Poetry Saturday—Exhortation To Prayer

January 5, 2019 — Craig T. Owens
William CowperWhat various hindrances we meet
In coming to a mercy-seat!
Yet who that knows the worth of prayer,
But wishes to be often there?


Prayer makes the darken’d cloud withdraw,


Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw,


Gives exercise to faith and love,


Brings every blessing from above.




Restraining prayer, we cease to fight,


Prayer makes the Christian’s armor bright;


And satan trembles when he sees


The weakest saint upon his knees.




While Moses stood with arms spread wide,


Success was found on Israel’s side;


But when through weariness they fail’d,


That moment Amalek prevail’d.




Have you no words? Ah! think again,


Words flow apace when you complain,


And fill your fellow-creature’s ear


With the sad tale of all your care.




Were half the breath thus vainly spent


To Heaven in supplication sent,


Your cheerful song would oftener be,


“Hear what the Lord has done for me.” —William Cowper














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Battle Ready

October 8, 2018 — Craig T. Owens 




The Bible says that satan prowls around like a lion, looking for an opening to devour Christians. Are you battle ready? The Apostle Peter gives us all of the battle preparation that we will need to be victorious!


One of the most important things we need to do is prepare ourselves before the battle even begins. Peter lists two key components: (1) self-control and (2) alertness (1 Peter 5:8-11). 


This Greek word for self-control is only used six times in all of the New Testament. Peter uses it three times in his first epistle, and the Apostle Paul also uses the word three times. It’s amazing to see the similarity in uses between the two of them. 


Both apostles use self-control in the context of the value of prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:6, 8; 1 Peter 4:7). In other words, Christians don’t wear armor to fight; they wear armor to pray. We have to be self-controlled enough to stick to the business of prayer. 


Restraining prayer, we cease to fight 


Prayer makes the Christian’s armor bright 


And satan trembles when he sees 


The weakest saint upon his knees. —William Cowper




Then both apostles use the Greek word for self-control in the context of using God’s Word as a spiritual weapon (2 Timothy 4:1-5; 1 Peter 1:10-13). Jesus used this same strategy in his battle in the desert against satan (Matthew 4:1-10)—Jesus was praying before the devil came to tempt Him, and then He defeated the devil’s temptations by quoting Scripture. 


Peter says the devil “prowls around like a roaring lion.” Notice that important word: like. The devil has always been an imitator—trying to be like God, he was expelled from Heaven, and then he deceived Adam and Eve by telling them they could be like God too. He’s using the same strategy now. 


Augustine pointed out, “Christ is called a Lion because of His courage; the devil because of his ferocity. The Lion comes to conquer, the other to hurt.” 


So Peter encourages us to “resist him, standing firm in the faith.” You resist the devil when you… 


    

  • …stay submitted to God 
    • 

  • …remember the blood of the Jesus—THE Lion of Judah—that won your victory 
    • 

  • …stay self-controlled in prayer
    • 

  • …remain alert in the Scriptures
    • 



Ask the Holy Spirit to keep you battle ready by helping you to develop the self-control and alertness you need. 




If you’ve missed any messages in this series, you may find the complete list by clicking here.






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Poetry Saturday—Truth

January 2, 2016 — Craig T. Owens 




William CowperOh how unlike the complex works of man,


Heaven’s easy, heartless, unencumbered plan!


No meretricious graces to beguile,


No clustering ornaments to clog the pile,


From ostentation, as from weakness, free,


It stands, like the cerulean arch we see,


Majestic in its own simplicity.


Inscribed above the portal, from afar


Conspicuous as the brightness of a star,


Legible only by the light they give,


Stand the soul-quickening words—BELIEVE AND LIVE. —William Cowper






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Poetry Saturday―There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood

March 14, 2015 — Craig T. Owens 




William CowperThere is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.


The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.


Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.


E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.


Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save,
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.
Lies silent in the grave, lies silent in the grave;
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.


Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared, unworthy though I be,
For me a blood bought free reward, a golden harp for me!
’Tis strung and tuned for endless years, and formed by power divine,
To sound in God the Father’s ears no other name but Thine. —William Cowper






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Poetry Saturday—Light Shining Out Of Darkness

January 3, 2015 — Craig T. Owens 




William CowperGod 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








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Exhortation To Prayer

January 6, 2013 — Craig T. Owens 




William CowperThis morning I shared one stanza from this wonderful poem by William Cowper (I have highlighted that stanza below) called Exhortation To Prayer. Here is the full poem—


What various hindrances we meet


In coming to a mercy-seat!


Yet who that knows the worth of prayer,


But wishes to be often there?


Prayer makes the darken’d cloud withdraw,


Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw,


Gives exercise to faith and love,


Brings every blessing from above.


Restraining prayer, we cease to fight, 


Prayer makes the Christian’s armor bright; 


And satan trembles when he sees 


The weakest saint upon his knees.


While Moses stood with arms spread wide,


Success was found on Israel’s side;


But when through weariness they fail’d,


That moment Amalek prevail’d.


Have you no words? Ah! think again,


Words flow apace when you complain,


And fill your fellow-creature’s ear


With the sad tale of all your care.


Were half the breath thus vainly spent


To Heaven in supplication sent,


Your cheerful song would oftener be,


“Hear what the Lord has done for me.”








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