the lion & the lamb - june 2012

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Great Commission the Terrell Chatman is willing to risk his life to save a soul complimentary issue june 2012

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The Lion & The Lamb - June 2012

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Page 1: The Lion & The Lamb - June 2012

Great Commissionthe

Terrell Chatman is willing to risk his life to save a soul

complimentary issue

june 2012

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Page 2: The Lion & The Lamb - June 2012

PRINTINGSHWEIKI.COM

IT’S ThaT eaSy.

FOR FREE QUOTES & SAMPLES CALL (512) 480-0860

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Page 3: The Lion & The Lamb - June 2012

To advertise, please contact Zandria Chatman at 409.344.0696 or [email protected].

3895 Kenneth Avenue Beaumont, TX 77705

409.344.0696

www.lionlambmagazine.com

Zandria ChatmanEditor/Publisher

Therese Shearer Creative Director/Design

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification. Romans 14:19

Contributing Writers

Zandria Chatman Kendrick WilliamsShedrick GamblesMichael Venyah

Contributing Photographer

Terrance Matthews

Ad Design

Isaac Lovely

MissionThe Lion & The Lamb’s mission is to edify, unify, and uplift the body of Christ through multimedia that will promote the Gospel to serve Christians and non-believers. The Lion & The Lamb will bring the Bible into everyday standards of life addressing the issues people face in their emotional, financial, spiritual, and natural aspects. VisionThe vision of The Lion & The Lamb is to exist as a multi-faceted medium reporting on pertinent issues of the body of Christ through monthly print publications, web media, and broadcast productions. We believe that as every person was fashioned by God before the foundation of this world (Psalm 138:13-16), there is not any person who cannot be served by this organization. The Lion & The Lamb will edify, uplift, and promote the Gospel of Christ by way of journalistic standards. Therefore, we will report from an objective viewpoint, provide facts, and reference the Word of God in every article, podcast, and communication.

june 2012

A Word from Zandria 5

The Great Commission 6-9

Evangelism 10,11

Ye shall be witnesses 12,13

From cells to salvation 14

Fathers, forgive them 14

Ruined but reclaimed 15

The Lion & The Lamb is a Christian publication representing all denominations and has no affiliation with any specific ministry, church, movement or cause. The Lion & The Lamb is not responsible for any discrepancies or changes that may have occurred since the publishing of this issue. Every effort has been made to ensure accurate information at the time of publication, this cannot be guaranteed. The views of the authors are not the views of the publication.

contents

from the cover

6-9

12,13Pastor Terrell Chatman of God’s Way Spiritual

Maintenance opens his home and risks his liveli-hood for those in need.

Read the full story on pages 6-9.

Photo by Terrance Matthews

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Page 4: The Lion & The Lamb - June 2012

June 13, 2012, at 702 Magnolia Street, The Lion & The Lamb, with God’s Way Spiritual Maintenance, will combine efforts to help meet some of the immediate needs of Beaumont’s homeless and indigent. Evangelists Terrell and Zandria Chatman often minister in the pub-lic where they are constantly made aware of the needs of those who are forced to live on the streets.

“I don’t know anyone who wants to be homeless,” Terrell Chatman said. “It is very difficult to gain employment if you can’t properly groom yourself; how do you remain healthy if you don’t have the proper tools for basic care of yourself?”

Meet The Needs Wednesdays is where these two ministries col-laborate to distribute care packages that provide the tools for per-sons who can not readily gain access to soap, toothbrushes, tooth-paste, combs, underwear and other personal items. By providing these care packages, the Chatmans hope to improve the health of each person and increase the probability those they serve may re-ceive employment or improve their physical stature.

For more information please contact Zandria Chatman at 409.344.0696 or via email at [email protected].

Meet the Needs WedNesdays

MattheW 25:35-36

Page 5: The Lion & The Lamb - June 2012

In the darkest hours of a day, the city is sleeping. Citizens are tucked in their beds resting for the next day. While we slumber, there is a remnant of souls who are awake working. This remnant is not employed by a worldly corpo-ration but a spiritual one. They have been given over to a reprobate state of mind; they are in sin. As an evangelist, I’ve witnessed to women on the streets on numerous occasions. My husband and I purposely evangelize at

night so we may reach those who will not surface during the day. These women know of our Savior but many are clueless how to find Him and begin living a life for Him. One woman in particular I witnessed to remained heavy on my heart, often I was con-cerned for her safety and would routinely check where she would frequent. She never turned down prayer and would always repent for abusing her body and polluting it with drugs. Each time we parted ways I knew there was a change, God had used me. I am blessed to say, now she is off the streets and seeking the Lord every day. She is even proud of the soft belly she’s gained, it’s her trophy.

This month we are covering evangelism. Evangelism is a mandate of the Lord we share His testimony (He lived, He was crucified for our sins, and He has risen) with those who are lost. Sometimes we face criticism for being at the club or whore houses, or drug houses praying, but what better place to be? God has used us to help pull His children out of dark places, and I bless the Lord that He has accompanied myself with sinners (for ministry). I encourage you to join me.

a word from Zandria

letter to the editor

june 2012

w w w . l i o n l a m b m a g a z i n e . c o m

As a new mother with limited time, I find the content of The Lion & The Lamb to be informative and easily accessible. It is rare to find a magazine that focuses on life issues from a religious point of view, as well as offering advice on bringing and keeping God in your life. In today’s world of cynicism and decreasing moral values, I find a publication of this caliber refreshing and innovative. As I teach my

child the Word of God, I hope to keep abreast of new ideas and methods to guide my daughter through her own spiritual journey. I am happy to offer my support to the beginning of The Lion & The Lamb magazine.

Congratulations,Cynthia E. Williams

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Page 6: The Lion & The Lamb - June 2012

6 junE 2012

Great Commissionthe

Minister Kendrick Williams (left)and Pastor Terrell Chatman (right)have been friends for a decade. Now Williams and Chatman have teamed to minister. Williams serves as an assistant to Chatman.

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Page 7: The Lion & The Lamb - June 2012

7junE 2012

As shoppers of one of Beaumont, Tex-as’ largest grocery stores are gathering household needs, a loud raspy voice is echoed down the

aisles, “’Repent! Repent! For the kingdom of heav-en is at hand, no man knows the day, time or the hour of His return,” yells Pastor Terrell Chatman of God’s Way Spiritual Maintenance.

Standing at 5-foot 11-inches tall, Pastor Chat-man is an unassuming man. Though he is small in stature, he is large in spirit. For the past four years, Chatman has taken The Great Commission liter-ally: “Therefore go making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and teaching them to obey all I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV)

May of 2008, Chatman heard the voice of God and began the work of a pastor and evangelist. “I began this ministry by going out on foot preach-ing the Gospel and giving people torn pages from my Bible,” Chatman said. Chatman operates a non-traditional church, a ministry from his home and considers each “member” a family member.

Besides grocery stores, Chatman has been seen preaching in courthouses, law offices, crack houses, car washes, nightclubs and from his car. There are mixed opinions of Chatman’s approach to preach to the unsaved, among the community and clergy. While some feel his method is unconventional, boisterous, and radical, none deny his passion, drive, and persistence to spread the Gospel.

Pastor Terrell Chatman of God's Way Spiritual Maintenance

is widely known around Beaumont as a radical

evangelist who has a big heart and is willing to risk even

his life to save a soul.

continued on next page

Story by Zandria ChatmanPhotos by Terrance Matthews

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8 junE 2012

“We are a church without walls,” Chatman says in reference to his ministry. All traditions are cast to the side at God’s Way. Chatman refers to “God’s Way” as a 24-hour ministry. Located on the South side of Beaumont, God’s Way is also used as Chat-man’s home. Chatman has invited homeless and former recidivists to live under the same roof as he and his family.

“We, as the body of Christ, have become com-fortable behind the four walls and stained glass; we practice Christianity on other Christians,” he said. “What about those who don’t know Christ? What happens after we have been taught and heard the Word go forth? Do we take what we have learned home, or do we deliver it to those in need?”

Derrick Winters, of Hickman, Kentucky, had a personal encounter with Chatman one afternoon.

“I was at a local convenience store on Highland and Pipkin, snorting cocaine when Chatman ap-proached me,” he said. “He reminded me that I was created by God, loved by Him, and drug abuse was not God’s plan for my life.”

Prior to meeting Chatman, Winters was 48 days so-ber and clean and working to get his life back on track.

Despite his attempts to grow in a relationship with God, Winters did not progress enough to keep him from the lusts of his flesh.

“My wife and I were having some problems and she asked me to leave; she threatened to commit suicide again (The first attempt was during a bout of postpartum.), so I threatened to use again,” Win-ters said. “I didn’t want to use; I wanted her to stop me, when she didn’t, I left; I used.”

After Chatman approached Winters, he returned home, awed and desiring God.

“Pastor walked from the car after praying with me, and I finished using what I had left of the co-caine and I went home,” Winters said. “I told my friend who I was using with it couldn’t have been anything but God.”

Only 72 hours before his run-in with Chatman, Winters passed by Chatman’s home, a former fire station, not knowing there was a ministry there.

“I had walked past the fire station without shoes on my feet three days before,” Winters said. “I didn’t know the fire station housed a ministry; there was

a pull, but I passed it by.” The pull could not be denied; Winters returned

to the fire station where he was welcomed into Chatman’s home.

“There are no limits here; there is a genuine con-cern and love for the people that is rare these days,” Winters said.

Winters, a former assistant pastor, can attest to the attitude of the church towards those who are considered “big problems.”

“The attitude of the church is that we can only go so far with you; we can pray with you but after ser-vice you go your way and I will go mine,” Winters said. “Here, the men will tarry with you, invite you in, love you and demonstrate the Word to the best of their abilities.”

Now a member of Chatman’s family, Winters has rest, peace and a renewed mind.

“The first day I walked in there was such a peace in this home that all the things tormenting me stopped; there is a heavy anointing in this place,” he said.

Winters described his former residence as a dark, lonely apartment that only contributed to his addiction.

continued from previous page

The “family” gathers together every morning for prayer before they depart for work.

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9junE 2012

Chatman, a skilled carpenter cuts sheetrock to reestablish a wall.

Minister Kendrick Williams keeps a smile on his face, even when hard at work.

Another member of Chatman’s family, works aside Chatman in a home improvement project for a fellow minister.

“The apartment I was staying in a week before I met Pastor- there was no peace there; I was all alone there. Here, all of the negative thoughts, all of the triggers, the negative influences the imagina-tions have ceased. I just know this is a permanent change; my mind is renewed; the scales have been removed from my eyes,” Winters said.

Living with Pastor Chatman has given Winters a new found appreciation for the Godly love to-wards the indigent and poor. Jesus compelled all who follow him to have love for their fellow men: “For I was an hungered and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger and ye took me in; Naked and ye clothed me; I was sick and ye visited me; I was in prison and ye came to see me. “ Matthew 25:35-36 (KJV)

“I think more Pastors should be as accessible to their congregation as Pastor Chatman. If I need the man of God, (No one but Jesus is available all the time and even on Him I must wait). It is a tre-mendous blessing to have access to him whenever I can,” Winters said. “What was special to me was that Pastor told me ‘however long it takes for the Lord to bless you, I will be here with you.’”

Chatman allows men who are from the street, in the midst of addiction, those seeking a home, who want to be a disciple of Christ to live with him and his family so more can be added to the body of Christ and live a Christ-like life. For more information about Pastor Chat-man and his family, visit www.lionlambmagazine.com.

Page 10: The Lion & The Lamb - June 2012

10 junE 2012

In layman’s terms, evan-gelism is de-fined as, he or she who brings the good news of the Gos-pel of Jesus Christ.

“And Je-sus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heav-

en and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatso-ever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20 (KJV)

Evangelism is what Christians call, The Great Commission. We, as believers, have been given the great task of persuading men to see things God’s way, though reasoning with the world can at times be difficult and even dangerous.

“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” John 6:44 (KJV)

Meaning that the supernatural work of converting a person is not dependent upon the messenger’s eloquence of speech or knowledge, but solely on God Himself operating in an individual’s heart as His words go forth.

“And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, co-meth unto me.” John 6:45 (KJV)

Ministers of His Word simply plant

Bible study

Evangelism

by Minister Kendrick Williams of Cathedral of Faith

Baptist Church

Page 11: The Lion & The Lamb - June 2012

11junE 2012

or water seeds of His word, but all glory must go to God who gives the increase.“So neither is he that planteth any-thing, neither he that watereth; but God that givers the increase.” 1 Corinthians 3:7 (KJV)

As we are not privy to who will re-ceive or reject the Word of God, we are commanded by Him to speak the truth in our hearts to everyone with no respect to any man’s person.

“He who has an ear to hear, let him hear,” Mat11:5 (KJV)

Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15, KJV), and to bear witness to the truth and everyone who hears His voice is of the truth.(John 18:37, KJV)

Jesus said, “you shall know the truth

and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32 (KJV)

Knowing the truth is vital because people are governed by what they believe. Holding to your convictions is acceptable if what you believe is the truth; but if what you believe is a lie, the consequences could be very damaging. Those detrimental conse-quences could result in mutual de-struction for all involved.

Scripture clearly speaks for itself and history records that those with ears to hear repented and convert-ed, and those who rejected became persecutors and despisers of Jesus Christ. Take heart brothers and sis-ters, hear me you ambassadors of the kingdom, walk in love, cast out fear, finish your course, for we are the Lord’s evangelists!

Evangelism: The practice of

relaying information about a particular set

of beliefs to others who do not hold those

beliefs. The term is often used in reference

to Christianity.

Photography by Terrance Matthews

409.351.2370

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Page 12: The Lion & The Lamb - June 2012

12 junE 2012

“But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost come upon you, and YE SHALL BE WITNESSES unto Me, both in Jerusalem, and in Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8)

As demon-inspired tides of suicide, murder, child molestation, govern-

mental corruption, occult religion, drag this world towards the lake of fire, it is eternally-urgent that we, the Body and Army of mankind’s Only Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, heed three crucial truths, to fulfill His command and com-mission: “YE SHALL BE WITNESSES”.

1. Christ Commandsus to be Witnesses:

“Witness,” in Greek, is “Martus.” It means “to be a martyr.” By command-ing us to BE WITNESSES, Christ commands us to LIVE AS MARTYRS, “dead to sin” (Romans 6:1-2), “dead to self ” (Colossians 3:4), “dead to secular soci-ety (“the world”) (Galatians 6:14); “alive” only to Him (Romans 6:11). Paul the Apostle, the “martyr-witness” who “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6), cried, “FOR ME TO LIVE IS CHRIST, AND TO DIE IS GAIN” (Philip-pians 1:21). This must be our cry, our life, in order for us to BE WITNESSES unto Christ, “die and bring forth much fruit” (John 12:24).

2. Christ Commands us to be Witnesses unto him:

Christ does not call us to promote “preachers”, “churches”, “denominations.” He commands us to portray and preach, HIM. He says of the Holy Ghost, Em-powerer of sin-free saints to live as Biblical “witnesses”: “When the Comforter is come...even the Spirit of Truth...He shall testify of Me: and ye shall also bear witness...He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judg-ment” (John 15:26-27, 16:8). The Holy Ghost testifies of Christ by bringing Christ’s Words concerning “sin, righteousness, judgment”, “to our remem-brance” (John 14:26). We “also bear witness,” biblically, by preaching this, to the world, to expose their sin, and their desperate needs to repent, believe, and obey Christ, in order to obtain Heaven and avoid Hell.

3. Christ Commands us to be Witnesses unto him eVerYWhere:

Christ calls us to live as martyr-witnesses unto Him to the world. Jerusalem, where the disciples were first stationed after Christ’s Resurrection, symbol-izes our hometown; Judaea, from whence multitudes came to hear John the Baptist and Christ, represents the religious community that we must reach; Samaria, whose citizens were shunned by the Jews, is emblematic of soci-ety’s undesirables who need the Gospel through us; the “uttermost part of the earth” refers to not only those scattered throughout the nations, but also those at work, at school, at the store, in the neighborhood, over the phone, on the internet - scattered to the “uttermost part” of our daily lives. Christ commands us to “preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15), because He “is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9), and “Will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the Truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).

rightly divided

ye shall bewitnesses

bY miChael VenYah

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13junE 2012

When He commands us to BE WITNESSES UNTO HIM, the Lord Jesus Christ also commands us to RECEIVE POWER, after being baptized with the Holy Ghost. Christ said “Behold, I give unto you POWER TO TREAD ON SER-PENTS AND SCORPIONS, AND OVER ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY: AND NOTHING SHALL BY ANY MEANS HURT YOU” (Luke 10:19). As we surrender our lives to: (1) LIVE AS MARTYR-WITNESSES (2) BE WITNESSES UNTO ONLY CHRIST (3) LIVE AS MARTYR-WITNESSES UNTO CHRIST, TO EVERY PERSON, EVERYWHERE, as we believe and obey (Luke 11:9-13, Acts 5:32), the Holy Ghost will come upon us, fill us with His sin-convicting, devil-evicting, sickness-destroying, dead-raising, soul-saving POWER, with which He filled Christ and the apostles, and, like them, we will push back the devil’s flood tides of wickedness, and “turn the world upside down”, for our Lord Jesus Christ.

about the author:Michael Venyah, founder of Soulwinners Ministries International, has

preached the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in 16 countries and 4 of the earth’s 7 continents as a missionary, on 100+ college campuses as an open-air evangelist, pastors Soulwinners Fellowship in East Lansing, Michigan, is the author of “Journal of a Street Preacher”, is the husband of his lovely wife and co-founder of the ministry, Tamika, and father of their 4 wonderful home-schooled children, Paul Elijah, Anna Elisabeth, John Moses, and Stephen Isa-iah, Venyah.

To contact Michael, for evangelism training, church preaching, or procuring Biblical materials, please contact Soulwinners Ministries International at web-site: www.soul-winners.org; email: [email protected]; ministry phone: 517.242.2643. May the Lord bless you.

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14 junE 2012

I was once a drug dealer, womanizer, convict, and blasphemer against God. Subsequent to this intro-duction if you choose to read any further you will share with me the blessing I received when I was converted to Jesus Christ. I pray my testimony can help those who are confused and lost.

I was not raised in a Christian home. Prior to the age of 13 I only visited church on Easter Sunday. My 13th Easter Sunday was my last visit till I turned 18. In between the years of my annual visit and my con-version to Christianity, I was a drug dealer and con-vict. As with anything, when I began to sell drugs, I was a novice. I didn’t know how to sell or where to go to sell. I don’t remember who introduced me to “the game” all I remember was the memorable ques-tion, “Do you want to make some money?”

After a while, I got the hang of it. I sold $3,000 worth of crack and powder cocaine a night. Even-tually I gained a reputation on the streets, once I

Luke 23:34 (KJV), “Then said Jesus, Father, for-give them; for they know not what they do” This is unconditional love in its fullest. Forgiveness is what Jesus is about.

Many fathers reading this may have sons or daughters on drugs or alcohol, children in jail or immorally inclined. It breaks your heart, I know, but don’t let it break your relationship. Keep com-munications open. It’s your only hope and their only salvation. As bad as they are, they need some-one who cares--someone with unconditional love.

Fathers, your offspring’s actions will often bring feelings that you really don’t want to have, but human nature dictates how we react to what we perceive as reproach upon us and our family in gen-eral. But Jesus has the solution.

Fathers, forgive them--for they know not what they do. Teenagers, especially, have a hard time ad-justing to rules and regulations of the home and balancing it with becoming their own person. Most of them are going to make many mistakes trying to find their way. Remember your transition from child to adult? At its best, it certainly wasn’t easy.

When we were growing up, we didn’t battle the things that teenagers and young adults face today.

became a competitor, I was then considered dis-posable. Word came to me that there was a plot to rob, kidnap, murder, and dispose of my body. As a consequence, I ran away from home and contin-ued to sell drugs from a house I rented. The police gained knowledge of my activates and kicked in the door, only to find that I had cleaned the house and moved on. At the time I didn’t recognize this act as God’s grace, but in retrospect I bless the Lord I es-caped what would have been 15 years in the peni-tentiary. I “laid low,” till I was no longer a subject of conversation. During my sabbatical, I, again, was approached with the same luring question, “Do you want to make some money?” I returned to old habits, and this time, I ended up behind bars.

I was first transported to a juvenile facility and then prison where I became convert to Islam. Is-lam was appealing because it didn’t require a go-be-tween God and me. At the time I didn’t understand

(However, we’re battling them now!) The world is getting more wicked every day, and basically, things that were “no-no”s have become the norm. Explain that to your teenager!

When children begin to break out of the shell we’ve put them in, it puts a strain on the relation-ship between them and us. And in our ignorance, we focus on the problems and try to repair them, when all the time we should be working on the re-lationship. If we can heal the relationship, the prob-lems will begin to solve themselves.

Fathers, you need to put your child in God’s hands. The hardest thing you’ll ever face is letting go of your control over your child and giving it to the Lord. Naturally, you feel a strong responsibility toward the raising of your children. It’s supposed to be there. But there comes a time when you have to let go, not only physically, but emotionally too. If you don’t, you’ll dig a trench between you and your most precious possession--your son or daughter.

Somehow, you need to get beyond being the taskmaster, the schoolmaster, the critic, the judge and take on the role of friend. It’s not easy, but a very necessary part of your child’s development.

Too heavy a hand on your child’s life can produce

that Christianity offered the same freedom, nor did I understand the testimony of Jesus. I contin-ued on this way faithfully for a few years.

Not until September 2007 in the Jefferson County Jail were my eyes opened. I was invited to church by a cellmate who shared his testimony with me. He wasn’t Christian nor Muslim but he urged me to join him Sunday. After service when we both went to shake the Pastor’s hand, he said, “The Lord has a Word for you,” He began to repeat verbatim my cellmate’s testimony he had shared with me just two days prior. I then knew Christi-anity was true, and from there, I began my journey.

Today, I’m an ordained Pastor, confident and grounded in my belief in Christianity and I am not looking back. I bless the Lord I can share who I was and live redeemed of that torrid past. Praise the Lord.

rebelliousness in them. God warns against this. Ephesians 6:4 (KJV) says, “And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

Don’t ever let anything, and I mean ANYTHING, come between you and your child. Despite his or her failures, a child needs one source to look to where he or she can find unconditional love. That source should be you. If it’s not, you’re the loser.

The Bible tells us that love “covereth” a multitude of sins. Jesus loved you enough to die for you. Can you do any less for your child? Can you forgive his transgressions against you? Can you love her to-tally, beyond her failures?

Relinquishing authority in your child’s life is not easy. It requires the help of Jesus Christ and plenty of prayer and fasting. Two of the most essential as-sets necessary are love and forgiveness.

How can you accomplish this? It won’t be easy, but yet it’s very simple: Fathers, forgive them!

Jacquelyn Horne is a former newspaper reporter who has won various awards including two Delaware School Bell awards. She has poems and articles published in magazines and Christian publica-tions. She moved from Delaware to central Georgia 13 years ago.

praise report

holiday inspiration

FROM CELLS to Salvation

Fathers, Forgive them

By Shedrick Gambles

By Jacquelyn Horne

Wishing you a happy Father’s Day!

Page 15: The Lion & The Lamb - June 2012

15junE 2012

One of the most magnificent statues in the world is David. It is considered by many to be the master-piece of Michelangelo. The story of its completion, however, is far different from that of its beginning.

The block of marble from which he fashioned it was once marred and discarded by another art-ist. It had been so mutilated that it was cast aside as worthless.

When Michelangelo looked at the piece of marble, he saw possibilities and promises – not something that had been rejected because some-one thought it was ruined. And from what others trashed he brought forth a true treasure.

It is like those of us who become Christians. We “become new persons…(We) are not the same any-more for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!”

It is difficult to grasp the reality of that verse of Scripture. Perhaps it is because our size does not change and our shape remains the same and the moment we are born again, the Holy Spirit gives us a new life and we are changed on the inside.

And through the power of the Holy Spirit we are empowered to live differently and act differently because “a new life has begun.”

Once our lives were a shambles, shaped and scarred by sin. But the God of all creation recre-ated us.

Prayer: Thank You, Heavenly Father, that You took us, recreated us and gave us a new life. Your

grace has transformed us into Your likeness. Thank you!

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

monthly devotional

Ruined but reclaimedBy Michael A. Guido, D.D.

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16 junE 2012