What Would Jesus Read? (book review)

June 10, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Many people are familiar with the phrase that goes with the acrostic WWJD: What Would Jesus Do. But I was very intrigued to see WWJR, which turns out to be an interesting book What Would Jesus Read? by Joe Amaral.

The premise behind the book is a historical setting. As the Jews were dispersed into captivity after Jerusalem fell, there was no longer a Temple to serve as the gathering place for religious worship, nor was there a central location for the storing and preservation of the scrolls which made up what we now refer to as the Old Testament of the Bible. The Jews themselves were now going to be the keepers of Scripture, and their homes would be the places of worship. So the Jewish rabbis divided up the biblical texts into daily reading portions, and distributed these among the scattering Jewish families. So each day of each week, a different portion of Scripture was read, and meditated on, and memorized so that it could be passed on to future generations.

So by following the reading plan in What Would Jesus Read you will be participating in a 2500-year-old tradition. It’s pretty cool to think of Bible reading that way!

Each day includes a portion of Old Testament scripture to read, and a brief devotional thought from Joe Amaral. It’s a great way to join your heart and thoughts to a tradition that started so long ago, and still continues today.

I am a FaithWords book reviewer.

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The Gospel Of Yes (book review)

May 31, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

I run into so many people who know so much about what Christians are against, and very little about what Christians are for. Or others who don’t want to step into a relationship with Jesus because they mistakenly believe that their life will then be ruled by a bunch of don’t-do-that rules.

Sadly, many Christians help perpetuate these stereotypes. That’s why I’m so excited about The Gospel Of Yes by Pastor Mike Glenn!

Pastor Glenn reframes the whole discussion from “No” to “Yes.” He makes the case that God is for us and wants to tell us “Yes!” From our relationships with others, to the way we view our circumstances, even to the way we think about prayer and Bible reading, there is a huge difference if we see it from the “Yes” paradigm.

Here’s a video review I was asked to do for other pastors:

I would encourage you to read The Gospel Of Yes to learn how to look at our relationship with God in a completely different light. I found this book very liberating!

I am a Multnomah book reviewer.

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6 Quotes from “Porn-Again Christian”

May 29, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Earlier today I posted a review of Porn-Again Christian: A Frank Discussion on Pornography and Masturbation. Here are some of the quotes from this book that really caught my eye

“Simply, according to God, marriage and sex are related, connected, and exclusive.”

“The cold hard truth is that most guys’ struggles are only known by their fellow Christian buddies and unless Christian dudes man up and stop arguing about stupid secondary theological issues and spend their energies holding one another accountable to get dominion over their underwear, then Christian friendship is nothing more than Christian fakery.”

“The act of lusting after the unclothed body of a woman is not a sin. The issue is which woman’s unclothed body you are lusting after. If she is your bride, then you are simply making the Song of Songs sing again to God’s glory and your joy. If she is not your bride, then you are simply sinning. It was God who clothed our mother Eve after her sin, and it is Eve’s daughters who undress themselves for themselves for the camera in violation of God’s desire that the female bodies he formed be seen only in their full glory by their husbands.”

“Pornography has the sad effect of objectifying people into objects with parts, thereby divorcing a person from their body and consequently diminishing their dignity.”

“The Bible is emphatically clear that God’s men should abstain from certain sins that war against their souls. First, God’s men should not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14). Second, God’s men should not covet their neighbor’s wife, even if her clothes leave little to the imagination (Exodus 20:17). Third, God’s men should not participate with prostitutes who use their bodies as a commodity to be rented for a good time or a good photo (Proverbs 23:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:15-16). Fourth, God’s men should not be polygamous, because their father Adam and Head Jesus each had one bride (Eve and the Church). Fifth, God’s men should not be fornicators who slide their hands, which God made to lift up in prayer (1 Timothy 2:8), up the shirt of their girlfriend, even if she asks (1 Corinthians 6:9-13).”

“Eve may or may not have been beautiful, but to Adam she was glorious because she was all he had ever known. Practically, he had no standard of beauty to compare his bride to—she was his only standard of beauty. In creation, we see the wise pattern that for every man his standard of beauty is not to be objectified, but rather it should simply be his wife. This means that if a man has a tall, skinny red-headed wife then that is sexy for him, and if his neighbor has a short, curvy brunette wife than that is sexy for him. Pornographic lust exists to elicit coveting and dissatisfaction that no woman can satisfy because she cannot be tall and short, endowed and waifish, black and white, young and old, like the harem laid out in pornography.”

Christian men, you MUST read this book!

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Porn-Again Christian (book review)

May 29, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

The title of this book should let you know that it’s a PG-13 topic. And by that, I mean that Dads should be discussing these topics with their sons by the time they are 13 years old. Mark Driscoll is simply brilliant in Porn-Again Christian: A Frank Discussion on Pornography and Masturbation.

The Bible has the best ideas for not only safe sex, but for the most enjoyable sex. In fact, as Pastor Mark points out, the Bible is more explicit on the topic of married sexual relations than most pastors are!

God is the Creator. He only creates what is good. satan is a counterfeiter and a plagiarist. Anything that is good and will bring glory to God (like a marriage that is sexually satisfying), satan will pervert and distort and mar in his attempt to keep people from glorifying God and finding their fullest satisfaction in Him. This book uncovers the lies and calls biblical truth to the forefront.

Porn-Again Christian is written directly to Christian men. It is a wake-up call for these men to become real men and take the biblical lead in maintaining purity, in increasing the level of intimacy in their marriage, and in teaching their children the difference between God’s truth and the devil’s lies.

Guys, there is no excuse for you to not read this book. You can click here to get the ebook version for FREE. The book is not very long, and you should be able to read it rather quickly. Look up the Scriptures Pastor Mark shares in this book, and then be the man God created you to be: the man who will say “No!” to the lies this culture has bought into about sex and pornography, and who will say “Yes!” to the fulfilling, satisfying relationship God intended your marriage to be.

Dads, this would be a great resource for you to use with your teenage son (and perhaps even your pre-teen son, if you deem it necessary).

C’mon men, let’s do it God’s way!

P.S. To whet your appetite for this book, I have shared some quotes that really caught my attention.

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Men Of The Bible (book review)

May 23, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Here’s the thing I especially like about Dwight Lyman Moody: He tells it like it is. He was not a pastor that tiptoed around an issue, nor did he have long flowery sermons. He always went right to the heart of the manner in such a straightforward way. So I was delighted to find that his book Men Of The Bible was written in this characteristic style.

Men Of The Bible digs into the lives of several men we read about in Scripture. Some of them are prominent, and some are rather obscure; some were godly men, and some were not. But in every instance, Moody gets right to the key points of their lives, and then shows us how to apply them.

Since the focus of the book is the men of the Bible, this would be an excellent resource for a men’s Bible study, or a small group meeting; although I think anyone would benefit from studying this very readable book.

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My Utmost For His Highest (book review)

May 22, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Most people probably think that My Utmost For His Highest is the only book that Oswald Chambers wrote. Although My Utmost is a great devotional book, it should just be a launching pad to read more of his writings.

I am currently in the process of reading through everything Oswald Chamber wrote. And, let me tell you, it’s a lot to take in! This man was so prolific and so anointed, that not only is there much to read, but it has to be read slowly and prayerfully. That’s why I say that My Utmost is such a great starting place.

Each day’s devotional is only a page long. A few of the devotionals appear only in this book, while the remaining come from the thoughts in his many other sermons and writings. So I encourage you to spend a whole year soaking in the thoughts in My Utmost For His Highest, and then allow that to whet your appetite for more of his writings.

This book is definitely on my “must read” list!

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Fearless (book review)

May 15, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

I recently read Fearless by Eric Blehm, the story about Adam Brown, who was a SEAL Team 6 operator. It was an amazing story!

The publisher was concerned that since a Navy SEAL was on the front cover, perhaps some church folks (especially pastors) might pass by this book. But let me assure you, this is a completely Christ-centered, God-honoring story. Check out the video review I did for Waterbrook Multnomah —

I am a Multnomah book reviewer.

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I Am A Follower (book review)

May 14, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

About a decade ago I was moved into a position of leadership that seemed way too big for me. So to prepare myself, I began to read all of the leadership materials I could find: Bible-based leadership, marketplace leadership, anything I could find that would help me grow as a leader. I thought I was progressing as a leader, until I read I Am A Follower by Leonard Sweet.

Just a few pages into I Am A Follower I read this: “Following is the most underrated form of leadership in existence.” And thus I was confronted by a message that seemed 180-degrees out-of-phase with what I’ve been learning for the past decade.

In pointing time and time and time again to the life of Jesus, Len Sweet makes the case that Jesus is the only Leader, and the rest of us are followers. Jesus showed us perfect leadership by being a perfect Follower. In fact, He is the perfect Follower, as no one has ever followed God as He did. Some of us may follow Christ a little sooner, or a little closer, or a little more persuasively. Those, Dr. Sweet would say, are better called “first followers.”

Dr. Sweet uses phrases like the dance of life, and the transformation of viewpoint. These are not phrases that a leader uses, but they are the paradigm of followers. Check out this quote:

“The cry for leadership is deafening amid our social disintegration, our moral disorientation. We have come to believe that we have a leadership crisis while all along we have been in a drought of discipleship. The Jesus paradox is that only Christians lead by following.” (Leonard Sweet)

This book is a prophetic word: it is calling us back to true biblical-centeredness, true Christ-likeness, true discipleship. This is a book that took me a while to read, and will take me even longer to process. It’s a paradigm-busting game-changer…

…and it’s right on target.

Go get this book today!

I am a Thomas Nelson book reviewer.

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Forgotten God (book review)

May 7, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

I grew up in a Pentecostal family (in fact, I’m a third-generation Pentecostal), so talk about the Holy Spirit was almost second nature to me. But even with my background, sometimes it’s easier to have discussions about God the Father or God the Son, than it is God the Spirit. The Holy Spirit has, in many circles, become the “forgotten God.” That’s why Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan is such a timely book.

“If I were satan and my ultimate goal was to thwart God’s kingdom and purposes, one of my main strategies would be to get churchgoers to ignore the Holy Spirit.” (Francis Chan)

I think part of our forgetfulness is that it’s hard to know where to put the Holy Spirit cognitively. We can understand the concepts of the Father and the Son, but it’s hard to have a mental “place” for the Spirit. And since we can find places for the Father and the Son, we can keep them in their places. But the Holy Spirit doesn’t have a “box,” and so we cannot contain Him.

Nor should we try. But, sadly, far too many people do. Again, Francis Chan writes:

“The reality is that the early church knew less about the Holy Spirit than most of us in the church today, at least in the intellectual sense. But they came to know the Spirit intimately and powerfully as He worked in and through their lives. All throughout the New Testament, we read of the apostles whose lives were led by the Spirit and lived out by His power.”

When I read what happened in the Book of Acts, my cry is always, “Do it again! Do it today!” I believe the Holy Spirit is also desirous of operating in us and through us, just as He did in the First Century Church. The question is: Will we let Him?

Forgotten God is a great introduction course for those curious about Who the Holy Spirit is, or what His role is in our lives today. This book is also a great reminder course for those of us who have grown up with the theology, but perhaps are lacking the full operational force of the Spirit in our lives. In either case, Forgotten God is an eye-opening book.

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The Treasure Principle (book review)

April 18, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

One of the knocks I often hear about the church is that we talk too much about money. I don’t feel that’s an accurate assessment, especially considering that Jesus talked about money and possessions more than He did about Heaven and Hell. In The Treasure Principle: Unlocking The Secret Of Joyful Giving, Randy Alcorn shares the keys that Jesus taught about this important topic.

In just the first few pages, Randy sets the stage for this book by stating:

“Why did Jesus put such an emphasis on money and possessions? Because there’s a fundamental connection between our spiritual lives and how we think about and handle money. We may try to divorce our faith and our finances, but God sees them as inseparable.”

The Treasure Principle mixes biblical instruction on handling our money, Randy’s insights into those scriptures, as well as Randy’s own personal experiences with finances. These are all used to support six treasure principle keys.

One of my favorite parts of the book comes at the very end. Randy shares “31 Radical, Liberating Questions To Ask God About Your Giving.” This is where the rubber meets the road (or the principles meet the pocketbook!). This is setup for you to read one question daily for a month, to really allow God to speak to you through His Word and through this book about your financial perspectives and practices. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and I’m looking forward to continuing my month-long journey through these radical questions.

I am a Multnomah book reviewer.

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