Men's Encounter Results in Changed Lives

Encounters | by Jim Lewis

The Lakewood Men's Encounter #28 was a weekend filled with VICTORY, LOVE, BROKEN STRONGHOLDS, and HOPE.  Every man on the grounds of Kaiserhof Retreat Center was impacted by the love of God.  Please see the following testimonies:

'As a facilitator I saw the impact of how God's miracles work on a man.  One man gave his life to the Lord on Friday and another man was going to resolve some family issues.  Another was so overwhelmed that he did not want the Encounter to end.'

'As a member of the support team, I felt everything I did was for the Lord and I also felt my cup was filled just as the participants'.

'I was baptized by the Holy Spirit.  I feel everyday fresh in mind, heart, and soul.  It changed my life and gave me a new dream, hope, strength, power, and forgiveness.'

'Words could not express how powerful God's presence was at the Encounter.'

'I could feel Jesus wrap His loving arms around me. My life will never be the same as I serve my mighty and awesome savior.'

'I was able to come face to face with the Lord and learn to love and accept myself and others. My cup is running over.'

'I am very young in my Christian walk and I have never felt the love, acceptance, and encouragement of fellow Christian brothers that I was part of here. I was really able to be open and honest with them because they were transparent with me and there was no condemnation, only love and acceptance.'

'The Encounter allowed me to experience the love of God in a way and on a level I've never known in my life.'

'As a facilitator, the experience was inspiring, uplifting, and refreshing as I spent time with men of all ages and from varied walks of life.'

The next Men's Encounter will take place on Sept. 10 & 11.  Don't miss this opportunity to have an encounter with the Lord that can result in a life-long impact for your life!

Extreme Makeover

Encounters | by Jeanette Lewis

As we enter into the Spring season, I begin replacing my wardrobe, moving my winter clothes that are dark and heavy to the back of my closet and bring the Spring clothes forward. I love the brighter colors that are lighter and airy. But as the change begins, I realize it doesn't just stop at the clothes but that I need to complete the process from top to bottom.  Instead of my closed toe boots I also can wear my open toe sandals. Then there is my make-up.....I can wear the pastels that bring shine and light to my face and blend with the colors of the season, but of course I am not complete unless I add a new hair syle or haircolor to complete the entire look. Now I have an 'Extreme Makeover'.

This is something like what we experience when we attend a Women's Encounter. Perhaps our past season in life was difficult and we experienced heartache, dissappointment, sickness, heaviness or maybe we just need a change of season.  This is your opportunity to place the dark and heavy season in the back of the closet and move your new Spring season refreshed and renewed to the front.....from top to bottom an 'Extreme Makeover'.

Here are a couple of testimonies from the previous 'Encounter Makeover':

'I cannot put into words how wonderful the Encounter left me feeling. I am a totally new person with a whole new way of looking at my life and where I am supposed to be going.'

'The revelations are still coming and layers...and layers are still coming off.'

'I met such wonderful ladies and feel so much closer to God. It was a weight lifted to let go of all those burdens and bad memories.'

If you are ready for an 'Extreme Makeover' plan to attend the upcoming WOMEN'S ENCOUNTER on May 7 & 8. Registration is available via email: encounter@lakewood.cc or by calling 713-491-1290, or at the Lakewood Bookstore.

Go The Distance

Encounters | by Jim Lewis

It is so awesome to be able to witness the hand of God move in the lives of men. On the weekend of Feb. 26 and 27 I had the honor to join God in what He was doing in the lives of over 100 men on the grounds of Kaiserhof Retreat Center in Tomball, Texas.  The event was the Men's Encounter. I was blessed to see the Lord supernaturally restore broken marriages, break strongholds of additction to drugs, alcohol and pornography, and show His love and compassion to many broken men.

Life is not a sprint. Life is a marathon. The men attending the Encounter were challenged to 'Go The Distance.' Their Encounter with God was their first step in reaching the finish line. Many times our 'tanks' run out of gas as we navigate through this thing called life. Men need to fill their tanks and they received the fuel needed to 'Go the Distance' at the Encounter: encouragement, love, forgiveness, hope and compassion!

Wives and children received husbands and fathers with a fresh outlook on life coupled with a new excitement to make an impact in the lives of the lost and hurting in God's Kingdom.

Plan to attend the next Men's Encounter on April 30 and May 1 and get your tank filled as you 'Go the Distance.'

Am I Connected To The Vine?

Encounters | by Jeanette Lewis

John 15:5                    

'I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Jesus asks us to remain in Him so we can get the necessary food in our branches so that we can produce plump fruit. If I maintain and intimate relationship with Him in prayer, by reading His Word, by renewing my mind I find that I am supplied with spiritual strength and resources that can only produce the fruit that the Father is expecting. That is the fruit of the Spirit that we read in Galatians 5:22: Love, Peace, Longsuffering, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control.