mercy | Craig T. Owens

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10 Blessings From Obeying God’s Word

June 29, 2015 — 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.

The entire 119th Psalm is a love song to God for His amazing Word. Quite simply it is “far exceeding anything conceived by man” (v. 129, AMP) and “a miracle Word” (v. 129, MSG).

In the 8-verse section called Pe, the psalmist says, “I can’t think of any better response to Your Word than to obey it!” In Pe, here are ten blessings that come with that obedience—

Light … this is the discernment that allows for the “Aha!” revelations of the Holy Spirit.
Understanding … the blessing of comprehending what God is saying to us.
Longings fulfilled … nothing but God’s Word will ever satisfy like God’s Word!
More clearly seeing God’s face as He shines upon us.
God’s mercy and favor.
A greater understanding of God’s love.
Secure paths that keep us from sin’s snares.
Freedom from satan’s extortions … this is literally what the phrase redeem me from the oppression means in verse 134.
Greater obedience.
Learning God’s Word so that I can teach it to others.

The psalmist also gives us good insight into how to respond to those who reject God’s Word: “Rivers of tears gush from my eyes because people disobey Your instructions” (v. 136). With all the blessings that come from obeying God’s wonderful law, why would you ever want to try to live any other way?!

If you have missed any of the messages in our P119 series, you can access them all by clicking here.

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Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Calvary Assembly of God, discernment, freedom, God's favor, God's Word, Holy Spirit, longing, mercy, obedience, Psalm 119, Scripture, security, sermon. 2 Comments »

Links & Quotes

June 23, 2015 — Craig T. Owens

“I sometimes pray ‘Lord give me no more and no less self-knowledge than I can at this moment make a good use of.’” —C.S. Lewis

“Be of good courage, and wait on the Lord, setting this constantly in your minds that He has not promised to keep you from trouble, but to preserve you in it.” —Charles Spurgeon

“‘Did you win?’ A far better question to ask (the student, the athlete, the salesperson, the programmer…) is, ‘what did you learn?’ Learning compounds. Usually more reliably than winning does.” —Seth Godin

Well, look at that: The federal government now says monogamy and abstinence is the most reliable way to protect against sexually-transmitted diseases.

This is a good list: 7 secrets you should never keep from your doctor.

In light of Tullian Tchividjian’s resignation, Rob Hoskins shares a timely word from his Mom: The Christian Response.

[VIDEO] Whether or not you are a church history buff, this is some interesting information on the Nicene Creed—

Poetry Saturday―And Can It Be Said That I Should Gain

March 28, 2015 — Craig T. Owens

And can it be that I should gain

An interest in the Savior’s blood?

Died He for me, who caused His pain―

For me, who Him to death pursued?

Amazing love! How can it be,

That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

He left His Father’s throne above

So free, so infinite His grace―

Emptied Himself of all but love,

And bled for Adam’s helpless race:

‘Tis mercy all, immense and free,

For O my God, it found out me!

‘Tis mercy all, immense and free,

For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,

Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;

Thine eye diffused a quickening ray―

I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;

My chains fell off, my heart was free,

I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

My chains fell off, my heart was free,

I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread;

Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;

Alive in Him, my living Head,

And clothed in righteousness divine,

Bold I approach th’eternal throne,

And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Bold I approach th’eternal throne,

And claim the crown, through Christ my own. —Charles Wesley

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Charles Wesley, condemnation, Cross, crucifixion, God's love, hymn, Jesus Christ, mercy, poem, poetry, righteousness, salvation, Savior. 1 Comment »

William Shakespeare On Prayer

March 12, 2015 — Craig T. Owens

Some great lines from William Shakespeare on prayer―

“We do pray for mercy, and that same prayer doth teach us all to render the deeds of mercy.” —William Shakespeare

“Now I am passed all comforts here, but prayers.” —William Shakespeare

“My words fly up, my thoughts remain below; Words without thoughts never to heaven go.” —William Shakespeare

“Sweet are the uses of adversity; which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, wears a precious jewel in his head; and this our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.” —William Shakespeare

“I commend my soul into the hands of God my Creator, believing through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Savior, to be made a partaker of life everlasting.” —William Shakespeare’s opening line in his last will and testament

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: adversity, Creator, Heaven, Jesus Christ, mercy, prayer, quotes, Savior, thought life, William Shakespeare. Leave a Comment »

Links & Quotes

January 19, 2015 — Craig T. Owens

“Do not forget the close bond between the inner room and the outside world. The attitude of the inner prayer room must remain with us all day. The object of secret prayer is to unite us to God that we may know His abiding presence with us.” ―Andrew Murray

“There are two ways by which man might have been for ever blessed. The one was by works: ‘This do and thou shalt live; be obedient and receive the reward.’ The other plan was: ‘Receive grace and blessedness as the free gift of God; stand as a guilty sinner having no merit, and as a rebellious sinner deserving the very reverse of goodness, but stand there and receive all thy good things, simply, wholly, and alone of the free love and sovereign mercy of God.’ Now, the Lord has not chosen the system of works.” —Charles Spurgeon

It is appalling to me that people still try to defend abortion. This post talks about the pain that babies experience during the abortion procedure.

Interesting: 11 trends in American marriages and families.

[VIDEO] A very intriguing interview on Meet The Press with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1965―

Links & Quotes

January 7, 2015 — Craig T. Owens

“God has done astonishing and costly things to draw us near. He has sent His Son to suffer and to die so that through Him we might draw near. It’s all so that we might draw near. And all of this is for our joy and for His glory.” —John Piper

“The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and His compulsion is our liberation.” —C.S. Lewis

Detroit Tiger fans know that Alan Trammell should be in the MLB Hall of Fame.

Chilly Chilton has a deathwish, and you should read about it.

“Your business is to go and ‘tell to sinners round what a dear Savior you have found’, for that is God’s way of using you to complete the unity of His Church.” —Charles Spurgeon

“The most important thing a church can have going for it is strong, biblical preaching. It can do with or without an app, a Facebook page, a glitzy web site, streaming sermons, online giving, a fancy building, free wi-fi, or a clearly defined brand. But it cannot fulfill God’s purpose without power in the pulpit.” —Mark Atteberry

“Nothing fosters courage like a clear grasp of grace. And nothing fosters fear like an ignorance of mercy.” —Max Lucado

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Alan Trammell, baseball, Bible, C.S. Lewis, Charles Spurgeon, Chilly Chilton, church, courage, Detroit Tigers, discipleship, Facebook, fear, forgiveness, God's glory, grace, ignorance, Jesus Christ, John Piper, joy, Mark Atteberry, Max Lucado, mercy, pastoring, preaching, quotes, sermon, testimony, unity, witnessing. Leave a Comment »

Links & Quotes

January 3, 2015 — Craig T. Owens

Sheriff David Clarke has a great take on what is behind so many of the protests against the police. Be sure to watch the video of his CNN interview too.

“The fullest obedience and the smallest faith obtain the same thing from God: mercy. A mere mustard seed of faith taps into the mercy of tree-moving power. And flawless obedience leaves us utterly dependent on mercy. The point is this: Whatever the timing or form of God’s mercy, we never rise above the status of beneficiaries of mercy. We are always utterly dependent on the undeserved. Therefore let us humble ourselves and rejoice and ‘glorify God for His mercy!’” —John Piper

“Isn’t it kind of silly to think that tearing someone else down builds you up?” —Sean Covey. Read more of the post The Year Of Speaking Kindly.

Are you single? Check out Being The Third Wheel Is Underrated.

Are you ready to be disgusted? Last year Planned Parenthood not only ended 327,653 lives through abortion, but they also were given $528 million of your tax dollars!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: abortion, current events, dating, gossip, John Piper, kindness, mercy, obedience, Planned Parenthood, pro-life, protest, quotes, relationships, Sean Covey, single life, slander, Sola Deo gloria. Leave a Comment »

Poetry Saturday—Light Shining Out Of Darkness

January 3, 2015 — Craig T. Owens

God moves in a mysterious way,

His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in the sea,

And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines

Of never failing skill,

He treasures up His bright designs,

And works His Sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy, and shall break

In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

But trust Him for His grace;

Behind a frowning Providence,

He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,

And scan His work in vain;

God is His own interpreter,

And He will make it plain. —William Cowper, Light Shining Out Of Darkness

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: courage, God's blessing, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's will, God's wisdom, grace, mercy, poetry, saints, trust, William Cowper. Leave a Comment »

Links & Quotes

December 18, 2014 — Craig T. Owens

“How shall a holy and just God treat us sinners with so much kindness as to give us the greatest Reality in the universe (His Son) to enjoy with the greatest joy possible? The answer is that God put our sins on His Son, and judged them there, so that He could put them out of His mind, and deal with us mercifully and remain just and holy at the same time.” —John Piper

“This Christmas, enjoy the fruit of the first coming, but anticipate the glory of the second. We live between the advents. Let the first one whet your appetite for the final one.” Read more in Max Lucado’s post Between The Advents.

I marvel at the discovering scientists make, but I also marvel at how adamant these scientists are that there isn’t a Creator. In this study on how the earth’s deep crust could support life, one scientist says, “If you identify a source of energy that’s everywhere, it’s no longer a limiting factor for the spread of life.” The Bible does identify The Source of life!

If you love studying the Bible, here is a list of 5 free Bible study tools on the web.

[VIDEO] Lecrae gives us a good word on how to engage race issues—

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Advent, Bible study, Christianity, Christmas, Creation, Creator, First Advent, forgiveness, God's glory, Jesus Christ, John Piper, justice, Lecrae, Max Lucado, mercy, quotes, race relations, science, Second Advent, sin, video. Leave a Comment »

Links & Quotes

November 17, 2014 — Craig T. Owens

Some good reading from today…

“Just because no one complains, it doesn’t mean that all parachutes are perfect.” —Anonymous

“I am not young enough to know everything.” —Oscar Wilde

“It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.” —James Thurber

More appalling misery created by the pro-abortion crowd: Planned Parenthood’s Horrible Treatment.

Very good: 7 Things All Great Friends Do.

“I must pray for the strength and courage to be truly obedient to Jesus, even if He calls me to go where I would rather not go.” —Henri Nouwen

“One of the greatest mercies God bestows upon us is His not permitting our inclinations and opportunities to meet. Have you not sometimes noticed that when you had the inclination to a sin there has been no opportunity, and when the opportunity has presented itself you have had no inclination towards it? satan’s principal aim with believers is to bring their appetites and his temptations together….” —Charles Spurgeon

“This is not Predestination: your will is perfectly free: but all physical events are adapted to fit in as God sees best with the free actions He knows we are going to do.” —C.S. Lewis