not made any advancement since yesterday, in a measure you are a backslider. There is only one way for you between Calvary and the glory, and it is forward. It is every day forward. It is no day back. It is advancement with God. It is cooperation with Him in the Spirit. … If we live on the same plane day after day, the vision is stale; the principles lose their earnestness. But we must be like those who are catching the vision of the Master day by day.”
This is my prayer: Jesus, let me catch the vision of You again today. Let my vision always be present tense.
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God’s Word Is…
February 20, 2012 — Craig T. Owens
“Never compare this Book with other books. Comparisons are dangerous. Never think or say that this Book contains the Word of God. It is the Word of God. It is supernatural in origin, eternal in duration, inexpressible in value, infinite in scope, regenerative in power, infallible in authority, universal in application, inspired in totality. Read it through. Write it down. Pray it in. Work it out. And then pass it on.” —Smith Wigglesworth
Whose Reputation?
February 20, 2012 — Craig T. Owens
When I graduated from high school and began to look for a job, I had very little to put on my resume. Over time, however, I gained some experience, and began to accumulate some skills and accomplishments. Every once in awhile someone would even tell me, “That will look good on your resume!”
This might work fine in a job-hunting role, but it will never do as a disciple of Jesus Christ. In fact, Jesus told a pretty pointed story about a resume-building Pharisee in Luke 18. This man was described as one who was “confident of [his] own righteousness and looked down on everybody else.” He emphasized all his good qualities, and did his best to make himself look good at the expense of others (see vv. 11-12). Jesus said, this type of man who exalts himself, will be humbled by God.
Another man was praying at the same time as this reputation-conscious Pharisee. But this man didn’t try to make himself look good. Instead he prayed, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (v. 13). Jesus said this man “went home justified before God” (v. 14). As C.S. Lewis said,
“Humility is not thinking less of myself. Humility is thinking of myself less.”
I’m not trying to promote my accomplishments, but God’s accomplishments.
I’m not trying to put my skills in the spotlight, but God’s magnificence.
I’m not trying to make myself famous, I want God to be famous.
I don’t need to look good, but I certainly do want God to look good.
If you want to live this way, I challenge you to pray this prayer:
Dear God, I am humbled by my sins. But I am confident that through the forgiveness paid for by Jesus You receive me as justified. May I die to my reputation so I may live exalted by You.
To check out all of the messages in our Live Dead series, please click here.
Even Before You Ask
February 19, 2012 — Craig T. Owens
A couple of weeks ago a lady in our church asked me to pray for a need in her life. She is a single Mom, as well as a caregiver for her bed-bound grandmother, which means money is tight.
She knew her car needed some repairs, so she took the car to the mechanic on Thursday afternoon. His initial estimate was $400. On Sunday we prayed about this, and joined our faith that God would either provide the funds, or provide another way for her car to be repaired.
Here’s a powerful verse of Scripture—
…Your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him! (Matthew 6:8)
This lady returned to her mechanic the next day, and he told her the repairs had been completed. But the repairs were not as extensive as he originally thought, so the bill was only $105.
Now, here’s the best part—on Thursday, this lady had looked at her financial situation and had set aside all the money she could afford for this repair: $125!
So not only did God provide for her even before she asked, but she even gave the mechanic a $20 tip!
I love the fact that God knows what we need even before we ask Him!
Let Yourself Go!
February 17, 2012 — Craig T. Owens
Pastors, this is good counsel for all of us…
“Think yourself empty, read yourself full, write yourself clear, pray yourself keen—then enter the pulpit and let yourself go!” —W.H. Griffith Thomas
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