ARE YOU ASHAMED? Ashamed
of Jesus, that is? Or talking about being
ashamed, do you ever wonder if our Lord is ashamed of us? I know we all have bad days once in a while …
but let’s give ourselves a little quiz right now! If someone recorded us on the camcorder
(whether we were made aware of this taping or not) and we began to see
ourselves on the screen, what would we see?
A follower of Christ who is positive and joyful and reflects Him in
every way possible? Or would we see a
person who says that they are a child of God … but here is this crabby,
complaining, negative “someone” that looks just like us? We’d say “THAT is not ME!” But … one thing the camera is not – is a
liar! Oops – guess we’ve got some work
to do! What I am going to share next, I
truly wish I had written. But when I
read it, the message resonated so strongly within me, that I would love to
memorize it, recite it, and most of all, LIVE IT! It was a man by the name of Dr. Bob Moorehead
who wrote this very powerful declaration … and all I ask is that you slowly and
prayerfully read every word and let it soak in until it becomes a part of who
you are in Christ! It is titled, simply,
The Fellowship of the Unashamed.
“I am a part of the fellowship of the Unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit Power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back
away, or be still. My past is redeemed,
my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight
walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane
talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.
I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or
rewarded. I now live by presence, learn
by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power. My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is
Heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide is
reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot
be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted, or
delayed. I will not flinch in the face
of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of
the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of
mediocrity. I won’t give up, back up,
let up, or shut up until I’ve preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and
stayed up for the cause of Christ. I am
a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go
until He returns, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He
comes. And when He comes to get His own,
He will have no problem recognizing me.
My colors will be clear, for ‘I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it
is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes …’ Romans 1:16”.
(End of quote)
People are watching, dear ones! We could be the only Bible that some of them
will ever read. Will we look enough like
Jesus to be able to lead them to Christ?
Do we resemble Christ closely enough that our words about Him will be
believable? Will our actions back up our
words and cause those watching us from a distance – or from up close, to truly want
what we have? Or could they possibly
dismiss Christ because they’ve so easily set us aside as not being
genuine? That would REALLY make me
ashamed! Lord, may we never live that way. Rather, help us to live revived, rejoicing,
and redeemed, by the blood of the Lamb!
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
OUR HEARTFELT
THANKS to each of our faithful supporters from other states who have
felt led to stand beside us as a church in prayer and financial support! Your generosity overwhelms us and it is truly
our heart’s cry that God will bless and multiply your gifts in eternal ways
through this ministry! And may His favor
be poured into your lives as you serve Him each day!
SUN, FEB 17TH:
10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP
10:30 A.M. – KIDZONE CHURCH
MON, FEB 18TH:
6:30-8:00 P.M. – RE;FUEL YOUTH
WED, FEB 19TH:
7:00 P.M. – MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY
905 El Dorado Street SE, Owatonna
THU, FEB 20TH:
7:00 P.M. – MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY
165 24th Place NW, Owatonna
ELEVATION NORTH SPOTLIGHT!
We are so grateful to each one who has given sacrificially to the special fund to cover the costs of moving into our new church location, as depicted by the leaves on the tree branches in the fellowship area, "The Oasis"! We have also needed to update our church brochures and stationery to include our new address and information. To date, we have "leaves" totaling $1190 toward our $1500 goal! How great is our God! What seems so huge to us - is so ably attained through the power of His Spirit, if we will just have child-like faith and be obedient to do what He lays on our heart! If you have not yet had the opportunity to be a part of this special project that will allow us to reach out into our community ... NOW is the time! God bless!
Serving Christ Joyfully . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie
