Soon afterward He went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the Kingdom of God. And the Twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means. (Luke 8:1-3, ESV)

Attention To Prayer And The Ministry Of The Word

Let me say right at the outset that if you are not interested in the critcal work that I am doing here at Apprising Ministries for the Body of Christ right now at this critical time in history then save yourself some frustration and just skip right on over this piece. My advice to you is don’t even bother to read it because I guarantee that it will only make you angry because what follows is nothing at all like the squalid pap passing for the Christian faith you would be used to hearing from too many apologists today.

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.” (Matthew 11:12)

In the Book of Acts we see those same Twelve men (aka the Apostles) as in the opening text–minus Judas Iscariot and replaced by Matthias–being confronted by a difficult problem. This particular situation, however important the need, was interfering with the calling and desire which God had placed in their hearts that they preach the Word of God and for them to teach the Lord’s people. As it is written: Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart (Psalm 37:4, KJV).

So now here’s the historic text of canonical Scripture as to how God wanted the situation handled:

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the Word of God in order to wait on tables.”

“Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word.” (Acts 6:1-4)

Well after delighting myself in the Lord, my calling and the desire of my heart is to do the same as the men above. And not only that but Christ has given me a local church of but five people to pastor, the personal website of AM, and as well as another in Slice of Laodicea to help oversee. So as you should be able to see it isn’t as if I don’t have the forums to preach and teach the Word of God already. Not only that but I have long ago demonstrated my ability to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Yet amazingly, because I receive virtually no funding, now the bulk of my time each day is spent in the “tutoring center” (special education) of the local secular high school with kids who have no interest whatsoever in learning.

In addition because of tons of money-grubbing charlatans which are regularly paraded before us on TBN, and the many so well-conditioned by seeker sensitive Christianity-Lite, there are lots of people who will quickly say, “O but if it’s God’s will for you to be in the ministry fulltime then He’ll make the way through His people.” Really? What planet have you just arrived from? Obviously the Lord works through His people, but let me ask a question of the smug self-satisfied “Christian” who feels this way. What do you suppose happens to men like me when God’s people are disobedient, and/or self-centered, and/or in a spiritual coma concerning the very real danger that emerging Hollow Men like Emergent Guru Brian McLaren present to His entire Church?

Free Will And Disobedience

So wait a miniute now because you can’t have it both ways. Right now we have the hugely Arminian bent within the Body of Christ which is currently holding sway and pushing hard for us to see that mankind has a “free will.” The Christian then, they also tell us, can then use this free will to choose to obey God or not to obey Him. Well, for now I’m not arguing with you here about whether this is true or not, but rather my point should become crystal clear. When the Lord’s Christian people of the New Testament begin acting just as the nation of Israel did in the Old Testament–and they are–selfishly keeping His blessings to themselves, then guess who it is who is going to go without funding? And after all, we all know that God is not going to force anyone to do something against their will.

However, it is also written of the Body of Christ:

So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:5-8, KJV)

So what do you think happens during a time such as this one of rampant apostasy and self-centeredness in the Church when those whose gift is he that giveth decide it’s more important that he goes on a vacation because God “understands that I need time to rest.” He does? While people are dying and going to Hell as the Church sleeps on, are you sure the Lord is ok with you taking time off for yourself? What have you done for His cause lately? Where exactly do we find Jesus headed out for a two-thousand dollar “Christian” pleasure cruise? The Church of Jesus Christ is being attacked by savage Emergent wolves in sheep’s clothing and men like me are diligently working the equivalent of three fulltime jobs with little to no real support from my brethren and you say you need rest?

One quick example of what ministries like mine, and other brothers who are without forums such as this and who also pastor small congregations who cannot even come close to supporting them, go through. In faithfulness I am also speaking for these noble shepherds in little out of the way churches as well. Y’know maybe an overpaid megachurch pastor or two ought to think about what it’s like for those like me who are neglected missionaries to our own people. And yes, I do pray this will cut you to your heart. A brother writes to me on his own a while back all excited about finding that someone is “boldly standing for the Truth.” He’s even from my own fading denomination and he tells me that he’s going to commit to a certain amount of financial support every month. Many words of encouragement and a commitment to stand with us monetarily.

Not only that but he says I’m also going to recruit ten people to commit to supporting AM as well. Well, this encouragement was quite short-lived. Here’s what actually happened; he sent but one check himself, we’ve seen none of the ten and he has never given again without any explanation as to why. O but the hypocrites will publicly and loudly stand on their street corners to cry, “God, we don’t have pastors willing to stay true to the Bible and not sell out.” Again really; now maybe you can guess why that is. I’m not excusing these men who sell out, and more importantly God Himself most certainly isn’t pleased with them, but I can personally tell you why many of these “ministers” do take the broad road of compromise. I talk further about this in You Wanna Be A Soldier Of Christ Jesus? But as far as I’m concerned it’s to the end.

Stand Along With Those Of Us Already Sacrificing Ourselves

Somenone needs to have the guts to say it. The absolute truth is that right now the average Christian would rather whine about the “hirelings” in the pulpit and decry the lack of uncompromising men like myself than to reach in their pocketbooks and do something about it. Yet amazingly there are those who still accuse me of doing what I do for the money! Frankly they need to have their spiritual heads examined. It’s true though, and I even have one detractor, a self-styled “teacher of the Law” who gives every impression of being obsessed with me. This fool has even all but outrightly accused me of fabricating letters from readers in order to drum up support.

Right; I’m supposedly “bilking” people out of their money as I use a few pebbles and a slingshot in defending our Lord’s true Gospel from men like Warren and McLaren and Osteen who can literally buy and sell me. If I were in this for the money then I would also pull up alongside those following despicable deceiving spirits and their world-pleasing doctrines of demons. Men like Rick Warren and Brian McLaren and Rob Bell and Joel Osteen. Yeah, tell the people what they want to hear boys and watch the money roll in. Well, not me. As long as the Lord gives me breath I will go right on unashamedly preaching my message of love, funding or no funding.

“What,” some ask, “Love! I don’t think it’s possible for you to show more hatred in what you write!” Borrowing from the Apostle Paul, “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?” (Galatians 3:1) My message is of love for my Master Who took a useless pile of human flesh, regenerated him and gave him the unspeakable privilege to be among those God wants as pastor-teachers at such a critical time in the Body of Christ. If my Lord chooses to sustain me you’ll not find me among the man-pleasing rabble currently infesting the pulpits of this land. Know the time in which you live or be swept into myriad deceptions which will only grow.

Let this be known as well; I want you to take up your Bibles and test me (Acts 17:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:21). In fact, as my little flock can attest I welcome it because when you are done I’ll still be standing. For it is also written: For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. My appeal is only that you – “Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment” (John 7:24). The fruit of my labor in Christ is right in line with men like Edwards and Whitefield and Spurgeon and Tozer and Martin. And this is the type of theology the popular new evangelicalism stands against.

And if you wish to support a real work of God then I ask you to make a commitment and begin to do so right now–today. You can do make donations HERE. For example if the support had been there I would have been able to go to Canada and teach willing pastors associated with the Atlantic Baptist Mission what Brian McLaren , the guest speaker at their upcoming convention, is actually all about. The time has come for the Body of Christ to begin to sacrifice along with those of us called into service to them and who labor as a spiritual military to protect them. Yes, if you are a genuine believer in Christ, you serve the King of kings, but your King is at war. And if you don’t wish to enter the fighting yourself then at least financially support those of us who are up to our necks in it.

Finally, a quick example of what could happen if someone really wanted to help in those of us laying down our lives in what Dr. John MacArthur calls “The Truth War.” Maybe instead of going out to eat one weekend a month you commit that money to a work such as this. I am hardly the only ministry going without as spiritually obtuse Christians are financially supporting wolves in sheep’s clothing. And as you sacrifice that one night of pleasure, thereby joining those of us do so every day, then why not also make the commitment to set aside that time to specifically pray for men like me who in the strength of the Lord would rather die than compromise no matter what it costs.

But let me tell you this because I am not too proud to say…it costs…

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:16-18, KJV)