The Daily Transformation And Testimony

July 1, 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.  

Recently, I read two wise authors who spoke the same message to my heart on the same day. 

C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity wrote—

     “And now we begin to see what it is that the New Testament is always talking about. It talks about Christians ‘being born again’; it talks about them ‘putting on Christ’; about Christ ‘being formed in us’; about our coming to ‘have the mind of Christ.’ 

    “Put right out of your head the idea that these are only fancy ways of saying that Christians are to read what Christ said and try to carry it out—as a man may read what Plato or Marx said and try to carry it out. They mean something much more than that. They mean that a real Person, Christ, here and now, in that very room where you are saying your prayers, is doing things to you. It is not a question of a good man who died two thousand years ago. It is a living Man, still as much a man as you, and still as much God as He was when He created the world, really coming and interfering with your very self; killing the old natural self in you and replacing it with the kind of self He has. At first, only for moments. Then for longer periods. Finally, if all goes well, turning you permanently into a different sort of thing; into a new little Christ, a being which, in its own small way, has the same kind of life as God; which shares in His power, joy, knowledge and eternity.”

And Andrew Murray wrote in The Inner Life—

    “It is not the interest or success of my Bible study. It is not the increased insight or understanding I am obtaining that brings health and growth to my spiritual life. Rather, this often leaves me very unspiritual with little of the holiness or humility of Christ Jesus. Something else is necessary in order for spiritual growth to take place. 

    “Jesus said: ‘…My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me…’ (John 4:34). We must take a small portion of God’s Word, some definite command or duty of the new life, and quietly receive it into our will and our heart. We must yield our whole being to its rule and vow in the power of the Lord Jesus to perform it. Then, we must go and do it—this is eating the Word. We take it into our inmost being until it becomes part of our very life.” 

Praying a prayer in which I ask God to forgive me of my sins because I believe what Jesus did for me on the Cross is the first step into a new life. 

But, tragically, many people stop there. 

They believe praying this prayer was both the means and the end. They think that now they have secured their place in heaven and they can simply resume their daily routine—with the exception of adding in some church attendance during their weekend—until “the end.” 

They expect that this end will be a very long way off, and it will come to them peacefully, only after they have lived a full and pain-free life. In short, they love the idea of Jesus as their Savior, but they very much want to remain the lord and master of their own life. So they will express their gratitude to God when things are going as they have planned, and they will sulk and angrily, tearfully implore His help in prayer when their plans have gotten off track. 

Jesus cannot be merely our Savior—He must be our Lord and Master as well. 

The Holy Spirit wants to transform our lives. The Bible calls this process sanctification, but I like to call it saint-ification. This is the daily and ongoing process to bring increasingly more Christ-likeness to us. This is not a replacing of our personality, but a revealing of our real selves as God intended. 

Our lives are to grow, expand, and glow with the presence of Christ in us. We are to become more and more satisfied in God as the Holy Spirit conforms us into the image of Christ. Our eternal abiding in God’s presence is to begin the moment we invite Him into our heart—and then continue uninterrupted even after we take our last breath on earth. 

As our lives are transformed, we become living, breathing testimonies to others of the life-changing power of God’s love in us and through us. 

Our daily transformation becomes our daily testimony. What joy and fulfillment there is in allowing this to happen! 

Knowing Jesus as your Savior is amazing, but don’t miss out on the best part of all: Knowing Jesus as your Lord, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform you, and becoming a living testimony of God’s love! 

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Links & Quotes

June 20, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

When Queen Esther went into the king’s throne room, she was unsure if the king’s favor would be extended toward her. But because of what Jesus did for us on the Cross, we can be assured that God’s favor is extended toward us before we even approach His throne. 

I have a lot of new video content on my YouTube channel every week. Please check it out and subscribe so you don’t miss anything.

“Christian, there is a terrible danger to which you stand exposed in your inner chamber of prayer. You are in danger of substituting prayer and Bible study for living fellowship with God. … Your Bible study may so interest you that the very Word of God may become a substitute for God Himself. The greatest hindrance to fellowship is anything that keeps the soul occupied instead of leading it to God Himself. … Separation from others, in solitude with God—this is the sure, the only way to live in harmony with people in the power of God’s blessing.” —Andrew Murray 

John Stonestreet writes, “In light of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, much ink is being spilled over the document’s significance…[and] one way to understand the Declaration is through the lens of science.”

“If we are slandered and evil spoken of, let us not be quick to reply, or to grow angry. Let us be slow—very slow—to wrath; it will be our wisdom, for no good comes of human wrath.” —Charles Spurgeon 

“A Christian society is not going to arrive until most of us really want it: and we are not going to want it until we become fully Christian. I may repeat ‘Do as you would be done by’ till I am black in the face, but I cannot really carry it out till I love my neighbor as myself: and I cannot learn to love my neighbor as myself till I learn to love God: and I cannot learn to love God except by learning to obey Him.” —C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity 

In looking at 1 Corinthians 7:2–5, Tilly Dillehay writes, “Paul does not deal here with sex as procreation—though we know from the whole testimony of Scripture that sex and procreation are blessedly intertwined. Instead, this passage highlights other purposes of sex.” Here are three biblical ways to view marital sexual activity.

J. Warner Wallace notes, “Yes, Matthew emphasizes things Luke doesn’t. John includes moments Mark skips. But that’s exactly what you’d expect if independent witnesses were describing the most significant events in human history. If the Gospel writers had colluded to fabricate a story, the accounts would have matched perfectly—and then I’d be suspicious. But they didn’t.”

T.M. Moore writes, “The power of God’s Kingdom is His Holy Spirit. The Spirit Who brooded over the entire creation. The Spirit Who roams and pervades the world. The Spirit Who inspired the prophets, raised Jesus from the dead, birthed the Church on the first Christian Pentecost, gave words to the apostles, and has given us a new heart and resides within our soul, that Spirit, that Light and Power, is at work within us, that we should be willing and able to do that which leads to the pleasure of God (Philippians 2:12-13).” Check out his post Plug Into the Power. 

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Empowered Understanding And Application

June 15, 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. 

The baptism in the Holy Spirit brings an empowerment that nothing else can—You will receive POWER to be My witnesses (Acts 1:8). 

I remember sitting with a group of leaders who were discussing personnel issues that was slowly becoming nothing more than a gripe session. I shared a story from the Book of Acts about some disagreements between some saints, and then made an application that caused all of these leaders to look at me in wonder. One said, “I had no idea that was in the Bible,” and another added, “I knew that story was there, but I never thought of applying that to this situation.” That wasn’t me, but the Holy Spirit who opened up His Word to that situation. 

My friend Greg and I are writing a series of books for the business community called Business by the Book, where we are applying biblical insights to every “box” of a typical corporate flowchart. People who have already reviewed sections of our book are having a similar response: “I had no idea these examples and applications were there!” 

We are surrounded by messages right now—messages we cannot hear. There are some persuasive arguments, some angry rants, some happy tunes, and some special sporting events. But we cannot tune into those messages with having a radio receiver set to the precise frequency. The Holy Spirit does the same thing for Christians. 

Check out David talking about the speech of Creation in Psalm 19:1-4. 

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

Jesus used Creation too—telling us to look at the birds and flowers (Matthew 6:26, 28) or to consider the farmer sowing seeds (Matthew 13:3-9). 

In Romans, Paul tells us that Creation is enough (1:19-20) but that God also gave us His Law (2:12) and a conscience (2:15). When men rejected these things, God sent prophets and then His One and Only Son. 

Those without the Holy Spirit are deaf to this speech, unable to understand it nor apply it to their lives, as Jesus goes on to tell His audience in Matthew 13:10-12. 

We have already talked about the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Truth (John 16:7-15), but notice that one of the first things He does is convict us of sin (v. 8). Without this conviction, we are unable to repent of the things which are keeping us spiritual blind and deaf (Ezekiel 12:1-2). 

Oswald Chambers noted, “Spiritual insight is in accordance with the development of heart purity.” How true! And that’s exactly what Jesus went on to say in Matthew 13:13-15. Paul echoes this—

But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. (1 Corinthians 2:14 NLT). 

One of the prophecies about Jesus included His reliance on the Holy Spirit—not His natural mind—to discern what God was doing and how Jesus would fulfill Scripture (Isaiah 11:1-5). 

This Spirit-empowered insight was anticipated by Solomon: If you will turn (repent) and give heed to My reproof, behold, I Wisdom will pour out My Spirit upon you, I will make My words known to you. (Proverbs 1:23 AMPC) 

We can then know the sayings of the wise and be able to understand and apply these truths (Proverbs 24:23, 32). See how Peter did this in Acts 10:17, 28. 

Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is the man who finds skillful and godly Wisdom, and the man who gets understanding—drawing it forth from God’s Word and life’s experiences. (Proverbs 3:13 AMPC) 

The Spirit-baptized Christian is empowered to understand God’s speech through His Word, His Creation, and their life experiences, and then to make Christ-honoring applications of that understanding! 

Why would we settle for anything less than this?! So don’t stop at salvation, but press on to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. 

If you’ve missed any messages in this series about the power of Pentecost, you can find the full catalog 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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Our Joyful Duty

June 8, 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. 

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Choose work you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”? I’m not sure that is totally accurate. Work that is meaningful and fulfilling will be draining, hard work. We see Jesus taking time away from His work to be replenished from the activities that drained Him. 

Instead, I think we need to find joy in our work. That joy comes from knowing why we are working. If we know the answer to the question, “Why do I do what I do, even if what I do is hard and demanding work” (and we can stay focused on that), then I think there is a joy that makes our duty a delight. 

Jesus knew His duty from the very beginning. We see this in the story Luke shares with us about 12-year-old Jesus visiting Jerusalem (Luke 2:41-50). The phrase “I had to be in My Father’s house” (NIV) is rendered “must be” (NLT, KJV), and “I had to be here dealing with the things of My Father” (MSG). And I think the AMPC version is especially telling: Did you not see and know that it is necessary as a duty for Me to be in My Father’s house and occupied about My Father’s business? 

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

Jesus came to Jerusalem every year for the festivals of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits (see Leviticus 23:4-6, 9-14). Now at “twelve years old” He has had His bar mitzvah and is considered a Man in the eyes of the Jewish community. Eighteen years later, we see Jesus still focused on this same duty (Luke 3:23, 9:18-22). 

Jesus found delight and fulfillment in doing His duty (Luke 10:21; John 4:31-34). 

Jesus calls His followers to this same food that sustained Him (John 4:35-38). He calls this “hard work” that allows us to “be glad together.” Our joy is the joy of Jesus. Notice in Luke 10:21 that His joy was because His followers found joy in doing their duty for Him (Luke 10:1-3, 17). 

Don’t look for the wages or your reward here, but do your duty joyfully in expectation of future and eternal rewards (Luke 17:7-10; John 3:27-30).  

Let’s go back to 12-year-old Jesus in the temple. He was there during three Old Testament feasts that all pointed to Him and were fulfilled in Him: 

  • Passover (Abib 14)—the day Jesus was crucified 
  • Unleavened Bread (Abib 15-21)—when Jesus was in the grave 
  • Firstfruits (Abib 16)—the day Jesus was resurrected (see James 1:18) 
  • Pentecost (50 days after Firstfruits)

Twenty-one years after this story in Luke 2, in the very same place where Jesus is interacting with these religious leaders, the followers of Jesus would be baptized in the Holy Spirit! He is the One Who makes our duty a delight. 

We get a foreshadowing of the joy in the Holy Spirit in Luke 1:41-44 when just a greeting from Mary—who was pregnant with Jesus by the Holy Spirit—causes the baby in Elizabeth’s womb to leap with joy in the Holy Spirit. We, too, live in joy when the Spirit is actively at work in us (John 15:11; Romans 5:3-5). The Spirit reminds us of the rewards for our joyful duty (Matthew 25:34; Luke 12:35-37). 

You can stick with your have-to-do duties if you have a get-to-do attitude that comes from the joy the Holy Spirit gives. 

Which is why Jesus prays for our joy to be complete, and Paul prays, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). 

Check out all of the messages in this series about the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives 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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Power To Defeat Temptation

June 1, 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. 

The first temptation of mankind was to doubt the God was good and that He was trustworthy. That’s why satan tempted Adam and Eve by saying they could become “like God.” Every Christian faces temptation, and one of the biggest is still satan’s same strategy: to try to get us to handle things on our own. 

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is to help us realize that we cannot rely on ourselves, but we must rely totally on His power. 

David Wilkerson said, “This is an ongoing problem with many Christians. We look to the Holy Spirit as some kind of booster shot to empower or energize our human will. We expect Him to build up our supply of grit and determination, so we can stand up to temptation the next time it comes. We cry, ‘Make me strong, Lord! Give me an iron will, so I can withstand all sin.’ But God knows this would only make our flesh stronger, enabling it to boast.”  

Overcoming temptation is not about willpower but Spirit-power. Paul said this in 2 Corinthians 12:9.  

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

Being tempted to sin is not a sign that God has abandoned me or that I am living apart from Him. Jesus was perfect and yet we are told He was tempted in every way (Hebrews 4:15). So we can easily determine that temptation is not a sin because Jesus was tempted (Luke 4:3-13). This story is told in all three synoptic Gospels (Matthew 4:1-10; Mark 1:13). 

Look at what preceded this temptation: Jesus was baptized in the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-12; Luke 3:21-22, 4:1-2). The Spirit was the One Who led Jesus into the wilderness specifically to face temptation. 

Temptation comes the the Latin word meaning “to stretch.” Oswald Chambers noted, “Every temptation of satan is perfectly wise. The wisest, shrewdest, subtlest things are said by satan, and they are accepted by everybody as the acme of human philosophy; but when the Spirit of God is at work in a man, instantly the hollow mockery at the heart of what satan is trying to do, is seen. When we understand the inwardness of the temptation we see how satan’s strategy is turned into confusion by the Spirit of God.” 

Temptation is not a sin, but a stretching. It is a call for us to give up our willpower and trust the Spirit’s power. 

When Jesus came to earth, He gave up His rightful prerogatives as God. The stretching test here was this: Would He continue to rely on the Spirit’s power or would He try to reclaim the power He surrendered? 

It’s the same question for us when we are tempted: Will we take matters into our own hands, or will we leave ourselves in the Spirit’s hands? In one paragraph, James tells us both the blessing of overcoming temptation and where temptations originate—

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him. When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone, but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1:12-15) 

The Spirit shows us the way to have the mind of Christ in overcoming temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). 

Just before Jesus was tempted, we see the help that is promised to all of us through the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:15-16). 

There are some things we will learn about ourselves in a time of temptation that we cannot learn in any other way. Being baptized in the Holy Spirit is about empowerment, but it is really the power to submit—full and unconditional surrender to the only One who can bring me safely through (Hebrews 4:15; 5:7-9; 2:17-18). 

As we talked about last week, the Spirit of Truth gives us the mind of Christ (John 16:13, 15; 1 Corinthians 2:16). 

We, just like Jesus, can be victorious over these temptations by doing what Jesus did. (1) He was fully submitted to His Heavenly Father, (2) He was sensitive to go where the Holy Spirit led Him, and (3) He uncovered the shrewd and subtle arguments of satan by using the Word of God. 

Instead of saying, “I gave in to temptation,” we can say, “I gave in to the Holy Spirit, Who helped me defeat temptation!” 

Check out all of the other messages in our series We Are: Pentecostal 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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Extraordinary Insight

May 26, 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. 

Last week we said that Spirit-baptized Christians should live in the normalcy of extraordinary power! Our normative should be extraordinary because we have the Holy Spirit in us (John 14:16-17). One bad habit that keeps us from extraordinary living is that we frequently seek counsel from flawed sources—like fellow humans—when Jesus intends for the Holy Spirit to give us extraordinary insight (John 16:12-19). 

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

I work with middle schoolers every day. I love them but they can be frustrating at times. They are at the age where you would expect to see some maturing, but sometimes I have to ask them, “How old are you?” I think you can hear this loving frustration in Paul’s tone in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4. He refers to their spiritual immaturity as worldly (3x), calling them mere infants and mere humans (2x). 

This immaturity means they are missing out on deeper truths (you were not yet ready for it … still not ready), which reveals itself in their jealousy and quarreling, and factions. 

The phrase “mere humans” tells us that there is a lifestyle that is deeper. Which Paul outlines in 2:11-16. When he says some are “without the Spirit” (v. 14), he uses a Greek word that means the animal life which humans have in common with the brutes. That’s why some Bible translate this word “natural man” (NKJV). In other words, people living by reactions without forethought or insight. 

This word for “mere Humans” or “natural man” occurs two other times in the New Testament, and it is a very sad picture (James 3:15; Jude 19)! 

By contrast, Paul says that those who rely on the Holy Spirit have spiritual discernment (v. 14) to make good judgments (v. 15). Both of these English words are the same Greek word which is probably best translated as Spirit-breathed insight. 

Why does the Holy Spirit give us this deeper insight? So that we may have the mind of Christ (2:16). The psalmist echos this longing: I am Your servant; give me understanding (discernment and comprehension), that I may know—discern and be familiar with the character of—Your testimonies (Psalm 119:125 AMPC). 

This psalmist knew the power of God’s Word to help us to continue to mature in our walk with our Savior. Especially in the section in Psalm 119:97-104, we read that this Spirit-breathed insight gives us an advantage over our enemies, our teachers, and even our elders. 

Solomon picks up this same theme. Notice his “if…then” connections in Proverbs 2:1-6 as he talks about the immense value of the divine insight the Holy Spirit gives us. 

Guillermo Maldonado said, “God never intended for us to walk aimlessly, trying to please Him without guidance or direction. Instead, He sent us the Holy Spirit and equipped us with the ability to hear, feel, intuit, and discern His atmosphere.”  

Remember what Jesus said in John 16:12-15. In short: the Holy Spirit gives us the mind of Christ. With His mind we have discernment into how to apply the Scripture to our life, which will give us extraordinary insight. With this insight, our lives will be transformed and we will be His witnesses, drawing others to Jesus. 

Let’s make this our prayer—

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11) 

Check out all of the other messages in our series about what it means to be a Pentecostal Christian. 

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

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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.

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

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We Are: Pentecostal

May 12, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Pentecost for over 1500 years was a celebration in Jerusalem that brought in Jews from all over the world. But on the Day of Pentecost which came just ten days after Jesus ascended back into heaven, the meaning of Pentecost was forever changed!

Followers of Jesus—now empowered by an infilling of the Holy Spirit—began to take the good news of Jesus all over the world. These Spirit-filled Christians preached the Gospel and won converts to Christ even among hostile crowds, performed miracles and wonders, stood up to pagan priests and persecuting governmental leaders, and established a whole new way of living as Christ-followers.

We, too, can be Pentecostal followers of Jesus Christ today. We can experience an anointing and an empowering in our lives that turns ordinary Christianity into extraordinary Christianity!

Please join me this Sunday at Calvary Assembly of God as we rejoin this series. You can check out what I taught in this series in 2025 by clicking here.

This year we covered:

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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. 

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When I Am Fully Me

April 29, 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. 

Over the course of 10 verses in the second chapter of the Book of Philippians, Paul uses the personal pronoun “I” eleven times! (see Philippians 2:19-28). This is an important autobiographical part of Paul’s letter, but it also shows us the intimacy of this godly man’s relationship with both Jesus and with the saints at Philippi. 

We also see that becoming a Christian doesn’t mean our unique personality gets toned down to be like every other Christian’s personality. In actuality, I become more me when I am in Jesus and when I am allowing the Holy Spirit to actively work in my life. At the moment of conception, the breath of God created a unique combination that makes me me. Then through the process of sanctification, my me becomes more of the me God created. 

Look at these “I” statements in Philippians 2:

  • Paul has plans—I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon … I hope to send him to you as soon as I see how things go with me (vv. 19, 23) 
  • Paul has aspirations—I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon (v. 24) 
  • Paul has a mind—I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus (v. 25) 
  • Paul has emotions—I am all the more eager (v. 28) 

Intermingled with Paul’s personal pronouns are six explicit references to his Savior and God. All Paul’s aspirations, plans, friendships, and work were channeled through his intense desire for both himself and these saints to stand together around the throne of God (2:16-18; 1: 3-8). 

So it should be for us too. I am most me when I am allowing the Holy Spirit to direct my plans, thoughts, emotions, words, and actions in a way that exalts Jesus. 

My unique personality shines brightest and I feel the most alive when I am abiding in Jesus and submitting to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit

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