Youth Edition

8/14/2019 Youth Edition

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YYYYYouth & Youth & Youth & Youth & Youth & Young Aoung Aoung Aoung Aoung Adult Edition 2004dult Edition 2004dult Edition 2004dult Edition 2004dult Edition 2004 1 V I Swww.visionschristianmagazine.com


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YYYYYouth & Youth & Youth & Youth & Youth & Young Aoung Aoung Aoung Aoung Adult Edition 2004dult Edition 2004dult Edition 2004dult Edition 2004dult Edition 2004 www.visionschristianmagazine.comS I O N S 2

2929292929 Anointed to SucceedAnointed to SucceedAnointed to SucceedAnointed to SucceedAnointed to Succeedbbbbby L.C. Ty L.C. Ty L.C. Ty L.C. Ty L.C. Tararararardydydydydy

13 Serving the Lords Army

by L.C. Tardy

19 SPECIAL FEATURE: Pastor Tony Lee

Biography

20 Young, Gifted, and Blessed

by L.C. Tardy

23 Love

by Brother Chicago Long

35 Youre On Trial

by L. David Harris

39 SPECIAL INTERVIEW: King Soloman

by L.C. Tardy

42 BIBLE STORY:BUILDING A HOUSE FOR GOD

4 Power in Truth: Testimonial

by Author Unknown

6 Overcoming Strongholds:Testimonial

by L.C. Tardy

POEMS

10 Have You Lost Your Hearingby Joe Floyd

10 Youll Always Be There

by Joe Floyd

10 Remembering Gods Loveby Joe Floyd

CONTENTS

TABLEOF


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YYYYYouth & Youth & Youth & Youth & Youth & Young Aoung Aoung Aoung Aoung Adult Edition 2004dult Edition 2004dult Edition 2004dult Edition 2004dult Edition 2004 3 V I Swww.visionschristianmagazine.com Copyright 2003-2004 Visions Christian Magazine, Inc

L.C. Tardy PublishersPresident/CEO

Executive Editors

Penelope White

Writers/Regular ContributorsJoe Floyd

L. David HarrisChicago Long

L.C. Tardy

Graphic Designers

Chauntika Broggin

Photographer

Kevin Lucas

Print Coordinator

TCG Printing/Washington Times

Layout/Production

Chauntika Broggin

Front cover picture taken by E. Johnson

Bible references are from the KJV and NIV

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is available through

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Please give us a call at

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Romans 10:9-10

9That if you confess with

your mouth, Jesus isLord, and believe in yourheart that God raised himfrom the dead, you will besaved. 10For it is with yourheart that you believe andare justified, and it is withyour mouth that youconfess and are saved.

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Power In TruthPower In TruthPower In TruthPower In TruthPower In TruthTestimonialTestimonialTestimonialTestimonialTestimonial by Author, Unknown

But sanctify the Lord God in yourBut sanctify the Lord God in yourBut sanctify the Lord God in yourBut sanctify the Lord God in yourBut sanctify the Lord God in your

hearts: and be ready always to give anhearts: and be ready always to give anhearts: and be ready always to give anhearts: and be ready always to give anhearts: and be ready always to give an

answer to every man that asketh you aanswer to every man that asketh you aanswer to every man that asketh you aanswer to every man that asketh you aanswer to every man that asketh you a

reason of the hope that is in you withreason of the hope that is in you withreason of the hope that is in you withreason of the hope that is in you withreason of the hope that is in you with

meekness and fear:meekness and fear:meekness and fear:meekness and fear:meekness and fear:

1P1P1P1P1Peter 3:15.eter 3:15.eter 3:15.eter 3:15.eter 3:15.

Iwas raised Catholic, although there

was little evidence of God in our home.

I attended a Catholic school also, and

mass several times a week, as well as confes-

sion. I was christened, confirmed, the whole nine

yards...but I always felt something was

wrong...there seemed to be a foreboding pres-

ence of some-

thing not quite

right there, and

so I was relieved

at the age of 13

when I began to

attend school in

the public school system. I did not retain any-

thing learned of the Catholic religion, and I cer-

tainly did not live a godly life...God was some-

thing very remote in my mind, although I did

believe he existed. I had a child and a failed

marriage at the age of twenty. I became an al-

coholic and had another child out of wedlock

by age 24. By the age of 28, I was living in an

ungodly relationship, had another child, and was

a full-blown alcoholic who also suffered from se-

vere depression. I was also an occassional drug

user, although I didnt do any hard drugs. My

life was a mess...I took steps to improve it..I went

to college, got a degree, participated in self-

help programs for depression and

alcoholism...but nothing seemed to do much

good...I still felt very unfulfilled. At the age of 32,

my boyfriend of 9

years had allowed

me to become a

s t a y - a t - h o m e

mom...and I was

bored. But since I

was at home all

day, and all the children were in school most of

the day..I discovered TV...and the one thing I

discovered on TV was TV evangelism. I dont

really remember much about what these people

had to say...but what I do remember noticing at

that point was their joy, their zeal, their peace,

and happiness. This was enticing to me. I dug

out an old bible, and began to read...although I

understood nothing of what I read...and my athe-

ist boyfriend didnt help much although he was


5/52


tolerant of my curiosity. During this time, people

began to cross my path to tell me about God,

Jesus, salvation. But I would not hear them...Ihad a very large fear. A fear of being mislead. I

looked around at all the religions, and I knew

they could not all be right..for they differed so

much. Now, the frequency of people crossing

my path was increasing to the point I could not

even go to the convenience store at 3AM with-

out hearing about Jesus! Finally, I decided to

talk to God..I told God I wanted to know him, but

I didnt want to be mislead..I wanted truth and

truth only! Well, my relationship fell apart, I

moved out, my children were scattered as I

didnt really have a suitable place to go. I was

living amidst drug dealers, drug addicts, even

though by this point, I had been relieved of my

alcoholism Even in my ignorance...I had prayed

for deliverance from this terrible thing..and God

was faithful to deliver me.

During these times I suffered through

many situations...poverty...hunger...emotional

abuse...family separation..sickness...despair..

but I think the worst thing I suffered through was

a feeling of hopelessness...

I had come to the realization that there must

be something better..and I had also come to the

conclusion it had something to do with God...I

mean I couldnt really ignore it anymore.

Well, here I was...and things were changingsuddenly...I started a business, and was doing

well, saving money for my own place to live. One

day my friend whom I was living with, wanted to

go out...and so I agreed. She drank, I drove:). I

met a man that night that was soon to become

the most influential human being I had known.

For some reason, I felt I could trust this man,

and although he did some things that eventu-

ally led to hurt in my life, I will be eternally grate-

ful to God for using this man to lead me to him.

He encouraged me to read, encouraged me to

pray...assured me that God heard my

prayers..he answered my incessant barrage of

questions day and night...and he was patient

and kind in his guidance. I was able to obtain a

home, paid for...and restore my family. I was very

zealous in my search for God, for his under-

standing, for his truth..and God is faithful to re-

veal these things to me.

The first year of my new life, I read as much

as I could..I prayed about everything I read..but

it wasnt until almost a year later that the under-

standing began to come...and it was so

wonderful...a feeling I can not describe...I was


6/52


looking through my bible, and all of a sudden it

was like a great understanding overcame

me..everything I looked at just seemed to makesense, come alive, I was leafing through pages

one after another, seeing the truth jumping out

at me in blaring reality! And soon after many

other exciting things began to happen to me in

my spiritual walk...I have seen things that have

awed me, felt things which I have never felt. At-

tained spiritual treausures in abundance...God

has come into my heart, my life, my whole

being...awakened me spiritually...recreated me!

Revived me! The peace and joy in having a re-

lationship with God is awesome...more than I

could ever have hoped for in my previous

life...and for this I continue to seek more of him.

I am convinced that anyone who is a DILIGENT

SEEKER of God can obtain this and muchmore...for his treasures are endless. I will not

say I have not had trials since my new life be-

gan, but with the love and peace and comfort of

the Holy Spirit, I have been able to face these

trials head-on with no fear, no turmoil, no doubt!

It is so wonderful to see the goodness of God,

and experience its healing power in your life. I

no longer suffer from depression, alcoholism,

drug addiction, anger, turmoil...these things God

has replaced with a transformed mind and spirit

in me.

HAVE BEEN POISONING MY

BODY FOR 32 YEARS, since the

age of 13. I lived in ignorance as do

many teenagers and adults of today. The devil

feeds on our ignorance and attacks us with dis-

eases and ungodly decisions. The worse thing

we can do to ourselves is to allow what is holy,

sacred and pure to be destroyed. Our breath

and blood are gifts from God, which is why the

devil tries to destroy us. The Bible says in 1

Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your

adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh

about, seeking whom he may devour,

1 Corinthians 3:16 says: Know ye not that ye

OVERCOMING STRONGHOLDSOVERCOMING STRONGHOLDSOVERCOMING STRONGHOLDSOVERCOMING STRONGHOLDSOVERCOMING STRONGHOLDS

by L.C. Tardy

My Testimony

I


7/52


are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God

dwelleth in you? It wasnt until I picked up a

magazine called, Message, the magazine for

virtuous living, (March/April 2001), and read an

article in the Healthspan column entitled, A

Time to Quit, written by Loma G. Davies-Silcott

that I began to realize what I was doing, and had

done to my body for so many years. You might

say thank God it was only cigarettes and no other

harsh drug. Think again! Cigarettes are just

as deadly___ in fact, even more deadly than

heroin. In Loma G. Davies-Silcotts article she

stated: Health officials estimate that more than

350,000 excess deaths occur each year as a

direct result of cigarette smoking. An excess

death means that the person dies statistically

earlier than they would have normally, because

of accident or illness. After reading about the

statistics and what cigarette smoking was do-

ing to my body, I began to pray, and to ask for-

giveness for allowing Satan to take over my

body. Then the Lord spoke to my heart, and

said, Your body is the temple of God. I shed

tears on that day, and got down on my knees

with the ashtray in my hand and repented. I ask

the Lord to take this thing from my blood, and to

remove this dreadful disease, and pain, and to

heal me. I shouted, Heal me, Lord, heal me in

the name of Jesus. With tears in my eyes, I

was determined on that day that I was not go-

ing to let the devil destroy my life, and take away

Gods most precious gift _______my breath.

I had been saved by the blood of the Lamb,

baptized with water, with the Holy Spirit. I

couldnt understand why I couldnt get over this

cigarette habit. Now I understand that I dont

have the strength to overcome anything in this

life without the power of Jesus in me. It is only

through the power of God that I have been

saved from the dreadful disease of smoking.

Praise God! The thought of smoking has

entered my mind, but the Holy Spirit steps in

and kicks it out. In other words, the Holy Spirit

makes intercession for my infirmities (my

weakness) He is the intercessor. (Romans

8:26) When we put our lives in Gods hands,

FFFFFor though wor though wor though wor though wor though we we we we we walk in the flesh, walk in the flesh, walk in the flesh, walk in the flesh, walk in the flesh, we do not we do not we do not we do not we do not war after the fleshar after the fleshar after the fleshar after the fleshar after the flesh

FFFFFor the wor the wor the wor the wor the weapons oeapons oeapons oeapons oeapons of our wf our wf our wf our wf our warfarfarfarfarfararararare are are are are are not carnal,e not carnal,e not carnal,e not carnal,e not carnal,

but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holdsbut mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holdsbut mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holdsbut mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holdsbut mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds

2 Corinthians 12 Corinthians 12 Corinthians 12 Corinthians 12 Corinthians 10:3-50:3-50:3-50:3-50:3-5


8/52


the Holy Spirit will not let the devil destroy His

property. In the name of Jesus I am victorious!

I didnt have to use nicotron, bantron,nicorette, or patches. I am living proof that I

was saved by the blood of the Lamb. He

protects me, orders my steps, directs my

path. He is my soul source, resource and

provider today. I can breath! I have more

energy! Im happier! my skin looks better! I

Praise the wonderful name of Jesus! Now

when I smell smoke, I know that it is the devils

spirit that wants to destroy me, and the pre-

cious gift of God ____ my Breath.

If you are experiencing strongholds in your

life, pray this prayer with me: I (say your

name) AS A BLOOD WASHED CHILD OF

GOD, ask in the name of Jesus that Satan be

removed from Gods property. I am not

Satans property. But I belong to God, and I

am His masterpiece. I am Gods workman-

ship, made in His image, created and

handcrafted by Him. In the name of Jesus,

Satan is defeated! The blood of Jesus is

against him. In the name of my Lord andSavior Jesus Christ, I am now smoke-free.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for saving me!

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou

mayest prosper, and be in health, even as

thou soul prospereth.3 John 2

God orchestrated my deliverance. I found the

Message magazine on the floor in my

roommates garage, and I had a cigarette in

my hand at the time (my roommate didnt

allow smoking in the house) I took the maga-

zine up to my room to read it. Thank God for

using the hands of Loma G. Davies-Silcott in

a mighty way in the writing of the article A

Time to Quit, in the March/April 2001 issue

ofMessage magazine. Our gifts are given to

us to bless others and bring healing to our

souls.

LINDLINDLINDLINDLINDA C. TA C. TA C. TA C. TA C. TARDARDARDARDARDYYYYY is an author of two books entitled, Ripples In the Water, and Humility Before Honor, and president of Visions

Magazine, a Christian magazine. She writes from Washington, D.C. This article was first published in Message Magazine November/

December 2004 issue.


9/52


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10/52


Lord, forgive me for all my sins

And help me to do whats rightProtect me from all temptations

Provide me a guiding light.

Theres no other power to turn toTheres no one greater than you

My faith in you is absoluteI trust everything that you do.

I thank you for your many blessings

And I thank you for being there for meIf I tried to live without youTheres no telling where I would be.

Lord, I love you with all my heartIm blessed with your loving careI can walk without a single fearKnowing youll always be there.

Joe Floyd

God loves all his children

He enjoys to watch them growFeel safe and know Gods watching

Where ever his children may go.

Never be afraid of the darknessBecause God will always be thereYoull be safe in the arms of GodYou are truly in the best of care.

God wants you to love your neighbor

Even if youd been treated wrongTurn it around with a little kindnessAnd just maybe you can get along.

Learn to fight hate with loveThat is what Jesus taughtGod loves all his children

Always remember that thought.

Joe Floyd

Youll Always Be There Remember Gods Love

Dont you hear God talking to you?Or is it that youre not really listening.

God wants you to know of his love for you,To ignore him you dont know what youre

missing.

God desires your full attention,Even if it is not what you want you want to

hear.His Holy Word is nothing but the truth,

And the truth is nothing you need to fear.

What on earth is more important than God?Why are you trying to tune him out?

God is the source of your salvation,Eternal life with God is what its all about.

Never turn your back on Gods Holy Word,Trust that his Word is always true

Believe that he will fulfill your every need,And that God will always have a love for you.

Open your ears and hear Gods Word,And be willing to give him your full attention.God just wants to show you his never ending

love,And that is the focus of his intention.

Joe Floyd

Have You Lost Your Hearing


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TEENCHURCH


12/52



13/52


T

SERVING THE LORDs ARMY

bbbbby L.C. Ty L.C. Ty L.C. Ty L.C. Ty L.C. Tararararardydydydydy

he Mighty Men of Valor is a pow-

erful ministry of Men and Young

adults. The Leader of the Men of

Valor is Minister Rickey E. Macklin. Minister

Macklins mentor and Pastor the late Bishop

James R. Peebles, Sr., and son, James R.Peebles, Jr. were the visionaries who gave birth

to the vision for the Mighty Men of Valor. Minis-

ter Rickey Macklin and Brother Robert Smith

The Jericho City of Praises Mighty Men of Val

And the angel of the Lord appearedAnd the angel of the Lord appearedAnd the angel of the Lord appearedAnd the angel of the Lord appearedAnd the angel of the Lord appeared

unto him, and said unto him, Theunto him, and said unto him, Theunto him, and said unto him, Theunto him, and said unto him, Theunto him, and said unto him, The

LLLLLororororord is with theed is with theed is with theed is with theed is with thee, thou mighty man, thou mighty man, thou mighty man, thou mighty man, thou mighty man

ooooof vf vf vf vf valoraloraloraloralor.....

Judges 6:12 Judges 6:12 Judges 6:12 Judges 6:12 Judges 6:12

ran with the vision. Minister Rickey Macklin

states that this vision has birthed powerful sonsof God with integrity, confidence, self-worth, de-

termination, discipline and knowledge of the

word of God. This powerful Baby (Mighty Men


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Through it all, I learned to

trust in Jesus, I learned to trust

in God, I learned to dependupon His Word.

of Valor) is 11 years old now, and increasingly

growing day by day. Every 1st Sunday at the

Jericho City of Praise in the Sanctuary theMighty Men of Valor perform their coordinated

Godly-steps. The Step performance, although

an inspiration to many, is always performed for

an audience of One - God of course. Truly

Jesus is lifted up and Gods name is exalted!

This group of young men knows how to spread

a powerful message from the word of God. The

Mighty Men of Valors leader, Minister Rickey

E. Macklin brings on a Spirit-led powerful

source of energy by spreading the gospel to a

crowd of over 17,000 members in the Sanctu-

ary at Jericho City of Praise, while instructing

the Mighty Men of Valor Step Team To Praise

God! In their opening, the step team shouts out

with a loud voice, We are the Mighty Men of

Valor of the Jericho City of Praise and we come

to Pr-a-i-s-e God! These young men are great

example setters for other young men in the

church and community as well. The Mighty Men

of Valor believe that you should never lose sight

of God and your God-given assignment. They

are followers of Christ, men of integrity and filled

with the fruit of the Spirit. Minister Rickey Macklin

explains that his ultimate goal for the Mighty Men

of Valor is to transform young men into men

of standard, integrity and Godly character so

that God can be glorified and the devil made

a liar.

1) Who are the Mighty Men of Valor?

We are a group that are comprised of sev-

JERICHOS MIGHTY MEN OF VJERICHOS MIGHTY MEN OF VJERICHOS MIGHTY MEN OF VJERICHOS MIGHTY MEN OF VJERICHOS MIGHTY MEN OF VALALALALALOROROROROR

YYYYYOUTH GUIDELINESOUTH GUIDELINESOUTH GUIDELINESOUTH GUIDELINESOUTH GUIDELINES

GodlyGodlyGodlyGodlyGodly Men of integrity

ObedientObedientObedientObedientObedient To the divine will of God

DedicatedDedicatedDedicatedDedicatedDedicated Take up His cross daily, and

follow Christ

SincereSincereSincereSincereSincere Filled with the fruit of the Spirit

CaringCaringCaringCaringCaringCompassionate towards your friends

and your enemies too

HelpfulHelpfulHelpfulHelpfulHelpful Assisting those that are less

fortunate

InvolvedInvolvedInvolvedInvolvedInvolved Stir up your gifts that are

within you

LoyalLoyalLoyalLoyalLoyal Hold to His word, and cling to

Him Trusted and Accountable

DependableDependableDependableDependableDependable Be worthy of others complete

confidence Men of outstanding Character

RRRRRespectfulespectfulespectfulespectfulespectful Others as well as yourself -

making listening a part of your life and

prayer

EnthusiasticEnthusiasticEnthusiasticEnthusiasticEnthusiastic Rejoicing always in Him!

Never QuitNever QuitNever QuitNever QuitNever Quit Never lose sight of God andyour assignment Be tenacious and

importune


15/52


eral different components i.e., mentoring, drill-

ing, discipling, tutoring, stepping, outreach and

a host of fun activities.2) What is the ultimate goal of the

Mighty Men of Valor?

My desire, by the help of the Holy Spirit, is to

be an instrument used by God to birth undeni-

able and unquestionable relationships between

God and each man and youth that walks through

our door.

3) When the Men Only Sessions take

place, what are the age groups?

The age group is 18 and up. I find this to be

so critical. So many men are hurting and need

other men to talk to. In these sessions, we

keep it real. I dare not talk about the many

things that we discuss but if men are seeking

an avenue for change in a trusted environment

a safe haven then this is the place to be.

4) Where are your mentoring classes

presently held?

We conduct our mentoring classes in the

choir room of our main sanctuary

5) How do you address teen peer-pres-

sure?

We address these and all other teen related

issues through videos and rap session

6) How big is the Men of Valor Minis-

try?

Wow! Good question. Hmmmmm. I hateusing numbers because thats not my motiva-

tion but for the sake of the record we have over

a hundred members on the books.

7) As a Minister, leader, teacher, author,

and mentor do you have any personal

goals of your own?

You know, my greatest desire is to stay in

the center of Gods will and as Jesus and the

Apostle Paul would say, to pour out myself and

be an offering for many. Simply stated, my de-

sire is to leave here empty having fulfilled all

God sent me here to do.

8) How do you spend your quiet time?

I spend most of it in meditation and writing.

9) You are Co-Leader of the Singles

Ministry, what are some of the activities in-

volved in this ministry?

We do a number of activities ranging from

workshops, to retreats, to cookouts, to plays,

to rap sessions and other physical activities with

other churches such as volleyball, softball and

bowling.


16/52


MEN

OF

VALOR

Minister Rickey E.Minister Rickey E.Minister Rickey E.Minister Rickey E.Minister Rickey E.

Macklin is theMacklin is theMacklin is theMacklin is theMacklin is the

leader of Mightyleader of Mightyleader of Mightyleader of Mightyleader of Mighty

Men oMen oMen oMen oMen of Vf Vf Vf Vf Valor atalor atalor atalor atalor at

Jericho City ofJericho City ofJericho City ofJericho City ofJericho City of

Praise.Praise.Praise.Praise.Praise.


17/52


MISSION STATEMENT

(MOV) Mighty Men of Valor

The Purpose of this Ministry is to transformthe lives of both older and younger men. Our

first obligation is to reach the men through dis-

cipleship, male bonding and accountability and

consequentially produced the type of men that

are able to assist us with the second aspect of

the ministry.

PURPOSE (Two-fold purpose)

Our vision involves establishing accountabil-

ity relationships with other men and providing

positive activities that promote self-confidence,

self-worth, determination, discipline, and knowl-

edge of the Word of God in our young men. As

the angel of the Lord spoke into Gideons life

while he was cowardly hiding and called him a

Mighty Man of Valor, we believe that regard-less of your background or present state you

too are a Mighty Man of Valor, (Romans 4:17).

Our second obligation is mentoring the

younger men. Our desire is to reduce school

dropout, reduce teen pregnancy, improve aca-

demic achievement, and improve anger man-

agement and other life skills. Furthermore, our

desire is to assist in transforming them into

godly young men by pulling out of them untapped

potential, leadership qualities and challenging

them with the word of God to ascertain what

their purpose and calling is.

Name ________________________________________

Address _______________________________________

_______________________________________

Phone ____________________________

Email Address_______________________

Age _____

PLEASE CHECK ALL THAT APPLY:

I am an interested parent

I am an interested youth

I am interested in volunteering my timeinto this program

I am having problems that I would like

to discuss with other males

I am interested in establishing men

accountability relationships

JOIN THE MIGHTY MEN OF VALOR

Send To

Jericho City of Praise 8501 Bishop Peebles Drive, Landover, Maryland 20785

Telephone: (301) 333-0500

Apostle Betty P. Peebles, D.D. Senior Pastor/Overseer -Assistant Pastor Joel R. Peebles, Sr.

Linda C. Tardy is a Freelance Writer/Author. She is the Publisher of this magazine, Visions Christian Magazine.


18/52


Rickey E. Macklin is a Minister at the Jericho City of Praise, and the leader of Mighty Men of Valor at Jericho City of Praise. He is

also the author of two books, Daddys Waiting on You and Gods Whole Armor.

Minister Rickey E. Macklin, son of the Rev-

erend and Mrs. Arthur Macklin Sr. of

Camden, S.C., is a graduate of South

Carolina State University and Jericho

Christian Training College, and has his

Masters in Theological Studies from

National Bible Seminary. Minister

Macklin serves as leader over Am-

bassadors For Christ Bible Minis-

tries where the ministrys primary

purpose is to provide books, bible

studies and various resources to

assist Christians in discovering

their God-given purposes. Minis-

ter Macklin is co-leader of the Jeri-

cho City of Praise Singles Ministry,

and leader of The Mighty Men of Valor

discipleship and mentoring program.

Minister Macklin teaches Christian

Courtship for Him at the Jericho

Christian Training College and

has produced a book to supplement

the course entitled Christian Courtship

For Him. He is the author ofGods Whole Ar-

mor, Daddys Waiting On You. and his next

Spirit-led masterpiece entitled, Anointed, But

Not Ready.

I joined the United States Navy in Oct of 1990

and gave these great United States of

America eight years of my life (5 active).

I must say that the experience is one that

I will never forget. I had never felt so

patriotic in all my life. Yet, I knew that

it was only a stepping stone. As I

mentioned in my book Gods

Whole Armor, shortly after my join-

ing, the Gulf War started. I learned

such invaluable information regard-

ing preparation for war and its suc-

cess thereof. Well, that was in the natu-

ral but one day I joined the Lords Army

and Ill tell you that its an experience that

just keeps on getting better. Like the

song writer penned it, Im on the battle

field for my Lord and I promised Him that

I would serve Him until I die. After all,

where would I be without Him? What

would I have? What would I do? Who else

has the words of eternal life? You see in

Him, I dont have to worry about about

earthly promotions and awards they all fade

away. In Him, I have eternal rewards.

Minister Rickey E. MacklinMinister Rickey E. MacklinMinister Rickey E. MacklinMinister Rickey E. MacklinMinister Rickey E. Macklin

Biography


19/52


Rev. Tony Lee is the Senior Minister toYoung Adults at the Ebenezer African

Methodist Episcopal Church where

he serves under the pastoralleadership of the Rev. Dr.

Grainger Browning, Jr. and the

Rev. Dr. Jo Ann Browning. Rev.

Lee is an accomplished speaker and is known

throughout the community for creativity in

preaching, teaching and worship. He brings

cutting edge ministry to the hearts of youth and

young adults throughout the community.

Prior to his role as the Senior Minister to Young

Adults, Rev. Lee served as Ebenezers Senior

Minister to Youth. During his tenure Rev. Lee

oversaw the development of a wide range of

youth ministries that engaged youth in a style

of praise and worship that embraced their

unique styles and interests. These ministries

included nationally recognized scouting and

rites of passage programs; educational

ministry; clothing design and cartoon ministries;

as well as an exceptional persons ministry that

focuses on youth with special needs. Young

people throughout the community continue to

see the bible studies, conferences and praise

fests as places to gain the tools to deal with

issues relevant to them in an atmosphere thatis shaped by youth for youth.

Rev. Lee has also served as the Asst. Pastor

at the First Baptist Church of Englewood, New

Jersey under the pastoral leadership of Rev.

John H. Spencer, Jr. In this position, he was an

integral part in the renewal of the Youth

Fellowship; the formation of two community

computer labs; the development of a

summer youth employment program;

the formation of a college and

career resource center; and adistance learning partnership with

the Howard University School of

Divinity. In addition to his duties at

the First Baptist Church, he also served as

Director of the Youth Department for the New

Jersey State Progressive Baptists.

His theological studies were done at the

Howard University School of Divinity and Union

Theological Seminary in New York City. He

holds a Bachelor of Science from the University

of Maryland and a Masters of Divinity degree

from Union Theological Seminary.

Rev. Lee has received numerous awards and

citations. These include recognition from the

Coalition of Concerned Black Christian Men,

the National Association of Negro Business

and Professional Womens Clubs, the Bergen

County Branch of the N.A.A.C.P., as well as a

resolution from the New Jersey General

Assembly. He was also acknowledged in an

article on bet.comas one of The Next Spiritual

Leaders to Make History. Rev. Lee can be

heard week nights at 8:30 p.m. in the D.C.Metropolitan area on Heaven 1580 AMs

Breaking Bread show offering a Word for the

Day.

Rev. Lee is the proud son of Orlando W.E. Lee

and Nancy T. Lee.

Rev. Tony Lee, Senior Minister to Young Adults

Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church 7707 Allentown Road, Ft. Washington, MD 20744


20/52


hile sitting in the Sanctuary at

Jericho City of Praise on Sunday

morning at 11AM service, Pastor Betty P.Peebles introduced one of the youth choir

members, Mark McKinnon, who is a very gifted

and talented young man. Pastor Peebles

explained that Mark had a vision to write plays.

Mark was called to speak to the young people

on this day, and here is what Mark said, No

matter how your circumstance look just keep

on believing and trusting in the Lord, because

God is a God that cannot lie, and your vision

will come to pass. Wow! Just to here those

words coming from a young person really

blessed my spirit. The Lord spoke to my heart,

and said, Feature this young man and his gifts

and talents so that he may bring me the glory! I

met Mark in the glory hall, and chatted with him

about featuring him in Visions Magazine, he

agreed, and was very excited. Mark is a very

blessed and anointed young man. The hand

of Lord is truly resting upon his life. It is so

important that we encourage our youth, and

keep the word of God pumping in their hearts.

Young, Gifted

and Blessedbbbbby L.C. Ty L.C. Ty L.C. Ty L.C. Ty L.C. Tararararardydydydydy

W

Mark McKinnon, playwright

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS: Mark McKinnon

1) During your walk with Christ what

is the most important thing that you have

learned?

The most important thing I have learned dur-

ing my walk with Christ is obedience. Obedi-

ence is the key to the blessings and the favor

that I have received from the Lord. Without obe-

dience to His word, I dont think I would have

the gifts that He blessed me with.2) What keeps you motivated and de-

termine to accomplish your vision?

What keeps me motivated and determined

is what God told me in Jeremiah 29:11, For I

know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper


21/52


you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope

and a future. Knowing this scripture just lets

me know that God will prosper my writings andmy acting. What also keeps me motivated is

the Christian friends and the mentor whom I

surround myself with. They are the ones who

give me Gods word when ever Im going through

a situation. They remind me that I have to stay

in Gods word in order for Him to use me. Lastly,

knowing my mother is praying for me lets me

know that if I fall, shes there to help me get back

up.

3) You have been a member of Jericho

City of Praise since 1999, how much have

you grown spiritually and creatively?

Spiritually, I have grown a lot at Jericho City

of Praise. Jericho has taught me how to pray

and back up my prayers with scriptures because

theres power in Gods word. Through this, my

prayer requests have been answered. I have

learned that God created me to be creative. In

order for me to be creative, I must get closer to

God. I get closer to God by reading his word

daily and praying to him constantly. Jericho has

taught me the importance of getting closer to

God and how getting close to him gives me fa-

vor.

4) What is your favorite scripture, and

why?

My favorite scripture is 1 Timothy 4:12,Dont let anyone look down on you because

you are young, but set an example for the be-

lievers through life, love, faith, purity, and self-

control. This scripture is my favorite one be-

cause it tells me what I should be doing during

my walk with Christ. It also lets me know that I

am and will be an example setter.

5) Where do you see your vision in the

future?

I see my vision in the future drawing many

people, especially teens, to Christ. I believe that

God is going to elevate my vision so high be-

cause He has been blessing me with great fa-

vor now, so imagine what Hes going to do in

the future. If I stay faithful to my walk with Christ,

Hes not only going to bless me, but Hes going

to bless everyone who takes part in my vision.

6) Who is Mark McKinnon?

Mark McKinnon is someone who is deter-

mine to do anything he gets involved with. It

doesnt matter what he does, if he wants to do

it he puts his all into it. Mark is someone who

knows the importance of keeping God in what-

ever he does. He knows how to call on Him


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BIOGRAPHY

Mark Anthony McKinnon was born October 27,

1986, in Camp Le Jeune, North Carolina. Mark

attended Westlake High School, and will

graduate June 2005. Mark McKinnon currentlylives in Waldorf, Maryland.. Mark was born to

Ms. Jackie Thomas, who has a total of four

children. All together there are three boys and

one girl. Mark is the second born to

Ms. Thomas. He has lived in a fatherless home

since he was very young. His mother is the one

who brought him up in Gods word.

This young man attends Jericho City of Praise,located in Landover, Maryland. His Pastor

isApostle Dr. Betty P. Peebles. Mark is a

member of Jerichos Youth Choir. He has been

in the Youth Choir since March 1999. Recently,

Jericho started a Teen Church that lets the teens

who attend receive Gods word at their level of

understanding. Mark has been known as one

of the leaders at the Teen Church.

The vision that God gave Mark caught many

peoples attention. God gave him a vision to

start a Teen Drama Production. This vision was

given to him when he attended T.D. Jakes

Mega Fest in Atlanta, Georgia, the summer

of 2004. The purpose of the Teen

Drama Production is to expose the many

anytime. He also puts God first and help his

friends to remember to put God first. Mark is

someone who knows he has a big future in frontof him and that he cant be success in anything

unless he keeps God first.

talents of young teens by putting it in a stage

play.

Mark is known for writing skits and plays to help

young teens get Gods Word. To kick off theTeen Drama Production, he is making his first

play into a movie. Gods favor is really on Mark

because Outreach Ministries, a local

production company has offered to help Mark

turn his play into a movie. His pastor has also

said that she wants her church to help fulfill this

vision.

Besides his mother, Marks spiritual mentor is

Mr. Dwayne A. Williams, an adult Teen Church

Leader. He helps Mark organize the Teen

Drama Production, and also wants to make this

production a very successful one. Mark has

developed his love for acting when he entered

High School. He has participated in his school

plays including a leading male role in the stage

play, Little Women. He also played the role

of Officer Krupke in Westside Story. Mark has

taken theatre classes every year in High

School.

Besides Marks love for acting, he is an athlete

at his school located in Waldorf. He is the

captain of his schools Varsity Basketball

Team. Mark is also going to play varsity football

his Senior year. After high school, Mark plans

to go to college to Major in Acting and improvehis knowledge in Acting. With the favor of God,

Mark has no choice but to live a successful life

and help get Gods word to young teens. Mark

encourages teens to surround themselves with

friends and people who know and live Gods

Word.



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Love By Brother Chicago Long

Avery powerful subject and action. It

raises the eyebrows and jump-starts

the hearts of most women; men and

children who have and have not experience its

truth, bliss and benefits. (Question) Who has

the monopoly on Love? What is love in its

fullness? Where did it come from? How do you

do it, and what will it cost? Now after reading

this I know youll want to experience it for

yourself, if you havent already. The real

question to you is can and will you give it? (Even

when youre not getting it) Praise God! With out

further due lets go to the Word of God (The

bible) and find out what has God said about

love. Amen!

The bible says that God is love and that love

is God (GOD =LOVE) and he holds all power;

so if in fact God is all-powerful and he is love its

safe for me to say that Love is a power or it is

powerful. Amen! Lets go a little deeper in this

love thing or should I say in God. When you ana-

lyze love youll clearly see that it can be known

only from the actions it prompts; also that when

you love initially or responsively youre walking

in your authority as an authoritative figure in

God and letting him be seen in you because he

is Love. Glory!

When we love someone Gods way it ex-

presses the deep and constant love and inter-

est of a perfect Being towards entirely unwor-

thy objects, producing and fostering a reveren-

tial Love in them towards the Giver, and a prac-

tical love towards those who are partakers of

the same, and a desire to help others to seek

the Giver. A Christian or Christ like love involves

the fruit of Christs spirit; which is of course the

agape love, Which comes in one size shape

and color and thats Unconditionally; Then there

is the Joy of the Lord, his peace, longsuffering,

gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and

temperance. Now it takes the love of God to

walk in these characteristics. Now I believethese behaviors to be some what the surface

and the aggressive side to love; Having said

that I also believe that love also has a respon-

sive and defensive side as well; The bible says

that love again it suffereth long in spite of the


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The number one commandment says we must love the LORD

our God with all our heart mind and soul.

weight or turmoil coming against it. Love laughs

at the contrary and says bring the fire; and be-

cause its pure love and its from God and itsof God and it is God; It never fails, but endures

all things, bears all things, hopes all things, be-

lieves all things and no matter what, its kind.

Love is also well behaved it doesnt act un-

seemly or out of the character of God, which in

fact is who your representing or allowing to be

seen through you. Amen. Love is not selfish it

doesnt allow you to seek your own and forget

or leave behind another; but love isnt love un-

less its given. Love is not easily provoked or

irritated and moody. It doesnt carry excuses;

again love isnt love unless its given away. Love

is not bossy or boastful it is seasoned with hu-

mility, mercy and grace. Love rejoiceth not in

iniquity but in the truth, it sees things Gods way

regardless of what the circumstances appear

to be it keeps hope alive. Love is not snotty or

haughty and its not puffed up and angry all the

time.

We have been called to love. The numberone commandment says we must love the

LORD our God with all our heart mind and soul.

The next greatest commandment says to Love

your neighbor as your self. Christ said that the

world would know that we are his disciples by

the Love we have one to another, which lets me

know that Gods people should be walking in

Love as Christ Jesus our Lord did when he

walked this planet as our great example setter.

Amen. We love him because he first loved us.

We love each other and the world because he

commands it and within that he is seen and glo-

rified. Apostle Paul shared his opinion about

love and he puts it like this, though I speak with

the tongues of angels and have the gift of proph-

ecy and understand all mysteries and knowl-

edge and have mountain moving faith, on top

of that he even gives of his goods to feed the


25/52


poor etc. Paul said all this doesnt profit him

anything and it stinks in the nostrils of God if he

doesnt have love. Love is the very essence ofGod and we are his hands and feet walking and

reaching out to a dying world and his mouth-

piece speaking out to these Godless nations.

God so loved the world that he gave his only

begotten son that whosoever believed on him

should not perish but have everlasting life. This

is how he showed his love to us when we were

lost in sin. God called us from out of death

(separation from him) to reconcile us back to

him because he loves us that much. Now we

are ministers of reconciliation and we are to

reciprocate that same love demonstrated and

given to us from God the Father and God the

Chicago Garfield Long born and raised in NE Washington, DC. In 1975; He was lead back to the Lord in

November of 1997,being deliverd from eight years of drug and alcohol abuse along with stress, oppres-

sion and a boat load of issues even jail time.

Thus far he has stedfastly completed a four year Christian Discipleship program at the Jericho Christian

training College and hes is diligently working as a teacher in the childrens church ministry. He was recently married

over the summer of 2003 to the beautiful and anointed Mrs. Michelle Long whom he met at Jericho College and shes

mother of two sons and a daughter; He also brings a son to the marriage, making him a proud step daddy and father

of four beautiful childrenHe enjoys spending time with his family and spreading the gospel through evangelizing

and his written work. His goal is to bring God glory in all that he says and he does here on earth.

Son. I know we can do it because God lives in

us by his spirit. Amen So lets go forth as the

light of the world and love people into the king-dom. Lets be imitators of God and serve in love

as ministers of reconciliation.

The bible says that we should love our neigh-

bor and our enemies and bless those that curse

us, and do good to them that hate us, and pray

for those that despitefully use us and persecute

us. Amen. It seems like love is always deter-

mined to prevail. Lastly; when we love, it cov-

ers a multitude of our sins. So let us love that

we may fulfill the commandments of God and

bring him glory and us and others good. So until

the next time, remember love isnt love unless

its given out. Dont just talk it, but do it.

I love youAnd God Bless


26/52


PRAISE DANCERS

TE

E

N

Jericho Christian Training Center Youth:Classes are Monday thru Thursday from 7:00-9:30 p.m.

For more information contact Registrar at (301) 333-0856

MASS CHOIR


27/52


Classes available for children, youth, and teens.held in the Jericho Christian Training Center College.

MIGHTY

MEN OF VALOR

YOUTH CHOIR

C

HU

R

CH

For more information contact Registrar at (301) 333-0856


28/52

YYYYYouth & Youth & Youth & Youth & Youth & Young Aoung Aoung Aoung Aoung Adult Edition 2004dult Edition 2004dult Edition 2004dult Edition 2004dult Edition 2004 www.visionschristianmagazine.comS I O N S 28For more information contact Registrar at (301) 333-0856


29/52


The God who girThe God who girThe God who girThe God who girThe God who girded me with strded me with strded me with strded me with strded me with strength, and made mength, and made mength, and made mength, and made mength, and made my wy wy wy wy waaaaay safey safey safey safey safe.....

He made my feet like hinds feet, and set me secure on the heights.He made my feet like hinds feet, and set me secure on the heights.He made my feet like hinds feet, and set me secure on the heights.He made my feet like hinds feet, and set me secure on the heights.He made my feet like hinds feet, and set me secure on the heights.

Psalms 18:32-33Psalms 18:32-33Psalms 18:32-33Psalms 18:32-33Psalms 18:32-33

Anointed to SucceedAnointed to SucceedCoCoCoCoCovvvvver ster ster ster ster story bory bory bory bory by L.C. Ty L.C. Ty L.C. Ty L.C. Ty L.C. Tararararardydydydydy


30/52


hat a POWERFUL ANOINTING!

What a MIGHTY! work the LORD

has done in Assistant Pastor JoelPeebles, the youngest son of (Dr.) Pastor Betty

P. Peebles, Senior Pastor and Overseer at the

Jericho City of Praise. He brings forth a Rema-

Word every Sunday morning at 8am service.

The moment Pastor Joel enters the Sanctuary

the congregation stands to their feet applauding

this great son of God! He is truly anointed to

succeed. He feeds the flock pure Word. Pastor

Joel guarantees that after listening to the Word

that the Holy Spirit set in his heart, you will not

be the same when you leave! Pastor Joel was

led by the Spirit of God to teach on a series

called, Anointed to Succeed, The Spirit of the

Lord has been moving throughout Jericho like

a tornado that ripped through a city! Only not to

destroy, but to save souls, transform minds, and

take back the sons of God. The Lord has divinely

set a mega-Word in Pastor Joels heart, and is

using him to edify the saved and bring the

unsaved to Christ in a mighty way. Pastor Joel

said, It is no consequence that you are here

this morning, you were purposed and called,

divinely setup to be here.

On Sunday, October 3, 2004 the Spirit of the

Lord was moving through the body of Christ

ever so strong. There was a powerful anointingin the Sanctuary. Pastor Joel preached the 10th

Series of Anointed to Succeed, Dont Let

Past Pains Cripple Your Success. Everyone

became very quiet when Pastor Joel calmly

spoke the word of the Lord, in Ecclesiastes

3:11, He has made everything beautiful in

His time.In other words, everything is done on

Gods time. No matter what your present

circumstance looks like. God is still working

on your behalf. He has already completed your

vision before the world began. On the faces of

some hurting Christians pours out an

abundance of confidence, and we leaped for

joy, dancing, singing and praising the Lord! The

Holy Spirit releases His powerful Word onto the

Pastor, and it spreads throughout the

congregation. Theres a strong anointing in the

air, and the corporate prayer begins to our Lord

& Savior Jesus Christ.

Pastor Joel used this quote in the 10th series,

Anointed to Succeed.

It takes two things to blow down a tree: a heavy

wind outside and rot and decay inside. So it is

with man. The winds of adversity may cause

W


31/52


him to bend, but if hes strong and vigorous

within, he will arise and grow to new heights

after the storm passes.

John Dobbert

Pastor Joel explains, This is what the enemy

wants to do to us.

Using Abraham Lincolns life as a example,

Pastor Joel wrote:

From 1831-1858 Abraham Lincoln was

defeated for Senate, Congress, speaker,

elector, vice president, legislature, had a

nervous breakdown, and failed in business

twice, but in 1860 he was elected president.

Pastor Joel states that Adversity makes some

men break, and others break records. He

states, As Christians we

have the Power of Resilience!

By the time I left the SanctuaryI was pumped with

confidence, and felt Anointed

to Succeed. I thank God for

working so mightily through

Pastor Joel. He is truly a

POWER HOUSE! Packed

with the HOLY SPIRIT, and

Anointed To Succeed. And the word of the

Lord says in

Proverbs 24:10 & 16 (NRSV), If you faint in

the day of adversity, your strength being small;

for though they fall seven times, they will rise

again; but the wicked are overthrown by

calamity.

On December 5, 2004 the Lord moved mightily

through Pastor Joel. He began preaching a

new series called, Grow Up. Part 1-A

Season of Self-Examination, and Part 2-

The Power of Self-Examination. Part two

series is an extension of part one. Every

church goer of every church in the world needs

to hear this states Pastor Joel. The whole body

of Christ was thirsty for this Word. He started

by feeding us the followingNuggets.

Pastor Joel in the Sanctuary, preaching on the series



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Everything God created has the

potential capacity to grow.

God cannot bless you beyond your

growth.

Anything that does not grow is in direct

violation of its design.

God has designed your next level of

promotion to coincide with your growth.

Anything that achieves growth by any

other means other than self-examination is

painful.

Pastor Joel started this series, Grow Up. By

stating, The reason why many in the body of

Christ are struggling to live in divine prosperity

is because most of us

do not stop to examine

ourselves. The Bible

says in Haggai 1:6&7-

Ye have sown much

and bring in little; ye eat

ye have not enough; ye

drink, but ye are not

filled with drink, ye

clothed you, but there is

none warm; and he that

earneth wages earneth

wages (to put it) in a bag with holes. Thus saith

the Lord of hosts, consider your ways. Psalms

139-23. Search me, O God, and know my

heart; try me and know my thoughts.

So what happens if I dont like

correction.especially from others! Stated

Pastor Joel. Well, the Bible says in Proverbs

3:11-13 My Son, despise not the chastening

of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction;

for whom the Lord loveth He correcteth: even

as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the

man that getteth understanding.

Pastor Joel in the Sanctuary, preaching on the series



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Here is how God expects a true born Saint to

take correction:

Revelation 3:19 (AMP)

Those whom I dearly and tenderly love, I tell

their faults and convict and convince and

reprove and chasten. I discipline and instruct

them. So be enthusiastic and in earnest and

burning with zeal and repent, changing your

mind and attitude. So if my attitude is not

growing in Christ; we need to do what the word

of the Lord says to do: 2 Corinthians 13:5

(AMP) Examine and test and evaluate your

own selves. To see whether you are holdilng

to your faith and showing the proper fruits of

it. Test and prove yourselves (not Christ) Do

you not yourselves realize and know

(thoroughly by an ever increasing

experience) that JESUS CHRIST is in you

unless you are (counterfeits) disapproved on

trial and rejected?

There is a benefit of evaluating and making

personal change states Pastor Joel.

Hebrews 12:11 (NIV)

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but

painful. Later on, however, it produces a

Pastor Joel Peebles is the Director of the TeenChurch at Jericho City of Praise, and teachesclass on Tuesday nights at 7:00pm 10:00pmto married couples and singles as well. Formore information please contact Jericho City ofPraise, Administration Office: 8501 Bishop

Peebles Drive, Landover, Maryland 20785(301) 333-0500.

harvest of righteousness and peace for those

who have been trained by it.

The natural man is going to hell. He

does not believe in the things of God.

The carnal man is saved but living

life in the middle.

The Spiritual man - loves God.

WHICH ONE ARE YOU. THE WORD OF

GOD SAYS TO EXAMINE YOURSELVES.

Biography of

Elder Joel R. Peebles

The young, yet highly anointed, Elder Joel R.

Peebles, Sr. has dedicated his life to the

reconciliation of man and the exaltation of our

Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This burning

passion ignited his purpose.


34/52


A licensed minister at 21, Elder Joel became

concerned with the enemies attempt to halt the

Body of Christ from receiving all the benefits ofsalvation which were wrought by the death,

burial, and resurrection of Christ. Thus, he

began ministering at the 5 p.m. services at the

Jericho Ministries.

Elder Joel holds a BA Degree in Journalism

and a Minor Degree in Psychology from Bowie

State University. He also hold a MA from Bowie

in Counseling Psychology and a MA in Divinity

from the Wilbur Waters School of Divinity.

He is an extremely happy husband to his

gorgeous wife Ylawnda Peebles. Their bond

has brought 4 beautiful children, Joel, Jr., Janay,

Jordan, and Jeremiah.

Presently, Elder Joel presides over the 8:00

a.m. service at the Jericho City of Praise where

his weekly attendance is over four-thousand(4,000) strong. Elder Joel honors his parents

who have been shepherds over his life his father,

the late, Bishop James R. Peebles, Sr. and his

mother,

Dr. Betty P. Peebles, his pastor and leader.

Within the life of a man, there is destiny...a goal

which must be achieved. This goal is not only

God inspired and God ordained, but necessary

for preservation and success of the present and

the future generation. So let us always

remember, we are not living for our own benefit,

but our achievements are to bless our

grandchildren.



35/52



36/52


Radical Freedom

The Acquittal

rder in the Court! All rise! The honor-able Judge Noname presiding. We

are in a courtroom scene on the set of

NBCs Law and Order. Each of the participants

are in place including the tough Executive As-

sistant Attorney, Jack McCoy along with his

partners from the D.A.s office. Also in the court-

room are Detectives Green and Briscoe with

Lt. Anita Van Buren. You know that if all of these

folks are there at the same time, this case must

be serious. Obviously the judge is there, but

this judge seems to be biased. You are the one

accused and because you have no money, you

are stuck with a bum public defender instead

of a paid attorney who would have your best

interest at heart. The case seems hopeless

because you are on trial for a crime which if

convicted you face the death penalty. We dont

even need to discuss the jury who after McKoys

opening arguments already seemed swayed

against you. Their facial expressions leave little

room for optimism. What is going on? If that is

not enough, the victims family, media, and even

your own conscience side with the D.A. to pros-

ecute you which incidentally feels like they are

persecuting you after all, you know and they

know that you are guilty as charged. What are

the odds of you being acquitted? All eyes areon you and the outcome seems certain.

In the last article we discussed how Jesus

gives us forgiveness and the power to be victo-

rious over sin in real life situations. In this ar-

ticle we shift our focus to the heavenly judge-

ment hall where eternal destinies are deter-

mined.

Bringing You up to Speed

The courtroom introduction above leaves you

on the edge of your seat doesnt it? Whats

going to happen to the defendant (accused)?

We will now shift our attention to the way court

was held in the ancient Jewish economy. In the

courtroom scene would be present the ac-

cused, accuser, judge and advocate. These

four were the only major players. This is the

way the heavenly pre-second coming judge-

ment is structured. In this case the accused

has actually committed the crime worthy of eter-

nal death. What was the crime? The Bible says,

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of

God, Romans 3:23. Further, the Bible says,

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of

God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

O


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Romans 6:23. The crime is sin, punishable by

eternal death. Since when we receive the gift

of salvation, we become Gods children, weknow that something wonderful must be about

to happen in this case though on the one hand

it seems hopeless.

On Your Side

Lets identify the courtroom players more

closely shall we? We have already said that

we sinners are the accused and we are guilty.

The accuser is Satan. And there was war in

heaven. Michael and his angels fought against

the dragon, and the dragon and his angels

fought back. But he was not strong enough, and

they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon

was hurled downthat ancient serpent called

the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world

astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his an-

gels with him. Then I heard a loud voice in

heaven say: Now have come the salvation and

the power and the kingdom of our God, and

the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of

our brothers, who accuses them before our God

day and night, has been hurled down. Revela-

tion 12:7-10. Who is the advocate or defense

attorney? My dear children, I write this to you

so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin,

we have one who speaks to the Father in our

defenseJesus Christ, the Righteous One. He

is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not onlyfor ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

I John 2:1,2. Jesus Christ the Righteous One

is our defense attorney. An interesting ques-

tion to ask following this description of our ad-

vocate is who is the judge? The text we just

read said that Jesus is our advocate with the

Father, which suggests that the Father is our

judge and in a way He is, however an incred-

ible shift of responsibility occurs here. For just

as the Father raises the dead and gives them

life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is

pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges

no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the

Son, that all may honor the Son just as they

honor the Father. He who does not honor the

Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

John 5:21-23. Jesus is also our judge.

How does it feel to know that the accuser is

hurled down meaning defeated, the defense

attorney is your friend and the judge is your

friend? Does the case still seem hopeless

knowing that you are guilty as charged? Check

this out. I neglected to mention that when it

comes to the judgement, if there is any hope of


38/52


L. David Harris is an award-winning author who has recently published two books entitled, Alive at 5Victory in

Retrospect, Volumes 1 & 2. More information about his ministry can be found at www.AliveatfFive.com

acquittal, somebody has to be punished in or-

der for justice to be served. Well, we have al-

ready read in I John 2:1,2 that Jesus is the aton-ing sacrifice for our sins. This means that Jesus

volunteered to take our punishment on the cross,

which was equal to eternal death. Knowing that

Jesus is our advocate, judge and the one who

paid the eternal death penalty for us, how does

the trial make you feel now? Are you hopeless

with all odds against you or hopeful because

you are friends with the only one who can ac-

quit you?

In your spare time read Zechariah 3:1-5.

These verses paint a living color portrait of all

that we have said. They portray an image of

the accused receiving clean garments repre-

senting the free righteousness of Christ in place

of the filthy garments representing self-righ-

teousness. Since Jesus never sinned and we

are seen wearing Jesus like a garment,

heavens verdict is that we are innocent. In

heavens eyes we never sinned.

One critical question must be answered inclosing, with all this talk about free salvation and

righteousness, does that mean that it doesnt

matter what we do and we will still be saved? I

will answer this with a question. If you were

wearing a brand new full length Sean John

leather coat or Donna Karan Chinchilla fur,

would you pick the rainiest day to go outside

and find the sloppiest puddle to wallow in? I

dont think so. When a person receives the gift

of Christs righteousness, they are empowered

to stay far away from the mud puddles of sin

just like Jesus did.

My friends, I have chosen personally to re-

ceive the free gift of salvation. I think it would

be a good idea if you did the same, besides, it

would not make sense not to. Remember, God

loves you.


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1) Who gave you the name King

Solomon, why the name King Solomon?

And what is your real name?

My mother actually told me that I would be

an entertainer and that I should use the name

King Solomon because King Solomon was

very wise and because my first is actually

Solomon.

2) What

do you plan

to achieve

through your music?

I want my music to push

people to have a

closer,relationship with

Christ, not to push my per-

sonal belief on my audi-

ence. I just want to give

people an insight on my life,

my struggle, my victories,

my pain, everything that a

Christian goes through but

people dont necessarily

talk about.

3) When youre not recording music,

what do you do?

I also have my own radio show on WPCG

AM Heaven 1580 Monday through Friday from

7pm to 10pm called Up On The Block w/ King

Solomon. If Im not there, I am also Co-CEO ofmy own production company called Jes-Us Da

Flock (pronounced Just Us Da Flock, look out

for us).

4) Where did you grow up? And where

are you from

now?

I was born in

W a s h i n g t o n

D.C. but I grew up in Seat Pleas-

ant, Maryland which was just like

living in D.C..

5) How do you reach

young people who dont

know Christ? Where do you

start?

I try to remember the same

things that reach me before I

knew Christ and I try to put those

things in my music. With the

Truth, period.

6) Would you briefly de-

scribe the meaning behind the name King

Solomon?

A man that soul desire is to do Gods will

KING SOLOMANInterview


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and nobody Elses including his own.

7) What church do you attend?

I am currently a member of Refuge LivingSanctuary under the anointed leadership of

Pastor Mark St. John Carson.

8) When did you realize that God had

called you?

One year ago when I went in the studio with

a budget of 2,000 dollars and in one week re-

corded an album that sounded like I spent

$20,000. No matter how much talent you have,

you dont do something like that without Christ.

Thats when I knew that God was doing this and

NOT ME.

Thank you so much for this interview King

Solomon. You are a blessed son of God. I thank

God for using you so mightily for this genera-

tion.

I thank you for the opportunity to be heard

and I hope this interview really helps somebody

in this journey we call life down The Road Less

Traveled (thats my next album so look out for

it, Its Jes-Us Da Flock).

BIOGRAPHY: KING SOLOMON

Solomon L. Johnson, professionally known

as King Solomon, entered this world on No-

vember 6, 1977. As a young child, he had atremendous passion for music. He attended

DuVal High School and was a member of the

school band where Solomon learned to play the

drums, trumpet, and keyboards. At first,

Solomon never took his love for music seriously.

While attending high school, Solomon was fa-

mously known for rapping the morning an-

nouncements. It wasnt until he graduated from

high school and received Jesus Christ as his

Lord and Savior, did he realize that he had a

souffl of talent and gifts that were given to him,

not only to entertain, but most importantly to uplift

the Kingdom of God and to usher people to

Christ.

Solomon uses his gifts of comedy, rapping,

singing, dancing, and entertaining, to grasp the

attention of the youth of this generation. God

uses Solomon to teach that the youth their tal-

ents are from God and are to be used for His

glory.

Solomon is an On-Air Personality for

Heaven 1580AM-WPGC and has shared the

stage with many artists. He has ministeredalong with Tonex, T-Bone, Hezekiah Walker,

Trinity 5-7, Mark St. John Carson, Byron Cage,

Marques Houston, Natalie Wilson, Israel and

the New Breed, Kem, and Ginuwine. One thing

that is noticeable about King Solomons minis-

try is that God has an anointing on his life that

allows him to go where hardly any other Chris-


41/52


tian artist gets to go. His ministry is one that

will break the barrier between the Christian in-

dustry and the secular industry.

King Solomon has now paired up with

RayVen-the messenger bird, a local rapper,

and are co-owners and CEOs of JesUs

DaFlock record/productions company. With

this ministry at hand, they are truly heading in

the right direction in completing and fulfilling

their purpose. JesUs DaFlock will spread the

gospel through many different genres, with the

sole intention of bringing souls back to Christ.

King Solomon has proven to be a man of great

character, integrity, faith, and passion for theKingdom of God. King Solomon is also a lov-

ing husband, a loving father, and a man thats

after his Fathers heart. With these gifts and

talent, King Solomon looks forward to that day

when he will look the Father in His face and be

able to hear, Well done, thy good and faithful

rapper.


42/52


he Law which God wanted the Israel-

ites to obey was written by him and

given to Moses on two flat pieces of stone,

called tables of stone. In those days the peopledidnt have typewriters and printing presses.

They didnt have paper, either. So every time it

was necessary to write down something that

was important to be remembered it had to be

done on flat pieces of stone, or on pieces of

dried clay.

They didnt write with ink, either. The writing

was scratched or chiseled on the stone or clay.

Thats the way the Ten Commandments of the

Law were written by God. These Tables of the

Law were given to Moses by God while he was

up on the mountain called Sinai.

After Moses brought these Ten Command-

ments down from the mountain, and the people

agreed to do what God asked them to do,

Moses went up into the mountain again, andGod told him to build a tabernacle, and how to

do it. Maybe you never heard that word taber-

nacle before. A tabernacle is the name the

Bible sometimes gives to a building in which

people worship God. It is Gods house.

Of course God doesnt need a house to live

in as we do. God doesnt sleep, so he doesnt

need a bedroom. He doesnt need to eat as

we do, so he doesnt need a dining room. God

doesnt get tired, so he has no need for a sit-

ting room. So you see when the Bible tells us

about building a house for God we must remem-

ber that it was not like our houses.

Gods house, or tabernacle, which Moses

was asked to build, was not made of brick or

stone. It didnt have any floor at all. The sides of

the tabernacle were made of wide wooden

boards which were placed on end. But you

GODGODGODGODGODS PROMISES COME TRUES PROMISES COME TRUES PROMISES COME TRUES PROMISES COME TRUES PROMISES COME TRUE

BUILDING A HOUSE FOR GOD

BIBLE STORY

T


43/52


wouldnt think they were wooden boards when

you looked at them, because they were entirely

covered with gold. The gold was very thin, justlike paper, but it covered the boards so com-

pletely that it made them look as if they were

solid gold. These boards that looked like gold

were used to form the walls of the tabernacle.

The tabernacle didnt have a roof of boards

or shingles, or tar, or anything like that. I guess

you are wondering how they kept out the rain.

That was done by very large curtains which were

thrown over the top of the tabernacle. There

were four of these curtains. The first one they

put on was like a large piece of fancy canvas.

Then, over the top of this they spread three other

curtains. Two were made by sewing together

the skins of different animalssheep and

seals; the other one was made of goats hair.

These curtains were so large that they not only

covered the top of the tabernacle, but also hung

down over the sides, covering the gold boards.

That meant, you see, that when the tabernacle

was finished the only way to see the gold boards

that formed the walls was to look at them from

the inside.

Gods tabernacle didnt have a door, either.

It had an opening at one end, and this opening

was covered with a very pretty curtain of blue,

scarlet, and purple. This curtain was called the

Youth Edition

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