About

The author, Dr. Ernest S. Martin, grew up on a large ranch in North Dakota where his family had a dairy and raised both commercial and registered Herefords. They grew wheat, durum, barley, oats, and alfalfa hay. Growing up on a farm and ranch gave Ernest insight into the Scriptures as many illustrations in the Word of God are related to sheep, goats, and growing grain. 

While in high school, Ernest studied a curriculum geared to an engineer but changed to veterinary medicine at North Dakota State University. He received his DVM from Oklahoma State University. While doing post-doctoral research at OSU, he met his wife, Jan, who was doing graduate work in chemistry. They were married eleven weeks later in 1966. 

After moving to Dallas, Texas, Ernest eventually had his own animal hospital. He received Jesus as his Savior on August 21, 1970, and soon started an outreach Bible study for hippies. This outreach became a church that Ernest pastored while still practicing veterinary medicine. After selling his veterinary practice at age sixty-two, he went to firefighter school and became a volunteer firefighter, and he is currently the chaplain of Melissa Fire Department. Ernest and his wife, Jan, have four sons, five granddaughters, and one grandson.

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Dr. Ernest S Martin is best described in the words of Bryan Wayne Stucky:

"For a period of time, I think that I perceived Dr. Martin as a person born with an additional superhuman gene that-for some unexplained, providential reason— had been withheld from the rest of us struggling to make spiritual sense of our lives. How else could a man remain diligent, humble, and above reproach, all the while juggling a stable marriage, four active boys, a deep relationship with God, a successful full-time veterinary practice, and the pastorate of a small nondenominational church in the heart of Dallas, Texas? I would learn-to my surprise that this seeming paragon had, in fact, sprung from the same pitiable protoplasm as my own self, with all of the inherent flaws and weaknesses of mankind. No, there was no great moral failure required on his part for me to come to this revelation, just a gradual recognition that this man quite reasonably took no credit for the supernatural moving of God in his life a man who spoke far more highly of his talented and faithful wife than he would ever think of speaking of himself. I recall one Wednesday evening when he opened a service so totally exhausted from a busy day at his hospital that he closed his eyes and began-to the loving and familial chuckles of the small group in attendance to bless the "food." But God had indeed prepared the table, and this reluctant prophet proceeded to bring another powerfully anointed message. The secret? It became evident that this country boy from North Dakota-who frequently performed pastoral counselling in between surgeries on dogs and cats—had stumbled upon a disturbingly primitive spiritual formula. He had learned to simply trust God. Reserved in public but bold in pulpit, he would often relate the words God had spoken to his spirit at the beginning of his ministry: "I want you to forget every doctrine and tradition of men that you have ever been taught, and I will teach you Myself out of My Word." The result has been an unselfish, Word-centered life and ministry both in and outside of the Church with consequences that have been eminently practical and life-changing for many of us."

               ~Bryan Wayne Stuckey

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