December 26, 2005

Dear Nana Addo Dankwa,

Greetings in Christ Jesus. I bid your houshold shalom. I'm glad you asked these questions. I have experienced the same misgivings you are having and have seen the difference between the biblical tongues Paul speaks of from the more common tongues spoke in many charismatic churches today. Fear the Lord and be not swayed by another man's false teachings and persuassive argument as I will attempt to bring you sound understanding and discernment on these matters.

Before I address tongues though, let me answer briefly your other questions. The phrase, "in-filling Holy Spirit" is a contemprary combination of words to describe what the Holy Spirit is to human flesh. It fills our very being if we are walking in obedience to Christ which is our selfless service born of the love we have towards Him. That "love" by the way is biblically defined as "committment" and nothing short of it! The relationship between the fruits of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit is this. If we are able to determine (discover and understand usage) what certain "gifts" God granted to each one, then we are better able to begin practicing those gifts towards others for the benifit and edification of the "true Church" thereby "bearing fruit" for the Church (body of believers). Fruit is born from what we do with what we have been gifted. This is a selfless service and never one that is for the purpose of "selfish gain." Take a look at the lives of those who say they are Christian and then ask the question, "Are they living for themselves or for the benifit of the Church (body of true believers)?

Tongues are like the other gifts. They are gifts and NOT learned traits. They are for the edification of the Church (body of believers) and NOT for self. They are granted to each person according to the portion that God gives to each. One person may passess and utilize more gifts than another. One person may only possess one or two gifts while another has been given more. Does God ever give more than you can use or need? Not all speak in tongues, not all prophesy and not all....etc.etc.etc. If someone is trying to teach you or others that you must have the gift of tongues to prove you have the Holy Spirit... then I say that person is a LIAR! DO NOT LISTEN TO HIS HERESY! For better understanding regarding tongues and their proper uses and indication, please read my excerpt from "We are called to be faithfull stewards of the Word" in Scroll number 8, volume 2. All my scrolls and exhortations can be read and studied fro my website http://nicholasscrolls.cephasministry.com

So if you really believe that you or someone you know speaks in tongues, take a closer look at their life and witness the edification of Christ’s body or see the degradation. Which is it? Are they being persecuted and do they share in the same kind of struggles and sufferings that Jesus and His disciples bore witness too? Is their life full of glory, wealth, prestige and honor? Are they well liked by many or hated by many and liked by some? Do they struggle with character issues like not being able to pay their bills in a timely manner or raise their children in a household where love and discipline is evident? Are they cheating the already corrupted system and engaging in insurance and/or unemployment fraud? Do they despise others without offering a helpful remedy or solution for the source of disparity? Are they cheating on their spouses or just single and happy to sleep around? Do they always talk about what plans they are making or do they submit, “If the Lord wills?” The answers to these questions can be good indicators but are not entirely reliable as solid fact finding methods.

I do not suppose to know it all in these areas but rather have offered you my witness and testimony of what I have seen and heard with my own eyes and ears. We all could stand to do better with tackling some of these issues but the greatest point I am making is that these things become mute and insignificant once you are truly redeemed because God doesn’t make any junk! He will see to it that you will not exceed your resources or practice too much vanity or compete with the neighbors. Nor will you cheat on your spouses! Your job is simply put, to be faithful witnesses in all that you say and do.

After practicing faithfulness for a while, He may give you much more to do. You may be asked to speak to many or to minister to those who are teaching the Gospel. Weather at school, work, home or play, you have duty purpose and commission to teach and make disciples of Christ Jesus. Don’t ever forget that!

With all sincerity and love for the truth and our scattered brethren abroad,

Nicholas A. Stivers, humbled God fearing man, scribe and messenger

December 30, 2005

Dear Nana Addo Dankwa,

Did my reply to your questions on tongues help you in any way? Did you understand
that the gift of tongues is not a litmus test to show oneself as being annointed
with the Holy Spirit? Neither should it be regarded as evidence that one is not
Spirit filled when the gift of tongues is absent. Much of the line of questioning
you presented comes from your concern, no doubt, of the systematic works orientation
within the popular charismatic churches.These churches, most all of them, are in
error and the followers within these congregations are being led down darker paths
of spirituality. These are very dangerous precepts and doctrines to employ in bearing
witness and are in and of themselves absent of truth. I would strongly advise that
if you are indeed seeking and desiring the righteousness of God that you should
consider delivering a profound and loving rebuke and then depart from these "teachers
of heresy."

Such are the "works" of man that put God in a bottled formula limiting
His sovereignty and grace. Gifts from God are irrevocable and for the purpose of
serving the will of our Heavenly Father. No gift that is freely given without partiality
is to be used for self glorification and no man should be judging another based
on the presence or absence of certain gifts. All men however should be looking at
the standard which was established by the Son of God, Christ Jesus, that no man
may boast of himself but if he boasts, his boasting is only of the Lord. It is not
flesh or works that does anything impressive but it is the faith (trust) man may
have in Christ's example and the indwelling Spirit of God that accomplishes anything
and everything. God in us and not by our mere belief of faith alone but by our "works
by faith" which shows any evidence that God dwells in us. Some have a small
portion and some have more but the degree that God may give or take away is by God's
choosing and that by our faithfulness in service to God. The more that a man may
possess in spiritual gifting, the more responsible he becomes and none of these
things are ever to be taken lightly. "With great power come great responsibility."

Happy New Year!

Nicholas A. Stivers, humbled God fearing man, scribe and messenger.

From: Nana Addo Dankwa
Sent: Dec 31, 2005 4:50 AM
To: Nicholas A Stivers
Subject: Very Very Grateful

Dear Nicholas A. Stivers,

I'm more Than grateful for the direction and
insights. Its indeed been so helpful in answering my
doubts... and further deepening my understandng. But
the issue now is about quitting or staying.. quitting
for the 'ever-muted' rest of students to be deceived
or staying to draw their attentions to what appears
todeviate from scripture?
Once again i'm so grateful for your ministry and i
will wish you a very happy new year.. as the Lord
lifts you up to where you belong with the strenght to
carry on. Amen.

"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight be glory for ever and ever. Amen" (Hebrews 13:20 & 21).

Thank you Nana for your participation and relevant concern for the brethren of our household. Isn't it a wonderful thing to have company with God's divine Spirit and to find purpose and useful resolve towards achieving the Father's will? May this year find you working diligently in the fields of harvest and may all your labor not be in vain. For though the world may think of us as being childish and vain, I know that God chooses from the lesser of humanity to glorify His self and raise us up to be a glorious household. So where you experience rejection and persecution, fear not because the Lord is with you and in all your apparent weaknesses, He make you stronger thereby confounding the so called wise and high minded. Take comfort therefore that though we may be least or even last, we are promised to be first and even greater. Such is the profound and sovereign works of our Father and Lord Christ Jesus.

May all your fellowships bear witness to those who are truly hungering and thirsting for righteousness in Christ, AMEN

With all sincerity and love for the truth and our scattered brethren abroad,


Nicholas A. Stivers, humbled God fearing man, scribe and messenger.

From: Nana Addo Dankwa
To: svshalom@earthlink.net
Subject: Great Rapture?
Date: Jan 8, 2006 12:54 PM

Dear Nicholas A Stivers,

Its indeed great coming your way again rthis time
on the issue of rapture as to when its likely to
occur; are Christians likely to see the antichrist
befor rapture? 2nd thes 2:1...

Thank you.
Addo Dankwa Edward

January 9, 2006

Dear Addo Dankwa Edward,

Indeed, it is great to hear from you again. The question you pose is significant and demands a thourgh response but cannot be adequately answered with any degree of specifics. You may want to read my archived November Scroll on my website. The scroll is at http://nicholasscrolls.cephasministry.com/archive_volume_2_number_17.html

This will help to identify the actual time we are now in and also indicates how close we are to the tribulation and the revealing of the Anti-Christ. Pay particular attention to the "6000 years" portion of the scroll. To answer your question more directly and using II Thessalonians as evidence, I am under the impression that the revealing of the Anti-Christ will not take place until God has taken His Holy Spirit back because Paul states in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 "let no man beguile you in any wise: for it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition..." Paul is speaking of the revealed apostasy when he mentions the words, "falling away." Now in this appropriate context and time we are now in, the apostasy has been revealed. It was first being revealed by a few men in the last century who were not well received when they began to point their fingers at the modern day churches practicing their apostate doctrines. Such men were viewed as a threat to the popular Christian sects and were themselves often considered apostates! It was clearly revealed with great tenacity and conviction when I published my book, "Apostasy Revealed." My book describes more acutely the condition of modern Christianity and pronounces strong rebuke of it while I make an sincere attempt to urge Christians to depart from the mainstream agendas of false doctrines (make a separation from and repent) and return to their first love, being Christ Jesus and follow the very pattern He thus established. Needless to say, I am not well received by the more popular mainstream because the message God speaks through me (another messenger) is designed to lead the believers unto repentance and make a sincere return to God. That, unfortunately is not where most are gravitating these days because people are seeking for the things of selfish gratification rather than pursuing the selfless attributes of Christ and the Fathers Holy Spirit.

Now Paul also indicates a time when the Anti-Christ will appear and that time is after God has taken back His Holy Spirit. It is therefore logical to presume then that if God is going to take back His Holy Spirit, then He will at that time also take up the children of humanity who are presently endowed with the Spirit because God will not abandon His children in a wreckless and hopeless world without our comforter and supporter; the Holy Spirit. The reason why the Anti-Christ therefore has not yet been revealed is because the Holy Spirit of God is still in our midst and dwelling in the children who are obeying the Word of God and worshipping Him in Spirit and truth. For Paul says of the Spirit which holds back the knowledge of the aforementioned "man of lawlessness" says in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-10 "And now ye know that which restraineth, (speaking of the Holy Spirit) to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way (again, speaking of the Holy Spirit). And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming; even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."

So Paul revealed to us literally that God is the one who now restrains the revelation of who the final Anti-Christ shall be and only when God removes His protecting Spirit (our comforter) will that lawless one be revealed. This will be a terrible time for anyone left behind on the planet for it will surely be a living hell on earth for a short time. The ones who are left behind are left "because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." and are likewise delivered into a strong deluding spirit which keeps them from the liberating knowledge of God. 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 "And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

Unfortunately, many among them will be the Jews who had no heart to accept Jesus as their Lord but God also promises that a remnant of Jews totalling 144,000 will be saved from the tribulation after they've been given a new heart to receive and accept Jesus as the true Messiah.

With all sincerity,
Nicholas

Dear Edward,

To summarize then where we are at in the current time table...

Here, God exhibits great mercy towards His first Elect. This therefore shows that there are most probably two ressurections; one pre-trib and the other occurring sometime during the middle of the tribulation. But these things are a matter of faith and should not be categorically used to fight and/or argue or necessarily reject those who believe in a slightly different view or outcome. I for one do not engage in such arguments but I am not afraid to share what I believe based on the whole of scripture.

Now going back to the "6000 Years" portion of my Scroll. If you understand the supporting scriptures cited to prove what scripture reveals regarding "when the children will be taken up"then you'll note that as Jesus indicated, it will be on the morning of the third day. This is also confirmed for us in the book of Hosea. I therefore will grant you these prophetic words which the Lord spoke through me and I have published extensively in my book as well as this web ministry... "We are in the last hours, even moments of the second day and soon, the third day will dawn. What happens on the morning of the third day oh son of man?" To answer your question directly, it is by faith that I believe the tribulation will begin in or near the year 2017 but certainly no later than the year 2025. I cannot be more specific than that and do not wish to declare without doubt to the rest of the world because there are a few more signs I am waiting to see revealed before I make such a bold claim to the whole earth. Take that for what it is worth. I hope this helps you in your pursuit of understanding and application of righteousness.

With all sincerity and love for the truth and our scattered brethren abroad,

Nicholas A. Stivers, humbled God fearing man, scribe and messenger.