Dear AFTAH Readers,
Please be a part of the wonderful story of former lesbian Charlene’s Cothran’s rebirth in Christ by subscribing to her magazine VENUS — which has been transformed from a publication that celebrated “gays and lesbians” to one that tells that stories of people like herself who have overcome homosexuality with God’s help. Subscriptions to VENUS are $19.95 per year for four issues. — Peter LaBarbera
THE RESURRECTION!, published in VENUS magazine
by Charlene E. Cothran
Venus Magazine Publisher
When I asked God to come into my heart, I knew that EVERYTHING would change and I thank Him for the opportunity to bare my cross for Christ’s sake. Oh, I’d been persecuted before, jeered at and rejected, but not for Christ’s sake. It was for MY sake, for the right to hold on to MY own sinful pleasures and wave them, in the form a rainbow flag, in God’s face. But the Lord is so loving, patient and merciful that He gave me one last chance to make things right.
I shared my new convictions and VENUS’ new mission right away with our advertising agencies. One executive was particularly kind and reassured me that our clients would probably stand by us. But eventually, letters and emails from gay organizations found their way to the advertising director’s office of several major corporations with whom we have done business for years.
Think About it
I was counseled, ‘we’ll give you a week to carefully think about what you are doing.’ They were basically saying, O.K. you’ve given your ‘testimony’ but now go on publishing the old VENUS, affirming gays and lesbians, and reassuring them to be proud of who and what they are. There was no need for time to think. God himself knew that I meant it when I gave complete control of VENUS Magazine to Him, to be used for His exclusive glory. However, in my spirit, I also knew that it was just a matter of time before I would receive the news that the company’s income was gone.
Reading page after page of negative email, letters, and blog entries began to wear at my joy. My countenance began to fall. Satan laughed right in my face; ‘Look at you now, ‘saved’ huh? Your old friends don’t want anything to do with you, your local church community wants to ‘wait and see’ how ‘saved’ you’ll be next year this time, and by next month you’ll have no more money coming in, after all the years you’ve worked to build this thing. You are such a fool.’ To counter these negative thoughts — rebuke Satan — I began to fast and pray, and to call on the name of the Lord. I prayed, Lord I need you; Don’t let it be so, don’t let my enemies appear to have won.
I Trust God
During my fast, the Lord spoke to me in a passage of scripture, Jeremiah 17:7,8 and said ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ I emerged with a revelation and understanding of what a commitment to God truly means: It means we must TRUST Him totally, completely, unconditionally. My strengthen renewed, my joy restored, I can face, with Godly confidence, whatever comes my way; all because I TRUST GOD! What a wonderful gift!
Sure enough, on that Monday morning, we received several faxes cancelling all current and future advertising in VENUS. All praises be to God, I couldn’t even get upset! Then, NOTHING happened for three days. The phones didn’t ring, no emails or no letters, not a word from anywhere. It was as though the business had died that Monday.
On The Third Day
On Thursday morning, I sat down at my computer and I could hardly believe my eyes. Hundreds of new emails waiting to be read, with subjects like ‘Thank God for Your Testimony’; ‘This has Changed My Life’, ‘Redeemed! So Powerful!’. I cannot begin to express the joy that flooded my soul. I cried and typed responses for hours and hours, but they just kept coming! Sometimes I had to just get up and walk around and praise God out loud! God had sent His ARMY to encourage me! Thank you Jesus! God fearing people from all of the world wrote to say, ‘We are praying for you, God is preparing to use you in a mighty way.’ The Lord had opened a window and continues to pour out a blessing I hardly have room to receive!
I believe with all my heart, this Easter season, that the Lord burried the old VENUS Magazine, then in three days He resurrected it unto Himself, changed it, and placed His blessing on it. We are perusing nearly 1,000 new emails, and letters, and will post as many as the Lord approves.
Click HERE to read some of the wonderful letters Charlene has been receiving from people all over the world — including one from one of her former contributing writers! We will continue to bring you exciting news from Venus magazine and Charlene’s new life.
