I Have To Do It Now

November 29, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

As I was wrapping up our Thanksgiving series, I was struck by the verb tense that Paul used in all of the verses I was studying.

When the Apostle Paul writes that we are to be overflowing with thankfulness, and let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, and stay on our guard against slipping away from this, the verb tense is present tense. Simply put, he says, “Do it now.”

Not: Wait for better conditions … get things in order next Sunday at church … schedule a spiritual retreat.

The verbs are also in the active voice, which means I have to do it.

Not: Wait for a friend encourage me … hope my pastor can pump me up spiritually next Sunday … tune in to some sort of motivational speaker.

There is no better time than NOW, and there’s no better person than ME to do it.

“It is by little procrastinations that men ruin their souls. They have no intention to delay for years—a few months will bring the more convenient season—tomorrow if you will, they will attend to serious things; but the present hour is so occupied and altogether so unsuitable, that they beg to be excused. Like sands from an hour-glass, time passes, life is wasted by driblets, and seasons of grace lost by little slumbers.” —Charles Spurgeon

So what are you waiting for?!

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Still So Much More To Learn

November 22, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I was thinking about the disciples of Jesus. Can you imagine the things they heard and saw! With their own eyes they saw those jaw-dropping miracles. With their own ears they heard His profound teaching. They watched and heard Him pray. No one ever had the kind of access to Jesus than these men.

And yet, they were still so spiritually dull…

  • They couldn’t grasp what Jesus was teaching, even when He explained it to them privately.
  • Their faith was sorely lacking.
  • They argued among themselves over such petty things.

If these men—with their almost limitless access to Jesus—were still struggling in their faith, what would make me think I have ever “arrived”?

There is still so much more for me to learn about Jesus.

And I do want to learn more! I want to press in—closer and closer, deeper and deeper! I never want to stop learning my Savior’s heart and will!

What about you? Do you want more?

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Groaning

November 14, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I’m a list kinda guy. I love making To Do lists, and shopping lists, and even prayer lists. These seem to work well for my temperament, helping me stay on task and feel like I am accomplishing something.

But I’ve noticed a danger built-in to these lists. I can use the lists to remove all emotion from my activities. I suppose that might be a good thing for my To Do lists and shopping lists, but it’s a bad thing for my prayer lists.

Many times when Jesus was moved to touch someone in need, the Bible says that Jesus groaned. Look at this:

  • Some people brought a man who could neither hear nor speak and asked Jesus to lay a healing hand on him. He took the man off by himself, put His fingers in the man’s ears and some spit on the man’s tongue. Then Jesus looked up in prayer, groaned mightily, and commanded, “Ephphatha!—Open up!” And it happened. (Mark 7:31-35)
  • When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. (John 11:33)
  • Now Jesus, again sighing repeatedly and deeply disquieted, approached the tomb. (John 11:38)

I love the words of G. Morgan Campbell:

“No man can pray for the world unless the Spirit interpret to him the world’s agony, and the Spirit cannot intercede the world’s agony to any man unless that man live in the midst of the world’s agony. Not by retirement from the world, not by hiding away within a monastic institution, not by seeking to develop my own spiritual life by removing myself from the agony of the world, can I ever pray for the world; but because I live every day in the midst of its busy life, am close to it and know it, and because the Spirit of God in me leads me into the secret deepest meaning of the world’s agony and pain so that I no longer treat it as a superficial disease that can be dealt with by the nostrums of humanity, but as a great heart trouble that needs blood and sacrifice to deal with it, am I able to pray. Out of that revelation of the meaning of the world’s agony created by the Spirit in the hearts of believing men they are able to pray. The Church of God in the economy of God was created an institute of prayer.”

Are you close enough to lost and hurting humanity to hear them groan?

Are you moved by their groans?

Can you groan on their behalf? That’s how we should be praying, and then the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express (Romans 8:26).

Don’t just pray for the hurting around you; groan for them!

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Proper Preaching

November 12, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

Jonathan Edwards was a brilliant man. His words here are spoken directly to preachers. I endeavor to handle my God-given responsibilities like this:

“Pure Christian humility has no such thing as roughness, or contempt, or fierceness, or bitterness in its nature; it makes a person like a little child, harmless and innocent, that none need to be afraid of, or like a lamb, destitute of all bitterness, wrath, anger, and clamor; agreeable to Ephesians 4:31. With such a spirit as this ought especially zealous ministers of the gospel to be clothed, and those that God is pleased to employ as instruments in His hands of promoting His work. They ought indeed to be thorough in preaching the word of God, without mincing the matter at all; in handling the sword of the Spirit, as the ministers of the Lord of hosts, they ought not to be mild and gentle; they are not to be gentle and moderate in searching and awakening the conscience, but should be sons of thunder. The Word of God, which is in itself sharper than any two-edged sword, ought not to be sheathed by its ministers, but so used that its sharp edges may have their full effect, even to the dividing asunder soul and spirit, joints and marrow. Yet they should do it without judging particular persons, leaving it to conscience and the Spirit of God to make the particular application. But all their conversation should savor of nothing but lowliness and good-will, love and pity to all mankind; so that such a spirit should be like a sweet odor diffused around them wherever they go. They should be like lions to guilty consciences, but like lambs to men’s persons. This would have no tendency to prevent the awakening of men’s consciences, but on the contrary would have a very great tendency to awaken them. It would make way for the sharp sword to enter; it would remove the obstacles, and make a naked breast for the arrow. —Yea, the amiable Christ-like conversation of such ministers in itself, would terrify the consciences of men, as well as their terrible preaching; both would co-operate to subdue the hard, and bring down the proud heart.”

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Has God Spoken? (book review)

October 17, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

The Bible has quite a bit to say about apologetics — defending what you believe. Paul tells Christians to study God’s Word so that we won’t be ashamed of it, and Peter tells Christians to always be prepared to answer anyone who questions our faith in Christ. But how do we know the Bible is true? Hank Hanegraaff’s latest book, Has God Spoken?, is an excellent resource to help you answer that question.

You may know Hank as host of the Bible Answer Man, and have come to appreciate his wit and wisdom. In Has God Spoken? you will be well-armed to answer any critics who claim that the Bible is not all that Christians claim it to be.

And I love the format that Hank uses to share all of his wisdom. Just like musicians learned their musical notes through such statements as, “Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge,” Hank uses a variety of acrostics to make his evidence so easy to recall. In addition, this book is fully documented, with nearly 100 pages of endnotes, so you can dig a little deeper into the evidence and proofs that he presents.

The puritan pastor Thomas Watson wrote, “The Bible is a rock of diamonds, a chain of pearls, the sword of the Spirit; a chain by which the Christian sails to eternity; the map by which he daily walks; the sundial by which he sets his life; the balance by which he weighs his actions.” But if someone ever doubts the accuracy, inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible, he will never know the treasures and life resources within its pages. That’s why this book is so valuable, and I highly recommend it to both Bible believers and Bible skeptics.

I am a Thomas Nelson book reviewer.

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Praying For Your Pastor

October 4, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

For the past few years, October has been designated as Pastor Appreciation Month. Honestly, I feel appreciated by the great folks at Calvary Assembly of God every single week! I can only pray that other pastors feel the same love I feel.

Here’s a simple way you can show your pastor appreciation both in October, and all year long: Pray for him or her. Multiple times the Apostle Paul wrote pray for us (Colossians 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:25; 2 Thessalonians 3:1). Prayer is SO NEEDED for your pastor!

Here’s what the eminent pastor Charles Spurgeon wrote:

The members of the body of Christ should have a care for one another, but especially should the minister receive the prayers of his flock. I have sometimes heard his duties called arduous, but that word is not expressive enough. The works in which he is occupied lie quite out of the region of human power. The minister is sent to be God’s messenger for the quickening of the dead. What can he do in it? He can do nothing whatever unless the Spirit of God be with him through the prayer of his brethren.

He is sent to bring spiritual food to the multitude, that is to say, he is to take the loaves and fishes, and with them, few as they are, he is to feed the thousands. An impossible commission! He cannot perform it. Apart from divine help, the enterprise of a Christian minister is only worthy of ridicule. Apart from the power of the Eternal Spirit, the things which the preacher has to do are as much beyond him as though he had to weld the sun and moon into one, light up new stars, or turn the Sahara into a garden of flowers. We have a work to do concerning which we often cry, “Who is sufficient for these things?” and if we be put to this work but have not your prayers, and in consequence have not the supply of the Spirit, we are of all men the most miserable.

Show how much you appreciate your pastor by upholding him/her in prayer every day.

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No Sinking Down

September 20, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I am so challenged by this quote from J.C. Ryle:

“Men and women who hear the Gospel regularly, I often fear much for you. I fear lest you become so familiar with the sounds of its doctrines, that you gradually become dead to its power. I fear lest your religion should sink down into a little vague talk about your own weakness and corruption, and a few sentimental expressions about Christ, while real practical fighting on Christ’s side is altogether neglected. Oh, beware of this state of mind! ‘Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only.’ No victory—no crown! Fight and overcome!”

If you would like to read more of Ryle’s quotes, check out this blog for a daily dose.

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God Made You You

September 20, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

God doesn’t make mistakes.

Ever!

That means you are not a mistake. You might make a mistake (or, if you’re like me, maybe lots of mistakes), but you are not a mistake.

God had you in mind before He created this universe. He knew the perfect time to send you to Earth. And He knew just what you needed to be.

You are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for you to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

STOP comparing yourself to others.

STOP beating yourself up.

STOP doubting how special you are.

Even the fun and entertaining Dr. Seuss got it:

Today you are you! That is truer than true!
There is no one alive who you-er than you!

“You are most attractive when you are yourself, simply because real is attractive.” —Howard Hendricks

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Christian Disconnect

September 19, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

The Barna Group just released a study that looks at some of the disconnects between what Christians believe and how they live. You can read the full report by clicking here, but here are the main disconnects:

  • 81% of Christians say Jesus is important to them; but only 18% are committed to developing their relationship with Jesus.
  • 64% of Christians have confessed their sins to God; but only 12% realize how devastating their personal sin is.
  • Lots of Christians participate in “normal” religious activities every week; but “less than one out of ten have talked about their faith with a non-Christian, fasted for religious purposes, and had an extended time of spiritual reflection during the past week.”
  • Most Christians feel “comfortable” in their church; but their comfort level is only surface-deep, with no accountability nor confession.

As a pastor, I place the responsibility for these disconnects squarely on the pastors. On me.

Unless pastors are teaching this stuff—and living this stuff—the disconnects will always remain.

Gregory the Great (ca. 540-604) wrote, “There are some who investigate spiritual precepts with cunning care, but what they penetrate with understanding they trample on in their lives: all at once they are teaching the things which not by practice but by study they have learnt; and what in words they preach, by their manners they impugn. Whence it comes to pass that when the shepherd walks through steep places, the flock follows to the precipice.”

I’m challenged by this, and I’m going to spend some time in prayer this week regarding these disconnects. I want to take a good look at what I’m teaching and living, and allow the Holy Spirit to correct what needs to be corrected.

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Thursdays With Oswald—Stop Doing That!

September 15, 2011 — 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.

Stop Doing That!

     Deliverance from sin is not the same as deliverance from human nature. There are things in human nature, such as prejudices, that the saint can only destroy through sheer neglect. But there are other things that have to be destroyed through violence, that is, through God’s divine strength imparted by His Spirit. … We can either turn back, making ourselves of no value to the kingdom of God, or we can determinedly demolish these things, allowing Jesus to bring another son to glory.

From My Utmost For His Highest

I’m usually pretty good at making To-Do lists. But how am I at making Don’t-Do lists?

I need find those things that are holding me back, and deliberately destroy them—totally neglect them, and let them die from starvation. Doing has a certain power in my spiritual growth, but not doing can have an equal power as well.

“The average human being in any line of work could double his productive [or spiritual] capacity overnight if he began right now to do all the things he knows he should do, and to stop doing all the things he knows he should not do.” —Elmer G. Letterman

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