ccm Cross 0223 Road To Emmaus, Talking Rock, Georgia

ccm Cross 0223
Thursday April 25, 2019

Emmaus
67 Antioch Church Road
Talking Rock Georgia, 30175
ccm Cross 0223

GPS/DMS N 34°30’30.260” W 84°30’48.2832

Additional Photos After Testimony

4870 cdd Road to Emmaus
Cyber Daily Devotion
Volume 20 Number 119

Today’s Author: Pastor Bill

Scripture: Luke 24:13
“Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem” NKJV

Hello, we are MaryAnn (age 84) and Leavy Rentz (age 77) from The Road to Emmaus in Talking Rock, Georgia. This is our Cross Testimony of how the Lord has worked in our lives from the start and later in life brought us together to serve him.

I am MaryAnn. I was born the youngest of two children and grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. My daddy was a manufacturer’s representative in the refrigeration business. He served in World War One earning a Battlefield Lieutenant Commission for bravery. He was stationed along the Maginot Line in France. He re-enlisted in World War Two and served as a Major overseeing one of the 700 German Prisoner of War Camps in the USA. He was stationed near New Port News, Virginia. My mom came from a line of Baptist preachers who worked as a part time elementary school teacher. We were a church family growing up.

I received Jesus Christ as Lord of my life when I was 8 years old. But it wasn’t until I was 12 years old when Billy Graham came to town preaching salvation in Jesus Christ that set my sights on working for the Lord.

At age 18 I told my Pastor that I wanted to serve the Lord. He gave me two choices as a woman. Be a church secretary or a Medical Missionary. Neither interested me. Instead I went into the travel business working for Eastern Airlines and then Sabena Belgian Airlines. The travel industry was not for me and I went to school for interior decorating.

In 1992 everything changed when I received the Holy Spirit. My Christian life was re-ignited, and I began reading my Bible from cover to cover. Then diligently studying my Bible cover to cover. I could not get enough. I went to every speaker I could find to learn more about the Lord. Then I went to Bible school. I started preaching in jails and prisons. And in halfway houses. I started traveling for Jesus on short term missions’ trips. Everything was about Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Then my husband was transferred to Saudi Arabia for work. We were there for two years. I started an underground church. Preaching Jesus to everyone I met.

Then we were transferred to Vera Cruz, Mexico where my husband worked building a Nuclear Power Plant. While in Mexico I had a car accident where I was forced off a mountain road. The car tumbled down the side of the mountain. My back was broken. But not for long. We prayed and Jesus healed me. My Husband soon after passed away and went to be with the Lord.

I remarried and my life changed again as I entered the world of deliverance ministry. My new husband had been a trained associate of Derek Prince. Together we traveled and set people free from addictions, bondages and strongholds. The Lord called him home also.

I started a Christian Thrift store. People would come to buy inexpensive clothes and they left receiving Jesus Christ too, for free! One by one they would hear the gospel and another one was born into the Kingdom.

Hello I’m Leavy. I was born in Savanna, Georgia the oldest of two children. My dad was in the heating and air conditioning business while mom was a first-grade teacher. We were a church family growing up, but church was just something we did on Sunday.

I received Jesus Christ when I was 7 years old in Sunday School, but it would take years before I learned to act on our relationship. I was a good kid growing up staying out of trouble and attending church every Sunday.

I graduated high school and attended the Citadel Military College in Charleston, South Carolina. It was clear my future would be in the military. While at the Citadel I learned to pray. And I learned how to worship the Lord through music. I became a soloist with the Citadel choir singing in the National Cathedral in Washington DC. The Lord became real to me in those years and I hungered for more of Him.

I graduated the Citadel and headed for the US Air Force. The Viet Nam War was literally exploding, and I was assigned to an A-1 Skyraider Taildragger aircraft. My assignment was to patrol the skies over the Viet Nam battlefields from one-half hour before sunrise until sundown for search and rescue. We searched for downed American pilots and rescued troops surrounded by enemies.

My relationship with Jesus would take on a whole new look as I was flying over the skies of North Viet Nam, Laos, Cambodia and South Viet Nam. The 23rd Psalm became a comfort as our combat missions increased. The more I flew it became clear the hand of God was working. When sitting in a low flying field support aircraft you can see everything. And what became most visible was the tracer bullets being aimed at my plane. Every 10th bullet is a tracer. It works both ways. The tracer helps the ground fire adjust to hit their target. And the tracer bullet also tells me, as the pilot, where to direct my ordinance to remove the tracer fire threat.

I was actively in the air over Viet Nam for one year. Too often it appeared tracer after tracer, and the 10 bullets following, were on course to hit me — But not one bullet hit me or my plane. To God be All The Glory!

I returned from Viet Nam, married and we raised our family. We owed and operated a thrift store.

My wife went on to be with the Lord.

MaryAnn entered my life who also owned a Thrift Store.

Two people, two Thrift stores and The One True God. We were married and together we are building The Walk to Emmaus Prayer Garden.

The Walk to Emmaus Prayer Garden is from an encounter after Jesus is Resurrected and appears to 2 disciples along the Road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. A distance of about 7 miles. (Luke 24:13-35)

MaryAnn received the vision for Emmaus as God spoke: “The walk includes a siting area, pond, water falls, a fire pit with paper and pen where what is written is thrown in the pit and it ends at the Cross” A large bell will ring every day at 5:00 PM for prayer. A wedding chapel and a church will be built that we will never lock the doors.”

It will be a time of prayer and reflection of what Jesus did for us on the Cross when He opened our way to heaven when we believe on Him.

Our favorite Bible verses are:
MaryAnn Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” NKJV

Leavy: Psalm 23 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”

MaryAnn recounts a time when she was in Mexico with a team. She was asked to pray for a lady who had been blind for many years. Her first reaction was, “Why me? Who am I to do this and pray for someone to be healed?” She did as requested. Instantly the lady shouted, “Gallo” which is “Rooster” in Spanish. It was the first thing she saw after being healed. A rooster walking outside the door. She could see it. In the name of Jesus, she was healed. Everyone in the community knew her as the blind lady. Now they knew her as the blind lady healed by Jesus that can now see. To God be all the Glory!

Leavy recounts an encounter with a man who was confined to a wheel chair for 10 years. He asked for prayer. Leavy anointed him with oil and said, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up.” The man answered with, “I can’t.” Leavy countered with, “You must take a step.” Leavy helped him out of the wheelchair. He took one step in faith of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and never returned to the wheelchair.

The Cross to us is a place where one meets Jesus. Jesus did all He did for each one of us.

We want each participate at the Road to Emmaus to meet Jesus Christ here at the Cross. Jesus will be here and is waiting for their fellowship.

Prayer: Father thank you for places like Road to Emmaus that people can stop, rest, pray and meet you. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!