Jerry Martin’s
Testimony
February 4, 2009
I am sixty five years old, born July 29, 1943 and
born again at the age of 24 February 26, 1968.
I have been married to Kaye Hefner Martin since July 11, 1963 and
usually remember our anniversary. Next
to my rebirth in Christ nothing better has ever happened to me than being
married to Kaye. God has blessed this
marriage in spite of who I was and who I am.
I have two beautiful born again daughters, two born again son-in-laws
and six wonderful born again grandchildren. I thank God continually that He has
given me second chances with Him, my wife, my children and now my grandchildren. Children are gifts from God; I thank God for
those special gifts.
I would like to testify that I have always walked
close with the Lord but I cannot. After
becoming a Christian I was a fired up for about six months, then began a great
backsliding. My falling away continued
almost without interruption for nine years, and then in the summer of 1976 the
Lord had His angels keep me from almost certain death in an automobile
accident. God was just beginning a true
awakening in my life. I began to allow
the Holy Spirit to work in my life, but soon I once again began to
backslide. My failures as a husband and
father nearly cost me my family. My wife
and both of my daughters had better than just cause, to dislike me, perhaps
even hate me. Again my Lord rescued me
from certain disaster. God finally had
my undivided attention in 1982 and I began to serve Him as best I could. I began to read my Bible, my wife and I
attended Bill Gothard Seminars, Don Miller came to our church and taught us
about prayer. I began a daily prayer
life and Bible Study!
In May 1985 I quit the Insurance
business after twenty years as a successful agent and manager. Too young to draw retirement I opened my own
business and really began to spend quality time with my Lord and family. Just four months later the Lord allowed a
series of burglaries and thefts to totally destroy us financially, at least
according to the world's standards. But
our God is so good; He provided for our every financial need. When we begin to serve the Lord we can count
on attacks from Satan, it is scriptural.
But, we can always count on Romans 8:28 “And we
know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who
are the called according to his purpose.”
In 1986 during a Bill Gothard Advanced Seminar, God
revealed my Holy Spirit Gift of Prophesy. No, I do not predict the future but I
do see God’s word in black and white and without error or compromise. I
recognized my gift of prophecy because of all the fleshly traits I exhibited as
a prophet. I pray God will continue to
instruct and mature me out of those negative traits. Since 1986 Jesus has revealed my Ministry
Gift of Teaching and God the Father has showered me with the Power Gifts of
Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Healing, Miracles, Prophecy, Discernment,
Apostleship, Teaching, Helps and Government just as He has determined.
On May 31, 1992 I had a heart attack and eight days
later I died, yes died, but God had other plans for me. God sent His angels once again to rescue me. The hospital successfully shocked my heart
back into rhythm. Can you believe my
heart stopped beating again three days later (moments after I had an
opportunity to lead a nurse to the Saving Grace of Jesus Christ.) again I was
clinically dead? Hospital attendants say
they literally forgot how many times they shocked my heart trying to get me
back. This time I clearly remember an
angel (She was in the flesh, a God fearing nurse) praying over me as doctors
and nurses frantically tried to revive me.
God gave me a vision while these medical people were
trying to revive me, I saw myself lying on the hospital bed when three slick
looking dudes (I can't think of a better description.) came strutting in. They were Satan's angels coming to take my
life. Suddenly the door burst open and
in walked three more angels, but these were God's angels. The room became so bright with the light the
angels brought with them, it blinded Satan's angels. There were no words spoken by God’s angels
except "He is ours". The battle
for my life began. Guess who won? God is
always in control and always limits Satan and his army. I was life flighted to
I stand before you today a sinner saved by Grace
proclaiming yet one more truth from God; discover God’s plan for your life and
discover your Spiritual gifts. Begin to exercise His plan and those gifts for
Him. Use those gifts first in your home,
then in your church, at work, at play, wherever the Lord sends you. Don't brag about your ministry or gifts just
use them. Christians who do not know
God’s plan for their lives and do not know their gifts are spiritually
miserable and I believe outside the will of God.
In 1991 God allowed me to write a marriage study entitled
“The Oneness of Marriage”. In the past Kaye
and I have led this study at our church and/or at other area churches. I still learn more than those do in
attendance, another law of God. It is
impossible to out give Jesus. Kaye and I
been involved in marriage counseling since 1991 and have seen many marriages
healed. None of which we take any
credit, but to God be the Glory. So am I perfect? No, far from it, on a scale on one to ten
compared to Jesus, I don’t even come up to a good one! But I am
saved.
Thank you, for taking time to get to know me a
little better, and you had better begin to like me, (no Agape love me is what
God commands), because if you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior you’re going
to spend eternity with me. See you
there!
Because He Lives,
Jerry Martin