Pastor Martin’s Brief Life Story.
Pastor Martin’s family
My Brief Life Story
I am Pastor Martin V. Paye Sr. born unto the union of Mr. and Mrs. Koyomo Paye on May 15th, 1968 in Bellema Town, Panta, Bong County, central Liberia. I am married to a beautiful woman (my wife), Maitha K. Paye, who is my youthful wife, a class mate, and an answer of my faithful prayer. We both have five living children namely: Benetha B. Paye, Mariam Paye, Lorena F. Paye, Martina G. Paye, and Martin V. Paye Jr. I hold a BSC in Christians Education, while my wife holds “B” certification in education (This is not a matter to us, but the Lord’s mission).
A Brief Narrative of my Salvation
I was a sickly child. My poor mother, Yammah suffered to have me saved from death. She never gave up because she was encouraged by her pastor that I will not die/was not going to die but live to serve God. My beloved, late mother, believed this prophecy from her pastor, pastor John; the only name given to me. This word was fulfilled in my life as seen in the record of my rebirth.
On April 5th, 1992 I visited a little church about the size of 14 feet by 20 feet in Fare-East, Gbarnga, Bong county. This day the pastor, James T. Korboi, preached from Luke 23 on the theme, “The Three Crosses of Calvary” the cross of Rejection, the cross of Repentance, and the cross of Redemption. This message broke my heart and led me to cry, something that I do not easily do. (I mean, it is not just easy for me to cry). I saw myself on the cross of Calvary, specifically on the cross of Rejection. I felt that I had rejected God in my life. I felt that I was against God. This day the Pastor knew that I needed salvation. He led me to the cross of Redemption. This very day was my turning point. I chose to follow Christ.
Something I remember before my salvation was God led me to take into my house some Christians who ran from persecution, from the town called Garmue in Panta, Bong county. The brethren were persecuted by traditional Zoes or traditional devil. I really did not know what I was doing. I never knew that God had chosen me in accord to what bro/pastor John said to my mother at my early age. I kept these brethren up until the morning and led them through the bush for the fear of the traditional Zoes. This happened nine years before I got saved.
The Calling
On January 1, 1993 I had my second encounter with the Lord in my house as proof to the Word of God that came through the pastor, pastor John. At about 9:00 pm, my friend Emmanuel Malequayah and I decided to attend a Watch Night service at the Church of God Ministry in my hometown. This was actually my first time to visit this church. It took me by surprise when the pastor who did not know my spiritual ability asked me to deliver the Watch Night sermon. I asked if he was not making a mistake by asking me to preach before such a large crowd. He replied, “The Lord had led me to ask you to preach tonight.” I had no option, but to accept the request since indeed it was from God. I walked out of the church and went at the back. I bowed down in the grass and asked God for direction if indeed He was the one who led Pastor Nelson Hayadawelee of the Church of God Ministry to have chosen me. I closed my eyes in the darkness and asked God for the second time to lead me to the book He wants me to preach from. While my eyes were closed, I told God if you are the one, then lead me, and direct me to the book where my sermon will come. I opened the Bible in Ezekiel chapter 14 and kept the page opened until I entered the church. Under the light, I read God’s message. He gave me a message entitled, “When a Nation Sins Against Me.”
By this time of the year Liberia was divided by a civil war. The country was into two parts, Greater Liberia which covered 14 counties and some parts of Montsterrado county which was considered Smaller Liberia (the main land). Greater Liberia was ruled by former president Charles G. Taylor and smaller part was ruled by Dr. Amos Sayer, with the presence of the Peace Keepers. There were a lot of jet bombers showering rockets at the greater part of Liberia. For example, January 2, 1993 was one of the fearful days in my home, Bellemu where I lived back then. The jet bombers, called Dudu-Boy by Liberians were flying everywhere. Everyone was running into the bushes for survival.
God was using me to warn my own people and His children in Bellemu. This town (Bellemu) of my birth has been a place of traditional practices. The true Word of God had been rejected here like Garmue where the children of whom I kept were persecuted. Everyone who clamed to be Christians were of no different from the traditional people. They all did or practiced the same thing.
I realized that this was the call of God upon me. For the fact, after I preached His given message, I left and went to my house. I went to bed with my friend Emmanuel. I felt the heavy anointing and the presence of the Lord. He asked me to go throughout the town and preach His word. I said, “God it is dark, I cannot go, I am afraid.” He said, “Emmanuel will go with you and he shall be your mouth piece.” Indeed, the Lord led Emmanuel to go with me. He led us to a blind family; I call them blind family because three members of the family are blind. The mother and her two children are blind; everyone knows them in our home. The Lord said, these blinds were going to hear the word and were going to travel with you throughout the town. I insisted and told God, but these people cannot see how will they go with me? He said, “I gave them eyes, they will see tonight and will lead you, and after this they will never see again until they return.” This truly happened! It was like these blinds were waiting for me. As soon as I got to the door with a large crowd of people, they quickly opened the door and got outside. In that darkness, the Lord told me to ask them to identify colors, and they did! This proved to the crowd of people (nearly the entire town) that God was leading us. These blinds and all the people followed us up until the next morning. Just as the Lord said, these people returned to their former condition. The question could be why did this happen? The Lord told me that it was because of they resisted Him, for which they will remain blind and return. They are blind to this day.
In February of the same year (1993), I returned to Gbarnga. One night, there was a revival at the Philidiaph church conducted by Rev. Michael Johnson, a Ghanain Liberian. I decided to attend the revival with y two friends, Emmanuel and Musu. During this revival, the Lord also affirmed this word to me. Rev. Johnson called into the crowd, “You! You!” we were all looking around to see who he was talking to. He said, “You with the red shirt come up.” That night I had on a red shirt, but I was trying to slip away. He walked up to me and said, “The Lord has chosen you, and had tested you in your own town, if you will obey, he will use you greatly.” He then left me and continued with his message. My friend, Emmanuel who knew the entire story turned to me and said, “My man, you have taken trouble with God.” I said no word to him because I remembered what pastor John had said to my mother.
From that day I decided to serve the Lord, but I had two battle-nicks.
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I had so many girls claiming to be my lovers including Maitha who is with me to this day.
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I had an accident in 1982, which broke two of my lower teeth, but never fell out from the accident. I noticed them shaking.
This was a complete attack from Satan who had fought me from childhood. With these two problems that the devil kept reminding me of, I found a solution of one. Among the girls I was looting after, I had love for one, Maitha who is my wife. I was forced to love Nancy because my mother used to like her only because she helped my mother with her farm work. I decided to make a choice between the two because I was converted, and I realized that it was wrong to have two girl friends or to even have any without marriage. With the help of pastor James T. Korboi, I prayed for a complete six months in order for God to chose either Maitha or Nancy. In my prayer I asked for a woman who will join me to serve Him, I needed a woman to serve Him. Indeed the Lord answered me; the Lord has never failed me. He gave unto me Maitha who is my strength and helper to this day.
My mother did not understand what the Lord was doing in my life, when Nancy decided to leave me and return my engagement. Because she was my Mother’s choice, she encouraged me to engage her. When she decided to back out, my mother invited Nancy’s friends and family members for settlement. On two occasions she made the attempt, there were always some problems in our hometown. The first time she made the attempt, there was missing gun issue in town and many rebel commanders were there for investigation. The second attempt were also some group of rebel soldiers carrying on harassments against the citizens. The third time that Nancy’s family came they did so to return the engagement. In this condition, I told my parents to receive the token for settlement in the future; they agreed through the advise from other friends of my mother.
From this point, the year is still 1993, I invited my pastor and other leadership to join me and engage Maitha Konisear. This was done in a joyous mood, every friends who attended were well pleased of my decision. I decided to start taking full responsibility of Maitha since indeed I took this decision. Both of us left for Gbarnga in order for me to attend the Living Water Bible Training School at Gboveh Junior High School. At certain times the school was interrupted by some attacks from Taylor’s enemy forces and jet bombers.
Beginnings of the Persecution
We decided to return to Bellemu for safety. Here, I founded the Panta Youths for Christ; this was welcomed by many friends from the entire district Panta. When we grew up in large numbers, teaching the youths sound doctrine; then came persecution from the elders, Zoes and traditional leaders. They accused us of rebelling against their traditions, that we were teaching their children some strange doctrines, and that our teaching was causing their children not to follow their traditional beliefs. After some time they started a persecution on us, they had many meetings to kill us. In one of their meetings, my late Aunty’s husband’s old man, J. P. Flomo boycotted the meeting on grounds that war was already killing lots of the people of Liberia, he could not see us dying for something that was not of any benefit. The plan was that I be killed first, Josephus Flomo next (no relation to J.P. Flomo, Flomo is a traditional name that can be given to anyone who goes into the traditional bush), and the late Otis Cooper follow. There were people who advised us to leave our home for the fear of these people; something that we refused to do. Because of this threat, fifteen traditional Zoes were arrested by a rebel commander; Col. Timothy (The only name that I can remember). The rebel commander had asked them to sign a document for our lives for fifteen years, if anything should happen to us over the next 15 years they would be held responsible; but we refused this decision because we believe that our security was in God’s hands. Indeed He kept us safe until we left.
The only unfortunate situation is the death of our dear friend, Otis Cooper who according to him he was preaching and an insect went into his throat, which troubled him until he died. This happened after he returned.
After this I later took my family to the Republic of Guinea at the Thuo refugee camp.
*There is a recording that will continue the story of what happened in Guinea then the rest of the story after Guinea up to the point of meeting Matt Bullen will be uploaded as a part 2.*
*This story was hand written by pastor Martin, then typed out, slightly edited, and uploaded by Levi Bullen with pastor Martin’s permission and guidance*
Continued HERE