Preach What The Bible Says

Christ Jesus has been incredibly kind to Donna and myself in giving me this Internet “pulpit,” for if He had not, I would have been in Jeremiah’s position – his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot (Jeremiah 20:9b), with but one forum to express what He has given me to say. As you know I am also pastor of Connecticut River Baptist Church (CRBC), which is a small church of about 8 members that is currently meeting in the home of one of our members. This church was once a fellowship of some 100 members in the 80’s that had shrunk to 13 or so by the time I was called a little over a year ago. My stand against PDL then caused us to lose around half of the remaining members–including our largest financial supporters–and would find us being shunned by both our state and regional associations.

My point in mentioning this is twofold. First, these dear people would soon grow tired of my preaching and teaching them things that I have already taught them, but apparently these issues have need of being taught in the Body of Christ in areas that do not have sound biblical exposition. Truly it is as Dr. Walter Martin used to say: If people were getting the answers to questions like these in their local churches, there would be no need of ministries like mine. Well, at CRBC we are looking at these issues affecting the Church as we grow in Christ, and we are learning how to preach Christ’s Gospel with boldness here in cynical postmodern America.

I mention this for another reason as well, and this is as an honest attempt in the Lord to share a need, which is not easy to do. The size of our little fellowship precludes them from supplying much in the way of pastoral support, though they have never hesitated to assist us in any way that they can. There is no doubt whatever that they love Donna and myself, and are all praying with us that AM can help in this area of supply. This is comforting, but not necessarily understood by those outside of the immediate CRBC family. Apart from a modest stipend Donna and I receive no financial support from any outside agencies, nor any housing allowances, etc. As such, we both work a couple of secular jobs each to be able to keep these ministries functioning.

A Brief History

For those who’ve not had the opportunity to hear the interview that Ingrid Schlueter graciously offered me on her Crosstalk program, I’ll give just a brief background as to how I would even be able to write this humble appeal. In June of this year AM existed solely on paper as an idea for a local outreach from CRBC in the very secular Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee area of New Hampshire. It was felt that our Lord was calling me to share the benefit of nearly 18 years of personal study into the area of Comparative Religion, non-Christian cults and the field of apologetics.

At this time I had just written what would become The Falling Away Of The Evangelical Church, a great title suggested to me by Donna for a possible book I should write. I felt that using it for the aforementioned article would be a way I could let people know how much I appreciated the gift the Lord had given me in a wife who wants to serve Christ with me. You see, as in Ezekiel 3, it is not easy to be sent as a missionary to your own country because people don’t see the United States as a mission field, and hence the support is quite hard to come by. This requires a wife who is willing to sacrifice comforts often taken for granted by others. Especially when her husband’s messages are not exactly seeker sensitive.

In mid June I sent the “Falling Away” article to Chris Carmichael, whose fine website is christianunplugged.com. He is a dear brother–and trusted friend in Christ–who at that time was a total stranger who lives in another part of the country! As the Lord willed Chris would later feel led to offer me a chance to be a contributor at his site. He and I laugh about it now, but he had no idea about just how much Christ had given me to “contribute.”

Donna and I will be forever grateful, because August 27th this dedicated servant of Christ presented us with the gift of this beautiful website that he personally designed for us. Since that time Jesus has seen fit to open up this humble little work to so many wonderful Christians all over the world whom He had apparently been preparing to receive the sermon/articles that I have been writing. These people and ministries have been so kind to embrace us, and to do what they could to help others become more aware of AM, which leads me to the main issue of this short heartfelt letter.

An Increasing Mandate For Apprising Ministries

What we have found as AM is slowly being discovered by people is that there are many in various areas of the world who do not have a good local church, the Lord knows I literally received an email from someone who said this very thing as I was editing this. And we have also seen that there are pastors and ministers who have turned to me as someone who can help them to get the information necessary to more effectively combat the various seeker sensitive teachings that are infesting the body of Christ as this apostasy grows. This is especially crucial to my brothers from Africa who have contacted me for assistance due to Rick Warren–the Pied Piper of PDL–who is invading them as we speak. Combine this with so many who write and say the time is short, and you may see why it seems as if God is broadening the mandate for AM so quickly.

If I might presume to offer a couple of personal notes, I've been home sick for the past week from my secular job and it's given me a great opportunity to write and share fulltime. I am feeling better now, though I am not anxious to return to my secular work in the local high school. Christ is no longer having me evangelize there, one can see in the Spirit He is through with it. Jesus has had me there for four years now, even coaching the football team and this Nineveh just wouldn't repent. It is rapidly becoming a human cesspool now. It is so sad to watch. And the burden that He has now placed in my heart is to be available to devote myself completely to CRBC and AM.

Donna's mother Lillian has increasingly failing health through osteoporosis and she is also almost completely blind now. Although we praise God that this dear woman has been in Christ for many years, as you might imagine, this is very hard on Donna. One of the jobs she also has is in the secular school system as an assistant at one of the local pre-schools and it is quite stressful right now with all she has on her mind with her mom. We live in New Hampshire, which is four hours away from her mother in New Jersey, who is alone in her house all day long and just cannot care for herself anymore.
 
Donna’s burden right now is to have the time to be able to care for her mom on a more regular basis, another of the sacrifices we are willing to make for Christ. Obviously to care for her mom will require her being away from me at times, but it will also allow me to devote more time to share the information and insight that Jesus has chosen to give me. In no way do we feel our ministries are any more special or worthy of support than the other fine ministries and local churches Christ has raised up during this time of growing apostasy in His precious Church, but we can't help but feel this important work has been given to us by God because we never asked for any of it. I have often told my church, if there was someone else doing this, and the Lord said to sit under him, I would do so with joy–but there isn't.

That said, I feel I must write to ask you–if you have been blessed through AM–to consider what, if anything you may feel led by our Lord to do in assisting this particular work in Christ. I believe the biblical principle that applies here is 1 Corinthians 9:11. And please know that I have always encouraged people to find a good Bible believing local church and support it with your time, prayers and finances. This is primary; after that however, we ask if you might be willing to consider helping with the possible support of a work such as this. A ministry like AM can only advance through the kindness and generosity of God's people.

It was been brought to my attention that people felt this ministry was far more advanced in financial support and supplies than it is, and perhaps now that more is known about how recent this ministry actually is, it may help in any decision process. We respectfully ask that after you have done the above, that you will please add AM to your list of intercessory prayer, for this is the most important thing you could do for us. And after that, we pray you might consider a onetime gift of financial support, or as you may feel further led, to consider becoming someone who will donate on a regular basis. We are humbly asking Jesus to bring us into contact with those in His Church found Romans 12:8.

If you would like to help support this work, on the far right hand side of the front page of this Site you will see “make a donation.” You can enter this section and make your donation online with PayPal. Even if you don't have a PayPal account, you can make a donation with your credit card. It's fast, free and secure. Or you may make your checks payable to Apprising Ministries and send them to:

APPRISING MINISTRIES
P.O. BOX 340
Claremont, NH 03743

“The Little Church That Wouldn’t Go Away”

And finally dear ones, it is my prayer that you have seen that what I stand for, as Christ is growing this Internet “church,” boldly preaching and teaching what the Bible says–no matter what–to the end. I did not come online seeking to tell anyone what they want to hear, but in the power of the Lord, I have simply told His Church exactly what He has told me to. I can truthfully tell you that as Jesus brings more people into our lives He reminds us that time is short, and that He has many in this remnant who are recognizing each other as our Great Shepherd brings us into contact.

No matter what may be the result of my having to be humbled to make this appeal, Donna and I pray that our great God richly reward you for your kindness to these two servants in this little outpost for Christ at the very edge of His Vineyard. New England is no doubt enemy occupied territory and Satan knows who we are. But that is actually good news, and if God sustains us we will continue praying through in the Holy Spirit to get the funding to allow me to write, preach and teach on a fulltime basis.

And please join with us as well in asking God to fulfill the desire He has placed on my heart to be able to get some of my dear brothers I have been brought in contact with from Canada, Northern Ireland, Scotland, South Africa, England and Wales together on the platform for a conference of teachers in these various parts of the world, all brought together through this little venture begun by 8 faithful believers at CRBC–the little church that wouldn’t go away–who trusted our loving Lord Jesus when he said – “Move out.”
 
In sincerity and gratitude, from the eastern front in Christ…

Pastor Ken Silva