Received Grace

Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, ² which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, ³ concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, ⁴ who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, ⁵ through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, ⁶ among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;⁷ to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ because I have RECEIVED GRACE. When God came into my life, He changed me. He changed my desires, wants, outlook, goals and perspective. He showed me that He loved me and had a plan for my life. I was an insecure child who never lived up to the expectations of those around me. It seems that there was no hope and that I would never please anybody or amount to anything. I understood myself to be stupid and unworthy. I was a complete disappointment to those who knew me. When I began to seek this God of hope, He came to me. He showed Himself to me. My friends and I used to wonder how He could find us in the hills of Tennessee, but He did! God helped me see that Jesus loved me and that with His help, I would always be received in the eyes of the Father. With His love, I would be received for ever and ever. Through the death of His Son Jesus, I received grace and am forever His! He is proud of me! Though the world many wonder why I'm here, God never wondered why He created me. He knew what He was doing and in fact, was pleased. How could one who has RECEIVED GRACE ever be ashamed of the gospel? I do not know!

Today, celebrate with me that I am not ashamed of the gospel because I have RECEIVED GRACE from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Not only is He risen, but He is risen in me!

I pray that you have RECEIVED GRACE as well. If not, His grace is available for you!

Not Ashamed: 16 reasons from Romans 1-16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16, NASB

I've been listening to Dr. Ed Young's sermon podcasts on Romans and reminded of how much this book of the New Testament has to offer. So when Nancy Taylor asked if I'd teach her Life Bible Study class at Houston's First Baptist Church, I was thrilled to hear that they had also been studying Romans. Yesterday, I was blessed to meet this great group of ladies and share with them not only the HeartCall way to present the gospel, but teach them 16 truths (one from each chapter) from Romans on why we are NOT ASHAMED of the gospel of Jesus Christ!

In the months to come, on this blog, I will be posting 16 reasons we are not ashamed and I encourage you to begin reading in Romans and looking for the answer to the question, "Why are we not ashamed of the gospel?"

It's a bit hard to define not ashamed, but the idea here is that because of what Christ did for us, we are not to hide what we believe and why we believe it. If we really know that Christ is alive, we want to tell it. In Romans 1, Paul tells us that we are set apart for the purpose of the gospel (good news of Christ). Because of Christ, we want to tell others! Especially during this Easter season, let's look for ways to get to know people and share with them the difference that Christ makes in our lives!

Start reading Romans and see what you find. I'd love to hear so post it on our Facebook page at Jaye Martin Ministries or send us an email through our website, www.jayemartin.com/contact.

Happy Easter season! He is Risen!

press on press on press on press...

¹² Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. ¹³ Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14, NASB

I don't have hold of it yet, I have not become perfect and my assurance is that I never will! But fortunately, God just wants me to press on! These verses in Philippians 3:12-14 remind me that I am to press on, reach forward, and keep following God's call in my life. I often need to be reminded of this truth.

Tonight I find myself still working on tasks that never seem to end. Just when I think I have finished a project, I find still another error or realize that the artwork is not the correct type of file or that God is correcting my direction. It is easy to be discouraged when the pressures are great. Every day, I feel like I am on The Apprentice and that if I don't figure it out, I will be fired. My hat is off to those who are in the publishing business; I now understand why it takes so long (don't like it, do understand)!

God is reminding me that He has not left me, but He does not want me to leave Him either. He wants me to press on! I just need to look for Him for direction and correction, and depend on Him to help me at every turn. I'm going to forget about what didn't happen today, sleep and press on and trust Him again tomorrow. Will you join me?

HeartCall Tract

"HeartCall Tract"
www.jayemartin.com/shop

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16

When God calls to your heart, answer Him. He loves you, cares for you and wants the best for you. He sent His only son, Jesus Christ, to die so that you might have life. God wants to forgive you of all sin, but you have to let Him. He can give you a new start.

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." 2 Corinthians 5:17

Jaye Martin

The "HeartCall Tract" walks the reader through the gospel message using a heart for HOPE, a cross for BELIEVE, an arrow for TURN, and the word HeartCall for CALL. It is God's plan that you can hope in Him, believe He sent Jesus to die on the cross for you, turn to Him and away from Him, and call on Christ to be your Lord and Savior. These simple truths can and will change your life. Will you trust Him? He is calling from His heart to yours?

Order a package of 50 of the "HeartCall Tract" to give your friends and to use at your church. If you want to know more about being a new believer, download the new believers guide, HeartCall New Heart: What it Means to Believe. You can find both these resources at www.jayemartin.com/shop.

Be not a wimp

“Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.  Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14, NIV).

I was editing some devotionals and ran across this one that I wrote years ago. It slapped me in the face! I thought I'd share it with you.

     Be on your guard.  We are to be ever on the alert.  Always looking for what God is doing and aware of what the enemy might be trying to do.  God want us to be ready for whatever happens.  When we come to Him daily, He can open our eyes to what we need to see.

     Stand firm in the faith.  When you are under attack, don’t budge.  Keep focused on God and not on the problem.  Stand in one place and do not be blown by the wind; only be led by the Spirit.  Move only when God moves you.

     Be men of courage.  Act like a leader during the battle.  Don’t be a wimp.  Be courageous in all that you do and say.  Take a bold stand and God will reward you.

Jaye Martin

     Be strong.  You are empowered for battle, use what you have.  Be a mighty warrior for Christ.  Strength is gained by exercise.  So, exercise your faith.  Act on what you know to do and trust God to stretch you so you will be stronger in and for Him.

     Do everything in love.  While you are alert, be alert in love.  While you are standing firm, stand firm in love.  While you are courageous, be courageous in love.  While you are strong, be strong in love.  No matter what you are doing, let love dominate all that you say and do.

 Lately I have been the biggest wimp. I need to realize the way the enemy gets to me!

Lord, help me apply Your love to the battle of life I will face today.  Give me Your strength and courage to stand firm and tell someone about You.  Help me be on guard to what might keep me from sharing my faith.  I am ready to walk onward with You!  Amen.

Ready?

"Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour" (Matthew 25:13, NASB).

On Saturday evening, we had just finished dinner with friends when we received a phone call from our security company informing us that our home fire alarm was ringing. While the fire department was being notified, we quickly made our way toward the house. On the way, I was praying and trying to decide what to pull from the house, all while staying calm and keeping things in perspective. There was an overwhelming peace that if the house was burning, we were all safe. There was also the thing that I wish I had done, to back up my computer data. I paid for online backup for the year, yet never activated the service, so my computer was at the top of my list of things to grab. Thank you Lord that the house was fine. We think lightening struck the rod or that something was shaken when our neighbor's huge tree fell during the storm. It was a good wake-up call to once again ask myself, "Am I ready?"

Jaye Martin

Just like the passage about the 10 young women in Matthew 25, we are to be ready. We never know when the Lord is coming or when a crisis will happen. Are we ready? Have we prepared for physical disasters (like knowing all your work could be lost on a computer) but more importantly, are we ready spiritually? Are we ready to meet the Lord? Who else do we need to tell about the Lord?

Today, there are a few things on my to-do list including backing up my computer data but also asking the Lord who else needs to hear the good news from me. Lord, make me ready physically and spiritually!

Avoid Controversies

^"But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless" (Titus 3:9, NASB).

Knowing when to argue and when to leave it can be an art. More importantly, it requires dependence on the Holy Spirit and on wisdom from God. When we least expect it, we can be challenged on what we believe and why. In the verse above, Paul tell Titus to avoid foolish controversies. In the verse below, we see that we are to be ready to defend our beliefs, yet to do it with a sanctified heart.

"But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence" (1 Peter 3:15, NASB).

We are not to get caught up in arguments that divide believers, but should use it as an opportunity to learn more about what we believe and why. Our defense of our faith (apologetics) is as important as the attitude in which we respond.

Jaye Martin

Lord, whether I'm dealing with another believer or with someone who does not know You, help me keep my heart in the right place and depend on Your power and wisdom. Walk me through each moment of every day. May you be glorified in all that I say and do so that others may see You! Amen.

Please Share A Prayer!

Please Share A Prayer!

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:14-21

As we read Ephesians 3:14-21, that is listed above, we are excited that these are some of the scripture verses that Gifted2Go is based on.  Let's "bow our knees before the Father" and share the GIFT of PRAYER with Jaye Martin and her team as Jaye Martin Ministries, HeartCall, & Gifted2Go are launched in the month of April and throughout 2013!!

• Please Pray for Jaye, her family, and Jaye Martin Ministries (JMM) as the JMM Website will be launched very soon in April 2013
• Please Pray as HeartCall is refreshed, republished, relaunched, & shared across our nation & world 
• Please Pray as Gifted2Go is published, launched, & shared across our nation & world
• Please Pray as God raises up evangelistic leaders, trainers, and team members for JMM
• Please Pray as God raises up churches that are being led by Him to host a training and share Jesus using HeartCall and Gifted2Go  
• Please Pray that God will take care of the hundreds of other things that need to be done in His timing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlwEzPurnXk (As We PRAY! Edgewood Live)

"Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you..." Hebrews 13:7a (hcsb)