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From: "Michael C. Brown" <michael@testimonypictures.com>
To: <r421@aol.com>
Subject: Kicking Against the Goads
Date: Sat, 19 Jun 2004
Hello,
You may not be the appropriate person to contact, but there was
no general contact info on the website.
I'm writing to let you know there is no biblical mandate for
what you are doing on this site. There is no where in scripture
that tells us to pull out what we consider to be tares.
There is no where in scripture that tells us to help Jesus discern,
judge and condemn the works of man built on the foundation of
Jesus Christ. That is reserved for Him alone. In
short, the entire work of this ministry has gone astray from
the word of God.
Does not the Word of God say:
Who are you, a servant to tell another servant this or that?
Romans 14
Do not argue over disputable matters
God judges how we build on the foundation of Christ, (not you)
I'm not saying you have to agree with everyone in the body of
Christ. But you bring such judgment upon yourself when
you judge and condemn someone who could be a man of God!
Better to be quiet and say nothing!
Your articles are nothing more than an attack, and in the name
of God and truth. Bible says we only see dimly, but of
course you see clearly. Point is, if you don't like the
teaching of those you condemn, then don't read them. Don't
adopt them. But you are sitting in the judgment seat of
Christ in attack mode. You do not qualify!
You are not the Holy Spirit, so quit acting like it. It's
all pride and self-righteous condemnation to think you know truth
more than anyone else. Paul said we only know in part,
so what makes you think you know fully?
Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up, the one who thinks he
knows something, does not yet know as he ought. Is that
applicable to you?
Strive for unity in the body of Christ. Stay focused on
the foundation we all share, Christ and Him crucified and you
can't go wrong.
We do not need to know the full council of God, we don't need
to see clearly through the glass, if we walk in love, it is automatically
self-correcting. In your efforts to glorify your knowledge,
you are already out of the box by violating God's primary command
that we love one another.
Jesus said Himself to let the tares grow with the wheat for fear
of harming the wheat. Yet in your arrogant pride you believe
you see clearly enough to figure out what is tare and what is
wheat and then to try to uproot it. Careful, could find
yourself fighting against God! Saul also thought he was
doing God's work, didn't he.
Notice I have not defended any of those you condemn, but am encouraging
you to avoid judgmental condemnations for those you do not agree
with. If you really believe in God, turn it over to Him.
Do you not have any faith in God to correct and protect His sheep
from those you find to be in error? Would your time be
better spent focused on your spiritual growth and your short
comings than everyone else's?
Could you have a huge board in your eye? Could you be doing
great harm to the body of Christ unknowingly, out of ignorance?
It is possible! Please remove the board in your eyes first.
Think about it.
Again, there is no biblical mandate for this entire ministry.
It's foundation is self-righteous pride.
Michael Brown
Testimony Pictures
www.TestimonyPictures.com
All things are possible for those who believe!
Reply-To: "Michael C. Brown" <michael@testimonypictures.com>
Dear
Michael,
We are honored by your email and thank you. Not many care as
you do. You apparently recognize that the Body of Christ is not
made up of organized church organizations but made up of individuals
who have indeed made the commitment called for by the Gospel
to tend to the sheep. Jesus said three times to feed His sheep.
If you don't mind I'm going to address points you made.
#1 Our names, emails and address are in several places on the
cephasministry website right on the index page on bottom of
the page. You probably came into the site by keyword which
would take you to a place other than that.
Our email is filled daily with hundreds of emails which shows
that we are not hiding as you imply. The ministry has been in
existence since 1992 and has many participating in the information
and we have received $100 from web visitors thus far in all that
time. We cannot hire help to distribute the workload, nor could
anyone do these emails other than Nicholas or myself due to the
subject matter.
I'm
writing to let you know there is no biblical mandate for what
you are doing on this site. There is no where in scripture
that tells us to pull out what we consider to be tares.
There is no where in scripture that tells us to help Jesus discern,
judge and condemn the works of man built on the foundation of
Jesus Christ. That is reserved for Him alone. In
short, the entire work of this ministry has gone astray from
the word of God.
I am very much aware of the Scriptures that tells us what
you wrote and indeed they were threatening our very eternal life
because we do not wish to do anything to offend God in any way.
He is our focus and our goal is to be with Him ultimately forever.
We seek to please Him since He led us into the light by people
like us and He forgave the darkness we participated in without
reservations.
In spite of the fact that you know the Gospel and these verses,
aren't you resorting to the same method by warning us that we
may be violating Scriptures?
Are you aware that we are not inside organized churches
speaking to the memberships causing disruption and separations.
We have separated ourselves from the world to comply with the
Gospel. We do not consider organized churches to be the Body
of Christ. The people who come to us are people who became worried
about their churches noticing the false doctrines that are creeping
in, breaking away the traditions. They come looking for answers
in our library.
Back to letting the weeds grow along with the wheat. Did you
know that the weeds will eventually choke the wheat out of existence.
I have a bush that was overgrown with weeds where you couldn't
recognize the bush it was so covered that the Sun could not get
to the leaves of the bush and if I hadn't cleared the debris
it would have died.
We are in a time right now where God is bundling the weeds for
the final stretch. These discernment ministries came up rather
suddenly about the same time this one did. We did not chose to
do this work but were appointed to do it directly through prayer
and revelation from God. We laid our lives down to serve Jesus
personally and He revealed to us after that what our paths were
to be. God states in the Bible that He places His desires into
our hearts and if we are obedient to Him we will perform what
He is asking us to do. The fact that a number of discernment
ministries not knowing each other came into being at the same
time should tell you something. The reason being that organized
traditional church was under attack like it had never been before
from within and watchmen on the wall had to relate the problem
to believers. The harvest was indeed ripe and needed to be harvested
if there was going to be anything left to harvest. Notice in
this very Scripture Jesus addresses what is happening now all
over the world. The Pope is driving the ecumenical forces to
gather the tares and they will be bound in bundles to be
burned when the Antichrist is revealed. That is the first thing
he does when he takes the throne in Jerusalem. He destroys the
false ecumenical church because he hates her as much as God does.
They are hypocrites. We are in the time of harvest.
Matthew 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest:
and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather
ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles
to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
The Holy Spirit is gathering the wheat through these types of
ministries to be placed into Jesus's barn which we believe refers
to the Rapture when the restrainer is removed. You can see how
close we are to the tribulation.
Our favorite verse is in Judewhich is located in the Bible just
prior to the end:
Jude 1:17-25 But, beloved, remember ye the words which
were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
How that they told you there should be mockers in the last
time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These
be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith,
praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God,
looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others
save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the
garment spotted by the flesh. Now unto him that is able to
keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the
presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God
our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now
and ever. Amen.
John the Baptist as well as Jesus Christ and all the Apostles
taught in the wilderness and in homes to call people out of what
they were practicing. Jesus did go to synagogues on occasion
but just to rebuke the money changers and hypocrites. Are you
saying that they should have kept the Gospel to themselves and
kept their mouths shut since the Aaronic Priesthood was in existence
at the time and being practiced among weeds? Organized religion
has always existed that does not make it the Body of Christ.
The Bible states that the Word is in us which drives us to pray
and fellowship with likeminded people which does not make it
the Body of Christ Jesus.
Jesus left the 99 sheep to find the lost sheep. Luke 15:4-7
What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them,
doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go
after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath
found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when
he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours,
saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep
which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in
heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety
and nine just persons, which need no repentance."
1 Peter 2:18-25 Servants, be subject to your masters with
all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God
endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory
is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take
it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye
take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even
hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for
us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when
he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened
not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that
we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose
stripes ye were healed. For
ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the
Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."
That
rearely happens without people like us.
Matthew 10:7-8 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom
of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise
the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely
give.
Mark 9:50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness,
wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have
peace one with another.
John 17:14-16 I have given them thy word; and the world
hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even
as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take
them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from
the evil. They
are not of the world,
even as I am not of the world.
Do you still believe that we are disturbing the Body of Christ
with our message? We are trying to keep them from evil.
2 Corinthians 6:13-18 Now for a recompence in the same,
(I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged. Be ye
not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship
hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion
hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial?
or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And
what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye
are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will
dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and
they shall be my people. Wherefore come
out from among them,
and be
ye separate,
saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I
will receive you,
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters,
saith the Lord Almighty.
I am a former Temple Mormon. I grew up a German Lutheran town
with one church in town. I came to the US and became a lost sheep
which ended in Mormonism for 20 years. If a Baptist evangelists
had not followed God's will and investigated the Mormon beliefs,
I would still be slowly starving to death in Mormonism in spite
of the fact that I was studying the KJV Bible. That is how close
the Mormon church was in their messages. They don't teach Mormons
what Mormonism is. They keep them busy with to do's, serving
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Don't tell me God would leave me in a burning house to die.
This is the message God gave me for you:
Ephesians 5:1-16 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear
children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and
hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God
for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness,
or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh
saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting,
which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this
ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous
man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom
of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words:
for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the
children of disobedience.
Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes
darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children
of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and
righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the
Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of
darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even
to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the
light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
Wherefore he saith, Awake
thou that sleepest,
and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."
You
are not the Holy Spirit, so quit acting like it. It's all
pride and self-righteous condemnation to think you know truth
more than anyone else. Paul said we only know in part,
so what makes you think you know fully?
According
to this sentence you do not believe that Believers have the Holy
Spirit. He is personally teaching us and guiding the ministry
through us. We are not pretending to be all knowing
in any way. We gather people's research and present it to the
public. It is as simple as that. The research addresses
heresies that are being taught not people. Nobody is dragging
you out of your unity movement. You can stay put in the bundling
of weeds if you wish. That's the beauty of God. He gave us a
free will. He greases the banister if we want to slide down,
believe me, I found that out. I didn't get out of Mormonism until
I made a total commitment to God personally and nobody but Him
not an organization of men. We didn't come to you, you were led
to us.
Hope this explains where we are coming from. I could write much
more but am on time constraints.
May the Lord keep leading you to the truth which we are to love,
else we are lost.The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth.
In Christ Jesus,
Rita Williams of Cephas Ministries |