21 OCTOBER 2018 BODY OF CHRIST NEWS Leon Owens Jr. was born February 1, 1949, to the late Leon Owens Sr. and Truzella Rhodes Owens. Leon Owens was a native of Colorado Springs and a graduate of William Palmer High School in the Springs. He accepted Christ at an early age at the historic Friendship Baptist Church in Colorado Springs. His love of Christ would lead Leon to a long career as one of the most prominent gospel radio personalities in the West. Leon attended Southern Colorado State College, now known as CSU Pueblo, before being drafted into the United States Army. He served his country well as a Combat Medic with the 26th Engineer Battalion during the Vietnam War. Service and faith defined so much of Leon Owens -he was a faithful servant of Christ and to his communi- ty. Leon understood that " faith without works is dead" and his works were many. He served as President of the Denver Housing Issues Taskforce and fought tire- lessly for affordable housing and fair housing practices, combining his passion for mortgage banking with his passion as a Christian. He used his voice to serve others, and to serve the Lord. Leon's devotion to his wife was deep and enduring. He married the love of his life, Sybil Elaine Smith on November 1, 1980, and they were married for nearly four decades. From their union three wonderful children were born; Sebrina Dene, Jason Leon , and Tyson Joshua. Leon was a very proud and amazing father. He praised his children, and set an example to love, nurture and care for each other and their family. He was a devoted grandpa, and nothing gave him more joy than spoiling his grandsons with toys, muffins and juice. Leon's definition of family was inclusive and expansive; to him, family was the community and he shared himself and his family with that community. Leon was ever-present for his children and his wife Sybil, and was there to support and love them through all of life's ups and downs. His fam- ily and friends will always cherish their memories of Leon on the golf course, watching Star Trek, and his sense of style, for Leon was a man of fashion who knew how to dress. He loved to talk, he loved people, and he wanted people to feel loved and special. This was his passion and his calling. He understood and loved the power of Gospel music and this was his tool to encourage people and change communities. Leon Owens was the voice of KLDC. The Gospel Power of the Rocky Mountains. He built KLDC from the ground up not only as a radio station, but as a platform that ele- vated the voice of African American pastors and community leaders. He used KLDC to make a lasting change and impact in the African American Community in Denver and Rocky Mountain Region. His voice may now be hushed, but it will be forever heard. Leon Owens jr. is preceded in death by his parents, Leon Owens Sr. and Truzella Owens. Leon Owens jr., departed this life to the embrace of the Lord on September 9, 2018, in Denver Colorado. Those left to cherish his memory and mourn his loss, include love of his life, Sybil E. Owens of Aurora, Colorado ; daughter Sebrina D. Owens- Wilson, (Andrew Wilson) of Centennial, Colorado; sons Jason L. (Kelly) Owens, of Denver Colorado and Tyson J. (Brooke) Owens of Aurora Colorado .Brother Dennis Owens of Colorado Springs. Sister Joan Rhodes-Owens of Highlands Ranch, Colorado; four Grandchildren, and a host of neph- ews, nieces cousins, other relatives and a multitude of friends, and a grateful community. Lord God of Israel lives I stand. There shall not be dew or rain this year except at my word. Then the word of the Lord came to him saying, get away from here and turn eastward and hide by the brook Cherith which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you should drink from the brook and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there. And he went and did according to the word of the Lord. For he went and stayed by the brook Cherith. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morn- ing. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the evening. And he drank from the brook. And it hap- pened after a while that the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. The whole nation according to the word of Elijah was going through drought. The whole nation was going through a time of dryness. Activities were going on, but no one was being refreshed. But, the man of God that they despised has the key to their breakthrough. So, the children of Israel were just not following the Lord. So, Elijah said, with these things you are doing I call dryness. There shall be no rain. Now, it’s not that Elijah cursed the nation. Elijah was only bearing the heart of God. It’s not that he went and cursed the nation, “let there be no rain.” He said, “at thy word.” But you forgot that he said, “the Lord God of Israel before whom I stand.” In other words, before whom I have prayed and praying. So, it was in the secret place of prayer that Elijah received a word. “Go now and speak.” Prophets don’t come and say, “Thus saith the Lord” all the time. Sometimes Prophets will just speak. As he is speaking he is speaking the heart of God and its prophecy. For some of you I don’t even know I’m prophesy- ing into your life but I’m just speaking and as I’m speaking you say, exactly! That’s what I was trusting God for and that’s what Bishop said today. The same thing Elijah had stood before the Lord and the Lord said to him, “It’s drought time. There shall be dry- ness.” Now, drought does not necessarily mean there was no activity. Activities are still going on. In fact, in dryness people do extra activity than during the rain. But, that’s not what God is trying to do God is trying to prepare a nation for himself. Now, let’s just focus on Elijah as it relates to becoming a man that calls fire down. The first thing Elijah spoke and said there will be no rain, then God now spoke to Elijah. God said to Elijah, “this will affect you too. But let’s do certain things that you will be comfortable.” These certain things if you also continue to do them, I don’t care how terrible any nation you will find yourself to be you will rule and you will reign there. God knows whether it is United States, United of Africa or United of Europe anywhere I go as long as I am led there I will thrive there. God has proven it over and over and over and over again. When I was among the Bombera people they don’t speak English, I don’t speak English. I thrived there. And then I moved to the Wolof tribe in Senegal in six months 100% Muslim we built a church there. When I was in Ghana in less than one year we built a church there. It’s not where you are it’s who is with you. Where you are is important but who is with you is more important than where you are. So, anything you lay your hands upon pay atten- tion to these things and everywhere is your promised land. This is the first thing God said to Elijah, “Elijah simply because you are my prophet will not exclude you from the drought. But I’m going to provide for you. Now, if you want me to provide for you the first thing you must do is go away from here. And go to the place I’m going to show you & hide by the brook Cherith.” What is he saying to Elijah? For you to see how I’m going to make you comfortable, for you to be able to enjoy the comfort I’m going to give to you Elijah your first assignment must be to separate yourself from all these people. Separate yourself from them. For Elijah it’s people for you it may be your job. It may be something else. You will hear the voice of the Holy Spirit whisper to you come away from there. You are not supposed to be in that group. That friendship is too costly to maintain. Get away from there, come away. The challenge is sometimes when that voice comes we are not ready to obey. Sometimes the voice will come as simple as you are in a movie theatre and you are watching, and the voice comes, don’t watch that. Get out, get out. It’s just entertainment. Look at Romans 1. Even though you don’t do it you pay those who did it. Romans chapter 1 verse 32: Knowing the righteous judgment of God that those who practice such things are deserving of death. Not only doing the same but also approve of those who practice them. God said, come away. You are in your bedroom and you are watching a movie and God said, turn it off. Not for you, not again. The Holy Spirit, that whis- per will come to you. Now the choice now is whether you will separate yourself unto the purposes of God or you will keep rolling as you’ve been rolling. Elijah decided to pull away. He separated himself into soli- tude. Because what God wants to do when he says, go away separate yourself is to be able to fellowship with you. Everyday God is crying out to his children I miss you. You only shout and yell and jump when you are in the church. Where is that shout, where is that yelling when you are alone? When you are with your friends who are not Christians? Where is it? Am I only God of your life on Sunday or God of your life all the time? It’s a question. The Holy Spirit is yearning and looking for those who will say, I miss you too. Billy Graham and a man started together in Youth for Christ and later on Billy Graham left Youth for Christ and started his own Billy Graham Evangelistic Ministry and his friend was sent to start Youth for Christ in Canada. After a while his friend that went to start Youth for Christ in Canada got really dis- couraged because the ministry was not growing the way he wanted. And he declared, “I am not follow- ing Jesus again. I don’t want to have anything to do with God. I am done with church, I’m not doing anything.” Billy would go to him, he would say “no I’m convinced.” So, Billy left him alone. After about thirty-five years the man was now ninety something years old. He was ready to die, and Billy went to him and said, “Brother, you still don’t want to.” To which the man said, “I surely missed him.” As you are walking out your life make sure you don’t fill your life with too much doing that you have no time to be alone in the presence of God. You cannot be doing the same thing the same way and expect different results. You must be able to find a time of solitude, a time of aloneness with God. The choice to pull away is the choice to pull away from distractions, pull away from those that massage your ego, that make you look that you are great. I love it when God says to me, “you don’t know noth- ing boy.” I say, “yes sir. I know nothing.” Because it is that place that he begins to prepare you on your journey to call fire down when you get to your own Mt. Carmel experience. OBITUARIES Leon Owens Jr. Leon Owens Jr., Feb 1, 1994 – Sept 9, 2018 CALLING ... continued from page 11