Heavenly Father | Craig T. Owens

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Remaining

April 11, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

In John 15, Jesus uses a Greek word that gets translated in the English as remain fifteen times. If anyone uses a single word that many times, you know it must be important. The same Greek word is also translated in and last in this same passage. The word means:

continually present (in reference to time), and
not leaving a certain orientation (in reference to state or condition).

The big idea Jesus is trying to convey here is connectedness. So I’m asking myself, Is my life so connected and reliant on Christ’s life, that it is nearly impossible to perceive two? Do we look and operate like one? Is my life completely sustained by His life? When people look at me, can they tell I am remaining in Jesus?

This same Greek word is translated living in (John 14:10) when Jesus says, “It is the Father living in Me, Who is doing His work.” When we see Jesus, we see the oneness—the remaining—between Father, Son, and Spirit.

This same remaining oneness is possible for me because of the promise of a Helper. Jesus said the Counselor (the Holy Spirit) would be with you (John 14:16). This is the exact same Greek word. The word is used again in the following verse: He lives with you and will be in you.

The Holy Spirit helps me look more and more like Jesus. He helps me remain. He develops the oneness.

Oh, marvel of marvels! To be one with Jesus! To remain—to last! To have Him in me, and I in Him!

I want to remain more deeply, more “one-ly,” that God may be glorified in the lasting fruit that my remaining will allow Him to produce.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: abiding, discipleship, fruitful, Gospel of John, Heavenly Father, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, oneness, remain, Trinity. 4 Comments »

Battling Depression

April 2, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Have you ever been depressed? I have. I know all too well how depression robbed me of sleep, sapped joy from my day, kept me from smiling and on the verge of tears all the time, made sunny days seem cloudy, caused me to sigh all the time and lose interest in the things that used to bring me pleasure, and brought such a sense of loneliness and isolation.

Did you know that Jesus felt the crushing load of depression too? As He was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane just before His arrest, listen to these words—

He began to be sorrowful and troubled
He became anguished and distressed
He began to show grief and distress of mind and was deeply depressed
He said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death”
He prayed more fervently, and He was in such agony of spirit that His sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood
“Abba, Father,” He cried out, “everything is possible for You. Please take this cup of suffering away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine.” (see Matthew 26:37-38; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:44)

The writer of Hebrews wrote this about Jesus—

While Jesus was here on earth, He offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the One who could rescue Him from death. And God heard His prayers because of His deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God’s Son, He learned obedience from the things He suffered. In this way, God qualified Him as a perfect High Priest, and He became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him. (Hebrews 5:7-9)

We learn something in suffering that we can’t learn any other way. Jesus learned how to experience all of the grief, anxiety, and depression that you and I will ever feel. And that is what qualifies Him to be a perfect High Priest for us.

Our part is to pray. Time and time and time again, not only did Jesus pray, but He encouraged His disciples to pray as well. As you continue to pray, Jesus is your High Priest praying for you. Only He truly knows how to translate the cry of your heart into a language Abba Father can understand.

In all their troubles, He was troubled, too. He didn’t send someone else to help them. He did it Himself, in person. (Isaiah 63:9)

If you’ve missed any of the messages in this series called Where’s God, please check them all out by clicking here.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Abba, anxiety, Calvary Assembly of God, depression, Gospel of Luke, Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Matthew, Heavenly Father, Hebrews, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, prayer, sermon, video. 2 Comments »

Even Before You Ask

February 19, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

A couple of weeks ago a lady in our church asked me to pray for a need in her life. She is a single Mom, as well as a caregiver for her bed-bound grandmother, which means money is tight.

She knew her car needed some repairs, so she took the car to the mechanic on Thursday afternoon. His initial estimate was $400. On Sunday we prayed about this, and joined our faith that God would either provide the funds, or provide another way for her car to be repaired.

Here’s a powerful verse of Scripture—

…Your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him! (Matthew 6:8)

This lady returned to her mechanic the next day, and he told her the repairs had been completed. But the repairs were not as extensive as he originally thought, so the bill was only $105.

Now, here’s the best part—on Thursday, this lady had looked at her financial situation and had set aside all the money she could afford for this repair: $125!

So not only did God provide for her even before she asked, but she even gave the mechanic a $20 tip!

I love the fact that God knows what we need even before we ask Him!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: faith, God's provision, Gospel of Matthew, Heavenly Father, miracles, money, prayer, promise. Leave a Comment »

What Are You Whispering?

April 26, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

Wise King Solomon gave us this advice:

Never say anything that isn’t true. Have nothing to do with lies and misleading words. (Proverbs 4:24)

Most decent people don’t have an issue with this one. We would never dream of whispering to someone we care about things like…

…you’re a loser.
…you can’t seem to do anything right.
…hey, stupid, nice job. Not!

But the verse just before says this:

Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts. (v. 23)

I wonder how many times we whisper words like loser, failure, or stupid to ourselves. The things we’d never say to someone else, we seem all too ready to say to ourselves!

What are you whispering to yourself? Listen closely. Are you whispering things to yourself that you would never whisper to someone else? Then it’s time to start whispering something new.

Solomon preceded this with these words of affection that seem to come right from our Heavenly Father’s mouth:

My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen to my words. Never let them get away from you. Remember them and keep them in your heart. (vv. 20-21)

God’s Spirit will never, ever, EVER speak cutting, hurtful, unkind, or untrue words to you. God loves you as if you were the only person on earth to love! He loves you so much that He sent His Son to rescue you.

Listen closely because He’s saying it right now, “I love you!”

Yeah, whisper that to yourself instead!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: God's love, Heavenly Father, metacognition, proverbs, self-esteem, self-talk, Solomon. Leave a Comment »

Can You Have Too Much Blessing?

January 7, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I seldom turn on religious TV shows, because when I do I typically hear the same two messages: (1) God wants you to be rich; (2) God wants you to be healthy. I believe God is good all the time, but that doesn’t mean those who follow Him always get wealth and health.

Consider this:

After Rehoboam’s position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all of Israel with him abandoned the law of the Lord.

Notice: When Rehoboam was healthy and wealthy, he abandoned God. When things looked bleak—when the future for Rehoboam was very much in doubt—Rehoboam was “walking in the ways of David and Solomon” (2 Chronicles 11:17). When the Egyptians attacked, Rehoboam and his court officials “humbled themselves before God” (12:6).

Health and wealth derailed Rehoboam, but difficulties kept him close to God.

Maybe a better prayer than “Bless me” would be “Build Your character in me.” Or as it says in Proverbs:

Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown You and say “Who is the Lord?” Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

The prayer that Jesus taught us to pray is perfect: Give us today our daily bread—no more, no less. That keeps me focused on my Heavenly Father.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: 2 Chronicles, blessing, daily bread, difficulties, God's provision, health, Heavenly Father, humility, Lord's Prayer, prayer, proverbs, Rehoboam, trials, wealth. 1 Comment »

Unhappiness Makes Me Happy

December 28, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

I’m not a sadist. Nor am I a pessimist.

But I am a child that is still learning that I cannot always get my way.

We’re getting ready to start 2011 with a week of prayer, and I’m going to open 2011 with a series of Sunday messages on prayer: The Perfect Prayer. But in studying more about prayer, I’m always confronted by this: Why are some prayers unanswered.

As I pondered that today, I thought about saying “No” to my kids. I love my children and I want them to be happy. They love pop (or “soda” for some of you, or “Coke” for others), and would drink it all the time if I said “Yes.”

Saying “Yes” to this beverage choice may make them happy now, but it would make them very unhappy later in life when they developed osteoporosis (from a lack of calcium), or had skin and eye disease (from a lack of vitamin D), or were losing teeth (from too much carbonation), or had developed diabetes (from too much sugar).

Our Heavenly Father sees my future even more clearly than I can see it for my children. He wants me to be blessed, which is why He must say “No” at times. I’m a child who doesn’t know what is best for me.

“Getting all you want would bring incalculable damage and grief to you. Be thankful for unanswered prayer. It may be a sign of God’s favor.” —R.T. Kendall

So as I’m growing in God I can say, “Father, I’m willing to trust you with the ‘No’ now, because I believe you have a better ‘Yes’ for me in the future.”

My temporary unhappiness with unanswered prayer makes me happy because I know God has something better for me. I’m going to keep on asking, seeking, and knocking, but I’m also going to keep on trusting my Heavenly Father for His very best.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: God's love, God's will, happiness, Heavenly Father, prayer, quote, R.T. Kendall. Leave a Comment »

Thursdays With Oswald—Work-In-Progress

November 11, 2010 — 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.

Work-In-Progress

If you are a worker whom God has sent, and have learned to live under His shadow, you will find that scarcely a day goes by without your Father revealing the need of further chastening. If any child of God is free from the goads of God, he is not in the line of the succession of Jesus Christ.

From Approved Unto God

The writer of Hebrews said the same thing…

And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as His children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when He corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.”

It’s true: No pain, no gain. God will continue to work on you and me as His child.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: discipline, Heavenly Father, Hebrews, Jesus Christ, learning, Oswald Chambers, personal growth, punishment. 1 Comment »

There’s A Puppy Curled Up On My Lap

December 21, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

Some of you may know that my puppy Grace came to me on National Be Kind To Craig Owens Day. (What, you didn’t know about that holiday?!?) What a joy she’s brought to our family!

I’m trying to get some work done at home right now, and she insists on curling up on my lap. If I get up to get something from another room, she will follow me into that room. She loves going in the car with me or hanging out with me at my office. There’s no doubt that I’m her human.

So I was thinking today about how Grace just simply wants to be where I am. I sort of think this is what the Bible means when it says, “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, ‘Abba, Father.’”

Do you just want to spend time with God?

Do you simply want to be where He is?

Just to feel close to Him?

To go where He’s going?

And do what He’s doing?

To call Him “Daddy, God”?

Your Heavenly Father is calling you today to come closer to Him. Will you answer that call?

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Abba, abiding, Heavenly Father, intimacy, joy, prayer, puppy, Romans. Leave a Comment »

Mine!

March 3, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

I often joke that the first word infants learn to speak after “mama” and “dada” is “mine!” I usually joke that this is an indication of the sinful, prideful nature that is inherent in all humans.

But what do you think about when God says, “Mine!”?

He does say this, and He says it about you. God says, “You are Mine!” Not only that, but God wants us to say back to Him, “God, You are mine!” David expresses this I-am-God‘s-and-He-is-mine mentality in a great prayer in 2 Samuel 22. Forty-four times in just 51 verses David uses the personal possessive pronoun my.

David is thankful for the reality that God is close to him. He calls God my Rock, my Fortress, my Deliverer, my God, my Shield, my Salvation, my Stronghold, my Refuge, my Savior, my Support, my Lamp.

David says, “I am aware that God hears my voice and my cry, and He sees my distress. He delivers me from my enemies, my foes, my disaster. He rescued me because He delighted in me! Why? Because of my righteousness and the cleanness of my hands.

“God makes my way perfect, He makes my feet like the feet of a deer so that I will not stumble. God trains my hands and strengthens my arms for battle. You stoop down to make me great. You make my adversaries bow at my feet; You make my enemies turn their backs in flight; I destroy my foes. You delivered me from the attacks of my people. You set me free from my enemies; You exalted me above my foes.

“Therefore I will praise You, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name. The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior!”

Why does God want me to say, “Mine!”? Because it‘s only when I know that I am fully His possession that He is fully exalted. God loves to bless me when I acknowledge that “I am Yours and You are mine!”

Right now God is saying to you, “You are Mine!” Have you said “Mine!” to God today?

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: 2 Samuel, blessing, God questions, God's glory, God's help, Heavenly Father, worship. 1 Comment »

My Big Three

February 2, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

three1 Busy. Commute. Busy. Lesson prep. Busy. Kids’ schedules. Very busy. Meetings. Extremely busy. Household chores. Hectic busy. Hospital visits. Running-to-catch-myself busy.

In my busyness, something gets squeezed out of my life very easily. I don’t intend for this to happen, in fact it’s the last thing that should ever get squeezed out, but it does. I can tell when it does. Not right away, but soon it catches up with me and I’m running on vapors. I know that when I take the time to put it back into my life, the busyness doesn’t seem so busy anymore.

What is this power source? Consider the life of Jesus.

No one had more to accomplish in such a short period of time than Jesus. He only had three years to find, equip and launch the men who would take His message to all the world. No small task, and not a minute to lose. Yet instead of seeing Jesus run at the frantic pace I so easily slip into, I see these incredible pauses.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed. (Mark 1:35)

How long did He pray? The Bible doesn’t say, but I suspect He was in prayer with His Heavenly Father until His conversation was concluded. It may have been a while, or it may have been somewhat shorter.

Then all throughout the day, Jesus was never rushed or pushed or running helter-skelter, but He seemed to move at just the right speed. This is because Jesus was taking His cues from His Father all day long:

For I did not speak of My own accord, but the Father who sent Me commanded Me what to say and how to say it. I know that His command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told Me to say. (John 12:49-50)

Sometimes when there were big decisions or momentous occasions facing Him, Jesus would spend an extended time in prayer. For example:

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated apostles. (Luke 6:12-13)

I’m trying to make Jesus’ big three my big three: