A Warning To Shepherds

May 12, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

If you are a pastor, God sees you as a shepherd (see John 21:15-17; 1 Peter 5:1-4).

If you are a shepherd, there is a heavy responsibility on you to lovingly, attentively care for God’s precious sheep. We cannot shirk this responsibility for even a moment.

God loves His sheep so much that He gave His sheep YOU!

God loves His sheep so much that He will remove you, if He has to.

Consider this:

“What sorrow awaits the leaders of My people—the shepherds of My sheep—for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for,” says the Lord. Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to these shepherds: “Instead of caring for My flock and leading them to safety, you have deserted them and driven them to destruction. Now I will pour out judgment on you for the evil you have done to them. …Then I will appoint responsible shepherds who will care for them, and they will never be afraid again. Not a single one will be lost or missing. I, the Lord have spoken!” (Jeremiah 23:1, 2, 4)

This is a HEAVY word, and should not be taken lightly.

Pastor, never assume you are leading God’s sheep in the right paths. Ask the Holy Spirit to tell you if you are leading God’s sheep in the right paths!

UPDATE: This post was one of the seed thoughts that went into fashioning my book Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter.

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Thursdays With Oswald—Intercessory Prayer

January 12, 2012 — 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.

Intercessory Prayer

     You cannot truly intercede through prayer if you do not believe in the reality of redemption. Instead, you will simply be turning intercession into useless sympathy for others, which will serve only to increase the contentment they have for remaining out of touch with God. True intercession involves bringing the person, or the circumstance that seems to be crashing in on you, before God, until you are changed by His attitude toward that person or circumstance. Intercession means to ‘fill up . . . [with] what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ’ (Colossians 1:24), and this is precisely why there are so few intercessors. People describe intercession by saying, ‘It is putting yourself in someone else’s place.’ That is not true! Intercession is putting yourself in God’s place; it is having His mind and His perspective.

From My Utmost For His Highest

How arrogant on my part to tell God what He needs to do for me or for someone else!

Instead I need to pray that my eyes of faith will be open. I want to have faith to believe that God knows the plans He has for me (Jeremiah 29:11), and that He is working all things together for the good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

Intercessory prayer is hard work. But the rewards are so worth it!

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My Newest Assignment

December 5, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I truly believe that God directs our steps. I like Jeremiah’s prayer:

I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. (Jeremiah 10:23)

I also believe that God gives us talents and strengths, and then puts us in settings where we can use those strengths to glorify Him. Moving to Cedar Springs was truly a God-directed step for my family, and doing so has put us in so many settings where we can all use our talents.

My latest opportunity to use my God-given strengths is as the interim director of the En Gedi Youth Center. This is an outstanding program that provides a safe and constructive environment for students after school. In just a couple of weeks in this new assignment, I’ve already met so many new people and I’ve seen so much more potential. I cannot wait to see what will happen next!

The Cedar Springs Post has an article in this week’s edition about my new temporary assignment (read the full article here). I love this forward-looking quote from the En Gedi Board chair Sue Wolfe:

“Craig is a wonderful gift to En Gedi, our students, and community. He is already involved with many local organizations. The transition from Tom [the first director and current Board member] to Craig has gone well and the board is enthusiastically moving forward in securing a permanent Executive Director,” said Wolfe. “En Gedi is ready to take a leap of faith into the next phase of organization’s goal to open a youth center room in the high school and middle school. We see the need and believe we should now move forward in expanding programs, services, and special events to our community’s youth and families.”

I’m thrilled to be a part of this leap of faith that En Gedi is about to take!

UPDATE: My assignment as “interim” director of this ministry turned into a 10-year-long ministry position!

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Uh Oh! God’s Calling Me

July 12, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

Back in the pre-cell phone days, my parents had to develop another system to communicate with me. Many times it was simply an agreement before I left the house like, “Be home at 6 o’clock for dinner.” Or maybe something like, “Come inside when the streetlight turns on.”

I was usually pretty good about following through on this. But occasionally I would get so caught up in what I was doing with my friends that time just sort of got away from me. That’s when I would hear the distinct voice of my Mom calling me. Not on the phone, but with her hands cupped to her mouth, yelling, “Craaaiiig! Time to come home!”

If she was calling me, that meant I missed the deadline. I wasn’t where I was supposed to be.

Uh oh!

I spoke to them, but they did not listen; I called to them, but they did not answer. (Jeremiah 35:17)

God spoke to His people at first because they were close to Him. But then He had to call to them because they had gotten farther away from Him.

If God is calling me, perhaps it’s because I’ve gotten too far away. Maybe not on purpose. Maybe I just got caught up in what I was doing. Maybe I allowed something else to capture my attention.

I don’t want God to have to call me. I don’t even want to be close enough that He has to speak to me. I want to be so close to Him that just His whisper gets my undivided attention.

What about you: How close do you want to be?

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Leadership Is & Isn’t

July 6, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

“Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar? … [Your father] defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know Me?” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 22:15-16)

Leadership has both an IS and ISN’T component.

Leadership isn’t about me.
Leadership isn’t about getting comfortable.
Leadership isn’t about getting.
Leadership isn’t about a title or perks.
 
Leadership is about others.
Leadership is about being uncomfortable with the discomfort of others.
Leadership is about giving.
Leadership is about serving.

True leaders know God and show God to others.

UPDATE: So many of these thoughts were the seed thoughts for topics I elaborate on in my book Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter.

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The Pastor And The Holy Spirit

June 28, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I’m sure I’m not the only pastor that feels occasionally (all right: frequently) overwhelmed by the heavy responsibility of sharing God’s Word with others. After all, the Apostle James said it pretty clearly: Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly (James 3:1).

“Judged more strictly”? Yikes!

But I take great consolation in knowing that if God called me, He will equip me. Just as He did with Jeremiah—The Lord reached out His hand, then He touched my mouth and said, “I am giving you the words to say” (Jeremiah 1:8)—I know He will do for me.

I also draw great confidence in knowing the Holy Spirit is helping me. Check out these words from Francois Fénelon:

“Of what efficacy would be the exterior word of pastors, or even the Scriptures themselves, if we had not within the word of the Holy Spirit giving to others all their vitality? The outward word, even of the Gospel, without the fecundating, vivifying, interior word would be but an empty sound. It is the letter that alone kills (2 Corinthians 3:6), and the Spirit alone can give us life.”

Then A.B. Simpson shares this encouraging story of the Holy Spirit’s help:

“They that possess this power will not always be popular preachers, but they will always be effectual workers. Sometimes the hearer will almost think that they are personal, and that someone has disclosed to them his secret sins. Speaking of such a sermon, one of our most honored evangelists said that he felt so indignant with the preacher under whom he was converted that he waited for some time near the door for the purpose of giving him a trashing for daring to expose him in the way he had done, thinking that someone had informed on him. Let us covet this power. It is the very stamp and seal of the Holy Spirit on a faithful minister.”

YES! I do covet this power of the Holy Spirit in my life. Without His help, I would be fearful to ever open my mouth to speak to others about the things of God.

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(Dis)Approval

June 21, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

Have you ever been doing or saying something, and then “the look” on someone’s face caused you to stop or change what you were saying/doing? We often look to certain people for their (dis)approval to gauge how we’re doing.

But what if we’re looking at the wrong faces?

God called Jeremiah to be a prophet while he was still fairly young. So when this young man starts saying, “This is what God says,” can you imagine the looks he’s going to get?!

So right out of the gate, God says two things to Jeremiah: Do not be afraid of them … Do not be terrified by them (Jeremiah 1:8, 17). I like how the King James Version renders these verses: Do not be afraid of their faces … Do not be dismayed by their faces.

  • Afraid means to look at faces for approval.
  • Dismayed or terrified means to look at faces for disapproval.

But people’s faces aren’t the faces Jeremiah—or you or I—should be looking at. The only face that matters is God’s! Look how many “I” statements God makes about Himself in this chapter:

  • I formed you (v. 5a)
  • I knew you in advance (v. 5b)
  • I set you apart (v. 5c)
  • I appointed you (v. 5d, 10)
  • I am sending you (v. 7a)
  • I give you the words to say (v. 7b, 17)
  • I am with you (v. 8a, 19a)
  • I will rescue you (v. 8b, 19b)
  • I will put my words in your mouth (v. 9)
  • I am watching over you (v. 12)
  • I am making you strong (v. 18)

The faces of people are not how you and I should gauge (dis)approval.

How sad to look at other faces for approval, only to hear God say, “Depart from Me. I never knew you!”

How liberating to know that even though other faces may disapprove me, I can still hear my Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Whose face are you looking at today?

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Leadership Tension

June 7, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

Along time ago I was studying the virtues that the Greek philosophers taught. To the Greeks, the virtue was considered the “golden mean” between two opposite extremes. It was the ability to balance the tensions that produced the virtue.

In areas where I have leadership responsibilities, I try to find the virtue of leadership as the balance between these two tensions:

  • Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. (1 Timothy 3:1)
  • Should you then seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them. (Jeremiah 45:5)

On the one side: desire leadership. On the other side: don’t desire leadership. Do your best at it, but be ready to give it up.

I love this statement on leadership from John Maxwell—

Leadership is the willingness to put oneself at risk.
Leadership is the passion to make a difference with others.
Leadership is being dissatisfied with the current reality.
Leadership is taking responsibility while others are making excuses.
Leadership is seeing the possibilities while others are seeing the limitations.
Leadership is the readiness to stand out in a crowd.
Leadership is an open mind and an open heart.
Leadership is the ability to submerge your ego for the sake of what is best.
Leadership is evoking in other the capacity to dream.
Leadership is inspiring others with a vision of what they can contribute.
Leadership is the power of one harnessing the power of many.
Leadership is your heart speaking to the hearts of others.
Leadership is the integration of heart, head, and soul.
Leadership is the capacity to care, and in caring, to liberate the ideas, energy and capacity of others.
Leadership is the dream made reality.
Leadership is, above all, courageous.

I am trying to balance the pulls of leadership, but while I do I’m loving the leadership tension!

UPDATE: This idea of leadership tension became one of the key seed thoughts for my book Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter. 

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God Summons You

May 19, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I needed this today. Maybe you do too.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. (Jeremiah 1:5)

I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. (Isaiah 45:3)

God, I know You have summoned me. You created me to bring You glory. You created me to be a part of Your story. And so I respond,

“Here I am, my King. Use me today as You will.”

You, my friend, have also been set apart by God and summoned by Him. How will you respond?

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Take It Up A Notch

November 12, 2010 — 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.

King Josiah is widely regarded as one of the greatest reformers of Judah. He led a revival in Israel that led to the people cleaning out their idols and worshipping God in ways that hadn’t been seen since the time of King David.

This whole revival started with a Book. Not just any book, but the Book of the Law (the Bible).

When the king heard what was written in the book, God’s Revelation, he ripped his robes in dismay. And then he called for Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the royal secretary, and Asaiah the king’s personal aide. He ordered them all: “Go and pray to God for me and for this people—for all Judah! Find out what we must do in response to what is written in this Book that has just been found! God’s anger must be burning furiously against us—our ancestors haven’t obeyed a thing written in this book, followed none of the instructions directed to us.”

Josiah’s leadership was already stellar. The Bible describes Josiah this way: “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.” But 18 years into his reign as king, the Scriptures were rediscovered and his leadership went up a notch.

Reading the Scripture and living by the Scripture makes a good life a better life!

At the end of Josiah’s life, something is recorded about him that isn’t mentioned about any other king:

The prophet Jeremiah composed funeral songs for Josiah, and to this day choirs still sing these sad songs about his death. These songs of sorrow have become a tradition and are recorded in The Book of Laments.

Do you want to take your life up a notch? Get into God’s Word and let it get into you and change the way you think and live.

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