After the difficult days of the Babylonian Captivity, a remnant of Israelites returned to rebuild Jerusalem. The opportunity was open to all the exiles, but only tiny number heeded the call of God to return. The rebuilding took many years, much perseverance and even some persuading. Men of God like Nehemiah, Ezra and Zerubbabel led the effort on the ground. From every angle, opposition, obstacles and oppression rained down upon the righteous remnant. But these three faithful leaders stood strong: spiritually and practically. A practical point was rebuilding the Walls of Jerusalem. Without Walls, the city would never survive. And without Watchmen, the walls were quite useless. The task was twofold: to Build...and to Battle. Nehemiah recorded the divine plan...

The men on the wall held Swords and Trowels. The absence of one or the other would spell disaster for the Israelites. We cannot simply build projects like Walls. We must man those stations with Watchmen...to defend and fight. Many ministries today are consumed with projects. Inundated with ceaseless fundraising, facility “improvements” and branded ministry “programs”. Many churches today have become mere walled community centers. Enclaves of huddled masses addicted to constant spiritual feeding. Avoiding sacrifice, defending the faith or even engaging in the fight. And fight we must. The battle for souls is real. Satan’s minions are tremendous soldiers. But what about us? Constant building can become a deceptive distraction. Constant programs can become cultish. Constant “equipping” can become, at some point, sinfully indulgent. We must not only gird, but also goad: into the battle that rages around us without ceasing.

It was into this spiritual and practical reality that Nehemiah, Ezra and Zerubbabel forged ahead...and instilled the same practicality in others. Putting the Sword and the Trowel in the hands of well disciplined, well equipped, well prepared men. The essential question is: Where is today’s Nehemiah, Ezra or Zerubbabel? Such Men of God are not factory ordered. They must be made....with painstaking perseverance and patience.

At Disciple Support Ministries, we currently have 8 Bible Teachers. Men of God entrusted with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Charged with the task of making Disciple-makers. Our Bible Teachers are not simply churning out Diploma wielding spiritual sycophants. Our teachers must put Spiritual Swords and Trowels in the hands of our Pastors and Ministry Leaders. And that is no simple task. The Bible Teachers themselves must be exceptionally adept at handling the Sword and the Trowel. And therein lay the critical vision of Disciple Support Ministries: to not simply “make Disciples”...but perhaps more importantly to also “make Disciple-makers”.

This could never be legitimately accomplished by hiring outside Bible Teachers. We never have...and, by God’s directive, never will. God made it abundantly clear to us that we were to grow our own Disciples...and our own Bible Teachers. Every Bible Teacher has gone through the Bible School program first, then volunteered for several years, before slowly growing into a position of teaching others. This Method of Ministry has been neither glorious nor glamorous. Over the 18+ years of the Ministry, we have had more than a few disasters, purges and heartaches along the way with our Teachers. Many fell along the way due to spiritual failures...and then refused to repent. Under such circumstances, there is only one way forward: Removal. Without Repentance, there can be no Restoration...for any of us. We hold our teachers to the highest standards. As we should. The point: I have spent more years teaching on my own, than with teachers to assist me. But I’ve never stopped planting and watering by faith.

And here we are: 18+ years later, we have a bountiful harvest of God-fearing Men of God...building up the next generation of Watchmen on the Walls.

One thing our generation despises is tedious, repetitious, time-consuming work. We want instant “results”. Making Disciples and Disciple-makers is undoubtedly the slowest of all ministry endeavors. Months and years can be consumed with stubborn stagnation and stunning setbacks. Ezra, Nehemiah and Zerubbabel understood this. From the initial resettlement of Jerusalem until the Walls were finally rebuilt took 92 years!! And in between there were all sorts of setbacks. We must be in it for the long haul...“come hell or high water.”

Of the 8 current Bible teachers, several were initially very stubborn and irritating as students. Some had moral failures after becoming teachers, a few refused to repent and were dismissed from the Ministry! One previously walked away from his teaching position 24 hours before a semester began...with no explanation! In summary, we’ve had just about every conceivable setback and disappointment known in discipleship ministry. Yet we continued to minister individually and personally to these same men for many, many years. None for less than 7 years....some for more than 14 years!

The point: making Disciples is never a ready-mix, wrinkle-free, high speed endeavor. Rather, it is long, hard, and painfully slow ministry. Makin Disciple-makers is even more so. To expect it to be otherwise is unbiblical. It was that way for Jesus with His disciples. It will be the same for us.

With that in mind, we beg you to be in sincere and serious intercession for our Bible Teachers.

Our “home-made” versions of Nehemiah, Ezra and Zerubbabel. They are under the most intense and ceaseless spiritual warfare imaginable. They live and minister under indescribable pressures and problems. The enemy knows that if he can sift one of our teachers, many sheep will be scattered. It has happened many times over the years.

I pray ceaselessly that none of our staff or students ever fall. But just in case, I keep my own Sword and Trowel in my hands. We must build the Wall. But more importantly, never cease building People.

Especially Watchmen....equipped with the Sword and the Trowel.