This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

A Recap Of God’s Faithfulness

Well, in digging out from our forced relocation, also known as a move, albeit elsewhere in Claremont, NH, it has given me time to reflect on an interesting first year for Apprising Ministries. AM began on June 1, 2005 a fully integrated non-profit auxiliary of Connecticut River Baptist Church when the leadership there thought it’d be a good way for me to do some counter-cult evangelism and apologetics work among some of the other local churches in the immediate area. It would seem the Lord had other plans. Much of this information is available on the Site in various forms, but I cover some of it again for the benefit the new people among our growing readership.

For those who have wondered and written to ask let me give you an idea of just what it can cost someone to stand for the purity of God’s Gospel and His inerrant and infallible Word in Holy Scripture today. As an ordained Southern Baptist minister myself (for now) it has now become quite apparent that my position concerning Rick Warren, the Emergent Church and other seeker sensitive issues is becoming known even to some at the National level of the SBC. Locally it has meant literally that I have not been asked to come speak in any capacity whatsoever at any churches in this local area! Not even one church of any denomination in this entire seeker friendly area for the whole year after sending information to them concerning this work which also handles general apologetics, pulpit supply, non-Christian cults, etc.

Truthfully I have had very little interaction with local SBC or Regional or National ministers. Despite this possibly you are able to see how the Lord has actually bypassed them and in this first year AM has existed we praise God that He has actually opened doors for my writings to reach around the world. For example Brannon Howse offering me the chance to be a columnist for Christian Worldview Network. You have absolutely no idea how much I hate it when I feel led of the Lord to write like this and to ask for help. Yet He shows me He is with me and it is my prayer that by “personalizing” this ministry a bit with you it might give you a deeper appreciation for the boldness which Christ gives me to His glory. I will say it again, as I so often do in answering voluminous email, my life verse is 1 Corinthians 15:10, and I never forget that apart from God’s grace I would be those I am trying to reach with the actual Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Great Shepherd’s Leading

As I have pointed out before CRBC had gone through a nasty split before they called me to pastor about 2 years ago and since the 80’s it had dwindled from some 100+ down to a Sunday morning coffee social gathering of about 13 by then. When I came in we would then lose another 6 through God’s weeding process as He turned us into a church while I preached what the Bible actually says and through my standing against the things that I am now writing about at AM. Again, for our newer readers I provide the link to my first Cross Talk appearance with radio host Ingrid Schlueter, who in addition has the VCY America blog Slice of Laodicea where I am now also a contributor. I remain thankful she asked me to appear on her program where we would discuss some of this further and you can listen to it right here.

It is interesting that AM’s had just gone online only a couple of days prior to that appearance August 31 of 2005 and this exposure was such a blessing to this new ministry. As a matter of fact this Site originally grew out of the now offline Christian Unplugged website of Chris Carmichael. We do praise the Lord he continues to produce a fine Site called The Sacred Sandwich. What some of you may not know is that our local church is too small to support us, nor can they supply Donna and I with a parsonage etc., things taken for granted by many. Yet the Lord is faithful because even though I am not being called upon for chances to minister locally, and I receive zero funding from any agency or any other churches, well, to quote Martin Luther: “Here I stand, I can do no other; God help me.”

We do covet your prayers and something we are specifically praying for is that God would place it upon the hearts of a few churches and individuals to pick up AM this year as a mission work to help support. If that happens then I’ll be able to more quickly follow the call of the Lord and transition into this ministry on a fulltime basis. This would also afford me the opportunity to begin accepting speaking engagements nationally that have already been offered and should God see fit there would be a few more radio interviews which would also help get the word out about this work in some different markets as well. AM is actually a bit similar to the type of ministry done by Dr. Walter Martin (1928-1989) only in an updated fashion to handle contemplative spirituality, postmodern issues and the seeker sensitive movement as well.

I must tell you that the deceptions within the Body of Christ and the incoming emails concerning them are growing so rapidly while at the same time God is placing so much in my heart that I literally cannot write fast enough to cover it all. Here is a random sampling of what I have been receiving from all over the country, and now overseas:

Pastor Silva, I thought I would write and let you know that I have read many of your articles and have enjoyed the insight that you have provided. As for some time now I personnally have been seeing the flaws in the Healthy, Wealthy, what can God do for me philosophies. Is “Eternal Life” not enough? Is this not what the Christian should be striving for? To live for Jesus Christ and not for themself?

Do you have any articles planned addressing the “Contemporary Worship Service” with the overuse of the giant video screens with the “all of creation screen savers” playing in the background to the words displayed on the screens? Anyway keep up the excellent work and may God bless you for your efforts.

Here’s someone unable to find a good local church:

Thanks Pastor Ken;

I really appreciate your remembering and contacting me. Spiritually God is also blessing me. I have continual heat from an adversary that never seems to stop, but I try and praise God in the midst and he comforts me. I am not attending a conventional church at the moment, however I attend “cyber” services on sermonaudio.com.

This one is from a brother minister of the Gospel…

I am founder and pastor of a church west of
Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota. We have been called of the Lord to preach and teach the Message of the Cross amidst the spiritual famine in this great land. We rely heavily upon research into much of
the heretical activity in the church of today.

I appreciate what you are doing for the sake of the Gospel and want to sincerely thank you for the great wealth of
information you provide. I can only imagine the amount of work you have committed yourself to doing. I support you (in prayer) – wishing I were able to lend some financial help, but please continue what you are doing and God bless you, Brother Silva, as you labor for Him!

From another internet writer:

I just stumbled into your web site and am stunned by its accuracy and clarity! Thank you for exposing error and spreading truth!

Parents watching their local church beginning to embrace contemplative spirituality:

I appreciate your acknowlegement of my emailing you. Thank you! I JUST discovered a horrible thing in my church of 4000 here in Winston Salem (SBC) My husband sees this also CONTEMPLATIVE seeping into the church. The youth choir director states his favorite book is one called, “RED MOON RISING” by a fellow named, PETE GREIG.

It is totally Contemplative, bizarre and truly a different spirituality!!!! On top of this, I have heard that a couple in my Sunday School class, are doing Richard Foster’s book (probably Disciplines..) and that the assoc. Pastor who is world famous, has gone to their home to “Bless the house” and it is named, “The House of Prayer.” My heart breaks and I appreciate your commentaries so much.

And finally this from Western Australia:

Bless you..shall read your stuff with great interest as I have only just discovered your site. The Lord will refresh you in His Word as well. Keep blowing that trumpet and sounding that alarm He has given you Ken and IF He sees fit He will send you to minister in other places, I’m sure you know that…

A Holy Boldness Pleasing To God

Beloved of God, I have nothing to offer the Body of Christ but my unashamed commitment to my Lord and Master Jesus Christ, and even this is a gift from Him. Those who know me here are my witnesses, as are my dear friends in those ministries listed on the front page of AM, that what I write is my heart for God. If this work has been a blessing to you then I appeal to you please commit to pray for us daily as without the faithful prayers of the saints I wouldn’t last the day in bringing these kinds of incendiary messages right into the Devil’s various camps. And you may believe me when I tell you that through the Lord’s direction these writings are now beginning to find their way into the very hands of those I write about.

And in my determination to do what my Master commands I can tell you I couldn’t care less what they or anyone else thinks of this small labor in Christ; the fact is that if the hour is as late as people so often say it is, and I’m inclined to think it is, then God really is looking for people who will unabashedly do what He has said in His Word. With this in mind, we remain thankful for the few faithful supporters who’ve helped us thus far, and please pray that the Lord will awaken others in the Body of Christ with the Romans 12:8 gift of generosity who will then be obedient to the principles laid forth e.g. in 2 Corinthians 8. I have no items to sell nor a radio or TV forum. The Lord bless those who do but I exhort you to take up the Bible and judge for yourself whether this is a worthy work of God. And I encourage you to do so because there the Lord can speak to you about His plans for AM, which frankly I would probably not believe were He to fully reveal them at this time.

So if you feel led to stand with us in support of Apprising Ministries you can read further about what I believe God has planned for us, and if you are one of those we’ve been praying for to help AM financially you can do so here. In any event you are welcome to contact us and Lord willing I’ll be here to help answer your questions. But men and women, we simply do not have any more time to waste in this critical battle for God’s absolute Truth. O how blessed we are that our Lord is rallying a number of ministries like this one to help combat this growing apostasy and if you don’t feel led to support AM then please at least be willing to help one of them out. However, those who are following this particular work will recognize one who stands ready to burn out for the Creator-Who is forever praised. Amen.

And this no matter what…to the end!