Hey this is Sean Mayfield and you’re listening to
the Antipas Audio Journal. It is Sunday, January
07, 2007 and yes in fact this is the first audio journal
for the New Year. I hope that everyone had a pleasant
New Year… but I am not going to spend a lot of time
talking about all of that… because I assume everyone
is much more interested in hearing a bit more about
everything going on with us here at Antipas Ministries.
So what I will do with this broadcast is provide some
additional detail and insight as to how we have gotten
to this point… I will also go over a few things currently
in the news… but first and foremost I want to talk
about our situation.
As most of you probably already know… we are selling
the ranch in Canada…
as Steve reported in his most recent article: THE
AMERICAN EMPIRE [The Fundamentals of U.S. World Hegemony]…
And as most of you probably already know… we have
gone through some very severe financial hardships
over the past several months… part of the culmination
of which was our having the website actually go down
for a few days back in late December.
As Steve shared in his article… it has been a very
tough road to hoe of late… and to be honest with all
of you… there is really no way we can keep the ministry
and the ranch going in their current forms. Our original
intentions… as they relate to the ranch… were to make
this a place where we could first and foremost keep
the message going out to all of you. Back when we
made the move to Canada
in April of 2004 there was a very real concern on
our part… that keeping things in the US
would place this objective at risk. Additionally…
we got the ranch so that we could not only save our
own hides… but also somehow have a way to help others
who believed as we do… that the US
is prophetic Babylon and that God does indeed command
His children to come out of that nation.
Like Steve shared… these efforts… this intention…
obviously did not work out. The people who joined
us up here were not of the same heart and same mind
as we were… as anybody who is familiar with these
audio journals probably knows… since I have spoken
and written about all this many times in the past.
And as Steve indicated… the problems we encountered
with people were very severe… and to a large degree
I did become the brunt of many very vicious and very
personal attacks. That is life in the big city though…
as the saying goes… and I am not too torn up about
the things I have endured… though I will admit that
I find myself much less willing to trust as freely
as I have in the past. That is not the point though…
The point is that our efforts to make the ranch a
place where people could come and join us in our efforts
in this ministry failed. The immaturity and inability
of these others to realize what we are all about is
certainly a part of the reason why it didn’t work
out… and additionally… the failure of people to realize
the reality of our economic situation certainly played
a large part as well.
Ultimately… the economics of things is what did us
in… so to speak… since the level of support the ministry
receives is just not enough to keep this place going…
even under the most Spartan of lifestyles. Our original
intention when we came to Canada… was that I would
spend all of my efforts ministering in this message
the Lord has given us… and also sort of manage our
affairs on the ranch. It was and is a full-time endeavor
to do this… there is a need for this sort of effort…
and I am truly convicted that my efforts in this respect
have not been in vain… or without effect.
Yet the reality is that in this world… one has to
have a certain level of support… to continue on in
a full-time capacity spreading the message of truth.
Manna does not fall from heaven… and the bills do
not magically get paid. Well… quite simply… the support
just was not and is not there… so reality has dictated
the sale of the ranch… and also that I must find a
way to provide for my own upkeep. Steve and Lucy…
dear souls that they are cannot realistically go out
there and live by the sweat of their brow anymore…
but I can.
At this point I do feel sort of like the Apostle
Paul… though I am not saying I am a spiritual giant
or anything like that. What I am implying is that
sometimes reality encroaches upon the course the Lord
has set us on… sometimes the support that should be
there is not there as happened to Paul and Barnabas…
as shared in Paul’s first letter to the Church in
Corinth. The thing is though… some people paint this
as somehow meaning God is not on your side… that you
are not in His will… like this email we received yesterday
from somebody named PW who wrote:
After reading Shearer's self-eulogy on the Antipas wabsite it's clear that it hasn't occurred to him that his
so-called "ministry" wouldn't and couldn't
have failed if it had had God's blessing, for "everything
that God blesses flourishes". Why did you
fail? Principally because the
Antipas message is one of hate rather than love.
People, as politicians eventually learn, become quickly
disenchanted with negativity and that's basically
all Shearer and his band had to offer. Germany
is probably the right place for his anti-Americanism.
PW
Well… if PW is right then Paul did not have God’s
blessing either… and this is certainly not the case.
Insofar as Paul is concerned… what had happened was
this: Paul was receiving financial support from a
certain church which he had raised up, and the people
in that church decided at a certain point that they
could no longer "afford" to support Paul.
The rationale was that Paul was not living there
any more. He was doing the work to which God had called
him elsewhere. As a result of this situation, Paul's
support was ended and he shortly found himself quite
destitute… unable to take care of even his most basic
needs. As such he was forced to resort to "tent-making"
in order to support himself.
The thing is though… God was certainly not glorified
in Paul’s having to cease his work for the Lord to
make tents. In fact it was a tragedy insofar as the
Lord’s work was concerned… since while Paul was making
tents, the ministry to which he had been called stopped.
And this ancient tragedy is made all the worse when
saints today say that this is what God really wants
- "full-time" workers making tents in order
to support themselves.
This is NOT what God wants! And it is NOT what Paul
wanted! To say so is to totally misconstrue I
Corinthians 9:1-19 - and so much so
as to make the mistake appear purposeful. Any honest
reading of this passage of Scripture would make it
abundantly clear what God wants (even demands) from
those who follow Him - and that is that those whom
He has called into "full-time" service should
be supported by the saints. Paul says:
“Who goeth a warfare any time at his own
charges? who planteth
a vineyard, and eateth not
of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? Say I
these things as a man? or
saith not the law the same
also? For it is written in the law
of Moses, Thou shalt not
muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth
out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt,
this is written: that he that ploweth
should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth
in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have
sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing
if we shall reap your carnal things?” (1 Corinthian
9: 7-11)
To sum things up regarding this situation as it relates
to us… as it relates to me… the support is just not
there to keep the ranch going, the ministry going,
and me going as a full-time laborer. As such… we
are selling the ranch… keeping the message of this
ministry going… but losing me as a full-time laborer
in the message.
Just like Paul… I am not happy about this… I do not
think it is ultimately what God wants… yet as I said
earlier… the reality is that the support is just not
there. Hey listen… I have quite a bit more to share
regarding all of this… but before I continue… let’s
take a break so we can listen to a brief message from
those of us here at Antipas Ministries.com.
--- Message Break ---
Welcome back to the Antipas Audio Journal… I am your
host Sean Mayfield. Before the break I was talking
about the financial reality that has brought about
the end of our efforts on the ranch here in Canada.
As I shared earlier though… it wasn’t solely about
finances… our experiences with the people who did
come up here played a part in the decision as well…
as did the fact that the mature brothers and sisters
in the Lord that we really needed up here never materialized.
To go back to the economics of things though… in
many ways I guess my fulltime efforts were a luxury
that the ministry just cannot afford anymore… and
believe me when I say that I work cheap. And as Steve
has indicated… the plan, which he and Lucy have is
to go to Germany
as quickly as possible after the sale of the ranch.
Sadly… I cannot just hop on board with them. Economically
it is just not a realistic option. The support just
is not there… and once all the creditors and tax-men
are paid off from the sale of the ranch… we’ll be
lucky if there is much more than two nickels to rub
together.
So what I am going to have to do is make some tents…
tote that line…lift that bale… and keep my eyes on
the prize… and do as much as I can to keep spreading
this message. As many of you have probably already
noticed… the volume of material I have authored on
the website has diminished over the past couple of
months... as a result of this situation… and while
I am going to do my best to keep my portion of the
message coming to all of you on what is hopefully
a weekly basis… the reality is that this may not always
be possible.
Additionally… my situation in Canada
is one that will not enable me to legally work in
the country. During my time in Canada
I have been there as a minister of the gospel… which
is legally all I am allowed to do… as such… I have
had to leave the country in order to make my tents.
It is though… my hope and my desire… to not make this
a permanent situation… in fact this is my compulsion…
I just don’t know right now where I will end up when
all is said and done.
I will have to essentially start over insofar as
fleeing Babylon is concerned… in a capacity that will
enable me to support myself wherever I go. I don’t
know how long it will take me to get all these details
worked out… and as I said earlier… I am not sure where
I will end up… all I know is that it will be exactly
where the Lord wants me to be… and that I will not
back down from preaching this message between now
and then in the fullest capacity that I am able to
do.
So there it is… there is the situation as it relates
to me… I hope this clears things up as they relate
to me anyway… and I do also want to thank everyone
out there who has written with offers of places to
stay… potential jobs I could take… etc. etc. I do
thank the Lord for your kind words and offers of assistance…
and I thank you as well…
As I said earlier… the attacks I have endured over
the past couple of years are not really the main thing
here. They did hurt… and they have made me much more
guarded than I have been in the past… but nonetheless…
I feel that I have as Steve said concerning this:
…Matured insofar as the work God has called me to.
Since I too believe that there is much to learn from
the tribulation we suffer in this world... and fully
acknowledge that portion of God's Word which says:
"We must through much tribulation enter into
the kingdom of God."
(Acts 14:22)
And also...
"… knowing that tribulation worketh
patience;
"And patience, experience; and experience,
hope:
"And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad
in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto
us." (Romans 5:3-5)
To that I say amen… and additionally I say that if
we are not experiencing persecution and tribulation
in our lives… then we probably need to examine the
content of our testimony… Hey… the world loves it’s
own… and as such if we are at peace with the world…
if we are having anyone shoot arrows at us… then chances
are we are not testifying to the fullest extent the
Lord requires of us.
Well listen… I have a few more things to talk about
today… but before I continue… let’s take another break
so we can listen to another message from those of
us here at Antipas Ministries.com.
--- Message Break ---
Welcome back to the Antipas Audio Journal… I am your
host Sean Mayfield. Before the break I was wrapping
up my comments related to the sale of the ranch… and
what the future holds for me… and how we have gotten
to this point. I hope that the picture is a bit more
clear now… and I hope everyone has a better understanding
of what is going on… between reading Steve’s most
recent article… and listening to my comments today.
Trust me when I tell you… this message is not being
silenced. We are not folding up shop insofar as spreading
the truth is concerned. Steve will still write his
articles… I will still produce as many journals as
I can… the online training program will continue…
and we will still do all that we can to extend the
reach of this message in Ghana, the Philippines, India…
and wherever else the Lord takes things.
The simple truth is that time stops for no man… and
the times in which we live are still extremely volatile…
to say the least. As Steve said in his
article on January the 5th:
"is it really that difficult to recognize -
The United States
for what it really is: the BEAST NATION of Daniel
7:7 and Is. 28:18…
That no nation or combination of nations can challenge
its preeminence…
That there is a great deal of significance to
the fact that American troops are now ensconced in
the land of ancient Babylon…
That the United States
is now maneuvering "for the kill" in the
Middle East by -
Moving
two huge U.S. carrier battle groups into
the Middle East to augment the carrier
battle groups already there…
"SURGING" 50,000 more troops into Iraq.
Again, for what purpose?
To halt the insurgent activity there
prior to pulling out American forces from Iraq? - the logic here is so
convoluted it hardly bears refutation…
Deploying the new, improved Patriot Missile System
to Iraq
and Israel.
Once again, for what purpose?
To protect American troops in Iraq
from the many "sophisticated" missile systems
the Iraqi insurgents possess? To protect Israel
from a war they are not even participants in? – (As
Steve said) it's all so farcical.
Shipping several thousand "smart
air launched weapons" to Israel. Again. For what purpose. These weapons are not needed to protect Israel
from the crude rockets that Herzbollah possesses.
Shipping
to Israel some 500 "bunker-buster
bombs;" specifically the conventional "bunker
buster" (the BLU 113), and the B61-11, which
is the "nuclear version" of the BLU 113.
Nuclear weapons to Israel? Why? - for use against
Hamas in the Gaza strip? If Israel
uses these weapons in Gaza, they would
probably take out half of Israel
as well.
Shipping US Harpoon
missiles armed with nuclear warheads for use
by Israel's
submarine force. As if these weapons would be of any
use to Israel
except in an all out war with Iran.
Deploying large numbers of air assets to the six
"super-bases" the U.S.
has built in the desert in Iraq.
Once again, for what purpose?
The U.S.
already has an over-abundance of air power in Iraq
insofar as its war against the Iraqi
insurgents are concerned."
What should be clear from what Steve has shared…
and more succinctly from the original information
itself… is that the US
has not called off its plans to dominate the world…
it has not changed its course insofar as conquering
the whole of the Middle East is concerned. The specter
of war, brutality, and carnage still looms on the
horizon… and it is imperative that believers recognize
this situation while there is still time to act.
Believe me when I tell you that this is oh… so… important.
In fact… just today I received a news update from
the Truthout website which reads as follows:
“Revealed:
Israel Plans Nuclear Strike on Iran
Israel
has drawn up secret plans to destroy Iran's
uranium enrichment facilities with tactical nuclear
weapons. Two Israeli air force squadrons are training
to blow up an Iranian facility using low-yield nuclear
"bunker-busters," according to several Israeli
military sources. The attack would be the first with
nuclear weapons since 1945, when the United
States dropped atomic
bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The Israeli weapons would each have a force equivalent
to one-fifteenth of the Hiroshima bomb.”
And the actual article goes on to make it quite clear
that even if it has to go it alone… the Israelis are
going to destroy Iran’s potential capability to produce
its own nuclear weapon… and that the only way to be
sure of success in this effort is to use low-yield
nuclear bunker-busters… of the type Steve wrote about
the other day.
Meanwhile… Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats are
rumbling about not authorizing more funding
for President Bush’s plans to ramp things up in Iraq…
most probably in preparation for a strike on Iran…
so what we are faced with is a scenario in which something
may well take place that will prohibit the new Democratic
leadership from exercising their constitutional right
to take this course of action.
What does this mean exactly? Well… at a minimum
it means a showdown is looming in Washington… but
I am not so sure this is all… what may just happen
is some sort of event or tragedy that will enable
Bush to circumvent the constitutional checks that
a Congress controlled by the opposition party can
place upon the right wing war agenda.
The long and the short of it is that we are living
in tumultuous times… and things could change dramatically
at the drop of a hat. As such it is so very important
that those who claim to love the truth… bare its testimony…
It is oh so important that those who claim to serve
the Lord obey His commandments. I realize that most
if not all people don’t think they can just pick up
and head off to parts unknown in a moments notice…
but I do have to say that people need to start the
process that will enable them to obey the Lord on
this account. You cannot run the race if you don’t
take the first step… and in all honesty… most people
out there have not even taken that step.
Well let me tell you… I am taking that step… I am
doing everything I can to get to where the Lord wants
me to be as rapidly as I can… and on top of that…
if need be… I will stow away on a tramp steamer to
Bora-Bora if that is the only chance I’ve got.
To sum it all up… We all
need to realize that time is a luxury that we really
don’t have that much of. The time to take action
is now… the time to serve the Lord is now… the time
to obey Him is now. We all must take steps toward
Him… we all must be true to what He has led us to
understand and believe… there really is no other choice.
Listen up… with that said I am going to wrap this
audio journal up… I hope that it has answered some
of the questions you might have… I hope that it has
provided some further clarity as to our situation
in Canada…
and my personal situation. Please do continue to
keep all of us in your prayers… and please do whatever
you can to support this message. We truly need your
help to keep this thing going… even in the new direction
we are taking… So hey… at this point I will close
things out for today… and in doing so I’ll leave you
with a presentation of the true gospel message… from
those of us here at Antipas Ministries… so until next
time… God Bless You All!
--- Program End ---
