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We recently spent a weekend of ministry in a Slavic Baptist Music Conference and in a church in the Washington-Oregon part of the US. We were again showered with love by these precious people who have latched on to us and our music. In addition to speaking at the music conference, they again had an evening of what they call Ron and Patricia Music Celebration. In addition to their doing some of our choral anthems they also had us sing and play.
We now are trying to process all that this means. They have asked for more of our works that they will translate into Russian. We could never have dreamed, years ago, the extent to which God was going to use what He wrote through us among the Slavic churches. It certainly is His doing.
An added “big blessing” was getting to be with our dear friends from Moscow; Evgeny, Luda and Kirill Goncharenko. They were in Seattle to teach at the Institute of Spiritual Music that they have established in the NW Association of Slavic Baptist churches. It is similar to what has been going on in Moscow for years. And, as some of you know, it was Evgeny whom God used to introduce our music to the lands of Russia beginning in 1985.
We wish you could be with us to experience a worship service at the Salvation Slavic Baptist Church in the Seattle area. It of course is all in Russian, but you don’t have to know the language to sense God’s presence. And oh, the music! Imagine a big choir, a 40 piece orchestra and 20 of them strings! And so many gifted young musicians.
To those who pray for us, THANK YOU. You are a part of whatever God is able to do through us. Yes, to HIM be the glory!

We covet your prayers as Patricia and I minister in England, Wales and Scotland, along with the Travis Avenue Baptist Choir, from July 21-July 30.
Then, as the choir returns to the States, we fly on to the Channel Island of Guernsey for an Owens sibling reunion and where we will be presenting a Sermon in Song at the Guernsey Methodist Church. We have been told that this will be a special outreach opportunity.
In addition to the concerts, general witnessing and normal tour activities, we will be visiting historic sites of revival and spiritual awakening with the prayer that God will stir our hearts and grow our faith that He might again visit, not only the British Isles, but our own land in revival blessing.

Patricia and I wrote a musical in 1982 entitled PAID IN FULL (Tetelestai). In addition to English, it has been sung and published in Russian and Korean, and it has been our joy to experience it in both these languages. The Russian version has been performed in Moscow theaters and we had the wonderful privilege of traveling and singing with a Korean choir from one end of South Korea to the other. What precious memories, especially at this time of the year when we remember the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord.
The musical climaxes with the following number,
IT’S FRIDAY, BUT SUNDAY IS COMING!

Hope was gone for the followers of Jesus,
They’d forgotten the things He had said.
Nothing left now but deep grief and questions,
No one thought He would rise from the dead.
They had helplessly watched their beloved
as He hung on the cross in such pain.
Though they wanted to, no one could help Him
as the crowd laughed and mocked him to shame.

It’s Friday, but Sunday is coming…!

Satan tried at Christ’s birth, through King Herod,
to destroy Him by royal decree.
He had worked every scheme he could think of,
now at last he would claim victory.
All the demons of hell were rejoicing,
they just knew that they’d finally won,
for they now had accomplished their mission,
they’d succeeded in killing God’s Son.

It’s Friday, but Sunday is coming…

Early Sunday, the great God of Heaven
looked down at the sealed garden tomb
where His Only Begotten lay buried,
bound by death’s chains in darkness and gloom.
But–don’t despair, something’s going to happen,
Don’t give up, it’s approaching the hour
when the Father will reach down from glory
and reveal His omnipotent power!

There’s a flash, and an angel from heaven
blinds the men who stand guard at the door.
He rolls back that great tombstone in triumph,
for death’s chains hold the Savior no more!

Where oh grave, where oh grave is your victory?
Where oh death, where oh death is your sting?
He, the captive had now become Captor,
Jesus Christ, Lord of Lords, King of Kings!

It’s Sunday, our Savior is risen!
It’s the Lord’s Day, from death He’s been freed!
It’s Sunday, Hallelujah, He’s risen,
He is risen, is risen indeed!!
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, He’s risen.
He is risen, is risen, indeed!
Amen and Amen!

And so, we celebrate the resurrection of our Living Lord, remembering that,
THE CROSS IS BARE! THE TOMB IS EMPTY, and THE THRONE IS OCCUPIED!!

Earthquakes, wars and rumors of wars–though no one knows the day or the time, there are signs all around that point to what the Lord Jesus talked about in Matthew 24:6-7.
“For you will hear of wars and rumors of wars…For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places…”
As I was reading the news headlines this morning; Major Earthquake in New Zealand/Libya Bombs Citizens/Oil Prices Soar/Turmoil In The Middle East, along with other news of what is happening in our own land, I was reminded of the words of a theme song, This is My Father’s World, that Patricia and I wrote some years ago for the International Baptist Convention’s retreat in Interlaken, Switzerland.

The quiet beauty of a forest, the flowers awakened by the sun,
The majesty of snow-capped mountains, the myriad colors of the dawn.
The twilight spell when day is ending, the voice of nature joins in song,
Do you know where it all began? To whom does all of this belong?
THIS IS MY FATHERS WORLD!

But, midst the good of God’s creation we see the evil caused by sin,
The threat of war and man’s rebellion, will peace and justice ever win?
We hear the wail of little children who starve and very soon will die,
Held in the loving arms of one whose eyes have no more tears to cry.
IS THIS MY FATHER’S WORLD?

At times we may just feel like quitting, the work gets harder every day,
For greed and hatred keep prevailing as man continues on his way.
Take hope, the story is not ended, the final chapter’s still to come,
Lift up your eyes, pull back the veil, God still is seated on His throne.
THIS IS MY FATHER’S WORLD!!

ROMANS 8:22-23–’We know that all of creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”

In the meantime, as we wait, we must never lose sight of the fact that: THE CROSS IS BARE, THE TOMB IS EMPTY and THE THRONE IS OCCUPIED!! Hallelujah!

“Speaking to yourselves in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19).

Patricia and I have been using an out-of-print devotional by A. W. Tozer in our “together” time each morning. I want to pass on the one for today as an encouragement to those who are walking through a testing time.

Tozer: “It cannot be denied that the way of the cross is unpopular and that it may bring a measure of reproach upon those who take it. Learned historians talk of persecutions and religious wars, while, in the midst of all the gloom there were always those few who saw the Eternal City in full view and managed to almost walk on earth as if they had already gone to heaven. These were the joyous ones who got little recognition from the world of institutionalized religion, and might have gone altogether unnoticed except for their singing.

“UNSUNG BUT SINGING: This is the short and simple story of many today whose names are not known beyond the small circle of their own company. Their gifts are not many nor great, but their song is sweet and clear!

“John Milton lost his sight and mourned that loss in his third book of his Paradise Lost. But in spite of his affliction he refused to be desolate. If he could not see, he could still think and he could still pray. And like the nightingale he could sing in the darkness,
‘…as the wakeful bird sings in the dark, and in the shadowy corner hides, She tunes her nightly note.’
“We are never sure where a true Christian may be found–and a busy world may actually not even know he is there–except that they hear him singing!!”

Patricia and I are enjoying another Christmas with family, thanking God for the immeasurable gift of His Son, our Savior. Also, this Christmas, our son, Jeff, has gifted us with a new website that represents much work on his part. We are excited about what this can mean in letting a wider audience know about the books that have been and are being written. We trust that you will take the time to check the site http://www.ronowensbooks.com out and pass the word along to others who might benefit from these works.

Now, as we head toward the close of another year, we want to wish you a God blessed and God directed New Year. May we all enter 2011 remembering that:

Our faithful God has promised He will lead
and guide us daily by His mighty hand.
He knows exactly what His children need,
and works according to His perfect plan.
There have been mountains we’ve been asked to climb,
some rivers have been wide, some skies been grey.
The valleys have been deep and dark at times,
but without fail our God has led the way.

And He will…

Tiny hands, tiny hands of an infant,
reaching up in simplicity,
Unblemished, trusting and blameless,
would one day be nailed to a tree.
Ordained in the throne-room of heaven,
planned by God before time had begun;
Living Word who brought order from chaos,
All the glory of heaven in One.

He is here, He is here, the Messiah,
It’s the fullness of time, He has come,
Heaven’s treasure, the brightest of jewels,
He is with us, the Savior, God’s Son.

But so many just pulled down the shutters,
They preferred not to know it was day.
They rebelled against God’s intervention
And they chose to keep going their way.
But all those who were honest and open,
Who were tired of a cloud-covered sun,
Were invaded by God’s light from heaven,
And they knew that Messiah had come.

Hallelujah, all glory to Jesus,
Hallelujah, all praise to His name,
Heaven’s light invaded sin’s darkness
The night the Savior came!!

A blessed and Christ-filled Christmas to all.