John Chrysostom | Craig T. Owens

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Links & Quotes

May 26, 2014 — Craig T. Owens

Some good reading from today…

“Let no one grieve at his poverty, for the universal Kingdom has been revealed. Let no one mourn that he has fallen again; for forgiveness has risen from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the death of our Savior has set us free.” —John Chrysostom

[VIDEO] This is sad and a bit scary. Americans don’t know what Memorial Day means.

Tim Elmore answers the question, “What’s the bid deal about Memorial Day?”

“Our great need is to be people whose delights are the very delights of God.” —John Piper

Unbelievable! The U.S. State Department promoted a Muslim cleric who condoned killing U.S. soldiers!

“Those who boast of their knowledge betray their ignorance. Knowledge is not a possession to be proud of….” Read more of the quote from Charles Spurgeon in It Matters What You Do With Your Knowledge.

[VIDEO] Cool look at the overview of Genesis 1-11 from The Bible Project.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Charles Spurgeon, Dr. Tim Elmore, eternal life, forgiveness, Genesis, John Chrysostom, John Piper, knowledge, Memorial Day, Muslim, quotes, The Bible Project, United States of America, US armed forces, video, wisdom. Leave a Comment »

A View To Pleasing God

February 14, 2014 — Craig T. Owens

I read an article this week 10 Bad Reasons To Be A Pastor. For the most part it was right on-target.

Even if we have the right reason (singular, not plural) for being a pastor—namely, that God called us—we can still battle discouragement over what is or isn’t happening in our ministry. I am convinced that much of this discouragement comes from listening to the wrong applause.

John Chrysostom

John Chrysostom, a man very reluctant to answer God’s call on his life to enter the pastorate, wrote—

“Let, therefore, the man who undertakes the strain of teaching never give heed to the good opinion of the outside world, nor be dejected in soul on account of such persons; but laboring at his sermons so that he may please God, (For let this alone be his rule and determination, in discharging this best kind of workmanship, not acclamation, nor good opinions,) if, indeed, he be praised by men, let him not repudiate their applause, and when his hearers do not offer this, let him not seek it, let him not be grieved. For a sufficient consolation in his labors, and one greater than all, is when he is able to be conscious of arranging and ordering his teaching with a view to pleasing God.” (emphasis added)

Our view must always be to pleasing God. It matters little whether humans hands applaud us or not. We must live, and preach, and discharge our pastoral duties solely for the applause of nail-scarred hands. If our Master says, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” what does it matter what anyone else says?

Posted in Pastoring. Tags: discouragement, God's call, Jesus Christ, John Chrysostom, pastoring, pastors, priority, servanthood. Leave a Comment »

Don’t Exasperate Them

January 24, 2014 — Craig T. Owens

Pastoring is not for the faint of heart. Nor those easily offended. Nor those lacking in patience…. You get the idea!

John Chrysostom (347-407) gave this counsel to pastors—

“Thus then must the Priest behave towards those in his charge, as a father would behave to his very young children; and as such are not disturbed either by their insults or their blows, or their lamentations, nor even if they laugh and rejoice with us, do we take much account of it; so should we neither be puffed up by the promises of these persons nor cast down at their censure, when it comes from them unseasonably.”

The Bible tells fathers not to irritate and provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to resentment], but rear them [tenderly] in the training and discipline and the counsel and admonition of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4, Amplified Bible)

Instead we should follow the example of Jesus, the Great Shepherd—

When He saw the throngs, He was moved with pity and sympathy for them, because they were bewildered (harassed and distressed and dejected and helpless), like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36, Amplified Bible)

Ask our Shepherd to give you His patience, and compassion, and tenderness, and wisdom to carry His sheep in your arms. After all, it’s His flock that we’ve been given the privilege and responsibility to care for!

Posted in Pastoring. Tags: children, compassion, Ephesians, father, Jesus Christ, John Chrysostom, pastoring, pastors, patience, prayer, shepherds. Leave a Comment »

Pastoral Insights From “Golden Mouth”

July 27, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

John Chrysostom was a reluctant pastor. It took him a while to surrender to the call of God on his life to serve as a priest. But once he stepped into that role, his God-given talents were used mightily. He was such an incredible speaker that his sermons often moved his audience to tears or applause. Thus, he was given the nickname “Golden Mouth.”

Here are some great pastoral insights from Golden Mouth which are just as applicable today…

“Thus then must the Priest behave towards those in his charge, as a father would behave to his very young children; and as such are not disturbed either by their insults or their blows, or their lamentations, nor even if they laugh and rejoice with us, do we take much account of it; so should we neither be puffed up by the promises of these persons nor cast down at their censure, when it comes from them unseasonably.”

“Let, therefore, the man who undertakes the strain of teaching never give heed to the good opinion of the outside world, nor be dejected in soul on account of such persons; but laboring at his sermons so that he may please God, (For let this alone be his rule and determination, in discharging this best kind of workmanship, not acclamation, nor good opinions,) if, indeed, he be praised by men, let him not repudiate their applause, and when his hearers do not offer this, let him not seek it, let him not be grieved. For a sufficient consolation in his labors, and one greater than all, is when he is able to be conscious of arranging and ordering his teaching with a view to pleasing God.”

“For the soul of the Priest ought to be purer than the very sunbeams, in order that the Holy Spirit may not leave him desolate, in order that he may be able to say, ‘Now I live; and yet no longer I, but Christ liveth in me….’ For he has need of far greater purity than they; and whoever has need of greater purity, he too is subject to more pressing temptations than they, which are able to defile him, unless by using constant self-denial and much labor, he renders his soul inaccessible to them.”