Monday, January 28, 2008

Talk About A Tough Week!

January 28, 2008

Every Sunday we hear the words coming from the pulpit or lectern, "Now turn in your Bibles to . . ." Having a Bible on our laps on Sunday morning is something that we give little thought to. When our ministry returns to the cities where we have held festivals to help with discipleship and church planting, we always give away hundreds and hundreds of Bibles to the new believers. For people who have never owned a Bible before, the joy of receiving one is unimaginable.

There are many places in the world where we do ministry that even if you gave the new believers Bibles they could not read them. We often forget that much of the world is illiterate. Whenever I go to those places I am reminded so much of the early church. They did not have a Bible like we have as there were no printing presses, and most of the people could not read. Much of what the church held to was passed along by oral tradition and manuscripts that were read to the congregation. Songs were often made from the words of Scripture so that they could be remembered since they could not read.

As we come to fourteenth chapter of Mark we enter into what is known as the Passion. It refers to the week leading up to the crucifixion of Christ. It is interesting to note that the narrative of the fourteenth through the sixteenth chapters of Mark was actually circulated amongst the early churches before any of the gospels were ever penned. This narrative was so important to the early church since they held to the belief of the resurrected Christ. It appears that Mark took the manuscripts that were being circulated and added them to his book almost verbatim. Of the 661 verses in Mark, 242 deal with the last week of Jesus on earth, and 128 verses deal with the actual "Passion." Like us, their faith was founded on the resurrection of Christ.

Before the Passion comes the Passover.

Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. "But not during the Feast" they said, "or the people may riot." Mark 14:1-2

The month of April was always an exiting time for the Jewish people. This was a major holiday that even induced many to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover celebrations. The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread allowed the Jewish people to reflect on their heritage and how God had delivered them centuries earlier from bondage. There was literally four weeks of preparations leading up to the week of the Passover in which children were told the various stories surrounding the exodus out of Egypt. Again, this was all taught by oral tradition.

It was required that any Jewish male living within 15 miles of Jerusalem had to go to the city for this national holiday. No one really had to be coerced to make the trek. In fact, Josephus and other historians of that day have made it clear that the population of Jerusalem swelled to huge numbers during the feast week. Some estimates have been as high as three million people celebrating during this week that Mark writes about. The increased population would account for the concern the religious leaders had regarding a potential riot if they went after the popular Jesus, especially during this sacred week.

I find it fascinating that the "powers that be" said they would not kill Jesus during the Feast and yet God said the exact opposite. Jesus in fact said that God decreed that it should happen at that precise point: "The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him." Luke 22:22. Then in Acts chapter two we find Peter addressing a crowd regarding the coming of the Holy Spirit and the work of Christ on the cross. Peter says, "This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross." The time of the slaughter of the Lamb of God was set by the Father to be at the exact time that his chosen people were celebrating the Passover with their own sacrificial lambs. Fantastic! The time of Jesus' death was not by chance it was, as the British say, "spot on" because God ordained it. God was fulfilling his covenant with his people!

Let us be reminded this week once again that God's timing is perfect. When we are going through difficult times that we wish would end, it's often hard to remember that. St. Augustine wrote, "God is not a deceiver that he should offer to support us, and then, when we lean upon Him, should slip away from us." God is with us in the good and bad of life.

There is a contemporary song we sing at our church that chokes me up every time we sing it. It is called Blessed Be Your Name and it thrills me. The premise of the song is that we should bless God in the good and bad of life because he is there and is using it all. Read these beautiful verses.

Blessed be your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where the streams of abundance flow
Blessed be your name
Blessed be your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be your name
Blessed be your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's all as it should be
Blessed be your name
Blessed be your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be your name

As Jesus entered the Passion Week He was and is our example of blessing the Lord at all times!

Blessed be His Name,

Dan


Invite Dan Owens to Speak at Your Church or Event in 2008
Contact Jill Griffin today @ jill@eternityminded.org to reserve a date or request more information.

Copyright 2007 Eternity Minded Ministries - All rights reserved
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Monday, January 21, 2008

Be On Guard

Invite Dan Owens to Speak at Your Church or Event in 2008
Contact Jill Griffin today @ jill@eternityminded.org
to reserve a date or request more information.

We encourage you to visit our podcast, Becoming Eternity Minded, at http://www.danowens.podcastpeople.com/ today to listen and/or download Dan Owens' message, The Vine and the Branches (Part III of III). Be sure to return to Becoming Eternity Minded regularly to listen to new messages as they are uploaded.


BE ON GUARD

I read a story of a stewardess who became quite frustrated by the inattentiveness of her passengers while sharing her safety demonstration. She decided to change the wording of the prepared announcement and said, “When the mask drops down in front of you, place it over your navel and continue to breathe normally.” Not one person noticed; no one was paying attention.

Having served as a police chaplain for years I have been privy to stories of officers who have had embarrassing situations because they were not paying attention. I am amazed when I hear of men and women who are so professional in their jobs and behavior yet accidentally firing their weapon while in the locker room at the station. Fortunately all the stories that I heard ended with read faces and not tragic results.

Jesus warned his disciples that “keeping their head in the game” was going to be of extreme importance after he left them. In the Gospel of Mark as Jesus speaks of his return he made it clear that he did not know the exact point in time of his return. He left no doubt that his followers should not take this as reason to lose hope, but to be filled with hope of his return.

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do no know when the owner of the house will come back-whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” Mark 13:32-37

I find it quite easy to become complacent and unconcerned about the return of King Jesus. This passage once again informs me that I am too often tied to this world and kingdom U.S.A. instead of the Kingdom of God. The final words of Jesus in this discourse touch me deeply because they are not just given to those standing around him 2,000 years ago. “What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch!” I am included in the word “everyone” and so are you.

Jesus gives us his word that he is going to return to earth and he tells us what to do until that time. He admonishes each of us to “Be on guard, be alert, watch.” Those words do not mean that we should be standing around idle, being unproductive citizens nor uncaring Christians. He has already told us that our lives should be about spreading the message of salvation while being a neighbor to those in need.

Alertness means that we should be active morally and spiritually. We should not be people of laxity or laziness regarding the things that truly have meaning and measure in the Kingdom of our King. When Jesus returns he should find us doing what he was doing while he was here on earth. We should be watching for his return while doing all that we can to partner with Holy Spirit to reclaim God’s people.

The sometimes controversial scholar William Barclay wrote concerning this passage: “We live in the shadow of eternity. That is no reason for fearful and hysterical expectation. But it means that day by day our work must be completed. It means that we must so live that it does not matter when he comes. It gives us the great task of making everyday fit for him to see and being at any moment ready to meet him face to face. All life becomes a preparation to meet the King.”

For the most part I think we will be ashamed to the point of nausea at the return of our Lord. I believe that in an instant we will be amazed at how far we really were from what he called us to become. I sense that we will be horrified when we finally come to grips with how much we loved the American lifestyle more than we loved him.

How will we feel I wonder when none of our excuses are heard and all of our arguments for spiritual laziness hit his wall of his truth? When I read the Book of Acts and writings of the early church fathers I feel my stomach churn because I realize I am only a fraction of what God expects me to be.

Capitol One Credit has humorous commercials on television that always end with the question, “What’s in your wallet?” The Holy Spirit of God and of Christ may well be asking the question, “What’s in your heart?”

Let’s pay attention to the things that Jesus Christ says are important: love, faith, honesty, good works and good words just to name a few.

Peace to you,

Dan

Copyright 2007 Eternity Minded Ministries - All rights reserved

Monday, January 14, 2008

Who Is Speaking?



INVITE DAN TO SPEAK AT YOUR CHURCH IN 2008
Email us at emm-info@eternityminded.org

We encourage you to visit our podcast, Becoming Eternity Minded, at http://www.danowens.podcastpeople.com/ today to listen and/or download Dan Owens' message, The Vine and the Branches (Part II of III).
Be sure to tune back in on January 21st for Part III.

WHO IS SPEAKING?

We have often heard the line in real life and movies, "I can speak for myself, thank you." This phrase means normally that the person would rather defend themselves or tell the story as they saw instead of someone else doing it for them.

I have learned the hard way that "speaking for myself" is not always a good thing. In fact, there have been more times than I would like to admit that I should have let someone else speak instead. As the saying goes, "Keep your words soft and sweet. You never know when you’re going to have to eat them." Ouch.

As Jesus talked about end times and as His disciples grew in their curiosity and concern, He gave them a wonderful promise. He forewarned His friends that they were going to go through difficult times and be paraded in front rulers and authorities. Jesus told them that they were going to have to speak on His behalf, but they were not to worry. Why?

"Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry before hand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit." Mark 13:11

Fear of public speaking is one of America's greatest anxieties. Jerry Seinfeld once said that at a funeral, most people would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy. For many the thought of standing in front of others while called upon to speak is terrifying. Imagine how it would be if your life was truly on the line as well.

Most of us know all to well the captivity of the mind that happens when we prepare to confront a person or a situation. We play our speech over and over again in our minds. We edit, we change our emotional tone, and we prepare our best illustrations knowing that we will get one shot at saying what we really want to say. It’s exhausting and in most cases our persuasive speech never turns out the way we played it in our heads.

Jesus brings such comforting words as He tells His friends not to stress over their speeches because the Holy Spirit would do the speaking for them. Now, I know many of you are thinking that this promise is only for those who are preaching or ministering the Gospel. You might be thinking, "Sure Dan that is great that the Holy Spirit does that for you when you are preaching in India or Peru, but I am not a preacher."

The Holy Spirit who dwells in us should have the freedom to speak through us as He wills. It can be on a platform in a church or a platform at a railway station. The location does not matter as much as the message that needs to given by the Spirit. To be honest, at this stage of my life, I am more interested in allowing the Holy Spirit to speak through me in my home than I am in India or Peru.

The Holy Spirit can give intellectual words and answers to us through our minds just as we see him do in the book of Acts. And, the Holy Spirit can also give emotional words of love, compassion and encouragement to our hearts to share with others. I think we must begin with asking the Holy Spirit to control our speech every day. We should be sensitive to His leading as we are talking to a friend in need, asking the Spirit to speak to us in order to say the right things. In many ways this is what "words of knowledge" are, or the gift of discernment. It is sensing from the Spirit what is going on in a person or situation and allowing Him to bring the correct words though you. That is something we should all pray for.

I was in a setting recently when an older man, who has become a dear friend, told the audience that I had played a very important role in his life. He shared how years ago while he was trying to determine God's next step for his life and weighing a new opportunity, that I said something to him that helped make his decision. As I listened to my friend who I consider much wiser than me, I was thrilled to think that just possibly on that day many years ago that the Holy Spirit had given me the words to say to him.

At Christmas I was honored to preach at our home church here in California. I would imagine there were somewhere around 1400 people in attendance. I was blessed to bring a Christmas message in place of our faithful pastor. The next Sunday I spoke in a church service with 10 people also here in my home town. My energy level was the same for both services because they were both appointments from God that required the Holy Spirit to speak.

When we really stop and think about all the conversations we have with family, friends, works associates and strangers, we can see the need of having the Spirit speak through us. When you wake up tomorrow it may just be that the Holy Spirit has a speaking ministry for you and He wants to give you the words to say. It may be to an audience of 100, or 10 or even 1. The size does not matter because it is an appointment from God and He wants to use you! Don’t speak for yourself-let the Holy Spirit do it for you.

May the Holy Spirit speak through you many times in 2008!

Dan

Copyright 2007 Eternity Minded Ministries - All rights reserved

Monday, January 7, 2008

The Vine and the Branches

Today we are sending you a brief excerpt from Who Is This Jesus by Daniel Owens, along with a link to our new podcast Becoming Eternity Minded. Regular devotions, Straight from the heart of Dan Owens, will resume next week.


We encourage you to visit our podcast, Becoming Eternity Minded, at http://www.danowens.podcastpeople.com/ today to listen and/or download Dan Owens' message, The Vine and the Branches (Part I of III). Be sure to tune back in on January 14th and 21st for Part II and III.


The True Vine

"I am the real vine and my Father is the famer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are
already pruned back by the message I have spoken." (John 15:1-3)


One Sunday I drove home from a speaking engagement along California's coastal highway. As we headed out of Los Angeles, we began to see vineyards popping up all over the place. In fact, the area from Santa Barbara to Morgan Hill, about a 250-mile stretch, seemed to have grown into one big vineyard.


We just gazed in amazement out our windows as we wound through the beautiful countryside. One vineyard after another made it look like a sea of grapes - it was absolutely beautiful.


Jesus used the analogy of a vineyard to describe his relationship with us. He says in John 15:5, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." He calls the Father (v. 1) the gardener, or vinedresser. Everyone has a role in God's vineyard.


Tune in to my podcast and listen to more on this topic.


God bless you,

Dan

Copyright 2007 Eternity Minded Ministries - All rights reserved