"The Lord has sought out a man after His own heart... [for] the Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 13:14; 16:7

Lu Jack and Cathi Martinez

David was a "man after God's own heart." He experienced the power of the Spirit in his confrontation with Goliath, through his many victories as a commander in Saul's army, and later in his conquests as the king of Israel. Yet, there were times of moral failure as in his sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11) and his counting of Israel. (2 Samuel 24) Ensuingly, there were terribly hurtful times David caused in his own family. In particular with his son Absalom, who in bitterness over his sister's un-dealt with rape, dethroned his father, David. Absalom swayed all the hearts of Israel with the undermining message, "I will lead you more righteously." (2 Samuel 15) Yet David's clear repentance and restoration to God is expressed in Psalm 51, "Create in me a pure heart, O God...restore to me the joy of your salvation...Then I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners will turn back to you...The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."David was a "man after God's own heart," not because of perfection, but that in his sin and failure, he repents, turns to God, and God in His incomparable mercy forgives and reinstates David as king of Israel. Lu Jack and Cathi Martinez have the same heart as David. Therefore today, they are reinstated to once again serve our Lord as Evangelist and Women's Ministry Leader in God's Kingdom.

Luis J. "Lu Jack" Martinez was born in East Los Angeles on May 15, 1964 to "Big Lou" and Leilani Martinez. Big Lou is Latino and Leilani is from Samoan-Tongan and Scotch-Irish stock, so Lu Jack's early years were filled with very diverse family memories and traditions! Lu Jack played football and graduated with English Literature and Economics degrees from Claremont-Pitzer College in Los Angeles. Then he was accepted into Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he received a master's degree in Business-Government Relations. It was during this time that the Holy Spirit moved in his heart through studying the Scriptures with disciples from the Boston Church of Christ. Lu Jack was baptized, December 12, 1986!

In 1989, Lu Jack came "home" to Los Angeles on the LA Mission Team sent out from the Boston Church. In 1990, he left the office of Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley and a speech-writing career to go into the full-time ministry. Lu Jack was first appointed an Evangelist in 1993 in the challenging Cross and Switchblade Ministry in South Central LA.

Philip, Christine, and L.T.

That same year, I was privileged to preside over the wedding of Lu Jack and the "girl of his dreams," Cathi Fountain! As of today, they have three awesome children: L.T. (13), Christine (8) and Philip (5).

Cathi Fountain was born in Phoenix, Arizona on April 18, 1970. She was raised by her mom Sandra, a Navajo-Hopi Native American, and her wonderful stepfather, Tommy Gaines, a gallant African American man. She graduated from Mount St. Mary's College of Los Angeles with a degree in Gerontology, where she was on the cross-country team. (That's one reason it was so hard for Lu Jack to catch her!) It was during the first three months of the LA Mission Team planting that Cathi was baptized on November 22, 1989. One year later needing a place to live, Cathi moved in with Elena, our three kids and me. While living with us, Cathi helped start the Los Angeles Teen Ministry. In those days, she became a "second daughter" to Elena and me and a big sister to our children. This sense of family has lasted throughout all these years. In 1993, Cathi was appointed Women's Ministry Leader while serving in the Cross and Switchblade Ministry.

Tommy & Sandra Gaines and the Gaines Family

During their years in the full-time ministry, Lu Jack and Cathi served, collectively, in the West Region, the AMS Region, the Cross and Switchblade Ministry in the South Central Region, the South Bay Region, the East Region, and led the Whittier, Palm Springs and Bakersfield Sectors of the LA International Church of Christ. They also zealously served as missionaries to Mexico City and as Region Leaders for the Inland Empire. (It's easy to see how Lu Jack was moved to write The Glory Song, which chronicles the early years of the LA ICOC as well as "prophesying" our meeting in the Rose Bowl in 1998 and "evangelizing the world in our day!")

Lu Jack baptizing his father

As disciples, they not only impacted so many through their ministry, but Lu Jack has baptized all the members of his immediate family: his mom, dad, his brother "Bear" and his sisters, Laura and Laurice. Cathi's life and words inspired both of her parents and two of her sisters, Tommi Lynn and Gail, to become baptized disciples. Excitingly, at the City of Angels Church's inaugural service May 6, Cathi's parents were restored to Christ!

In 2001 Satan tragically struck down this amazing couple through sin. They resigned in shame, moving back to Lu Jack's parents' house in Whittier where Lu Jack and Cathi repented and strove to recover. Since the Martinez' no longer had jobs or career experiences, they faced severe financial hardship. In time, Lu Jack became a successful financial advisor and real estate agent and Cathi would become a substitute teacher.

By 2003, God's grace allowed them to begin leading the Whittier Sector of the LA ICOC. However, times continued to be spiritually and financially difficult, as the Martinez' grew more and more discontent with many of the changes—and lack of change—in the ICOC that have lulled so many congregations into lukewarmness. According to Lu Jack, "My wife and I were slowly perishing spiritually for lack of vision and discipling." When the City of Angels Mission Team arrived from Portland to Los Angeles, Cathi asked Lu Jack, "For my birthday, can we visit ‘Kip and Elena's church?'" The Martinez' were so inspired by the service and LT's excitement to find fired-up teens, that two weeks later they placed membership! Cathi when she shares about her decision to place membership says, "That's the day my faith was restored!"

Since those days in May, Lu Jack and Cathi have helped so many who have fallen away from God to return to Him, as well as helping several "walk aways from the ICOC" find a new church home. From their efforts, new Bible Talks have been created in Sun Valley with the Mejia's placing membership, Palm Springs with the restoration of Sameer and Loidy Frenzley, in Bakersfield with the addition to our congregation of the Pearces and Ostrovskis, and soon a new Bible Talk will begin in Rancho Cucamonga with Cathi's parents as two of the workers. Paul stated, "To the weak I became weak to win the weak." (1 Corinthians 9:22) God's mercy has restored Lu Jack and Cathi in their salvation and now in their leadership. What they have been through in hurt, pain and dishonor made them weak; but God has used this grave tragedy to produce an even greater and more glorious victory of so many restored to Christ.

The McKean Family and Lu Jack and Cathi on the Martinez Wedding Day

Though David's sin and Absalom's ensuing rebellion caused his fall and failure in the eyes of men, God looked at David's repentant heart and restored him to leadership. Today, Elena and I are honored to reinstate the Martinez' to their God-given destinies as Evangelist and Women's Ministry Leader. Though the City of Angels Church cannot at this time pay them, they have more than proven to be trustworthy and effective "partners in the gospel." Like Paul in his tent-making days, we believe the Martinez' will be a tremendous example to married disciples with children, living a fruitful and effective Christian life, as well as maintaining a godly marriage and happy family. Let us all determine to be more like our Father in heaven, uncompromising with sin and full of grace and forgiveness to the sinner. Pray that our God will raise up a movement led by restored souls whose gratefulness for His mercy will propel the gospel around the world in this generation. And to God be the glory!

Kip McKean
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