Holy Spirit | Craig T. Owens

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A Perspective On Problems

October 5, 2015 — Craig T. Owens

We were blessed to have a special guest speaker yesterday morning: Jeff Hlavin. Wow, what a great word he shared with us! He continued in our series called Aliens and Strangers, on how Christians are to live in this world as citizens of Heaven. Below are a few notes I jotted down.

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. (1 Peter 4:12)

Using this verse as his introduction, Pastor Jeff shared four false ideas about problems:

Problems are bad and are an interruption to our lives.
All problems can be avoided by hard work, careful planning and clear thinking.
Good Christians don’t have problems.
My problems are a result of sin or are a sign of a lack of faith/maturity.

Instead I should see from a biblical perspective that…

…trials refine my faith (1 Peter 1:6-9)
…trials can bring joy (James 1:2-4)
…trials can be a way to gain wisdom (James 1:5)
…trials can bring rewards (James 1:12)
…trials can increase my empathy (1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 1:4-5)
…trials remind me that I need God’s help (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
…trials remove pride form my heart (James 4:6-7)
…trials test my foundation (Matthew 7:24-27)
…trials develop character (2 Corinthians 4:16-17)
…trials teach me obedience (Hebrews 5:8)

“The Holy Spirit is the greatest Change Agent in a Christian’s life. I can only resolve this tension by obedience. … The devil tries to invoke turmoil in my life, but I can overcome this turmoil by submitting to God (James 4:7).” —Jeff Hlavin

“Trials develop spiritual/emotional/mental muscles that we need to have to soar into the place God has for us.” —Jeff Hlavin

If you would like to download a copy of the outline Pastor Jeff handed out to us, click here → Perspective on Problems Outline ←

We will be continuing in our Aliens and Strangers series this Sunday, and I’d love to have you join us. If you’ve missed any messages in this series, you may find the complete list by clicking here.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: 1 Corinthians, 1 Peter, 2 Corinthians, apostle James, Calvary Assembly of God, devil, difficulties, Gospel of Matthew, Hebrews, Holy Spirit, Jeff Hlavin, quotes, sermon, trials. 1 Comment »

Links & Quotes

September 29, 2015 — Craig T. Owens

“True servants of God demand to see for all church ordinances and doctrines the express authority of the church’s only Teacher and Lord. They remember that the Lord Jesus bade the apostles to teach believers to observe all things whatsoever He had commanded them. The Holy Spirit revealed much of precious truth and holy precept by the apostles, and to His teaching we would give earnest heed; but when men cite the authority of fathers, and councils, and bishops, we give place for subjection, no, not for an hour. They may quote Irenaeus or Cyprian, Augustine or Chrysostom; they may remind us of the dogmas of Luther or Calvin; they may find authority in Simeon, or Wesley, or Gill. We will listen to the opinions of these great men with the respect they deserve as men, but having so done, we deny that we have anything to do with these men as authorities in the church of God, for there nothing has authority, but ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts.’” —Charles Spurgeon

“Beyond simply confronting cultural abuse and misuse, Christians must make a conscientious effort to restore culture so that it serves as a means and end to the glory of God by demonstrating the love He intends all people to know. … Principally, as we’ve seen, God intends to bring His glory to light through those He has redeemed and come to indwell by His Spirit. Thus, in every aspect of our lives, and in all our cultural activities, we must be diligent to allow the glory of God to show through in us, so that the love God has for humankind and the world can be plainly seen by all.” —T.M. Moore

Fight The New Drug lists 3 types of pornography viewers, and how pornography affects them. If you are affected by pornography, here is some help.

[VIDEO] J. Warner Wallace talks about the best explanation for moral laws—

“It is true that we must be personally bold and afraid of no man but courageous as we contend for the truth. If we are simply nice, concerned, genuinely curious, attentive, supportive, and affirming, we may win a hearing with suffering people, but we will never lead them to life. Grace means courage and clarity. But it is just as true that our boldness must be brokenhearted boldness, that our courage must be a contrite and lowly courage, and that we must be tender contenders for the truth. If we are brash and harsh and cocky and clever, we may win a hearing with angry and pugnacious people, but we will drive away those who suffer. Paul makes it so clear that we are laid low and given comfort ‘so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God’ (2 Corinthians 1:4). Those we counsel must feel that we are utterly dependent in our lives on the merciful comfort of God to make it through our days.” —John Piper

[VIDEO] The danger of radical Islamism—

A Whole New Revelation

September 21, 2015 — Craig T. Owens

How would you like to have better insight than prophets like David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel or Daniel? How would you like to have a greater revelation of who Jesus is than even in the angels in Heaven? You can!

Peter tells us aliens and strangers how we should live on Earth as citizens of Heaven (1 Peter 1:13-16):

Our minds prepared for action
Self-controlled (another translation says sober)
Fully hopeful of God’s promises
Obedient children
Not conformed to the world’s standards
As holy as God is

If that sounds like a challenging list, it’s because it is a challenging list! But notice an important word that starts verse 13: Therefore. This tells us we must look at what came before the therefore to know how to respond to what comes after the therefore.

In the verses preceding (vv. 10-12) we read about Old Testament prophets and New Testament preachers. But notice the similarities between these two—They both spoke about grace and salvation, and they both spoke with the Holy Spirit’s guidance. The Word of God was inspired by the Holy Spirit, and it is the same Holy Spirit that wants to give you a full revelation of what is in the Word.

The prophets searched carefully, but they never got to see Jesus come to Earth and fulfill the prophesies. The angels in Heaven have seen the story played out, but they don’t know what it is to have received a complete pardon for their sins that would have damned their souls to Hell.

That’s why Spirit-filled Christians who regularly study the Word of God have better insight than the prophets, and greater revelation than the angels!

What about you?

Have you invited Jesus into your heart?
If you have, are you regularly reading your Bible?
If you are, have you allowed God to baptize you in His Holy Spirit?

This combination not only makes you peculiar to Earthlings, it makes you peculiar to prophets and angels too!

If you’ve missed any messages in this series, you may find the complete list by clicking here.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: 1 Peter, angels, baptism, Bible, Calvary Assembly of God, Holy Spirit, prophets, salvation, sermon, video, Vimeo, Word of God. 2 Comments »

Thursdays With Oswald—Quick Snippets

September 17, 2015 — Craig T. Owens

This is a periodic 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.

Quick Snippets

(Normally I share a longer passage from Oswald Chambers, but his book Disciples Indeed contains so many short, power-packed statements, that I wanted to share a few of those with you.)

“If we understood what happens when we use the Word of God, we would use it oftener.”
“Everything the devil does, God over-reaches to serve His own purpose.”
“There is nothing so still and gentle as the checks of the Holy Spirit if they are yielded to, emancipation is the result; but let them be trifled with, and there will come a hardening of the life away from God.”
“My conscience makes me know what I ought to do, but it does not empower me to do it.”
“In the moral realm if you don’t do things quickly you will never do them.”
“Second thoughts on moral matters are always the deflections.”
“The greatest test of Christianity is the wear and tear of daily life, it is like the shining of silver, the more it is rubbed the brighter it grows.”
“We have to do more than we are built to do naturally; we have to do all the Almighty builds us to do.”
“When I began to be satisfied with where I am spiritually, instantly I begin to degenerate.”

Which of these is your favorite?

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Bible, Christianity, conscience, devil, discipleship, Holy Spirit, Oswald Chambers, quotes, Scripture, spiritual warfare. 1 Comment »

A Half Dozen Quotes From C.S. Lewis

September 16, 2015 — Craig T. Owens

Whenever is it not a good day for some quotes from C.S. Lewis?!

“It is when I turn to Christ, when I give myself up to His Personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own.” —C.S. Lewis

“Obedience is the road to freedom, humility the road to pleasure, unity the road to personality.” —C.S. Lewis

“The work of a Beethoven and the work of a charwoman become spiritual on precisely the same condition, that of being offered to God, of being done humbly ‘as to the Lord.’ This does not, of course, mean that it is for anyone a mere toss-up whether he should sweep rooms or compose symphonies. A mole must dig to the glory of God and a cock must crow. We are members of one body, but differentiated members, each with his own vocation.” —C.S. Lewis

“The Resurrection is the central theme in every Christian sermon reported in the Acts. The Resurrection, and its consequences, were the ‘gospel’ or good news which the Christians brought.” —C.S. Lewis

“An ordinary simple Christian kneels down to say his prayers. He is trying to get into touch with God. But if he is a Christian he knows that what is prompting him to pray is also God: God, so to speak, inside him. But he also knows that all his real knowledge of God comes through Christ, the Man who was God—that Christ is standing beside him, helping him to pray, praying for him. You see what is happening. God is the thing to which he is praying—the goal he is trying to reach. God is also the thing inside him which is pushing him on—the motive power. God is also the road or bridge along which he is being pushed to that goal. So that the whole threefold life of the three-personal Being is actually going on in that ordinary little bedroom where an ordinary man is saying his prayers. The man is being caught up into the higher kinds of life—what I called Zoe or spiritual life: he is being pulled into God, by God, while still remaining himself.” —C.S. Lewis

“Christ says ‘Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want you. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. I don’t want to drill the truth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked—the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.’” —C.S. Lewis

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: C.S. Lewis, Christianity, church, God's glory, Holy Spirit, humility, Jesus Christ, Ludwig Van Beethoven, personality, prayer, quotes, resurrection. 1 Comment »

Preach Like John

September 10, 2015 — Craig T. Owens

This is a post for my fellow preachers (but the rest of you are free to listen in as well).

When Jesus says someone is the greatest preacher in history, it gets my full attention. Think about what John didn’t have…

No church building
No platform or pulpit
No worship team
No sound system
No Logos software
No library or study
No commentaries
No PowerPoint or handouts

He only had the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.

His sermons were thoroughly grounded in Scripture (Luke 3:4-6).

His sermons were anointed by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:66).

His message was simple: “Repent from your sins, and produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:3, 8).

His messages prompted people to ask, “What should we do?” and he gave them Spirit-anointed answers (Luke 3:10-14).

His messages “exhorted the people” and brought “the good news to them” (Luke 3:18).

His sermons unashamedly called out sin (Luke 3:19).

And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. (Luke 1:17)

Fellow preachers, may we be of the same spirit in our preaching!

Posted in Pastoring. Tags: Bible, Good News, Gospel of Luke, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, pastors, preaching, Scripture, sermon, sin. Leave a Comment »

Reconnecting the Disconnection

September 7, 2015 — Craig T. Owens

There is a disconnection problem in the United States of America. Consider this:

John Adams, one of our nation’s founding fathers said, “The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity.”
Every president from George Washington to Barak Obama has invoked the name of God in his inaugural address.
96% of Americans say they believe in God.
80% of Americans call themselves Christians.

And yet:

Our grade schools make no mention of “God”, some even to the point of not reciting the pledge of allegiance.
Higher education is openly antagonistic toward God and Christians.
The entertainment industry normalizes lifestyles that are openly unbiblical.
Even our US government has done things like legalizing murder in the form of abortion, and sanctioning homosexuality by calling their unions “marriage.”

The Bible calls Christians “aliens and strangers in the world.” Perhaps the term “aliens” is not so much for what we say we believe, but how we live what we believe.

So Peter opens his letter to “strangers in the world” by telling Christians how to live in a way that can reconnect this disconnection.

Humble—because we sinners have been chosen (v. 2a) to become citizens of Heaven.
Confident—because of the foreknowledge of God the Father (v. 2b) that can never be thwarted.
Teachable—because the process of the sanctifying work of the Spirit and obedience to Jesus Christ (v. 2c) requires us to be humbly-confident, teachable servants.
Graceful and peaceful (v. 2d)—because what we believe about God’s invitation to come to Him, Christ’s payment that makes that possible, and the Holy Spirit’s sanctification should be lived out in graceful and peaceful lives.

Would your Earthling family members say you are graceful and peaceful?

Would your Earthling coworkers say you promote grace and peace on the job?

Would your Earthling neighbors say you make the neighborhood graceful and peaceful?

Would the Earthling business owners you frequent say your gracefulness and peacefulness is more evident than in the citizens of Earth?

Search me, God, and know my heart test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is ANY offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24).

If you’ve missed any messages in this series, you may find the complete list by clicking here.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: 1 Peter, Calvary Assembly of God, Christian, Christianity, confidence, education, Founding Fathers, grace, Heaven, Holy Spirit, humility, Jesus Christ, John Adams, peace, Periscope, quotes, sanctification, teachability, video, Vimeo. 1 Comment »

Links & Quotes

September 2, 2015 — Craig T. Owens

“Stress is believing you can do more than your human frame can take.” —Dr. Archibald Hart

“In short, the blessing of Christ means having a life that is pleasing to the Lord. It’s an inner knowing from the Holy Ghost that as God looks on your life, He says, ‘I’m pleased with you, My son, My daughter. There is nothing between us to hinder our communion and relationship.’” —David Wilkerson

Cold-case detective J. Warner Wallace talks about inculpatory and exculpatory evidence in terms of God’s existence. It is quite fascinating.

Even if it is a scientific journal, don’t trust everything you read. This study shows that over half of psychological studies cannot be reproduced.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: apologetic, David Wilkerson, Dr. Archibald Hart, Holy Spirit, J. Warner Wallace, psychology, quotes, relationship, science, scientific method, stress. Leave a Comment »

Links & Quotes

August 26, 2015 — Craig T. Owens

“It has pleased God to give each one of us the same amount of time each day, week, month, and year. Time is a gift of God, and He expects us to use it wisely, in ways that overcome the foolishness of living apart from God and glorify Him in all the details of our lives (Psalm 90:12; Ephesians 5:15-17; 1 Corinthians 10:31). … The challenge of the spiritual life is to claim all our time and construct all our activities in order to pursue what we desire as the life of following Jesus. Anything that doesn’t contribute to that objective distracts from it. … What do the time and activities of your life reveal about what you desire in life and what you’re depending on to give your life purpose and joy?” —T.M. Moore

If you haven’t checked out The Bible Project videos lately, please visit their YouTube channel. They have some really cool stuff that give you an overview of a book of the Bible, and some of the major themes in the Bible. Each video is only 5-7 minutes long, but there is a ton of good insight packed into that time.

“If God did not love us unconditionally, He would not penetrate our unattractive lives, bring us to faith, unite us to Christ, give us His Spirit, and make us progressively like Jesus.” —John Piper

“The Word of God is an expansive Word; ever widening its dimensions; growing upon us; never old, ever new; in which we make continual discoveries; the same tree, but ever putting forth new branches and leaves; the same river, but ever swelling and widening; losing none of its old water, yet ever receiving accessions.” —Horatius Bonar

Planned Parenthood’s love/hate relationship with science.

The Federalist shares 10 reasons it makes zero sense to support abortion.

Parents & teachers, check out what Tim Elmore says we often forget when we are helping our students solve problems.

How To End The Sin Of __________

August 19, 2015 — Craig T. Owens

Charles Spurgeon was addressing drunkenness in this passage, but what would happen if you filled in sin you are most prone to commit in these blanks…

“You cannot wipe out all the national iniquity, but if each man reformed himself of __________, by God’s grace, this great evil would cease. … Have you heard ringing in your ears the precept, ‘Be ye holy, for I am holy’? Has the Holy Spirit by His mighty grace kept you from indulging in __________? Have you in any way fallen into lightness of talk and thought, and so helped to increase the flood of __________? … Let us bow our heads in penitence, and seek the God of all grace.”

Heavenly Father, may I be more sensitive to the sin in my life than I am aware of the sin in the world. Amen.