The King’s Bride

July 21, 2025 — 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. 

How many of you have taken time to watch a royal wedding? It captivates the attention of so many people when actress Grace Kelly becomes Princess Grace of Monaco, or when a Kate Middleton becomes the Princess Catherine of Wales. There is something that enthralls us when someone who isn’t born to royalty is elevated to such a special place in a fairy tale-like romance and wedding. 

Remember that these Royal Psalms are pointing through the earthly representative to the heavenly Reality. Psalm 45 is a wedding song, quite probably a wedding march for King David’s bride. 

(Check out all of the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.)

I’m intrigued by the preamble to this Psalm, as it is longer and more descriptive than most. 

  • For the director of music—appears 55x in the Psalter. 
  • To the tune of “Lilies”—appears only here and Psalms 69 and 80. 
  • Of the Sons of Korah—these are the skilled worship leaders. There are 11 songs written by them or for them. 
  • A maskil—this means it is to be a reflective song and is used 13 times. 
  • A wedding song—sometimes called a “song of love” in some translations. This Hebrew word is used 9 times in the Old Testament, always in poetic form, but Psalm 45 is the only instance it is said to be a wedding song. 

When we combine the beauty of lilies, the reflection of a maskil, and the skill of the Sons of Korah, we have a unique arrangement for a fairy tale-like romance that is culminating in a royal wedding. 

So I ask you to imagine this royal wedding ceremony where this song is sung from the perspective of the bride who is about to become royalty. As we see King David standing at the front awaiting his bride, let’s watch the scene expand to find King Jesus standing and awaiting His Church. 

  • Psalm 45:1-2 … Hear the bride, “How handsome You are, my Beloved! Oh, how charming!” (Song of Songs 1:16), and hear the wedding guests Revelation 19:6-7. 
  • vv. 3-7 … see the King standing with all the trophies of victories He has won. Verse 7 is quoted by the writer of Hebrews, specifically stating, “But about the Son [God] says…” (Hebrews 1:8-9). Also see Revelation 19:11-16. 
  • v. 8 … the aroma of victory is on the King and imputed to the Bride (Song 1:3; 2 Corinthians 2:14-15; Song 1:12). 
  • vv. 9-15 … the King is enthralled with the beauty of His Bride (Revelation 19:7-8; Song 1:15; Ephesians 5:25-27). 
  • vv. 16-17 … a blessing is pronounced on the couple (Ephesians 5:32). 

When we are enthralled with our King—when we only have eyes and hands and heart for Him—we are a pure virgin in His sight (2 Corinthians 11:2). But we are also a testimony to those who watch us watching our King.  

Just as royal weddings on earth captivate people who are watching the fairy tale-like wedding celebration, so will our devotion to the King intrigue and captivate a watching world. Notice again verse 17, “the nations will praise You for ever and ever.” When we love our King with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and then love others with that same love, we will draw the nations to our King (Revelation 22:17). 

If you have missed any of the other messages in our series looking at the Royal Palms, you can find them all here. 

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Links & Quotes

July 19, 2025 — Craig T. Owens

On our 100th episode, Greg and I talk about how important it is for leaders to let people learn through their struggle, so we need to reject the temptation to jump in to help them too soon. Check out the full conversation The Struggle is Real (but Necessary).

I have a lot of new video content on my YouTube channel every week. Please check it out and subscribe so you don’t miss anything.

John Piper was asked how to identify false teachers or prophets, and he gives four biblical tests to determine this. But I also appreciate this admonition: “Don’t set the bar so low that you only stop listening to people if they can be properly called false teachers. Lots of people are teachers who are simply misguided and unhelpful in many ways but might not come under the ban of being called a false teacher. Set your standards high. Listen to people who are truly God-centered, Christ-exalting, Bible-saturated, Spirit-dependent, who bear the marks in their lives of authenticity.” 

In imploring Christians to not shrink back from difficult trials but to rise and conquer in the strength of the Spirit, Greg Morse makes this observation: “When the risen Christ walked among His early churches (as He walks among them still), His eye was very keen to observe and His heart very ready to address a particular kind of person in every assembly: ‘the one who conquers’ (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). To each of the seven churches, He summons and strengthens the one who would overcome, prevail, hold fast, keep strong, stand firm, and move forward—the victors in Christ amid a larger group in the church who only profess to know Him.”

Two separate geological studies found a period in history where rock formations were impacted by massive amounts of water. ICR adds, “Because conventional geologists deny the historical accuracy of Genesis, they operate at a loss. They see evidence of massive erosion and tremendous water flow at the end of the Tejas Megasequence and just prior to the Ice Age but are hampered by their uniformitarian thinking to explain it. But the Bible gives us answers. Genesis describes a global flood that peaked on Day 150. The sedimentary rocks across all of the continents confirm this peak occurred at the end of the Zuni Megasequence (at the K-Pg). And the rocks confirm that the Tejas Megasequence records the subsequent receding phase.”

There was a Man who
dwelt in the east centuries ago,
And now I cannot look at a
sheep or a sparrow,
A lily or a cornfield,
a raven or a sunset,
A vineyard or a mountain,
without thinking of Him. —G.K. Chesterton



Clinton Manley addresses the place of physical exercise in the life of a Christian. Before sharing three astute observations about this interaction, he notes, “Body or soul is a false dichotomy. As Paul makes clear in 1 Corinthians 9:24–27, physical fitness and spiritual fitness don’t have to be either-or; they’re best as both-and. The body and soul have an inseparably reflexive relationship: the body affects the soul, and the soul affects the body. God created us to glorify Him by enjoying Him, and the body is the soul’s training partner in the pursuit of spiritual pleasures.”


“Who will trust me with a spiritual body if I cannot control even an earthly body?”  —C.S. Lewis 






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Listen, Listen, And Listen Some More

July 17, 2025 — 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.




We rob ourselves and diminish the other person with whom we’re conversing if we aren’t fully listening. Listen, listen, and (really!) listen some more before you share your opinion.




Solomon said, “He who states his case first seems right, until his rival comes and cross-examines him” (Proverbs 18:17 AMPC).


And I like this thought from John Maxwell:


     “The best way to understand people is to listen. The best way to learn from others is to listen. The best way to receive people’s best contribution is to listen. The best way to learn what others need from you is to listen. The best way to gain people’s buy-in is to listen.” —from John Maxwell’s book High Road Leadership 


I shared several quotes on this topic in the posts Leaders Listen and How to be Wise with your Mouth and Ears. 


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P.S. After posting this, I came across an article on the Desiring God website called Listen Well to Love Well. She wrote, “Listening is hard work. While our ears automatically welcome sound waves and ship them to our brains, it doesn’t mean we always hear other people. We might even wonder if listening well is worth the effort. … We have a long history with listening that makes it essential to who we are yet difficult to get right. Sarah Clarkson writes, ‘We are by nature a listening people. If we were spoken into being by the Word of God, then at our core we are to be listeners, and to attend to the word that spoke us into life.’”






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What Are You Reading?

July 15, 2025 — 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. 



I would like to ask you a simple question: What are you reading? 


You may have heard the phrase, “Leaders are readers.” Is that true? Is that the best use of your time? If this phrase is true, how do we know what to read? 




Here are some related blog posts I would suggest you peruse: 



The post from Scott Hubbard that I mentioned is called “What Should I Read Next?” 


If you are a pastor or ministry leader, I would humbly suggest that my books might be a good addition to your reading list:



►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎






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Links & Quotes

July 12, 2025 — Craig T. Owens 




Some human employers may ask us to do business for them without giving us a good example or enough resources. But when Jesus told us to be about the Father’s business, He gave us an example and the full empowerment of the Holy Spirit! Check out this full sermon.




I have a lot of new video content on my YouTube channel every week. Please check it out and subscribe so you don’t miss anything.


“Compromise is a costly word; non-compromise, even more so.” —Bono 


Shane Morris said, “But as much as AI’s potential can cause harm, blaming it alone misses the point and likely makes these problems worse. Humans are the fallen ones, and that fallenness manifests in all kinds of destructive ways. Machines, strictly speaking, don’t have morals or intentions. They can only reflect ours.” Check out his podcast AI is not the problem, we are.


“I do not believe that a nation dies save by suicide. To the very last every problem is a problem of will; and if we will we can be whole. But it involves facing our failures as well as counting our successes.” —G.K. Chesterton 


I love reading and I have a long list of what I would like to read next. Scott Hubbard addresses this question: “Perhaps the question ‘What should I read or listen to?’ would come into sharper focus if we had a better sense of why we read at all. ‘Why read?’ has more than one right answer. We read to learn, to rest, to deepen friendship with fellow readers, to enjoy the craft of skilled wordsmiths. But alongside these good reasons, consider three others that put our reading into the service of greater loves.” 


“I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing—that it was all started by a mouse.” —Walt Disney 


“The scientific man does not aim at an immediate result. … His duty is to lay the foundation for those who are to come, and point the way.” —Nikola Tesla 


This week marked the 100th anniversary of a court case that was known as “the trial of the century,” perhaps you have heard it called the Scopes Monkey Trial. It was, and has been, more sensation than substance. Check out this post that puts this trial in its proper perspective.






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Clarifying Questions Avoid Trouble

July 10, 2025 — 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. 



Misunderstandings happen all the time. Leaders can help their teammates navigate these verbal landmines—and avoid a lot of trouble—by asking the clarifying questions that will bring the whole team together. 




Check out the full conversation Greg and I had about unifying your team. 


We would love to serve as your leadership coach, so get in touch with us. My book Shepherd Leadership also has some biblical principles that leaders can immediately apply to their organizations. 


►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎






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Refuge From The Shoving

July 7, 2025 — 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. 



I don’t know when the last was that you may have tried to get a dozen little kids lined up, but it’s quite an experience! Everyone is vying for their spot. Someone gets mad and yells out, “He cut!” And then the reply is yelled back, “No, I didn’t. She was saving my spot!” This usually results in lots of pushing and shoving as each person tries to reclaim their rightful place in line. 


This is the backdrop for Psalm 7. The introduction tells us that Cush is causing David grief. Maybe because Cush is from the tribe of Benjamin like King Saul, and he doesn’t want David cutting in line so he is shoving him back to his proper place. 


(Check out all of the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.)


There’s a musical term David uses, which isn’t used in any other psalm: shiggaion. This means a rhythm that isn’t normal—it’s a freewheeling, irregular, impassioned beat. This also helps set the atmosphere for what’s happening in David’s life. The root word for shiggaion implies a shakeup (or a shoving and pushing) that could lead to someone losing their way. 


David tries to do the right thing. He asks for God’s help (v. 1) so that he doesn’t get ripped to shreds (v. 2). He even takes time to ask himself if he has done anything that led to Cush’s shoving (vv. 3-5). But notice these are all David’s attempts to make things right. 


Remember that this is a Royal Psalm, but we haven’t heard anything about God as King yet. But now we come to the end of v. 5, which is also the end of David’s own striving. It’s marked by the word Selah. 


My little friends push and shove to try to get their place. But all of that stops when I say, “Johnny is my line leader, and this is the way the rest of you are going to line up behind him.” David’s Selah pause was a call to switch from doing things on his own to yielding to the King to sort things out. He was saying, “The King of kings is the Leader and He knows my place in line.” 


It’s only after the Selah that we see the royal terms for the Undisputed Leader:


    

  • He is the One who will decree justice (v. 6) 
    • 

  • He will rule…from on high (v. 7) 
    • 

  • He is the Supreme Judge (vv. 8, 11) so David yields his introspection to Him (vv. 3-4, 8-9) 
    • 

  • He is God Most High (vv. 10, 17) 
    • 



Our King has no rival. No one can shove Him. No one can contradict Him. No one can hide anything from Him (vv. 11-16). 


We must bow only to the King of kings (Philippians 2:10-11). 


We mistakenly bow our knee to man when…


    

  • …we aren’t willing to own our mistakes 
    • 

  • …we try to administer our own “shove” of justice 
    • 

  • …we make our own refuge 
    • 



So we bow to the King when…


    

  • …we acknowledge, confess, and repent of our sins (vv. 3-5; Psalm 19:12, 69:5)
    • 

  • …we follow the example of Jesus when we’re shoved around (1 Peter 2:21-23)
    • 

  • …find our refuge solely in God (v. 1; c.f. 2:12; Ephesians 6:12; James 4:7)
    • 



Our best response in troublesome times—when you feel like you are being shoved around—is to fall to your knees in reverence to the King of kings (v. 17)! The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him; He covers him all the day long, and makes His dwelling between his shoulders (Deuteronomy 33:12 AMPC). 


If you’ve missed any of the other messages in our series looking at the royal psalms, you can catch up by clicking here. 


►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎








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Links & Quotes

July 5, 2025 — Craig T. Owens 




Controlling leaders shut down creativity among their teammates, which leads to higher turnover. If your team isn’t sharing their good ideas with you or if they are leaving you, that may be an indicator that you are too controlling. Check out the full conversation on The Craig and Greg Show




I have a lot of new video content on my YouTube channel every week. Please check it out and subscribe so you don’t miss anything.


“As a fact, men only become greedily and gloriously material about something spiritualistic. … Take away the supernatural, and what remains is the unnatural.” —G.K. Chesterton 


Astronomical technology like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) are providing breathtaking images. They are also creating problems for the scientific theories of the origins of our universe. University of California Santa Barbara physicist Caitlin Casey, said, “It makes sense—the Big Bang happens and things take time to gravitationally collapse and form, and for stars to turn on. There’s a timescale associated with that…. And the big surprise is that with JWST, we see roughly 10 times more galaxies than expected at these incredible distances.” There is a more straightforward answer found in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”


“Knowing where God wants people to be and taking the initiative to use God’s gifts and God’s methods to get them there, in reliance on God’s power through Christ, with God’s appointed people following.” —John Piper, giving his definition of godly leadership 


The Bible records the names of five Persian kings. One of them called “Darius the Persian” in Nehemiah 12:22 requires some historical cross-referencing to identify. The Bible Archeology Report presents another one of their fascinating archeological biographies on this Persian king. 


“The greatness of a leader is in his humility before God, not in his eloquence before men.” —Anonymous


The most viewed and downloaded resource on my blog is my chart of the kings of the united kingdom of Israel and the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. I was thrilled to discover this week that Jacob Edson at Biblegateway has taken my chart even deeper!


T.M. Moore has vital counsel for pastors, “Jesus must increase in us, and we must decrease. But that doesn’t just happen by carrying out whatever our ‘spiritual work’ requires of us week-in and week-out. Our ‘natural gifts’ cannot replace spiritual ones, and ‘mental powers’ are no match for the mind of Christ. It is a shepherd’s ‘duty’ to attend to the care and nurture of his soul, for unless we are diligent in this, we will not be able to lead the Lord’s sheep into a greater experience of our great salvation or a fuller realization of His Kingdom.”






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Disagreement To Unity

July 3, 2025 — 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 higher the stakes, the stronger your teammates’ opinions on how the organization should move forward. Leaders who take the time to walk their teams through this process will develop a stronger, more unified team. 




Check out the full conversation on The Craig and Greg Show in our episode Unity Not Conformity. 


Find out more about how Greg and I can coach you to leadership excellence. And get more information on my leadership-development books here: 



►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎






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Resourced Like Jesus

July 1, 2025 — 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. 



If Jesus needed to be empowered by the Holy Spirit in order to do His Father’s business, how much more do we need this anointing today? 




You can check out the full sermon from which I took this clip: The Father’s Business.


The Scriptures I reference in this clip—Luke 3:22; Matthew 17:5; Luke 4:1, 18-19; Acts 10:38; John 5:36. 


Like Jesus, when we are full of and led by the Holy Spirit everywhere we walk is holy ground; every moment is a sacred moment; every work is worship to God because we are occupied about the Father’s business.


Check out the full series of messages about the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in the series We Are: Pentecostal. 


►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎






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