Gems

March 19, 2014 — Craig T. Owens

GemsDo you ever get lost in the “begats” of the Bible? You know those long, tedious lists of who was born to whom? In 1 Chronicles there’s an equally long list of names that goes on for five chapters(!) of who’s in charge of what. But be careful not to skip over these lists. The Holy Spirit included them in the inspired Word of God for a reason, and sometimes you find some real gems buried in these lists.

Here are a few that I recently unearthed…

For David had said… (1 Chronicles 23:25)—David’s heart was so closely knit with God’s heart that the words he spoke were God’s words coming through David’s mouth, as he gave instructions about how worship in the tabernacle should be conducted.

David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph… (25:1, 3, 7)—Asaph, Hemen and Jeduthun prophesied through their singing in the tabernacle. They didn’t compose music and sing to entertain, but to call people to God. Notice, too, that all of the worship leaders in the tabernacle were “trained and skilled in music for the Lord.” Those God calls, He equips.

For God had blessed Obed-Edom… (26:5-8)—The Ark of the Covenant—the symbol of God’s presence—had been housed in Obed-Edom’s home. God’s presence produces blessing! Listen to how Obed-Edom’s descendants are described:

  • Leaders
  • Capable men
  • Able men
  • Capable men with the strength to do the work

Elihu… (27:18)—Even David’s older brother chose to serve him.

Hushai the Arkite was the king’s friend… (27:33)—In the listing of all the court officials, here is a man with no other title than David’s friend.

God’s Word is alive! Ask the Holy Spirit, Who inspired the men who penned these words, to give you fresh revelation as you read the Bible. Then prepare to be amazed at the gems He will reveal to you!

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God Sees An Indiv1dual

February 26, 2014 — Craig T. Owens

God sees an individualThe Bible often recounts the history of Israel. In one particular psalm the history of the Israelites sounds like one story repeated over and over:

  • But they continued to sin against God… (Psalm 78:17)
  • In spite of all this, they kept on sinning… (v. 32)
  • Their hearts were not loyal to God, they were not faithful to His covenant… (v. 37)
  • They put God to the test and rebelled against the Most High… (v. 56)

After experiencing God’s blessing, they fall away from God, experience the pain of punishment, repent of their wickedness, get restored, only to fall away again.

So what’s the use in serving God? In following His ways? In keeping His commands?

God sees indiv1duals, not a mass of humanity.

The culture may have been unfaithful to Him, but God saw ONE who was faithful and obedient. He saw ONE who loved God so deeply—“He choose David His servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep He brought him to be the shepherd of His people Jacob, of Israel His inheritance” (vv. 70, 71).

God saw the ONE man who was consistently faithful and rewarded him. God doesn’t miss a thing! He sees every ONE who keeps his or her heart set on Him. Whether in this life or the next, that ONE will be rewarded by God.

Don’t give in to the everyone’s-doing-it-so-it-must-be-okay mindset. God sees YOU as an indiv1dual, and He longs to reward YOU for your faithfulness to Him.

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A Caution About Success

January 29, 2014 — Craig T. Owens

CautionAfter King David had been firmly established as the king of Israel, he wanted to show the world how devoted he was to God, and undertook to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem.

This move came after “David knew that the Lord had established him as king” and “that his kingdom had been highly exalted for the sake of God’s people” (2 Samuel 5:12; 1 Chronicles 14:2). David also asked the people about bringing the ark to Jerusalem and “it seemed right to all the people” (1 Chronicles 13:4).

Hooray! It sure sounds like David is using his new position as king to do something wonderful for his people. But…

Even with David’s knowledge that God had established him, David proceeded in a way that was displeasing to God, by attempting to move the ark in a way that God never sanctioned (2 Samuel 6:3; 1 Chronicles 13:7).

When things are going well and there seems to be a lot of positive momentum, we cannot abandon the things that brought God’s success in the first place! 

David had a habit of inquiring of God (2 Samuel 5:19, 23; 1 Chronicles 14:10, 14) which had led to his God-given success (1 Chronicles 14:17). But in the excitement of moving the ark, and the applause of the people David said, “We did not inquire of Him” (15:13) nor did they undertake the task “in accordance with the Word of the Lord” (15:15).

CAUTION!!! We can never be too careful about inquiring of God nor consulting His Word. A danger of success is that we abandon those things which God blesses and simply ride the positive momentum of the moment. No matter how popular or obvious a thing may seem, don’t forget to pray about it and consult God’s Word about it!

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Overwhelmed = Blessing

July 21, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

I love this quote from Dick Brogden which I used in my message this morning—

Dick Brogden“Impossibilities are the great friend of the Christian. Without Goliath there would have been no David. We need to be blocked, resisted, challenged, and confronted by impossible people and circumstances in order for it to be clear that God has done the work. … If we constantly overcome small hurdles, we inevitably appear to be self-sufficient. The humility of the believer demands impossible assignments. To ever succeed in our own strength is poison to our soul. To be overwhelmed is a blessing….” —Dick Brogden

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10 Quotes From “Plastic Donuts”

June 12, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Plastic DonutsPlastic Donuts is a fresh look at the biblical concepts of tithing and giving offerings. You can read my full book review by clicking here. These are some of the quotes that caught my eye—

“What I didn’t realize was that my lifestyle had frozen my giving at the 10 percent level. When it came to my finances, my lifestyle had all the influence. The issue is not about my needing to sacrifice my lifestyle. The issue is about my giving a gift that is connected to my heart.”

“In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus provided instructions on giving, praying, and fasting. For each, He focused on the heart standard but did not provide an amount standard (see Matthew 6:1-18).”

“David praised God seven times a day. Daniel prayed to God three times a day. Moses fasted from food and water twice, for forty days straight. Daniel fasted twenty-one days from rich foods and wine. Where did these faith heroes get their standards? They determined them. It’s human nature to seek something that is concrete, an inviolable guideline, clear marching orders. … But let’s be honest. Are we looking for a rule to follow so we can check it off the list? Or does a strict rule help to soothe a sense of guilt and confusion? It’s always easier to follow rules than to follow a living God. The absence of rules can cause tension in determining the amount of our gifts. Shouldn’t there at least be a minimum? If not, suddenly it’s wide open. Multiple options appear.”

“God is not looking for the same gift from all His children. He wants a personal gift.”

“You may not think you have the ability to give. But if you pay attention, you’ll be surprised at just what abilities you really do have.”

“Tapping your true giving ability will require countercultural lifestyle choices—such as debt-free living or a reduction in your spending.”

“If you want to grow your faith, grow your gratitude. To grow your gratitude, take time to count your blessings.”

“No matter what your ability or inability, God can be pleased with your gift.”

“Could it be that a giving lifestyle apart from love and obedience to God is simply philanthropy?”

“In the end, it is the condition of the giver’s heart that makes the gift pleasing to God.”

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Be Before Do

June 10, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Be Before DoThe baptism in the Holy Spirit is not primarily about a Christian doing more for God. Its primary purpose is to draw a Christian into deeper intimacy with God.

This means that we don’t have to present to God an impressive spiritual resume in order to be baptized in the Spirit. It also means that God is not going to baptize us in the Holy Spirit so that we can do impressive things for Him. We are baptized in the Holy Spirit to experience a greater one-ness with God. 

In John 16:5-15, Jesus lists three primary functions of the Holy Spirit. All of these are to draw us closer into God’s intimate embrace:

  • He convicts us (v. 8). He points out anything which is hindering our deeper and sustained connection to God.
  • He guides us (v. 13). Specifically Jesus says the Spirit guides us into all truth. And since Jesus is the truth, the Holy Spirit guides us deeper into Him.
  • He enlightens us (vv. 14-15). The Holy Spirit reveals to us the mind and character of Christ, so that we can become more and more like Him.

“The primary work of the Holy Spirit is to restore the lost soul to intimate fellowship with God.” —A.W. Tozer

Our heart’s cry should be for intimacy with God, just as David cried out—

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. (Psalm 51:10-11)

God wants people to BE with Him before He wants them to DO for Him.

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Thursdays With Oswald—Venting In Prayer

February 28, 2013 — 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.

Venting In Prayer 

     When you are worked up to a pitch emotionally, read some of the Psalms, and the Spirit of God will gradually teach you how to form a spiritual nous*, a mind whereby you will not only understand but will slowly and surely get to the place where you can express your spirit, you will have a totally new language. 

* To read what Chambers means by the Greek word nous, click here. 

From Biblical Psychology 

Sometimes we’re too timid in our prayers. We think we need to hold back, or not really say what’s on our mind. We probably think that some of the language we use might be too offensive for God’s ears.

Have you ever read some of the Psalms? As Oswald Chambers suggests, this is a great place to form your prayer vocabulary. David really “lets loose” in some of his prayers, calling his enemies all sorts of names, and basically saying, “Get ‘em, God!”

So you don’t want to say those kinds of things to God? Don’t you think He already knows what you’re thinking? Wouldn’t it be much more effective to “vent” in prayer—in the safe presence of your loving Heavenly Father? It’s really only after you “get it out” that the Holy Spirit can help you work it out.

Express yourself—vent in God’s presence instead of the presence of those who are troubling you—and then listen to how God’s Spirit will help you slowly and surely get a brand new perspective on your situation.

UPDATE: I have a whole chapter called ‘Your Emergency Release Valve’ about these types of prayers in my book When Sheep Bite.

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Thursdays With Oswald—My Standard Of Conduct

October 25, 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.

My Standard Of Conduct

     Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 5:20)

     The practical outcome of these words is astonishing; it means that my standard of moral conduct must exceed the standards of the most moral, upright man I know who lives apart from the grace of God. … Instead of our Lord lowering the standards of our moral conduct, He pushes it to a tremendous extreme. We have not only to do right things, but our motives have to be right, the springs of our thinking have to be right; we have to be so unblameable that God Himself can see nothing to censure in us. 

From Biblical Psychology

There are some very moral people in the world, but their morality is of their own design, and not the morality that comes from a relationship in God’s grace (i.e. just like the first-century Pharisees). I cannot try to match their moral lifestyle, because my morality will not be God-centered.

My thoughts have to be perfectly moral. My thoughts about how I’m going to behave must be God-pleasing. This prayer of David needs to be my prayer as well if my thoughts and conduct are to be unblameable in God’s sight—

How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep Your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:12-14)

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Courageous Enough To Interfere

June 18, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

King David was brilliant as a king, and a disaster as a father. One of the things that is very telling is what is not written when his kids mess up. The Bible tells us that David felt strong emotions, but he simply didn’t act on them. In fact, one of the most telling verses of inaction comes when his son Adonijah is trying to put himself on David’s throne—

His father had never interfered with him by asking, “Why do you behave as you do?” (1 Kings 1:6)

It takes courage to interfere with our kids when they are misbehaving.

So why don’t some dads interfere? I can think of a few reasons…

  • They didn’t have a good relationship with their own father. In David’s case, his father Jesse didn’t think too highly of David. In fact, David was the overlooked, almost-forgotten son (1 Samuel 16:8-11).
  • They’re too tired. David was so focused on building up Israel’s defenses, and defeating the bad guys, that he had nothing left emotionally and physically to interact with his kids. We need to make it our priority! John wrote: I have no greater joy than knowing my children all walk in the truth (3 John 4). Now that’s a great priority!
  • Their past sins haunt them. David sinned against Bathsheba (like Amnon did against Tamar); David murdered Uriah (like Adonijah did Amnon). So perhaps he felt like he didn’t have the moral authority to interfere with his sons. But if you read some of the wise sayings in Proverbs 6:20-29 and 7:1-5, they sound like a man who has had experience. Let your hindsight (good or bad) be your kids’ foresight.
  • They think it’s too late. It’s never too late! Never! Apparently, David learned this lesson in time and taught his son Solomon (read Proverbs 1:1 and 4:3-4). As long as there is breath in your lungs, you should be your kids’ dad!

Dads, will you be courageous enough to lovingly interfere with your kids if they are getting off track?

Will you be courageous enough to make some changes in your schedule so that you can invest the time and energy and creativity necessary to raise them up?

Will you be courageous enough to confess your past sins, and not let them hold you back from speaking into your kids’ lives?

Will you be courageous enough to start today?

Dad, you kids need you to be involved! Be courageous enough to step into their lives.

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Here Comes Trouble!

April 4, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

Do you see it on the horizon? Storm clouds building, blowing in fast; wind picking up; something ominous in the air. Here comes trouble!

Jesus certainly did as He talked with His followers just before His arrest and crucifixion. Just before the storm hit, here’s what He said…

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

I find something reassuring about Jesus telling me that I will have trouble. Not that trouble is enjoyable (at all!). But what is enjoyable is knowing that He knows. Nothing takes Jesus by surprise!

Jesus said that I would find my peace when I remain IN Him. When I see trouble coming, my natural tendency is to start doing things for myself. I start making plans, giving orders, gathering resources, hunkering down in my foxhole. In reality, all this does nothing but increase my level of anxiety!

Jesus has overcome. So when I stay IN Him, I overcome too.

Here’s what I’ve learned about how to stay IN Him…

  • Stay in the Word every day, but especially when I see trouble coming.
  • Stay in prayer; in fact, I should increase my prayer times.
  • Stay in worship because I don’t want to focus on the storm, but on the Overcomer.
  • Stay in contact with my friends and ask them to join me in prayer.

Check out this prayer David penned when he saw trouble coming. It’s still a great prayer for you and me today:

Keep me safe, O God, for IN You I take refuge. I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.” Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure. You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy IN your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. (Psalm 16:1, 2, 9, 11)

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