Today marks the 20th Anniversary of my father's death. In some ways, I still cannot believe it--he died so suddenly and left such a big, empty place in our lives. As sad as we are without him, I know this day--June 26, 1989--was the happiest day of his life. He wanted nothing more than to be with Jesus.

I had planned on writing a few words in memory of him (so easy to write pages and pages--I loved him dearly), and then I was contacted by one of his best former researchers at Christian Research Institute, Kenneth Samples, about something he'd just written and it was so eloquent--and so touching--I knew I couldn't do any better.

Thank you, Ken.

In Memory of Walter Martin (1928-1989): The Original Bible Answer Man, Part 1 (of 3)
by Kenneth Richard Samples

http://www.reasons.org/InMemoryofWalterMartinPart1of3

Have you ever had a Jehovah's Witness knock at your door? Perhaps it's just me, but they always seem to come to my house at the most inconvenient times.

The first story I ever heard about Walter Martin involved turning the tables on the Jehovah's Witnesses. The story is that Martin, a native of New York City, went to the headquarters of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society located in Brooklyn. He knocked on their front door and began witnessing to them about the Jesus Christ of historic Christianity. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Martin had what my Jewish friends call "chutzpah." I had the distinct privilege of working with and for him at the countercult organization he founded, Christian Research Institute, in the late 1980s.

In light of the 20th anniversary of Martin's death (June 26), I'd like to share six things I learned from his example as a gifted and accomplished Christian apologist. These lessons have been enormously helpful in my own trek through the challenging Christian apologetics enterprise.

1. Rhetorical Eloquence

Like one of his favorite politicians, President Ronald Reagan, Martin was a great communicator. He mastered the media venues of radio and television in order to convey the Christian message with clarity, intelligence, and force. Martin was one of the finest public speakers I have ever heard. Amazingly, he could speak extemporaneously and nevertheless speak in complete, grammatically correct sentences. He was always a very hard act to follow.

While few can match Martin's gift and skill of rhetorical eloquence, his example challenged me to concentrate on speaking in a clear, concise, cogent, and compelling manner. I call this the "four C's of communication." I encourage would-be apologists to work at sharpening their rhetorical skills. As Martin proved, eloquent speaking is a powerful vehicle in persuading people of the truth of the gospel.

2. Courage Under Fire

Courage is the classic virtue I admire most. That's probably why I greatly admire noble warriors. Courage is a rare trait both in the Christian church and outside of it. But Martin exhibited a great deal of courage in his apologetics ministry. He wasn't afraid to take a tough stand on a controversial issue and live with the repercussions.

Some people vigorously criticized Martin when he asserted that Seventh-day Adventism and Roman Catholicism shouldn't be categorized as non-Christian cults. For the record, Martin did not give either church body a clean bill of theological health and criticized both belief systems. Martin did his homework and was willing to absorb criticism from all sides.

As one of his research assistants, I adopted and defended Martin's views on Adventism and Catholicism. Accordingly, some of Martin's critics also publicly criticized my positions. While it's never easy for a Christian apologist to enter into the arena and take the heat, aspiring apologists need to know that facing criticism comes with the apologetic territory.

Though he has a different temperament and labors in a different part of the apologetic vineyard, Hugh Ross exhibits Martin-like courage in defending old-Earth creationism. Yet Martin himself affirmed old-Earth creationism long before it gained popular support.

In part two of this article I will discuss two more apologetic lessons that I learned from my former boss and apologetics mentor, Walter Ralston Martin.


In Memory of Walter Martin (1928-1989): The Original Bible Answer Man, Part 2 (of 3)

In Memory of Walter Martin (1928-1989): The Original Bible Answer Man, Part 3 (of 3)

At my father's memorial service, we played a song sung by Glen Campbell called, No More Night. I've never been able to listen to it since that day, but I love to read the words:

The timeless theme
Earth and heaven will pass away
It's not a dream
God will make all things new that day
Gone is the curse
From which I stumbled and fell
Evil is banished to eternal hell

No more night
No more pain
No more tears
Never crying again
And praises to the great I Am
We will live in the light of the risen Lamb

See over there
There's a mansion prepared for me
Where we will live with my Savior eternally...

No more night
No more pain
No more tears
Never crying again
And praises to the great I Am
We will live in the light of the risen Lamb*


John 14:2-3

"In My Father's house are many mansions ; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."


*(Music and Lyrics by Walt Harrah)

One of the saddest things I've read lately:

Child Witches: Accused in the Name of Jesus

Christian Pastors in Congo Paid to Perform Violent Exorcisms; Children Banished From Homes, Abandoned by Families

"In a dirt-floored, back-alley church, 8-year-old Bobby and his 6-year-old brother Henock were made to kneel before a pastor wearing a white, flowing robe adorned with pictures of Jesus.

Looming over the boys, Pastor Moise Tshombe went into a trance, during which he claimed the Holy Spirit took over and the voice of God spoke through him. "I see that witchcraft is in these two," Tshombe said. "The threats inside of them are very strong." These young brothers were the latest victims in an epidemic of accusations of child witchcraft here in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is raging in the name of Jesus. It continues seemingly unabated despite flags raised by organizations such as the United Nations, Save the Children and Human Rights Watch." http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=7613395&page=1

Abandoned in the name of Jesus? I don't think so. This is another terrible example of evil running wild and conveniently dumping the blame on Christianity. Jesus loved the little ones and He has nothing to do with this brutality. He warned people to "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost." Matthew 18:10-11

Several churches are trying to help in the Congo, and Pastor Muhasanya's Assemblies of God church in the Panzi suburb of Bukavu is one of them. I wish we could do so much more--and do it quickly. As a mother, I long to take all of these little ones away from the nightmare they're living and give them a home where they are loved.

The Congo is so very far away . . . .

Interesting reading over at Midwest Christian Outreach:

On the Blog: The Dilemma Called CRI

"Some of our readers may recall that The Local Church of Witness Lee had filed suit against Harvest House Publishers, John Ankerberg and John Weldon for their inclusion in the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions. To the surprise of most missions for cults and New Religions movements and discernment ministries, CRI had come out positively for the Local Church and against Harvest House Publishers, John Ankerberg and John Weldon. Near the end of the litigation, “More than 70 evangelical Christian scholars and ministry leaders from seven nations have signed an unprecedented open letter to the leadership of the “local churches” and Living Stream Ministry.” This week, Apologetics Index uploaded Five Christian apologists evaluate the teachings of Witness Lee and The Local Church. There is also a synopsis of this situation on this page and other links and evaluations. The dilemma we face is how to view CRI in its present incarnation. Over the years CRI has produced some of the leading researchers, writers and scholars in the area of missions to cults and New Religious Movements, training and equipping the Body of Christ in discernment and evangelism. Names like ... Read more at MidwestOutreach.org


My comment on all of this is that the Church today doesn’t hold anyone accountable for anything, and Hanegraaff is just one more example of this. Not only is there no accountability, but people put money and marketing connections before integrity and even worse--before biblical principles. When apologists regularly appear on the BAM show; when Christian leaders embrace Hanegraaff for 20 years—never voicing regret when they discover who he really is—things go from bad to worse.

My father used to tell this story--it's one of my favorites:


John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (NIV)


I once had a very good friend; we grew up together. He was really my brother’s buddy but I loved him just like an older brother. He was the most blasphemous, womanizing, boozing, absolutely degenerate human being I have ever met in my entire life—and I’ve met about every kind there is. He made his money in oil and he could buy anything he wanted, and he did. Every time I’d witness to him he would say, “You don’t really believe this Jesus stuff, do you?” And with that he’d really zing me. I witnessed to him until I was purple in the face. Man, he roasted me every chance he got. You would say, “It’s impossible—God’s never going to do anything with that kind of man.”

Well, I met him in Singapore a few years ago and while we were chatting, I began telling him about the Lord. Oh, he wouldn’t have anything to do with it. He didn’t need any of this stuff, and he went on and on about it. A few months later he came back to the United States and he contracted a rare disease—an inflammation of the lining of the heart. And suddenly, this great brute of a man was reduced to a shadow of himself: All of his money couldn’t help him, all his women were memories, all his strength was gone. Everything he had ever leaned on all of his life had disintegrated and disappeared.

I made a special trip to the hospital to see him, and he was lying in bed—frail and hopelessly sick. When I came into the room he recognized me and said, “Help me up,” so I gently pulled him up in the bed. He put his head down, and said, “I’m dying.”

“Did the doctor tell you that?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Are you sure you’re going to die?”

“Yes,” he said, “Everything’s in order.” His lip trembled. He was a courageous man.

“It isn’t.” I said.

“What? What do you mean?”

“It isn’t in order, Jack. It’s not in order with God. But I’ve got some wonderful news for you! What I’ve been telling you all these years is still true. The Lord Jesus is here tonight and he wants to save you. Why don’t you trust Christ?” And then I witnessed to him.

Afterwards, I took him by that great, massive paw of his and I said, “Jackie, do you want Jesus?” The tears rolled down his hardened face and he said, “Yes, I need him.” And we prayed together. That night, in just a moment of time, Jesus Christ came into that room, and into that man’s life, and into his soul and he was born again.

Don’t ever give up on people.

Check out The Frank Pastore Show, KKLA today at 7:00 PM Pacific. I will be talking with Frank about the endlessly fascinating topic of Vampires (and it isn't even Halloween). Specifically, the teen romance Vampire series Twilight.

You can listen here: http://www.kkla.com/ and also on podcast.


Here's my review of the Twilight series:

Have you heard all the press for the new movie Twilight? Do you have a teenager fascinated by vampires?

Stephenie Meyer's books about the secret world of teenage vampires have been very successful, and now have a following of at least 12 million worldwide--and that's before the movie's release (she gained this fan base in three short years). Meyer has just been chosen by Entertainment Weekly as one of their Entertainers of the Year. I've read all of her books and this is my assessment:

1. They differ from the historical vampire genre in that Meyer's main characters have renounced humans as "prey". They are not vegetarians, though. They hunt large animals. This is good as far as the monster aspect of vampirism goes, but a vampire is still a vampire.

2. There is some violence, although it occurs only a few times in books of500+ pages. The last book, however, is quite graphic.

3. There is no sexual content in the first three books, other than innuendo (which is mild by today's standards). The fourth book does include quite a bit of sexual content, although the protagonists are married (and the young girl is now 18). This content is far less graphic than the average historical romance novel.

4. There are no occult tools, ceremonies or spells other than Meyer's somewhat torturous explanations as to how the supernatural power of shape-shifting can be passed down through generations. When Meyer starts getting into the werewolf theme, she loses focus and wanders into some Native American mysticism (although this is limited in scope and detail).

Meyer also bestows various supernatural powers on her vampires that read more like something from Superman than anything occult-related (although they could be construed as Psi powers).

This series is unique in its lack of emphasis on the occult, which leads me to wonder about the author's beliefs--she graduated from Brigham Young University. However, it is still based upon what has historically been an evil, soulless creature, and Meyer does not explain what makes her vampires any different in this regard. In fact, Edward, the main character, talks occasionally about not having a soul and uses this as an argument to persuade Bella (the other main character) not to become a vampire. What Meyer never addresses is how her vampires can be kind and compassionate--valuing human life--and yet have no souls. The teenage Bella also dismisses eternal damnation like she would dismiss a visit to the dentist (not a good precedent).

Interest in Vampirism is taking off once again, and unfortunately, this movie will probably add to its popularity. So far, it has been wildly successful. Look for a sequel in the not too distant future.

Just a heads up that I will be on The Frank Pastore Show, KKLA Los Angeles, this Friday night. Don't know the exact time yet but as soon as I do, I will post. Thank you, Frank and Gina, for your wonderful friendship and support.

I was thinking about a song today that came out a while back--it's funny how God brings things to mind when He wants to tell you something. It's a song by Ray Boltz:

When others see a shepherd boy, God may see a king
Even though your life is full of ordinary things
In just a moment, He can touch you, and everything will change

When others see a shepherd boy, God may see a king

So many times people say to me, "It's an honor to meet you," and I am always touched by their words because I know it has nothing to do with me and everything to do with my father. And the truth is, I am honored to meet them and very grateful for their kindness. I've always been puzzled by the whole media fame thing--especially in the Christian world. I guess I believe that we, of all people, should know how little it means to God.

Famous or not, every one of us is valuable to Him . . . in Christ, the playing field is level. A friend of mine drives a Special Ed School Bus, and she told me what a wonderful Easter she had last year when she went to see one of her students in a big Easter production. He was playing a shepherd, and it was such a moving moment when he came onstage--all the more so because he has Down Syndrome.

I thought about this story all day today--so touched by the thought of this little boy in his shepherd costume. And God brought this song to mind . . . .

How amazing is it that God made each of us unique? How moving is it that He loves us no matter what we do, and sees us in a far different way then the world sees us?

On my worst day, I may feel like a shepherd boy, (and the world may treat me like one) but the truth is that "When others see a shepherd boy, God may see a king . . . ."


"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!"
1 John 3:1

Well, well. . . it seems like the people behind Wii (Nintendo) slipped a little New Age technique in with their Wii Fit exercises. Now, why doesn't that surprise me? A little stretching, some yoga, and hey--why not follow it up with a game of "Lotus Focus"?

That's right, Lotus Focus. They want us (and our children) staring into the flame on our off time, centering our inner beings.

And how many families own this?

"So I was surprised to unlock and discover Wii Fit's "Lotus Focus" minigame, which is a meditation game! You sit still on the balance board with legs folded in a lotus position, and watch an onscreen candle in the darkness. Various things try to distract your attention, like moths fluttering about and people creaking about in the night. The longer you can stay still, the better your score. Very cool." --Digital Workout Guru http://digitalworkout.blogspot.com/2008/06/guru-meditation-in-wii-fit.html

O-Kay. . . .

Mediation itself isn't the issue--the Bible tells us we should meditate on God's word. It's the things the world attaches to meditation that cause all the problems.

And now, one more thing to keep an eye on. . . .