My Son, My Son

07 Apr 2014 Leave a comment

by theexpandingshrink in Journal, Uncategorized Tags:

My Son, My Son

Drug addiction seems to have reached epidemic proportions in our region. Recently I prayed, “ Father in Heaven, how do you view drug addicts?”

At that moment I sensed that I was to turn to II Samuel 19:4. Not knowing if this reference had anything to do with my question, I turned to II Samuel 19 :4 and read, “O Absalom, my son, my son; if only I had died instead of you.” (II Sam. 18:23)

I knew immediately that God had heard my prayer and had answered.

But I did not have the same compassion in my spirit. I wanted to ask God to give me his heart but I was not certain that I truly wanted it. So I prayed that He would give me just a bit of his heart.

Later that day as I was interviewing an addict in the prison where I work, I found myself weeping as the young man told me about his life. Though I was surprised and a bit uncomfortable with my show of emotion; the young man responded that he was not used to people caring about him. And I knew that God had again heard my prayer and had given me a bit of His heart for the addicted.

Then I thought of the events of last week: the terrorists who burst into a Christian church near Ukunda, AK 47s blazing, and killed six people and left 17 injured. I recalled that Vaughn had been informed by the police that his church was on the terrorists’ list. I recalled the initial relief when I heard that the suspected terrorists were killed and that the master mind of the terror was gunned down in the streets of Mombassa several days later.

But somehow I know that God’s heart for terrorists is not unlike His heart for the addicted. And that He is crying for them and the addicted and for all of us, “ O my son, my son, because of my love for you I did die for you.”

And I pray, “O God, prepare me to receive a bit more of your heart!”

 

A Celebration of God’s Goodness – Enos Daniel Martin’s 70th Birthday Party

21 Feb 2014 1 Comment

by theexpandingshrink in Family, Journal

“Commending the Father’s Goodness to the Next Generation”

E. Daniel With Granddaughter Lorena

E. Daniel With Granddaughter Lorena

 Jesus says in John 15:12, “Love each another as I have loved you.”  Then He goes on to say that the way he loved us was ‘to make known to us everything that he had learned from his Father. And in so revealing himself to us he was making us His friends. (Jesus said in John 15:15 “I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” )

 Based on this I can say that my friends are the ones that I tell everything I have learned from my Father.  That is why I planned a large 70th birthday party- it was to tell my friends everything I have learned from my Father.

 So, as you read this, know that you are my friend, for everything I have learned from my Father I have made known to you.

 And what I have learned is that ‘God is good!’

 When Moses asked God to show him his glory. The Lord responded, ‘I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you.” Exodus 33:18-19.

 So allow me to cause God’s goodness, as I have experienced it,  to pass in front of you.

A Celebration of God’s Goodness

Enos Daniel Martin’s Seventieth Birthday Party

Monday Evening January 27, 2014

Shady Maple Banquet Facility

Joy filled the Shady Maple banquet hall, East Earl, Pa., as we met January 27, 2014, to celebrate Enos Daniel Martin’s 70th birthday (January 27, 1944).   Friends reunited and acquaintances were made as over 200 people fellowshipped and feasted on a fabulous meal.  Enos stated that although he had changed his name to “E. Daniel” a number of years ago, he wanted his friends and family to be comfortable to call him either “Enos” or “E. Daniel.”

The theme of the evening was taken from Psalm 145: “… commending the goodness of the Lord to the next generation.”  Clusters of balloons on high poles and “blackboard” script of phrases from Psalm 145 decorated the banquet hall:  “You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing;” “The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love” and many others.  The words of the psalmist were felt in tangible ways on this evening.

Don Hess Sings a Song for E. Daniel

A GRAND ROUNDS EVENING

 E. Daniel welcomed his guests to a “Grand Rounds” of his life.  In medical Grand Rounds, a patient is chosen as the focus of the conference with the caregivers presenting all known facets of the patient’s case.  If it is a psychiatric Grand Rounds, the psychologist presents the psychological testing; the nurse presents the patent’s functioning on the inpatient unit; the therapist discusses the main issues in therapy and the psychiatrist discusses the medication issues. Another physician will discuss the medical literature relevant to this case. As a result of this thorough analysis, the medical staff will gain a better understanding of principles that will likely apply to other patients under their care. The patient chosen may not necessarily be the most interesting or most dramatic illustration of an illness but by the end of this process even the most “boring” patient yields interesting and helpful insights.

E. Daniel stated that because it was his birthday he wanted to offer his life to his family and friends to reflect on how God had worked in his life over the past 70 years. His goal was that his guests would end the evening with joy at the goodness of God.  And they would say, “If God did that once, He can do it again; if He did it for E. Daniel, He can do it for me as well.”

After an hour given for eating and fellowship, the planned program began.  Chauncey Martin, husband of E. Daniel’s eldest daughter Gwen, moderated the evening. Don Hess, a member of the pastoral team at LifeGate Church, was assistant moderator.

Sonya Penya, the youngest daughter, led the celebrants in joyful worship with “Come, Bless the Lord” and “10,000 Reasons.”  Though those gathered represented a wide spectrum of Christian doctrine and belief, they, with one voice, entered in, blessing the Lord and thanking Him for this special evening.

Don Hess had prepared a special song for E. Daniel.  He took to the podium next with the remark “This is a pretty scary crowd.”  He used the old John Denver tune “Matthew,” and revised the words to honor E. Daniel.

        “Yes, and joy was just the thing that he was raised on; Love was just a way to live and die;

          Gold was just a windy Maryland wheat field, blue was just a Maryland summer sky.”

Then later in the song,

“Gold has become the precious Word of God, blow-w–ing on the hearts of men,

yes and blow-w-ing on the hearts of men.”

CHILDHOOD VIDEO

 A video,  prepared by E. Daniel’s son-in-law Horeb Penya, presented scenes from E. Daniel’s childhood and reflections on what God taught him through his life. Enos was born into a conservative Mennonite family near Hagerstown, Maryland.  His parents created a loving environment for the raising of their four children: Enos, Truman, Dorcas, and Joseph. Enos remembered asking his father when he was 70, “What was the best time of your life?” His father responded, “When all the children’s feet were under the table.”

Some of Enos’ favorite memories are of growing up on a farm along a mountain at the western edge of the Cumberland Valley. This farm had been a proving ground for artillery. A 37 mm cannon tested on this farm was used in the decisive battle of WWI.  This farm had been later purchased by Mennonite Central Committee and during WW II used as a camp for conscientious objectors to war.  And thus Enos grew up in the shadow of reminders of two wars and of two different responses to those wars. Recently he asked the Lord the significance of growing up on this historic farm. He sensed the Lord saying, “Prepare for war; fight for peace.” By this he understood that God was calling him to take a more aggressive spiritual stance in his intercession for the nations of the world.

The video can be seen here

E. DANIEL’S CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN

Gwen Martin Shares About Her Father

Gwen Martin Shares About Her Father

Vaughn Martin Shares About His Father

Vaughn Martin Shares About His Father

 Following the video, E. Daniel’s children stepped to the mic, oldest to youngest, sharing both memories and tributes to their father.  Gwen shared that she was grateful her father had been a “watchman of her soul.”  She shared a story of her teen years when she was dating a young man that was a bad influence on her.  Her father had stood his ground and said she needed to stop seeing him.  Though she was angry, she obeyed and she knew her parents prayers were constantly being lifted for her.  She expressed gratitude to her father, as today she is happily married and grateful to God for giving her a father who fought for her soul to stay on track. She recalled with gratitude her father’s tears as he told her, “Some day I will need to stand before God and give an account for how I have parented you; and I want to do it with joy and not with grief.”

Vaughn shared next about the character he sees in his father.  “I don’t think there is a mean bone in his being.  He’s always looking for how to bless, even those that have wronged him.”  He shared stories about the love his father has for his grandchildren, and also about how E. Daniel ministers with a father’s heart.  The ministry in Kenya received a special grace when E. Daniel came and blessed it. Vaughn added that his dad has been very much in the world but not of it.  He has stood for truth in a postmodern world and honored the heavenly Father in places where intellectualism was a god to others.

Marita Scholtz Shares About Her Father

Marita Scholtz Shares About Her Father

Marita took to the mic then.  She honored her father for his faith.  She said his encouragement over the years to minister boldly and to be looking to glorify Jesus in every situation was such an example to her.  She shared a song that she and her sister had written– Daughters of Sarah:

      “How much better to dwell in Your shelter than in the wasteland of doubt and fear, to have

        confidence that You hear us, the fulfillment of Your promise is near.

      I have yet to hold Isaac in my arms.  But I believe Your promises, Lord.  I am becoming a

      daughter of Sarah, not a scorner saying “How can this be?”

      And my mouth is filled with laughter- the joy of welcoming your promises ahead of time.”

Sonya Penya Shares About Her Father

Sonya Penya Shares About Her Father

Sonya began by sharing a line that E. Daniel often shares “If the good news is that if you come from a good family with a good mom and dad then you can have a good life– that’s not very good news for a lot of people.”  Though Sonya shared that she did come from a good home with a great mom and dad, that wasn’t what kept her on the path of life– it was meeting God, encountering Jesus.  She shared about E. Daniel’s father heart, his forgiving heart, as there was a time in her life when she dishonored him.  He loved her and prayed for her through this time and now she spoke of the honor she has of serving under his leadership at the church where she and her husband attend.  She attested to the fact that the Father heart of God is displayed in E. Daniel’s person and ministry.

After the children had shared, another video that included the blessings of 13 of E. Daniel’s 14 grandchildren (one is an infant) was viewed.  This video can be seen here.

DR. TAN’S STORY

Dr. Ling Tan

Dr. Ling Tan

 E. Daniel, continuing in celebrating the theme of God’s goodness over the years, called his former teacher and colleague to the front, Dr. Ling Tan.  Together, in tag team fashion, they shared the story of God’s amazing work in bringing Dr. Tan to faith in Christ.

Dr. Tan, a Chinese-Indonesian, had grown up in the Confucian faith in a wealthy, privileged family in Indonesia. He came to the States with his young family and became a Professor of Psychiatry at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA.   Enos was first a medical student there, graduating in 1973; then a psychiatric resident graduating in 1976; and finally a faculty member for the next twenty years, leaving in 1997.  Dr. Tan was first his mentor and then his colleague as together they directed the psychiatric inpatient unit at Hershey and helped train residents in psychiatry.

Enos and Dr. Tan developed a close friendship. Enos often prayed that Dr. Tan would come to faith in Christ and he pondered how best to share his faith. However, he never directly encouraged Dr. Tan to become a Christian. It seemed that life was good for Dr. Tan and that there was no reason why he would ever be convinced to consider Christian faith.  Dr. Tan did honor his friend and he would ask Enos to speak at special events in his life such as his 25th wedding anniversary.

But then the Tan’s experienced an unspeakable tragedy in the death of their beloved son Bobby. Dr. Tan asked Enos to preach at the funeral service. Hundreds of people from “all nations and peoples and kindreds and tongues” who had been blessed by Dr. Tan’s life and friendship crowded the largest funeral home in the Hershey area for the memorial service for Bobby. Enos cried out to God for a word for this large group of people many of whom were not believers.  He was led to speak from the story of the raising of Lazarus. And he prayed that here in this funeral service when everyone was preoccupied with death they would be surprised by the resurrection life.  People did later testify to the sense of God’s tangible presence in that service.

Shortly after the funeral, Dr. Tan and his wife Betty attended Enos’s home church and then came to the Martin home for lunch after the morning service. Harold Fly, a pastor who had led at least eight tours of the Holy Land and was now planning his ninth was also at the Sunday meal.  Unexpectedly, the grieving Dr. Tan said to Enos, “Let us go with Harold on this tour of the Holy Land.”

Enos and Ruth had not planned to go on this tour but upon hearing this request they made plans to join the tour group of some 70 people. In the months leading up to the tour Enos called upon friends and acquaintances to pray that Dr. Tan would become a Christian on this tour and that Enos could baptize him in the Jordan River.  And people did pray. In preparation for the trip Enos went to a Church of the Brethren pastor friend for instructions on how to conduct a baptism by immersion. Mennonites historically baptize by pouring and Enos wanted to be prepared should someone want to be immersed in the Jordan River.

Finally the day came to leave on the trip for the Holy Land. The Martins and Tans left Pennsylvania in early January 1996 in the middle of a severe snow storm. The tour schedule was full and allowed little time for theological discussions between Enos and Dr. Tan.  On a Friday evening the tour group stayed at a kibbutz on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.  The next day the group would be at the Jordan River and a number of persons had made their wishes known to be baptized or re-baptized in the Jordan River.  Enos was now anxious in that the decisive moment was at hand and Dr. Tan was not yet a Christian.

That evening Enos and Ruth sat and talked with Ling and Betty in the lounge of the kibbutz as the tour members milled about.  At one point Enos said to Ling Tan, “Where are you in your spiritual journey?”

Ling responded, “I am open to becoming a Christian but I have two questions.  First, Jesus seems rather weak to actually be God. How can He be weak and still be God?  And secondly maybe one has to be born into Christian faith. I was born in to Confucianism and my wife was born into Christianity.  How can I be a Christian if I was not born into it?

Enos responded to the first question to Dr. Tan’s apparent satisfaction and was pondering what to say to the second question when a fellow tour member approached with the comment, “I hear you are having a spiritual conversation. May I join you?”

Enos wanted to respond that this was a critical point in the conversation and he did not want it to be interrupted but instead he responded, “Of course, please join us.” And then he turned to the newcomer and said, “And how did you come to faith in Christ?’  The new comer responded, “Well I was not born into a Christian family; I was born into a Jewish family and I came to faith later in life.”

At this point Enos inwardly repented and thanked God for bringing this person into the conversation to answer Dr. Tan’s question.

The next morning the tour group met on the shore in the early dawn for a prayer meeting. Special prayers were offered for the Tans in their time of grieving.  Following breakfast, the group drove to the Mountain where the beatitudes were given. Someone read the beatitudes at this site. Then the group departed for the baptismal site on the Jordan River. It was cloudy and rainy by this time. Enos wished to postpone the time of going to the Jordan because he did not yet know where Dr. Tan was in his journey toward Christ. But the tour schedule was set and at 1pm the group arrived at the Jordan.

Hundreds of people were milling around at the baptismal site. Enos and the four or five people went into the building near the river to get their baptismal gowns. Someone said to Enos, “Is Dr. Tan going to be baptized?”

Enos responded, “I do not know.”  After getting into his gown Enos went down to the riverside to join the tour group. And there in the middle of the five people gowned for the baptism was Dr. Tan. Enos was overcome with tears of joy as he approached the group.

Then the time came for the baptism. Dr. Tan’s wife, Betty, was re-baptized. Then Dr. Tan stepped down into the Jordan River. As he stood in the water, he testified that his father had always said, “If you share your joy with someone, you double it, but if you share your grief with someone, you reduce it by half.  And now I want to share my grief with Jesus. I want him to be my Savior and Lord.”

Upon this confession of faith, Enos immersed Ling three times forward in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.  As Dr. Tan came up out of the water, the rain stopped, the clouds parted and the sun shone down upon him. And Enos testified, “For a moment I thought I saw a dove descend upon my friend.”  The crowd erupted with joy upon this baptism and the angels in heaven greatly rejoiced.

 “Thank you for being my brother, and thank you for being my friend,” E. Daniel said to Dr. Tan.

Dr. Tan added that many people over the years had spoken to him about faith in Christ but he had never responded to them. He sometimes wondered why Enos did not say more.  He did at one point comment to Enos about this and Enos responded that, “You will know when it is time.”

Tonight as these two psychiatrists reflected on their friendship, both agreed that God had overseen this relationship and Dr. Tan’s journey toward faith. God knew Enos’ heart of love and heard his prayers for his friend.  And at the appointed time God used the context of the friendship to bring Dr. Tan to faith in Jesus Christ.  And tonight the two friends, the student and the mentor, the older aged 78 and the younger aged 70, praised the Lord together for his goodness and faithfulness.  Blessed be the name of the Lord.  The crowd applauded as the two embraced, tears of joy running down their cheeks.

SPECIAL MINISTRY CONNECTIONS

 Following this testimony, representatives from the different ministries that E. Daniel is a part of came to the front.

 PTL  India

P.C. Alexander of PTL India

P.C. Alexander of PTL India

P.C. Alexander (Alex) from India took the platform.  E. Daniel told the story of Alex’s faith and steps of obedience and how the Lord has blessed the ministry in India.  E. Daniel is a partner with P.C. to reach the nation for Jesus.  Twenty-five years ago Alex started with 20 people in a ministry called PTL-India. God has powerfully moved and over the years over 20,000 people have come to the Lord. Today there are 100 churches, a Bible College and 4 primary secondary schools for over 1000 students. Over the years, from five to seven women form a prayer team that prays five hours a day, five days a week for the ministry. About ten years ago Alex asked E. Daniel to become a part of the ministry and to represent the ministry in the U.S.A. He had handed Enos a stick and asked him to be a spiritual father in the ministry.

P. C. began with “Thank you, E. Daniel, for accepting that stick” He spoke of how he had prayed for “Samuels” in his life, people who would have discernment to speak into his life as the biblical Samuel spoke into David’s life.   Alex praised God for E. Daniel’s willingness to accept that role in his life.  In the year 2013, over 800 people were baptized through the ministry of PTL-India.  Alex gave credit to E. Daniel for his prayers and support.

LifeGate Church

LifeGate Church

LifeGate Church

As Alex concluded his comments, he was joined by Don Lamb and Don Hess, co-pastors with E. Daniel at LifeGate Church. (This part of the program was planned without E. Daniel’s awareness)

Don Lamb said, “If we branded E. Daniel to market him in the community, these things would be part of E. Daniel’s brand:

     Persistent compassion,

     Unrelenting hunger for more of God,

     Frequent behind the scenes unstoppable generosity

     Desire to create a safe place for people to meet Jesus, and

     Continuous expanding vision of how to link people together for transformation

Then he acknowledged E. Daniel’s wife, Ruth.

“This brother wouldn’t be here without Ruth.  She is always behind the scenes supportively working with him in all he does.”

Don Hess and Don Lamb then introduced the foundation of a new organization called HWSW. These letters stand for Husbands With Smarter Wives.  This organization will charge a $20 a year membership fee and will provide a monthly blog on principles of good marriages.  It is envisioned that this will be a very successful organization in that half the married population will encourage the other half to join the organization. Don Hess and Don Lamb then gave E. Daniel a document naming him as the first charter member of HWSW, to laughter and applause from the other guests.

Then Alex, Don Hess, and Don Lamb conferred an honorary doctorate upon E. Daniel. This honorary degree was awarded by the PTL-India Bible College. This honorary doctorate was for “Spiritual Mentorship in the Global Church.”

E. Daniel was speechless.

Following these unscheduled activities several other persons shared briefly.

Gail Viscome, Executive Director of a State-funded organization called Communities That Care, and  a member at LifeGate Church said simply, “Because of E. Daniel and Ruth, my family has not missed the grace of God.”

E. Daniel affirmed and honored Gail for her faithful persistence in following Christ and her support of him and Ruth in their ministries over the years.

Naaman Center

E. Daniel then introduced Trish Frank the Executive Director of the Naaman Center. He then gave a brief history of the Naaman Center founding.  Norman and Jean Shenk had encouraged their parishioner Roy Sauder to call Enos Martin and to offer a house and 25 acres that Sauder did not need for the development of his new golf course, as a home for a Christ-centered drug and alcohol treatment center.  Enos accepted the offer and put together an interdenominational board to oversee the organization. After years of struggling, Trish Frank became the executive director. Under her capable leadership, the Naaman has grown dramatically. Today it has a budget of one million dollars a year and operates out of four sites and has an amazing staff of committed Christians who treat hundreds of person a month who struggle with substance abuse issues. An intercessory team composed of Rhoda Carr and Ruth Martin pray weekly for the ministry.

In response to E. Daniel’s comments, Trish Frank said, “This man had a dream and multitudes of people are receiving help.  People who were set aside are getting the help they need.  We are poking a hole and planting a seed.”

Ministry Through Work

Enos then spoke of how God had directed him to his present work as a psychiatrist in a local prison.

After 20 years on the faculty at Penn State University College of Medicine Enos felt God’s call to leave the university. This was a difficult decision in that he highly valued his relationships with the chairman of the Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Anthony Kales, and his wife Dr. Joyce Kales and the Tans who had played very significant roles in shaping his professional life. At this point of leaving Enos was a tenured Associate Professor of Psychiatry and was serving as Vice Chairman of the Department. In spite of all these benefits and security, Enos felt that he must leave. He was only able to leave after several brothers laid hands on him and prayed that he would have the grace to do what he was called to do.  Following this prayer he and his chairman, Dr. Kales, made plans for the transition. At this point Enos did not know where he would work upon leaving the university.

Three weeks after this initial plan to leave he met Dr. Carl Hoffman and was engaged as a psychiatric consultant with his organization PrimeCare Medical (PCM).  PCM contracts with jails and prisons to provide medical and psychiatric care for the inmates. Presently Enos provides psychiatric consultation to the Dauphin County Prison. The warden of the Dauphin County Prison, Dominick DeRose and the owners of PrimeCare, Dr. Carl and Theresa Hoffman were present as guests and were honored by E. Daniel.

Enos went on to say that his training in psychiatry was in the Freudian psychodynamic model. According to this model if you could see a patient in hourly psychotherapy once a week for one to two years you could help bring about significant change in a person’s life.  However he knew that he would not have an hour to see people– he might only have five minutes or 15 minutes. So he prayed, “Dear Father in heaven, please help me to make a difference in five minutes.”  And God did and continues to answer that prayer. Enos then gave the following story to illustrate the way God answered that prayer.

It was 9 PM on a Wednesday evening a number of years ago at a county prison in the region. Enos had one more patient to see before going home. He, by his own choice, had begun work at 7 AM and had already seen approximately 50 patients that day. This last patient was housed in a Restrictive Housing Unit with other cells around her cell. Because of the late hour, Enos needed to go to her cell and tap on the window and then speak to her through the crack in the door. There was no privacy or confidentiality.

The patient in question was an attractive young woman of 24 years. Her father was African American and her mother was Asian. She was a college student, bright and articulate.

Enos asked her, “How did you get here [in this prison]?”

She responded, “How did I know that the two guys I gave a ride to were going to kill someone? But they did and now I am considered an accomplice to a murder. In Pennsylvania that is second degree murder and in Pennsylvania that has a mandatory sentence of ‘life in prison without parole.’ So people are telling me I may never ever get out of prison.”

Was she depressed? Yes. Was she suicidal? No. Did she need antidepressant medications? No. He did also ask her if she were a Christian. She responded that she was a Christian and that she prayed all the time. This is frequently the answer given to this question in the prison. So in five minutes Dr. Martin had assessed all that he needed to assess to determine that this patient was receiving appropriate psychiatric treatment.  But nothing of spiritual significance had been done for her.

Then Dr. Martin said to her, “Would you give me any number that pops into your mind between 1 and 150?”

She responded, “Number three”.

He then said, “Before I asked you that question, I prayed and asked God to speak to you. I did not know what number you were going to give me and you did not know what I was going to do with the number. But there are 150 Psalms in the Bible. So I was asking God to put a number in your mind that was associated with a Psalm that said something which He wanted to say to you. So I did not choose Psalm 3 and you did not choose Psalm 3. But I believe God chose it for you. But you do not have to believe that unless you agree after I have read Psalm 3 to you.”

Then E. Daniel pulled his palm (electronic digital assistant) out of his pocket and began to read Psalm three. “O Lord, I have so many enemies; so many are against me. So many are saying, ‘God will never rescue him [her]!’ But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high. I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain. I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me. I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side. Arise, O Lord! Rescue me, my God!)

As E. Daniel was reading this, the young woman was weeping. E. Daniel asked, “What is happening?”

She responded, “That is my life.”

E. Daniel left her at that point content that he had done all that needed to be done and the rest would be in the hands of God.

E. Daniel saw her a week later.  She looked like a different person. She was bright in her smile and spoke freely.

She stated, “After that encounter with you, I cried all night, and I asked God to be my attorney and my judge. And I promised him if I ever get out of jail I will serve Him by serving the under-served.”

Enos saw her about four to six weeks over the next two years, the time it takes for a murder case to come to trial. She got involved in a prison Bible study and began to grow in her Christian life.

One day about two years after the initial encounter, Enos received a letter from this young woman in which she said, “Dear Doctor Martin, I am sorry I could not keep our last appointment. But I went to court today and I was found innocent of all charges. I now plan to go back and finish college and then to complete law school. Then I want to serve the under-served. I just want to thank you for being there that day and pointing me the way to Jesus because that has made all the difference.”

Enos testified that God has continued to make a difference in five minutes.  He sees this approach not as a technique but as creating a space and inviting God to come into this space and demonstrate His presence and His power.  Enos stated that he enjoys his work in the prison so much that he would almost be willing to pay to do what he does rather than being paid. (He said he hoped his employer, who was present, was not paying attention when he said this.)

E. Daniel then called upon Dave Zug, the psychologist who has worked with him over the past 18 years in the prison. He stated that Dave is very effective in what he does and that his work “makes me look good, even as my wife Ruth’s work behind the scenes makes me look good.”

Dave stated that he is impressed with E. Daniel’s ability to connect with people of all types– Muslims, Jews, Christians.  He saw it as his ability to find the good in all people that makes him effective.

Other Special Connections

Following the prison stories several other people shared their experiences and impression

Bishop Henry Buckwalter, vice chairman of Kingdom Life Network, shared his appreciation for E. Daniel’s deep passion for the Lord, and for his friendship.

Wayne Lawton, pastor of Cedar Hill Community Church, spoke of the restorative ministry that E. Daniel had in his life when he was broken and wounded.  He said that Enos prayed Psalm 20 over him years ago and that the words of this Psalm have become true in his life.

Laura Viscome, a third year medical/pediatric resident at Hershey Medical Center, said, “E. Daniel is my pastor and my mentor.” She shared that E. Daniel has been an inspiration to her as he walks the fine line of a career of excellence that honors God in the midst of that career.   She witnessed E. Daniel making a space for God’s Spirit to move in the midst of his encounters with patients in the clinical setting.

Mel Weaver, pastor of Grace Chapel, burst out with a heartfelt “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised!” He honored E. Daniel as a father in the region, as an encouragement to him and his ministry.  “You’ve created a band of brothers.  Thank you,” he exclaimed.

Dr. Samuel Rashid, a local family physician and the proprietor of a local restaurant, shared that he is personally going through something very difficult and E. Daniel has stood with him. He made an acronym for Martin as his tribute.

E. Daniel, he said, is

M– Man of God

A- Amazing Friend

R–Reflects the heart of the Master

T-Tears, very tender-hearted

I- Inspiring, your stories, history and life

N-Non-judgmental (“you treat all people at the level of doctors”)

E. Daniel asked the people to stretch out their hands towards Dr. Rashid; then he led them in prayer for this brother.  E. Daniel proclaimed that “The storm is not going to sink this boat.”

PLUNDERING THE STRONG MAN’S HOUSE

 

It was getting late, but there was still one very important thing E.Daniel had yet to say, or rather, reveal.  On the program it read, “Plundering the Strong Man’s House”. No one would have guessed the beautiful testimony that was yet to unfold.

"Bob Smith" Receiving Forgiveness

“Bob Smith” Receiving Forgiveness

Bob Smith (not his real name) was called to join E. Daniel on the platform.  With tears, E. Daniel embraced him.  Then they sat in chairs side- by- side facing the audience.

“June 23, 2011,” E. Daniel began, “our house was plundered. Two thousand dollars worth of Ruth Bett’s jewelry, a camera that recorded the first two years of her little boy’s life, and a laptop of mine were all stolen that day.  We determined that the plunderer had come in through an unlocked window off of our patio. It was the first time they we were ever robbed.   Attempts to find the robber were fruitless and none of the possessions were recovered.”

Four months went by.  One morning E. Daniel delayed going in to the prison to work. Rather he spent the morning reflecting on Matthew 12 which states that you cannot plunder a strong man’s house without first binding up the strong man. He suddenly had the insight that the Great Commission in Matt. 28: 18-20 could really read, “Go into all the world and ‘plunder the strong man’s house.’”

Later that day as he was evaluating inmates in the prison he met “Bob Smith.”  In the course of the interview, he learned that Bob was from Elizabethtown.  And he learned that Bob had a serious heroin addiction.  In the back of his mind Enos began to wonder if this man might have been the one who plundered his house. So he thought it psychiatrically appropriate to ask, “In the course of your addiction, have you ever found it necessary to do anything illegal to support your habit?

Bob glanced about furtively and then said, “Is this confidential?”

“Absolutely!” E. Daniel responded.

“Well, yes,” Bob continued, “I have begun to go in to people’s houses and to take things that I can quickly stuff into a knap sack and then get out quickly before they get home. Then I pawn these items off to get my next hit of heroin. I hate myself for doing it. My parents, who are also addicts, as are some of my siblings, also are upset that I do this. But in my desperation to avoid going into the agony of withdrawal, I continue to do it.”

As the conversation continued it came out that Bob had gone into rehab for his drug addiction of June 23, 2011.

Enos thought that possibly his case was slipping away in that if this young man had gone into rehab he could not have been the one who plundered his house on that same day. So as one final attempt to clarify whether this was the plunderer, E. Daniel said, “Did you happen to steal anything on that day before you went in to rehab?”

Bob responded, “Yes, as a matter of fact, I did.” Bob had found a house where no one was home.

“What did you take?” Enos asked.

“I took a camera, some jewelry and a computer,” he responded.

“How did you get into the house?” Enos asked.

“I went in through a window off of a patio,” he answered.

At this point Enos said to him, “You went in to my house!”

Looking shocked, Bob said, “Where do you live?”

Enos described his house.

Then Bob stated with obvious discomfort, “Yes, I went into your house.”

Enos stated that at this point of discovery he had no anger toward Bob but rather felt compassion. He found himself saying, “I do not want to prosecute you, but I would like some of those items back. Is there any way we could do that?”  Bob answered that possibly his brother who was also an addict but was not in prison could have a suggestion. So they got the brother on the line.

The brother apparently asked Bob, “What is going on?” because Enos heard Bob say into the phone, “I think it is a ‘God thing.’” Enos saw Bob several times before he was eventually released from prison. Enos and his legal consultants decided that far more would be lost in breaching confidentiality than in the value of the stolen items. So it was decided not to pursue the case any further.

Enos stated that he continued to ponder how it was that out of the thousands of people in the region he should be sitting across the table from the very person who had plundered his house. In the year 2012 and 13 the answer began to become apparent. Bob’s brother came to the Lord and is now free of his addiction, and he and his family are actively involved in a church. The father and mother have also turned to the Lord and are free of their addictions. The father and brother attend the outpatient rehab treatment at the Naaman Center. And Bob himself has come to the Lord and is active in a means’s fellowship at a local church and is walking free of his drug addiction.

At this point E. Daniel turned to Bob and asked him to share how he had experienced the situation just described.

“I feel like I should be handing stones out right now,” Bob said with a wry smile.

“For Dr. Martin to show me mercy and grace that day just meant everything to me.  As much as I wanted to stay clean, it wasn’t something I could ever do on my own.  After that encounter I just decided to rely on God from that point.  In the course of time I got involved in a church family.  God put mentors in my life, (his three mentors were present this evening).  I have been attending a regular Bible study, building relationships, and I have many people I can call friends for the first time in my life.

“Also since that time”, he continued, “Dr. Martin has been treating my father and brother. All of them, including my mother, have been clean for over a year now. I actually have a family to go to now.  We were all just drug addicts before.”

He said he also believes the reason for meeting E. Daniel has just started.  “I want to make amends.  I want to be your friend.”

E. Daniel embraced him then and said, “God is plundering the devil’s house.  He is saying, ’You belong in My house!'”

Those gathered were clapping, wiping tears from their eyes and breathing out ‘hallelujahs’ when Ruth Bett, the former houseguest of E. Daniel, whose jewelry and camera was stolen, came to the platform with tears flowing. Her husband, Peter joined her.

“I don’t have much to say”, she began. “I just want to give you a hug and tell you that I love you.”  They embraced as the congregation applauded and we all felt the precious Spirit of Christ as He moved in our midst.

E. Daniel highlighted what a miracle Ruth’s action had been in that when she first heard the “robber” would be here, she wasn’t sure she could come.

Ruth and Peter

Ruth and Peter

Peter grinned widely and said, “We want him to know that we love him so much and he’s one of us now.”

The joy and faith had risen high in our hearts as the evening drew to a close.

GIVING OPPORTUNITIES

In conclusion E. Daniel said that in lieu of gifts to him, if people wanted to give, there were two ministries particularly close to his heart: Mt. Clare Christian School in Baltimore where seven of his 14 grandchildren attend and Ukunda Missions school in Kenya, Africa recently founded by his son Vaughn.

Gwen, Enos and Ruth’s oldest daughter, shared briefly that Mt. Clare is making a difference in inner-city Baltimore.  She shared about seeing one of her students crying outside the school just that morning because his father had been put back in jail once again.  Though the school is a mission field in the midst of much brokenness, she and the other teachers and staff experience great joy in ministering the hope and power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and seeing the change that He brings. Gwen and Chauncey’s three children attend this school as do Marita and Todd’s four children.

Vaughn then shared about the Ukunda Mission School:  At the age of 18, Vaughn felt led to buy a piece of land near Mombasa to someday start a school to train Kenyans to take the Gospel to other nations.  God spoke to his heart that “In the future, Kenya will send many missionaries.” That was in 1989.

In 2012, he was praying and the Lord spoke the same thing– “Go back to that piece of land and start a mission school.”  For all of 2012, he tried to start it, but they struggled.  After E. Daniel came and prayed, things began to move very quickly.  He has seen strongly dedicated students, ready to go to the nations, ready to lay their lives down in Yemen, Iraq and Iran.  He believes part of the fruit of E. Daniel’s life and ministry is in this Ukunda Mission School and what comes out of it.  Presently 23 students ages 23 to 53 are enrolled in the school. Hundreds of persons have come to the Lord in the past six months through the evangelism efforts of the missionary training school.

CLOSING

 E.Daniel called Sonya up to lead the group in “Bless the Lord (10,000 Reasons)” again.  But the friends sang a special Happy Birthday song for E. Daniel first.

    “God has blessed you, and prospered you this year…

    You are the blessed of the Lord; You’re the favored of the Most High God.

    You are bound to succeed; You have a destiny!  Happy Birthday to you…”

Then we joined with passion to sing the chorus

“Bless the Lord O my Soul, O my soul, worship His Holy Name”

E. Daniel called Lamar Hoover up to give the final prayer. E. Daniel said he spent more time on the phone with Lamar than with anyone else in the room.

Lamar said, “Thank you so much for being my friend.”

Then he prayed, “Lord, each of us in this room have been blessed by You through him.  Help each of us to walk in our calling, to do exactly what You’ve called us to do.”

We lifted our voices once more to sing the full song of 10,000 Reasons, Bless the Lord O my soul.

David Kandole, a Ugandan evangelist to the U.S.A who with his wife Grace is currently living in the home of Enos and Ruth, moved to tears, closed in an additional  prayer,

“I think we all have a vision now of how our lives should be. E. Daniel is persistent in saying, ‘It’s not about me: it’s about Jesus.’  I guess it’s about us getting a vision of how God wants us to be,” he said.

“Father, we dedicate our lives to You; that You would work through us, that perhaps what You’ve done in this man and his wife– that you would help us live a life that is pleasing to you, to be a blessing to our generation.  We thank you for touching us tonight. Touch our children and grandchildren, great-grandchildren, that they would know the living Christ. Amen!”

And thus ended the grand party celebrating the faithfulness of the Lord.  And thanks be to God that his faithfulness continues from one generation to the next.

-written by Sonya Pena with E. Daniel

Learning from a Robin

16 Feb 2014 Leave a comment

by theexpandingshrink in Journal

robinLearning from a Robin

I was pitying this poor robin: trying to keep warm in this 19 degree cold: no doubt hungry and wondering if spring will ever come into this desperate situation. Then my eyes were opened as the robin plucked one of the multitudes of berries surrounding him and swallowed it with a flick of his tail and a grateful upward glance. Then I recalled that the ‘Lord lifts up all who are bowed down and He opens his hand and satisfies the desires of every living thing’ Psalms 145. And I lifted my eyes and smiled toward heaven.

 

The Unoffended Life of Rose Charles

09 Sep 2013 Leave a comment

by theexpandingshrink in Journal

Ruth and I are participating in the Celebration of the Life of Rosé Charles at Millersville Mennonite Church. Rose died at age 42 on September 5, after dealing with cancer for 11 years.

Rose planned her funeral almost a year ago. She asked me to read Psalm 84 in the service.

Rose had wanted marriage and a family of her own but she did not become offended when this was not her lot in life. ( She is a living example of the ‘Forgotten Beatitude’ which is Jesus message to John the Baptist: “Blessed is he is not offended in me.”)

No, Rose did not become offended, rather she sought the “Lover of her Soul” and began to plan her ‘funeral service’ as a ‘Wedding Celebration’ (In fact she was buried in a wedding dress)

Ruth and I visited Rose in her home on a Sunday afternoon in mid July as we sensed that the time of transition to the next life was nearing. As we shared together that afternoon I had the thought, “How can Rose be dying when she is still so full of life and is so ‘life-giving’?

In this afternoon she told how that the day before she had gone para-sailing with a friend. ( She carried her oxygen supply with her in that she was having difficulty breathing. )

I asked her where she had gone in her para-sailing. She responded that she was 400 feet above where the river meets the bay (the Susquehanna meets the Chesapeake).

As she said this I sensed that this was a metaphor for ‘the river of her life meeting the great Bay of God’s eternal love and embrace.’

I asked her, “What was it like ‘where the river meets the bay’?”

She responded, “It was peaceful and tranquil. ”

I felt led to say at that point,” I believe God is saying that your transition from this life to the next will be peaceful and tranquil.”

And the passing was gentle as she passed from this life to the next surrounded by her family.

Rose was a beautiful example of one who allowed the dissappointments of life to make her more joyful and vibrant. She blessed and enriched the lives of multitudes. She taught us how to both live and die

I praise God for being able to participate in Rose’s wedding.

 

God’s Love in Darkest Hour

05 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by theexpandingshrink in Journal

Nickel MinesMonday night was quite a night. Marie Monville spoke at the Naaman Center Spring Banquet at Hershey Farm Restaurant at Strasburg, PA. In 2006, Marie’s then husband committed the horrific crime known around the world as the Nickel Mines Amish School House Tragedy. Marie, who wanted to be simply a good wife and mother was suddenly propelled into world view. She said that in high school she probably would have been voted, “Most likely to be forgotten.”

Marie’s presentation focused on how God walked with her through the darkest and most painful days imaginable. She did not focus on the evil which Satan had inspired but rather on the glorious faithfulness of a heavenly Father who tenderly responded to her anguished cries and entreaties.

I was left with the thought, “How would you know how deep God’s love is unless you went through something deeply painful and found that God’s love was deeper still. And how would you know that God was God of the valleys unless you went through the valley of suffering and found that He truly was with you.” I had wanted to know that “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.” But He responds, ” Yes, the Bible tells you of My love, but I want to write my love on the pages of your heart as you go through life’s varied and often painful experiences.

At the end of the evening I was asked to have the closing prayer. Instead I asked Marie to pray over the audience for all those whose hearts were crying out, “Lord, if you could meet Marie in her darkest hour and turn it into light, would you meet me now in my hour of difficulty and transform my mess into a glorious testimony of what God can do and not another account of the devils’ destruction.”

 

Stage V Faith for Stage IV Problems

16 Apr 2013 Leave a comment

by theexpandingshrink in Journal

I am praying for a Stage V faith for Stage IV problems.

Two days ago I received a request from a friend from another state as to whether I could go to a nearby town to pray for a retired pastor who was suffering from stage IV cancer. This pastor wanted ‘healing prayer’. I responded that I would go this afternoon to pray for this pastor.

I awoke this morning with the impression that I needed a ‘Stage V’ faith to deal with ‘Stage IV’ problems.

However when I had completed my 8 hours of working in the prison I found that I only had a Stage III faith, not enough to deal with a Stage IV cancer. Therefore, I decided to postpone my visit to the pastor and to strengthen myself in the Lord and to visit the pastor tomorrow.

Shortly after making my decision to delay the visit, I found that I had an email informing me that the pastor ‘had gone to be with The Lord.’

As I now reflect on my day, I realize that many of the problems I dealt with throughout the day were Stage IV in their severity. They had the capacity to destroy life. And without the miracle of God’s intervention, devastation would reign. I praise God that He did give me the faith ( I think it was Stage V level) to deal with one problem after another and to see His hand at work. However, enough problems still remain unresolved that I know tomorrow must also be bathed in prayer lest the problems become fatal. But thanks be to God that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.

 

Techmaggedon

10 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

by theexpandingshrink in Journal

I do not usually find myself agreeing with New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd. But she is good with words. And this morning I wad taken with her words.

“We are so dizzy and intoxicated by our new toys — from iPhones to drones — that we are hopelessly addicted to them before we fully understand the downsides.

The instant gratification they offer makes us shortsighted in an unprecedented way. It’s insane how vulnerable we’ve made ourselves, like drunks failing to look around as they walk into traffic. Hackers could shut down the way we live, and if they hacked into drones or nuclear codes, determine the way we die. If you think it through, which most of us avoid, the prospect of Techmaggedon is terrifying.”

A Fresh Word From a Troubling Story

28 Jan 2013 1 Comment

by theexpandingshrink in Journal, Uncategorized Tags: , ,

lion2
There is a graphic and gripping story tucked away in the pages of the Old Testament that most people have long forgotten or never knew  was there. The Bible takes an entire chapter to tell this story which does not have a “feel good ending.” In fact after you read the story you find yourself crying out, “Oh God, how could this be right?  Why did you do it this way?’  Then you put the Bible down or you go on to a part of the Bible that “makes more intuitive sense and feels better.”  And you commit this story to the “imponderables of God”, the things we will never understand here on earth and will have to wait till we get to heaven to get the answer.
I came across this story just this week as I read my way through the Bible in an “Entire Bible in 90 days” plan. This time I paused and prayed, “Please show me the meaning of this passage. I know there is something here you want me to understand. Please reveal it to me.”
God answered my prayer. He pierced my heart with His truth and I saw that this story was not an imponderable from long ago but a living truth that I needed for my life here and now.
The passage is I Kings 13.  
We learn prior to the passage in focus that Solomon had messed things up in the end of his life by worshipping idols. God was very angry but decided because of the faith of David, Solomon’s father, that he would delay the punishment on Solomon and would  instead affect his legacy by allowing the punishment to fall on the son Rehoboam.  As a result, ten of the twelve tribes were taken from Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, and given to Jeroboam, a capable young leader that God chose to start a new dynasty.
However, Jeroboam rather quickly entered into unbelief. He worried that if his people continued to go to Jerusalem to worship they would be enticed to come back under Rehoboam the king of Judah.  So to prevent this, he set up a whole new system of worship. He developed a seeker sensitive religion with golden calf idols placed strategically and conveniently at each end of his kingdom. The one idol was placed along the main highway at Bethel about 12 miles from Jerusalem,
Further, Jeroboam instituted a whole new system of worship. He chose anybody who was willing, to be the priests in this new religion. He became an example of the worst kind of sinner, one who induced others to sin. God was highly displeased with Jeroboam.
God instructed  a man of God from Judah to go to the corrupted northern kingdom at Bethel and to prophesy against the godless worship of Israel. He said in effect, ” Go directly there; give the message and get out as quickly as you can. Do not eat or drink on the way there or the way home. And go home a different way than you went. I do not want you to have any social interaction with or to receive anything from this corrupted people.”
The nameless man of God obeyed. He arrived at the altar at Bethel as King Jeroboam, surrounded by a crowd of people, was offering a sacrifice. The man of God prophesied to the altar. He said to the altar, “A man, Josiah, will be born who will sacrifice the priests of this religion on this very altar. ( this happened 300 years later.) The sign that this will happen is that the altar will split today and the ashes will be poured out.”
At this point Jeroboam was enraged and pointed his hand at the man of God and said, “Seize him.” Immediately Jeroboam’s hand froze and whithered and the altar split and the ashes poured out.
Jeroboam pled with the man of God to pray for him. He said, “Intercede with the Lord your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored.”
So the man of God interceded with the Lord, and the King’s hand was restored and became as it was before.
The King then said, “Come home with me and I will give you something to eat and I will give you a gift.”
The man of God said, “Even if you gave me half your possessions I would not return home with you for the Lord told me not to eat bread or drink water here and to return home another way.”  So the man left and returned home another way from Bethel.
Several brothers were present at this dramatic service. They went home and recounted to their  elderly father the amazing story of what had happened. The elderly man who was himself a prophet immediately became quite interested. He said, “Which way did he go?” His sons showed him and then he said “Saddle the donkey for me.” They did and then he rode off to try to catch up to the man of God.
The old prophet found the man of God resting beneath an oak tree. He said, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?”  He answered, “I am.”
So the old prophet said, “Come home with me and eat.”
The man of God said, “I cannot turn back and go with you, nor can I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. I have been told by the word of the Lord: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the  way you came.’ “
The old prophet answered, “I too am a prophet, as you are, And an angel said to me by the word of the Lord: ‘bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.’ “
(But he was lying to him).
So the  man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house.
While they were sitting at the table, the word of the Lord came to the old prophet who had brought him back. The old prophet cried out, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have defied the word of the Lord and have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb  of your fathers.’ “
When the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the prophet who had brought him back saddled his donkey for him.
As he went on this way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was thrown down on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside it.  Some passers by reported this in the city where the old prophet lived.
When the old prophet heard this he said, “It is the man of God who defied the word of the Lord. The Lord has given him over to the lion, which has mauled him and killed him, as the word of the Lord had warned him.”
The old man had his sons saddle his donkey and he went and found the body of the man of God with the donkey and lion standing beside the body. The lion had neither eaten the body or mauled the donkey. The old man loaded the body on the donkey and took him back to his city and buried him in his own tomb and he mourned for him and said, “Oh, my brother!”
After burying the man of God, the old prophet said to his sons, When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried. Lay my bones beside his bones. For the message he declared against  the evil worship in this country will certainly come true.”
What is the word of the Lord to us from this story?
1. Do not let anyone steal the word of God from you.  We at times are given a clear direction from the Lord. Then we meet someone we may perceive as spiritually superior and we defer to their judgment.  The man of God stood up against the king who was corrupt but then he caved in when a perfect stranger said, ” I have a more recent word for you from an angel.”
 Yes, we take counsel from others and we discern together. But there are times when you know you have heard God and you cannot place the brother’s perception for you over what God has revealed to you for you to do.  There are times when we must ‘try the spirits to see whether they are from God.” But there are times when we must do what the Lord has spoken to us regardless of counter voices.
When we are uncertain we cry out to God for clarity. This man of God did not examine the word given him by the old prophet. Rather he too quickly assumed it was God and  was led to destruction.
2. Be diligent to carry out the private part  of God’s word to you as faithfully as you do the public part.  God is with us in the private part of our journey as well as in the public declaration of his word.  The man of God was outstanding in his courage and faithfulness in public. He was on guard against any temptation to lead him away from the word of the Lord. He told the king he would not come home with him even if he gave him half of his possessions. But in private under the oak tree with one other person he let his guard down. Maybe he thought that he had completed his main assignment and that now he could take a break from vigilance.
Sometimes after ministering in public and receiving  affirmations for my ministry I will go home and find myself raiding the refrigerator or surfing the channels on the TV. It is as though I feel I deserve a break from serving God.  It is as though I am saying, “God, I did a good job for you; so now let me gratify myself.” This is the attitude of a servant, not a son. The servant wants some wages beyond the service; the son finds that in the service itself are the rewards of pleasing the Father which are sufficient for him.
3. Beware of the noonday demon.  Psalm 91:6 says, You will not fear… “the plague that destroys at midday.”  The King James version of this passage says, ..”the destruction that wasteth at noonday.”  The early church fathers referred to this as the ‘noonday demon.’   This is the demon that comes to you at midday and says, “Is there not an easier way that does not involve all this struggling and sacrifice. Can you not be faithful to God and still enjoy more of the pleasures of life?”
In this account in I Kings the man of God was instructed not to eat or drink till he had returned to Judah. Possibly this assignment took him the better part of a day.  After completing the main assignment and resting under the oak tree in the middle of the afternoon, he was no doubt both hungry and thirsty. His flesh was ready for a new word from God.  So when the old prophet came he was easily persuaded to give up the original word in favor of the new word.
The sword of the Spirit is the word of God.  So when the going gets tough and your are exhausted and every part of you cries out for an easier way, hold tight to the sword the  Spirit gives you, the word of God. Say as Jesus said to the tempter, “Yes, I am hungry and thirsty and tired and weak after 40 days of fasting, but my hunger will not determine what I do, the word of God will determine what I do.  And He will feed me in his own time.
Further Reflections on this Story
1. Almost is not good enough.  If you do ninety percent  of what you were told to do and fail in the remaining ten percent, you have failed to complete your assignment. You do not get  credit for “almost doing what God said”.
2.  A clean,clear word for a contaminated culture.  God hated the sins of Israel. He wanted to send a clear prophetic word to Israel that was uncontaminated. When the man disobeyed God he contaminated the pure word of God. God wanted a clear and pure word to go forth. He did not want his messenger to have any social intercourse with the evil system or its people. He wants his salt to be salt and his light to be light.
In Luke 10 Jesus sends his disciples out with a word of redemption to the surrounding culture. He tells them not to greet anyone on the way, not to be distracted by social relationships from carrying the pure gospel to the lost.
3. God’s punishment begins in the household of God.  I Peter 4:17- ” For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God.”  The man of God from Judah was from the people who were following God. God deals firmly with his own children whom he has called to be salt and light.
4. Older people must guard against  muting the commitment of the young. The old prophet was eager to be with a man with a fresh word. Maybe it had been a while since  he had experienced the stirring of the Spirit. He was eager for fellowship. There is nothing wrong with that but he manipulated and lied to get the man to be with him.
We need to be careful that we do not become a stumbling block to those who have heard from the Lord and are attempting to carry it out. For our own purposes we may encourage our young people to not be so radical and to take a path more congenial to the flesh. But we do this at a risk to their very lives. In the end we will see how our selfishness has caused others to lose their focus on the word of God. We repent but not before the damage is done.
5. If you do not use it, you lose it. Possibly, as my fellow pastor, Don Lamb, suggested, the old man was the one who was originally the one to have given the prophetic word to the evil king Jeroboam. However, because of living in compromise and not standing up for truth when the entire society  around him was voting for evil, he lost his prophetic voice and platform. Now he recognizes that God needed to choose an instrument outside the country who would come in and give the message to King Jeroboam.
6. The Creation obeys the word of the Lord. The lion and the donkey were more obedient than the man of God from Judah.. They both went against their natures, against their natural impulses.  A lion would usually eat what it kills; it would usually maul a donkey. A donkey would usually run in the presence of a lion.  But both animals stayed in place. The lion was faithful by watching and preventing other animals from eating the man of God. And the donkey was faithful in waiting to be of service in carrying the man to his final resting place.
In conclusion, there is no conclusion! Now, I can not put this story away, for God continues to speak to me. The word of God is quick and powerful  and sharper  than any two edged sword.
–E. Daniel Martin

Seeking the Prosperity of our Nation

09 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

by theexpandingshrink in Journal

The recent election experience provides all of us the opportunity to do some soul-searching. Those who were pleased with the results could be tempted to say,”It is as I had hoped it would be. All is well. Let us get back to business as usual.”

Those who were disappointed could be tempted to say, “Something went wrong; I do not understand why God allowed this to happen.” Some of these persons after further reflection may conclude, “I was wrong but He is right. I will accept that His plans are different from mine, and I will get back to business as usual.”

But what is “business as usual”? How shall we position ourselves in these difficult times?

I believe Jeremiah 29: 4-14 has a powerful word to all of us. “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you… pray to the Lord for it , because if it prospers, you too will prosper…. for I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future…. ”

Timothy Keller, author of King’s Cross, had this to say about how we should position ourselves:

God is saying: “I want you to seek the prosperity of Babylon. I want you to make it a great city to live in. I want you to serve your neighbors—even though their language is different and they don’t believe what you believe. And I don’t want you to do this merely out of a sense of duty.

“Pray for it” is another way of saying “love it.” Love that city, pray for it, seek to make it a prosperous, peaceful city, the greatest place to live. If Babylon prospers through your service to it, you prosper, too.

“For you,” God says, “the route to gaining influence is not by taking power. Influence gained through power and control doesn’t really change society; it doesn’t change hearts. I’m calling you to a totally different approach.

Be so sacrificially loving that the people around you, who don’t believe what you believe, will soon be unable to imagine the place without you. They’ll trust you because they see that you’re not only out for yourself, but out for them, too. When they voluntarily begin to look up to you because of the attractiveness of your service and love, you’ll have real influence. It will be an influence given to you by others, not taken by you from others.”

Who is the model for that way of gaining influence? It’s Jesus himself, of course. How did he respond to his enemies? He didn’t call down legions of angels to fight them. He died for their sins, and, as he was dying, he prayed for them. And if at the very heart of your worldview is a man dying for his enemies, then the way you’re going to win influence in society is through service rather than power and control.”

Keller, Timothy (2011-02-22). King’s Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus (pp. 146-147). DUTTON ADULT. Kindle Edition.

So let us seek the prosperity of the city, the state, the country where we live. May the mayor say, may the governor say, may the president say, “Though these people differ from me in a number of their core beliefs, they are my most loyal citizens. I know they love me; I know they pray for me. I know they are not just out for their own comfort and well being. They care about their communities, their states, and their nation and are willing to sacrifice to empower others to prosper. Blessed be the name of the God whom they serve, who has placed His love and Spirit in them.”

Notes from Pastor’s Conference With Graham Cooke

16 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by theexpandingshrink in Journal, Uncategorized

Christ Community Church

September 14, 2012 

The American church is about to do serious harm and violence to the pharisaical religious spirit..

God is saying, “Let my people go..”

We are citizens of heaven living here on earth.  We are bringing here what is normal in heaven.  We are pursuing what is not normal here.  God is going to turn us upside down and inside out so we have real possibility of fullness and abundance so we can take riches of God’s grace to the world.

All control in the church goes out the window except self control. Only time you know freedom is present is when people are learning self control- taking control of their relationships and lives.

We need to move out of a “poverty mindset.” The poverty mindset says “Let’s do the most we can in the least amount of time with least resources.”

We must break the cycle of a ‘sanctuary driven spirituality’.  We need a ‘gathered and a scattered’ paradigm. In early church, real kingdom work was in ‘house to house’ scattered aspect of paradigm.  They were so scatted though out the community that the enemy would have to destroy the community to get to the church

Quality of worship.

Does this team have capacity to lead into the presence of God?

 We need a model for intimacy.  Congregation needs to see leaders on their knees and on their faces.  If there is a limit in worship there is a ceiling on the congregation.. A non engagement in worship signals a non engagement with God in life.   If worship and thanksgiving is first thing we encounter with a person, it tells us about the quality of that person’s life.  If leaders do not pursue worship and only see worship as a precursor for the rest of the service there is a problem. There is no substitute for intimacy with God.   David was fascinated by God so he could deal with a giant.. Authority without intimacy can only take you so far.   A ‘world beating, supernatural’ church is an intimate church.

We must HOST the presence of GOD AND NOT JUST PURSUE THE PRESENCE of God.

 

Cooke has been in meetings where people got healed just by being in the presence of God.

We must be hungry to see the kingdom come.. Kingdom comes first and church comes out of the church. God says, “You seek the kingdom and I will build my church”.. We have built the church and not built the kingdom.

If the church in America was good enough we would not be in revival but reformation

What if biggest problem in America is lack of goodness. We are to overcome evil with good. We are so busy railing against sin, that we are not going about doing good and healing. We try to avoid those oppressed by the devil.  Jesus went to those oppressed and healed and delivered them.  It is not our job to judge but to demonstrate the goodness of God.

II Cor. 5:14.   God was reconciling the world to Himself.. Jesus died so that every human is reconciled. God does not have anything against anybody. Not everyone is redeemed but all are reconciled. Every obstacle has been removed. God says, “I have nothing against anybody.” You may not know God but He knows you. The way is wide open to His heart. We are ambassadors of reconciliation. We are agents of reconciliation

Does worship team try to motivate congregation to worship?  Ideally the congregation pushes the worship team to a higher level in the spirit.

How many of these leaders have another fight left in them.  Does a leader have the capacity to lead the fight into the place God wants us to have.  How many have a grasshopper mentality and how many have a Caleb mentality. Caleb, one of the ten spies said, “We can do it.”   Intimacy cloaks you with a majesty. What would it take to believe that I am magnificent toward you?. I need a radiant idea of God and the church.  We need to use problems as a stepping stone to see what God has for us. We need to turn problems into positives in seconds.  We need to practice turning negatives to positives, till you see the opportunity and not crisis.   We are growing up into Christ in all things.  we see all things as a profit and not a deficit..  Jesus is not just Savior he is our Lord.

There is a process that every church has to go through..

We need to get Closure on Egypt.. We are not going back there. The Israelites were a rabble of slaves. They were salivating over the vegetables in Egypt, not glorifying the Lord.. This is stupid.. Pharaoh is not going to welcome you back.  Every plague brought down a household god in Egypt. Pharaoh lost half his army.  How could he ever welcome you back? A poverty mind set is a poverty mindset. It is about living with meager possibilities.

It is right to feel small in comparison to the vision of what God has for you.  He then enlarges you till you become the giant.. Caleb becomes the giant.  “Give me this mountain.”.  I want to be in this last fight. God is looking for men of a different spirit.  He wants those who are not banding together in mediocrity but are saying, “I want this fight.”

Cooke was told prophetically that he would fight a religious spirit and wake a sleeping giant. He is now living in the unfolding of that prophecy.. That is his calling- To kill a religious dragon and waken a sleeping church..

God is looking for a leadership whose best fights are ahead of them.  If a person demonstrates there is no more fight in them, honor them and give them other things to do than to be leaders.

We need people fascinated by Jesus and not intimidated by the enemy.   Best leaders have talent scouts to see what God is intending in those they are mentoring.  Have a conversation with those who receive a prophecy.  The process begins when you engage the word.    Asking God to confirm world is ridiculous.  You need to become as serious about these words as God is.  If you are going to be a prophet you need to start seeing things differently. There are no excuses.  Every situation is designed to turn you into a prophet.  No whining or complaining. Everything will prepare you for that role.  Everything now is about training for reigning.

We have enough of pulpit driven spirituality.  We need to grow from ground up and not top down.

Vision is the broad brush strokes.   Details are the people God brings to us.  We engage according to the passions of the people God has given us.  Need to check the demographics and then check the passions that are in people’s hearts.

In one situation Cooke found 850 single parent families.  In the church were a dozen guys out of work.  800 of these single parent families had fixed it needs.   The church started a business to fix cars and watch kids out of kindergarten.  Created a way of interacting.. Painted every house. We showed them what the kingdom was like.  We were 1000 in membership by the time we wanted to be but not by way we had thought.

Why did you elbow the person out who did not fit your vision rather than help the person realize their vision.

We have a fascinating job. It is important to remain fascinated.  Transitions need to take place in the leadership.  Paul said…in me first.. I want to go through it first. We need a leadership that is excited about tomorrow.  We need a leadership that wants to take territory.

We need to do a SWOT analysis:  Strengths Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threat..  Be a talent scout.  Who is God calling who has a sure outcome and will survive the process.

Dave had prophecy that he was going to be king which was told him by Sam.  So it sucks to be Goliath, because it was clear Dave would survive the encounter…

We need to learn the process of how to work out God’s ways.  It takes years to learn.  It is life that trains us. It is God that trains our hands for war.  Life, not seminary trains us.  Seminarians often are trained by academic theologians who have not been in active ministry for years.

Who are leaders, what sets them apart…

What is it that you believe about yourself that makes you think that talking to him like that is okay.. Address the identity, not the behavior but identity. Behavior arises out of identity.

 

 What are three biggest obstacles to creating movement and momentum?     All football coaches understand the importance of maintaining momentum

What do you want to be that you are not?

Where do you want to go that you are not yet going?

What would you do if money were not an issue?   God is not short on money but is short on people to invest in.

Cooke wants to build a training center in Santa Barbara, California that costs $10,000,000 but he is hoping it will cost $30,000,000 because that will really display the riches of God.

God does not want us to cut down our dream to manageable proportions,.

Tension does not mean something is wrong but that something is happening. There is no movement without tension… Be sure tension does not become a friction. We need the oil of the Holy Spirit.  Be sure tension does not become relational.

Why is enemy tackling us. What is enemy afraid of? If you are not a problem to the enemy you are irrelevant in the world. If he is attacking us, we must be close to something important.

We need closure on a victim mentality.

We are called to conversion to become like Jesus. This conversion is a process ‘from glory to glory’.  It is a lifestyle, not an event.  Becoming like Jesus does not happen in a conference.  You do not learn patience in a weekend..God has people around you to help you grow in grace.  Some are around you to teach you joy.. Everyone wants to connect with the joyful person because he is a joy to be with.

Cooke had no vision for a peace that passes understanding, now he can come into peace in 15 seconds. He was taught by someone else..

In developing a training program, we want to train people, not to think like we do but to think like Jesus.

Leaders have a sphere of influence. We lead from the midst of the people.  We need someone to write a “Presence Oriented Life” book to complement “The Purpose Driven Life” book.  We need to grow sons and build service. He is looking to bring sons into glory. Sons have a share in the house.

There is no paradigm for the kingdom rather a paradox: we must give to receive. We are a building and a body. We are ‘growing‘ something in people so we can ‘build’ something.

Every brick is not identical; there are big and small bricks.   If we build by bricks according to a string line it is different than building by the shape and nature of the stones.    A builder needs to know the nature of the stones around him. He looks at the stones before starting to lay stones. He has to get a feel for each stone..  Then he carefully places each stone in the place it will best fit.

Every team needs to be building and blessing.   We ask “Who are blessers and who are builders in this congregation.  Some have overlapping gifts.

You cannot allow a negative influence to abide. A negative person is not a behavior issue but an identity issues. We need to ask that person, “What are you seeing now that makes this acceptable?”  The best time to prophecy is when the person is doing well.  When the person is not doing well, go back over what God has said specifically to that person in the past to see what they may be missing now.  No one needs a prophecy.  Everyone needs Jesus..  Let’s go back and see what He said to to you that you may have missed.

People do not read their Bibles but they do read their Christians.  The Lord is intentional.  Jesus was slain before the foundation of the world. He agreed to be a sacrificial lamb before the foundation of the world.  There is something about us that is fascinating to God.

We can only speak about the Lord in superlatives.. We are astonished at God.. The message is to see us loving God and being loved by God.. We give a mixed message about the gospel:  “Come to us and we will take you in or  if you do not come, we will do you in.  We influence from our identity.

Themes of Cooke’s life: To pay attention to prophets and prophecy.  To live from heaven to earth. To have my ministry match my life style.. To have my ministry flow out of who I am

How do you love when love is not returned... Love does not seek a return.  I am what I love and not what loves me.  I do not want to react to peopele..I want to respond to people..

We talk and pray through our values.

My value is that “Everyone I do business with must have an advantage by doing business with me”.  In one situation Cooke said, “I need to be paying you more.  I need to see you blessed.  That is the kingdom I belong to.  You are touching the kingdom today.”  Salesman said with tears “I never had such a conversation..I am still working through our conversation of five months ago.”

Know the words and prophesies of friends. Be intentional about relationships.  Keep files of the prophesies on all your kids and families.

Three desires we have: I want to be loved.  I want to be significant and I want to belong to something amazing.. Talk into present and future.  Get excited as God is about you. He has planned this to change you.   He is intentional.  He allows in his wisdom what he could easily prevent by his power.

Wants to make people confident in what they have been called to beyond themselves

God gives us the “n” word…”nevertheless”

I stutter, said Moses.  God said, “Nevertheless, I am sending you because you stutter…

Moses goes into Pharaoh’s throne room where there are thousands of people and many different levels. Moses has to give a word to someone who takes to Pharaoh… (When you live in the desert nothing is interesting.

The story behind the story.)

I want to influence people to be passionate about their story and their journey. I want to look back with gratitude..  I do not want things from my past to define my story and journey.  Get passionate about freedom.  Teach people to reverence the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is the most energetic and enthusiastic and comedic person in the world. He loves the outrageous.  He is not easily offended.  A dove is scared; the Holy Spirit is not scared. A dove lands lightly; the Holy Spirit lands lightly upon us.  He is not easily offended. He is robust and happy . He is a genius and he knows it.   He knows ten ways to solve a problem. He is the genius of heaven resident here on earth. He is thrilling and fun. He is also mischievous. He gives us humor.

When Jesus was on road to Emmaus, He said to the two, “What things? Tell me the story as you see it.  Then his work was done and he disappears.

Let us count everything as joy.  Find joy in everything.

Graham is first white sheep in family..family is still in crime.

The Holy Spirit loves to influence the way you think about yourself. He will teach you how to love.

Rejoicing is our response to who God is.  He celebrates our victories..  God is joy.   But he is the most brilliant comforter.

If you find it easy to be offended it is because you do not know the comforter.

We are created to be overwhelmed.  It is who you are with God that influences people.

I want to be an unashamed celebrant.  I am an influencer. I am intentional.  I want my sons to go beyond where I have gone.  The Holy Spirit takes everything from Jesus and gives it to us.  He is a specialist.   He has a brilliant sense of humor.  He has a lot of material in us  in which to find humor.

Accountability is not calling a person out on their behavior but calling them up to their identity. We act based on our identity.. Our job is to help people to see more about themselves than they could see by themselves..Questions help us explore and discover..God is including all of us in the next reformation..

What is my footprint going to be in this city?  I am not blindly going down every path but the ones He plans.. Walking with Him is so much fun. He is a genius and a champion.

You are an influencer.

Of all the places God could dwell He chose to live in me.

 

Coming into a realm of confidence in Him..

May we be magnificent with others as He is with us.

 

I pray that we would become amazing influencers.

I pray that you would increase your influence in our lives and our influence in others.

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