2 more to go!

2 more to go!

Oct. 29, 2017
3 pm Sunday afternoon
Charlotte, North Carolina
USA

Greetings to all ye who have been following this countdown to my retirement, with these daily entries. The upcoming last two days are finally here!

On Tuesday, October 31, I am leaving the final "marketplace" employment for me, as it is known in some circles, while others may refer to it simply as secular employment. Overall it has been an interesting grand total of 52 years in workplaces.

As I walk along this memory lane, let me put those places in chronological order - for my sake and that of my family, especially! I hope you will join me for a few moments now, as I have recorded the people, places, and positions that have come and gone.

My first job? Delivering the daily newspaper Waterloo Courier, back in my hometown of Cedar Falls, Iowa. That mid-size town is located north of Cedar Rapids, west of Dubuque, south of the Minnesota state line, and northeast of the state capital Des Moines. I was in 6th grade, probably about 11 years old back then. The state of Iowa had a lot of pig lots, six-foot-high seed corn fields, and committed Iowans, either to the University of Iowa Hawkeyes or the Iowa State Cyclones. (Notice who I placed first!) As for me, I worked hard to increase my route delivery count from 15 to 63, and won a Sony cassette player one year for my grand efforts.

In 8th grade, after turning the legal age of 13, I got hired and joined the other high school boys at Rollinger's, a chicken and burger joint. Famous for the orange shake, as owner Russ Rollinger said it was, I liked working there. Russ and his father Lou claimed they had the original creative concept for the Big Mac burger sandwich, which he had called the "High Boy." On this job I got a whopping $1.10 an hour by the time I left two years later. I made sure I had a big wallet to carry all that cold hard cash around! (Photo: Russ Rollinger. Died Sept. 2013)

By the late summer/early fall of my senior year in 1972 at Columbus High School, I left football in the middle of the season to get hired on at Eagles, part of the Lucky Grocery chain organization. But the 3rd shift proved too much, and after a few years it was time for a day job. I settled in at Sartori Hospital in Cedar Falls - scrubbing floors, collecting garbage, and being befriended by the UNI (University of Northern Iowa) star football running back. It was his day job also. And I only got reprimanded two times for putting Chic Tracs (cartoon booklets with the Gospel message) on the hospital staff's lunchroom table.

A move to LaSalle-Peru, Illinois in 1974, after the high school graduation and a somewhat complete year at UNI, put me in the English Muffin Restaurant working alongside my older brother-in-law David Johnson and sister Mary Smith. Then it was the management at Kerr-McGee Treated Lumber Yard in Mendota, working together with church friends Kevin Grafton and Kelly Haas, also of LaSalle.

In 1980 several church/community families of Victory Church, which we all were members of, moved to East Lansing, Michigan. Noelle Clark, co-owner of the Canon office machine dealer companyHasselbring-Clark, along with her husband Ellis, hired this "cult member", as previously some thought it was, due to my involvement with Shiloh Fellowship, for their Office Manager position.

In the seven years to the "exact day" I worked there (Aug. 23, 1980-Aug. 22, 1987), I believe I had either hired directly, or was responsible for getting hired, at least eight more "cult members" - because my recommendations of these Christian workers proved to be accurate. (Photo: Hasselbring-Clark Company 1985)

It was then into the ministry of the Christian non-profits I went. This was my life-long dream, and heart of my life, as I approached the age of 33. Almost like Jesus did, except a few years later.

Beginning in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this part of the journey began with three years as the Financial Supervisor at Derek Prince Ministries, followed by four years at Mahesh Chavda Ministries, both in the south Florida city. I served with MCM as the Administrator. In July of 1994 the ministry relocated here to Charlotte, North Carolina, where we also established All Nations Church. I held that position for both the ministry and the church as Administrator until the end of 2000, when I went back to Derek Prince Ministries. They had also relocated to Charlotte between 1993-1994, and so from 2001-2005, for another five years, I once again served as the Director of Administration and Finance.

Sounds like a resume, right? The Lord had been faithful in all those years, keeping us close to His heart and my family through it all. I bless my good wife Laurie and children Josh, Ben, Hannah and Christen for walking this adventure together.

When the International Director of Derek Prince Ministries, David Selby, was approached by Barry Segal, co-founder of Vision For Israel and the Joseph Storehouse, in late 2004 to head up VFI's USA office as the Director, the six-month transition from one to the other took place. (Photo top: Vision For Israel staff, 2010. Bottom: Derek Prince Ministries 2004)

By July 1, 2005, I was then full time with Barry and Batya Segal, the ministry co-founders, and was responsible for moving the USA office from Savannah, Georgia here to Charlotte. This 700 church city on the NC/SC border was certainly continuing to be a landing hub for ministries!

In the spring of 2010 the Lord Yeshua (Jesus) gave me the desire of my heart once again - to begin our own ministry. Having served within the vineyards of several others for the previous 24 years, He had planned and purposed for me to start Love For His People. And thus I left VFI on June 30, 2010 to give my full attention to this work - supporting Israel and the Jews, while also sending humanitarian aid, along with biblical teaching using social media, to the nations. Others have now come alongside us over these seven years, joining in this work.

But as with most, those newborn and early years, and then walking on two feet, took awhile. The home mortgage, car payments, and daily life had to be provided. The $70,000 a year salary I had been earning dropped to $11,000 for that first year.

The income from the new ministry didn't quite do it, so it was back to work for me in the office realm with other companies and ministries. Seasonal and part-time jobs with Samaritan's Purse (Franklin Graham), Covenant Keepers (Rex and Carolyn Johnson), and the Charlotte Rescue Mission (Chris Moore) followed.

Finally, I was hired on at Charlotte Center City Partner in May of 2013, as the Accountant. First as a contractor for eight months, and then as a full-time staff member for these final four and a half years. The office is located right there in thriving uptown Charlotte.

And so here I am! Retirement occurs just in time for my 63rd birthday on Thanksgiving Day! And I am so thankful Lord!

I hope I didn't bore you with all this long employment history. But if you made it this far in reading, then you did good, and I appreciate your sticking it through with me.

We each have a history to share and should have a testimony with it, in order to declare the Lord Jesus' great work in our life. Your life hopefully shows His faithfulness too and acts as an encouragement to those who watch and maybe even follow after, that which we have lived. I hope you have those who have or will do that, in your walk with the Lord.

So now I will be able to give my full attention to the work of Love For His People, Inc. With at least 10 or more good years to walk out, Lord willing, I already highly suspect the Lord has an expansion coming, extending these tent pegs of the ministry, in His playbook. For that, I am most excited!

Be encouraged as you continue on in your walk with our Lord. Do well in blessing others as you also seek the Lord, knowing, and daily reassured, that the plans He has for you are well and good.

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People

Charlotte, North Carolina

USA

If you missed day 3, click here: 3 more days until the end
If you missed day 4, click here: 4 days to go...
There is also Day 5. Click here: 5 more to go... 
and Day 6. Click here:  6 more days...

From the Editor (Steve Martin, Love For His People Founder):

If these messages have ministered to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $10-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families and co-workers such as Hadassah's in Israel, Moses Julius in Pakistan and Pastor Abel in Nigeria, whom we each consistently help monthly through our work. Your tax-deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

Secure, conveniently contributions can be done online now through our website using the DONATE buttons on either side column of our blog.

Contribution checks can be sent to: 

Love For His People, Inc. 

P.O. Box 414   

Pineville, NC 28134

Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.) 

Please share this with your friends on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr and LinkedIn.  We appreciate your help.

3 more days until the end...(No - not the end of the world!)

3 more days until the end...

(No - not the end of the world!)

Oct. 27, 2017

Greetings to those who have been keeping up with my "last days until retirement" posts. And greetings also to those who are seeing these posts for the first time!

When I gave my 7-month notice to my employer, Charlotte Center City Partners, back in the spring, my intent was to finish my years of "secular" work on December 31. As I had with all my previous tours of duty when on staff with others (Chavda Ministries International - 14 years, Derek Prince Ministries - 8 years, Vision For Israel - 5 years) I believe it was right to allow proper time for the founders/top brass, and the staff, to prepare for my departure, with good time to find a replacement. As so I held to that commitment this time too with CCCP.

Even with all that time given, not one organization actually found a person to come before I actually left my position. I didn't get it, but that is the way it was. But in each case later, the new one who took over the position called me often, and I was very happy to assist. So it will be in this current location. The last five to be considered for the Accountant position which I held are still being interviewed.

But for this almost completed job, I will actually be going back as a short-term contractor to train the replacement. Being I will be "retired", I will gladly do that for them, but primarily for my boss' sake, Eleni Saunders. With only her, the VP of Finance, and I responsible for the three non-profit organizations accounting, those being CCCP, 7th Street Public Market and CCCP-Community Trust/B-Cycle), it will not be possible to do all that we did, alone. (As a side note, we got raving reviews on the just-completed annual fiscal year audit, for those who know accounting. Photo: Eleni Saunders in her office. Oct. 26, 2017)

Each of us are given opportunities to have an affect on the nations. Most often that starts in your own home, then the neighborhood, church or synagogue, city, state and beyond. As it is stated in Acts 1:8, "...and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (NASU).

If you yourself are proven faithful through the journey, the good Lord, the living God of Israel, will open other doors for you, in order to take His love, compassion, and truth beyond - to see as many saved with the Gospel as are willing to hear, repent and believe. As one who himself has received His saving grace since I was 10 years of age, I can attest to His faithfulness to do this. All who seek Him do find Him. Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach.

And so by the grace of God I am completing my current leg of this journey, only to start the final one to the finish line. In fact, I already know what my parting gift will be. When Eleni asked if I would like a gift certificate for a restaurant, as a gift from her personally, I said, "No. I would really like a clock, keeping my tradition of getting one from each ministry I have worked with previously." And so, she had me order what I wanted, with name plate included, fully covering the cost.

This is what I will be given on October 31, 2017 at the staff brunch. Yeah God!

The race is not over, which I intentionally alluded to on the granite clock nameplate. As I wrote earlier, it is only the next leg of the race that has been prepared for me, as declared by the Lord from the beginning of time.

For each of us, and of course you too, He has our days numbered and the good plans ready to roll out. We need to hear, obey and walk them out!

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People

Charlotte, North Carolina

USA

If you missed day 4, click here: 4 days to go...
There is also Day 5. Click here: 5 more to go... 
and Day 6. Click here:  6 more days...

From the Editor (Steve Martin, Love For His People Founder):

If these messages have ministered to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $10-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families as Hadassah's in Israel, whom we consistently help monthly through our work. Your tax-deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

Secure, conveniently contributions can be done online now through our website using the DONATE buttons on either side column of our blog.

Contribution checks can be sent to: 

Love For His People, Inc. 

P.O. Box 414   

Pineville, NC 28134

Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.) 

Please share this with your friends on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr and LinkedIn.  We appreciate your help.

5 more to go...

Oct. 25, 2017

Greetings readers of this Love for His People blog!

So why are 5 more days to go, until I "retire" from my fulltime Accountant's job, so important to me? Well, because I have never retired before! Hitting #63 on the birthday calendar in November (Thanksgiving Day no less with all of America celebrating!) is certainly a good reason also.

I remember way back around 1996 or so when my Dad, Louis James Martin, retired from working over 30 years at the Viking Pump Foundry in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It was a big deal! Thirty years with one company isn't heard of much these days, with businesses and such hiring, firing, letting people go after a few months or years. One of the main reasons is so they don't have to pay the big benefits that one could rely on later in life, and especially medical coverage. 

Yes, at one time, if you served long enough with a company, showing appreciation both ways, they acknowledged your loyalty and commitment to them. Not so much anymore. No wonder kids in the workforce move on from job to job after 2-3 years. No one has much understanding of commitment anymore.

Our family threw a big celebration for Dad, with co-workers and neighbors in attendance. Yes, retiring from a daily grind was a big deal.

My CCCP desk/cubicle for accounting. I like the pictures I had!

But my main focus, once walking out the heavy glass door at Charlotte Center City Partners for the last time as one on staff, that door which one has to almost get on their knees to unlock at the bottom, which I also opened every morning at 6:30 am, will be left behind.

At noon on October 31, 2017, the Lord is releasing me to give full focus to our ministry Love For His People, Inc. No more 40 hours of weekly data entry, Accounts Payable and Receivable, payroll entry and general journals. Nor the weekly 10 hours of commute up and down Interstate 77 each 6 am or return at 4 pm. Done! Ended!  

Founded by my good wife Laurie and I in April 2010, to primarily bless the people of Israel and encourage others in the nations to do so, the work of Love For His People for these past 7 years has been ongoing, but there is only so much one can do in the work week when other commitments fill the time. But the release is coming!

 Along the way, especially after I left my USA Director position at Vision For Israel in Charlotte in June 2010, it was a struggle to believe the Lord to cover the home bills while growing the ministry. 

But as I shared on the many social media platforms He prophetically conveyed to me years ago, He has been faithful to bring us thus far. 

And now we are ready for the blastoff - another prophetic word given and time to be released.

Some of you too have waited for the time to come and to be released. Let me tell you, it will come! You will see prophetic words over your life fulfilled, and the One Who called you by name is Faithful and True to make it happen, Even as He said it would!

So hang on. Things are about to get even more exciting.

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love For His People

P.S. Missions the Lord takes you on are for His Gospel to reach the nations with His love. I hope you will support this ministry as we do so.

Be sure to sign up for our newsletter. Use the "Sign Up" button on our website, or go here: Sign Me Up!

If these messages have ministered to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $10-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families in Israel whom we consistently help monthly through our humanitarian work. Your tax-deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

Secure, conveniently contributions can be done online now. Click here: DONATE (or use the DONATE buttons on the blog.)

Contribution checks can be sent to:

Love For His People, Inc.

P.O. Box 414

Pineville, NC 28134

Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.)

Please share this with your friends on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr and LinkedIn. We appreciate your help.

6 more days...

Oct. 24, 2017

My countdown continues...

Six more days until October 31 - my last day at my accounting job in uptown Charlotte, at Charlotte Center City Partners. After more than five years as the Accountant, I will retire from the day job and focus full-time on our ministry Love For His People, Inc., started in 2010.

No more accounting journal entries. The next journal entries I will be making will be those entered in my journal book, recording the works of the Lord Jesus (Yeshua) to share with others as we take the Gospel to the nations - by plane, train, automobile and the Internet! (Didn't the comedian Steve Martin make a movie with that title? Except for the Internet part...)

And then there will be one...

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin

Love For His People

Charlotte, North Carolina USA

P.S. Israel, Pakistan, Nigeria, Canada, Ireland...here I come. Just for starters.

P.O. Box 414  Pineville, NC USA

loveforhispeople@gmail.com

www.loveforhispeople.blogspot.com

Retirement letter to my secular employer. My next assignment is coming real soon! Steve Martin

My accountant's desk at Charlotte Center City Partners
Charlotte, NC  May 30, 2017

May 30, 2017

Tuesday, 8:24 am

Charlotte, NC

Greetings fellow crew members,

I have good news to share!

Effective Dec. 31, 2017, my "Retirement of Employment" here at Charlotte Center City Partners will occur. As my becoming “even more senior” happens on November 23, with 63 candles inflaming the double chocolate, extra frosting cake I will have, there are a few other things yet assigned for me to do before I am heaven bound.

What a blessing those days to come will be! Think of this - all of Charlotte and TV land will be celebrating my birthday and retirement too, as I drive another dignitary up Tryon during the Thanksgiving Day Parade (unless Grandpa K has Steve Martin as the Grand Marshall and I ride along as his mini-Grand!) 

Leaving this ever-changing 501 ©4 after four years, eight months on staff (and eight months as a contractor prior to April 29, 2013) as the accountant for all three organizations Eleni and I account for, will give Megan a new neighbor at some point, while Klint will be seeing a different hair color other than silver across the cubicle from him. (Maybe he likes blonde, brunette or red better?) I am sure Eleni and her HR department will find a good replacement to fill my numbers chair.

My heart's desire has always been to be back once again in Christian ministry most hours of my day. After serving 24 years, from 1987 - 2010, with three international ministries (Derek Prince Ministries, Mahesh Chavda Ministries /All Nations Church with Bonnie Chavda) and Vision for Israel and The Joseph Storehouse (Barry & Batya Segal) in Fort Lauderdale and Charlotte, as the USA Director or the Director of Administration and Finance, I have prayed for it to happen. It has always been my passion to reach the nations with His Good News. (I like Sam, the “Jesus Shouter” on the Charlotte Center City streets! He certainly has Good News!)

When Laurie, my good wife of 40 years (Oct. 7, 2017) and I founded our ministry, Love For His People, Inc. in April of 2010, I was believing that that would be my life’s work from that point on. But for the last seven years, the good Lord took me on a side journey, which is why I am grateful to Moira, Eleni and Jovonna for allowing me to serve with you at CCCP, CCCP-Community Trust and the 7th Street Public Market. But now the time has come to complete the plans set before me. 

After my 14th journey to Israel this month of May, with previous adventures to China, England, France, Germany, India, Canada, Spain and Trinidad and Tobago...I will once again be adding frequently to my frequent flyer miles’ travel log. Good thing I have a valid new 10-year passport with plenty of visa pages to again be imprinted!

Before I finish this “book”, I want to give you each a special gift. If you like to read good books, I will leave behind a copy of each of my 14 books in Eleni’s personal library of mine, sitting atop her cabinet in her office. (I would give her more but I know space is a premium in there and I don’t want her to be crowded out.) But check in and see the choices. Or you can get them all on Amazon and Kindle. (All purchased book proceeds go to Love For His People, Inc., but you could get a free copy from me.)

It has been a joy in serving my Lord Jesus Christ while I have been with all of you, and at the same time being a blessing to the good people of Israel and the nations. Maybe on the way to the airport sometime I’ll stop back in and greet you.

Until then, you still have me here for another seven months.

Be blessed in your calling,

Steve

P.S. Chris will be looking for another office dad. Any candidates?

P.S.S. To those who have the privilege of racking up their credit card purchases each month, please get your reports back to me on time. I know who you are. All 14 of you! I still will be doing them each month, until Eleni hands that off to the next blessed person! J

My contact info:

Love For His People, Inc.   P.O. Box 414  Pineville, NC 28134

USA Non-profit 501(c)3   Fed. ID #27-1633858

E-mail: loveforhispeople@gmail.com and martinlighthouse@gmail.com

Facebook pages: Steve Martin  and  Love For His People       

Twitter: martinlighthous,  LovingHisPeople, LoveHisPeople  and ahavaloveletters

Blogger: http://loveforhispeople.blogspot.com        

YouTube: Steve Martin (loveforhispeopleinc)

Website: www.loveforhispeople.org

Blog: Love For His People website

Love For His People PayPal Gifts (secure giving online): LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE PayPal account

Steve’s published books. Fourteen and counting!

My home bookcase

 My latest one, published May 22, 2017

Thank you Lord!

  

Steve Martin

Accountant

smartin@charlottecentercity.org

200 S. Tryon Street, Suite 1600  |  Charlotte, NC 28202

P: 704.268.3409  F: 704.342.1233

www.charlottecentercity.org  |  www.findyourcenter.com

Remember your prophetic words? Praying them through? Steve Martin, Love For His People

Love For His People Editor's Note: More and more the Lord will be speaking and directing us in the days ahead, through supernatural gifts and methods. And Lord knows we need it!

Are you still believing Him for the words He spoke to you? Last month, last year, 10 or 20 years ago? 

I encourage you to re-read or re-listen to the ones you have. You will need them. And as you receive them in the future, write them down, record them, and pray through them.

Below is a word I received four years ago. It is coming to fulfillment now, as I note behind each one. I share this with you in order to encourage you in the word that was given to you.

Shalom,

Steve Martin

Love For His People

P.S. For those who think these Holy Spirit gifts were for only the first century believers, I fear you are missing a lot of what the Lord has for you now.

Prophetic Words to Steve Martin

Jan. 22, 2010

Global Kingdom Business Conference at MorningStar Ministries

Friday, 6 pm    Prophetic Team - Becky, Morgan, KJ (all in their late teens or early twenties)

Morgan:  What I get, is that I just great sense of happiness, kind of like a personality that a lot of people want to be around. I feel like you bring this into your business which sets the atmosphere for the whole place. It makes it a fun place to be.

Becky: I really felt that you have a real gift for college student age people. I felt that you were somebody in a university setting, an opportunity to really be an impact in. I felt that you were going to be somebody who was going to teach in those places, somebody that could impart knowledge that you had gained from the world, from being in business, being successful, and that you could go and impart that to students. That might be an opportunity the Lord is opening up for you to do. (Steve: I now work with interns in the business office.)

KJ:  I saw you have great management with your team members, people on your team and people in your employment. You are a great manager because you are encouraging instead of demanding. They really feel  that you care about them, and they in return care about  you. You both support each others’ visions in life, for the business itself as well. (Steve: I speak a lot about leading and managing people in my 3rd book, LEADERSHIP THROUGH LOVE - Martin Lighthouse Publishing, 2013)

Morgan:  There is a strong anointing on your business, and I feel that God is going to even expand that and make it bigger, and use you in a huge way to … expand it and keep blessing you and keep pouring on the anointing.

Becky:  I felt like the Lord is saying there is a holiday (vacation) coming.  You and your wife are going to go away and spend some time together and enjoy a rest time. I feel like it has been a crazy time of work, a lot going on, a lot of things you have been involved in, and that He is going to bless you with a really nice vacation. (Steve - we were able to go to Boston on our 35th anniversary in 2012.)

KJ:  God told me one time, “Adam saw his world as a garden; Jesus saw His world as kingdom, and we see our world as a business opportunity.” What that means in, your business is going to be a place where the Lord can rest, where people can rest. It is going to have fruit, it is going to have trees, it is going to be a garden. It is going to be a place of rest, it is going to be a place of success.   It is going to expand. It is going to multiply. Much like the calling of Adam and mankind in itself, to subdue and multiply and replenish the earth.  Also replenishing other businesses as well. Kind of taking them under your wing.

Becky: You have a very good head for numbers, for problem solving, and that you are somebody that can take a situation that looks difficult and you can find a solution for it. Other people come to you as a consultant for problem solving for solutions, to find solutions. You are going to be, the Lord is continuing you in, He’s gifted you in. He really is blessing that. (Steve: My "day job" is as an Accountant in the marketplace. These giving me this word didn't know that. I also give advice to those with ministries.)

Have you come from a different state to be here? Have you travelled? I really felt that He was telling me that there was a state, a very northern state, northwest of here. There is a connection for you there. I felt that you were  travelling there, that you have done or a travelling that you are going to do to that place. I feel like it may be something He is giving you an opportunity in, that He is releasing. There is going to be a person there, like a contact for you there, that you are really going to be able to connect with. (Steve: This one was very exciting for me. I see it happening this month - March, 2014.)

I encourage you to keep on believing. We serve a faithful God.

Steve Martin