repentance | Craig T. Owens

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Links & Quotes

March 1, 2014 — Craig T. Owens

These are links to articles and quotes I found interesting today.

Planned Parenthood announces their plans for the 2014 election, and Michigan is on the list.

Rush Limbaugh’s take: Religious Liberty Defeated In Arizona …

…and the Gospel Coalition’s look at the same topic: When Tolerance Turns To Coerced Celebration

Here are some good ideas for supporting missionaries: Heart For The World

[VIDEO] Constitutional law professor slams Obama’s use of executive orders.

“You are not leading or teaching a child. You are leading a future adult. Everything you do and say will either serve to prepare them or prevent them from being ready. The more you maintain that focus, the better choices you’ll make as a mentor” (Tim Elmore). Read more: Two View Points To Avoid and check out Elmore’s book Generation iY.

“The full, literal meaning of the word ‘repent’ in the New Testament is ‘to feel remorse and self-reproach for one’s sins against God; to be contrite, sorry; to want to change direction.’ The difference in meanings here rests on the word ‘want.’ True repentance includes a desire to change!” —David Wilkerson

How the media misrepresents what scientists say about climate change

Chinese police break up child-trakkicking ring and save hundreds of babies

[VIDEO] Cecile Richards (the president of Planned Parenthood) isn’t sure when life begins…

God Sees An Indiv1dual

February 26, 2014 — Craig T. Owens

The 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.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: blessing, counter-cultural, faithfulness, history, Israel, King David, psalms, repentance, rewards, sin. Leave a Comment »

Links & Quotes

February 7, 2014 — Craig T. Owens

These are links to articles and quotes I found interesting today.

“The truest and most acceptable repentance is to reverse the acts and attitudes of which we repent.” —A.W. Tozer

The so-called religion of peace: Christian Girl Abducted, Converted & Forced To Marry A Muslim

On the week of Bonhoeffer′s birthday: 12 Essential Bonhoeffer Quotes

Very touching: A Letter & Poem To My Baby On The 5-Year Anniversary Of My Abortion

Stop judging by outward appearances: One Biker′s Response To A Mother′s Rudeness

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: A.W. Tozer, abortion, attitude, Christian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Islam, judgement, mother, Muslim, persecution, poetry, pro-life, quotes, repentance. Leave a Comment »

Thursdays With Oswald—Anarchy!

February 6, 2014 — 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.

Anarchy!

Every other view of sin, saving the Bible view, looks on sin as a disease, a weakness, a blunder, an infirmity; the Bible revelation shows sin to be an anarchy, not a missing of the mark merely, but a refusal to aim at the mark.

From Christian Disciplines

Pulling no punches, Oswald Chambers calls sin exactly what it is: anarchy against God.

Sin is not something we can cure or tame; it’s not something we can inoculate ourselves against. Sin must be put to death! We cannot do this. Only Christ can put sin to death, so we must surrender to Him.

The Bible uses the word Atonement. I like to think of it this way: at one-ment with Jesus. I can only be forgiven and free of sin if I am at one-ment with the only One who can kill sin: my Savior Jesus Christ.

Have you completely surrendered to Jesus? You cannot fight off sin on your own. Until you surrender to Christ, you will remain in open rebellion—anarchy!—against God. Don’t wait another day, surrender to Christ now.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: anarchy, atonement, Bible, death, forgiveness, Jesus Christ, Oswald Chambers, rebellion, repentance, salvation, sin. Leave a Comment »

Is It Too Late For America?

November 20, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

This is not a political post; this is a biblical post.

“Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God I give you. … Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’” (Deuteronomy 4:2, 6).

The truthfulness of this passage has been proven in history time and time again. Nations who have followed God’s laws have been blessed; nations who ignore or depart from His laws suffer defeat.

America has been blessed because of her God-fearing Founding Fathers who fashioned our Constitution on biblically-sound wisdom, and because her God-fearing citizenry recognized we were one nation under God. But America has departed so grievously from that foundation that we will suffer defeat unless we repent.

It reminds me of what Jesus said to the church in Sardis in Revelation 3, “You have a reputation for being alive, but you are dying. Wake up! Strengthen what remains before it’s too late!”

Lord God, we as a nation have ignored Your laws and are subject to Your judgment. I pray You would send us another Great Awakening! Let hearts turn to You once again in this nation. Extend Your mercy to this land, giving us time to nationally repent. I don’t believe it’s too late for America … yet. But we will suffer defeat if we persist on this current path. Oh God, help us repent and turn back to You!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: American history, Bible, Constitution, Deuteronomy, Founding Fathers, Jesus Christ, judgement, mercy, repentance, Revelation, sin, United States of America. Leave a Comment »

Getting Cold Brings The Heat

November 11, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

A lukewarm Christian is a dangerous thing. So dangerous, in fact, that Jesus said to lukewarm Christians, “I can’t help you.”

Lukewarm is just a few degrees off hot. It’s just a subtle drift. No one can hardly notice that someone is lukewarm, except Christ.

Lukewarm Christians live off yesterday’s encounter with God. They still have an appearance of being hot, but they have settled for something mediocre.

I think cold is much closer to hot than lukewarm is. I think it’s easier to go from cold to hot, than it is to go from lukewarm to hot. At least cold and hot people share this in common: their walk matches their talk.

Jesus counsels lukewarm people to buy from Me. He is saying, “Recognize your need, be in the market, but only buy the best from Me.” Jesus also challenges lukewarm people to repent: literally to change their mind; to stop thinking the way they have been thinking and see themselves differently. And finally Jesus asks lukewarm Christians to listen for His voice.

William Holman Hunt painted a picture called Light of the World in which Jesus is knocking at a heart’s door. Notice that Jesus is in His royal robes and wearing His King’s crown. He is not coming to ask for something, but to give something. Notice also that it’s getting dark. The day is almost done, and the time to let Him in is almost up. Finally, note that there is no handle on the outside of the door. Jesus will not open the door to come in, but He patiently waits for you to open the door to Him.

Recognizing our desperate need of Christ makes us instantly cold. But in that instant of humble poverty, we can immediately become hot as Jesus is welcomed into our heart. Don’t miss out on the rewards Christ has for you by being comfortably lukewarm!

“There is nothing so necessary as cultivating a spirit of dependence on God and of confidence in Him that refuses to go on without the needed supply of grace and strength.” —Andrew Murray

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Andrew Murray, dangerous, Jesus Christ, Laodicea, listening, lukewarm, repentance, William Holman Hunt. 1 Comment »

Is Confrontation A Dirty Word?

October 21, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Jesus takes the church of Thyatira to task because they are tolerating someone with a Jezebel spirit to remain in a position of leadership and influence (Revelation 2:18-29). This is still a message to the church today!

However, for some reason Christians have made “confrontation” a dirty word. We don’t confront people in error, especially those who are in leadership positions within their church. Perhaps equally as wrong: when we do confront, we do it in a way that is destructive.

The goal of confrontation is restoration, not destruction!

In Revelation 2, Jesus gives us five steps toward healthy, biblical, God-honoring confrontation:

Don’t tolerate a Jezebel spirit by remaining silent (v. 20). Instead we need to follow the principles in Matthew 18:15-17 and 1 Timothy 5:19.
Allow the one whom you’ve confronted time to repent (v. 21a).
If they don’t repent, don’t rescue them from God-inflicted punishment (vv. 21b-23).
Run away from secrets (v. 24). If something more than Scripture is required by the Jezebel leader, reject it.
Don’t run away from the situation, but hold on to Jesus until Jesus returns (vv. 25-28).

Not one human is infallible, but Jezebel not only claims infallibility, but also demands blind allegiance to her teachings. But it is just as wrong to tolerate Jezebel as it is to confront her unbiblically; Jesus opposed both.

One way for us to always avoid these two extremes: Try to out-serve one another, just as Jesus directed us—

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28)

If you are near Cedar Springs next Sunday, please join me as we continue our series on The 7-Star Church.

Check out this clip about confrontation—

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: 1 Timothy, Bible, Calvary Assembly of God, church, confrontation, discipline, Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Christ, Jezebel, punishment, repentance, restoration, Revelation, unrepentant, video. 3 Comments »

The Sin Of Silence

October 14, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” —Edmund Burke

This is as true for Christians as it is for anyone else.

In addressing the church at Pergamum (see Revelation 2:12-17), Jesus calls the Christians out for their silence. He tells them that what He has against them is their close relationship with those who hold to unbiblical ideas.

Pergamum’s sin is our sin in the USA today: tolerance. We let things slide, hoping to get along with others, trying not to rock the boat, trying to avoid being labeled a “hater,” and finding ways to be everyone’s friend.

There is a Latin phrase used in legal circles that says: Qui tacet consentire, which means Silence gives consent. If you don’t speak up to challenge what is stated, it is assumed that you believe it.

Jesus calls the church at Pergamum to repent for their tolerance. He calls for them to speak the truth of God’s Word. Twice the phrase is used to remind us of God’s Word being sharper than a double-edged sword.

Our job as Christians is not to win an argument, bring conviction, or become the sin police. Our job is to speak God’s truth in love.

True friends speak out when someone they care about is making a foolish choice. True Christians loving speak The Truth when the world around them is selling out to a convenient lie.

“In keeping silent about evil, in burying it so deep within us that no sign of it appears on the surface, we are implanting it, and it will rise up a thousandfold in the future. When we neither punish nor reproach evildoers … we are ripping the foundations of justice from beneath new generations.” —Alexander Solzhenitsyn

I will be continuing our series The 7-Star Church: Becoming The Church That Pleases Christ next Sunday. If you are in the area, I would love to have you join me.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Bible, biblical truth, Calvary Assembly of God, church, Edmund Burke, Jesus Christ, Pergamum, repentance, Revelation, sin, tolerance. Leave a Comment »

If … But If … If … But If …

October 9, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

No, I’m not repeating myself; I’m just quoting the pattern in the Bible (specifically Leviticus 26).

God’s laws are inviolate. No conditions will be made, nor any exceptions allowed. The conditions in Leviticus 26 apply as much to the Israelites in 1400 BC as they do to us in the United States of America today.

IF we obey God’s Word, He will bless us with His favor (verses 3-13).

BUT IF we disobey, He will set His face against us (verses 14-17).

IF we continue to harden our hearts and remain unrepentant, God’s punishments will grow increasingly more severe (verses 18-39).

BUT IF we repent wholeheartedly, God will again restore us (verses 40-45).

It’s time for us in America to wake up to this reality! If God held His chosen people, the Israelites, to this, how much more so will He not hold us to it.

We in America have violated God’s principles for too long. We have clearly moved through the first IF and BUT IF stages. I believe we are now in the second IF stage. But the hopeful news is that there is still another BUT IF stage for us to obtain, if only we will repent and ask God’s forgiveness.

It starts with me and with you. Will you join me in asking for repentance and praying for God’s favor to visit us once again?

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: forgiveness, God's Word, judgement, law, Leviticus, repentance, restoration, sin, unrepentant. 2 Comments »

Keep Your Love Up-To-Date

September 23, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

It’s possible to be so busy doing good things that we forget why we are doing those good things. Worse than that: our busyness can actually kill what’s most important.

When Jesus addressed the church at Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7), He addressed a problem we in the West face today as well. Jesus said, “You are hard workers. You keep pressing on despite the obstacles. You are ministering to others, you’re making sure no wolves in sheep’s clothing infiltrate the church, and you even stand strong under persecution for your faith.”

But then Jesus drops a hard word on them: “Yet I have this against you: You have forsaken your first love.”

The Ephesians were fighting the good fight. Yet this intense work and ministry detracted from what is most important: Love for God. The New Living Translation says verse four this way: You don’t love Me or each other as you did at first.

Busyness can kill love.
Fighting evil can kill love.
Standing for truth can kill love.
Ministering to others can kill love.

Ministering to others is not love. It can only come from the overflow of love. But if the love is not kept full, there’s nothing there to overflow, and we’re only “doing our duty.”

So Jesus challenges the Ephesians (and us) with these two steps: Remember and Repent.

The verb tense for remember is the present tense. That means it’s something we need to do now. I cannot tell my wife “I love you” nine times on Monday morning and expect that I’m covered for the next 10 days. In the same way, we cannot tell Jesus we love Him on Sunday morning, and then go off to do our own thing for the rest of the week. That choice will not allow us to overflow with love; in fact, it will be just the opposite: we’ll be running on empty, just doing our duty.

We must keep our love up-to-date. Remember often how much God loves you, and express your love to Him. And if you find something in your life that is more of a focus that Christ, repent. Turn from that and turn back to your first love.