Martin Moves to Heaven

Martin and me in 2014

It’s sad when friends of ours die but it’s also a time of rejoicing if they knew the Lord. We will see them again in heaven.

Martin Wishnatsky was born on July 13, 1944 and raised in a conservative Jewish family. Originally from New Jersey, Martin graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts and then earned a Ph.D. in political science from Harvard University. During that time, his professors taught him to believe that God wasn’t real. A turning point happened in 1977 while in Hawaii. A gypsy woman ministered the gospel to Martin. He soon bought a Bible and became a completed Jew.

After a few years working as a stockbroker and computer programmer on Wall Street, Martin moved to my birthplace of Fargo, North Dakota in 1991. He joined the Lambs of Christ, a pro-life group that peacefully protested in front of the state’s only abortion mill and saved the lives of many unborn children. (Ironically, I gave my life to the Lord in 1991 at my sister’s house located just three blocks from that abortion mill.)

Martin and I didn’t meet until 2006. During a temporary return to Fargo, I attended a church where Martin occasionally played his saxophone during worship services. Both of us started Christian radio stations that year (his terrestrial - mine over the Internet). We exchanged CDs to help expand the playlists of our respective stations. Martin hired me a couple of times to do voiceover work for his station.

The following year while back in Fargo for another season, I recorded an interview with Martin. He had just initiated legal action to prevent the removal of a Ten Commandments monument near Fargo City Hall. Perhaps that inspired Martin to attend law school. In 2009, he moved to Lynchburg, Virginia to enroll at Liberty University. While traveling up and down the east coast the following year, I made stopovers in Lynchburg to see Martin. One time he invited me to sit in a Constitutional Law class with him.

After completing his studies, Martin plus two of his Liberty classmates landed jobs with the Alabama Supreme Court in Montgomery. In 2014, I stayed with Martin for a couple of weeks. During which, I taught an evangelism seminar for his church group and also got to meet his employer. Chief Justice Roy Moore had previously lost his job for taking a stand for the Ten Commandments. That later happened again after refusing to acknowledge same-sex marriages in Alabama. Martin then worked for the Foundation for Moral Law founded by Roy and his wife.

Over a year ago, I stopped to see Martin three more times while traveling in between Florida and Texas. He informed me of having health issues but appeared to be doing better after receiving prayer. Then this past Wednesday, one of Martin’s co-workers posted funeral information on Facebook. That’s when I found out Martin passed away the day before. He was 75 years old.

Martin never married nor had any children. However, I’m sure there are young people in heaven thanking him for trying to save their lives on earth. I’m thankful for Martin standing up for righteousness and supporting my ministry. Rewards are waiting for him at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

“Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” - Matthew 25:21

A Eulogy for My Mom

Carolyn Mae Tweiten was born on March 28, 1946. She was the second of five children who grew up in a carpenter’s family in Fargo, North Dakota. In 1963 at the age of 17, Carolyn married Richard Post and gave birth to me the following year. My sister Tanya followed a couple of years later. Because Mom loved animals, there were often one or two dogs plus an occasional cat in the household. She was also a teddy bear fanatic. That made it easy to pick out gifts for Christmas and her birthday.

Carolyn had grown up with a violent alcoholic father. Therefore, she did her best to make sure Tanya and I had a stable environment at home. Mom often played along with various games my sister and me did. A few Saturday mornings, we played school with me being the teacher. Occasionally Mom would knock on my bedroom door saying Tanya needed to be “excused from class” so she could clean her room or do something else.

As we got older, Mom worked outside the house more. One of her jobs was a sales representative for a candy company. Tanya and I got to enjoy a lot of free samples. Another thing I appreciated about my mother was her sense of humor. Whenever Tanya and I did something naughty but wouldn’t fess up, Mom sarcastically declared, “Ol’ Tom is at it again!” (Tom was my imaginary twin brother.) A few years ago while finishing a phone conversation, I told Mom I would “keep her posted” on my happenings. She replied, “Don’t take our name in vain.”

I wasn’t fond of the traditional Lutheran church we attended when my sister and I were little. Still, my mother made sure we said our prayers before going to sleep. If there was a thunderstorm outside, Mom told us God’s angels were bowling (the loudest claps of thunder meant they got a strike). She happened to be an avid bowler and watched the "Pro Bowler's Tour" on TV.

Football was another sport my mother enjoyed. We spent many Sundays watching the Minnesota Vikings on TV. Mom got more emotional about the games than I did. She would jump off the couch and yell at the players while nearly knocking me over in the process. 

Like with my father, Mom and I had spiritual differences after I became born again. She had started watching Dr. Robert Schuller’s “Hour of Power” on TV and gradually drifted into New Age beliefs. Then in the fall of 2012, Mom had a stroke and was moved into an assisted living facility. A few weeks later I returned to Fargo for the holidays. One afternoon (which happened to be “doomsday”), I stopped to see Mom. After we talked for a while, she let me lay hands on her to receive healing. Then I asked if I could lead her in a prayer to receive Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. She agreed and prayed the sinner’s prayer with me.

Mom’s health slightly improved but still remained in hospice for the rest of her life. The last time I saw my mother, I wanted to entertain her somehow. I got out my smartphone and on YouTube played an old comedy routine by Jack Webb and Johnny Carson that we watched years before on “The Tonight Show.” Mom really enjoyed that.

When my dad passed away last month, I perceived Mom would soon do the same (“January” kept coming up in my spirit). Yesterday I was informed she had gone home to be with the Lord. Carolyn Post was 71.

It’s not easy when a close relative dies. However, as Christians, we have the Holy Spirit to comfort us and experience supernatural peace especially if our deceased loved ones were saved. Someday we will be reunited at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. So in the meantime, keep praying and sharing God's love if you still have lost family members.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 

- Acts 16:31

A Eulogy for My Dad

Richard “Dick” Post was born on June 28, 1943, in Hood River, Oregon. His father was stationed there during World War II. The family later moved to Fargo, North Dakota.

After graduating from Fargo Central High and taking some college courses, Dad settled into a career as an interior decorator. Over the years he worked at various furniture stores in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Dad could have made more money as a traveling salesman but opted for jobs that allowed him to come home every night to be with my mother, sister, and me. Often our evenings were spent watching TV and playing an occasional board game. Dad sometimes brought meals home for us such as hamburgers, pizza, and Mexican food. In recent years when I came home for a visit, Dad and I usually ate out at Asian buffets.

During the 1970s, Dad’s work prospered him enough to own three cars including a corvette that he sometimes drove me to school in (to the envy of my classmates). Summer weekends were usually spent at Big Sugar Bush Lake in central Minnesota where we had property with a mobile home and speedboat. My dad won numerous sales contests. Prizes included vacations he took with my mother to Greece, Hawaii, Ireland, Mexico, and Switzerland.

We had our share of family trips. Among them were drives to the Badlands, Canada, and Wisconsin that included a stopover in the Twin Cities to see the Bee Gees in concert. Once we flew out east and saw relatives in the Rochester, New York area where my dad’s parents were originally from. Eight years after that, Dad won another trip to Hawaii and brought us kids along. It was the first time I got to escape freezing temperatures during the winter.

Many boys desire to follow in their father’s footsteps career-wise. That wasn’t really true for me. I worked a few sales jobs but never had an interest in furniture. Dad and I were briefly involved in a couple of business ventures together. One of them was a video recording service that might have succeeded through better marketing. Eventually, I went into the ministry.

Dad and I had disagreements regarding spiritual matters. He was raised in a strict Methodist home but later explored other religions. Still, we occasionally attended the Lutheran church my mother’s family went to and a couple of times visited an Evangelical Free church my sister’s family were part of. Prior to him having open heart surgery in 2008, I asked Dad if he knew Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He said he did. A year later after we had dinner together, Dad told me, “Even though we don’t agree on some things, I’m proud of you for reaching out to others.”

Dad never retired. He continued selling furniture up until a month ago when he was rushed to the hospital for breathing difficulties. Initially, Dad appeared to be recovering. Then last Tuesday, I received a text from my uncle informing me my father had passed away. Richard Post was 74.

For a while, my mind struggled with the certainty of Dad’s eternal destiny. As an evangelist, I desired to hear him make a bolder declaration of knowing Jesus and even hoped we would minister together someday. Talking and praying with friends have since increased my confidence in my earthly father being with our Heavenly Father. It will be interesting to see how Dad’s heavenly home compares to the homes he decorated on earth. 

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 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.” - John 14:1-2

A Eulogy for Leonard

Back in 1995, I became friends with another serious soul winner who was part of the evangelism ministry at Living Word Christian Center in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Leonard Micklin led hundreds to the Lord apart from the church’s scheduled outings. Often when I arrived prior to an outreach or service, Leonard was sitting in the sanctuary confessing the word. I admired his faith in God meeting his needs without having a job or car.

Leonard didn’t seek to promote himself but the gospel. He often wore a baseball cap with the name of Jesus on it and sang praise songs after leading someone to salvation. During one outing in downtown Minneapolis, I was the leader but perceived the Lord wanted Leonard to lead our team for a while. Leonard was reluctant but agreed to do so. Later I learned the heads of the evangelism ministry were already nudging Leonard to become a team leader.

Not long after I started working for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Leonard often said, “Say ‘Hi’ to Billy for me” (I would do so at an employee picnic). Eventually, the Lord directed me to step out and live by faith as well. Leonard and I traded testimonies of provision to encourage each other since we were sometimes criticized by well-meaning Christians for not having “a real job.”

In 1999 the Lord led Leonard to briefly work for a mutual friend’s roofing company. I joined them on one assignment even though my heart wasn’t really into it (I was never fond of manual labor jobs). A short time later, Leonard left the Twin Cities area. For seventeen years I often wondered what happened to him. 

This past Monday night before another Living Word outreach, it was announced Leonard had died at the age of 71. Just before his passing on October 1st, Leonard had served six years as the evangelism pastor at a church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

I’m sure many believers in heaven who came to Christ through Leonard are thanking him for his obedience to the Great Commission. May that be our mission as well.

“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’” - Matthew 25:21