I-Have-To-Have-It Attitude

February 27, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

In our Live Dead series, we have been talking about different areas we need to allow to die, so that we might truly live for Christ as His disciples.

One of the things that often gets in the way of our pursuit of Christ is our cravings. This word—which the dictionary defines as a longing or an eager desire—has an interesting origin. The root word in both Latin and Old English means to lay claim to or to demand by right.

In other words, a craving is when something that was originally a want has now become a need in my mind. So I lay claim to it, saying that it’s something that is owed to me.

The Apostle Paul talks about cravings that we all had before we came to know Christ as Savior when he wrote, “All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts” (Ephesians 2:3).

This same Greek word shows up in Christ’s parable of the sower when He talks about the seed that falls among the weeds. These people, He explains, allow the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the Word (Mark 4:19).

Gratifying my cravings = Choking out the life of Christ in me

The problem is that this craving or desire for things other than Christ is often an unconscious habit. We have allowed them to become cravings—laying our claim to them as needs—without even realizing it.

The antidote: fasting. When we give up something, the Holy Spirit can show us if that thing has created an I-Have-To-Have-It attitude in our hearts. This spiritual discipline is hard because our bodies will rebel against having to give up “a right.” But when we press through with this discipline of fasting, God describes the results:

Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I. (Isaiah 58:8-9)

That’s how I want to live! So I must live dead to my cravings. I can only do this when I allow a time of fasting to open my heart to hear the Holy Spirit point out all my I-Have-To-Have-It attitudes.

To check out all of the messages in our Live Dead series, please click here.

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Ready? Or Not?

November 30, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

A few weeks ago I shared some thoughts about the donkey Jesus rode into Jerusalem. Or I should say: some thoughts about the donkey’s owners. I was struck by the ease with which those owners gave up their donkey when they heard the simple phrase, “The Lord needs it.”

There’s another small story in the midst of the activity just prior to Christ’s crucifixion, when He shared the Last Supper with His disciples. The disciples ask Jesus where He would like to have this meal, and He gives them unusual instructions: When you go into town, you’ll see a man carrying a jar of water; follow him. Go to the owner of the house this man enters and say, “Where is My guest room?” (Mark 14:14)

Just like the owners of the donkey, this homeowner was waiting for Jesus to call on him. The room was ready and waiting.

So I’m asking myself:

  • Is my life reserved for my Master’s use?
  • Am I saying “Yes” to other offers that would keep me from saying “Yes” when Jesus calls on me?
  • Is my life kept in readiness for my Master?
  • Or do I have to ask Him to wait while I prepare myself?

My heart is His. My mind is His. My talent is His.

I must keep all of these available only for His use. So when the call comes, “Where is My guest room” I can quickly answer, “Everything is furnished and ready for Your use.”

Are you ready? Or not?

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Groaning

November 14, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I’m a list kinda guy. I love making To Do lists, and shopping lists, and even prayer lists. These seem to work well for my temperament, helping me stay on task and feel like I am accomplishing something.

But I’ve noticed a danger built-in to these lists. I can use the lists to remove all emotion from my activities. I suppose that might be a good thing for my To Do lists and shopping lists, but it’s a bad thing for my prayer lists.

Many times when Jesus was moved to touch someone in need, the Bible says that Jesus groaned. Look at this:

  • Some people brought a man who could neither hear nor speak and asked Jesus to lay a healing hand on him. He took the man off by himself, put His fingers in the man’s ears and some spit on the man’s tongue. Then Jesus looked up in prayer, groaned mightily, and commanded, “Ephphatha!—Open up!” And it happened. (Mark 7:31-35)
  • When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. (John 11:33)
  • Now Jesus, again sighing repeatedly and deeply disquieted, approached the tomb. (John 11:38)

I love the words of G. Morgan Campbell:

“No man can pray for the world unless the Spirit interpret to him the world’s agony, and the Spirit cannot intercede the world’s agony to any man unless that man live in the midst of the world’s agony. Not by retirement from the world, not by hiding away within a monastic institution, not by seeking to develop my own spiritual life by removing myself from the agony of the world, can I ever pray for the world; but because I live every day in the midst of its busy life, am close to it and know it, and because the Spirit of God in me leads me into the secret deepest meaning of the world’s agony and pain so that I no longer treat it as a superficial disease that can be dealt with by the nostrums of humanity, but as a great heart trouble that needs blood and sacrifice to deal with it, am I able to pray. Out of that revelation of the meaning of the world’s agony created by the Spirit in the hearts of believing men they are able to pray. The Church of God in the economy of God was created an institute of prayer.”

Are you close enough to lost and hurting humanity to hear them groan?

Are you moved by their groans?

Can you groan on their behalf? That’s how we should be praying, and then the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express (Romans 8:26).

Don’t just pray for the hurting around you; groan for them!

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Watch Your Prepositions

November 7, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

Prepositions are interesting words: they tell us the position of something relative to something else. Changing just one small preposition changes the whole meaning—“I left my wallet in the car” or “I left my wallet on the car.” In the first case, you can probably find your wallet again. In the second case, your wallet could be anywhere along the side of the road!

There’s a well-known story in the Gospels where a woman anoints Jesus with an expensive perfume. Some people are upset that she would “waste” something so valuable. But as Jesus corrects their incorrect view of this, notice the preposition He uses:

She has done a beautiful thing TO Me. (Matthew 26:10)

Most of the time we think we do things for Jesus. But He really doesn’t need us to do anything for Him, does He? After all, He is all-sufficient, all-powerful, all-knowing.

But Jesus loves when we do something beautiful TO Him!

We often praise God because of what He has done; that is, we praise Him for His deeds. But what if we praise God for Who He is; that is, give praise TO Him?

For is good, but TO is best.

I’m going to be watching my prepositions, to make sure I’m not only doing things for Jesus, but to Him as well—not just giving praise for what He’s done, but praise TO Him for Who He is.

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Is ‘Mine’ Loose Enough?

November 2, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

Most people who have read the life of Jesus know about His triumphal arrival in Jerusalem, where the people waved palm branches and shouted, “Hosanna!” But there’s a little backstory tucked in this major event.

Jesus needed to ride a donkey into Jerusalem. So He sent two of His disciples into town, and told them where to find the donkey He would ride. He said, “If anyone asks you why you are taking this animal, just tell them, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

The disciples went, and found the donkey just like Jesus said. And, sure enough, the people there asked what they were doing. This story is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. After the disciples said, “The Lord needs it,” here is everything the donkey’s owners said: .

That is: they said nothing. Not a single word.

That got me thinking:

  • Could I do that?
  • If Jesus needs something of mine, do I ask for clarification?
  • Do I bargain when He asks me to give something of mine up for His use?
  • Am I holding on too tightly to mine?

What about you? Is your mine loose enough?

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Thursdays With Oswald—The Mountain & The Valley

October 6, 2011 — 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 Mountain And The Valley

    It is a wonderful thing to be on the mountain with God, but a person only gets there so that he may later go down and lift up the demon-possessed people in the valley (see Mark 9:14-18). We are not made for the mountains, for sunrises, or for the other beautiful attractions in life—those are simply intended to be moments of inspiration. We are made for the valley and the ordinary things of life, and that is where we have to prove our stamina and strength. Yet our spiritual selfishness always wants repeated moments on the mountain. We feel that we could talk and live like perfect angels, if we could only stay on the mountaintop. Those times of exaltation are exceptional and they have their meaning in our life with God, but we must beware to prevent our spiritual selfishness from wanting to make them the only time.

     …The moments on the mountaintop are rare moments, and they are meant for something in God’s purpose.

     …The height of the mountaintop is measured by the dismal drudgery of the valley, but it is in the valley that we have to live for the glory of God. We see His glory on the mountain, but we never live for His glory there. It is in the place of humiliation that we find our true worth to God—that is where our faithfulness is revealed.

From My Utmost For His Highest

God gives me mountaintop experiences to prepare me to live for Him in the valley experiences. So I must never doubt in the valley what God revealed to me on the mountain. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.

It is true: it is in the valley that I have to live for the glory of God. Otherwise, my experience on the mountaintop was meaningless.

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Inventive Faith

September 12, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I love the story of the four friends who wanted to get their sick companion in to see Jesus. They had heard about Jesus healing others, and they believed that He would heal their friend too. But when they arrived at the house where Jesus was, they found it packed with people, and the doors and windows blocked by crowds who also wanted to see and hear Jesus. So these four friends made an appointment with one of Jesus’ disciples to come back at a more convenient time.

Ummm, not so much!

These guys were so convinced that Jesus could heal their friend, that they didn’t let crowds stop them. They climbed up on top of the house, ripped off some of the roof tiles, and lowered their friend down to Jesus. I love their inventive faith!

How many times do circumstances stop me?

  • there were too many people
  • or not enough people
  • they seemed busy
  • they seemed uninterested
  • it was raining

Oh, so many flimsy excuses that seem to derail my faith!

I love this thought from Charles Spurgeon:

“Faith is full of inventions. The world is constantly inventing; genius serves all the purposes of human desire: cannot faith invent too, and reach by some new means the outcasts who lie perishing around us?

“…Through door, through window, or through roof, let us, breaking through all impediments, labor to bring poor souls to Jesus. All means are good and decorous when faith and love are truly set on winning souls. If hunger for bread can break through stone walls, surely hunger for souls is not to be hindered in its efforts. O Lord, make us quick to suggest methods of reaching thy poor sin-sick ones, and bold to carry them out at all hazards.”

How much more inventive can your faith be?

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Thursdays With Oswald—Hate Properly

April 21, 2011 — 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.

Hate Properly

     A Quaker friend of mine referring to a certain man said he did not like him because he did not hate properly. … The Christian standpoint should be one of positive anger when anyone is made to stumble. To remain indifferent when there is injustice abroad is to come under the curse of Meroz, who “came not to the help of the Lord…against the mighty” (Judges 5:23).

From Baffled To Fight Better

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. (Proverbs 6:16-19)

But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. (Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2)

And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.’ But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry.” (Zechariah 7:8-12)

It’s time for us to get positively angry and hate the things that God hates.

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Progressing From . To ? To !

April 20, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

There is a progression that I believe Christians should be aware of as they lead others toward Christ.

First: .

Those who have been de-churched, or who have had a negative experience with another Christian, or who have become disenchanted with the Church, make factual statements about Christians and Church.

“The Church is….”

“Christians always….”

But if are truly the salt of the earth and the light of the world, we can season and shine in a way that will cause them to question their own factual statements.

Next comes: ?

“The Christian Church exists to reveal God and to utter forth His praise, to make God known to men who know Him not, that in the presence of the revelation they may be filled with awe, and wonder, and amazement—to make God known, that God shall be attractive to humanity.” —G. Morgan Campbell

“This is Church?”

“You’re a Christian?”

Which leads to: !

Jesus stated that the greatest of all commandments—indeed the fulfillment of all the commandments—was loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength and then loving others as we love ourselves. Once people see Christians as true representations of Christ … people so intent on loving God and loving others, they too will find what their hearts have been longing for.

“This is what I’ve been looking for!”

“Now this is what I call a real Church!”

Can I suggest an easy place to start? With your smile. Look at what Job said:

Men listened to me expectantly, waiting in silence for my counsel. After I had spoken, they spoke no more; my words fell gently on their ears. They waited for me as for showers and drank in my words as the spring rain. When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it; the light of my face was precious to them. (Job 29:21-24)

Living in this way can move people from close-minded skeptics, to curious questioners, to enthusiastic followers of Jesus Christ. Let’s do this! 

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Who’s Following?

March 16, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I have a rather large segment of my library dedicated to leadership books. They cover everything from team building, to personal leadership, to leading a non-profit organization, to leading a for-profit company. One of the recurring teachings goes something like this:

If you want a picture of your leadership, look at who’s following you.

Do you buy that?

I thought I did, but then I read this:

Later, Levi invited Jesus and His disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.)

Maybe these tax collectors and other disreputable sinners were attracted to Jesus because they could tell how much He loved them.

So I have to ask myself, “How many ‘disreputable sinners’ are hanging around me?” Maybe I need to take another look at my heart for the lost.

How about you?

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