Through It All: A Life Story of Defeats and Victories

By J. D. Miera Martinez

Life brings its share of problems and needs. There are times when the church looks upon its leaders as if they have no problems, but leaders are far from exempt from difficulties. Author J. D. Miera Martinez has written Through It All to offer his thoughts on ministering to leaders and pastors. Some of the problems leaders face will cause them to analyze and reevaluate their spiritual callings. Only those leaders truly called to this spiritual life will endure this process of reevaluation to become Gods vessels.

On a deeper level, Martinez wonders why bad things sometimes happen to good people. There are people who are good and have a stronger spiritual life, but are plagued with bad thingsdeath, diseases, and misfortunesthat have become part of their everyday lives. Martinez examines his own life in Through It All as he searches for its spiritual meaning. He has come to the conclusion that the Scripture, In the world you will have tribulations, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world, directs his life and has helped him to build the life that he was meant to liveserving God and bringing the word and love of God to those around him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Abbott Press
• Release date: Dec 22, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458201386

J. D. Miera Martinez

J. D. Miera Martinez is the senior pastor at Victory Faith Foursquare Church in Española, New Mexico. He also serves as divisional superintendent of Foursquare Churches for the northern and central sections of New Mexico. J. D. and his wife, Geneva, live in Española, New Mexico.

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Contents

Where it all Begins

My Roots

The Beginning of Change

The Pentecostal Church!

A True Friend

Pastoral Leadership

Off to Bible School!

The Dry Season!

The Curse!

The Growing Stage!

A New Day!

All Good Gifts Come From God.

Holiness!

A Life of Victory!

A Ministry Within a Ministry.

Pastoring the City!

Added Responsibility!

25 Years Later!

Finding the Right Church!

Attempts to erase the Vision!

Sickness, disease,

and discouragement!

Salvation

Baptism in the Holy Spirit!

Pentecostal Ways

An Unusual Visitor!

The Mission and

Purpose of the Church

Who’s the Pastor Here?

The Modern Day

Apostolic Church

Ministering Where We

Are Planted!

GO!

What’s Wrong With Us

Every Day Christian Considerations and Responsibilities!

The Future of the Valley Church

Discipleship 101

New and Younger Leaders.

Our Soon coming King

This is Me!

New Creations

Christianity 101

Transparency vs. Honesty

Go and make Disciples

A Trip to the Holy Land.

More Missions and Travels

Sharing and Evangelizing.

The Sins of our Leaders!

Is there more besides

the Word/Bible?

"Where there is no Vision

the People Die"

Ultimate Advice!

Revival

If I was the Devil!

The children of Israel were told to pile twelve (12) rocks on the banks of the Jordan River as a future reminder of an act of God that should never be forgotten. It was a testimony for future generations.

Today I don’t pile rocks on the banks of a literal river, but I do however pile them up on the banks of my mind. I want to have as many people as possible know and remember with me the memories of two (2) very special people. Orlando Miera & Charlotte Gallegos-Miera, a husband and wife team, my brother and sister-in-law, existed on this earth as a living testimony of God’s character to me.

Orlando was not a man of many words, while Charlotte was. She was loud and forceful yet full of love and compassion. They were a team that loved people and would do whatever it took to help them live a better life. Orlando would give you the shirt off his back and Charlotte would sit with you and give you godly advice and love.

Today I dedicate this book to their memory. The book is about my life being enriched by their presence in it.

I miss them more today than I did when they died. It is no wonder that they would die only two (2) months and four (4) days apart; they lived as a team and died as one.

Orlando & Charlotte, I will see later!

To accomplish what God has designed you to do is an awesome task. I have begun, on more than one occasion, to get a book written, but it never got off the ground. Today, it seems as though that dream has become a reality.

I’d like to say thank you to my wife, Geneva. She has encouraged me to do the things that I need to do and that I enjoy doing. There is always that push from her, to get the thing done. For your commitment to the Lord, to me, and to the church, thank you very much.

To my mother, she has been one of the reasons that I have acquired what I have. The beginning of wisdom is the fear/respect of the Lord. She instilled that respect for the Lord and His affairs since I was but a child. I learned to trust Him and love Him even more because of her example.

To Nancy Garcia, Eric Martinez, and Clarabelle Trujillo, faithful friends and church members, thank you very much. This book became much more professional because of your knowledge and commitment to this project.

To the family at Victory Faith Church, you were at times more excited than I was about writing and producing this book. You have become a major part of mine and Geneva’s hearts and therefore, for all you do for us, we are humbled. Thank you and God bless.

To anyone else that might have heard about what I had gotten myself into and have prayed, thank you and many blessings.

To God, I owe everything! He is my friend and the lifter of my head. He became my Lord many years ago at a very young age and I appreciate Him that much more today.

He saved me, called me, sanctified me, baptized me with the Holy Spirit and bestowed me with the responsibility of pastoring the most wonderful group of people. I am honored to be a pastor, leader, teacher, mentor, and any other cap the Lord would have me wear.

To my sisters (Ana & Marissa) and brother (Steve), your unreserved commitment to His service in this place has been exemplary; I am indebted to you forever. Your choice to serve God is in itself a bonus in my life. My desire for you, and your families, is that you see your offspring also serve God and model a life of service as you have to us!

Joshua 1:9, one of my favorite scriptures, reads as follows: Have not I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Pastor JD

Where it all Begins

Hard work is a thrill and a joy when you are in the will of God.

Robert A. Cook

The aroma of fresh tortillas is still very real in my mind, strange how that very awesome smell of fresh made tortillas brings peace to my mind and soul. Getting off the bus was exciting as we would run towards the house and smell the invitation of dinner. Dinner time was essential to my development as a child since I had an imaginary wife and kids who would arrive at meal time.

We all lived in a town not too far away called Shame on You. It was a happy town, but not a common one where things are done in a particular way. I wanted things done differently, not according to a set pattern, for what did I know of a pattern, I was but a child.

My wife and kids were very well behaved as we would sit together on a green bench to eat supper every evening. My wife did not cook, so we would eat at mom’s house, I felt secure and this was a safe place for me and my family.

It was rather hard to sit all of my family on one bench, especially when mom was adamant that it was her place to sit as well.

As I got older my wife and kids evaporated into the annals of my memories.

The fact that mom was home when I arrived from school every day was such a soothing feeling. Mom’s presence was an assurance that all was OK. Not only would all things be OK, they were for me already. Mom and God were the managers of my world. What a soothing feeling was that of knowing that all was well. There is peace and tranquility that comes with such a memory.

At that time my world was very small scale. My world consisted of home, school, chores and daily living. I would sleep deeply and soundly, knowing that when I got up in the morning, that perfection would still be there. As long as mom supervised, all was well, perfect, no need to worry about anything. Later I would find out that it was not that easy. Problems existed then as they do now.

In my mind the world was where I lived and very little else mattered. There were no reasons for me to worry about the future and its implications. How could I dare worry or be concerned if mom and God were the universal supervisors.

No need for anyone else!

Actually the future for me was now, I felt secure and safe because I was loved and cared for. I am still convinced that there was nothing that God and mom could not handle together. The mind of a child is so flexible and vulnerable. It is no wonder that children at a very young age show signs of mimicking their parents. I remember more about my childhood days than I do about any other time of my life. I have read that the most impressionable years of one’s development are between birth and the age of three (3).

I have a strong tendency to believe that this is true: being cognizant of God’s plan for my life in the future, without knowing anything about this God, was awesome and unique. I knew early in life that I was not to walk the everyday, routine, trek of life. There was something there that I could not explain and/or really talk about, because it was not something that I knew how to explain.

To know that God has chosen you even before you were in your mother’s womb is a mind blower. (Jeremiah 1:5)

One has the potential to become inflated and proud since we, by nature, tend to believe that a calling makes one special. To know that something is totally different in your life than that of your siblings can be precarious and exciting.

I have discovered that a calling does not make itself evident at the time that God calls you. My divine calling was there before I was created in my mother’s womb. He had a plan since then and I was unaware of it. I did have a deep sense of His presence ever since I was but a child, but I could not explain the sense of that feeling. I was not then, or now, feeling like anything was different, because it would be a long time before I was even aware that there was a calling into ministry. I knew way before, that there was something different, but did not know what to call it or how to articulate it.

To say that things were ordinary for me is an understatement because they were not, but on the outside all was normal. I realize that it does not make sense, but usually the things of God are not easily expressed or understood. God however had His hands all over me. It was a process that in due time came to fruition. As I grew older I recognized that God’s hand was indeed on my life.

I don’t mean to imply that I was a saint of any sort. I was a normal kid with kid ideas that sometimes, more often than not, landed me in great trouble. Being called into ministry does not make you some sort of strange or weird person. Most people that I know, that have a divine call, are everyday normal people just like you and me. At least on the outside they are normal anyway, because on the inside, there is a seal that has been established by the Holy Spirit that makes all the difference in the world. I was on a mission!

I had a mission to accomplish that would involve making complex decisions and traveling down many roads of life’s trails. Getting to the prescribed road is not easy. Family, society, and the devil will fight you all the way there. Sometimes you fight yourself and you are not even aware of any such battle.

Along the highway of life are many hills, curves, descents, and detours, some are dangerous and some are safe, but all can be precarious. One wrong turn and you’ll go down an embankment. You could either get hurt, maimed, or even encounter death. Yet through it all, God had His hand all over my life.

I realize now how the enemy of my life set detours all along the way. Thank God for the elders who took an interest in my life throughout the process of my spiritual development and growth.

These types of people are golden nuggets in one’s life. I say golden nuggets because they are special, out of the ordinary, few and far between. These men and women are not there to be critical of things that happen or things that we pick up as we travel along the valley called life.

They come with an open mind and heart to speak success into one’s life as well as nurturing growth and development. There are no hidden agendas, simply love and godly concern. They are truly sent from God and should be appreciated as such. I could name quite a few people that became my mentors and leaders in my development and, for the most part, I don’t even think that they knew what they were doing.

I look back now and see how I have mentored people on purpose, I see the childlike things that people in leadership development do, and how they act, and it brings me to say thank you to God for such people in my life.

When one has gone on to birth one’s own church and ministry, it is essential that we recognize them as the under-lying factors for strength and wisdom. God has golden nuggets for all of us!

Many years later in a small Pentecostal church in Española, New Mexico, God spoke to my life, heart, and mind, and called me into the ministry. It was not an audible voice that I heard, but indeed a voice I did hear. It was deep in my heart and mind. There was no question in my mind that it was God

Nobody had to come up with a resolution from a church committee that I was now called. I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that I was no longer to live a life on an expected or planned route.

I once heard a person say to me that he was going on to Bible College to become a minister. That is impossible; not your parents, your church, nor your friends can call you into anything, much less ministry.

The call has to come directly from God in order for it to be real.

What an awesome realization!

My Roots

Although potential leaders are born, effective leaders are made.

Bennie E. Goodwin

Canjilon, New Mexico is the village where I lived as a child and called home until I was in the 3rd grade, and then my family and I moved away. I did not know that such a small community could have such a rich heritage that would forever shape and enhance my life.

Canjilon is a small mountain village, in the north central part of the state, where my parents, their parents, and generations before them migrated too with the original Spanish families; it was where they now called home. I did know that my family tree consisted of Martinez, Miera, Montano, Archuleta, Lopez, Romero and a few others that I am not totally sure of right now.

It’s an isolated community of families, many of them blood related, that were taught to walk with their heads up and shoulders back. A proud people!

There was no shame in being from Canjilon, and still today, there are families that trace their heritages back to the original families that arrived here from the mother country-Spain. Our family values and morals were high, our culture defined, we were taught to be proud of where we were from and who we were. Our position in the community was not important as long as we were honest, and what we had, whether little or much, was gained honorably. As far as material possessions, we had very little. What we did have, we treasured.

My parent’s life had been devoted to creating a safe environment for my siblings and me to live, grow, and mature in. It was very important to them to be good examples to the younger people, especially small kids. My parents believed that kids would practice what they had been taught; an apple does not fall too far from the tree!

I learned much from them. I am totally aware of the fact that material possessions do not make one happy. They might fill the temporary yearning for possessions, even portray the image of status and prestige, but never can such things be a substitute for love.

I know that having material things is, in itself, not wrong, but very few know how to maintain a balance. We either assume that we are better than others or we take the position of superiority. I am not ashamed to admit to you that I grew up very humbly and with very limited possessions. I often wore hand me downs.

I clearly remember my first pair of tennis shoes. They were far from being Nikes, Adidas, New Balance, or Jordan’s, they were PF Fliers. The TV commercial at that time implied that if you’d run fast enough you could fly. I’d put them on and run as fast as my feet would take me around a pond and would do so until, instead of flying, I’d fall exhausted. I was not able to fly until I boarded my first airplane, that was years later.

I appreciate my upbringing, and I’m proud to say that my roots were established in Canjilon, meaning el cuerno or the horn. It is amazing how some people will deny where they were born or brought up. However, sometimes you encounter uneducated or uncultured people who feel that they are superior over others simply because of where they were born.

The mounds of dirt where my house stood, the well where we drew water from, the trees that served as tree-houses, the ditches where we played, and the many relatives that still live there, remind me of where I come from. And so today, more than ever, I am honored to say that I too have roots in that Spanish village that shaped and witnessed my childhood development.

We were one extended family. If we were not blood related, we were related through marriage.

I was born to a couple that would pour into my life the good and the bad, just as they themselves also received the good and the bad during their respective upbringings.

They poured into me all that they knew and all that they thought would mold and make me into a better person. My parents realized that my siblings and I were investments as well as gifts from God.

There was no Dr. Spock, nor were there many written books on child development and the proper ways of raising children. My parents simply held to a high standard of discipline and morals.

Come to think of it, I am glad that these very educated people were not around then. We were brought up the old fashioned way and we turned out quite well.

Our parents were entrusted with the awesome responsibility to be stewards of our future with present day principles and eternal ramifications.

This is the reality of life, your parents are supposed to be your mentors for life. Their DNA becomes your own, their mannerisms are yours to mimic, and their lifestyle will somehow be the model for yours.

Despite all of that, as you become adults, you form your own principles and lifestyle. You mix theirs with your own and a new set of lifestyles are forged and emerge. From generation to generation these are passed on and new ways of living are brought into existence. However the foundations and strength of your parents’ morals and principles remain, and consequently in the future you pass them on to your offspring.

Life was simple and humble, yet so satisfying. It revolved around family values, as one generation descended after the former. It is amazing how one discovers that so many things change, yet remain the same.

I was taught to respect my elders, especially those who were related, but all in general. Family friends were referred to as uncles and aunts out of respect. Later, as we grew older, we realized that we were not blood related, but the respect continued.

In keeping with the same level of respect, our teachers were always right. If my parents found out that we were disciplined at school, we would get a second licking at home. Unlike today, the adults (teachers) were given the benefit of the doubt.

There are values that come with experience that was credited to those adults that my parents saw as helpers in my/our development. One way or another, their goal was to produce reliable