Fellowship of the Unashamed

I am a member of the “Fellowship of the Unashamed.” I have Holy Spirit power.

The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line.

The decision has been made. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.

My past is redeemed, my present makes exciting and my future is secure.

I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, chintzy giving, dwarfed goals, and cheap grace.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity.

I do not have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised regarded or rewarded. I now live in Him, lean on Him, love through Him, and labor with Him. I now live by presence, lean by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by Holy Spirit power.

My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions dear, my Guide 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 will not give up, back up, let up, or shut down until I have preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up and stayed up for the cause of Christ. I must go until He returns, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. For when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me, for my colors will be clear. I am a member of the Fellowship of the Unashamed.

I first heard this some years ago from a good friend and fellow minister of the Gospel; I thought it very powerful and inspiring, and have chosen to include it here. While we do not know the true author, there are many variations I have heard and some have given credit to men they admire. However I say to the person who wrote this a great thank you for challenging us all to live a more disciplined and passionate life in pursuit of the Savior!

I am not ashamed of the Gospel… Romans 1:16

Principles for Guidance

As in all relationships you must get to know someone. Usually the first step in doing so is acknowledging them; therefore we need to acknowledge God. However to acknowledge someone is really not knowing them, therefore you must spend time with God, and allow ourselves to begin to understand His character. This involves a time of intimacy, of knowing and being known. Without a personal relationship you may observe only from a distance, and it can be difficult indeed to hear the small still voice of God. So draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. Come to Him just as you are and observe His open arms waiting for you. It’s ok if you don’t have it all together. David didn’t, I surely didn’t and quite honestly I don’t think anyone other than Jesus ever will have it all together. So relax! God is willing to meet you more than half way. All you have to do is take the first step.

Submitting ourselves on the other hand takes time; you see we are dealing with the inner man who is selfish, and often very prideful. He shouts from deep within, proclaiming I don’t need anyone, I am in control, and I can take care of it myself. Sometimes this inner voice screams so loudly that is almost impossible to hear the small still voice of God. Deep inside of every human heart, rests a spirit as deep calls for deep, crying out to God. No matter how much success, how much power, how much control we seemly have we are just one step away from the slippery slope. To acknowledge God and ask for His help is not a sign of weakness but of great strength and character.

Submitting to God involves a process of change and growth over time, in order to reach our full potential. So let’s look at some of the steps in the process of following God’s guiding influence, so we can discover His will and purpose for our lives. First we need be obedient to what God has asked us to do. You might be thinking I don’t know what He has asked me to do. Well there is good news, God already thought that you might ask a question or two so has provided us with some key answers found in His love letter to us, the Bible. Yes it can be kind of intimidating at first, as we struggle with some of the unusual names, places and people. However you don’t need to get overwhelmed by these issues. I strongly encourage you to start your study of the Bible in the New Testament. My personal favorite starting point is the Gospel of John, as he vividly gives us word pictures of Jesus and how He interacts with people just like you and me. You will soon discover a loving, compassionate and caring friend.

As you read and study the Scriptures and then begin to follow the teachings and principles of God you will begin to see changes in your life taking place. Not only will you see these changes but others will see them as well. You will begin a spiritual journey that is uniquely your own. Granted, you may walk a similar pathway like others before you but your individual relationship with God is precious and unique. As you study His Word and begin to mediate on His ways, the path of communication will be more open. It will become easier for you to acknowledge His ways, and develop an understanding of the things around and within you. By humbling ourselves and learning to cling to His promises things will begin taking shape around you. Exciting things will begin to happen, and joy will fill your heart.

Yet be on guard my friend because someone will come to steal your joy and your peace. The devil will try and do anything He can to disrupt, and destroy your new relationship with God. He will use people, even people who are close to you; in an attempt to lure you away from the Lord. Old friends may accuse you of not having time for them, old habits will attempt to resurface and all this for one reason: Satan does not want you to have a relationship with God. However if you will acknowledge God, humble yourselves, cling to His promises and pray without ceasing that devil is not going to have a chance! For greater is He who is in you than he is in this world.

If God is for us then who can be against us? To have a fellowship with God is to be able to listen to Him, to relax and be still. Having such confidence knowing that if we ask he will answer, if we seek we shall indeed find and if we knock He will indeed answer.

The God who Guides – Psalm 25

God is intimately concerned with our well being and our entire lives because He loves us. This should provide us confidence that we can willingly hand over control of our lives to Him. God is always trustworthy and His love is unconditional. Guidance is simply a by product of that love relationship.

Sometimes life can leave us feeling confused, lost or faced with so many options we’re not sure which way to turn. I’m sure you can name one or two occasions when you weren’t sure what to do next. At times you may even question your relationships with those who love you most, including God. You might even wonder if you’re able to receive God’s guidance. After all, God only speaks to those religious people who pray all day and don’t have a clue to what life is all about, right? I mean they spend all their time reading the Bible and going to church and all that stuff; they’re just out of touch with reality.

But as we read the Bible we see a different story. God often speaks to people who have found themselves in a really big mess. I mean look at King David…this guy had some real issues. How could God love a person who has done so many bad things? He was an adulterer who carried on a relationship with Bathsheba and even conspired to commit murder against her husband, a loyal servant. Yes this David, the sinner. How can God love such a person? For that matter how could God love me after what I have done? How could I expect God to guide and direct me through the crooked paths of this life?

Could it be that this same God of the Bible who was willing to be there for David, the sinner, would be there for me too? I can confidently say, yes! Could He do the same for you? Yes! He can and He will! Therefore is there a way we can learn the ways of the wise? Again the answer is yes!

In my own walk of faith I’ve noticed some principles regarding Gods guidance. First and foremost we must begin to acknowledge God for who He is, and secondly we must submit ourselves to His counsel. In other words, true guidance hinges on a relationship.

If your interested in finding out more about a relationship with Christ, please email me at Terry@wonheartonline.com.

The Search - Part II

If you are like me you may choose to impact and shape the changes of things to come. Our ability to achieve this goal is determined by three elements; the intensity of our desire, our ability, and our courage to change.

The intensity of our desire for change is the longing for something to be different. Some people use this as a simple way out of their responsibilities in life. In a somewhat frightening way they abandon their normal responsibilities and even their lifestyle and make somewhat radical choices that may have devastating consequences. Yet the same intensity when utilized in a proper way can lead the ordinary human being to stand up and make significant impact on the world around them. History is full of individuals who rightly chose to make a difference in this world. Ordinary people like you and me, who desired to see something different and made a commitment to change. A desire for change is a noble thing when that change is grounded on solid biblical principles of truth. However, if that desire diverges from the Truth found in God's Word then we enter onto a slippery slope indeed. Therefore the intensity of our desire must be tempered by the reality of Truth.

The second element of change is our ability to change. Is it our commitment or is it our ability? This is perhaps a highly debated question in many circles, is it the drug addicted individual’s lack of commitment of, or the inability on behalf of the individual. Perhaps it is both, yet many people falsely accuse an individual for their lack of commitment, when in reality it may be beyond their ability at some point. Thus until an individual has went through a period of detoxification, their ability to make a change is severely impaired. Likewise there are people who may struggle with financial matters. Perhaps they lack a clear understanding of the principles of finances (ability) or they may be over indulgent in certain areas of their lives (commitment). In either case until a person's ability (capacity) to change has been recognized their ability (commitment) to make a lasting change never will be strong enough. Will power alone is not enough. We must equip, train, and empower people to make lasting change by recognizing and strengthen their ability to change.

Change is scary. It is the fear of the unknown that causes many of us to resist change. Yet the changes still come. Why is it that we fear so much? I can not begin to tell you all the reasons that are given for this condition. However I do know from my experiences that fear is a learned defense mechanism. It can severely limit our ability to make transitions easily or it can serve to protect us from the uncertain consequences. What prohibits most of us from jumping off a ten story building is our fear; perhaps of heights, or fear of falling, yet the reality of hitting the pavement is what really settles the matter. Lasting change requires courage to stand in the face of adversity, the courage to be strong when others abandon you, the courage to risk failure.


The road to success is paved with the mortar of failures and washed by the tears of heartbreak. To achieve greatly is to have sacrificed greatly. Be strong and courageous! Be strong and very courageous!Let the greatness within shine forth and you will become the catalyst for lasting and significant change. Light your world with the fire of desire, release yourself to discover new abilities within you, and take courage in the face adversity. You are a difference maker!