LAYING THE AXE TO THE ROOT

It's back to scripture, discernment and critical thinking as we navigate our current timeline, and the insidious nature of deception in the Global Church.

As the smokescreen continued to lift from the world of hucksters and puppet masters who had infiltrated the Church, we found ourselves in the desert, strangely alone. Friends, colleagues and relationships started to dry out like the landscape that surrounded us. We were hurt, insecure and grieving. God seemed like He was in another universe and with every step we took, the foundation of the entire road crumbled as our feet landed on what we thought was solid ground. As we uncovered more, the suffering got worse. Where and when would the pain ever end? K&B, December 2023

WHO WE ARE

We are Kevin & Barbara Sisti and when we were married 3 years ago today, we never dreamed the road before us would be marked by intentional deception, some of which coming from our own friends and contacts in the Church and Global Missions. We never, in our wildest imaginations thought that the very leader commissioning us to the nations at our wedding would be a false teacher who affiliations run deep with those who deceive and are being deceived.

While our wedding and the way in which God has brought us together is an amazing story in and of itself, we will save that for another time. This story is about a journey that began in 2022 that was supposed to lead to a mission’s trek across the continents (at least that’s what I thought), but ended up as prickly as the desert cactus that were now our best friends.

For Barb, her past was filled with missions work all over the world. So many God ordained moments that could only be attributed to His providence along with a life of faith that I was frankly not able to comprehend. Mine, on the other hand, was charged with SELF, ADDICTION and the PAIN caused to myself and others by choices I had made. Alcohol was king and I was his slave. It was a world that I created FOR ME, and ABOUT ME. Barb and I couldn’t have had more different paths.

But God has changed my course in December 2018, as I would lay on a hard kitchen floor of a homeless shelter. My family had already given up on me and the former comfort of friends, businesses, money and power faded like the glories of yesteryear. It was the end of the road, and the end of me. In true repentance and belief and came to know Jesus. It was at this point I knew that my life was no longer my own, so I set out on a new road. This was a far different road that would lead to ministry to the poor and addicted, disciple making movements and a beautiful praying wife Barbara who would help change my life and especially my character with her wisdom and clarity.

A CHURCH SCANDAL AND A TIME TO PAUSE

However, all of this would be preempted by a scandal of epic proportion about a year and a half after our marriage, and both of us were adjacent enough to hear and see all the the details. It is from this place on the road that we had to pause and sit at His feet until He told us to move. He was calling us to the desert to grieve, to heal and to learn.

The challenges were many in the Arizona desert, regardless of the hurt and grief from the scandal. Our regular home was replaced by a 17 foot camper and our study was a tent. He was calling us to spend months alone with the Him and His Word, listening to His voice, all while living off grid.

So we relied on solar for power, while hauling in water and hauling out trash. We were studying His Word with all diligence, but simultaneously pouring over real history voraciously, like those who would not be denied an answer, yet slightly apprehensive of what the answer might really be. And these were not embellished biographies or revisionist accounts. We were forced to open our eyes to real factual history, if we wanted real answers.

QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS AND MORE QUESTIONS

Since we were hurt deeply from the pain of this scandal, we were asking the question of the Lord, how did we arrive at this point in time as a Church? This led us to ask so many other questions as the truth of His Word started to penetrate and we noticed the tremendous gap between what we were seeing in scripture, and what we were witnessing acted out in front of us in the noise of the American and Global Church.

Questions such as, what were the factors and who were the players that got us here and why the scandals? Why the worldly methods and metrics? Why the ABSOLUTE FAKE and MAKE BELIEVE when there is a real Jesus that can really save? WE SIMPLY NEEDED TO LAY THE AXE AT THE ROOT. And for the most part, we were referring to our stream and our lane, but what He revealed to us was so much wider, shocking and destructive than anything we could have imagined.

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. 2 Peter 2:1-3

HOPE AND THE ROAD BEFORE US

Yet He has given us hope, but it's not in this world. This time with Him has changed us. He has changed us. The lenses, systems and man made constructs continue to fall off as we look at Him. In our simple faith, we believe He wants to do this with everyone. And it is from this dry and parched wilderness that He is now nudging us forward. And we do this with great caution, yet prompted forward in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

In the upcoming weeks be looking for content from us on several media sources that we hope will PROVOKE and STRIP OFF all that is not Him, and point you to the real Jesus of the scripture Himself as we elevate Him, His Word, and walk this Pilgrim Road together.