Oh, The Silliness!

September 4, 2024 — 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. 

Jesus had just been taken from the high priest Caiaphas to the praetorium where the Roman governor Pontius Pilate presided. And then I read one of the most ridiculous statements in this whole crucifixion scenario. 

In order for you to grasp the full impact of this outrageous request, let me take you back in time a few hours. 

Jesus was arrested by the temple guards without there being any formal charges filed against Him. He was taken to the home of the former high priest for an off-the-record interview to attempt to get Jesus to stumble in something He said so that they would have official charges to lodge against Him. 

The Sanhedrin was then convened in the middle of the night. Witnesses were brought in not really to testify as to what they saw or heard, but because the Sanhedrin was “looking for evidence” (Mark 14:55). In the meantime, the Sanhedrin asked Jesus to answer non-existent charges without having any legal representation of His own. They even resorted to physical violence to try to coerce Him to say something incriminating. 

The Sanhedrin eventually reached a non-unanimous decision, without any corroborating testimony, to ask Pilate for the death sentence. 

Now here comes the silly statement—“Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover” (John 18:28). 

To avoid ceremonial uncleanness?! 

In their blind fury and rabid self-righteousness, these men broke both mosaic law and their own rules of order. Doing things like: 

  • not securing charges first before arresting Jesus 
  • physically abusing Jesus without a conviction or even a proper trial 
  • meeting at night instead of during the day 
  • not calling in witnesses one at a time 
  • not getting corroborating testimony from two or three witnesses 
  • not allowing Jesus to have a legal advocate 
  • not getting a unanimous guilty decision before asking for the death sentence 

(Check out these passages to read all about the actions of the Sanhedrin on this night.)

After all that, they’re concerned about being ceremonially clean for the Passover? Oh, the silliness! 

Then I began to wonder: Am I guilty of this same folly? 

Do I keep my own set of rules? Do I justify bending God’s rules because of what I think are special circumstances? Am I self-righteous? Do I really think that I can do things the way that I want to do them and that God will put His stamp of approval on that?  

Isn’t it far better to simply follow God’s ways, to listen to the Holy Spirit speaking to my conscience, and then to repent if I begin to deviate from the truth? 

I need to always deal with my own self-righteousness first—to take care of the plank in my own eye before I point out the speck in someone else’s eye. Or else, I am being just as silly as those religious leaders were! 

You may also be interested in these related blog posts: 

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

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

The Serenity Prayer

August 26, 2024 — 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. 

I am a big fan of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). They are founded on biblical principles. I would paraphrase two of the most important ones as: (1) We need a Savior to set us free and (2) We need friends to lean on. James 5:16 says this as succinctly as any verse: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” 

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

AA says: “Often times, a person with substance use disorder may have a need for control that can prevent them from achieving peace of mind. They may feel frustrated that they cannot control the actions of other people and turn to substances like alcohol to control their feelings, even though the control that alcohol provides is a farce. The Serenity Prayer is a gentle reminder that letting go and accepting a loss of control can help put an end to the substance abuse cycle.” 

In light of our series called Is That in the Bible? let’s ask, is the serenity prayer in the Bible. 

No, it’s not, but still there are some very important principles we shouldn’t miss from this prayer. 

The full prayer is—

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. 
Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever and ever in the next. Amen.



Should Christians pray a prayer like this? Biblically, there is nothing wrong with Christians praying prayers that have been written by men or women, provided that they don’t contradict the words God has spoken to us. 


Remember James 5:16 that we looked at earlier? The Personalized Promise Bible has a prayer for that verse: 


If I have stumbled in any way, I do not need to fret over it—I can rest in full confidence that the Lord loves me and forgives all of my shortcomings. I also know that sin is a hindrance to my healing. Therefore, if there is any sin in my life I repent of it. I confess my sins to trusted brothers and sisters in Christ, gaining strength and praying in agreement with them so that I will be healed. 


And then they cross-reference about 10 more biblical passages that support this prayer—Psalm 103:1-5; Isaiah 53:4-5; 1 Peter 2:24; Matthew 9:22, 29; 18:19, 20; Mark 11:22-26; 16:18; Hebrews 12:1-3; Galatians 6:1-2. 


In a similar fashion, I see several passages of Scripture that are woven into the serenity prayer. 


“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.” Proverbs 1:2-3 describes the help God’s wisdom gives us for daily living. 


“Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time.” Jesus taught us to pray each day for our daily bread (Matthew 6:8, 11). 


“Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace.” Jesus also taught us to pray, “Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10), and He also prayed a very similar prayer Himself when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Yet not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). 


“Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will.” Jesus promised us both trouble in this world and His overcoming power to stand strong in that trouble (John 16:33). 


“That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever and ever in the next. Amen.” Jesus promises eternal rewards that vastly outweigh the trouble we may face in this life (Luke 12:32; Matthew 25:21, 34). 


The bottom line: The Bible is not just a Book to read through but a Book to pray through. ALL Scripture is for ALL servants of God. ALL Scripture is applicable to ALL the circumstances we will ever face in life.  


If something like the serenity prayer—or any other man-made prayer—is based on Scripture and helps give voice to your prayers, use them! But use them as guides to help you begin to form your own prayers from biblical passages you are reading for yourself. 


Check out some of the other topics we have covered in this Is That in the Bible? series here.  


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








Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment »



	



Unity Is Not Conformity

August 21, 2024 — 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.



Unity is not conformity nor is it mimicry. The Holy Spirit unites Christians in their message of hope to the world, but He does this by empowering each of our unique testimonies to our culture. 


This is a message I shared with the congregation at Country Chapel during their week-long revival meetings.




The Scriptures I reference in this message are—2 Chronicles 18:1-13; Romans 12:2; Mark 12:28-31; John 12:49-50; John 8:34-36; 2 Corinthians 3:16-18; Acts 15:1-35; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-11.


I have previously shared a whole series of messages about how the Holy Spirit empowers Christians for ministry:



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








Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 3 Comments »



	



Rules Can Be Overbearing—Love Never Is

August 2, 2024 — Craig T. Owens 






My people, what have I done to you, and how have I wearied you? Answer Me. … With what shall I come to the Lord and bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, with yearling calves? Does the Lord take pleasure in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give Him my firstborn for my wrongdoings, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, mortal one, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:3, 6-8)


God doesn’t weary us with constantly changing or overbearing rules!


What God asks of us is that we give Him our heart (love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength), and then we live a life that shows His love to others (love your neighbor as yourself). 


That’s it: Love God, and then let justice, love, and humility flow out from that Source of love.


On a related note, check out these posts :







Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , . 1 Comment »



	



Rise Above The Storm

July 21, 2024 — 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.



My friend Tom Kaastra shared an encouraging message at Calvary Assembly of God on Sunday about handling life’s storms. 


Just like the disciples of Jesus in a boat on a stormy sea…


    

  • …storms make us feel like we’re on water without any sure footing
    • 

  • …and the wind is against us (Mark 4:35-41) 
    • 



In the Psalms, David used similar language:



Even the well-known hymn The Solid Rock has the line that says, “When all around my soul gives way.” 


Isaiah 40:27-30 gives us a helpful example from the eagle of how we can handle life’s storms. 


Eagles have huge wingspans and can travel up to 125 miles in a single flight. When they see storms coming, they lock their wings in place and stop flapping on their own. Instead, they sense the warm currents of air and rides those up and over the storm. 


So Tom gave us these steps: 


    

  1. Disengage from our own efforts—don’t try to handle the storm on our own. 
    2. 

  2. Perceive the warmth of God’s promises. 
    3. 

  3. Trust the everlasting God (Isaiah 40:28). “Everlasting” means that God is infinite, vigorous, strong, faithful, and capable. 
    4. 

  4. Ride up and over the storm in God. When God says we mount up on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31), it means we are braided together with God. 
    5. 

  5. Live in the renewed strength that only God can give us. 
    6. 



Jesus went through the most unimaginable life storm that any human has ever had to endure, and He said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:46). We need to trust our Heavenly Father just like Jesus did when we face storms! 


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






Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »



	



A Godly Man’s Superpower

June 17, 2024 — 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. 



On Mother’s Day, I mentioned that Proverbs 31 might be an intimidating description for Moms, but it doesn’t need to be that way. This chapter lists what is possible when a woman is fully committed to God, her husband, and her children.  


Her faithfulness is her superpower which unleashes so many good things for those around her. Or as we said it: Her nobility helps her be a king maker. 


I concluded by saying that men have an important role to play in order to honor the king-making power which the godly women in his life have unlocked. This is a man’s superpower! Together, God-fearing men and women can create a legacy of king makers. But separated or self-focused men and women can create a legacy of king breakers. 


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


The Hebrew word for noble is used five times in Proverbs: three times for the godly superwoman (Proverbs 12:4, 31:10, 31:29), and twice for the godly superman (13:22, 31:3). 


Remember that this word is also translated in different versions of the Bible as excellent, virtuous, and strong in character. 


In Proverbs 31:3 the word vigor for men is attached to that same Hebrew word. In this context, the word can be defined as strength, efficiency, ability, or wealth. 


On Mother’s Day, we said that Eve is the “help meet” (as the old King James Version says), which means that she is the key that unlocks Adam’s potential. The teaching throughout Proverbs says that men can squander this unlocked potential by…


    

  • …forgetting God’s laws—Proverbs 31:4-5 
    • 

  • …not stewarding the unlocked leadership opportunities in our marriage, parenting, work, or community involvement (Proverbs 5:15-20; 2:1-5, 12-17; 22:29; 31:23). 
    • 



In essence, we cancel the definition of vigor that we saw above, changing strength to weakness, efficiency to inefficiency, ability to inability, and wealth to poverty. 


On Mother’s Day we looked at virtuous Ruth who used her godly superpower to unlock the potential for Boaz, the man who would become her husband. Let’s look at his example: 


    

  • he was called a man of standing because his righteousness was well known in Bethlehem—Ruth 2:1 
    • 

  • he was obedient to the smallest details of the law—Ruth 2:3; Leviticus 19:9-10  
    • 

  • he honored his father by following his example—Matthew 1:5; Joshua 2:1-24, 6:23 
    • 

  • he was an honored employer—Ruth 2:4 
    • 

  • he was also (just like Ruth) called a man of noble character—Ruth 3:7-11, 14 
    • 



A Dad’s superpower looks very similar to a Mom’s superpower. The godly woman unlocks the potential, and when the godly man carefully stewards that potential, he is also using his godly superpower (Luke 12:42-43, 48)! 


Guys, when we use our God-given superpower, we honor Him and the godly women in our lives who have made this possible for us. We do this by…


    

  • …faithfully loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength—Proverbs 31:4-5; Mark 12:28-31 
    • 

  • …caring for our bride like Jesus cares for His bride—Ephesians 5:25 
    • 

  • …honoring the legacy of our parents—Ephesians 6:2-3 
    • 

  • …passing on a godly heritage to our children—Ruth 4:21-22 
    • 



This is God’s design. And it is God’s delight when we live this way. So we must make the choice to either carry on the godly heritage that was handed down to us, or reverse the ungodly heritage that we may have inherited. 


Godly men and women unlock and perpetuate their God-given superpower by giving their heart, soul, mind, and strength to God. And then God will continue to empower us as the spouses, parents, and leaders in our community that He desires for us to be! 


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








Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 5 Comments »



	



The Inverse Proportion Of Worldly Wealth

April 24, 2024 — 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. 



A young man came to Jesus and asked Him, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” 


Jesus initially replied by listing some of the Ten Commandments that should be followed, and the young man quickly replied, “I have kept all of these since I was a boy!” 


Then Jesus said, “There is just one more thing: sell everything you have and give to the poor, you will have treasure in Heaven. Then come, and follow Me.” 


Even though this young man had received the answer that he was seeking, Luke records, “he became very sad because he was very wealthy.” (Check out this full exchange here.) 


The word “very” is used twice by Luke (Luke 18:23). It speaks of a greatness or heaviness of something. It appears that when we are very wealthy, it is very hard to trust anything other than that wealth. The opposite also appears to be true: When worldly wealth is scant, our trust in God for our daily bread is high. This is what mathematicians would refer to as an inverse proportion. 


On the other hand, Jesus promised eternal rewards for those who replaced trust in possessions with trust in God (also see Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 18:28-30). This is what mathematicians would referred to as proportional. 


Both this proportional treasure and the inverse proportional trust in God are God’s indisputable realities. 


As this young man shows us, it’s not about what we do or about what commands we have kept. In fact, it’s not about us at all! It’s all about a total trust in the only One who is eternally trustworthy! 


You may also want to check out:



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






Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »



	



Profound Humility

April 17, 2024 — Craig T. Owens 




When something is recorded in all four Gospels, we should really take note.


Look at the profound humility of John! His birth was foretold by an angel, his ministry was so powerful that people wondered if he was the Messiah or possibly Elijah, yet he never let all these accolades go to his head. 


“I am such a lowly servant of Jesus that I don’t even have the right to take off His sandals.” 


As C.S. Lewis said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s think of yourself less.” John was too focused on making sure people saw Jesus that he had no time to think about himself. 


Jesus said John was the greatest of the prophets (Matthew 11:11; Luke 7:28). The applause of the world means nothing. All that matters is the applause from nail-scarred hands, and the voice of the Master saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”








Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »



	



Right Remembering

March 30, 2024 — 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. 



Jesus hung on the Cross for about 6 hours. He was mostly silent during this time—His seven statements from the Cross would have taken less than a minute to say them all back-to-back. 


He hung silently and thoughtfully. I know He was thoughtful because John records, “Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scriptures would be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty’” (John 19:28). 


Movie directors will often show a flashback scene where their character looks back to remember what came before. I think during this silent time on the Cross, Jesus reviewed His public ministry. He reviewed every jot and tittle of every promise His Father had made, and He knew that each and every one had been completed.  


This culminating event on the Cross was the fulfillment of the big picture that God had been painting all along. The system of sacrifices centered in the tabernacle or the temple had been trying to show us something. 


There were daily sacrifices and annual sacrifices; there were sacrifices for willful sins and sacrifices for unintentional sins; there were sacrifices for priests and for laypeople. Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, decade after decade, century after century these sacrifices continued, never feeling like the work was finished. 


These practices were only a shadow, but a shadow that foretells the Reality—


The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. … The reality, however, is found in Christ. (Hebrews 10:1; Colossians 2:17) 


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


Jesus knew that He had come as the Reality (John 13:1), but before this final event on the Cross that would fully reveal the Reality, Jesus had one last thing to do: He wanted to share a final meal with His friends (Luke 22:7-15). 


Jesus said that eagerly desired to eat the Passover meal with them. This Passover remembrance looked backwards to the deliverance from Egypt and was celebrated year after year, decade after decade, century after century. 


The events were so long ago that they may have seemed like fading shadows to those who were celebrating this meal over a millennia after the fact. Jesus brought Reality. 


Jesus knew He was the most powerful Person on earth, but He also knew that He had come to serve (Mark 10:45; John 13:3-5). To demonstrate His servanthood…


    

  • He washed the feet of His betrayer 
    • 

  • He washed the feet that would run away from Him in terror 
    • 

  • He prepared them for what was coming 
    • 



Peter boldly declared that he would never run away, and Matthew and Mark record that all of the other disciples declared the same thing—(Luke 22:33; Matthew 26:35; Mark 14:31). But Jesus knew the prophecy that said, “I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered (Matthew 26:31). 


So Jesus prepared them by praying for them, and He prepared them by showing them the Reality of all those daily, weekly, monthly, annual, and Passover sacrifices (Luke 22:17-20, 31-32). 


Jesus was the completion of this sacrifices (Hebrews 7:26-28, 9:11-14)! 


The prophecy God gave in Jeremiah was completed in Christ’s broken body and spilled blood on the Cross—“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:12). 


The purpose of this Last Supper—this meal that completes so many jots and tittles—is to remember. The devil wants you to remember what YOU did. Jesus wants you to remember what HE did. 


Good Friday and the celebration of Communion helps us remember correctly that Jesus paid in-full the penalty for our sins, so now our forgiven sins are forgotten sins. The moment we sin, there is already the remedy for our sins that has been paid for. We repent, ask forgiveness, and receive His immediate cleaning. 


Such amazing love! 


If you have missed any of the messages in this series looking at some of the jots and tittles of prophecy that are fulfilled in Jesus, you can check them all out by clicking here.  


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








Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 3 Comments »



	



A Week To Slow Down

March 26, 2024 — 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. 



I would like to make a case for you to really slow down this week.


Check out this episode of The Podcast.




Here are some helpful resources from this episode:


I have two series of messages focusing on the Passion Week that will help you go deeper in  your Bible study time: Christ’s Passionate Journey (which I mentioned in this podcast) and Bold Claims.


This is a helpful timeline of the whole Passion Week, and this timeline focuses on the events of the crucifixion.


I loved the book The Blood of the Cross by Horatius Bonar. It is an eye-opening (and heart-opening) devotional book that has stood the test of time.


My new book When Sheep Bite is available for pre-order!


Here are a bunch of ways to get in touch with me and follow along with other projects on which I am involved


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






Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »








« Older posts 


Newer posts »