The Devil Isn’t Scared Of You

July 1, 2019 — Craig T. Owens

This is part 2 in our series looking at phrases that sound biblical and then asking, “Is that in the Bible?” 

Statement #2—Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Is that in the Bible? Yes, those words are there, but we need some perspective. 

First of all, demons are real and they are dangerous. No, the devil and his henchmen are not behind every calamity we face. C.S. Lewis explained it well—

“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.” —C.S. Lewis 

Some people think there is a struggle between Jesus and satan that has an uncertain outcome, almost like Jesus and satan are locked in an epic arm wrestling duel. But the victory is already assured—Jesus has already won (Acts 10:38; 1 Corinthians 15:26, 54-58)!  

But while we are on Earth, we are living in a battle zone. Jesus said the devil’s agenda was pretty straightforward—steal, kill, destroy. He tries to accomplish this in a number of ways: everything from lying to us, to intimidation, to misquoting Scripture. 

And that’s where we need to be aware. Yes, the words “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” are in the Bible, but they are only valid when spoken in light of the first part of the verse—“Submit yourself to God.” 

“satan is not scared of your show of force toward him, but of your show of submission to God.” —Craig T. Owens 

There were some guys who tried to invoke the name of Jesus in a spiritual battle, and they ended up running out of the house bleeding and naked (Acts 19:11-16)! 

Last time I said that God helps those who cannot help themselves. The prayer He loves to respond to is, “God, help!” If ever we face a situation that we cannot help ourselves, it’s dealing with demons. We can’t, but God can! 

So before anything else submit yourself to God. Hide under the shadow of His wings, let Him be your shield and your defender. Only then will the devil flee from you (see Psalm 91). 

Remember: the devil lies. He can even use Scripture to lie. His lie is getting you to believe you can resist him on your own. The truth is he’s not afraid of who you are, but he flees when he sees Whose you are!

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Does Self-Help Get God’s Help?

June 24, 2019 — Craig T. Owens

This is part 1 in our series looking at phrases that sound biblical and then asking, “Is that in the Bible?” 

Statement #1—God helps those who help themselves. Is that in the Bible? No, it is not! 

The reason why I think people have accepted this as biblical is an incorrect view of God. 

  1. Humanism says God is us, which makes us believe, “If it’s going to be, it’s up to me.” 
  2. Fatalism says there is no God and therefore no meaning to life, which makes us believe, “The outcome is what it is and no one has any say in the matter.” 
  3. Deism says there is a God, but it’s hard to get His attention, which makes us believe “He is either disinterested in me or unapproachable. He’s only available for the ‘big’ things.” 

The Bible flat-out rejects all three of these isms. 

Instead, we see a loving, approachable God. One who is both all-powerful and all-loving. He says things like…

  • I made you and know everything about you, and I remain infinitely interested and intimately involved in your life 
  • Come to Me and I will give you rest
  • I want you to cast all your anxieties on Me
  • Don’t be anxious about anything, but tell Me about everything that troubles you (Psalm 139:1-18; Matthew 11:28-29; 1 Peter 5:7; Philippians 4:6)

Not only is “God helps those who help themselves” untrue, but the exact opposite is also true—God helps those who cannot help themselves! 

In Isaiah 40:28-29, we read that God gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 

“Yes, it is our strength, not our weakness, that is our hindrance and stumbling block.” —Horatius Bonar 

God gives power to the weak. He gives strength to those with no might of their own. God does NOT help those who think they can help themselves! God helps those who cannot help themselves! This is what Jesus came to do, and why we should rejoice in the fact that He does indeed help those who could never rescue themselves (Isaiah 53:4-5; 2 Corinthians 12:9)!

It is our can’ts that God uses as His opportunities to show how limitless He is. Our limitations magnify His love and His power. 

One of the best prayers you could ever pray is simply, “God, help!” This simple prayer acknowledges in just two words that you can’t but He most assuredly can! 

But those who wait for the Lord—who expect, look for, and hope in Him—shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up close to God as eagles mount up to the sun; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired. (Isaiah 40:31 AMP) 

Join me next week as we continue to explore various statements and ask, “Is that in the Bible?” 

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Poetry Saturday—Let It Be On Earth

June 22, 2019 — Craig T. Owens
Psalm 93
The Lord sits upright on His throne, 
draped in a mountain, rising through 
the clouds, forever changeless, new, 
eternally impervious to 
all storms or time, a growing stone 
of splendor and unmeasured girth:
As there, Lord, let it be on earth!


Psalm 45:6-8


What sweetness bathes our every sense!


What radiating gladness swells 


around us! What delightful smells 


engulf, what happy music tells


Your glory! Joys beyond expense 


from You and from Your throne pour forth:


As there, Lord, let it be on earth!




Psalm 47


They gather in Elysian Fields, 


a vast and varied, joyful host, 


with one objective uttermost—


their King to celebrate and toast!


There, casting down their crowns and shields, 


they tell His holy, matchless worth:


As there, Lord, let it be on earth!




Revelation 4, 5


Throughout the vast, far-flung expanse 


a chorus rises, joyous, strong:


Unnumbered hosts, an endless throng, 


their voices joined in glorious song, 


extol their King’s eminence, 


rejoicing in His matchless worth:


As there, Lord, let it be on earth!




Hebrews 12:1


Now let us focus on one saint, 


one from that boisterous crowd of those 


who prays together, dressed in clothes 


of linen white. See how he glows 


in mien and body! No restraint 


impedes his holy, joyful mirth:


As there, Lord, let it be on earth!




Hebrews 1:7 


Christ speaks, and angels all obey, 


and hurry off to implement


His Word. They are as servants sent, 


a holy, unseen regiment, 


to guard and guide us on our way.


Of faithfulness they know no dearth:


As there, Lord, let it be on earth!




Psalm 97:1-6


Fire flows to mark His path, and burns 


away His foes by righteousness 


and justice, oozing forth to bless 


the world and overpave the mess 


we men have made of things. He turns 


this way and that in all His worth:


As there, Lord, let it be on earth! —T.M. Moore






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Thursdays With Spurgeon—The Blessing Of A Promise-Keeping God

June 20, 2019 — Craig T. Owens 




This is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Charles Spurgeon. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Spurgeon” in the search box to read more entries.


The Blessing Of A Promise-Keeping God


     I do not believe we can preach the gospel if we do not preach justification by faith without works; or unless we preach the sovereignty of God in His dispensation of grace; or unless we exalt the electing, unchangeable, eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah. … 


     All the purposes of man have been defeated, but not the purposes of God. The promises of man may be broken. Many of them are made to be broken. But the promises of God shall all be fulfilled. He is a promise-maker, but He never was a promise-breaker; He is a promise-keeping God, and every one of His people shall prove it to be so.  


From The Autobiography Of Charles Spurgeon


God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change His mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through? (Number 23:19)


For the word of God will never fail. (Luke 1:37)


Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. (Joshua 23:14)


But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever. (Psalm 146:5-6) 


For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for His glory. (2 Corinthians 1:20)


Our God is a promise-making, promise-keeping God!






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3 Lessons From A Devoted Dad

June 17, 2019 — Craig T. Owens 




If you were to pick a man that would have been desperately devoted to Jesus as his Savior, Cornelius wouldn’t make anyone’s “top 10” list! 


Just take a look at all the strikes against this man. He was a… 


    

  • …Gentile—to Jews, Gentiles were just the fuel to stoke the fires of hell. 
    • 

  • …resident of the city of Caesarea—since this was the headquarters of the Roman government for Palestine, not many Jews would venture there. 
    • 

  • …Roman—historians say only 10% of Romans in this era were monotheistic. 
    • 

  • …centurion—not just any centurion, but an extremely powerful centurion from the Italian Regiment (not just a local mercenary who was in it for the money). And he took his name from Cornelius Sulla, a Roman general known both for his mercy and his ruthlessness.
    • 



All of this makes Cornelius a fully self-sufficient and a well-to-do man who was not likely to look for help from God. Nor was he the type of person that a Christian missionary might seek out. 


But clearly, something was missing in Cornelius’ life because he was completely countercultural in his pursuit after God. Not just his pursuit of God, but his quick understanding of exactly who Jesus was. 


Luke the historian describes Cornelius as:


    

  • …devout and God-fearing. The Greek word for devout literally means “a right worshipper.” It’s a word Luke only uses three times in Acts, and two of those times are describing Cornelius. 
    • 

  • …prayerful. The word Luke uses for him means someone who makes prayer personal and ongoing. 
    • 

  • …generous. Cornelius took care of people who couldn’t take care of themselves. 
    • 



All of this got God’s attention (see Psalm 141:2; Revelation 5:8; Proverbs 19:17), and He sent an angel to direct Cornelius to Peter. 


When Peter came to Cornelius’ house, twice he said “as you know” (vv. 36, 37), showing us that Cornelius was aware that there was not only one true God, but that a relationship with Jesus was the only way to be in right relationship with God. As Peter spoke with Cornelius, his family, his relatives, his close friends, and even his fellow soldiers, the Holy Spirit baptized them just as He had done with the disciples of Jesus on the day of Pentecost. 


So here are 3 vital lessons for all men to learn from the life of Cornelius the centurion—


    

  1. Your devotion to God is influential. People around you do notice your devoted pursuit of God.
    2. 

  2. Your openness to all that God has puts your family, friends, and coworkers in a place to receive God’s blessings too.
    3. 

  3. God’s blessings flowing through you have lasting and far-reaching results. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Cornelius may have opened the door for Christian evangelism to Gentiles unlike anything that had happened before.
    4. 



Dads, be devoted to God. Desire all He has for you, and all He has for those around you. Pursue Him no matter how many “strikes” there may be against you. 




If you missed any of the messages in this series, you can access the full list of messages by clicking here.






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4 Holy Spirit-Enhanced Habits

June 10, 2019 — Craig T. Owens 




According to Paul, there are only two ways people can live: in the flesh or in the Spirit. That is—(1) operating separate from God, or (2) with a soul/body that is operating with God’s full involvement. 


The trouble is: we’re always—as long as we’re alive—still in the flesh because we need these bodies to carry around our soul and spirit. But changes begin to occur first at salvation (when the connection of our spirit to God’s Spirit is reestablished), and even more so after being baptized in the Holy Spirit (when we are not trying to work out things on our own). 


As a result, we have the same brain, but a mind that is being renewed; the same eyes, but insight that is being expanded; the same ears, but learning new ways to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying. 


Remember that Jesus promised that the baptism in the Holy Spirit would empower us TO BE His witnesses (Acts 1:8). Not just to do things differently, but to have our spirit so enlivened by the Holy Spirit that we are living, breathing, walking, talking witnesses of a life transformed.


Have you noticed that there wasn’t a steep “learning curve” for the disciples of Jesus following Pentecost? Part of that is due to four key habits that the Holy Spirit helped form in their lives. 


    

  1. Correct biblical application—We immediately see people going from “They didn’t understand from the Scriptures” to quickly applying biblical texts to their current situations. This is exactly what Jesus promised would happen (John 20:6-9; Acts 2:16, 25, 34; John 14:26). 
    2. 



    

  1. Intercessory prayer—To intercede is to take someone else’s needs to God on their behalf. The Holy Spirit can help us apply Scripture to our prayers, and can even help us without words at all (Acts 4:24-26; Romans 8:26-27). 
    2. 



    

  1. Creative thinking—Christians should be the most creative thinkers in the world (Psalm 119:99; Jeremiah 33:3; 1 Corinthians 2:10). 
    2. 



    

  1. Healthy conflict resolution—We’re all different, so not seeing eye-to-eye is bound to happen, but Spirit-empowered Christians will be able to resolve conflicts faster and with better results (Acts 6:1-8; Acts 15:1-31). 
    2. 



“Your life as a Christian should make unbelievers question their disbelief in God.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer


Amen! Your life as a Christian that is living out daily habits that have been empowered by the Spirit should make everyone around you want to go deeper and deeper into all that the Holy Spirit has in store for them too. 




If you missed any of the messages in this series, you can access the full list of messages by clicking here.  






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Forever Love

May 29, 2019 — Craig T. Owens 




“His love endures forever” (NIV)


“His lovingkindness is everlasting” (NASB)


“His love never quits” (MSG)


“His faithful love endures forever” (NLT)


“His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever” (AMP)


“His loyalty continues forever” (EXP)


“His loyal love endures forever” (LEX)


“His loving-kindness continues forever” (TLB)


“His tender love for us continues on forever” (TPT)






The psalmist says this in every single verse of Psalm 136.


Get the point? Just in case you missed it—


You cannot outrun, use up, wear out, or lose God’s forever love!








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A Very Present Help

May 28, 2019 — Craig T. Owens 




God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)


God is not just present—He is very present! 


God is not merely in the room with you, He is fully attentive to you. He’s never distracted, preoccupied, or disinterested. 


Regardless of the quaking or roaring around you, He is so very present that He knows your quietest sigh. You don’t have to look anywhere else for help because He is VERY present at this VERY moment. 


The rest of this psalm reiterates this promise:


    

  • God is in the midst
    • 

  • God will help
    • 

  • The Lord of hosts is with us
    • 

  • God is our stronghold 
    • 



God Himself speaks the words of the natural conclusion we should draw when we realize that He is VERY present at this VERY moment—




“Be still, and know that I am God!”








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Don’t Stop At Salvation

May 6, 2019 — Craig T. Owens 




The Holy Spirit is vital in everything concerning a Christian’s life. Dr. Donald Stamps emphatically said it this way: 


“It is essential that believers recognize the importance of the Holy Spirit in God’s redemptive purpose. Many Christians have no idea what difference it would make if there were no Holy Spirit in this world. Without the Holy Spirit there would be no creation, no universe, no human race (Genesis 1:2; Job 33:4). Without the Holy Spirit there would be no Bible (2 Peter 1:21), no New Testament (John 14:26; 15:26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14), no power to proclaim the gospel (Acts 1:8). Without the Holy Spirit there would be no faith, no new birth, no holiness, no Christians at all in the world.” 


Sometimes I think we have in our mind that the “old” in Old Testament somehow means outdated or no longer applicable to our lives, and the “new” in New Testament should be our sole focus. But Jesus affirmed again and again that all of the Scriptures—what we now refer to as the Old Testament—all point to Him. 


The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on that Pentecost Sunday was not something new to the New Testament Christians. He was always a part of a believer’s life. Even 1000 years before Christ’s public ministry, David knew the importance of the Holy Spirit in both salvation, and in living a consistently holy lifestyle (Psalm 51:10-12, 143:10). 


The role of the Holy Spirit in Christ’s public ministry was foretold in the Old Testament Scriptures and then fulfilled in the New Testament era (see Isaiah 11:1-2; Luke 3:21-22; Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 4:18-21). 


If Jesus needed the baptism in the Spirit to empower Him, direct Him, and give Him success, how much more do we need this?! That’s why Jesus imparted the Holy Spirit to His followers at their moment of salvation, but then admonished them to eagerly expect the baptism in the Holy Spirit as well (John 20:22; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8). 


Quite simply Jesus is saying—DON’T STOP AT SALVATION


Jesus didn’t, the apostles didn’t, Paul didn’t, Apollos didn’t, the Ephesian Christians didn’t, I didn’t, and you shouldn’t either! 


Keep on going…


    

  1. Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins
    2. 

  2. Eagerly desire the baptism in the Spirit 
    3. 

  3. Ask God to baptize you in His Spirit
    4. 

  4. Expect that He will answer that prayer (Acts 2:38; Isaiah 44:3; John 7:37-39; Luke 11:13; Mark 11:24)
    5. 



Join me again this Sunday as we continue to learn what it means for Christians today to be Pentecostal. 


If you missed any of the messages in this series, you can access the full list of messages by clicking here.






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Raw Emotions In Worship

April 23, 2019 — Craig T. Owens 




When someone was out to get David, he turned to God in prayer. And what prayers he prayed! 


He didn’t hold back. He came to God with all of his emotions right out in the open. Raw—but honest—emotions. 


God called David a man after His own heart, so apparently God loved the honesty even when David asked God to break their arms, turn them into jackal food, burn them with fire, give them black eyes, or even blot their names out of God’s book of life (Psalm 10:15; 63:9-10; 68:1-2; 69:22-28)!


Why do we hesitate to express ourselves like this, to tell God what’s really in our hearts? Do we think He doesn’t know? Do we think He’s going to fall off His throne in shock at our brutal honesty? He already knows what’s in our hearts, so the expression of it is for our benefit. We must get it out in His presence because that’s the only way and the only place where true, deep, lasting healing can happen. 


I love what R.T. Kendall reminds us: “Real worship takes place when we are unafraid to express what we feel. Worship ought to bring us to the point where we can be honest. We never need to repress what we feel when we are around Jesus. He will never scold us for our honesty. It doesn’t mean we are right, but if we are being honest, He can help us and bring us to see where we are wrong and to face the truth.” (emphasis mine)


When you hurt, get alone with God and then get real with God. He already knows what’s in your heart, so speak it out. You need to get that poison out of your system so that God can heal you.






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