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Untold Chronicles - Issue 11

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Welcome

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ntold Chronicles showcases the difficult issues, life changing events and experiences of leaders, men and women of God that caused them to want to throw in the towel, stop going to church and for some utimately leave God. However, God has a different idea and each featured guest narrate their account of deliverance, while demonstrating to those also affected, there is a way out (solution). Untold Chronicles deals with the immensely hard issues we endure so as to offer, establish and maintain a connection with others who have similar testimonies or experiences. Through steps, sacred writings and supplications, they look to offer guidance on how to obtain, regain and restore relationships with Christ, while also learning to trust again.

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Contents 2 Top 4

Dr. Nia

6 Dr. Nia

About the Author

Features

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8 God Brought Me Out, There is Life After Abuse

By: Denita Gibbs

8 13 In the Kitchen

Apple Crumble By: Chef Andrea Dillion

13 15 In Our Lives, God Has Done Many Miracles

By: Apostles Tony & Marissa Freeman

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Contents 25 Business Benefits Whatcha Looking At By: Omekia McNeal

28 I Was Not Their Choice

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By: Evangelist Trina B. Murphy

34 On The Road to Success The Power of Stillness By: Gerald B. Colson

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36 Prophetic Words for the Soul We will commune together By: Becky Porter

38 Marriage Matters

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Absence makes the heart grow fonder By: Apostles Johnnie and Tonia Foster

For Publication Inquiries Contact: Omekia McNeal Ph: 1 (561) 900-5079 Email: Belindagailmanagements@gmail.com Editor-in- Chief: Gerald B. Colson

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About the author Dr. Nia:

Unconventional, unorthodox, and unapologetically me when it comes to ministry.

She believes the Word of God as stated in Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” However, she knows that the changes in society and time mean that we must change how we convey the Word of God to this new generation. Nia’s ministry is to the downtrodden, the outcasts, and to those the church has given up on. She has a strong love and compassion for these types of people; she understands that deep feeling of rejection all too well. At one point, it was her. Her mission is to engage millennials with uncommon practices in inistry— practices that actually appeal to them. She then equips them with the Word of the God and all the necessary armor that they need for today’s battles. Finally, she sends them forth, empowered that they may bring others into the Kingdom of God.

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For ten years, I lived in a violent marriage by my ex-husband. In the beginning, I was young, he was handsome. And so, we were married walking joyfully together down a church aisle, our union blessed by God. Then came the angry words the verbal tearing apart. Now I was made to feel ugly, unintelligent, unworthy of any love, God’s or man’s. During times of my abuse, I lost the support of my own family, because I did what I wanted to do, I did not wait on God and my decision was the worst decision. Soon thereafter within the marriage, the violence grew in severity. I was pushed, beaten (suffering severe bodily bruises), thrown cross the room against walls in my home. His abusive, controlling behavior was coupled with his adultery, which seemed to escalate hand-in-hand. Still, I was blamed for everything he did that was literally hurting me. He started chipping away at my self-esteem, manipulating me. In my marriage, he would disappear for hours, wouldn’t answer my calls, and I learned he might be cheating on me. And he was. He was also mentally, verbally, and financially, sexual abusive controlling everything. If ever he felt like he wasn’t in control, his abuse would intensify. Over our ten years together, I was terrified of what he might Untold Chronicles | 8


do next, or how far he would take it. Outwardly, I pretended that everything was fine with my Family and at church. But on the inside, I was ashamed and embarrassed. You see, sometimes many people don’t can’t see the emotional pain, so they don’t understand it. They believe you should just “get over it.” This could not be further from the truth. “ It takes time and lots of support to deal with the emotional abuse and scars. Please don’t ever feel sorry for me! I am alive! I love life! I know God allowed me to live so I could help others and make a difference in the world. How the situation changed: When his violence became much worse and was being directed at me and my daughter. I began to pray to God to get me out of this marriage. Prayer was essential in my family; I came from a home of praying parents. Therefore, I believed in the power of prayer. God and Prayer was my weapon. Finally, after ten years of his torment of abuse, I began to see the reality of what was happening. Things got a lot worse towards the Untold Chronicles | 9


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My name is Apostle Tony Freeman, and I am a walking miracle! I was born at home, in 1970, in Pinelake, Georgia. I was stuck in the birth canal for twelve hours, with the umbilical cord wrapped around my neck. My mom and I had no medical care, and it was a miracle that we both lived! My dad moved my mom, older brother, younger sister, and I to Vidor, Texas, because he got a job on the pipeline in Galveston. He was pastoring on the weekends and working on the pipeline during the week. I was going to the public schools in Vidor. Early on, I was diagnosed with several learning disabilities, including dyslexia. The school told my parents that I had an IQ of 70, and that I would never live on my own. But praise God, my dad did not believe those words. He told me I could do whatever I wanted to do, and that he believed God

did not bring me that far for nothing. He believed I was supposed to do something for the Lord. I was nine years old, when I committed my life to Jesus Christ. I was baptized with the Holy Spirit, at the same time! It was on my birthday, and it is obviously the best birthday gift one could get! However, even though I was saved, my home life was not so happy. My dad backslid, and he and my mom divorced, when I was ten. My mom was raising three kids on her own. My dad leaving us, and seeing the way he was being treated harshly by other ministers, started a seed of bitterness in my heart, toward the church. By the time I was eighteen years old, I had hardened my heart toward the Lord. Some Christian friends invited me to go hiking in the Catalina Mountains. I told them I would go, as long as none Untold Chronicles | 15


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It was all so long ago but yet unforgettable when I decided to really get serious about God. I started attending a word of faith church in my hometown in Delaware. I was fresh out of the club but having felt an empty void I said I would go back to church. I found a church with a pastor who was very friendly and could teach and believed only in the teaching and laying on of hands which was healing ministry. He was a new pastor starting out from New Jersey so he was very excited about growing the church from the ground up. We became great friends. He would let me go to start outreaches and street teams and the church started growing. I was married to my ex-husband now and he was married to his long time spouse of his youth. We all seemed happy. The whole goal of the church was to stay married, speak faith and make it. He would always take time to talk to us, pray with us and take us all out to eat an encouraged being open about our weaknesses. We had very good times together. I was very young in the faith with a lot of zeal. I did not know a lot of word yet but I just wanted to do and go for God. And our pastor let me go. What I didn’t know at the time was that people in church could get jealous and be very mean and treat you like dirt if they felt some intimidation about you growing. I did not know that some pastor wives could put the word out on you like some street gang and try to mark you as the one who wanted their husband. When

you get marked, then the first lady and her gang of friends try everything they can to keep you quiet and in your place. I laugh now but I would go home and literally cry every Sunday from their cruel treatment. Always wondering why they did not like me and what was I doing. I kept asking myself was I dressed right, do I look too good, does my walk make me stand out? Why don’t they like me? Is this my discernment or am I going crazy but I am feeling some kind of way. Well the more they came for me the more I intended to prove them wrong. Our pastor still did not give up on me and he kept pushing me. I learned the word and about prayer. We would go to early morning prayer at 5 am during the week Monday through Friday. They say Prayer changes things and it did. The church started growing, we built another building and everyone was showing how successful we were by the houses and cars we bought. We were house hopping and acting like we were all the best of friends. Well I was married to my ex-husband who was a very successful executive banker. He was quiet and well mannered and they liked him but had a problem with me. We would argue and fight over it but he would tell me it was about him and they liked him so it did not matter about me. I felt so alone and so hurt and plus we had our own problems. He worked so much that we were living a sexless marriage and if I even Untold Chronicles | 29


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