Part 7 Out of the Darkness Into the Light The USS Texas (CGN 39) Norfolk, VA

Part 7

Out of the Darkness into the Light

Dr. Alan N. Keiran

The USS Texas (CGN 39), Norfolk, Virginia

In early September 1980 Sally and I were blessed by the Navy packing us out of our little apartment and moving is to a three bedroom home on the grounds of Norfolk Naval Base. Since I would be deploying on the USS Texas over the next thirty months, we prayed for quarters on base so Sally and Jennifer would have great security and meet other military families…. We also asked the Lord for a glassed in porch, garden plot, play area, and other things. As I remember this, we had a list of 10 prayer requests and the Lord answered them all.

My first day aboard the Texas was a radical departure from anything I’d ever encountered before. The former Texas’ Chaplain had fallen down a ladder and broken his shoulder and was sent ashore….The interim Chaplain was a seasoned veteran and as Spirit filled mighty man of God. After meeting the Captain and the Executive Officer I was given a tour of the ship. The second day I was asked to visit the Senior Enlisted “Goat Locker,” as it is called. I was given a cup of “Joe,” and introduced to 30 of the most educated and motivated men I’d met. 

My first day aboard the Texas was a radical departure from anything I’d ever encountered before. The former Texas’ Chaplain had fallen down a ladder and broken his shoulder and was sent ashore….The interim Chaplain was a seasoned veteran and as Spirit filled mighty man of God. After meeting the Captain and the Executive Officer I was given a tour of the ship. The second day I was asked to visit the Senior Enlisted “Goat Locker,” as it is called. I was given a cup of “Joe,” and introduced to 30 of the most educated and motivated men I’d met.

During that initial meeting with the Senior Enlisted Crew members I was asked a question by the Senior Master Chief Petty Officer. He asked me where I was with the Lord. I said, “I love Jesus with all my heart and I will serve this crew to the best of my ability.” The group seemed to relax as I said that. What came next was awake up call to me….The Master Chief said, “That’s great! Because the chaplain we lost in an accident was not a man of God. We may not attend your services but we know that you will take care of our sailors.” 

The next day I met a group of Christian sailors who had been praying for a Spirit-filled Chaplain…..Over my 28+ months we were away from home 15 months. During that time I baptized over 30 crew members. The highlight of my time on Texas was our six and a half month Mediterranean deployment seeing Italy, meeting Sally in Genoa and skiing the Alps but it was also the lowest of lows because my Dad died of Lou Gehrig’s disease.  I was flown home to attend his funeral. I was amazed at how crowded the church was. The biggest blessing of my life was leading my dad to Christ before I left for the Med.

During our time in Norfolk we had open house for the Christians on board ship. During that time we experience our first deliverance. One of our crew members had attended a satanic “mass,” and had uncontrollable “voices” coming out of his mouth in public places. It took a while for him to admit to this, but on the night he finally consented to let us pray for him he was completely set free of demonic influence. He left the ship soon after to finish a bachelor’s degree. He tracked me down two years later to tell me that he was now a Naval officer and still demon free. PTL!

After our big deployment we had a few weeks leave and then. I am still in touch with my Texas roommate Jim Tortorelli who is still a mighty man of God. The Lord was present on the ship and in the hearts of our band of brothers.

How to Soar For God

Dr. Alan N. Keiran, Dunamis7.com                       11/7/13

How to Soar For God

Psalm 1:1-3 (NLT)

“Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
    or stand around with sinners, join in with mockers.
² But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.
³ They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.”

Power Points….

1.       Don’t listen to the counsel of godless people, listen to what the Word of God says and practice it.

2.       Avoid unholy company. Seek friends that love Jesus and live for his glory!

3.       Don’t let society dictate your thoughts and desires. Make God’s word your most trusted counselor.

4.       Remember God’s promise: Vs 3. “If you do these things you will be like trees planted along a river bed and you will bear much fruit.”

The Fruit of the Spirit is “the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. There is no law against these things!” (Galatians 5:22-23.)

God bless you…..

Alan

Part 6 Out of the Darkness into the Light Dr. Alan N. Keiran

Part 6

Out of the Darkness into the Light

Dr. Alan N. Keiran

Eastern Baptist Seminary Graduation

I graduated from Eastern Baptist Seminary on May 20, 1979, with Sally, my mother and dad, my brothers and sisters in attendance. David and Brian help us pack and load our belongings in a rented truck and drive with me from there to Northern, NY. I was ordained by Reverend Jagger at the First Baptist Church of Amherst on May 27^th of that year. I was already commissioned as a Naval Reserve Chaplain and assigned to a Chaplains unit in Albany, New York about 30 miles from our small apartment in Saratoga Springs, NY.

My first church, Old Stone Church in West Milton, NY is a church-plant from the First Baptist Church of Ballston Spa, also an American Baptist Church. We with about 45 hardy souls. Most of the men were hunters, fishermen, snow mobile enthusiasts, and rugged souls who challenged me to split wood, and stretch a bit and love then as they were. It was hard at first, but January 1980 the Holy Spirit changed my whole perceptive on life and ministry.

In that frigid northern climate the Lord warmed my heart for my flock. I knew that I had a call to be a Navy Chaplain, but my denomination required 3 years of full time ministry. By mid-January I was burned out and ready to get out the ministry. Nothing I was doing in the church was working out. My Bible study that started with a dozen souls was down to me and my wife. I actually told the Lord that I’d rather go back to work in a grocery store than deal with the unbelievers in our church. My immaturity and self-pity had closed my heart to the needs of my flock. I felt like I was dying.

But God was on the move. I cried out to God for help and had amazing supernatural experience. That morning I was so low that I could barely make it through a day.  I was in deep prayer with tears washing down my cheeks. I said to the Lord, “Father, I don’t know what to do. I have no idea how to be a pastor. Show me how to love these people and how to preach with power. I can’t do this without your help.

A minute later I felt the power of the Holy Spirit come over me and then I felt warm oil pouring over my head and glowing down my cheeks. An amazing power came over me and I was giddy with live for God and my flock! I was blasted by God’s Agape.

The next weekend I preached without notes and had so much power coming from me that some folks were shaken. The devil wasn’t happy about the new me! A few weeks later I was called to come to the senior deacon’s home. After a few minutes she said, “The main contributors of our church don’t like the way you are preaching. We can’t afford to lose them but we can afford to lose you!”

My reply may seem disrespectful, but I said, “I am preaching exactly what the Lord as asked me to preach. If you need to fire me I won’t harbor any malice against you or the board. But I will not compromise at all.”

The next Sunday the senior deacon and her family didn’t come to church. The following Sunday right before my sermon stood up and walked to the front of the church. I was expecting to be relived of my duties, but God had another plan. Instead of calling for a vote to fire me, she said, “Last Sunday we worshiped at Rev. Elliot’s Church (Our church was a daughter church of his) and he is preaching the same message our pastor is preaching so you better listen to him.”

What a relief! Soon after that trying day the Lord brought a host of disabled men and women and their caretakers to the church and we grew in one week by 40 percent. A few weeks later the Lord told me to submit my Navy active duty application. I had no idea that I’d be on active duty just a few months because the chaplain of the USS Texas would have an accident. Leaving the church was a sad and glad time for Sally and me….Because my call to ministry was to be an active duty Navy Chaplain.

Missions Trip Praise Report

March Mission Trip Praise Report

(From Rev. Dr. Alan Keiran): The Lord is so good! Our third trip to India was the best yet! We had 6 adults on our team - Robin and Kay Smith, friends from VA, Kurt Pfotenhauer, our Board Treasurer, and his brother David, a dentist and worship leader from Indiana. 

After a short layover in Dubai we jetted to the closest international airport to our final destination. We were picked up by our hosts and whisked 4 hours to Hotel River Bay for our third visit there. Hotel and wait staff greeted us as friends and couldn't be more helpful. We dove into greetings with the Light Home kids and had a wonderful time. Ministry with widows, pastors, those with leprosy was awesome…I saw about a dozen miraculous healings among the widows I prayed for. 

The most exciting one was an elderly woman with cataracts. God replaced her cloudy lenses with brand new lenses—all in about 30 seconds…PTL. We are now over our colds caught on the way back to the USA. I pray that those God touched with healing will testify that the Lord is our healer!! Amen 

(From Rev. Sally): Thank you so much for undergirding us with your prayers.We felt the prayer support and greatly appreciate prayer covering. It was essential. love, Alan, Sally, Kay, Robin, Kurt, David

Divine Appts. – During 8 hr layover in Dubai Intern’l Airport – Sally had boldness to share with our 2 Airline Agents testimonies of God’s work in the world today … the reality of Jesus as Living Savior of mankind… and His Healing/Miracles working power. 2 seatmates during flights were Indian Christians (a blessing); 1 seatmate was Neonatal Doctor from Sudan – all heard of the reality of our living God and His mighty works around the world today. Alan witnessed several times to waiters at our hotel’s restaurant.

Sharing Jesus’ love with Orphans – We had 3 wonderful days at the Light home sharing Bible stories, making crafts and seeing the children receive God’s love through love gifts we brought and creative balloon animals. They had never seen balloon creatures. David became very skilled after making 68! Lol. ~ Our team prayed for the 4 HIV Children (Eshwar, Mohan, Devi and Ramya) asking God’s healing power to completely restore them. Believe with us that they’ll be healed! All the children and staff received blessing prayer for Jesus’ love and grace to touch their lives for His glory.

Rural Pastors Encouraged and Blessed – Our team spoke messages given by the Holy Spirit to about 40 pastors who work in remote areas. Many make very little money and yet serve faithfully proclaiming Christ. Some are threatened, some have been beaten. We anointed these pastors and asked God to release signs and wonders through their ministry as in the Book of Acts. We told them in America we are hearing of their work – that God is bringing Revival to India. That news blessed them. 

Seeing Jesus Heal the Sick and Widows Receive God’s Grace – As Alan mentioned above, God released healing power during the Women’s Meeting with many widows present. Healing flowed to overcome shoulder pain, leg weakness, chronic pain, arm pain, cataracts, fear and emotional pain gone in the power of Jesus’ name. David and Kurt were used by God to bring great emotional healing to the women as they witnessed Jesus’ compassion releasing them from sorrow, and healing broken hearts.

Blessing the Victims of Leprosy – Just as the compassion of Jesus flowed from the men as they ministered to the widows, Kay and I shared the love of Jesus with the lepers and tears flowed as our hearts almost broke over their condition and poverty. Kay spoke beautiful words of encouragement to them, and we both prayed over them, touching all 50 of those gathered. I stayed during their meal and was profoundly moved in being able to offer a cup of cold water to an elderly women who was missing fingers. Looking into her eyes made me see Jesus – as he said, “Whatever you do to the least of these you do to me.” I (Sally) wept.

Testimonies of God’s Mighty Works – Since our previous trips, we heard that one of the HIV boys is much stronger now. ~ The spiritual Dad of the 3 brothers, Pastor John Moses works so zealously sharing Christ, and he shared that most of his village people are now Christians, Praise the Lord! ~ 2 years ago on our last trip, I shared with the leprosy victims of Jesus’ suffering and glory (the message which resulted in my book). A number became Christians after hearing this message.

Prayer Requests –

Pray – for continued spreading of the Gospel in outlying villages where the rural pastors minister.

Pray – for blessing of the Light Home and staff who work so tirelessly to care for the children

Pray - for 4 HIV children and 2 with Asthma to be healed

Pray - speedy translation of Sally’s Book on Suffering. One of the brothers believes God will use this book to bless many, as they understand their suffering in context of God’s Redemptive purposes.

Pray – for supernatural healing of leprosy victims and for future home for them where they can have dignity restored and not have to live in huts or without shelter

Pray – that God would continue to heal the broken hearts of the widows (in India widows do not remarry – a sad reality of this culture)

Pray – outpouring of Holy Spirit and revelation of Jesus Christ as Savior for all mankind

Pray - complete recovery of team, there are some residual health issues with some of team maybe from anti-malaria medicine taken

“The whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.”

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Part 5 Holy Spirit Baptism

A week later my friend Chuck gave me a copy of Merlin Carothers’ book “Prison to Praise.” Since Merlin was a military chaplain I read it in right away.  I noted that he wrote about Holy Spirit Baptism…Something I never heard of in any of my seminary classes. The next day my friend, the only Pentecostal in our seminary, came into the bookstore as I was unpacking boxes.

I asked him what Holy Spirit Baptism was and he said, “I need to go out but I’ll be back soon.” An hour later he handed me Don Basham’s book, “Handbook on Holy Spirit Baptism.” I read the book in three days. That afternoon mu wife and I sat down on our living room couch and I said to the Lord, “Father, I am not moving off this couch until I am baptized in the Holy Spirit. So please make it obvious to me”.

The next thing I knew I was in a vision seeing Jesus from the back with his right arm around my neck as we both gazed at the huge mountain before us. As I was watching this I saw Jesus at the top of the mountain with his arm around my neck looking down the mountain. I saw a trail that stretched from the bottom to the top of the mountain and I was impressed by the Holy Spirit I would have a very long journey of ministry and that Jesus would be with me all the way.

Then a very amazing thing happened, I witnessed the “path” that I saw spanning from the top of the mountain to the bottom detach from the mountain and become a ticker tape with non-descript words on it. (As a cryptologist I used a similar type of tape to send messages to headquarters.)

I started reading the “words” on the tape and I felt as if my feet left the ground. Then the Lord shoed me another vision. I say a huge lake filled with crystalline “water” radiating the love of God. Then I saw a huge waterfall where the glory-like water was falling 500 feet or more and below there were people in the splash of the glory dancing and singing praises to God.

Then I realized that there were many thousands of lifeless people that had not yet come into the expanding waves of glory. They were “frozen” in place, but when the glory touched them they too became praising God and filled with the Holy Spirit. I am still not sure what all this means, but I know that the Lord has shown me something wonderful. 

Part 4. My Call to Ministry

After our marriage and a move to Amherst, MA for me to complete my senior year of college, we joined First Baptist Church there. Rev. Dr. Jagger was our spiritual mentor and father in the faith for almost a year. In my first semester of my senior year I was sitting in our living reading the Bible and I heard in my mind the words. “You are going to be a Navy Chaplain.”  I knew it was God and said, “But God I don’t like (Navy) officers. But, Okay, if that’s what you want.” In February of my senior year I was interviewed by my denomination’s endorsing Rev. Jack Barker, and approved for military service.

Seminary

I matriculated at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in the fall of 1976 an economics graduate among many Bible School Graduates. There I was challenged and stretched as a student, part time youth worker, husband, father and Navy Chaplain Candidate. It was the best and worst of times considering that I rarely rested enough and didn’t feel ready to be a pastor.

Naval Chaplain School, Newport, RI

After my second year of seminary, Sally and I packed our yellow VolksWagon beetle and headed for N.T.C. Newport, RI. During that time I was initiated into a culture of very bright, patriotic and God loving men and women who love our nation and its history in peace and war. Eight weeks of early morning exercise and 3 mile runs were almost daily duties prior to our eight hours of weekday instruction on ministry to Sailors, Marines and Coast Guard men and women. I absolutely loved that sometimes grueling exercise and always friendly conversations with peers.  After graduation we drove back to Seminary for my final years of theological training.

Don’t Anger God

In early January 1976 I was severely chastised by the Lord. I was way overloaded in my commitments. I had only one day of partial rest amid all the expectations and commitments I was involved in. It was a Monday night. I was looking forward to watching a football game after a six hours of studying Hebrew, four hours in the bookstore I was managing for the seminary, and little sleep…It was my time to relax…At least that is what I thought!

My wife was not feeling well that night and our 3-month old daughter was fussing. I felt a rush of anger fill me when Sally asked me to help her with some little thing…I was livid! But not for long…..

The next voice I heard was the angry voice of God! I felt his anger…He said, “Turn off you TV and don’t watch for a year!” I immediately took our suitcases out of our little storage closet and packed away the TV….for a year! No kidding!!!!!! 

Out of the Darkness into the Light Part 3

Part 3

Out of the Darkness into the Light

Dr. Alan N. Keiran

Call to Ministry

After our marriage and a move to Amherst, MA for me to complete my senior year of college, we joined First Baptist Church there. Rev. Dr. Jagger was our spiritual mentor and father in the faith for almost a year. In my first semester of my senior year I was sitting in our living reading the Bible and I heard in my mind the words. “You are going to be a Navy Chaplain.”  I knew it was God and said, “But God I don’t like (Navy) officers. But Okay if that’s what you want.” In February of my senior year I was interviewed by my denomination’s endorsing Rev. Jack Barker, and approved for military service.

Seminary

I matriculated at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in the fall of 1976 an economics graduate among many Bible School Graduates. There I was challenged and stretched as a student, part time youth worker, husband, father and Navy Chaplain Candidate. It was the best and worst of times considering that I rarely rested enough and didn’t feel ready to be a pastor.

Naval Chaplain School, Newport, RI

After my second year of seminary Sally and I packed our yellow Volkswagon beetle and headed for NTC Newport. During that time I was initiated into a culture of very bright, patriotic and God loving men and women who love our nation and its history in peace and war. Eight weeks of early morning exercise and 3 mile runs were almost daily duties prior to our eight hours of weekday instruction on ministry to Sailors, Marines and Coast Guard men and women. I absolutely loved that sometimes grueling exercise and always friendly conversations with peers.  After graduation we drove back to Seminary for my final years of theological training.