Books by Anthony Martin

Everyone has a story that needs to be told. We all have had our share of pain in life. Some of us have recovered; others are recovering, and some are still trying to navigate their way through. But, through all of the dark clouds is a light that is ready to emerge and shine. Reaching for that light involves peeling back one layer at a time. This is the journey that many speak of when they come out of painful situations. They talk about what led up to their recovery and freedom. Many, however, are feeling trapped and weighed down by trauma and emotional pain. They sit beside us in church service, preach in the pulpit, sing on the choir, participate in outreach, teach children’s church, serve in positions of leadership, or just occasionally attend on Sundays. They’re experiencing a great degree of difficulty in their lives, but masking it by going through the motions of church as usual. They praise with pain, worship with wounded souls, and say, “Amen” while concealing their anxiety. Many are carrying around unforgiveness, regret, fear, guilt, and shame. They’re in need of mending and healing, but continue to go on as if everything is okay. In fact, everything is not okay and hasn’t been for quite some time. How long will this cycle continue in today’s church? From Pain to Purpose examines the condition of the heart and comprehending God in the context of one’s heavenly Father. It looks at the challenges we all face from time to time as we go about our Christian journey and offers fundamental, practical insight into what it means to reach for God when facing painful situations and emotions. Anthony opens up about his own struggle with reconciling God’s love while going through personal challenges—something that many Christians contend with because they’re viewing God from an unhealthy perspective. The core purpose of the book is to help readers understand that their emotional wounds are of great concern to God’s heart and that freedom from their pain is within reach!

A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE!We cannot sit on the ropes and take unanswered punches from forces who are determined to knock out our faith. We must not retreat, turn the other way, or surrender our faith. We are to fight back through Christ. We are in a real fight and our faith is on the line. Everything that we value, our way of life and our spiritual perspectives are being challenged. We can either choose to fight valiantly and courageously or throw in the towel. Certainly, giving up should not be an option, especially since the fight's outcome was already decided over 2000 years ago through Jesus Christ. He is the undefeated spiritual Champion in earth and in heaven! Therefore, it is important to abide in Him and allow His strength to help see us through. We can raise our hands in victory because, in the end, we win! We don't have to wait to hear the judge's decision like fighters do at the end of a boxing match. We know the Judge's (God's) decision, and it is salvation and redemption through Christ! Fight! Refuse to Surrender Your Faith is a must-read for everyone, but particularly for those who have decided that following Jesus Christ is the key to life and godliness. It provides great encouragement, exhortation, and admonishment throughout its pages. It's relevant for today's church and even offers the way of Christ to those who are undecided about where to place their faith. The author uses metaphors and examples relating to sports and real-life situations that we all can relate to in our daily lives. The book is engaging and keeps you focused on the importance of taking a stand in your faith walk. It offers solutions through Scripture and spiritual insight while teaching you how to contend for your faith. The overall message of the book is keep going, stand strong, and refuse to surrender your faith-something we all need to hear and have reinforced as we go through some of life's toughest battles.

“In Him is the fullness of the godhead bodily and by Him all things consist…” We must not forget who is at the center of our faith. He is the wonderful counselor, Jesus Christ. He is our portion and our sufficiency! It is time to recapture the greatest significance of our spiritual walk, which is to intently and intimately relate to Christ. He is the first fruit and forerunner of our spiritual experience. It is in Him that we are able to be called, “The sons of God.” It is in Him that we are made whole, justified, and are declared righteous. However, to establish a fully committed relationship with Christ, we must be willing to go beyond merely learning about the details that surround His life and work. We must be willing to pour ourselves into His person, His way of life, and His very nature. The early disciples counted it an honor to live for Christ. However, it is clear in our modern day that we have lost perspective concerning what it means to know Him. We have the clichés and church antics practically down to a science. We have even sought to supplement godly living with our talents and giftedness; opposed to submitting and yielding to the power of God. Beloved, we must realize that spiritual living cannot be reduced to catchy phrases, self-centered prayers, a misuse or subjective approach to interpreting Scripture, or emotionally stimulating church services. Sadly, all of the aforementioned practices lead to little or no godly transformation. It is time to awaken to the reality of our conversion in Christ. It is time to identify with Him and to truly devote our lives for His cause! He wants to bring us into a life changing encounter that will reshape the way that we view spiritual living, the church, and our fellowship with one another. “That we may know Him” unpacks the fundamental practice of what it means to be a devoted follower of Christ. It leads its readers toward a Christ-centered approach to spiritual and practical living, while debunking the misleading notions that attempt to secularize the Christian experience. The book engages and encourages believers to develop a perspective of what it means to know Christ in the purity of heart as He intended!