Slentz Family Blog
Personal Testimony of Marietta

Personal Testimony of Marietta

Personal Testimony of Marietta

God’s Unstoppable Love: The Gentle Tug of His Calling

The Gentle Tug of His Purpose
Jeremiah 31:3
The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying:
“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”

Imagine: Over two thousand, six hundred years ago, God poured out these powerful and beautiful words through the prophet Jeremiah. What an incredible thought! But here’s the absolute best part: Our God is eternal, and because of that, His love for us is eternal, unchanging, and unfailing! That same endless love and faithfulness is why He is still drawing people to Himself today. I am certain that, in this very moment, He is gently pulling on your heart, too.

I know that feeling so clearly now. God’s loving tug on my heart began to draw me to Himself even before I became a born-again Christian! It’s a divine, magnetic pull that you simply can’t ignore once you recognize it. He’s always been pursuing us.

The Apostle Paul understood this truth and said that God had called him from his mother’s womb—though he initially and drastically misinterpreted that call, thinking it meant he was supposed to be a dedicated Pharisee and a persecutor of Christians (Galatians 1:15). My own journey started with some misunderstandings, too.

I was raised in a devout Catholic family, a world where tradition was king. My father had a special spot in the backyard where he offered prayers and sacrifices to a statue of Saint Lazarus, the patron saint of the poor and sick. My mother, likewise, had her statue of Santa Barbara to whom she prayed. My parents taught me that the Catholic Church was the one true church. Not knowing any better, I believed them without asking a single question.

From a young age, I felt an intense, undeniable call to serve God. Having no other frame of reference, I mistakenly believed it meant I should become a nun. I was so vocal about my desire that, once I became a teenager, the priests at my church even helped me look into convents. But, one day, to our surprise, a priest came to my home and spoke to me. “I know that you love God and His call is upon your life to serve,” he said, “but I truly do not feel being a nun is what God wants for you.”

His words hit me like a shockwave! At first, I was confused and deeply disappointed. But I would soon realize this was a pivotal moment—God’s way of gently loosening the spiritual stronghold the Catholic Church had held over my life.

A Forever Change

Then came the year 1981. I was 19, and a friend invited my older brother and me to an evangelical church. It was there, for the very first time, that I heard the pure, simple Gospel. When the pastor gave an altar call, I didn’t walk—I literally RAN forward and surrendered my life to Jesus! It was a wonderful, unforgettable experience! I went home that night, knowing in my heart that I had been “born again” as Jesus described it (John 3:3). I was a “new creature” just as Paul taught:

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a New Creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

From that night forward, everything about my life was forever changed. Filled with bubbling and overflowing excitement, I rushed home to share the news with my parents. To my shock, they were extremely upset. They made it very clear that I was never to set foot in another “Christian” church again. My heart was shattered, but I made the hard choice to obey them, leaving the outcome entirely in God’s hands.

A Hunger for More

But my pursuit of God didn’t stop there! Around that same time, a Charismatic group started up at our Catholic church. God knew exactly how hungry I was to know Him, and these meetings allowed me to continue my passionate search. For the very first time, I realized I could READ THE BIBLE on my own! In the Catholic church, we were taught that only the priests were allowed to read it. Oh, how excited I was to open that Book and devour the wonderful Words of Eternal Life from its pages!

I quickly became a leader for about 20 youth from our Catholic church. We met weekly in my home, prayed, and read passages from the Bible. It was truly amazing! During those youth meetings, the Lord moved in the most precious ways. We didn’t know much, but we knew the Lord was setting us free and drawing us closer to Himself.

One night in our youth group, we read in the Bible about the laying on of hands (Mark 16:17-18; Acts 8:14-17; Acts 19:1-6), so we began to pray and lay hands on each other. It was during that meeting that I was baptized in the Holy Spirit and began speaking in “unknown tongues” (Acts 2:1−4, Acts 2:37-39). No one had ever told me about the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and the Heavenly prayer language of tongues! It was radically new to me, and it ignited an even more passionate search of the Scriptures to learn about everything God has in store for me!

When a Door Closes, Another Opens

Around that time, I became sick with appendicitis and couldn’t attend our meetings for a couple of weeks. Upon recovery, I was so excited to return to our youth meetings, which a young couple from the Catholic church was holding in their home. However, the moment I stepped inside, I immediately sensed a drastic change. A sad somberness hung over the youth group. In the center of the room was a table with a crucifix, a statue of the Virgin Mary, and a rosary—Catholic “devotional articles” or “sacramentals” which we had never used in our youth meetings before. The couple then led the group through traditional Catholic prayers. Apparently, because our youth group had been rapidly growing, the priests had become concerned that we were straying from the Catholic Church’s traditions. They told us that, from now on, we would be required to incorporate those traditions in all our meetings.

Deep in my heart, I knew that the door had been closed, and I never returned.

But the beautiful thing is that during that same time, the Lord had also been working in my parents’ lives in a remarkable way! They had also become involved in some Catholic charismatic groups and had started reading their Bibles. Because of what had happened with my youth group, my parents and I respectfully questioned the priests about these traditions, citing the Bible verses we had discovered. The priests gave us one stern, definitive response: “There is no room for discussion; the Catholic Church has always been firmly established upon these traditions, and the Catholic church would definitely never change.”

Another door had closed to us. Upon hearing the priests’ response, my family and I knew it was time to leave. Together, we prayed, sought the Lord’s direction, and then joined a local Charismatic Lutheran church. However, deep within my heart, I could not suppress the feeling that God had something MORE for me. I was hungering and thirsting for more of the Lord, and what I was receiving simply was not satisfying my spirit.

One evening, I went for a drive and pleaded with the Lord to show me a church—a place where I could grow deeper in my faith. As I drove through an unlikely part of town, I saw a simple sign pointing toward a large row of warehouses. I was surprised to see hundreds of cars parked in front of one building. As I walked toward the door, I could hear music and people singing and clapping. As soon as I stepped inside, I knew God had answered my prayer!

The Power of Gospel Grace

I began to attend that Pentecostal-Evangelical church regularly. It was there that I first heard about another powerful experience in the Gospel: Water Baptism (Matthew 28:18−20; Romans 6:1−14). For the first time, I understood from the Scriptures that Water Baptism is only for born-again believers, and not for infants, as I had been taught in the Catholic Church.

On October 31, 1985, I obeyed the Lord and was baptized in water. About a week later, while spending some private time with the Lord, I suddenly realized that since being water baptized, I had become entirely free from certain things in my life and my thoughts. It was a miracle! At that very moment, I began weeping, rejoicing, and praising God for what He had done! Hallelujah! It is just as Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost:

Acts 2:38-39
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

I had been saved. I had received the “Promise of the Father” (the Baptism in the Holy Spirit), and now I had been baptized in water. The Gospel is AMAZING, and there is so much more!

Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

I must pause briefly to explain the profound significance of Water Baptism. First of all, Water Baptism is definitely NOT some meaningless church tradition, nor is it merely a public testimony of salvation, nor is it an induction into a local church’s membership. NO WAY! Water Baptism is far more powerful than that!

The Bible tells us that Water Baptism is a necessary step into discipleship to follow in Jesus’ steps, who was baptized to set an example for us (Matthew 3:13−17; Matthew 28:19−20). It is the burial and liberation from the “old self” (the inherited Adamic nature of sin—Romans 5:12), so that we might be free from the “dominion of sin” (Romans 5:12, 19; Romans 6:6−7, 14). In Water Baptism, we identify with Christ by being “buried with Him” in order to be raised with Him through “faith in the working of God” (Colossians 2:12), so that we can be “married…to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we should bear fruit for God” (Romans 7:1−4) and “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

And that is just the beginning! There are also several Old Testament “types,” also called “shadows,” of Water Baptism, like the Israelites crossing the Red Sea (1 Corinthians 10:1−2), and the washing laver for the priests in the Tabernacle of Moses. Oh, there is so much in God’s Word.

I had been raised in a church steeped with vain (and non-Scriptural) doctrines. Jesus warned the religious leaders of His day that traditions literally make God’s Word ineffective and incapable of working in our lives:

Mark 7:8,13
For laying aside the commandment of God…
Making the Word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.

When we are “willing to do His will,” God will deliver us from “vain traditions” and erroneous doctrines of men:

John 7:17 (NASB)
If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.

As He delivers us, God can then open our eyes again and again to see “wondrous things” in His Word. Oh, how I truly love to pray these words:

Psalm 119:18
Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.

It’s so exciting to see the Bible unfold in such wonderful ways to reveal God’s eternal purpose and all that He wants to do in and through us! God’s Word is so deep and rich, no wonder Peter responded like this to Jesus:

John 6:66-68
From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.
Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the Words of Eternal Life.”

Maybe, while reading this, you are feeling that something is holding you back from all that God has for you. It is my prayer that you would allow God to close any doors to traditions and doctrines of men. Don't be afraid. Once those doors are closed, like they were for me, you will be free to step into the "fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ" (Romans 15:29). He did it for me, and I know He will do it for you, too! God loves you so very much with a love that is eternal.
Calling Confirmed: The Desires of My Heart

My passion to serve the Lord in ministry only intensified throughout these powerful experiences. In the summer of 1988, my pastor sent me to the church’s headquarters in Puerto Rico to prepare for ministry. God’s call on my life became even clearer during my time there. Now, I was simply waiting for His direction—whatever, wherever, and whenever that would be. Little did I know just how quickly things would start taking place in my life.

Only a few weeks after returning to Miami, I met my future husband, David. He had already been involved in ministry and mission work for 11 years. When David asked me to marry him, it was instantly clear to us that our life together would be one of total dedication to ministry and service. I took his marriage proposal to the Lord in prayer, completely surrendering my will to God’s purpose. Jesus answered and confirmed His call on my life! He gave me the desires of my heart, just as His Word promises!

Psalm 37:4-5
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.

In 1989, we were married in Miami, Florida, and a year later, our first son was born. Then, a brand-new adventure began in 1991 when we took a massive leap of faith, moving 3,000 miles away from Miami – away from all our family and friends – to San Francisco, California, where we pastored a church and started a Christian elementary school. That was quite a dramatic change for us!

Over the next 14 years in San Francisco, our family grew with the addition of four beautiful girls. Running a school and pastoring a church with all our children right there with us did not feel like work; it was more like extended family time! We did everything together as a family, and that was the secret to keeping our family incredibly close during those years.

In 2006, we relocated to Houston, Texas, to assist a pastor friend in establishing a Christian daycare and elementary school. Then, in 2008, through a whirlwind of circumstances (including the memorable arrival of Hurricane Ike), God led our family to New Philadelphia, Ohio. Our fifth daughter was born the following year. God opened a door for us to work with the Foursquare Gospel Church. We received our Foursquare ministry credentials and were later ordained as Foursquare pastors.

Our goal as a married couple has always been to love our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, passionately, and from that love, make ourselves 100% available to Him to use us however He pleases to build His Church. As Solomon wisely wrote:

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one…
Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

It has been our prayer that our two lives, entwined together with Christ, would become one strong, inseparable threefold cord, be fruitful, and bring glory and honor to God.

His Calling is Saturated with Grace

When God calls, He fully equips. His holy calling and purpose are saturated with His grace and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, which is available the very moment we yield to His call to fulfill His eternal purpose for our lives. As Paul told Timothy:

2 Timothy 1:9
Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.

When we surrender to His will and His gentle, loving tugs upon our hearts, we can be sure that He will loose us from everything that is not in His purpose, just like He did for me. There is no need to be afraid of stepping out of the boat and into the waters to follow Him. Jesus calls out to us, “Be of good cheer, It is I; do not be afraid. Come.” (Matthew 14:22−33). When we hear His Word, we can step out into the stormy waters with all confidence, keeping our eyes upon Jesus. As Jesus told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9). He will enlarge our every step to bring us safely to the other side—and what a GLORIOUS journey that will be!

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

Someone once expressed it like this, and it has become a keystone for my life:

Where the will of God leads you,
His grace keeps you.

Have you been born again? If not, simply listen to His voice gently calling you. Jesus tells us that He is patiently knocking at your door:

Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Do you hear Him knocking on the door of your heart? Remember, He is a gentleman and will never force His way in. He is patiently and lovingly knocking and waiting for you to open that door.

Today is your day for that emphatic, life-changing, “Yes, Lord.” Now is the moment for you to open your heart and invite Jesus Christ in. He says that when we open that door and invite Him in, He will come and dine in sweet fellowship with us! How awesome is that!

Here is a prayer that is similar to the one I prayed when I first received Jesus as my Lord and Savior.:

Heavenly Father, I come to You right now.
I know that I am a sinner and that I desperately need Your forgiveness. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
I confess with my mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord.
I turn from my sins and ask Jesus to come into my life, to be my Savior and Lord.
Thank You for forgiving my sins, for giving me eternal life, and for making me Your child.
I accept the truth that, because of my faith in Your Name, my name is now written in the Book of Life, and I have the sure hope of Heaven with You forever.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Welcome to God’s family! Now that you have been born again, your next steps are to be baptized in water and to also receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit! You can click on these links to find out more: Water Baptism Baptism in the Holy Spirit

Dear child of God, turn your whole heart to Him, surrender to His will, and allow Him to draw you ever closer to Himself. He has so much in His heart for you! You will be just as surprised as I have been at the great things He will do for you! This is more than a story of leaving one path for another; it’s a living testament to the unstoppable, grace-filled momentum of a life wholeheartedly yielded to Jesus Christ—a passionate adventure that continues to unfold every single day! Hallelujah!