Link to GENERATION X-ELLENCE Youth Ministries
Pastor Jim Menke committed his life to Jesus Christ in 1968, after he moved home from Detroit and the Lord saved him from a life of rebellion, drugs, alcohol and rock ‘n roll. He married Sheryl Swartz from his home town of Delphos, Ohio in June the next year. After Jim and Sheryl were married, Sheryl discovered what epilepsy was all about as she witnessed many grand-mal seizures and convulsions in her new husband and experienced some of the greatest anguish of her life. Because of the intensity and frequency of convulsions, Sheryl experienced premature labor with their first born child. JIMMY, THE OLDEST OF FIVE CHILDREN, WAS BORN 6 wks. premature at 4lb.,9oz., his life hanging on a shoe string. Jim had a violent convulsion at home the day after Jimmy was born. The next night after midnight, when Jim punched out of work at the Ford Engine Plant in Lima, he went to the St. Rita's Hospital. Visiting hours forbid visitation with Sheryl at that time of night; but Jim was able to go to the nursery and view Jimmy from the observation window. Jimmy was conncected to breathing tubes and was in an incubator with special care. With the expectation of only an hour or so remaining of little Jimmy's life, Jim continued in prayer for his son's life. Jim and Sheryl hadn't been able to hold their new son and now, were about to lose him. That night, while Jimmy's body darkened and turned a shade of blue and his life appeared to deteriorate, Jim consecrated himself and his son to the service of the LORD by a willingness to obey the Lord in whatever would be His will. Jim felt like the patriarch Abraham who heard God's Word (Genesis 22:2: "Take now thy son, thy only son, whom thou lovest and offer him up." In similar manner, Jim dedicated little Jimmy on the altar of surrender to the will of the Lord. "Lord, I surrender Jimmy to you. If it be your will, restore my son's frail life and I will raise him to know your perfect will and serve you all the days of his life." Jimmy was born just 32 hours before Jim's employment insurance became effective. Now Jim and Sheryl faced another dilemma as the cost of Sheryl's and Jimmy's hospital bill accelerated by the fact that Jimmy would have an extended stay in an incubator and was developing ‘hyaline-membrane' from underdeveloped lungs, and jaundice, because of premature kidneys. As God answered Abraham, so the LORD also answered Jim and Sheryl in their willingness to be in His Will. (Genesis 22:16,17: "By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed...and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies: and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." Little Jimmy was restored to life supernaturally by the mercy of God and to this day, he is healthy and strong. THE PROMISE OF ISAIAH 2: 19,20 IS TRUE: "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." After Jimmy's weight approached 5 pounds he was allowed to be taken home. A struggle to experience all of God's benefits and to know God's will ensued for Jim and Sheryl. The epileptic seizures and grand-mal convulsions continued in Jim's life. This young family's future and security was severely threatened, not only by the intensity and frequency of seizures, but increasing expenses and debt. Shortly after Jimmy was home with his new family, Jim had a seizure on the line at work. Consequently, Jim was released from employment at Ford. This job loss and the expense of coping with epilepsy forced Jim and Sheryl to some real desperate, active faith in God's Word. They worked to be in agreement that the scriptures were final authority in their life. If the Bible was true, then it was all true. If Jesus died for their sins, then all the other facts of their redemption were also true. Acc.to Isaiah 53, The Great Atonement Passage: "Surely he (JESUS) hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him (JESUS) stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. He (JESUS) was wounded for our transgression, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement for our peace was upon him (JESUS) and by his (JESUS) stripes, we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way: and the LORD hath laid on him (JESUS)the iniquity of us all." Jim began to testify of his faith in complete deliverance from this hell raised affliction. People began to think that Jim had really gone off the deep end this time. Fascination with healing and the Word of God was far more extreme than his previous day of drugs, alcohol, and rock and roll. The fast lane of the past, having been forsaken when Jim was born-again in December of ‘68, by accepting Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour, was now eclipsed by this act of telling everyone that ‘by the stripes of Jesus' he was healed. Everyone, including the doctors, could clearly see, that this affliction from childhood was something he would have to accept and live with all his life. After all, seizures weren't stopping, but intensifying and getting more violent and dangerous. And they weren't predictable as in the past. They came unexpectedly with no warning, anytime, anywhere. Kill Bros.Mfg. of Delphos, where Jim had previously worked before he and Sheryl were married, hired Jim back as a welder, the profession of his father. Things were difficult, as debt was now a growing mountain hindering stability and peace. This mountain also stood in the way of obeying the call of God that Jim sensed since childhood, and was becoming clearer since he made Jesus his personal Lord and Saviour. Sheryl also had known since she was a child, that she had an anointing that could only be fulfilled as she followed the Lord's call into the ministry. Satan continued to attack this young couple as they pursued the way of faith. Seizures often occurred in the evening after work, or in the night after they had gone to bed. Often the seizures threw Jim out of bed in a violent thrashing and tossing, leaving them both racked with anguish and grief. For Jim, the terrible emotional struggle that epileptic's face, the sore muscles, headaches, exhaustion and depression that follows the convulsions; for Sheryl, intense attacks of fear and uncertainty that constantly assailed her mind. Fear continued to torment Sheryl's heart. She had never witnessed epileptic seizures until after she committed her life to Jim. She had known he was epileptic, but had little realization of what she was committing to. Most of her childhood involved a struggle with fear, fear that could only be overcome by the Word of God. Every night, Sheryl found consolation from her mother by reading Psalm 91. One night, after Jim had gone to sleep, he was taken by another seizure. With fear assailing Sheryl's mind and thoughts, instead of hiding in the corner of the closet in an outpouring of tears and grief as had become her reaction at previous night-time seizures, she grew extremely angry. The Holy Spirit brought to her lips, words that she had recalled from earlier Bible instruction, "they shall cast out devil's, they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover..."(Mark 16:15-18). In this burst of faith, defying the violence Jim was experiencing and the severity of this convulsion, Sheryl took hold onto Jim's feet, his body writhing and tossing, and she commanded Satan to leave. With an instant calm, Jim's body stilled and consciousness returned and the storm ended; but the battle wasn't over yet. After lunch one afternoon, while Jim was welding on the first jig of the production line at Kill Bros., Jim had a bizarre attack of the enemy. He began to thrash un- consciously on the floor, as he was thrown into another convulsion, but this time he was wrapped in the welding chord, being thrown onto the electrically charged line on which equipment was assembled. The hot wire was arcing everywhere, as Jim's body was tossing startling fellow-workers, as they witnessed this diabolical occurrence. They felt compassion, but felt Jim's claims to be healed were as ridiculous and his claims of being saved and born-again. An ambulance was called to the scene to take Jim to a local physician's office. The alarm sounding and flashing ambulance passed Sheryl; she sensed an inner witness to follow the ambulance, that it was going to work to pick up her hus- band. As tears overwhelmed her, she witnessed her husband being removed on a stretcher and speeded to the doctors office. She fol- lowed and accompanied Jim to the emergency room. Jim's conscious- ness returned, but he did not recognize the doctor, who was his second cousin, nor his wife whom he dearly loved, nor his infant son, the joy of his life. He couldn't remember who he was, nor nderstand what was happening; however, out of the abundance of his heart his mouth spoke: "He was wounded for my transgressions, He was bruised for my iniquities, the chastisement for my peace was upon Him and by His stripes, I AM HEALED." This faith release was followed by much prayer and bible study. They both were convinced that the Lord had called them into the ministry, but it was an impossible call to obey, with the heavy financial load and constant attack of the devil through epilepsy; the seizures continued and began to intensify. One night, while Jim and Sheryl were praying on their knees, agreeing together in faith against the dreaded disease of epilepsy, Jim went into another violent convulsion. The bizarre fact is that Jim and Sheryl were quoting Psalm 91 as a point of faith contact in believeing for healing and resist- ing the devil. "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the Shadow of the Almighty...He shall cover thee with His feathers and under His wings shall thou trust...No plague shall come nigh thy dwelling...." That's when the violent struggle began... (The devil is dirty and vile. To attack at a reverent moment like this is his style.) Psalm 91 continues: "Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore I will deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation." In tears, Sheryl asked the Lord, while praying over Jim's tossing body, "When will this end?" To which the Lord spoke to her heart, "When you obey me, this will end!" Later while praying together, Jim and Sheryl promised the Lord that they would immediately leave for North Central Bible College in Min- neapolis, Minnesota, for the Lord had assured both of them in their hearts, "when you obey Me, this will end." The morning after this LAST seizure, they went to Sheryl's parents, and told them of their plans to leave for Minneapolis. Within the month, they visited the bible college, and January 2, 1970, they left home permanently, to make a new home and find new directions for their life. A blizzard beginning at the onset of departure from Delphos, Ohio with snow covering all of Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota made a 12 hour trip last three long hard days. Not only was the trip rough, but Jim and Sheryl and Jimmy (now 15 months old) experienced a 60 degree temperature change in climate, leaving Ohio at 30 degrees in light snow, to arrive in Minneapolis 3 days later at minus 30 degrees and about 4 feet of snow. They arrived in Minneapolis in a U-haul truck containing all their possessions, their Volkswagen Bug (that was froze up and wouldn't start) in tow behind the truck. Being without home and job presented them a new challenge, a dilemma that seemed bigger than any they had faced before. But the Lord had proved Himself mighty to keep his promises. Jim was to start school the next week. They had little money, just enough to survive a very short time. But again, this was the Lord's leading and within a week, they found an apartment and the next week, Jim was employed as a full time janitor. They found much support from the staff at North Central who allowed them to stay in guest housing until they could get settled and new-found friends at Bethel Assembly of God filled the other needs. God always provides true friends for those who love Him. After many seizures both on the job and at home, the battle of faith against this infirmity was won over this life long dilemma, when through faith and obedience, Jim and Sheryl and little Jimmy were settled in Minneapolis, to begin a new life and to attend North Central Bible College to pre- pare for the ministry. Never again, as the Lord had promised, did Jim and Sheryl have to face another grand-mal seizure. Never again did any trial or time of testing seem to big for the Lord to bring them through. Obedience was the key to total deliverance from this torment- ing devil of epilepsy. And by the Stripes of Jesus, we were healed; forgiveness, healing and God's provision are a forever settled issue! Jim graduated from North Central Bible College in the Spring of 1974 and was licensed by the Wisconsin /Northern Michigan District of the Assemblies of God in July that same year. He was ordained two years later at the same Summer Camp in July 1976. They have pastored three Assembly of God churches and came to Lima in 1980. "My Covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips" (Psalm 89:34). Through faith, patience and obedience, (Hebrews 6:12, 10:36) not only have the Menke's seen epilepsy a thing of the past...but many other obstacle and hindrances that Satan has tried to erect to stop souls from coming to Jesus Christ, ...but Jesus gave the promise: "I Will Build My Church, And The Gates Of Hell Will Not Prevail Against It (Matthew 16:18). Jimmy now is the Associate and Youth Pastor with his father's ministry at New Hope Christian Center in Lima. A SINNER'S PRAYER: To Receive Jesus As Saviour Dear Heavenly Father... I come to you in the name of Jesus. Your Word says, "...him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37), So I know you won't cast me out, but you take me in, And I thank you for it. You said in your Word, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13). I am calling on your name, So I know you have saved me now. I ask you to forgive me of all my sin and rebellion. Please cleanse me by the Blood that Jesus shed for the remission of my sin on Calvary. You also said, "if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:9-10). I believe in my heart Jesus is the Son of God I believe that He was raised from the dead for my justification. And I confess Him now as my Lord. Because your Word says, "...with the heart man believeth unto righteousness..." and I do believe in my heart, I have now become the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians5:21) And I am saved! Thank you, Lord! NEW HOPE CHRISTIAN CENTER e-mail: Pastor Jim & Sheryl Menke , Pastor Jimmy Menke Link to GENERATION X-ELLENCE Youth Ministries
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