May I Recommend Some Hip-Hop!

I am not an avid fan of hip-hop music nor am I an avid listener. However, there seems to be a genuine move of God among those who are and it is becoming increasingly evident in their music. One performer in particular has caught my attention and my appreciation, Lecrae. His album, Rehab, is essentially theology put to music, or more accurately, theology in hip-hop. In fact, you will encounter more theology listening to Lecrae than you will by listening to the average contemporary Christian artist. Lecrae has not only put theology into a music genre, he has put “sound” theology in his lyrical gifting. When you listen to “Rehab” you come face to face with two massive theological, biblical truths, depravity and grace!

It is exciting to see the Gospel infiltrating the hip-hop subculture. It is exciting to hear powerful truths voiced with conviction, clarity, and talent. This is not just hip-hop glazed over with a little bit of Christianese! This is hip-hop at its best with a clear, biblical, gospel concentration of lyrics.

Also, I have to admit, when I have caught up listening to sermons during my workout, it is also fun and encouraging to hear Lecrae speak of Gospel issues in rhyme!

Check it out! You might find yourself singing, or rapping, along!

Time Heals All Wounds - Really? Part Two

Time can be deceptive. It has no healing powers, but with the passing of time, wounds appear to have healed. It is not only deceptive though, it can be dangerously deceptive. This is especially true when it comes to sin and the need for repentance. Even more so when we have sinned against another and reconciliation is vitally important for our own spiritual growth and, even more crucial, as evidence of our genuine conversion.

As church-going “Christians,” we normally do not intentionally, with pre-meditation sin against our neighbor. By that I mean we do not consider our actions as sinful. We have justified our actions to ourselves and even to others. We have selected a few Bible verses to back our agenda. We have solicited the support of others. We have convinced ourselves that we are right in what we are going to do! Then we proceed to slander, gossip, plot and scheme, tear down, get even, “teach him a lesson,” etc., etc.

Immediately red flags begin to appear all around us. Suddenly we hear from other believers who disagree with our actions. Surprisingly we observe how damaging our actions have been to everyone involved. Eventually other Bible passages catch our attention that “seem” to indicate that our actions were wrong.

At this point, one of two actions is taken, each one being truly revealing. We repent and seek reconciliation for wrongs done or we continue to explain away our behavior and justify ourselves. When the question mark of sin appears in our hearts, we acknowledge it, ignore it, or vehemently oppose it. Herein lies the danger.

When sin is fresh, the call for repentance is plain and clear. That’s why we are working so hard to cover it. It is constantly before us. As time passes by though, the urging of repentance begins to wane. Things slowly get back to “normal.” Life eventually picks back up the pace. We move on to other people, places, and things. The red flags begin to be fewer. Conviction comes less frequently. The elapsing of long periods of time has not removed the sin or our need to repent and reconcile, but it has coated it to such a degree that it becomes barely noticeable.

The further we are removed from our sin, the easier it becomes to deny it. “Out of sight, out of mind” takes place. The danger is that though it may be out of mind, it is not out of heart! It may be covered. It may be hidden. However, until repentance and reconciliation occur, it is there.

Let us not be deceived. Justified sin will not just sit in the corner of our hearts and mind his own business! He will welcome with open arms the next sin that enters our hearts. He will instruct his friend how to take root and remain in our hearts as well. Then the two become three and on and on until one can sin against his brother without even blinking an eye. Sin is always easy; repentance is always difficult!

Since we are ongoing sinners, ongoing repentance is a given for believers. It is indeed a sign of true faith. Burying sin in the shallow graves of our hearts does not pronounce it dead but rather very much alive!

The only solution for sin is God-given repentance, which is evidenced by genuinely seeking reconciliation. May God help us repent often and quickly! Lord, quicken us to the dangers of time. Grant us true repentance!

Time Heals All Wounds - Really? Part One

“Time heals all wounds” may be one of the more deceptive slogans of our time. Time, in and of itself, heals nothing nor does it have the capability or power to do so.

Time is not a person. Time is not a force or power. Time is not a function or remedy. Time is simply the measurement of earth’s rotation on its axis and around the sun. Time is the dividing of space into increments in order to keep track of days, nights, months, weeks, and years. It is nothing more.

Time is unable to heal either physical or emotional wounds. Time doesn’t heal a cut on our hand. Rather, our bodies repair cells, maybe helped along by medication, and over time we observe healing taking place.

Time does not heal emotional wounds. Time only removes an individual further from the instance or the person who caused the hurt. Herein lies the deception. The further we are removed from the heartache, the less we deal with it. The less we are faced with it. The less the blunt force of it blows us down. We have to live. We have to keep moving, keep working, keep cleaning house, keep caring for the kids. Life stays busy. Responsibilities do not cease to exist. Eventually, years later, we conclude, “I think I’ve actually come to terms with what happened years ago. I seem able to handle it much better. It just took some time.”

We are deceived. Time hasn’t applied any soothing balm at all. It has only covered and hidden our hurts through days, weeks, months, and years of life. Then suddenly out of nowhere we have a dream, we see someone, we hear a remark, we catch a certain smell, and boom! The wound is laid open before us again, and we are crushed. It was never really gone. it was just hidden by time. Memories do not reopen old wounds, they simply reveal that old wounds have never healed!

Time is not the answer. Business is not the answer. “Getting on with life” is not the answer. “Pick yourself up and get it together” is not the answer. God’s forgiveness, peace, restoration, reconciliation, and healing in Christ IS the answer!

Psalm 30:2 “O Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You have healed me.”

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

1 Peter 5:7 “casting all your anxieties on Him, because he cares for you.”

Christ is not only the Healer of our deepest wound, separation from God the Father, He is also the Gentle Healer of all our wounds. In Christ, God is our loving Father. Our heartaches are not meant to speed us on our way through life but rather to direct us to the most profound, fulfilling, and satisfying love we will ever know; the love of God!

Time cannot heal. Only God can.

However, time is not only a deception. In a particular instance, it is a dangerous deception. We will give attention to this danger of time’s deception in Part Two on this series.

What It Takes to be a Saint

This subject has risen in the news in recent days due to Pope Benedict’s announcement that he was placing his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, on the fast track to sainthood. As soon as all the qualifications have been verified, John Paul II will be declared a saint and receive accompanying adoration of Catholic sainthood.

No doubt Pope John Paul was an astounding, history-making, kind, and ground-breaking individual. This raises the question though, “What does it take to be declared a saint?” The Catholic church has a 5-step process known as beautification or canonization. First, a request is made to the local bishop where the person under consideration is buried. The person’s life, works, speeches, and writings are examined to see if he or she indeed lived as a servant of God. Second, the burial site and body is examined to ensure that no cult has arisen around the person and relics are removed from the tomb. Third, a recommendation is made to the pope to verify whether or not the person being considered demonstrated the virtue’s of the faith (faith, hope, charity, prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance) to a heroic degree. Fourth, if a martyr, the Pope issues a declaration of martyrdom and declares sainthood automatically. If not a martyr, it must be proven that a miracle has taken place by the “confessor’s” intercession. For example, if a sick person prays to the confessor (person under consideration) and is healed, then surely the confessor is in heaven before the Lord. The Confessor is now called “Blessed.” Fifth and finally, if two miracles are confirmed after death, then there remains no doubt this person is in heaven and he/she is declared to be a saint and a feast day is established in his/her honor.

That is what it takes to “officially” be a saint in the Catholic church. Therefore, the vast majority of Christians will not make their list! However, there is another list of saints.

What does the Bible say about becoming a saint or being declared a saint, not by the Church but by the Lord? For the answer we will turn to Paul’s letter to the church at Rome. It only seems fitting to do so!

Paul speaks of saints three times in this letter, and in each case it is clear that he has in mind every single believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:1-7 (quoting only parts and adding comments) “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God . . . through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of His name among all the nations, including you (the church at Rome) who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all those in Rome (notice the inclusive language “all”) who are loved by God and called to be saints . . .”

Two points: Paul is clearly speaking to all believers in Rome, and he is clearly equating the call to belong to Jesus with the call to be saints. In his mind, to belong to Jesus is to be a saint, and that stands for all who belong to Jesus.

Romans 8:26-27 “Likewise the Spirit helps us (“us” referring to Paul and all the believers he is writing to) in our weakness. For we (“we” same use as “us”) do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And He who searches hearts (“He” clearly referring to God) knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

Two points: In opposition to Catholic dogma on saints, the saints referred to here are clearly not in heaven and are in need of intercession by the Spirit. Secondly, these saints are clearly not a category of super-faith heroes, but are every day believers struggling with life and warring against the flesh (which actually includes those we look to as heroes of the faith!). If “saints” are only the heroes, this verse yields little comfort to us all.

Romans 12:13 “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”

Two points: I would think a catholic reading this verse would wonder, “What needs could Saint ? have?” Also, this along with Paul’s other uses of the term “saints” make no sense unless he equates believers with saints.

The truth of the matter is that the majority of Christians will never write best-selling, earth-shattering Christian tomes. Our burial site will not become venerated. We will likely never be regarded by thousands as a hero of the faith. And having a couple of miracles occur in our name after we die is probably not likely either. So are the host of believers in Christ not saints?

Not in the Catholic sense, but in the biblical sense, yes, yes, YES!

What makes a saint is union with the Savior! What makes us righteous is His righteousness! The only saving mark about our lives is that His life has been credited to us. It is not about our body in the grave but that His body is not in the grave. And the miracle of sainthood is not that we have answered someone’s prayer for healing but that God in Christ has answered our deepest need for healing!

If you are in Christ, you are a saint! God has declared it so!

Furthermore, being a saint is not to be discovered after death, but to be demonstrated in this life. That’s right! If we are saints, we are to live saintly lives! God has made you saintly or holy, that is, He has separated you unto Himself. We then, by His Spirit, live as saints, that is, we live holy lives unto the Lord.

Will Pope John Paul II be declared a saint by the Roman Catholic Church? More than likely.

Are you a saint declared so by God the Father? If you are in Christ, absolutely!

*I’m certainly not a scholar of catholicism. The point is not specificity in the process of sainthood described above but rather that there is a process of sainthood in Roman Catholicism. However, I did consult the following sources; catholic-pages.com and catholic.org.

Physics and Materialism

Quoting Randy Alcorn:

What will happen to the affluent person or society that doesn't rectify its materialism? Physics tells us the answer. The greater the mass, the greater its gravitational pull. The more things we own—the greater their total mass—the more they grip us, hold us, set us in orbit around them. Finally, like a black hole, they mercilessly suck us into themselves, until we become indistinguishable from our things, surrendering ourselves to the gods we've idolized.

Recent Baptisms in Myanmar!

Pastor Joseph of Emmanuel Ministries, Kalay City, held a baptism service to conclude 2010. Several young students had professed faith in Christ and were ready to receive baptism. Also, one young lady and one young man had been delivered from evil spirits, received Christ, have begun serving the Lord, and they took baptism as well. The photos show some of these baptisms along with Pastor Joseph preaching from the baptistry.

Praise the Lord for the miraculous work of saving grace He is accomplishing in Myanmar! Please keep Pastor Joseph, his family, church, and seminary students in your prayers as they minister the Gospel daily in spite of hardship and persecution.

If the Lord allows, we will take part in the seminary graduation this fall.

Don't Waste Your Social Networking!

I’m reading through the new edition of Operation World this year as a means to help our family pray better, informed prayers for worldwide missions. It is a tremendous aid in capturing a global vision for the spread of God’s glory. While reading the introductory material, “The World,” an observation grabbed my attention. “This tool (the internet), probably more than any other, will shape the nature of the Church and mission as the 21st Century unfolds” (p. 10).

That’s one of those points of view that you sort of already realize but that seems to make a profound impact once you read it in print. At least, that has been my experience because I have thought much upon it during the last few days. The internet presents the Church with an incredible resource for Gospel ministry across ethnic, geographical, religious, and even linguistic barriers. However, it also, along with every other modern convenience, presents the Church with the temptation of self-absorption and self-promotion. Technology has set before us the greatest of Gospel opportunities or the greatest of self-centered sinkholes! I believe this dichotomy is expressed most clearly in the ever-increasing world of social networks. Therefore, my careful personal examination and earnest plea to other believers is: May we not waste our social networks!

There are definite dangers we must avoid.

1. Prideful boasting in the guise of rejoicing.

Is it really necessary to inform everyone we possibly can of our latest gadget or newest possession (or as we call them, “blessings”)? Is it really necessary to “tweet” about dating our wives while on a date with our wives? When I read those I always wonder how the wife must feel watching her husband tweet to the world during the few minutes this week he was supposed to be giving his undivided attention to her!

Now, please hear me very clear. Should believers rejoice in the blessings of God and should we share our praises with one another so that we can all join in the praise? Absolutely YES! We are called to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Rom 12:15). Frankly, social networks are a fairly good avenue for both. The problem is not in sharing “life” with one another, the problem is that we must be constantly examining WHY we are sharing these certain items. Are we sincerely just bubbling over with joy to the Lord and must share our joy with others? If so, go for it! Or, are we really just wanting others to know how “good” we are and how “good” we have it! If so, get your thumbs off your phone and spend some real, quality time with your family! (They know if you are not really there!) Pride comes dressed in all forms, and it is never more deceiving than when he dresses up as a praise report!

2. Ego-driven flattery in the guise of friendship.

It’s one thing to rejoice with a brother in order to encourage him in his walk with the Lord. It is quite another to flatter him in order to “ride his coat tails!” Again, there is nothing innately wrong with giving a guy a high five in the form of a “retweet” or “blog comment” or a “like” on Facebook. Those can be great forms of brotherhood, community, and locking arms with one another for the good.

The issue comes back to motivation. It’s all about the WHY not the WHAT. When we comment, retweet, or whatever, is it about “us” or is it truly about agreement with content or being thrilled to find common ground with a fellow believer? Do we really want the blogger to know how his gifts are being used by God to bless us or do we really just want that blogger to notice us? Is it about us? Is it about his ministry? Is it about the furthering of the Gospel?

These are not puny, unimportant questions and matters! In our age of information, these “hidden” sins are excused, overlooked, and even celebrated! If they are exposed, the ones issuing the warnings are often ignored or patronized.

We must guard our social networking because our use of communication as believers is a matter of our witness and a matter of the Gospel. As Paul said in 1 Thess 2:5, “For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness.”

It does all boil down to this: How does God “witness” our social networking?

3. Promotion of self in the guise of promotion of ministry.

This one hits close to home because I am President of a ministry, and hopefully soon, a pastor as well. When we blog or utilize a webpage to “advertise” ministry endeavors, opportunities, and accomplishments, is it a sincere attempt to garner support for ministry in order to further advance the Gospel? Is it truly rejoicing in God’s great work? Or is it a platform to announce to the world how great we are how much we have done?

All of these items are indeed a fine balancing act, but balance we must!

Please dear friend, hear these words fresh today (and how I pray that I may hear them fresh as well)! Prov 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” God will not give His glory to another! That includes His children no matter how many times we try to cover our self-promotion with a few scattered “Praise the Lords!”

There are awesome opportunities before us.

Despite the dangers ready to leap at every “click,” the opportunities for Gospel ministry are too enormous to pass over. Technology has its advantages, its Gospel advantages.

1. Sounding forth the Gospel!

Every month I receive a report from our internet sermon ministry, sermonaudio.com, and I am always blown away at how far the preaching of the Word has traveled around the globe in one month’s time, even into hard, closed fields at times! The possibilities are literally endless. If you have some imagination, some creativity, and some technology, you can send forth the Gospel to persecuted Christians hiding for worship and unbelievers randomly searching the web. It’s amazing! We must take hold of this avenue and utilize it to the our fullest capabilities.

Sometime last month, somewhere in India, 3 sermons were downloaded from our ministry site. Maybe by one person. Maybe by three different people in different places. Maybe believers. Maybe unbelievers. Maybe each sermon will be heard 1 time by 1 person. Maybe each sermon will be heard 100 times by 100 people or 1000 times by 1000 people. I don’t know. I do know, however, that without the internet that would not have been possible. I also know I wish I knew how to do more far reaching ministry like that!

Social networks present us with real Great Commission opportunities. For example, last month I spoke with a SS teacher in Pakistan via Skype! That’s mind-blowing and thrilling! (Matt 28:18-20)

2. Encouraging the Saints!

A good Christ-centered way to measure our social networking is by keeping our motives and our words within the bounds of Ephesians 4:29 and 5:4. “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.”

Think about it. If we are lifting ourselves up through social networks, we are surely not building up one another. If we are blasting out at one another hiding behind screen names on forums, how much edification is taking place? Are we really “giving grace” to our “followers” when our posts are always about us? Email provides an easy way to talk "big and loud" a thousand miles away instead of face to face or at least voice to voice in a sincere effort to really find unity and reconciliation. What’s worse, when we get in the flesh and things get out of hand, we as believers sound and act just like unbelievers on social networks all the while parading our “love Jesus” blurb in our bio!

Let’s use social network for something greater! Let’s exhort and encourage one another.

3. Never-before imagined global prayer networks!

It could not happen so quickly and so vastly before the internet age! In a matter of minutes, prayer concerns can cross the globe and thousands of saints can be praying a host of intercessory prayers! It is probably the most amazing door that the internet and social networking has provided the Church. Let it NOT be the most neglected one!

In conclusion, have fun, enjoy staying connected with friends and family, share more with each other now that you can! But keep your social networking sanctified! Don’t allow it to become a snare! Make it a vehicle for Gospel ministry! Don’t waste your social networking!

Jan '11 Update - Search And See

Dear Friends:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! I trust this update finds you well and rejoicing in the grace of our Savior! We are continually thankful to God for each ministry opportunity and to our supporters and friends for enabling us to continue to send the Gospel to the ends of the earth through various means.

Sermon Ministry: 209 downloads; 24 States, 11 Countries + weekly broadcasts in Liberia.

Rita Children's Home: In honor of my mother, Rita Owens, Search And See Kenya has named their new orphanage, Rita Children's Home. It is located in Nandi District and currently houses 33 orphans, most of which are orphans due to the AIDS epidemic. This is the same area where we held an outdoor crusade during our recent trip.

All 15 cows have been paid for! Soon we will have them all purchased and distributed to the pastors!

We only need 5 more sponsors to fully support each pastor of Search And See Africa! A pastor and his family can be sponsored for $60/month!

India and Myanmar are still on go for Oct 2011. Due to circumstances, we are still trying to lock down specific dates. Stay tuned for details.

Books: The children's book is well underway and our goal is to have "Wonders in the Word" published in book format for 2012 Bible reading!

Personal: My family and I are still in transition mode, seeking the Lord's placement for our next ministry assignment. Please continue to pray!

Happy New Year!

Wil Owens

gal 2:20