The Normalcy of Extraordinary Power

May 18, 2026 — 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. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 

I’m not sure that any other aspect of the Christian faith generates as much discussion as the role of the Person of the Holy Spirit. Specifically, I would say “nuanced discussion.” By that I mean, people carefully choosing their words to remain biblically accurate but not sound weird. “After all,” they might say, “we don’t want people looking at us strangely because we’re talking about signs, wonders, and speaking in unknown languages. Yet at the same time, we don’t want to grieve the Holy Spirit.” 

I believe there is a better way to handle this: Let Scripture speak for itself. 

Let me share one recent example with you that will address this point. A rather well-known Christian apologist, who happens to be quite skilled in ancient biblical languages, was recently asked in an interview, “Can you explain the gift of speaking in tongues?” 

Here are some of the main things he said in reply: “I think there is something going on in the New Testament that is different. … There is a uniqueness to that time period. It’s normative in a way that it is not now” because, he says, we don’t see today what we see in the New Testament, “because the disciples are building the foundation of the Church. … Now we have the books of Scripture where God speaks to us in a different way. … Speaking in tongues, prophesying happen; I just don’t think they’re normative in the way we see them happening in the New Testament.” 

There’s a lot to unpack here, but I want to focus on a word he repeated: normative. 

The dictionary defines that word: implying, creating, or prescribing a norm or standard; especially an assumed norm regarded as the standard of correctness in behavior, speech, writing, etc. 

So I guess we need to ask, “What is normal?” 

Let’s begin with this question: What did the pre-Ascension followers of Jesus consider normal? 

First, Jesus was with them bodily form, and He regularly explained Scripture to them. Jesus healed people and so did His followers. Jesus told them He was leaving in bodily form, but that He would send the Holy Spirit to be with them (John 14:16-17). 

(Check out all of the Scriptures in this sermon here.) 

The next question is: What did the post-Ascension followers of Jesus consider normal? 

There was a joy of anticipating the Holy Spirit’s outpouring (Luke 24:50-53). Jesus was no longer with them bodily, but they still operated in His name and authority. They understood Scripture without Jesus in bodily form explaining it to them. They wrote the books of the New Testament, which are really a commentary on Scripture (the Old Testament) in light of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. They healed people. 

Our final question should be: What should we consider normal? 

Let’s go back to John 14:16-17 where Jesus promised the arrival of the Counselor. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is empowerment in a wholly different level. At salvation, He is “with” us; at baptism, He is “in” us. Jesus is still not with us in bodily form, but we can still operate in His name, we understand Scripture without Jesus in bodily form explaining it to us, and we can operate in a realm of power that seems extra-ordinary to others! 

Listen to a couple of key phrases from Peter’s Pentecost Sunday sermon. He says this outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the fulfillment of a promise made by Jesus, and it is proof of the resurrection and ascension of Jesus (Acts 2:33, 38-39). 

Nowhere is this implied that this is a one-time empowerment, nor an exclusive empowerment for those living in that time, nor is it exclusively for those called apostles. The saints lived this out as their normal daily life. See just a few examples in Acts 4:20, 30-31; 6:3, 8-10; 8:4-8, 14-17. 

“The secret of our strength is the living testimony that Jesus Christ is every moment with us, inspiring, directing and strengthening us. This is what made the disciples so bold in preaching Him as the Crucified One in the midst of His enemies. They never for a moment regretted His bodily absence, for they had Him with them, and in them, in the divine power of the Holy Spirit.” —Andrew Murray 

I think we have accepted sub-normal as normative for so long, that we now call that normal. Instead our normal should be a lifestyle, a language, a power that is called extraordinary by others. 

Spirit-baptized Christians should live in the normalcy of extraordinary power! 

Please check out the other messages we have covered in this series called We Are: Pentecostal by clicking here.

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The Cure For Disintegrating Morality

May 6, 2026 — 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. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 

Jesus spoke and people listened. 

He taught “in the power of the Spirit” and “everyone praised Him” (Luke 4:14-15). Jesus quoted the prophet Isaiah, and everyone’s eyes “were fastened on Him.” He declared that He was the fulfillment of the prophecies about the Messiah, and “all spoke well of Him” and were “amazed at the gracious words that came from His lips” (vv. 18-22). 

(Check out all of these Scriptures here.) 

So how is it that in just a few verses, this same crowd of admirers is now furious with Him and ready to throw Him off a cliff? 

The people liked it when the words of Scripture suited them and seemed to be pointing to blessings that were coming their way. But when Jesus continued to quote Scripture in reply to their request to do something that thrilled them, they became furious. 

God’s Word is unwavering in presenting the righteous standard to which all people are held, while the prevailing culture is always looking for a way to bend those standards to something more palatable and comfortable. 

When culture gets a hold of it, morality always decays. As a result, those who cling to the the biblical standard become the problem and must be thrown off the cliff. 

Jesus never compromised on truth. This is because He was “led by the Spirit” and walked “in the power of the Spirit”—the One Whom He would later call the Spirit of Truth (Luke 4:1, 14; John 16:13). 

Jesus didn’t come to speak comforting words to comfortable people, but truthful words to desperate people. 

Speaking comfort to people with morals far removed from the standard of Scripture is to condone them right into hell. 

If Jesus was so reliant on the indwelling power and counsel of the Holy Spirit to live righteously as morality decayed around Him, what would make us think we could get by with anything less?! We need to allow the Spirit of Truth to search us for any areas where we may have compromised with culture, so that we can repent and return to the unwavering biblical standard. 

This is the only way we can shine brightly for Jesus in a culture with disintegrating morality. 

You may also want to check out:

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Two Questions About Death

April 27, 2026 — 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. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 

I’m going to spoil some of the surprise right up front. We’re going to look at two questions about death, and the answer to the question, “Is that in the Bible?” is “No” for both questions. 

So the question we are really going to have to wrestle with is: Is it unbiblical—that is the Bible says it is wrong—or is it non-bibilcal—the Bible doesn’t tell us explicitly one way or the other. 

Persisting to do unbiblical things is a sin because we are trying to point out why God is wrong and why our opinion is right. 

But there is also a danger in pursuing non-biblical things, when we try to give our non-biblical opinion or preference  biblical weight, and then look down on anyone who doesn’t believe or act like we do. The Bible does tell us to  be peacemakers (Romans 14:13-21). 

(See all the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.) 

Statement #17—Cremating a loved one exempts them from heaven. Is that in the Bible? No. 

The preferred method in the Old Testament appears to be burial. Sometimes in the ground, but more typically in a cave or man-made crypt. There were exceptions. For instance, the bodies of Saul and Jonathan were cremated (1 Samuel 31:11-13), and King Jehoram could have been cremated, but certainly he wasn’t interred the same way that his father and grandfather were (2 Chronicles 21:1, 4-6, 18-20).  

In the New Testament era there was an end-of-life process the Greeks adopted called ossilegium. The Greeks frequently anointed the body with oil and wine and burned it until just the bones were left. The Jews wrapped the dead body in burial shroud and anointed it with spices—as with Lazarus (John 11:38-44) and Jesus (John 19:38-41). About a year after death, the bones would be collected and placed in an ossuary. Most often, multiple family members’ bones would share the same ossuary. 

Statement #18—Suicide is an unforgivable sin. Is that in the Bible? No. 

We don’t see suicide a lot in Scripture: 

  • Saul died by his own sword—1 Samuel 31:4 
  • Zimri died by self-immolation—1 Kings 16:18 
  • Ahithophel and Judas both hanged themselves—2 Samuel 17:23; Matthew 27:5 

But no where does Scripture speak to this form of death as being a reason to exclude that person from Heaven. These deaths do seem like last-ditch, hopeless acts. Because they are the very last act, it seems like these people have utterly rejected God. It has been a misconception for a long time that the way you die determines your eternal home. Consider a scene in Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Hamlet will not kill Claudius while he’s praying and send him to heaven—

And now I’ll do ’t.
⌜He draws his sword.⌝
And so he goes to heaven,
And so am I revenged. That would be scanned:
A villain kills my father, and for that,
I, his sole son, do this same villain send
To heaven.
Why, this is ⟨hire⟩ and ⟨salary,⟩ not revenge.
He took my father grossly, full of bread,
With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May;
And how his audit stands who knows save heaven. …
To take him in the purging of his soul,
When he is fit and seasoned for his passage?
No. … 
⌜He sheathes his sword.⌝
When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage,
Or in th’ incestuous pleasure of his bed,
At game, a-swearing, or about some act
That has no relish of salvation in ’t—
Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven,
And that his soul may be as damned and black
As hell, whereto it goes.

Here are the truths we see in Scripture: 

  1. We are created in God’s image and given a body—Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7. 
  2. Yet our body is called a temporary tent—2 Corinthians 5:1-3. 
  3. We will be raised either to eternal life or a second and eternal death—Luke 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 15:42-54, 20-21; Revelation 20:11-15. 

How we die and how our body is disposed of makes no difference to where we will spend eternity. The only thing that matters is if our name is written in the Book of Life. Our name is written there only if we are covered by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:10, 17-22). 

Check out more of the questions we have covered in our Is That In The Bible? series by clicking here. 

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The Lion And The Lamb

April 20, 2026 — 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. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 

As we rejoin our series asking, “Is that in the Bible?” we have come to statement #16—The lion will lay down with the lamb. 

Is that in the Bible? No! 

You may be surprised by that because it is one of those phrases repeated so often that people assume it has to be in the Scripture. Even those who don’t have a religious persuasion for their life still accept this phrase as meaning world peace, where former adversaries now live together in harmony.  

There are some verses in the prophesies of Isaiah from which this phrase may have originated, like Isaiah 11:6. On the 8th anniversary of the modern independence of the nation of Israel (in April 1956), the British parliament presented a bronze Menorah to the Israeli Knesset. Benno Elkan designed this beautiful piece, modeled after the lampstand in the Holy Place of the Temple. On one of the branches, Benno portrays the prophet Isaiah, and at his feet are images of a lion, a wolf, a lamb, and a small child. 

(Check out all of the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.)

But in the images on this menorah, based on so many Kingdom-anticipating passages throughout the Old Testament, is the hope for which we long. Peace is coming. It is peace purchased by the Prince of Peace and it is a peace that only He can establish and maintain. 

To see the peace that will exist in God’s kingdom, we must look back to the beginning of Time. The Book of Isaiah has been called “the Bible within the Bible.” Partly because it is near the middle of the Bible, but partly because its 66 chapters (like the 66 books of the Bible) trace the perfection of God that was marred by sin, the ravages of sin, the redemption that comes only through the Messiah, and His eternal kingdom of peace that is for all who put their faith in Jesus. So today I want us to look at the first book of the Bible, the “Bible within the Bible,” and the last book of the Bible. 

God created perfection in the Earth. Part of His plan included man and animals as herbivores (Genesis 1:29-30). At least one of God’s animals could talk (Genesis 3:1). Given the fact that neither Adam nor Eve were distressed by a talking snake, perhaps there was a way for man and animals to navigate their differences. 

This encounter with the devil led to sin, which also opened the door for further pain and hardship—self-awareness that brought embarrassment, pain in childbirth, difficulty farming the land, and removal from the Garden of Eden (3:16-19). 

Sin continued to ravage (Genesis 6:6). At the time of the Flood, it appears men and animals were still herbivores (vv. 20-21), but that changes after the Flood (9:1-6). 

Sin ravages and destroys and enslaves people in their ungodly passions. God does forgive, but many times the consequences of sin still remain—as we witness in our world today. 

Remember that after Adam and Eve sinned, they were aware of their nakedness. Their attempt to cover themselves was with what they had dominion over: fig leaves (Genesis 3:7). The very first animal sacrifice was performed by God Himself—an innocent calf or lamb had to shed its blood so that God could cover the shame of sin (v. 21). 

Sinful man tries to copy what God did without calling on God Himself, and God sees it for what it is: a sham (Isaiah 65:1-7; Revelation 7:9-10). 

Only Jesus can bridge the gulf between sinful man and righteous God (Isaiah 11:1-9; Revelation 5:1-6; 11-13). 

“[Jesus] endured death as a lamb; He devoured it as a lion.” —Augustine

(see John 1:29; Revelation 1:18)

We get a small glimpse of the eternal kingdom during the Millennial Reign (Isaiah 65:17-25), but the eternal kingdom is the Reality for the saints of God forever (Isaiah 35:8-10; Revelation 21:1-8, 22:1-5)! 

The next time you hear someone long for the day when “the lion will lay down with the lamb,” remind them that the Lion and the Lamb are one in the same. Jesus is BOTH our sacrificial Lamb that died in our place to pay the penalty of our sin AND He is the Lion that devoured death once for all! 

There is an eternal Kingdom where peace and joy and wholeness are indescribable and unending. But we only get into this Kingdom by the blood of the Lamb and the power of the Lion! 

Check out the previous statement we have discussed in this series by clicking here. 

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

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Maturing Or Declining?

April 13, 2026 — 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. 

Last week I reminded you about the greeting in the early church. One saint would say to another, “He is risen!” and the other person would respond, “He is risen indeed!” 

That word “indeed” is important. In Greek, the word is ontōs—in point of fact, as opposed to what is pretended or fictitious. Our English dictionary says something similar, but adds something I think is memorable: in fact; in reality; in truth—used for emphasis, to confirm and amplify a previous statement. 

The word ontōs is only used a few times in the Old Testament. In Jeremiah, God speaks to His people, calling them to return to Him. The people respond, “We will come to You. Indeed the world is deception; indeed You are our salvation” (see Jeremiah 3:22-23). 

(Check out all of the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.) 

In the New Testament, Paul said that if the law could have saved us, there would have been no reason for Jesus to die on a Cross and be resurrected back to life—Galatians 3:21-22. When He died for our sins, the Roman centurion overseeing His crucifixion recognized that Jesus was indeed the righteous Savior (Luke 23:47; Matthew 27:54). Jesus said of Himself that He came to give freedom indeed (John 8:36). 

When we put our faith in Jesus as our Savior, we are indeed saved from the death penalty that our sins deserve. We are justified through our faith in our crucified and risen Savior. We are now free indeed to participate in the eternal life Jesus gave us! 

The Bible uses three pictures of the life we are now free to enjoy. Since we camped out in the Book of Ephesians last week, let’s return there to see these three pictures—

(1) The Building of the Lord—Ephesians 2:19-22 

We have to stay on the foundation of Jesus, if we want to build something lasting (Matthew 7:24, 26). This means we have to submit to sanctification process of the Holy Spirit (or as I like to say this word: “saint-ification”). When guests come over, you dust and vacuum. If you don’t clean again, dust will accumulate. Jesus isn’t a one-time or occasional Guest, but He wants to abide in us (Revelation 3:20). 

(2) The Body of Christ—Ephesians 4:3-6, 12-13, 16 

Look a the phrases “…make every effort … works of service … become mature….” These are all ongoing processes which we need for healthy growth (Hebrews 5:12-13). As our physical bodies age, we lose 3-5% of our body’s muscle mass every year unless we are actively working to add muscle. Body building requires (a) protein intake, (b) exercise, (c) rest and recovery—God’s Word applied and resting in the work of the Holy Spirit. 

(3) The Bride of Jesus—Ephesians 5:25-28, 33 

We don’t want to be like this out-of-touch husband, whose wife said to him on their 40th anniversary, “I remember on our wedding day how you told me you loved me. How come you never say that any more.” The husband replied: “If anything changed, I would have let you know.” We need to be continually falling in love with our Bridegroom! Listen to how Jesus addressed these saints at Ephesus. He tells them they have persevered through the difficult times (Revelation 2:1-3), yet they have forsaken the most important thing: their first love (v. 4). If we’ve done this, we need to remember, repent, and return to Jesus (v. 5). 

If we’re not maturing, we’re declining. 

If we are only going through the motions, where is the satisfaction? Where is the freedom indeed? 

Listen to these tough—but needed—words from John Piper: 

“The problem with the church today is not that there are too many people who are passionately in love with heaven. The problem is not that professing Christians are retreating from the world, spending half their days reading Scripture and the other half singing about their pleasures in God all the while indifferent to the needs of the world. The problem is that professing Christians are spending ten minutes reading Scripture and then half their day making money and the other half enjoying and repairing what they spend it on. It is not heavenly-mindedness that hinders love. It is worldly-mindedness that hinders love, even when it is disguised by a religious routine on the weekend.” 

Continuing to mature in our faith makes the Building more beautiful, the the Body healthier, and the Marriage more fulfilling! Let’s keep maturing so that we honor Jesus as our Savior and Lord. 

If you’ve missed any of the messages in this series, you can check them all out here. 

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

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The Visible Church

April 6, 2026 — 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. 

Fifty-eight years ago this weekend, on April 4, 1968, just after 6pm on a balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was cut down by an assassin’s bullet. A powerful voice in the struggle for civil rights for African Americans was silenced, and yet his legacy still lives on more than a half-century later. 

A couple of days ago, we remembered another historic death: the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. But unlike Dr. King, today we also celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead! 

Does it matter that Jesus was raised back to life? If Dr. King’s legacy can still live on in the life of his followers, even though his body is in the grave, couldn’t the same thing happen for the followers of Jesus of Nazareth? The answer, quite simply, is “No!” This is because Jesus claimed that His kingdom was an eternal Kingdom, and that He came to bring people eternal life (John 3:16). If the Founder of this Kingdom could be held in the grave, what would His followers have to look forward to? Paul said this in 1 Corinthians 15:17-19. 

(I’m not going to take the time to go through all the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus here, but I would encourage you to check out our series A.L.I.V.E. 

We have named this series after a statement from Jesus, “I will build My Church.” He made this statement before His death and before His resurrection, which tells us that He knew the outcome before those events even occurred. 

(Check out all of the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.)

Look how Paul concludes that the resurrection of Jesus is what gives meaning to the terms “saints” and “Church” in Ephesians 1:15-23. Our faith in what Jesus did for us on the Cross—namely, paying the penalty for our sins—is what justifies us, allowing us to be called saints (2:4-5). Notice how saints are to now live (2:6-10). 

Look at those two phrases: “saved…not by works” and “created…to do good works.” As my friend T.M. Moore noted, “We are not saved by good works, but we’re not truly saved without them.” Good works is what characterized the earthly ministry of Jesus (Acts 10:38), and good works are what His saints are now freed and empowered to do (Romans 7:4; 1 Peter 2:12). 

Paul goes on to say that saints are who make up the Church of Jesus (Ephesians 2:14-22). The Church is not a building, but saints following the example of Jesus to make the Kingdom of God known in the world (Acts 4:32-35). 

A hundred years later, Aristides wrote a letter to Emperor Hadrian about these saints (who were now known as Christians): 

     “They help those who offend them, making friends of them; do good to their enemies. They don’t adore idols; they are kind, good, modest, sincere, they love one another; don’t despise widows; protect the orphans; those who have much give without grumbling, to those in need. When they meet strangers, they invite them to their homes with joy, for they recognize them as true brothers, not natural but spiritual. When a poor man dies, if they become aware, they contribute according to their means for his funeral; if they come to know that some people are persecuted or sent to prison or condemned for the sake of Christ’s name, they put their alms together and send them to those in need. If they can do it, they try to obtain their release. When a slave or a beggar is in need of help, they fast two or three days, and give him the food they had prepared for themselves, because they think that he too should be joyful, as he has been called to be joyful like themselves.” 

Jesus is the eternally-living Founder of His Church, and those who have had their sins forgiven by their faith in His death and resurrection are the living stones of His Church (1 Peter 2:5). 

Coming to the Cross makes us saints. Making the Savior known by the way we live makes us the Church. 

We can’t do this unless Jesus is alive and actively empowering us (Matthew 28:18-20). 

Let me reiterate what my friend wrote, because this is how saints should live: “We are not saved by good works, but we’re not truly saved without them.” 

The resurrection of Jesus makes it possible for us to not only be delivered from trying to earn our salvation by doing good works, but to be empowered to do good works so that we compel others want to know Jesus for themselves. 

As the saints go, so goes the Church. 

Check out all of the messages in this series “I will build My Church” by clicking here. 

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

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Amazing Love

April 2, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) 

Then I said, “Here I am—it is written about Me in the scroll—I have come to do Your will, My God.” (Hebrews 10:7) 

“How lowly did Jesus become to purge away our sins and that by Himself, too, using His own body to be the means, by His sufferings, of taking away our guilt. Not by proxy did He serve us, but by Himself. Oh, this is wondrous love!” —Charles Spurgeon 

And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:10) 

Check out some related posts:

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Our Cornerstone

March 23, 2026 — 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. 

Last week we saw that the essential confession is not just, “I believe You are the Christ the Son of the living God,” but also, “I will take up my cross and follow You!” (Matthew 16:16-18, 24). Notice that these are “red letter words”—words spoken by Jesus. They are not “they say” words (like v. 14; Matthew 7:21-23). 

(Check out all of the Scriptures I use in this post by clicking here.)

Look at the very next red letter words in Matthew 7:24-27. Notice the two parts: hears and puts them into practice. That’s our verbal and our lifestyle confession. What are we hearing and putting into practice? “These words of Mine.” 

Jesus is our Cornerstone. The dictionary defines this as, “something that is essential, indispensable; the chief foundation on which something is constructed or developed.” 

Some sandy things to build your life upon: 

  • what your family practiced 
  • what your pastor preached 
  • what your friends believe 

You know how you will know how sure your foundation is? When the storms come! I recently heard a well-known scholar and Christian apologist in an interview. He was asked by a skeptic of Christianity if he had doubts, and he responded, “Sure, I have doubts. But I choose to believe what the Bible says.” And I thought, “How sad to live this way.” We have a reliable, unshakable foundation in Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:18-22; 1 Corinthians 15:58). 

Religions and philosophies have come and gone. 

Spiritual giants have stumbled, and fierce tyrants have growled and then died. 

Traditions and societies have changed through the millennia. 

But the red letter words of Jesus stand firm through every season and storm (2 Timothy 2:19). 

Our Cornerstone remains unmovable and we can stand on Him unshaken. This foundation…

  • …was prophesied—Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 118:22 
  • …was fulfilled—Matthew 21:42; Acts 4:11-12 
  • …is still standing today—Ephesians 2:19-20; 1 Peter 2:4-6 
  • …will still be standing for all eternity—Revelation 21:5; John 14:1-4 

So there is no need to be afraid. There is no need to get frustrated. There is no need to engage in meaningless debates with the “they say” crowd. Stand firm on the red letter words—our Cornerstone. 

“On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand!” 

Check out all of the other messages in this “I Will Build My Church” series here. 

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

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The Authority In Bowing

March 2, 2026 — 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. 

Recognition of the proper chain of command is drilled into every soldier, and knowing and following that chain of command is essential to success. In fact, it’s so important that violating this hierarchy could result in court martial and a dishonorable removal from military service. 

This is just as true in our service in the Lord’s army. 

Pastor Dan Chastain noted how similar the US Army’s Non-commissioned Officer (NCO) creed is to the way Roman centurion’s operated: “I will know my Soldiers and always place their needs above my own. I will communicate consistently with my Soldiers and I will never leave them uniformed. I will be fair and impartial when recommending both rewards and punishment.” 

The centurion we meet in Luke 7:2-10 cared for his servants and understood the chain of command. He recognized the supreme authority that Jesus had, even His authority over death and disease. 

(Check out all of the Scriptures I mention in this post here.)  

Pastor Dan also noted that the backing for an NCO’s authority is fear. There is an understanding of the authority that officer has to both reward and punish. 

The Romans had perfected the torturous act of crucifixion. It struck fear into the hearts of their enemies. In Mark 15:15-38 we see just how well the Romans had developed this gruesome act to keep people living in fear of them. 

They knew just how much to flog their victims to demoralize them for maximum effect—just enough to take the fight out of them, but not too much that they died before being crucified.  

The death of Jesus, however, was probably not what the Roman kill squad expected. It was probably a bit of a letdown for them that Jesus died rather quickly because they were used to their enemies suffering for days. But they also knew they had to ensure that their victims were truly dead (see John 19:31-34). 

Governor Pontius Pilate was also surprised how quickly Joseph of Arimathea showed up to ask for the body of Jesus, so Pilate summoned the centurion who had been in charge of the crucifixions to verify that He was indeed dead (Mark 15:42-45). 

Did you notice that Pilate called “the centurion”? Who is this? He’s the one who oversaw the kill squad that had crucified Jesus and the two other criminals. 

This centurion was a professional soldier. He had obtained his rank by his military skill, his leadership capabilities, his bravery, and his rigidly following the chain of command. His climb through up the ranks would have had him saying over and over again, “Kyrios kaiser,” which means “Caesar is lord.” 

But notice that throughout the time that the Roman soldiers gambled for Jesus’ clothes, hurled insults and Him, and thrust a spear into His side that this centurion remained silent. There was something about this Man that was different. 

When Jesus breathed His last breath, this soldier didn’t say, “Kyrios kaiser,” but something entirely different—“And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how He died, he said, ‘Surely this Man was the Son of God!’” (Mark 15:39). He changed from “Caesar is lord” to “Jesus is Lord”!  

Just like the Romans terrified their enemies, our enemy wants to do the same thing—to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10); to prowl and growl like a lion (1 Peter 5:8). 

We resist him not by our show or force against him, but by our show of submission to the King of kings (Philippians 2:10-11). The devil isn’t afraid of you, and you aren’t strong enough to defeat him (check out what happened in Acts 19:11-16). But satan has been defeated by our King, and when you bow to Christ’s authority, then he must flee from you (James 4:7). 

Our authority comes from bowing, from giving up our way of doing things, from not trying to figure out solutions on our own. When we bow to our King, we have victory! 

If you’ve missed any of the messages in this series on spiritual warfare, check them all out here. 

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

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Perfect Tactics

February 9, 2026 — 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. 

In the mid-1930s, a German who fought in World War I as a lieutenant colonel published his book Infantry Attacks. This book recounted his heroic and innovative tactics that earned him battlefield success throughout that war. As World War II loomed, the popularity of this officer and his book compelled Adolf Hitler to appoint him field commander, even though he didn’t come from the prestigious family lines that were typical of other German officers. 

This field commander began adapting the tactics he had used with his infantry in WWI to the tanks that were now under his command in WWII. His success was so swift and noteworthy in northern Africa that he quickly earned the nickname “the Desert Fox.” This is Edwin Rommel. 

In Infantry Attacks, Rommel describes how his shock troops used speed, deception, and deep penetration into enemy territory to surprise and overwhelm. He used innovative tactics like assigning a small team of men to approach enemy lines from the direction in which his enemy expected the attack, which was really just concealing the bulk of his troops who were sneaking to the flanks and rears of the defenders to take them by surprise. These tactics usually intimidated his enemies into surrendering, which helped him avoid unnecessary risks to his supply lines and soldiers. 

But were these tactics truly innovative? If we look back in history we will discover a masterful tactician that used these maneuvers with his troops 3000 years before Rommel did! 

Joshua was the renown field commander of the Israelite army as they moved into the Promised Land. See if some of his tactics sound similar to those Rommel employed. 

  • A fake frontal assault to distract the enemy from the concealed special forces—Joshua 8:1-7, 18-19 
  • An early-morning surprise attack after an all-night march—10:7-10 
  • A divide-and-conquer campaign: the southern campaign was a relentless push (10:29-38, 41-42); the northern campaign relied on a surprise attack (11:1-9) 

(Check out all of the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.) 

Joshua knew God’s voice (Exodus 33:11) and we see it in his tactics. Notice how many times we read about Joshua hearing God’s voice (8:1, 18; 10:8, 10, 42; 11:6, 8). In fact, “The Lord said” appears 15 times in the Book of Joshua! 

The only time Joshua experienced any casualties at all was when he attacked the little town of Ai after their major victory at Jericho without getting God’s tactics first (7:1-12). In this case, Joshua made his tactics based on what “they said.” 

Presumption is so dangerous! We should never think, “This is how God did it last time, so I’ll just copy-and-paste that same prayer and that same tactic in this situation.” After the Israelites repented of their sin, God did give them the precise tactics to defeat Ai, which is what we already saw in Joshua 8. 

The next update we read about Joshua’s troops is, “The whole army then returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah” (Joshua 10:21). That isn’t miraculous, but it is the expected outcome because all of Joshua’s tactics were from God Himself.

The United States had a general who matched wits with Rommel in WWII. General George Patton wrote this in his diary, “In forty hours I shall be in battle, with little information, and on the spur of the moment will have to make the most momentous decisions. But I believe that one’s spirit enlarges with responsibility and that, with God’s help, I shall make them, and make them right.” 

General Patton was half-right: God will give directions, but we don’t have to wait until we’re in the heat of the battle; God can give us perfect tactics before the battle begins. 

This reminds me of what God said through the prophet—“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a Voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’” (Isaiah 30:21). This is foretelling what Jesus said the Holy Spirit would do for us (John 14:26, 16:13). God’s Voice must be the one and only Source of guidance in our spiritual warfare. 

Remember what God told Joshua in Joshua 1:7-8 that he should read and meditate on God’s word at every moment. The writer of Hebrews addresses the same idea about God’s Voice that is heard through His Word, and how this is to be our weapon and Source of strategy as well (Hebrews 4:1-12). 

The perfect tactic for every situation, every conversation, every attack, every opportunity is found in the inspired Word of God. Never presume you know what to do, but let the Holy Spirit illuminate the perfect tactic to you for each unique situation. 

If you have missed any of the messages in our series called The Lord’s Army, please click here. 

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

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