Help Needed but Good Things Going On |
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J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here.
A few years ago, I read a quote I really liked in the book Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time by Rob Sheffield. On page 102, he was talking about his late first wife, Renée, and wrote: |
Renée had this excellent country-girl pal at her mall job named Tiffany, who quit to have a baby and go on welfare. When she brought her baby to the mall to show everybody, Tiffany asked Renée how come she didn't have a baby yet. Renée said something about saving up. Tiffany said, "Aw, hon, the money always comes from somewhere!” |
Man, how true that is. I used the anecdote above as my opener today, because it’s germane to our current situation in ApologetiX.
GETTING TO THE POINT
It’s been almost four months since our last appeal letter. That’s pretty amazing. Usually, it’s about two months … or three months if things have been going well. God blessed us with a lot of financial support in December 2025, and that helped carry us through the first two months of this year.
I don’t do appeal letters on any kind of schedule, though, because I’d prefer to go forever without sending them, so I try to exhaust other avenues before resorting to this. If you’ve read these preambles over the years, you’ve heard me say words to that effect many times before.
As Tiffany said, "the money always comes from somewhere” (there are ApX fans all over the place), but we always consider it to be pennies — and dollars — from Heaven, because ultimately the money always comes from SomeOne. I talk to Him (usually for a week or more regarding matters like this) before I talk to you.
Although it’s taken longer than usual for me to have to send out our latest appeal, the story is basically the same: ApologetiX has a bunch of bills and expenses (big, medium, and small) coming due, and is months behind paying me, and my family also a bunch of bills and expenses of various sizes coming due.
POINTING TO THE FUTURE
One thing that gives me great encouragement as I write this is that God has been giving me an extraordinarily productive time writing lyrics lately. In the past few weeks, for example, He has given me the complete parodies for at least four songs of significant length, each of them started from scratch.
In the case of three of those songs, I didn’t know ApX would ever be spoofing them, let alone soon be recording them. Nevertheless, God provided huge portions at a time, and they were basically written in just a few days each. And I’m really with happy with them … and all the other lyrics He’s been giving me in 2026.
We have two songs slated to be released on our third single of 2026 tomorrow night, Lord willing. They are currently in the final editing stage, near the finish line. Once they’re released, we already have all the instrumental and vocal parts recorded for both songs on our fourth single of 2026. They are just awaiting final mixing.
In fact, all the instrumentation is already completed for the first song on our fifth single of 2026, which I’m supposed to sing this coming week. Meanwhile, Jimmy has the drums done for the second song on that fifth single and the first song on the sixth single! And yesterday I finished writing the lyrics for the second song on that sixth single.
Yes, it’s a very exciting time here at ApologetiX Central.
If God has brought us that far, I believe He’ll bring those things to completion and will supply the necessary finances for the band and my family.
POINTING TO THE FRUIT
We continue to receive plenty of encouraging messages from fans about the impact of this ministry in their lives. In the article below this one, I’ve included a recent email from Africa that I think you’ll enjoy reading. |
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If you'd like to help with our current situation, here are some options: |
Pray (first and foremost) Give by mail: ApologetiX, 208 Charlemma Dr., Pittsburgh PA 15214
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As always, please do not feel compelled to give. As much as we want to be known as That Christian Parody Band, we also want to be That Christian Pressure-Free Band. Yes, I sure have used a lot of italics in this preamble!
Donations are not tax deductible. Thank you for reading this. God bless you! |
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Nigerian Fan Reconnects with ApX After 12 Years |
J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here again.
Earlier this month, I received a great email from a fan in Nigeria named John Alade: |
Thank you for the songs you shared with me 12 years ago, I am still a huge fan of your music, and my kids are really loving, enjoying, and dancing to them all, including “Baa! We're Lambs."
Tonight, while listening to your music during our TGIF, I was telling them about the albums you shared with me, how I discovered your music, and how I really enjoyed and memorised most of the lyrics. I just started my first job then, faced with the rush of the rat race, and your music really helped and held me throughout that period.
Now by God's grace I have more time to read and study the Bible and got to appreciate that you definitely had done that, too, to compose the amazing lyrics (then I usually made sure I paused the music and read the verse snippets mentioned).
I am also taking time to learn some music, and it'll be a life fulfillment to play some of these songs even with the kids.
I also showed them the email you sent me in 2014, so I thought to thank you, even just discovered I didn't thank you for the songs then, for which I apologize.
Please keep up the good work, May God continually bless you and the team abundantly and your heavenly crown be filled with stars. |
I thanked John for the email and sent him all the music we’ve released since then plus the latest edition of our songbook. I asked if he’d be OK if we shared the contents of his email in our newsletter, and he replied: |
You definitely can. Thanks also for the songbook. Priceless. |
We originally shared about John in our newsletter on March 20, 2014. I dug that issue out, so you can see what we said at the time: |
We get lots of email claiming to be from Nigeria, but this is one of the few we've gotten that wasn't spam: |
I am a Nigerian and found out about your band late last year on an internet radio (leadmetotherock radio) and searched for the song "One Way" on YouTube to listen again.
I will like to download them but the PayPal gateway doesn't receive payment from Nigeria.
I only listen to your music on YouTube for now, which I can't download. Please -- I would have loved to make a donation or pay if I could afford your albums. I very much would like to get your music but no way yet now. Please can you kindly help me?
I love ranges of genre, just creativeness, truth and meaning being passed through the lyrics is what I think I am usually after. For now I can't say I have a favourite genre as when I listen to different musics, The creativity, truth and meaning they pass through is mainly what makes me overwhelmed.
Also kinda come to like your songs mainly cos I have being trying to stop listening to "secular musics" which you have resang in your parodies.
I have quite a lot of favourites in your albums: “Ephesians,” “You Ain't Been Nothing Yet," “Corinthians,” “I’m a Receiver,” "Kick in the Wall" — a lot of them still, seriously.
I was born into a Christian family and usually pray the normal forgiveness prayer of sobriety and "wanting to change" but I really never took a personal rededication until 2007, when I prayed for God's forgiveness afresh and since then, I thank God for his Grace, Word and Spirit, though at times … hmm.
But I am growing by His grace. That I am very sure of. Thanks and keep up the good work.
Your Friend from Nigeria,
John Alade Victoria Island, Lagos Nigeria |
We sent John some links for a bunch of free album downloads. Thanks to all of you who give to us so we are able to give music to others who cannot afford it. |
Praise the Lord! We thank God for enabling and allowing this little band and these little parodies to reach and encourage brothers in Christ 5600 miles away. |
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We hope to release our third single of 2026 by the end of this weekend, Lord willing.
Here are your clues. Want to really impress us? See if you can spot all of the references in both entries. We counted a total of 23.
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SONG #1
Flashback: Do you remember when Potiphar’s wife tried to get Joseph to take a chance on romance? He didn’t need to wait and think it over; he wasn’t looking for a love like that and wouldn't surrender to her desire. Unfortunately, she wasn’t somebody who took refusal lightly. There would be no easy way out. No doubt about it.
SONG #2
Life is hard. Do you think it’s fair? It'd be nice if we could have love and happiness in our lives whenever we wanted, but teardrops will fall. Still, there are no wasted days, and when we reach our mansions in heaven, there’ll be trouble no more. As for your current trials, this may not be the end of the world. Romans 8:28. Check it out tonight. |
Once the new single is released, we'll announce it in our news bulletin, on our website, and on our Facebook page. |
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New USBs Include Songbook & New CD, Too |
Two weeks before last Christmas, we offered a deluxe USB thumb drive that proved to be popular with fans.
It included the digital versions of all of our CDs, plus any singles, EPs, or rarities that aren't on CD, but it also included the latest edition of our digital songbook (1992–2024), which is not on our standard USB. We had just enough of them to get us through the holidays.
With Easter around the corner, we’re happy to announce that we have a new batch in stock.
And this time, they not only include the songbook, they also include our new CD, Everything But, plus the two new singles (four songs) we’ve released thus far in 2026.
The songbook is 1359 pages long with lyrics and commentaries for each song, photos, articles, discographies, and multiple indexes (parody title, topic, original song title, original artist, year the original was a hit, and Bible verses covered)! Sorry, no sheet music.
Emblazoned with the band's logo, the USBs have a storage capacity of 16 GB, and they’re write-enabled, so you can add more music to them if and when you get future ApX downloads.
We only have 85 of these USBs in stock. They're available for a donation of $150 or more each. Multiple copies are available for $100 each.
ALL THAT, PLUS THIS ...
If you order one or more of these USBs, we’ll also email you a PDF of our complete library AND a link to download the songbook directly to your computer. That way, if you're getting the USB for somebody as a gift, you'll also get digital copies of our library and songbook for your own collection. Or vice versa.
NOTE: If you wish to order the digital songbook or the complete library without the USB, those options are still available. |
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Get ApX Complete Library, USBs, Songbook |
To get the complete ApologetiX library, ApX USB thumb drives, and/or the new ApX digital songbook — or to get more info about them — just click on the item(s) you want below. |
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Bible-Reading Plan for 2026 |
We began our latest trip through the Bible on Wednesday, April 3. Note: If you don't have a Bible handy, you can look up these passages for free on Bible Gateway. They have about 60 different English translations/versions there to choose from, plus translations in many other languages, many of which also have multiple translations/versions. |
CLICK HERE to see the reading plan for the whole year. |
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If you'd like to donate to the ministry of ApologetiX, there are a couple ways you can do it. |
If you prefer to mail a check or money order, please make it out to "ApologetiX" and send it to:
ApologetiX
208 Charlemma Drive
Pittsburgh PA 15214-1414
Although the donations are not tax-deductible, they will be received very gratefully and used immediately. Thank you! |
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2 Timothy 2:8-9 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead,descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. |
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P.O. Box 101705
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
USA
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