Oct. 1 Fellowship at Forest Hills

Report of Oct. 1, 2011: Wayne Lawton

It’s getting more and more difficult to write these reports because it seems like every meeting is better than the last and how do you capture the “glory” of the Lord that shines on people’s faces and sings and speaks through their voices.

I led the singing and played the piano and I felt especially animated (is that a good word?) but it was just the joy of the Lord bouncing in my fingers as we sang “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord”; “I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart”; “Lift Jesus higher”; “How Great Thou Art”; “But when He saved my soul, cleansed and made me whole, it took a miracle of love and grace”.

Don Jacobs led with a devotional from Matthew 17 – telling about the transfiguration and how Jesus was exalted above Moses and Elijah – and the cloud came and a voice spoke “This is my beloved Son, hear Him”. Then the disciples in the valley couldn’t cast the demon out of a boy. Jesus simply told them “Bring the boy here to Me”. Don explained that we may not have a boy needing deliverance – but whatever our need, Jesus is saying to us “Bring the NEED here, to ME”. Don copied Oswald Chambers “My Utmost” for October 8th – because the theme was, “Come to me, and I will give you rest”.

Don introduced John & Irene Smucker – they prayed and then gave their story: He grew up in Bird in Hand, PA. John told how they had been touched by revival many times. At the Maple Grove Church Kenneth Good came and preached. At age 19, John, went forward and was saved. Irene (Yoder) Smucker then spoke, she grew up in a farming family. She had 4 older brothers. At first she attended a one room school with mostly Amish students. Then the family moved to Berks County and she was the only Mennonite girl in the school there. She was baptized in the Oley Church but she struggled to live the Christian life.

She began to date Alvin Nissley who had just accepted the Lord. His life was a spiritual challenge to her. But he died in a tragic accident. Later she met John who asked her to marry him. She waited one week to say YES – then one year later they were married.

Then John spoke again “I was not trained in Urban Ministry but the church sent us to plant a church in New York City. It was not easy. If you smiled at people they thought you were ‘nuts’. Another revival was when Billy Graham came to Madison Square Garden for 16 weeks. We served as counselors and in the choir. Our church work didn’t go very well – we only had an average of 12 persons on Sunday.

On May 30,1958 Roy Hession came. Later Joe Church came. Erma Maust was a tenacious person. These people spoke of personal revival. Irene spoke: We were always overwhelmed with lack of funds. Erma Maust came and helped paint their apartment – and then talked about “walking in the light”. She prayed with us and taught us to repent. She came 9 times in 1959.

John mentioned that they had a fellowship meeting at their church on Jan. 31, 1959 and 80 people came. I prayed “Lord, warm my heart”. He began meeting with Glenn Zeager, Paul Burkholder, John Freed for fellowship. This was good and we should have continued to meet – but at times we didn’t.

12 years later I took a 10 month sabbatical at Union Theological Seminary and got a Master’s Degree. The charismatic movement appeared and God met me in my bedroom. I didn’t speak in Pennsylvania Dutch, or in Greek or in Hebrew, but in PRAISE to God!

Irene: Our family grew – we had 3 sons and a daughter. Our church grew in numbers. A number of young volunteers came. The community changed – middle class families began to move away and poorer people came. There were racial tensions. I began to feel depleted, physically, emotionally, spiritually. At school our children couldn’t even go to the bathroom – there was so much violence – they waited til they got home. I tried to teach our sons to trust in the Lord. I prayed for healing and God healed me. I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit – there was joy and scripture came alive again. Isa. 43:1-3 and 43:18 “forget the former things” I walked to church without fear.

John: We left the Bronx in 1979. I taught at Elim Bible Institute. Then we moved back to NYC to start a church in Queens. Sept. 11, 2001 was a terrible time. I asked the Lord “why did this happen?” – and the answer that came to me was “Because America has gotten away from the Lord”. All week long people came to church. I enjoyed leading people to Christ. There is such joy in leading people to Jesus.

The service was opened for testimonies: Mary Lou Lawton shared how God had protected her when they lived in Washington, DC (she could identify with Irene Smucker). Betty Miller gave a word from Philippians to Irene “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”. Ellin Brubaker read from Psalm 82 in The Living Bible – this still speaks to her again and again. Gad Kimani brought greetings from the revival fellowship in Baltimore. He came to receive a word from the Lord today and God had spoken to him. Nancy Longenecker is a two time survivor of cancer and she mentioned Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him”. Ruth Sentz believes we are in the ‘last days’. She wants to keep her ‘first love’for Jesus. Mahlon Hess spoke of his wife, Mary , who suffered a stroke and how she looks forward to his visits every day. Ed Kurtz had known John Smucker in earlier times and enjoyed hearing him today. Marian Heisey said many things but spoke of something that helps people stop smoking. Glenn Stauffer told how his children cover him with prayer – and he has been healed in his back and in his eye. We gave the Lord applause !

In conclusion we laid hands on each other and prayed for each other to be healed and helped in whatever way we have need. To God be the glory ! Wayne Lawton, reporter