Mike Arnold, the founder of CrossTrail Outfitters here in San Antonio, has written his first book entitled UPRISING: Time for Christians to Stop Waiting and Start Winning. 

And he doesn't pull any punches!

 
He contends that the mass marketing of Christianity in recent generations has turned our faith into a mish-mash of watered-down messages.

For example, many Christians subscribe to a pre-tribulation "rapture" -- a theological viewpoint that has only been around for 200 years.  Popularized by the Left Behind series written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, people who believe in the rapture think that Jesus will take the church out before the tribulation begins.  Not surprisingly, there are negative trickle-down ramifications in the way Christians live as a result. 

If a Christian is convinced that God will beam him up to heaven before things get too bad down here on Earth, then he is far less likely to be an active agent of the establishment of God's Kingdom on earth. If the believer thinks that he will be "rescued" any day now, he might be more inclined to complacency. 

This rapture theory has lulled many in the church today into an institutionalized religion that is increasingly irrelevant and marginalized in the world.  Jesus Christ did not come to preach a gospel of weakness, escape or comfortable living. He came to teach, equip and model for us how to be the salt and light of the world as articulated in Matthew 5:13.

In fact, from God's mandate to Adam to "go and establish dominion" in Genesis 1:28 to His statement that "he who conquers" -- or gains the victory -- "will inherit all things" in Revelation 21:7, we can see a consistent biblical theme: We are to continually advance His dominion in every sphere. 

Imagine the impact the church would have on the world if we truly internalized the Dominion Mandate. 

• Christians would be highly motivated to cast an informed ballot enabling us to elect God-honoring statesmen at every level from the local Board of Education to the White House.  

• Christian parents would be just as proud if their sons became doctors, journalists or professors as they would if they became full-time missionaries in Africa.

• Instead of 2% of Christians actively sharing their faith, 100% would evangelize.

• Christians would be less likely to be caught up in wasting their time in frivolous activities like excessive television viewing, and more likely to redeem their time with substantial Bible reading and memorization.

God's Word paints a picture of His sons and daughters, empowered by His Spirit, victoriously establishing His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.   

Are we experiencing all that God intends for His children? Not by a long shot! Instead, we've lost sight of His original vision for mankind, and as a result we are perishing. Proverbs 29:18 declares, "Where there is no vision, the people perish."    

Our loving Father has so much more in store for us than most Christians currently experience!  We need to embrace our true, victorious identity, purpose and destiny in Christ.  It's time to start functioning as His Body on earth.  It's time to stop "playing church" while we're waiting to be rescued.  Our lives, our ministries, and the entire world will never be the same.

  

Mike's book is a powerful, plain-language exposition of the message that Jesus Himself taught, the Gospel of the Kingdom. It is a message of devotion to the Lord and empowerment by His Spirit, and a call for Christians to rise up and seize the victorious destiny that is our birthright in Christ.

Written from a unique and engaging perspective, UPRISING takes a step back from divisive theological nitpicking and religious traditions, and looks at the Bible from a big-picture, start-to-finish perspective. In doing so, it brings to new light one of the most vital, overarching themes of God's message to mankind which is, sadly enough, one that has been virtually lost in today's church.

UPRISING instills in believers a clear understanding of their God-intended identity, purpose and destiny. It fills in the blanks and brings clarity to some of the most vital portions of Scripture -- ones that are often skipped over or brushed aside. It is a gripping, paradigm-shifting bombshell, a much-needed encouragement to believers and a wake-up call to the Body of Christ. This book will put a fire in your belly. It's a life changer.

Time for the CHRISTIAN UPRISING

Read some excerpts of UPRISING here.

Check out the endorsements of UPRISING by Charles Flowers, Eileen Vincent, Peter Spencer, John Ofoegbu, Duke Jonietz and  Wayne Crooks at the bottom of this email. 

WHO IS MIKE ARNOLD?  

Mike Arnold is a dedicated family man and long-time minister.

He and his wife Amy live in the Hill Country, north of San Antonio, where they homeschool their four children, ages 5 to 15 and attend Cowboys for Jesus Church in Fischer, Texas.

Mike hasn't let the grass grow under his feet. 

In addition to working as a campus evangelist, he has been a political consultant for seven Republican candidates.  Later, he founded a weekly political newsletter called the Lone Star Report which was a must-read for Texas legislators, their staff, lobbyists and Texas media.  During that time Mike spoke weekly with Karl Rove and several times a week with Rick Perry. 

From there he founded TXN, the Texas Network, based in San Antonio, which had TV affiliates in every Texas media market, hired 120 employees and used 17 news gathering vehicles.

  

Among other ministry work, including helping launch more than a dozen other ministries, Mike and Amy founded and built from scratch a youth ministry called Cross Trail Outfitters which now has full-time, year-round youth discipleship staff in five states. This past summer their ministry hosted eight full sessions of summer camps in three states, and baptized dozens of youth.

 

   

Among other acclamations, Mike's ministry work has been endorsed by Will Graham (Billy Graham's grandson and Franklin's son), and this spring received a formal commendation from the Texas State Senate.

This fall, after 10 years in ministry, Mike retired from Cross Trail Outfitters to pursue what he sees as his ultimate calling, which is to write, speak and consult.

Just this year alone, Mike has hosted leadership events and retreats, and spoken in diverse venues, in Texas, Missouri, Michigan, Illinois, Tennessee and North Carolina, and served as the lead teacher in two large, international ministry leadership conferences in Owerri and Abuja, Nigeria. He is a compelling speaker with a powerful message.  I encourage you to invite him to speak at your church or ministry function.

For more about Mike's ministry work and a complete bio, or to contact him for a speaking invitation, visit www.MikeArnold.org or call 210.286.4875. (Recordings of Mike's teachings at the African conferences are available for free download on the site.)

Mike is a minister with an MBA, not a seminary diploma. His diverse background, from the political arena to the marketplace and finally to full-time ministry, gives him a perspective that is unique, colorful, practical and strategic. As a result, his writing is broadly appealing, easy to relate to, insightful and relevant, while also being deeply personal.

Fresh out of the gate, Mike was offered a three-book contract by a leading Christian publisher which publishes well-known Christian authors.  While he took this contract offer as a confirmation from God for his calling as a writer, Mike did not want to compromise his biblical message in the editing process nor wait the year it would take for his book to hit the bookstores. So he opted to publish and market the book himself.

Because of your reputation for faith and action, Mike is turning to you, Adam's Army, to formally launch the release of UPRISING.

Let's show the world what we can do! I encourage you to buy at least one copy of this book and read it. When you do, you'll want to tell your friends about it, and it will grow from there.

Order your physical copy of UPRISING: Time for Christians to Stop Waiting and Start Winning.  To get the Adam's Army 10% discount, type in this code at checkout: 27N9FMB5.

Or get your Kindle version of the book here.   

From the introduction, all the way through, you'll be gripped, stirred, and fired-up. It's a book you can't put down.  When you're done, you'll want to read it all over again, and buy copies for your friends.

It is deep and compelling, and yet written in a style that is thoroughly engaging and easy to read. It is challenging without being threatening, and bold without needlessly stepping on toes. Virtually every Christian, from every walk of life and background, can connect with this book, and it will lead them to connect with their Father in a deeper, more meaningful, more passionate way. You cannot read this book and come away anything but edified and inspired. 

Dr. Craig Onstott, a young chiropractor who lives in Shepherd, Michigan, read UPRISING and it changed his life. This is what he says:

"UPRISING has given me affirmation for my whole life. Now I know why I have endured the things I endured and enjoyed the things I enjoyed. It has given me freedom from my past, understanding in the present and unlocked God's vision for me for the future.

"This isn't just another book. This very well could be the key to unlocking the written Word, freeing us from our lost identity and restoring God's vision in this world. We all say we 'get it' and 'it makes sense' but then our actions and lives reflect something else. This book allows us to truly 'get it,' and it brings so much clarity to the vision that we are left with but one option, and that is to 'do it.'

"We are all ready and willing but sometimes we need a message like this book to get us going. This is like the pre-game talk the coach will give you that gets you so jacked up that you run screaming out the door ready to take on the world. You need to read this book, find out who you really are and what you are getting ready for."

While the book is deeply personal -- lovingly reaching into the inmost parts of readers' hearts and minds and helping turn them more fully towards Christ -- it also has sweeping, world-changing implications for the Church as a whole, and for the entire world.

If every Christian on earth were to read this book and absorb its message, nothing would ever be the same. This is the message of victory that God intends for His sons and daughters on earth to embrace.

It is also a unifying message, calling the Church to lay aside man-made differences and rally around God's original purpose for creation, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, as we fight for absolute victory against our common enemy.

When the Body of Christ finally rises up and seizes their true identity, purpose and destiny - and learns to operate under the headship and authority of Jesus - we will see unprecedented revival sweep across the face of the earth. Individuals, industries and institutions will begin to come in alignment with the perfect will of God. This is not only possible, it's inevitable, and UPRISING is a message from the Word of God that can help bring this about.

UPRISING is not just the name of the book, it's what will happen when Christians around the world read it. This book is a game changer!

Peter Spencer, founder of Harvest Fellowship and an international missionary, ministry strategist, theologican and film producer, says of UPRISING, "Future historians may well look back at the release of this book as the turning point in the culture war for the soul of our world."

Order your physical copy of UPRISING: Time for Christians to Stop Waiting and Start Winning.  To get the Adam's Army 10% discount, type in this code at checkout: 27N9FMB5.

Or get your Kindle version of the book here. 

While this book is approachable and digestible by laymen from all walks of life, it also has significant depth that serious pastors, teachers and theologians will appreciate.

It is not a kooky, mountain-top epiphany or a Frankenstein theology stitched together from random snippets of Scripture. It is instead a sweeping overview of God's original vision for mankind, clearly and forcefully backed up by reams of Scripture references.

And because it relies on Scripture alone, and the author's personal experience with the living God, it transcends denominational or theological pigeon-holing. In other words, regardless of your ministry background, education or traditions, while you may certainly be challenged by this book, you'll have to work hard to be offended by it.

Because he knew how outside-the-box and vital this message is, Mike set out to write a book that is above reproach and can withstand the due diligence of his most skeptical readers.  He did painstaking work to fully document every reference and assertion, such that the book includes more than 400 footnotes and a glossary of Greek words referenced in the work, for those who seek to dig deeper.

Over the past decade, Mike has worked with hundreds of ministers, around the world, and found a "dirty little secret" --  too many pastors, youth ministers, and missionaries  often feel deep despair over the way their ministry career has turned out.

"This is not what I signed up for!" is a common lament.

They often feel there are only two options - either burn out and quit, or sell out to the system and give up hope for really making the difference they used to dream about.

Before writing the book, Mike unpacked the message of UPRISING during his ministry leadership retreats, workshops and conferences across America and in Africa. One thing that drove him to put it on paper was watching how the message breathed new life into tired ministers.  In essence, the message sparked personal and ministry revival.

The wife of one of Mike's ministry leadership retreat participants wrote, "I wanted to take the time to share what a life-changing event Calling Camp was to not only my husband, but to me as well. Although he was only away at camp for three days, Jason came home a changed man. By that, I don't mean he came home on a spiritual 'high' that lasted a few days, but that something about him was truly different.  He came home with a new outlook on life and is truly on fire for God."

There's a year's worth of sermons and Bible studies in UPRISING, and a lifetime of passion and energy. If you read this book with a teachable heart, and absorb its message, you can expect your personal outlook, and your ministry, to be revitalized.

With UPRISING, "burnout" or "sellout" are no longer the only options! Read UPRISING and get your passion back!

Order your physical copy of UPRISING: Time for Christians to Stop Waiting and Start Winning.  To get the Adam's Army 10% discount, type in this code at checkout: 27N9FMB5.

Or get your Kindle version of the book here. 

Mike's business education and background give him keen insights into the marketplace. He doesn't see a difference between the business world and the ministry world; all the walls of separation that exist are man-made, and not God-ordained.

UPRISING clearly establishes that there are no "higher" and "lower" callings.  We are all made for a specific place in the Body of Christ. For some today that's "full-time" ministry, for others it's not. Either way, the fact is God's divine presence, provision, protection and power are freely available to those who operate in His will, wherever their calling may be.

God desires the Body of Christ to be endowed with more resources and influence in the world, and He has assigned business and civic leaders to achieve this important function. Vision, boldness, confidence, passion and love are vital traits of successful business and civic leaders.

The message of UPRISING will inspire these in you, as it leads you to embrace your God-ordained identity, purpose and destiny. When you do, your business will be on track for success that you never before imagined.

1.  Get the book. In fact, why not pick up several copies.


It'll make a great Christmas gift for your pastor and other Christian friends and family. Several local ministers are giving copies of this book away as Christmas gifts. Be sure to order this week to get your copies by Christmas. (When you check out and select delivery options, it will tell you the expected delivery date.)

Note:  If you use the special "Adam's Army" discount code of 27N9FMB5 at checkout, you will get a 10% discount.  (The discount is available for physical books only and not for the Kindle edition.)

   

2. Invite Mike Arnold to speak at your church or ministry function. Better yet, ask him and his team to organize a Kingdom Uprising retreat for your group. Your ministry will never be the same! Go to www.MikeArnold.org for information, email him or call 210.286.4875.

3.  Learn more about the Christian Uprising.

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