Introductory comments by Ken Pullen

If you’re looking to be liked by other people? By people of this world? If you’re looking to be popular? Receive accolades and praise? Have more “friends” on your Facebook page than, well, your friends? And you think it’s all about you and this earth spins primarily to support your world?

Then perhaps being a Christian is not your path.

The world hates, despises, loathes, detests, abhors Jesus Christ the Son of God and those true disciples of His

The world hates, despises, loathes, detests, abhors God and thinking of God as their Creator and that they are not gods themselves, rulers of their own world, as they place their faith in themselves, other men and women, and science — which by the way only exists because God said, “Let there be…”

Do not be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Lord.

So what do you do dear Christian? You put your eyes, heart, mind, soul, and spirit into the Word of God.

You become the salt of the earth preserving the Word and flavoring your speech, your life, your deeds with the seasoning of the Word.

You become a light unto the world. Not hiding your light — that knowing, that saving grace, that knowledge under a basket, or in your man cave — no hiding! Be as a city on a hill shining outward. And it isn’t about you folks. Sorry to burst that bubble. It’s about God our Father. We are only the light of the world as His glory living in us shines forth for those we come into contact to see in us. Not so anyone who recognizes this praises us and makes us feel good about ourselves — no, no, no — so that they see the Father in us and give glory to HIM!

Be not ashamed.

Life is short. Even if you live to be 130 years old. Life is short. Eternity is, well, long. Really, really long. Like forever.

Any suffering here, any discomfort here, any thing one might feel ashamed about here?  Forget about it.

Because your faith, your boldness, your truth, your obedience to the Lord, your devotion in studying the inerrant Word of God, your not being ashamed of the Gospel of Christ and living as His disciple determines every persons eternity.

So don’t let the neighbors, your co-workers, anyone in your family who detests God and Christ and mocks and refuses to believe, do not let anyone saying they are your friend make you ashamed for one second of the Gospel of Christ and your living testimony.

Do not let others determine your eternity as you might choose to follow them rather than the Lord.

An eternity in hell lasts a long, long time.

Something no one should have to experience, and something no one does have to experience if they turn to God and Christ in sincere repentance, ask forgiveness of their sins, and commit themselves to following, obeying, and making Christ their Lord each day of their lives while on this earth — forsaking the world, not being ashamed of the Word, of God, of Christ, of their faith and path they took leading towards eternal life.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Romans 1:16 — King James Version Holy Bible

Ken Pullen

ACP

Tuesday, February 21st, 2017

Ashamed

by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

Some time ago, we noticed in the fly-leaf of a young man’s Bible, a list of autographs of “great” preachers.  At the top of the page, one had been scratched out with a penknife.  Our curiosity aroused, we asked him what had happened.

“That was Pastor J. C. O’Hair’s signature,” he answered.

“And you scratched it out!”

“Yes,” he replied, “these other men would never sign with his name there!”

This young man’s heart had once been thrilled with the gospel of the grace of God and the truth of the mystery, but before a few “great” preachers, he had become ashamed of the one whom God had used to open these truths to him.

Popular opinion!  What a powerful enemy to the truth!

Little wonder that some faint-hearted Christians should be ashamed of those who boldly proclaim the mystery when we realize there was danger that even godly young Timothy might be ashamed of Paul!  Let us who mean to be faithful, however, remember that the words of Paul to Timothy are also the Word of God to us:

“Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God” (II Timothy 1:8).