tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75020561222331713792024-03-13T16:40:56.377-04:00Slenk Family :: With Life Action MinistriesIn 2007, God called us from a fifteen year history in manufacturing to Life Action Ministries to help support the message of revival. It is our desire and passion to see personal revival transform lives in order that we may become a nationwide community of believers who are loving, Christ-like, and committed, so that Christ’s redemptive purposes can be accomplished in the world.Slenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-26741484292508164582013-09-16T15:18:00.000-04:002013-09-16T15:19:06.163-04:00September Family Update - A Season of ChangeThere is a definite cool, crispness to the air each morning as we enjoy a cup of coffee on the front porch. We’re not naturally early risers, but there’s something remarkable about the quietness of early morning, when the truths of God’s Word just read are allowed to simmer in our hearts undisturbed before the responsibilities of the day attempt to jolt them from the forefronts of our minds. That autumn atmosphere is a tangible reminder of change: change of weather, change of clothing, change of schedule, and this year for us, a change of location and roles within Life Action Ministries. Fall has always been a favorite season for us. We even got married nineteen years ago on September 9. So it seems only fitting that we begin our season of change now.<br />
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Before we get to what’s new, we want to recap some highlights of the past few months as we completed our sixth year with Life Action. We had the privilege of ministering in ten churches this spring (combination of Thirst Conferences and Summits), finishing up the season in two beloved churches in Canada where we had spent time in fall 2010. Time and time again, we witnessed God moving mightily in individual lives, marriages, and families. Key ingredients in these encounters were prayer, wholehearted surrender, and a desire to meet with our extraordinary God. In June, we settled into the house in Holland to rest and be refreshed for a few weeks before life kicked into high gear the end of July. We were invited to be the speaker family for the inaugural Week #9 of Life Action’s Family Camp where we taught Biblical truth in the context of revival and marriage/family. What an incredible week! Twenty eight families from all over the country gathered for a focused week of seeking the Reviver and reconnecting as families. If you haven’t experienced family camp yet, visit <a href="http://www.lifeactioncamp.com/">www.lifeactioncamp.com</a> to sign up for next summer...we’re leading June 16-21, 2014 and would love to spend the week with you! Here are just a couple testimonies from the week:<br />
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<strong><em>I was so blessed as a single mom. There is no other place on earth where I can take my son, an only child, on vacation where he can experience what it is like to be a part of a godly, Christian family. Personally I’ve been so encouraged on what it means to be humble and to fill the role God has for me. I’ve just entered the beginning stages of dating after 16 years of singleness. This series of messages has really helped me to focus on what God wants my future marriage to look like. God intended for me to hear this message to prepare me for a future in his image. – Cynthia<br /><br />I came to camp not as the spiritual leader of my home. I’ve always let my wife set the pace for the family. God impressed on me that I need to answer to a higher calling if I expect my children to follow the footsteps of Jesus, I need to show them what that looks like. This week has changed my life. – Mike</em></strong><strong><em><br /></em></strong><br />
The day family camp ended, staff training for our three road teams began. Ben had been preparing throughout the summer to lead staff training for the first time which was a huge endeavor and responsibility. However, his administrative gifts and attention to detail (as his wife, I can brag on Ben a little!) were used mightily by God to help facilitate an extremely effective and productive staff training. And this past Sunday, all three teams kicked off their first Thirst Conference/Summits of the year. Whew! Truthfully, it was an exhausting five weeks in Buchanan, but totally worth it as we watched God put together team members for every role and responsibility with amazing hearts on fire for Him.<br />
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And this leads to our season of change. This winter we sensed God’s clear direction to finish our time on the road as Team Director and Family Revivalist for the White Team. We have absolutely loved road life and everything that road life has required and afforded our family to do. But just as we clearly knew when God was telling us to go on the road six years ago, we just as clearly knew that He was telling us it was time to complete road life after this ministry year finished at the end of summer. We still had a strong desire to minister with Life Action, just in a different capacity… a role that would allow us to be back in West Michigan. And God has orchestrated all the details to bring us home to Holland AND continue with Life Action. Ben has accepted the role of Director of Team Operations which means he will give operational oversight to the Life Action Outreach Division which includes all three road teams. He will be working from home two days a week and from the National Ministry Center in Buchanan (approximately 75 miles away) three days a week. We will also continue to be part of the home based speaker team and be involved in teaching family principles in four to six Summits per season. Although coming off the road is a huge change for our family, we continue to be affirmed of this decision in many ways. One specific way is the need and desire to be closer to minister to our families. In April we received the news that the adrenal cancer that was removed from Jennifer’s dad through surgery a year ago had metastasized to his lungs. He is now undergoing chemo treatments. Please pray for healing for Jack and strength and peace for both Jack and Joan as they walk this difficult journey…and as we endeavor to walk it with them. This summer we have been reminded of the necessity to give thanks for difficult journeys and how it is usually in those journeys that we experience deeper intimacy with God. Each day we are choosing to give thanks.<br />
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As a family, we are all very excited for this “new normal” at home. We understand that being gone for six years is a long time, and it will take time to build/rebuild community. We were blessed with amazing community on the road and long to experience that again here in Holland. This week begins our eleventh year of homeschooling (Christian is a 10th grader, Elizabeth is a 7th grader). As refreshing as summer is, there’s something wonderful about our school routine and engaging in learning together. And we’ve added another member to our family! Kyle Shields traveled on the road with our team for four years as drummer and team manager. He became a good friend of our family, and when he shared that he was looking at colleges in West Michigan, we invited him to move in with us. He’s been with us since June and is a great addition to the family.<br />
Thank you to all of you who are part of our support team, either through prayer or financial giving. God has used you to sustain us over the last six years. Please continue to pray for us. Being home full time means additional expenses for us ($1,600 per month increase for groceries, car insurance, gas, utilities, etc…), and we are in need of additional supporters. We have those who currently support our ministry, but we are asking the Lord for additional partners. Would you ask the Lord if He would have you meet our needs in this way? We are trusting that He will provide.<br />
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With grateful hearts, Ben, Jennifer, Christian, and Elizabeth Slenk.<br />
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Ben (574) 276.7909<br />
Jennifer (616) 644.4368<br />
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<a href="mailto:bslenk@lifeaction.org">bslenk@lifeaction.org</a> <br />
<a href="mailto:jenniferslenk@gmail.com">jenniferslenk@gmail.com</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.lifeaction.org/">www.lifeaction.org</a> (select “ways to give” then “support a staff member”)<br />
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Checks made payable to “Life Action Ministries”<br />
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PO Box 31<br />
Buchanan, MI 49107<br />
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Slenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-70627768029262313722013-04-20T18:49:00.002-04:002013-04-20T21:02:49.459-04:00April Family Update<br />
Forty degrees, rain, and wind today…we’ve experienced a lot of crazy weather in the trailer this spring. One day the air conditioner is on, the next the furnace and space heaters are running. But one thing that has been consistent is the hand of God moving in the hearts of His people. Since February when we left snowy Michigan, we’ve had the privilege to minister in the North Carolina towns of Kinston, Cary, and North Wilkesboro as well as Brownsburg, Indiana and Jefferson City, Missouri (where we also spent our spring break at a wonderfully rustic campground). And now we are in Van Wert, Ohio preparing to start a 4-day Thirst Conference on Sunday. When an individual is willing to lay down his pride and humbly cry out to the Lord, amazing things can and do happen. Here are just a couple testimonies out of the hundreds that we have received:<br />
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“The Lord has taught me a life changing lesson on forgiveness this week. I was truly hurt by the person in my life that means the most – my wife. God laid on her heart to come clean and tell me a terrible secret she had been living with for almost four years. God granted me the power to truly forgive her.”<br />
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“I wasn’t able to attend every evening, but somehow those nights that I did come, I heard the critical messages for my life. My wife and I have been divorced for four years. Lately, we have decided to try to rebuild a life together. I wasn’t much of a Christian when my trouble began, but soon after, I recommitted my life. Still uncertain on how to be a Godly husband, Monday and Tuesday I heard messages on the role of a husband. With new guidance and assurance, I approach this new construction project with confidence and joy, and definite purpose. Thank you.”<br />
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In late January, we had a wonderful opportunity to travel to Colorado Springs, Colorado for a week away as a couple. During that week, we were ministered to by dear friends and “spiritual parents” Tim and Anne Evans. We participated in an intense (36 hour) counseling time with them called Restoring the Foundations which was a huge blessing for us personally as well as training to better equip us as we minister to others. It had been a long time since we’d gotten away just the two of us, so it was a very life-giving week. Thank you, Tim and Anne for your continued investment in us. And thank you Mom and Dad Rogers and Mom and Dad Slenk for taking care of Christian and Elizabeth while we were gone.<br />
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The remainder of the ministry year includes churches in Manchester - Tennessee, Hudsonville - Michigan (West Michigan friends, please come see us at Georgetown Bible Church May 5-8!), and three weeks in Ontario, Canada. We will be leading week #9 of Life Action’s Family Camp July 29-August 3 right before we begin Staff Training for the new teams during the month of August. And to wrap up the summer, our team will again lead the Labor Day Weekend Family Camp right before the team heads out for the next season (<a href="http://www.lifeactioncamp.com/">www.lifeactioncamp.com</a>).<br />
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Christian and Elizabeth have had a wonderful school year, and we are eagerly anticipating the wrap-up of our tenth year of homeschooling. Christian has been studying History of God’s Kingdom, Biology, Algebra II, and Spanish this year. With high school biology comes dissecting, and we are very thankful for our team member Kyle who has enthusiastically helped Christian with dissecting an earth worm, crayfish, perch, and frog. Elizabeth has been studying the second half of American History, Astronomy, and Pre-Algebra. She loves creative writing and has done a wonderful job playing piano and singing each week at our Ladies’ Luncheon. This is the time of year when we plan for next school year (which Jennifer thoroughly enjoy doing), and we are anticipating a cost of approximately $1,200 for school curriculum which includes all subjects for Christian who will be in 10th grade and Elizabeth who will be in 7th grade. Elizabeth is also scheduled to begin phase two of orthodontics this summer which is going to be $4,000. Will you ask the Lord if He would have you help us specifically with these two large expenses? God has so graciously and abundantly provided for us these last six years on the road, and we are again believing He will do the same at this time.<br />
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Thank you for your continued prayer and financial support. Please pray for us as we seek to finish this ministry season strong. We know that our only hope as individuals, families, churches, and as a nation is for God to do a revival in the hearts of his people. “Lord, send revival, and let it begin in me.”<br />
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With grateful hearts,<br />
Ben, Jennifer, Christian, and Elizabeth <br />
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<br />Slenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-9231021389213891122012-11-21T15:38:00.001-05:002012-11-21T15:38:09.536-05:00Team Coming to Holland <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />Dear Family and Friends, <br /><br />For the past five years so many of you have been faithful in supporting us with your friendship, your prayers, and even with some of your treasure. What amazes me about this is that most of you have never had the opportunity to really experience what it is that we do in the context of direct ministry, but all of that is about to change.<br /><br />For those of you who live in West Michigan, our team is coming to facilitate an eight day Thirst Conference at Calvary Church (517 West 32nd Street) in Holland starting this Sunday (<a href="http://www.calvaryb.org/">www.calvaryb.org</a>).<br /><br />Services will start this Sunday, November 25 and continue each evening through next week Sunday, December 2. The schedule looks like the following:<br /><br />Sunday Nov 25, Session 1 at 9:15 AM.<br />Sunday Nov 25, Session 2 at 10:30 AM.<br />Sunday Nov 25, Session 3 at 6:30 PM.<br />Monday through Thursday (26th-29th) evening services at 6:30 PM.<br />Tuesday Nov 27, True Woman Ladies’ Luncheon 11:30AM—1:00PM.<br />Friday Nov 30, no services.<br />Saturday Dec 1, Home Life Café 9:00 AM—1:00 PM.<br />Sunday Dec 2, Services at 9:15, 10:30, and 6:30 once again.<br /><br />Child care is provided for all services as well as clubs for Elementary, Middle, and High School students.<br /><br />I know that for some, this schedule may seem like a lot. When was the last time you spent a week just seeking the Lord for a work in your own life, your marriage, or your family. Something special happens when we take the time to step out of the normal schedule, the traffic, the busyness of life for the purpose of meeting with the Lord. Your decision to join us on this journey over the course of one week has the ability to change your life forever, to truly experience something extraordinary, not because of the team, but because of an experience with God that you may have never had before. <br /><br />God may use your willingness to meet with Him in this context to spark a change in your life that has the ability to impact your family, your community, and maybe our nation. In times past, God has used the obedience of only a few to change the course of history in our nation. Maybe Calvary in Holland will be that next place God chooses to use to change the world for His glory and His honor. Will you join us?<br />
Looking forward to seeing you this coming week.<br />Ben, Jennifer, Christian and Elizabeth.Slenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-9316210422828843982012-10-19T21:41:00.002-04:002012-10-19T21:41:40.635-04:00Family Update - October <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Dear Family and Friends,<br /><br />Almost two months into our Road Team Ministry Season, six churches, several thousand miles, and ministering to over three thousand people has been an exhilarating and moving experience, and we are just getting started. We are scheduled in twenty five locations this season and are eager to see God move in extraordinary ways. Below are just a couple testimonies from the hundreds that we have received as we investigate what an authentic Christian life looks like….<br /><br />“Before Life Action came to our church, my spiritual life was best described as so-so or lukewarm. I had sin in my life and simply couldn’t seem to shake it loose. Through this I have begun to realize just how much more God has to offer than the world. This revival has challenged my lukewarm self and lit the fire under me to begin change, starting with myself. Lord, send revival and let it begin in me.”<br />
“What a week! The time has flown too quickly. Thanks for all the preparations all of you have made. God has spoken to my heart through your words of wisdom from God’s Word in ways I have not felt for a long time! God is such a great God! Thanks for your help in giving me a renewed spirit at 80 years of age. Thanks be to God, I feel vibrant and alive once again after losing my husband to cancer almost two years ago. He (God) is so awesome!”<br /><br />“What a blessing this team has been! I have been in this church for 60+ years and this has been one of the most meaningful things we’ve had. Thank you and God bless you from an 85 year old white headed woman! I have learned that God is not through with me yet and I still have a ministry to serve Him.”<br /><br />“God has spoken many things to me these days about how God sees me. I tend to think that I’m walking a fairly pure life – because I compare myself to those around me. But God’s standard is His Word! So I’ve taken an honest look and seen so many areas where I fall so very short. When that is realized, His grace that He so freely gives becomes the precious gift that it is. I want more of God in my life – less of me, more of Him; less stuff, more giving; less grumbling, more of the fruits from His Spirit. My heart is ready to hear Him. I’m ready to be truly open to His call.”<br /><br />What an experience to see so many people reprioritize their lives and continue this journey with Christ as the center. When revival comes, we live in such a way where we say, “God, it’s all Yours.”<br /><br /> One new experience for our family has been with Jennifer having a significant outbreak of shingles on her face and in her ear. About three weeks ago she was not feeling all that well (we thought it was allergies) and broke out with a “rash” across the right side of her face.<br /><br /> It proceeded to break out in the form of blisters which also appeared on her lips and into her ear. Because of this we decided it best to see a doctor, try to figure out what was happening and why it was so painful. Upon the diagnosis of ear and sinus infections as well as shingles, we received some medication, and Jennifer has been on a very regimented schedule in order to rest and heal. Needless to say, the past three weeks have been difficult (especially for Jennifer) as we have navigated this new experience. One decision we have made is to come home for a few weeks to allow Jennifer to see her regular doctor as well as rest and heal at home in Holland. On Monday we will begin this journey back to Michigan from Florida. <br /><br />For the next three weeks I will be giving direction to the team from a more permanent location (Holland) as they travel to North Carolina and Mississippi. I will then travel to Tennessee as the team conducts a Thirst conference there. Would you please pray for us as we navigate this? <br /><br />On an exciting note, our team will be coming to Calvary Baptist Church in Holland to host an 8 Day Summit from November 25 through December 2. Please make a note to come to these days if you are within driving distance. We would love to have you participate with us and hopefully experience God in a way you have never experienced before.<br /><br />With Grateful Hearts,<br />Ben, Jennifer, Christian and Elizabeth.<br /><br /> <br />
<br />Slenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-78678360062909791402011-12-13T09:29:00.000-05:002011-12-13T09:29:45.218-05:00Trusting Beyond Understanding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JW9d3XKunmBmOCaWWVRFnj7c9j-GIWjT9u9vAchtSBb1yXJFPowBSvLEAV2FSWzcoLTLko4bnLm6umKfb7Mkrxdpfjw3I4cqc0aurM6J-I4k_novyJE0dHstIal44T_ZMYOowALVBcA/s1600/IMG_3564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JW9d3XKunmBmOCaWWVRFnj7c9j-GIWjT9u9vAchtSBb1yXJFPowBSvLEAV2FSWzcoLTLko4bnLm6umKfb7Mkrxdpfjw3I4cqc0aurM6J-I4k_novyJE0dHstIal44T_ZMYOowALVBcA/s320/IMG_3564.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. —Psalm 25:1-5<br />
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If you've never been at the place where the trials are so significant that you don't even know what to do, then you won't understand Psalm 25. David is pleading, God, I'm not seeing it. I know You have ways, but I have to learn them because everything that's happening makes no sense to me at all. A big part of trusting is learning this truth: trust must extend past understanding.<br />
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In August of '09 I taught Psalm 25 in my church. 98 percent of our people knew nothing about what I was facing and dealing with, but my circumstances sure caused me to understand verse 5 where David says: "Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation." The word salvation can have many meanings in Scripture. Most literally, it means to “make wide.” It's contrasted with a person who is in a narrow place full of trouble and distress. I'm stuck here. I can't move. It's too tight, God. It's closing in. It's very dark. And he's saying here: You're the God who gets me out. That's what he's claiming by faith. If you've ever been in the I-need-God-to-get-me-out-of-this place, that's what this is about. I wait for You. No one but You can get me out of this. You are the God of my salvation. <br />
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Well, when you say that you're waiting, that means that you're accepting God's timing and the wisdom of it. You're confessing this: I'm not fussing. I'm not fuming. I'm not fixing. You’re not thinking in the back of your mind, Oh, I could do a few things to get me out of this situation. I've got some insights. I could say some things. I could get some balls rolling. I could take hold of this if I had to.<br />
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Waiting means you’re no longer relying on what you can figure out or even understand. It is deliberately relying on God through prayer and flat-out trust. This is way beyond me, Lord. I’m leaving it in Your hands. I know I don’t have to understand in order to trust You. I'm waiting on You for my salvation; You have to get me out of this narrow place.<br />
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James MacDonaldSlenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-17320983281398112672011-10-20T12:40:00.000-04:002011-10-20T12:40:37.847-04:00Family Update: October 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH18POqSzBTLCzzVFhnSLakySNv7YVNmo88gCFpbHRKh5PY-tgA8tLd1xo3MmQ97PzByBfNlxx-0JEe2pieKzuJ8QP6136rfnuvy_cVTIGcikqCcVRnhYq82DNhrk1-obSyLBX6KSqy-c/s1600/First+Day+of+School+Christian+8th+Grade+Elizabeth+5th+Grade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH18POqSzBTLCzzVFhnSLakySNv7YVNmo88gCFpbHRKh5PY-tgA8tLd1xo3MmQ97PzByBfNlxx-0JEe2pieKzuJ8QP6136rfnuvy_cVTIGcikqCcVRnhYq82DNhrk1-obSyLBX6KSqy-c/s320/First+Day+of+School+Christian+8th+Grade+Elizabeth+5th+Grade.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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On Monday, we arrived in Louisiana just outside of New Orleans. We have just completed four great weeks of seeking the Reviver at Mayfair Bible Church in Flushing, MI, Emmanuel Baptist Church in Wabash, IN, First Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff, MO, and First Baptist Church in Marion, IL. <br />
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To see people set aside the time and step out of the traffic of life to hear from the Lord has been of great encouragement to us these past few weeks. So many lives changed as individuals step up to the responsibilities that God has entrusted to them as men, husbands, fathers, women, wives, mothers, employees, neighbors, and friends. Below are just a few of the two hundred plus testimonies that we have received in just the past few weeks: <br />
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<em>“I could write a book, but I will lift off and land the plane on this page. My idol has become trying to fix my family through books, counselors, worry, prayerlessness, etc. How is that working for me? Not so well. We/I have been walking a dry, lonely, messy road going through what we have never experienced before and not knowing how to fix it. I finally have come to the point of understanding – I CAN’T DO THIS ON MY OWN. I quit trying. I have confessed boxes of sins (on your page). I asked my husband to forgive me(who has hurt me and whom I have hurt – husband/daughter). I plan to confess and ask my daughter to forgive me this afternoon in therapy (long story – needs to happen there. Praying for protection of time – this will be hard!) I’ve been a Christian for almost 29 years. The walls I have up with others I have had up with God. I have been a baby Christian for 29 years because I didn’t understand how to have a personal RELATIONSHIP with God. Thanks for showing me. The theme of God’s voice in my life lately has been it is about relationships. I’m getting it – the light bulb is on!! Praise be to God.”<br />
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“I prayed for Jesus to come into my heart about 2 ½ years ago. I did not grow up in the church and have been coming when I can. I haven’t really had a real understanding of what it is to walk in the light. I have not had a full understanding of all that I do that is actually sinning. I find myself feeling ashamed and that I will never be free of sin, so why try to stay in the light. So I find myself falling back to the old habits of staying in the dark. Over the past few days, I feel that my understanding of what it is to be a Christian has grown more than I ever thought it could. Every question I have asked in prayer over the past few nights gets answered the next day. I know now that I am the Lord’s. No matter what I do, I can’t be taken from him. I have a better understanding of what I need to do, how I need to walk, who I need to forgive, who I need to ask for forgiveness from. Most of all I feel him with me and his love for me. The Lord certainly brought me closer. I met the Lord a few years ago, I got to know him these last four days.”<br />
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“I was skeptical of this conference, not of you guys personally, but of the idea that 4 days (4 DAYS!!!) in a row could whip up something meaningful. I confess I was wrong. Your transparency and talents combined to set an ideal environment that truly was ‘set apart’. I’ve been on a 10 year drought due to anger, stress, stubborness, (you name it) due to family health issues, business issues, sons walking away from the church – a slow death occurred. I hid it from most –staying very active in church, but hating it more and more. I tried several times to ‘revive’ out of it – to no avail – leading only to more deadness. I feel so much softening and renewal in these 4 short days. I believe dryness and emptiness have been healed and am excited about what comes next. I also wonder what it will look like and if it will persevere. I believe it will, but not because of me. I already tried that. I feel God doing things, and its been a long time since that happened. I don’t think things will ever be the same, and that the future will be unlike anything I’ve known. Thank you for coming and letting us just ‘be’ and just concentrate on the important. May God bless all of you with the same as you carry on this important work.” <br />
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“Wow! So much has been going on in my heart and life these past few days I can’t possibly express what has happened but I’ll try to share just a few. First, my husband and I have been married 49+ years but there has not been any joy in my heart as I look toward our 50th anniversary. Bitterness, selfishness, pride, resentment, grudge – I could go on but I think you get the picture. This week the Lord has been peeling layer after layer of sin and revealing these sins in our lives. The Lord is healing our marriage. Still needs work, but it is the beginning! Also, depression, anxiety has plagued me for years and I felt as if I had a huge hole in my heart and God is filling that hole not with meds, but with His love and grace.” <br />
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“God was never real to me until this Thirst Conference. I’ve grown up in the church since before I could remember and I prayed the prayer around age four but even though I never knew it, I never truly loved Jesus until yesterday through the words of the speakers and the music of the praise team. God revealed Himself to me. I had my first real devotion time this morning and for the first time I was certain He listened. I feel joyful and I keep bursting into tears simply because I am so happy. God bless you for sacrificing so much to follow His direction, for there is no doubt in my mind that He sent you to minister to me and help change my life. To God be the glory.”</em><br />
The next five weeks has us in Slidell, LA, Rome, GA, Milton, FL, and Brownsburg, IN before coming home late November for some time to rest, reconnect, refresh, and prepare for a long winter/spring semester (January through early June) that will be taking us into Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, and Colorado. Jennifer and I and our family continue to be amazed as what God is doing in people’s lives as they continue to move in obedience towards Him. <br />
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Below are a few ways you can be praying for us as:<br />
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· Continued safety for our team (29 individuals) as we travel.<br />
· As parents, Jennifer and I would continue to minister to Christian and Elizabeth as they grow up.<br />
· That we would stay fresh and committed to what it is God has called us to, that it would not become routine or mechanical in nature.<br />
· Jennifer is scheduled for much needed foot surgery as soon as we get back home (November 28th). Please pray for wisdom and discernment on the part of the doctors as well as the healing process for Jennifer while we are home for the holidays. We also have a high deductible HSA health insurance plan that requires a $5,000 + co-pay that will be required and we are trusting God for the funds necessary for this.<br />
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Thank you for your friendship and support over the past four years as we have had the opportunity to minister in over one hundred local churches thus far. This truly is a great adventure.<br />
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Sincerely,<br />
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Ben, Jennifer, Christian and ElizabethSlenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-40177900471702316412011-09-17T16:46:00.000-04:002011-09-17T16:46:35.936-04:00Berrien Center Bible Church Thirst Conference Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1TPb6Bca5bdQNtNX-ZjGCPdA7J-3ICPPaU4KfFOB6UcVOPrDnF7u_r-_Zd69Obfx55ueTjyNhhAP32wzx8NkZNGCPQiCU5aNr5QYS_nDjG4lCms3ofjJa-9Sta4w_t1P1xZfFxYWTWw/s1600/IMG_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1TPb6Bca5bdQNtNX-ZjGCPdA7J-3ICPPaU4KfFOB6UcVOPrDnF7u_r-_Zd69Obfx55ueTjyNhhAP32wzx8NkZNGCPQiCU5aNr5QYS_nDjG4lCms3ofjJa-9Sta4w_t1P1xZfFxYWTWw/s320/IMG_0016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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We have just completed our first Thirst conference at Berrien Center Bible Church in Berrien Center MI. What a great place to start our season as we get back on the road (close to home). Our team was prepared and ready to serve this local church body. Many came back all four nights to seek and hear from the Lord. On our last night many shared what God had said to them and how they had responded. Below is one testimony of many that we received:<br />
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“God found me dry. What I thought I needed these days wasn’t what I really needed. God showed me that the strife and chaos in my home wasn’t because of my family members. The problem was my sin. <br />
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I had become selfish. I thought the conflict was everybody else’s problem. God showed me the depth of my sin. I was self-righteous. I wanted my family to be close to God but I was unwilling to be close myself. I was rude, insensitive, and impatient. This caused all sorts of problems with selfishness and anger in our home. God also showed me that I was judging my wife. I was critical, unloving, and did not honor her. I was withholding my love because she didn’t meet my expectations. I was totally broken by what He showed me in my life.<br />
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My wife and I spent considerable time asking for and receiving forgiveness. God has brought so much tenderness into our marriage in such a short time. I am so thankful for God’s grace – His covering over my sin.<br />
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We certainly have not totally arrived, but God has brought us many miles all at once. Also, we have hope for the future which we haven’t had in a long time. Praise the Lord!”<br />
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What a great testimony of taking responsibility for the role that God has you in! What an encouragement this was to us. What an encouragement this man will be to his own family in the days, weeks, and months to come.<br />
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We traveled to Flushing MI yesterday and arrived at Mayfair Bible Church where we will start our second conference of this season tomorrow. We are eager to see what God has in store for us as well as this local church body over the course of this next week. <br />
<br />
Please pray that we would be authentic in sharing the truth of God’s Word as well as for this church body that they would be willing to move toward God, reflecting His image through their obedience.<br />
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Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. <br />
<br />
Ben, Jennifer, Christian and Elizabeth.Slenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-64468710282411695392011-06-24T14:19:00.000-04:002011-06-24T14:19:54.330-04:00Pass It DownExcerpted from <a href="http://www.shopfamilylife.com/moments-with-you.html?utm_source=CON&utm_medium=email&utm_content=link-textfooter&utm_campaign=MWY-YYYY0624">Moments With You</a> by Dennis and Barbara Rainey.<br />
Family Life Today.<br />
<br />
Pass It Down<br />
<br />
I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go.<br />
Psalm 32:8 NASB<br />
How can you tell if the spiritual-sounding words coming out of your children's mouths are evidence of a true faith? <br />
<br />
The fact is, you may not really know until they're somewhat older, because most children are clever enough to say what they know Mom and Dad want to hear. It often takes some severe testing to determine the veracity of your children's faith, and that doesn't usually happen until they're well along in their teen years, perhaps even college-age or older. <br />
<br />
Our children began to have their faith tested in middle school. They started coming home with questions like, "What does the Bible say about evolution?" or "What does God think about being gay?" We had many lively discussions at the dinner table as I played devil's advocate to help them think through their beliefs. That's when they began to discover truth on their own from Scripture. <br />
<br />
I don't know how to emphasize enough the importance of this kind of training. Depending upon whose research numbers you believe, the rate of young adults who abandon the faith of their parents is somewhere in the 50- to 80-percent range. We're talking about a major problem. <br />
<br />
If we are to avoid the fate of many other nations where Christianity has dwindled into irrelevance, it must begin in homes like yours. Your children can only hitchhike on your faith for so long. You must constantly be looking ahead to the day when you release them to take their own journey of Christian belief. <br />
<br />
May we raise children to invade and infiltrate the twenty-first century, not with faith standards blindly adopted from their parents, but with biblical beliefs honed into convictions. <br />
<br />
Discuss<br />
What are the key messages and convictions from the Bible that you want to pass on to your children? Discuss how you can both do a better job of diligently teaching and training your children.<br />
<br />
Pray<br />
Ask God for the passion to make biblical training a top priority in your home, as well as the peace not to worry about being a super-theologian--just to share what you're experiencing and learning about God.Slenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-83985742856194958772011-05-02T16:16:00.000-04:002011-05-02T16:16:22.843-04:00Home Soon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotxJlD273wFcOdly78iyb1JauFMBHlboSCOz2qw7gFyrzIfICtzK8TU25UHsVLiQQQ8U7OnM-h19pcrRyKFYKk3DS19QIJdcZ8y29Y08ZU9auTM8Z6_EmAmul7aPEIF-WIws8Z3zo-5w/s1600/SM7_7317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotxJlD273wFcOdly78iyb1JauFMBHlboSCOz2qw7gFyrzIfICtzK8TU25UHsVLiQQQ8U7OnM-h19pcrRyKFYKk3DS19QIJdcZ8y29Y08ZU9auTM8Z6_EmAmul7aPEIF-WIws8Z3zo-5w/s400/SM7_7317.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
This ministry season has taken us to twenty four churches and one maximum security prison and is fast approaching its conclusion. It’s hard to believe that in a few short weeks we will have completed our fourth year on the road. It does not seem possible that we have been at this four years already. <br />
<br />
What an opportunity to see lives changed as a result of individuals getting real about their true condition and seeking the Lord like never before. Just last week, as I had the opportunity to teach on marriage and family, we received this testimony:<br />
<br />
<strong>“I have no doubt in my spirit that you have been sent by God, these days have changed my life forever. Me and my wife were talking about and in the process of divorcing after outside counseling and church counseling but all that changed during this conference. We are now showing love for one another and praying together….. We have been married for twenty five years. Our lives have been changed forever and we are so grateful to God. Thank you for your ministry!”</strong><br />
<br />
Regardless of how exhausting life on the road may be, testimonies like this make it all worth it. We have received thousands of testimonies of changed lives throughout this season and are grateful that we have been given the opportunity to get in on what God is doing in people’s lives.<br />
<br />
As we conclude this year on the road, we begin to look forward to some time at home to rest, recharge, begin the process of training our new team, help upcoming churches get ready for our next ministry season (25 locations), and meetings at Life Action headquarters in Buchanan, MI. However, we are especially excited to reconnect with family and friends who we have not had the opportunity to see much over the past nine months. <br />
<br />
Personally, I am excited to work in the yard, use the grill, sit on the porch, and do many of the things that don’t happen when living on a church parking lot, things that would be considered “normal”.<br />
<br />
However, one of the things that “normal” presents for us is an increase in expenses. Things like: utilities (gas, electric, trash, water, etc...), groceries for all our meals (while on the road, the churches take care of most of this for us), and gas and insurance for the car, etc…<br />
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We also have the need for some minor house projects. The house needs to be stained, wood chips for landscaping (it’s been four years), and we experienced some water damage in the basement this past season.<br />
<br />
Coming home for the summer increases our costs by $1,200 per month totaling $3,600 for the three months that we are home. Add approximately $1,000 for the house projects and we are looking at a total additional expense of $4,600 (trusting that the home projects are minimal). <br />
<br />
I am asking God to raise up forty six people to contribute $100.00 to help us be “revived” this summer at home. <strong>Would you please be one of those individuals?</strong> Our current level of support does not allow us to be home for a length of time like this. God continues to provide for our needs and maybe He would use you at this time to help meet this specific need. <br />
<br />
With a grateful heart, <br />
Ben, Jennifer, Christian and Elizabeth <br />
<br />
You can donate online using the link below:<br />
<a href="http://www.lifeaction.org/donate/support-a-staff-member">www.lifeaction.org/donate/support-a-staff-member</a><br />
<br />
Or if you prefer to donate via check, make your check payable to:<br />
Life Action Ministries (indicate Ben Slenk on the memo line) <br />
PO Box 31<br />
Buchanan, MI 49107<br />
<br />
All contributions are tax deductible.Slenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-91020239061300509532011-04-22T18:06:00.000-04:002011-04-22T18:06:11.454-04:00The Work of God......Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
On this weekend of remembering who God is and what He has done, here is a report I got this morning from a pastor in Little Rock, AK from last night's gathering. This is the end of the third week of unscheduled meetings every night. Be encouraged as God is making Himself known.<br />
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Also, as you pray, one of our teams is extending a conference in Cleveland, TN because of the extraordinary work of God. Our ministry has scrambled to form a fourth team to cover a Summit beginning Sunday in Saltillo, MS. We are praying that all of this is a reflection of God stirring in many places. Is it possible that national revival is approaching? <br />
<br />
Currently our team is in Chattanooga, TN where the service last night went three hours and the conviction of the Spirit of God was heavy upon us. <br />
<br />
In His grip!<br />
Ben and Jennifer Slenk (and family).<br />
<br />
<br />
The Wedding Ring that Funded a Homeless Prayer Center<br />
Report of God’s Mercies 4.22.11<br />
<br />
Last night, we began a teaching on Acts 2 and 4. It was beautiful to be reminded that we are experiencing, in a wonderful measure, exactly what was happening in the book of Acts. But we pointed out that there is one component that we are not yet quite seeing. No one considered that anything they had was their own. This is hard for us to even imagine because our thinking about our possessions (even among the most committed believers) is so Americanized. What would it be like if EVERY believer in the WHOLE CHURCH IN THE CITY didn¹t think of ownership, but was willing to give whatever God asks to meet the needs of the rest of the body so that (just as in Acts 4:29 and following) there was literally no more need? How it would amaze believers and create curiosity among unbelievers! We have been burdened in our heart for a long time that THIS ONE ACTS MODEL would be an amazingly powerful tool of witness to a lost world if it occurred in our whole city and have even prayed for this with our city pastors. One of our other teaching pastors followed with an exhortation from the first verses of James 5. Reminding us of our incredible wealth and how silly to be hoarding it, as we see the day of the Lord approaching. Then, another pastor was led to remind us from Matthew 17 that the Lord<br />
<br />
Jesus was interceding for US, individually, by name at the right hand of the Father. Why should we worry about anything? Fear anything? Therefore we should take courage and do exactly what the Lord prompted us to do. There is nothing to fear. And again, we read from Psalm 27 that we should be strong and let your heart take courage.<br />
<br />
In a few minutes, a precious sister came up trembling. She had been prompted to do something and she had prayed and prayed about it and the Lord kept impressing her heart about it. She went to her husband thinking he would disagree but, he agreed with the Holy Spirit! She then removed her (large) wedding ring and said that she wanted to give it to meet the needs of the homeless. A few minutes later, a man who had come from another church came up, told a story about a similar situation in Florida and said that he wanted to help buy back the ring for the lady and said all I have is $250 but I wanted to take this step. As he said this, one of the pastors was reminded that he had $250 in his pocket and this was amazing because he NEVER CARRIED CASH, BUT that very day had been given that money. They were able to put the $500 into the offering basket that contained the ring. People began streaming to the altar, filling the basket with money. In a few minutes, when the basket was full and after several other wonderful moments of prayer and ministry, we called the lady who had given the ring and her husband up and had a glorious wedding ceremony! You, like Mary, have given a beautiful gift that has anointed the Lord¹s feet and filled the room with the fragrance. But now, the King of Kings wants to remind you that you are married to HIM. And HE places this ring on your finger as HIS bride.<br />
<br />
The church erupted in celebration.<br />
<br />
In a few minutes, another amazing moment of giving occurred. Several nights ago a young woman came up whose husband had committed suicide in her presence 30 days ago. She was weeping and requesting prayer that God would deliver her from her anger towards God. People swarmed around and prayed and that anger was gloriously lifted from her soul. Another sister on that night mentioned to us that night that this widowed young wife needed a car and the people began to give and then a man who came in later found out about the need, had a 2001 Ford Explorer that the day before his father had said he needed to give to someone, and he gave her that car. Plus, she received the $2850+ that was in the offering. She NOW came to the offering and said that the Lord had told her to give HER wedding ring that had been given to her by her late husband. In a few minutes, another man came privately to me and said that he wanted to buy back HER ring for her, and others followed. We performed ANOTHER wedding as we placed the ring on her finger and reminded her, again from Psalm 127 that when mother and father (or husband) leave me, the LORD WILL TAKE ME UP! And reminded her as we placed the ring on her finger that God the Father was her husband and provider and she was married to Him. TWO WEDDINGS IN ONE NIGHT! And that was just the beginning! <br />
Also,<br />
<br />
• A couple came from another church and had two of our men come to the mic and share a need with their unnamed church where the pastor’s wife had just left her husband. It is a young, wonderful church. They wanted it to remain anonymous. The church TRAVAILED in prayer, reminding the enemy he had no right to touch God¹s pastor and the Lord¹s bride. Deep, fervent prayer and spiritual warfare on their behalf.<br />
• A man that our church loves stood (for the first time in his life publicly) to admit that he had a 40-year addiction to alcohol. Before he finished the people came streaming and weeping around him. For the first few minutes, all you could hear was moaning and weeping and then massive, soulful, fervent prayer asking that God would deliver this brother. Four treatment centers had not delivered him. Great prayer was offered on his behalf.<br />
• A brother from another church came to ask prayer for his son who is addicted to drugs and bound up. We invited others who were bound up with any issue to also stand for prayer and then those who had children who are bound up to stand. Dozens stood and the church gathered around them all with fervent prayer.<br />
<br />
• A young man comes up and says that God has put the homeless on his heart and that the Lord has told him to go and live in a place where he can help men in need.<br />
<br />
• Another brother comes up to tell us that his small group has already been praying about that and that they had prayed for a house in the Levy area and TODAY THE LORD HAD GIVEN THEM A HOUSE through a local Hispanic ministry. It’s a fixer-upper, but it is now God’s house to be used to help pray over and restore the homeless.<br />
<br />
• We envisioned what it would like if God brought revival to the city for His glory, and EVERY HOMELESS NEED WAS MET. It could happen and has happened before in times of revival.<br />
<br />
• People began to stream to the offering basket putting more and more money in the basket.<br />
<br />
• A homeless man comes and brings his ring that his daughter had who died 12 years ago. More money comes in.<br />
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• We report that we are gathering Friday night on Good Friday. We cannot imagine being anywhere else but in His house with others on such a holy day.<br />
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• A dear sister, formerly Catholic, reports that she had always gone to her former Catholic church on Easter week services because she loved the reverence and the reminders of the Lord¹s work for her. But, she said, “I am now in this sacred place and I love it and am so grateful and will be here tomorrow night celebrating the Lord’s death and resurrection.”<br />
<br />
And, at the close of the night the offering was counted. We know of more that is coming in, but at the CURRENT MOMENT THE OFFERING IS $12,747 given spontaneously and prompted by one beautiful, sacrificial gift. To God be the glory!!!<br />
We meet tonight, Good Friday, at 7 pm around the cross and the Lord¹s Table.<br />
Come praying. Bring someone to the Cross!Slenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-71703585616410315082011-03-29T12:40:00.000-04:002011-03-29T12:40:20.111-04:00The Choice to Forgive"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." - Matthew 6:14-15<br />
<br />
Let's start with this most obvious lesson in our verses today: we must choose to forgive. Forgiveness is a decision I'm making. In Matthew 6:14–15 Jesus said, "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But, (don’t miss this) if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." <br />
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Now, sometimes a passage of scripture seems complicated as soon as you read it. That's not the case when we realize what Matthew 6:14–15 says. Jesus’ words are stunningly clear. Read them again above.<br />
<br />
Do you get it? I mean, those are pretty serious verses, right? Not hard to understand - just hard to undertake. You read them and think, "that’s gonna leave a mark! I’m going to have to look again at how forgiving I am." That's nothing you want to be messing around about, or sort-of getting it right. The verses aren’t complicated - but they will definitely complicate your life if you are an un-forgiving person! <br />
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And it's not saying that you get saved by forgiving. It is saying that people who are really are saved are forgiving people, increasingly so. Not perfectly, not entirely, but increasingly we are more and more forgiving. As the love of Christ penetrates our hearts more and more deeply and more and more genuinely, we just become more forgiving people. Forgiveness is one of the expected bi-products of genuine salvation.<br />
<br />
You ought to be the most forgiving person that you work with. Out of all the people, when they talk about you, they're like, "Man, he's not a guy who holds grudges. He's just not someone who finds fault." "She doesn't try to make people pay, she just lets it go. She just moves on. She's not petty." "He's not a scorekeeper. He's just not like that. He's forgiving, that's what he is." That's what people ought to be saying about you. The more you get to know Jesus, the more it ought to be true in your life that you choose forgiveness. <br />
<br />
James MacDonald – walkintheword.comSlenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-38096189056338040832011-03-28T13:20:00.000-04:002011-03-28T13:20:19.328-04:00Family Update March 2011A Note from Jennifer…<br />
<br />
As winter slowly recedes, and spring confidently emerges, I can’t help but be amazed at how quickly time continues to go by. We’re in the final months of our fourth year traveling with Life Action. Less than twelve weeks left in our eighth year of homeschooling. Ben and I move into our forties this year. And it’s over twenty years since the Lord placed a handsome, blond Dutchman into my life, blessing me with the only man I will ever do life with. Truthfully, this journey with the Lord just keeps getting better. God loves us too much to stop refining us. He’s so powerful, He’s not content with letting us attempt only what’s humanly explainable. And that, my friends, is exciting!<br />
<br />
So what’s been happening over the last couple of months? We have had the privilege of ministering in seven different churches since we left Holland on January 1, 2011: Okeechobee, FL, Dothan, AL, Dalton and Savannah, GA, and Conover, Rocky Mount, and Kinston, NC. While in Conover, our team lead an 11-day Summit where Ben taught nightly on Biblical truths related to marriage and family. The Lord has placed such a burden on our hearts for not only the preservation of marriages, but also that husbands and wives would be passionately pursuing the Lord and being obedient to what He commands in order that Christian marriages would truly be a reflection of Christ’s love for His people. Each week, we ask the Lord to use us however He desires, and whether it’s through Ben teaching, Jennifer teaching at the weekly ladies’ luncheon, mentoring team members, or relationships with church staff and the church body, God continues to use us, imperfect vessels, to accomplish His perfect plan.<br />
<br />
This has been such a sweet season with Christian and Elizabeth as well. To see their hearts continue to mature in the Lord is an encouragement as well as a challenge to us to continue investing in them. Christian is excelling in his school work, taking guitar lessons from our Tupelo, Mississippi team member Jonathan Becker, putting lots of miles on his long-board, and loves anything related to the military. The Lord orchestrated a meeting with a West Point couple, TJ and Jennifer, while we were in Savannah, Georgia that resulted in a visit to the Hunter Army Airfield where TJ currently serves as a Chinook tandem rotor helicopter pilot. Before we knew it, TJ and Jennifer were helping the kids work through part of the Army Rangers’ obstacle course and answering any questions Christian had about life at West Point and in the military. What a blessing to see how God continues to use this couple as a light within the military.<br />
<br />
We continue to see Elizabeth’s creative side develop through her writing, drawing, and excellent progress in learning to play the piano. Sasha Shubert, our team member from Hull, Georgia, faithfully works with Elizabeth weekly to teach her piano technique and theory. What a joy it is to hear Elizabeth’s sweet voice as she sings along to whatever song she is playing on the piano. One of our school highlights with her this year is our study of Anatomy and Physiology. She is not only thoroughly enjoying science this year, but also has a keen interest of this area of science. Amazing how God has given us the opportunity to learn more about our brilliantly designed bodies and how they work during the same stretch of time that Mom and Dad Rogers have dealt with heart surgery and double knee replacements. The energy and sparkle we see in Elizabeth brings sunshine to our home!<br />
<br />
Along the way, we have also been able to experience a gator farm in Florida, the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, and more sunshine than any Michiganders should be allowed in the winter! As for Ben and I, we’re daily celebrating the “oneness” God continues to solidify in our marriage. We love ministering together, parenting together, and just doing life day to day together. Ben is my best friend, and I am thankful for every day the Lord gives us.<br />
<br />
Last spring, we ministered at First Baptist Church in Enid, Oklahoma. This congregation has a 100+ year tradition of taking a special offering for the wives of the men who minister to their church body. This gift comes with a stipulation: it may not be used for practical things like groceries, kids’ clothes, etc. It must be used for something fun and special…at the wife’s discretion. What an amazing surprise that gift was! Because of their generosity, our family was able to experience what is probably my favorite vacation spot…Disney World! On our way to our first church in Okeechobee, FL this January, we spent a couple of days at the KOA in Kissimmee, FL and spent the day at the Magic Kingdom. It was the BEST day together as a family! We rode Space Mountain three times, screamed riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in the dark, fought the evil emperor Zurg in Buzz Lightyear Spin, and ate funnel cakes overlooking Cinderella’s Castle. The next evening, we introduced the kids to a wonderful dinner show at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground that Ben and I went to on our Disney honeymoon back in 1994: the Hoop Dee Doo Revue! It’s an old-fashioned dinner show with Wild West singing, dancing, and family-friendly vaudeville comedy. We ate delicious food and laughed like crazy! As I’ve been working on scrapbooking pictures from our time at Disney, I can’t help but smile, remembering what a wonderful time we had and how much we enjoy spending time together as a family. Thank you, FBC Enid for making Disney possible for us.<br />
<br />
Well, that’s a snapshot of our family for now. We’re eagerly anticipating what God has for us as our journey continues!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2x3tnw2xDqg/TZDBVvavNOI/AAAAAAAADWE/d7bceXwvVCI/s1600/Minnie%2527s+House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2x3tnw2xDqg/TZDBVvavNOI/AAAAAAAADWE/d7bceXwvVCI/s320/Minnie%2527s+House.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Slenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-90739061811463098532011-03-22T10:31:00.000-04:002011-03-22T10:31:24.572-04:00What is Forgiveness?<strong>"Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony"</strong> - Colossians 3:12-14 <br />
Forgiveness is a decision. It's an act of will to release a person from the obligation that resulted when they injured you.<br />
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Unforgiveness sounds like this: "You owe me! I'm going to make you pay by hating you, by slandering you, by returning in kind, by recruiting other people to my bitterness. I'm holding this over you!"<br />
Here's forgiveness: "You don't owe me. I'm not trying to get even. I'm not looking for a chance to pay you back. God didn't make me that way. I choose to forgive."<br />
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You say, "James, I can forgive today, but I know by Thursday I'll have that thing back on my back again." I understand that. Get this: forgiveness is a crisis and a process. The first thing you have to do is see your unforgiveness as sin. You have to acknowledge that God's not going to forgive you if you don't forgive others. You've got to have that crisis. You've got to stop explaining, defending, holding onto it, cherishing, and reviewing it. You've got to say, "I don't want this for my life."<br />
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The crisis means, "I choose to forgive. I'm letting it go." But the process means, when the painful matter comes into your mind again, you promise yourself to maintain the following process: "I won't bring it up to the person; I won't bring it up to other people;" and most hard by far, "I won't bring it up to myself anymore."<br />
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Someone said to me, "James, I can't help myself. As soon as I see the person, Bam! My mind goes right to that thing." That's why forgiveness is a crisis and a process. In the crisis you decide, in the process you live it out.<br />
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Now, here's a key: When you fail in the process you have to return to the crisis. When you find yourself flashing back to unforgiveness, realize you failed in the process. You've got to return to the crisis. You've got to get before the Lord and say, "God, forgive me. I want to be a forgiving person and here I'm holding this again, Lord. Help me again. I commit afresh to let it go."<br />
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Crisis/process. Over time you'll let it go and you'll be a lot happier because of it.<br />
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James MacDonald <a href="http://www.walkintheword.com/">http://www.walkintheword.com/</a>Slenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-53937213767884768342011-02-23T10:18:00.000-05:002011-02-23T10:18:55.392-05:00‘Signs of real revival’ in Okeechobee, pastor says - Florida Baptist Witness<a href="http://www.gofbw.com/news.asp?ID=12633&fp=Y">‘Signs of real revival’ in Okeechobee, pastor says - Florida Baptist Witness</a>Slenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-18851089635690261852010-12-23T21:13:00.000-05:002010-12-23T21:13:13.300-05:00Filled with Peace When I Feel the Pressure"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!' " - Luke 2:13-14<br />
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One of the things that just grieves me is when I think about how we picture the nativity scene. I mean how we picture the people there with glowing faces and embroidered clothing. That is so NOT the way it was. Those people were under pressure! Jesus came to regular people overwhelmed by challenging and difficult circumstances and I believe that peace is the antidote to pressure.<br />
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So what makes me feel pressure? Has this ever happened to you? Do you feel like sometimes people are making decisions about your life and no one really checked with you? That's when I need peace, when stuff just comes suddenly out of nowhere.<br />
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That happened with Joseph for sure. Joseph must have been thinking, "What's some guy at the other end of the Mediterranean Sea doing? And right when my wife's getting ready to have a baby. Someone lost my reservation and there's nowhere to stay but some cold, nasty stable, and then Mary tells me that the baby is coming NOW." That's pressure. Joseph needed peace. So do we.<br />
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We need peace with God. That's the peace I feel when I feel conversion. Romans 5:1 says "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." You can't have any other peace until you have that - peace with God.<br />
Peace from God is descriptive of a covenant relationship with Him. The Old Testament concept is shalom, it means peace, but is the complete state of wholeness and wellbeing. It's the sense that I'm living in a close, covenantal, relationship with God. It means great things about my life and future because of His grace toward me.<br />
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Then there's the peace of God. It's the calm assurance that what God is doing is best. It doesn't matter what comes in the mail today, it doesn't matter what the doctor says, it doesn't matter who rings my phone, it doesn't matter what comes my way today I have something guarding my heart.<br />
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You can get off the emotional rollercoaster and let this peace guard your heart. Nothing can penetrate that except that you open the door yourself. God's gonna take care of me. It's an awesome thing. And listen it's a real thing.<br />
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Peace with God, peace from God, peace of God. That's what the angels were talking about.<br />
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James MacDonald – Walk in the WordSlenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-9321422037479724062010-12-13T08:47:00.000-05:002010-12-13T08:47:09.328-05:00The Benefits of Waiting"I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord." - Psalms 40:1–3<br />
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The longer I live, the more I come to understand that life doesn't have a lot of green lights. There are hardly any times where God is like, "Do you want that? Have it right now. Why didn't you ask sooner?" More often God is like, "I'd like you to wait." <br />
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"No! I want it right now!"<br />
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God is like, "Listen! You might think you want it now, but I'm going to give it to you when you're fit to receive it. I'm going to use the process of waiting to shape you into the woman or the man that I want you to be. Getting it now wouldn't advance My purposes for you. I want you to wait."<br />
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Waiting is not an easy thing. Waiting is not passivity. Waiting on God is not the absence of efforts. Waiting is "I've done everything I know how to do but it's not enough and now I am waiting on God to do for me what I could not do for myself."<br />
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That is such an important lesson to learn. Let me tell you about some of the benefits that you get when you wait on God. Here are five verses that spell them out.<br />
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• According to Psalm 40:1 when we wait on God, He hears our prayers: "I waited patiently for the Lord and He inclined to me and heard my cry." <br />
• According to Isaiah 64:4 when we wait on God, He acts on our behalf: "Nor has the eye seen a God like You who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him." That's what God is fired up about. He works for the people who wait. I wonder how many things we don't get because we're out there working for it ourselves beyond what we should and God's like, "Would you just stop that? I act on behalf of the people who wait for Me."<br />
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• Psalm 25:3 says that when we wait on God, He keeps us from shame: "Indeed none of those who wait for You O God will be ashamed."<br />
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• Isaiah 40:31 says that He gives strength to those who wait: "Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength."<br />
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• Psalm 37:34 tells us that those who wait for God are exalted: "Wait for the Lord and He will exalt you."<br />
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Bottom line; God always makes it worth our while to wait for Him!<br />
James MacDonald - Walk in the WordSlenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-72242893050796057192010-12-03T22:14:00.000-05:002010-12-03T22:14:28.346-05:00Angola PrisonHello everyone, just wanted to give you a quick update on an adventure that we are about to embark on. We have been invited to the Louisiana State Prison (aka Angola or “The Farm”) to facilitate a four day conference. We have been invited by Awana Lifeline which God has used to make a significant impact in the lives of many of the inmates. Angola is the largest maximum security prison in the United States and houses just over 5,000 inmates. 4,000 of the inmates are serving a life sentence and those that remain average a sentence of 90+ years. What used to be the considered the most violent and dangerous prison in America is now considered one of the safest! Only one reason, God at Work! Awana Lifeline has started a program called the “Malachi Dads” which is having the largest impact of any program that the prison has ever experienced, and they have asked us to come alongside and help continue on with what the Malachi dads program has begun.<br />
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Then link below is for a video highlighting what is happening with the Malachi Dads program at Angola. The interesting thing is that it was produced by USA Today. I would encourage you to take a look at the video to get a glimpse of what has been happening that we have been given opportunity to be part of. <br />
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I had the opportunity to take a trip to Angola this past August to do some preliminary work in regards to our days there. I have attached a picture below. <br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJNOu83tgts">Fathers for Life Video</a><br />
<a href="http://www.corrections.state.la.us/LSP/">Angola State Prison Website</a><br />
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I will be sending updates through Twitter and Facebook while at the Prison. Check it out.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRRw5LnfvGXvKCv6_DNYrg4xqrUdwipQ2pg76W-5xEABk9ySgj_vi-eRnqK0HkJrwM_qCkYlyxQPBdzME9IksZ4j3cuWwNJFOBgrcp_F1rN5oGtHz6lNVgrDo-V27m89CZrMGp4GNnvY/s1600/Angola.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRRw5LnfvGXvKCv6_DNYrg4xqrUdwipQ2pg76W-5xEABk9ySgj_vi-eRnqK0HkJrwM_qCkYlyxQPBdzME9IksZ4j3cuWwNJFOBgrcp_F1rN5oGtHz6lNVgrDo-V27m89CZrMGp4GNnvY/s320/Angola.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Slenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-77169573686760961962010-11-29T10:49:00.000-05:002010-11-29T10:49:27.950-05:00The Harvest"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." - Galatians 6:9–10<br />
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We have looked at the principles of planting and harvesting and we talked about various seeds. Now it’s time to see some of what the harvest teaches us.<br />
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1. We harvest only what has been planted. I mean, how clear is that? You can't harvest stuff if you don't plant it. Farmers never decide to skip the planting and just pray for corn! Good results spring from good choices; you know what comes from bad choices! Too often we forget that we're planting every day.<br />
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2. We harvest the same in kind as we plant. You see a person acting a certain way, treating people in a certain way, you say to yourself, "That's coming back to her or him." If we're not watchful of what we plant, we can expect to be disappointed with the results we get.<br />
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3. We harvest in a different season than we plant. Decisions take a moment; consequences and results roll out for a long time. We often tend to live through the spring time of life and we make all these shortsighted decisions: "I'm gonna act the way that I want to. I'm gonna do the things that I want to do. Who cares about results - this is my life!" And so we plant all these bad things: choices, habits, and decisions. Young people can get rebellious and make bad choices that seem to go unnoticed. By the time they reach adulthood they're like, "I beat the odds. Nothing's gonna happen to me. I got away with it." And then we get to harvest time and we're like, "How did this happen?" And it all comes down on our heads. And we're like, "Why didn’t somebody tell me?" I'm telling you right now. You harvest what you plant; but you harvest in a different season. Numbers 32:23 says, "Be sure your sin will find you out." That’s as true today as it was when God instructed the Israelites not to treat sin lightly. <br />
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These are three significant reasons why we should be continuously in prayer to the Lord of the harvest, that He will instruct our planting efforts each and every day.<br />
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James MacDonald – Walk in the WordSlenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-14976177928061567162010-11-18T21:24:00.000-05:002010-11-18T21:24:07.728-05:00O Canada!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwuTtgKsa00fetHTL53eXD4JH-1aqhXzwQVrlYjMde4dX7V2uPzCxaW-GYvsdUfOXrH3aPkjmNm0ohylwv23G-_zVOWljsNmf3wl_lXnqRNOjFJsXrA8IB1hnFaF7vlapWkhAnCmOWF8/s1600/Canadian+Milk+in+a+Bag%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwuTtgKsa00fetHTL53eXD4JH-1aqhXzwQVrlYjMde4dX7V2uPzCxaW-GYvsdUfOXrH3aPkjmNm0ohylwv23G-_zVOWljsNmf3wl_lXnqRNOjFJsXrA8IB1hnFaF7vlapWkhAnCmOWF8/s320/Canadian+Milk+in+a+Bag%2521.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2KSgfoHZBTBrQG6Apr2srDs_e_ekgk-Zvyqbm2f3_onN8FWx1__E6pCQiJJi25IzwEzH_dm7YCQ9p9a_vz5l5nkdcee8IQHUqWBND6N6Y-rctn2WnV5MMHfY5afS8DczD6S7fpJVeAs/s1600/Niagara+Falls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2KSgfoHZBTBrQG6Apr2srDs_e_ekgk-Zvyqbm2f3_onN8FWx1__E6pCQiJJi25IzwEzH_dm7YCQ9p9a_vz5l5nkdcee8IQHUqWBND6N6Y-rctn2WnV5MMHfY5afS8DczD6S7fpJVeAs/s320/Niagara+Falls.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>O Canada! <br />
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After five weeks ministering in the beautiful country of Canada, it is good to be back in the United States. But, oh, what an adventure we had while visiting our neighbors to the north! Allow us to share just a few things we learned about life in Canada:<br />
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• Milk does not come in a jug…it comes in a bag!<br />
• Canadian ketchup is ridiculously sweet<br />
• A pound of butter comes in a block, not four sticks<br />
• Food is a lot more expensive<br />
• There is an 18% tax on everything<br />
• Tim Horton’s coffee/donut shops are EVERYWHERE!<br />
• Ben loves Coffee Crisp candy bars<br />
• Canadians do a much better job with portion control than Americans <br />
• Conversation with Canadian immigration officers went something like this: “So you live in this trailer? Yes, sir.” “You’ve been invited to these Canadian churches? Yes, sir.” “They’re not paying you anything? No, sir.”<br />
• You can get Oreo Double Stuff in Canada, but the package is half the size…kind of defeats the purpose, don’t you think?<br />
• There’s an app available for the iPhone to convert everything to the metric system (ie. mph, clearance of a bridge – very important for us)<br />
• Canadians are an extremely friendly bunch…Right? Aye!<br />
• We have yet to find a good piece of Canadian beef…but our new friends in Wyoming, Ontario have promised us when we return in May we will have some!<br />
• Canada is beautiful!<br />
• Canadians know far more of what’s going on in the United States than we do about what’s going on in Canada<br />
• Store clerks are happy to put your purchases in a plastic bag…for $.05 each!<br />
• We now have some incredible new friends in Canada!<br />
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We also had some opportunities that gave us some incredible memories:<br />
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• Christian and Elizabeth went to a Sarnia Sting hockey game<br />
• We took the subway into Toronto and then went to the top of the 1,815 ft. CN Tower and walked out onto the glass floor…did we mention Ben is not a fan of heights!?!<br />
• Celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving Monday, October 10 with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with Ryan and Maryann Loveing’s family<br />
• Celebrated Christian’s 13th birthday in Cobourg, Ontario including a surprise party thrown by the youth group of Fellowship Baptist Church<br />
• Playing in the leaves in Cobourg<br />
• Watched the snow come down on a Sunday morning in Barrie, Ontario<br />
• Strolled on the shore of Lake Ontario where Jennifer, Elizabeth, and Maryann and Crista Loveing discovered milk weeds to blow into the breeze…what a beautiful time with good friends!<br />
• Viewed the amazing Niagara Falls<br />
• The kids spent lots of time in the indoor skate park within Fellowship Baptist Church, rollerblading and playing hockey<br />
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On the ministry front, we saw God’s hand move mightily in all three churches. During our three conferences, God’s Word was faithfully taught, and people responded humbly and obediently which resulted in an overwhelming number of people experiencing personal revival. Consciences were cleared, relationships were reconciled and rebuilt, and the Spirit of God was wonderfully evident. On one Sunday, the morning and evening services included a combined five hours worth of people testifying to what the Lord was doing in their lives! Our two Summits in Canada were also the first opportunities for Ben to begin teaching marriage and family principles during the first 30 minutes of each service as well as during the Home Life Cafe’ on Saturdays. Jennifer is continuing to enjoy teaching Ladies’ Luncheons with Maryann. We had a packed gym of 370+ women at one church! God is continuing to stretch us, yet He has been so faithful to give us just what we need to do exactly what He calls us to do. <br />
O Canada, how we enjoyed our time with you…see you in the spring!Slenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-30180112773368729722010-11-14T22:08:00.000-05:002010-11-14T22:08:19.147-05:00Family Update November 2010<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbU6de1M8I9ytNqAXKNM_PEJnTGPhehkN73YZzv5XnQjpVf2Nzh5Ksf_bvNdiBnAYzUxUTcSX1bSFioNDZtopfQur8Den1MY0XGudhHVtNgROoHPeqQcnNPzh3SPAHJ_c92A0Q2hCo4tI/s1600/0307_LAM-2010_copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbU6de1M8I9ytNqAXKNM_PEJnTGPhehkN73YZzv5XnQjpVf2Nzh5Ksf_bvNdiBnAYzUxUTcSX1bSFioNDZtopfQur8Den1MY0XGudhHVtNgROoHPeqQcnNPzh3SPAHJ_c92A0Q2hCo4tI/s320/0307_LAM-2010_copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8VRgI50iOcy2pq2kPJTEwvkmUk9NLW_yJQJfh0-Qqy7sUJjKfjemgFUs_073SfpztmxL6mGogKAsv2CJTE1PVjjjkzvtqWUiW07JGlwzPA7leYe9WlgVByOdMBhifpXVS5VDlZ-2it4/s1600/dscn0153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8VRgI50iOcy2pq2kPJTEwvkmUk9NLW_yJQJfh0-Qqy7sUJjKfjemgFUs_073SfpztmxL6mGogKAsv2CJTE1PVjjjkzvtqWUiW07JGlwzPA7leYe9WlgVByOdMBhifpXVS5VDlZ-2it4/s320/dscn0153.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP75Dd9TWr6dx_VDttRwxtadZwzueDc9Awnne_U-oT91-x8X8eyKQJc7CutjoMZNZkYRi3tXZxMFwb9F5SUvzdFDtpEiNu-3hRWFS_RR6c0cCMl2uxoLeaAhSiYbd5s7fI2B-aq_shStY/s1600/dscn0228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP75Dd9TWr6dx_VDttRwxtadZwzueDc9Awnne_U-oT91-x8X8eyKQJc7CutjoMZNZkYRi3tXZxMFwb9F5SUvzdFDtpEiNu-3hRWFS_RR6c0cCMl2uxoLeaAhSiYbd5s7fI2B-aq_shStY/s320/dscn0228.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We have finished our five week tour in Canada and have just begun our last Thirst Conference in Mt. Gilead, Ohio (Mansfield, OH) before we head home for Thanksgiving. After Thanksgiving, we will be headed to Angola, LA for a conference that we will be facilitating at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, the largest maximum security prison in the United States (5,000 inmates). <br />
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We have seen so much over the past ten weeks in regards to God working in the lives of His people. Marriages restored; relationships with parents and children recovered; years of hidden secret sin revealed, repented of, and confessed; deep seeded issues of bitterness and unforgiveness dealt with; a divided church body that has humbled itself and begun the process of reconciliation; all of which have allowed individuals to be set free from the bondage that had held them for so long in order that their lives and relationships would reflect and honor the image of God.<br />
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Written below are just a couple of the testimonies regarding what individuals have been experiencing over the last several weeks (more to come)….<br />
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“Before the summit, God found me as a man who had been hurt, and caused hurt because of it. When I was 18, nearly 13 years ago, my mother was killed. What is worse is that she was murdered by my father. Almost two years later, my father was convicted of first-degree murder. My mother was the most significant Christian influence in my life, where my father reviled the church, did not walk in Christ, was having an adulterous affair, and denied all wrongdoing in her murder. Growing up I never felt good enough for him, and to lose both parents at once hurt me deeply in so many ways. I carried that hurt with me for many years, and it showed itself in anger, frustration, anxiety, an overwhelming need to succeed and “matter,” times of alcohol abuse, and other sins. I hated my father and everything he put me and my siblings through. I was a deeply wounded and broken man. <br />
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However, by the grace of God, I can now say I am ready, willing, and able to forgive my father. I earnestly desire for him to come to Christ, be broken, repent, believe, and be saved. I am willing to take more of a step in faith to pray for him, put input into his life, and give forgiveness. I praise my heavenly Father, whose perfection can completely fill and heal the painful void caused by my fleshly father. Praise God for all He has done! With God, ALL things are possible!”<br />
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“Before the summit, God found me comfortable with my faith, self-reliant and living a mediocre life. During the summit I was asked to extend forgiveness to my husband for something that would change our lives forever. In that moment I could feel my flesh crying out to be hurtful, bitter, and angry. But I could hear God telling me “Forgive. Forgive. Forgive as I have forgiven you.” Before the summit, I know that I would have acted in the flesh and my marriage would remain broken. However, through God’s grace and in only a few days I feel like we are making strides toward a better marriage than we ever had before. I am so thankful that I know how to choose forgiveness and be obedient to God.”<br />
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Please continue to keep our family in your prayers, for safety, health, and strength to press on and glorify Him in all we do. You can continue to stay updated on our travels by visiting our blog at www.slenkfamily.blogspot.com where you can find information as to where we are, what we have been experiencing as a family, experiences in the churches, and other miscellaneous information regarding “road life”. We have also added a new option to the blog where you can subscribe and receive a copy of each new blog post in your inbox if you would like.<br />
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Again, thank you for all your support and encouragement. It would not be possible for us to be out here doing this without all of you.Slenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-8152736073536591752010-10-31T17:00:00.000-04:002010-10-31T17:00:26.040-04:00Travel Days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNS_y_rTgfzydy6qeaKwsHISuTK-kqOWUa-dWwl2VcslCIl2s883YjEoX9HzttdPUOHNCWk8mUzj-9u8AGV7SW-2dlZyM594yAERu25Y1icYzRixq3sPz6XOVEbY8PdVJpoWaIk1fAywE/s1600/Cadet+Chapel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNS_y_rTgfzydy6qeaKwsHISuTK-kqOWUa-dWwl2VcslCIl2s883YjEoX9HzttdPUOHNCWk8mUzj-9u8AGV7SW-2dlZyM594yAERu25Y1icYzRixq3sPz6XOVEbY8PdVJpoWaIk1fAywE/s320/Cadet+Chapel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0blvpzKByR4v8iz1n8z65H8SuYuoe4lUI64nGFFeaOAPNDQOalyElK9RszuDmhtPNVqPg5NOoJ5mpZxVecu1CqjyZFsu3MENk92alJuDS3_-u5GVHb4kSsoa9onNyvEsWF1kyO3nn8E8/s1600/Washington+Hall+and+The+Plain+at+West+Point.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0blvpzKByR4v8iz1n8z65H8SuYuoe4lUI64nGFFeaOAPNDQOalyElK9RszuDmhtPNVqPg5NOoJ5mpZxVecu1CqjyZFsu3MENk92alJuDS3_-u5GVHb4kSsoa9onNyvEsWF1kyO3nn8E8/s320/Washington+Hall+and+The+Plain+at+West+Point.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6c5CaIvpQZWQEeX0NsHxHrMfZinJPSck7gef07daT75wYYper0TedmS1qi2wIOQdYrUJ7ju3IDFCuZbtYMX3qkKpWwSIqjEKB9Gm0rC2Bl5C6Txo_4hc-MwoMtSKwmV2mY8mblkT6mr0/s1600/West+Point+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6c5CaIvpQZWQEeX0NsHxHrMfZinJPSck7gef07daT75wYYper0TedmS1qi2wIOQdYrUJ7ju3IDFCuZbtYMX3qkKpWwSIqjEKB9Gm0rC2Bl5C6Txo_4hc-MwoMtSKwmV2mY8mblkT6mr0/s320/West+Point+Museum.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Have you ever wondered what “normal life” is really like for us? In addition to nightly church services, weekly ladies luncheons, team meetings, and counseling sessions, regular life continues. There’s a home to maintain, laundry to do, groceries to buy, and school to teach. HOWEVER, as we are in churches throughout North America, and even as we travel to those churches, we have such incredible opportunities to see and do things we probably otherwise would never be able to experience. Almost every week, we have a “travel day” when we pack up the trailer, travel to the next church, and set the trailer back up. We pray for uneventful (read no blown tires, no excessive traffic delays, no truck issues) travel days, and more often than not, they are. And some times, travel day turns into a wonderful opportunity. Let me give you an example. In September, after finishing two THIRST Conferences in the Raleigh, North Carolina area, we headed north to Loudonville, NY. With GPS on and atlas in hand, we began an amazing two day journey of touring the New England area in a Volvo semi with a 54’ trailer in tow. We left Raleigh and drove through Virginia’s state capital, Richmond. We continued on to Washington, DC driving right next to the Pentagon and seeing the Capitol Building, Washington Monument, and Jefferson Memorial. As we approached Baltimore Harbor, we saw the massive ships carrying imported cars filling the harbor…then we took the truck and trailer UNDER the Patapsco River by way of the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. Next came Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey (we skirted New York City!), and we stopped for the night just over the border into New York. Every big city we come to, we scan the atlas for significant landmarks and (for Christian) professional sports stadiums to search for. The next morning, we headed to our first “college visit” for our son Christian. Since last year, he has been considering and praying about going to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. When he heard we would be in New York this fall, he asked if we could stop by to tour West Point. Knowing how big New York is, I hesitated to even imagine that we might be near. However, when we mapped out our journey to Loudonville, we discovered we would be driving right through that area! What a joy to be able to dream alongside Christian and to imagine what it might be like for him in a few years if the Lord in fact directs him to West Point. Our time at West Point was amazing. What an incredible campus, outstanding education, and rich history West Point offers. With Christian’s encouragement, I am now the proud owner of a t-shirt that says “West Point Mom”!!! As I reflect on my own life’s journey, I am challenged to pray big for my children, trusting that God’s plans for them are even grander than I can imagine. Almost 650 miles, 6 states, the US Capitol, over $100 in tolls, beautiful New England scenery, a visit to West Point, and quality time as a family…that’s a pretty exciting travel day! So there you have it...a snapshot of life on the road!Slenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-49846370185152183722010-08-31T10:07:00.001-04:002010-10-31T19:44:11.218-04:00Update and Invitation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCnkpY3lhIkdvvbEinG_zq3hOEnnd-8BaElkxDzCaDU2wAhnf6u-A5F425i7LOOFHgbP_4ntOHy7PqdywjjHpnIbiNSQ7xkN7ok4-GbI0QXwbeKbRU6YZFCNsWnhyphenhypheniJ4IEg5t7KenvyM/s1600/Cove+Island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCnkpY3lhIkdvvbEinG_zq3hOEnnd-8BaElkxDzCaDU2wAhnf6u-A5F425i7LOOFHgbP_4ntOHy7PqdywjjHpnIbiNSQ7xkN7ok4-GbI0QXwbeKbRU6YZFCNsWnhyphenhypheniJ4IEg5t7KenvyM/s320/Cove+Island.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8MGvUFP06wji8FcqZuyWMunAAFhhHWl_0Z10ueoSO92AdiyveiewqmYNFd7lUVTDvtLvMEzRPmvx9vjiBnyMcUbdSQo9OL__oE4B5cehRTIUb2acKg0eXmMd2iIpb5WcEz_Bl5CeiLE/s1600/OLYMPUS+DIGITAL+CAMERA+++++++++_0180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8MGvUFP06wji8FcqZuyWMunAAFhhHWl_0Z10ueoSO92AdiyveiewqmYNFd7lUVTDvtLvMEzRPmvx9vjiBnyMcUbdSQo9OL__oE4B5cehRTIUb2acKg0eXmMd2iIpb5WcEz_Bl5CeiLE/s320/OLYMPUS+DIGITAL+CAMERA+++++++++_0180.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxe9udKAy1Cn94DNrTTG6qEp-f34h_DheF62nisY1-WQcTVihWg4Byk1aqrL_6U8y1X0g-PSrXpGTVVDf-g9HaIZ7hSb1g2MGXEJrftCGvhtalu7vFhNhfuBfGiXm7miEO79NIgCQTbs/s1600/IMG_0366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxe9udKAy1Cn94DNrTTG6qEp-f34h_DheF62nisY1-WQcTVihWg4Byk1aqrL_6U8y1X0g-PSrXpGTVVDf-g9HaIZ7hSb1g2MGXEJrftCGvhtalu7vFhNhfuBfGiXm7miEO79NIgCQTbs/s320/IMG_0366.JPG" /></a></div>Dear Friends,<br />
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Its hard to believe that summers end is fast approaching. Its also hard to believe that next week Monday (Labor Day) we once again hit the road for the beginning of what is scheduled to be a full season. We have a great new team (some new, some returning from last year) of 18 single team members and two staff families that will make up what is known as the Revival Conference Team (aka the White Team). We are scheduled to be in twenty four churches and one prison this year (The Angola Prison in Louisiana). We will be traveling to Canada for part of the fall trimester where we will spend five weeks in the Ontario area. The summer has been a time of reconnecting with family and friends, preparing for the upcoming season with messages, logistics, new team members, etc… We have been heavy into staff training since the end of July where all three teams have been at Life Actions Camp preparing and getting ready for the new ministry season. Our team consists of Musicians, Worship Leaders, Children’s Ministers, Audio/Visual Technicians, Bus and Truck Drivers, and a few others to round the whole thing out (as well as the two families).<br />
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Once again this year, we are having a trailer “open house”. It will be this week Thursday September 2, from 5:00 –7:00 PM. We would love to see as many individuals and families stop buy to say hello or goodbye. If its feasibly possible would you consider paying a visit during that time in order that we may connect one last time with you before we leave? Jennifer, myself and the kids would be encouraged to see you, and you can check out the truck and trailer as well.<br />
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Thanks to all of you who made life at home “normal” for us this summer. Your prayers, friendship, and support encourage and bless us as we have been refreshed as a result of being home. We eagerly anticipate God doing great and mighty things this year in ourselves, team members, and the church bodies that we have been invited to minister alongside throughout North America.<br />
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See you on Thursday. <br />
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Ben, Jennifer, Christian and Elizabeth.Slenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-3608478006023885942010-07-19T11:01:00.000-04:002010-07-19T11:01:40.392-04:00The Power of Forgiveness"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." - Ephesians 4:31-32<br />
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There isn't one person reading this who hasn't been hurt by another person. Question: what are you doing with that offense? Do you hold them hostage for the injury they inflicted on you? How many hours and days have you wasted thinking, "You owe me and I'm going to make you pay?"<br />
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That's a tough question on a painful topic but you have to get it settled. In order to navigate your way through relationships, you need to hold a conviction about how you're going to respond when someone hurts you.<br />
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Ephesians 4:31-32 gives us direction: "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."<br />
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Read that last phrase again, "as God in Christ forgave you."<br />
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As freely as He forgave you.<br />
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As quickly as He forgave you.<br />
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As generously as He forgave you.<br />
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Jesus models what forgiveness should look like in our lives. He was falsely accused, mocked, beaten, and spat upon, then crucified. As He hung on that cross for your sins and mine, He said: "Father, forgive them." Jesus' model motivates us to live out Ephesians 4:32, "Just as God in Christ has forgiven you."<br />
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You've heard me say it before: there are no enduring relationships without forgiveness. None. Before you go very far in any partnership, there will be forks in the road where if you do not forgive, the relationship will not survive. It's true in every marriage, in every household, in every small group, in every friendship. This is always, always true.<br />
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You know that Kathy and I are committed to serving in one church for a lifetime. As I'm preaching, I look into the faces of people I've known for a long time. I know that I would not have those relationships today were it not for their willingness to forgive me and my willingness to forgive them. Forgiveness says, "Because of Christ, you owe me nothing."<br />
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I love this true account from the life of Leonardo DaVinci. Not only was he a great painter, but DaVinci had a great faith in God. On the day he was to begin to paint the masterpiece, "The Last Supper," he had a blow-out argument with one of his friends.<br />
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As he was painting the disciples seated around the table, DaVinci was still sour toward his friend. So when it came time to paint Judas - you guessed it - he painted his friend's face. Then he moved on to paint Jesus. Of course Leonardo loved Christ but try as he might, he couldn't paint His likeness in any way that he thought represented His beauty. He painted, erased, painted, erased. Convicted by his own unforgiveness, he repainted the face of Judas with some other, random likeness and went to get right with his friend. Only then could he return to finish his portrait of Christ.<br />
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It's been said that DaVinci's face of Christ in this work is one of the most beautiful ones ever painted. What a great picture of the mercy in forgiveness. It will bear itself out in your life and mine. We will not see the likeness of Christ reproduced in our lives until we forgive.<br />
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Has the Lord brought a relationship to mind that needs your long-overdue forgiveness? By faith say, "Because of Christ, you owe me nothing.”<br />
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Take to heart God's call on your life: "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."<br />
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James McDonald - Walk in the WordSlenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-13872407924806201472010-05-17T16:49:00.000-04:002010-05-17T16:49:05.573-04:00Seeing God WorkOn Friday we arrived in Roanoke, VA and have just begun a 4-day Thirst Conference at Green Ridge Baptist Church. This is church number fifteen since January 1. Last week we completed an 8-day conference in Mansfield, Ohio and really saw God do a great work in the lives of individuals, especially pertaining to marriages and families. Bitterness, unforgiveness, not having a clear conscience before God and man, and spiritual leadership were huge areas where many came to the point of obedience in dealing with these issues and experienced the freedom that comes as a result. Last Sunday we saw over 65 people give public testimony (4+ hours) as to what God had been saying to them and how they had responded during our days together. What an encouragement to those in attendance to see and hear testimony of lives and families changed forever. Listed below are some of the initial prayer requests that we received upon arrival in Mansfield:<br />
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“That I would work through forgiving someone who has hurt me and my family. I know now that I am and have been bitter and I want and desire to be thankful for this situation.”<br />
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“To help me release the unforgiveness in my heart toward my mother.”<br />
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“A miracle in my marriage, a miracle in my church, a miracle in our world.”<br />
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“What is keeping me from revival is hanging onto my relationship with my boyfriend hoping for a marriage with him.”<br />
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“Discussing sins and bitterness with my husband…...for his heart to be open and mine to be honest.”<br />
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“What is preventing me from experiencing revival in my life is that I do not love my wife the way I should.”<br />
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As the week progressed, God began to reveal His desire for us in our relationship not only with Himself, but with others. Below are some of the praises and answers to prayer that we began to see:<br />
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“Receiving forgiveness from my husband for confessing past sins against him.”<br />
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“For a new husband….a husband who is RUNNING after our mighty God!”<br />
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“On Sunday my marriage was very close to divorce (for the second time). I asked for prayer...today we are moving forward together.”<br />
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“Before our days I was dealing with a fear of suffering…not a good place to be. With your bold teaching of “Giving myself first to the Lord”…”Giving thanks in all things”…”Forgiveness”…”Proverbs 30 (just enough, not too much, not too little)”...this spiritual feast has been well timed for my soul to break free of the fear of suffering. By following the process of applying these truths, the root of my fear became exposed. I discovered that over my life, unresolved problems of recognizing and dealing with rejection had led to a spiritual idol of self worship with the fruit of insecurity and fear. By applying what I had been taught during these days, a break through happened that has lifted this issue from my spirit. My prayers have been answered. The joy of the Lord has been restored to me and God is rebuilding this individual.”<br />
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What a great week/season of seeing God do the miraculous in people’s lives! <br />
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Only a couple more weeks, and we will be arriving back in Holland. We are looking forward to some rest and a time to reconnect with family and friends as we prepare for the new ministry season that will kick off in August. Thank you so much for your support in praying for us. <o:p></o:p>Slenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502056122233171379.post-79330358294495966652010-05-07T21:09:00.000-04:002010-05-07T21:09:33.221-04:00Trusting in God<div id="leftcolumn"> <h1><b></b></h1><br />
<b>"To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me."</b> - Psalm 25:1-2<br />
Our passage for today covers one of the basics of what it means to really live a life of faith in God: <b>"O my God, in you I trust."</b> How's the trust-in-God thing going with you? Because trusting God is really the centerpiece of the Christian life. If you're doing well at trusting God, you're doing great with your faith. If you're not doing well at trusting God, you're not doing so great with your faith.<br />
Here's some good news. Each time we open our Bibles, we are opening a primer on trust. God has given us in His Word everything we need in order to trust Him. Trusting God is a decision. It's a choice that every person has to make. The decision to trust God or not is unavoidable. You will choose to trust or not to trust God - but you will choose.<br />
Think for a moment of life as a car. In that car, either you're driving or God is driving. When you're holding the wheel, you're taking charge. When you're driving, you're not trusting.<br />
But in the Christian life, you get to ride. You are in the car - in the front seat. You get to talk to the Driver. He's interested in your input, but as the trip unfolds, God is the One who's making the calls. God determines where and how fast your life is going. He checks the map and provides the GPS. God is driving. That's the life of trust.<br />
Now how often have you had a series of battles over who's going to hold the wheel? Are you or is God going to hold the wheel? That's the issue of trust. When you and I are trusting at our best, the top is down and it's a sunny day. Everything is going great. But when we're not trusting, there's a wrestling match over the wheel. But God doesn't really fight us for the wheel. I find that every time I grab it, He says, <em>"This won't be great."</em> Yet He doesn't get out of the car. He waits for me to trust again.<br />
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James McDonald - Walk in the Word <br />
</div>Slenk Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09234592789619106662noreply@blogger.com1