February 17, 2005
Dear Mr. Samuel John,
Greetings and shalom to you and those with you are gathering
in the fellowship of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. Thank
you for you inquiry.
My most basic answer to your request
is to look at no man but the man Christ Jesus and His appointed
Apostles. Jesus is the perfect pattern to follow and abide and
when we look at the Apostles examples as outlined for us in Scripture,
we can more easily identify with them because they were still
beset with certain weaknesses and failings. Yet, through their
weaknesses, God empowered them with His grace and demonstration
of righteousness thereby making them very humble and strong indeed.
The best council is the council of the Holy Spirit and His Word
found in the New Testament Scriptures. It is there where you
will find the very best guidence and teaching.
The worst thing you could do
is to follow other men and their religious examples that came
after the early apostolic ministries. The reason why I do not
condone looking at other examples is that it is so easy to be
led astray by dogmatic principles and commandments of men. It
is too easy to be led astray by the pragmatic and ritualistic
examples of divisive religion such as the Catholic Church. In
today's day and age, it is extremely dangerous to assume that
Christian Missionaries are doing God's work because so many are
sinning in one of two ways;
1) They have taken on a counterfit image and practice of religion
that has been far removed from the earliest and most trustworthy
examples of profound living faith (trust) in the pattern of God's
Son, Jesus. Examples are Catholicism, Protestantism, Calvinism,
Luthrenism, Purpose Driven Life, and American Evangelism; all
being very poor examples and counterfits of God's chosen people.
2) Their highly evolved doctrines and precept formulas for
salvation lead one to participate in the worldly ways,
politics, patriotism, socialism, nationalism, communism and divisive
religious orders now seeking to unify and unite the various creeds
under one new religion in order to support and build a "New
World Order. This is all being done under a "Globalization"
effort and largely promotes "peace and security," "democracy
and freedom" for all peoples around the planet regardless
of their religious creed and faith in God or other gods. Do you
see the problem here? We are called by Christ to make a separation
from the ways of the world and to follow and obey the very pattern
and teachings of Christ Jesus. We should not measure ourselves
or our faith by other men or their religious practices but should
instead allow the Word of God and His Holy Spirit to teach us,
raise us and train us to be God's holy people.
Jesus speaking in John 15:1-27 "I am the true vine,
and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that
beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth
fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now
ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide
in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide
in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth
in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for
without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he
is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them,
and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide
in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will,
and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified,
that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As
the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye
in my love.
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as
I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain
in you, and that your joy might be full.
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have
loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay
down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever
I command you.
Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth
not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all
things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto
you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained
you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit
should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in
my name, he may give it you.
These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the
world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because
ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world,
therefore the world hateth you.
Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not
greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will
also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep
yours also.
But all these things will they do unto you for my name's
sake, because they know not him that sent me (that includes
President George Bush, he is a greedy WAR Monger and speaks of
a different god).
If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin:
but now they have no cloke for their sin. He that hateth
me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works
which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have
they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that
is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. But
when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the
Father, even the Spirit of truth (Holy Spirit), which proceedeth
from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall
bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning."
Bearing witness of Christ Jesus is our Commission and our
only reason for being here.
Praise God for this opportunity to bear witness of Christ
Jesus that He came and laid His life down for us undeserving
human beings and because He resurrected and lives in Heaven with
His Father, He gave us the opportunity to live in bodily form
with Him as His Bride forever in a new world to come. Praise
Jesus for His sacrifice and in it ending Satan's authority on
this planet very soon. Amen
Having said that, please allow me to introduce myself
and the ministry to which I am called to minister...
From our household to yours, we bid you Christ's indwelling
peace made available to those whom obey the very pattern Jesus
thus established and demonstrated. We are pleased to hear from
you and filled with joy about your desire, search and inquiry.
Please understand we lend ourselves to no man's religion!
We are of the type that was long ago thus established in the
earliest recorded gatherings (Churches) as described in the Book
of Acts. We understand and submit that as defined by the Holy
Writ (Holy Bible), we are those whom are gathered together unto
our Lord Christ Jesus and according to the Faith, which is in
Him, and no other god man has thus designed. We do not consider
ourselves a "church" as defined by the ever-changing
definition of the English language. We are submitted unto God
and His authority by which Christ is our head and Lord over our
lives. For we have thus died to the worldly ways and schemes
of man and beast. Again, we have died and our lives are thus
hidden in Christ for no one can say he has paid a greater price
than that which Christ paid for the redemption of our souls.
Therefore, we are under submission to His Word and authority
over our lives.
We view salvation as a duty and responsibility to our Lord
and not merely a free ticket into heaven. The world today proves
itself to be selfish and vain and we know our Lord demonstrated
a selfless way of life, which ultimately led Him to be hated
and persecuted for the very freedom He thus afforded us. We believe
we are correct in our stance because we are continually hated
and persecuted for the same unwavering and bold faith for which
He stood. Interestingly enough, it is those whom are called by
my Lord's Name (Christians) that are hateful and full of envy
because they keep trying to destroy us. If this aligns with your
understanding of what is expected of us who are called to follow
then we would embrace your company and welcome you to our fellowship.
Please understand that because we are few in number (Discernment
Ministries), we do not have a large following and that is expected
if you trust what the Word of our Lord does say, "Many are
called yet few are chosen." The result of this small gathering
is such that few are they who tithe because we refuse to "tickle
their ears" and feed their lusts and pursuit of wealth and
prosperity. Clearly, the wealth and prosperity as prescribed
in the "New Testament" has little to do with worldly
wealth but instead speaks of shedding all such encumbering virtues
and pursuits and pick up your burden (Cross) and follow after
Jesus. I tell you this now so that you truly understand; we are
not rich by any means and expect those with whom we gather, to
bring with them what they themselves are willing to share, in
whatever measure. For in the Gospel of Luke it is clearly said
by our Master, Luke 11:40-41 "Ye fools did not Him
that made that which is without make that which is within also?
But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold,
all things are clean unto you."
In other words, "All things are made clean to those
who give freely that which is inside them for that which they
give, comes from the abundance of their heart." I tell
you truly, though we are as poor as dirt by the world's standards,
we are richly blessed with understanding and the liberating knowledge
of His Word and by this are made very rich indeed. But our wealth
is not measured by mammon and scales of worldly wealth but measured
by our acceptance, understanding and application to His Word
and teachings He thus prescribed. It is by His empowering grace
and abundant mercies afforded us that we are able to do what
many cannot. These things are such because it is by God's design
and choosing and not necessarily our own. God has to put it into
our hearts and minds for any of us to thus abide. Therefore,
we have no precise formula or teaching other than what Christ
and His Apostles taught. Suffice to say we seek not to draw men
unto ourselves for that too is vanity of a worldly kind. Here
at http://cephasministry.com
and http://nicholasscrolls.cephasministry.com
we are pointing all the sons of men, the Jew, Gentile, Christians
too, the way is unto the cross and very much suffering is promised
us rather than what the ecumenical and many evangelical orders
of men promote today in utter vanity. Apostle Paul, speaking
to Timothy said, 2 Timothy 3:12"Yea, and all that
will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."
The "Way" unto the "Salvation" Christ
thus authored is simply put, He died for our sakes (sins) that
we may have a better example to follow. It is this very example
He thus demonstrated that each that are called should heed His
teachings and abide His simple commands. The yoke we carry is
a much lighter yoke indeed but does not make sense to the masses
of contemporary Christians out there who are being led astray.
Would you not agree my friend? Our faith is indeed strong and
the conviction He places upon our hearts is even stronger. This
is the evidence I offer you while you consider a deeper fellowship
and participation with us. The conviction we have upon our hearts
is the very evidence of the Spirit that dwells in me and any
who follow His pattern.
John 16:7-11 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth;
It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away,
the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will
send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world
of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because
they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my
Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince
of this world is judged."
I invite you to tour the Nicholas Scrolls site and catch up
on this last years most recent Scrolls, exhortations and my new
archived Radio Broadcasts coming out of Dade City, Florida on
AM 1350 WDCF Radio. This will give you the chance to more carefully
consider who we are and what our mission and purpose is in this
life. Please, feel free to tour our website offerings and feel
free to promote freely that which the Lord has thus freely shared
with me. The Nicholas Scrolls will be sent out periodically from
our Earthlink e-mail service in Tampa. By all means, please invite
your friends, neighbors and loved ones to join us as we prepare
for the morning of the third day. The hour approaches and darkness
is setting in. We all need a safe refuge and place to fellowship.
May He bless you richly with His divine wisdom and discernment.
With all sincerity and love for the truth and our scattered
brethren abroad,
Nicholas A. Stivers, humbled man, scribe and messenger.
- Author; Apostasy Revealed published 2003
by Mountainview Publishing ISBN: 1-928602-92-4
- http://nicholasscrolls.cephasministry.com
- http://abide-in-truth-events.cephasministry.com/
- http://cephasministry.com
-
- -----Original Message-----
From: Mariam Nawab
Sent: Feb 18, 2005 12:12 AM
To: Nicholas A Stivers
Cc: christianmusic4@hotmail.com, idea_in_action@yahoo.com, Pastor_arifashiq@yahoo.com,
pastormuazzam@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: Sharing our Fellowship Resources...
Dear Nicholas,
Greetings in Christ. I am very happy to read ur mails, and
it awakes in me the Christian spirit. Every day i ponder how
can i be a better Christian? and i see Cephas Ministry has lot
to inspire.
Our work is not limited to Charity but we have evangelical motives.
We also help the Christians who are persecuted or forced to ambrace
Islam. So like that our work becomes very important and sensitive.
But many people ask us how do u continue? i always tell them
in, through and with Christ. Our director is a dedicated man
of God, he takes risks and has been able to bring
many to Christ.
Our work with the Hindu out casts is showing good results.
There r so many who would like to be batized.
Another challenge lies in front of us is to prepare a syllabus
for newly batized Christians, and for those who show willingness
towards Christian life.
Lot of work but with friends prayers and blessings.
Can u please provide me the addresses of the Arif Ishiq and
Muazzam, it might be easier for us to contact them. I am also
going to forward your email to them, and i would ask them to
contact us as soon as possible.
We can of course form a fellowship.
Sincerely in Christ,
Samuel John
Evangelical Center
Pakistan.
Subject: Re: Sharing
our Fellowship Resources...
February 18, 2005
Dearest Samuel John,
I'm glad to be of support. Since you indicated you were developing
a syllabus for Baptism, I was inspired to send you an early copy
of my next exhortion and Scroll which is a combination of study
and application by other God fearing Christians with discernment
and understanding of scriptural truth. I think that you will
find this document very useful for applying the correct and most
productive teaching on the importance of Baptism. I am delighted
and filled with joy that we could share this with you. Please
download and save the attached file. Feel free to make as many
copies as you so desire in supporting the educational needs of
your evangelical center.
May GOD be with you in Christ Jesus,
With all sincerity and love for the truth and our scattered
brethren abroad,
Nicholas A. Stivers, humbled man, scribe and messenger.
http://abide-in-truth-events.cephasministry.com/
http://cephasministry.com