From: Nicholas A Stivers
To: Kris Koskella
Cc: Rita Williams
Subject: Very Interesting Indeed!
Date: Jan 22, 2006 12:51 PM

Dear Kris,

We're pleased that you were moved to write us your comments. That is how good two-way communications begin. I see that Rita already sent her reply and she made a valid point regarding other people's writtings and testimonials. Cephas Ministry is a place where God fearing persons and believing Christians may express themselves and bear witness of their experience and research. I am thankful that you had some insight to offer regarding AA Allen. We are more than happy to publish your corrections and truthful testimonies wherever possible to insure the truth is being told. Contemporary Christianity is in a state of total apostasy and only some of us are willing to step forward and shed some light on the darkening matters of belief and faith.

Today, because the context of Christ's sacrifice and story is so far removed from the real person of Christ Jesus, many people are worshipping a false idol and image of God. Even after the veil was torn during Christ's death on the cross, the temple system of worship metamorphed itself into a new form of pharisism through Constantine's legalization of Christianity in the fourth century. There were no church buildings before that time for Christians to worship in and the Church was the body of believers who remained scattered and traveled about always seeking refuge and safety from the endless persecution they were under. Therefore, the context has changed over time and the latter day church is every bit as corrupt as the message to John in the book of Revelations said it would become. That's why we even exist at all... to bring forth the necessary reproof and admonish believers in the context of God fearing love to sway them from falling into deep pits of darkness. Our reproof is not always welcome and usually misunderstood as condemnation rather than the Christ-like love it truly represents. This leads me to answer your question about the standard by which we walk and so judge.

There is no better measuring rod than the life and pattern of Christ and His Disciples who became Apostles. Though we are not fundamentalists, we apply ourselves fundamentally to Christ's teachings and have found much freedom in the way that we practice our faith. But there are some remarkable contrasts seen when we compare ourselves to other religions, especially Christian divisions. We therefore do not judge, test or measure by another man's religion or belief but we test and measure ourselves by the pattern and teaching of Christ and His disciples. All men fall short in practicing godliness when men follow men who create their own precepts and religious dogma. We believe that no man should be following another man but that all should have their eyes completely fixed on Jesus and no other. That is the standard by which we judge, test and measure all things by. We start by making (allowing) ourselves to be conformed to His image first thereby participating in the ongoing process of sanctification (getting our lives set straight) and then allow for the same (the WORD of GOD) to judge, test and measure all things around us.

We believe that the extreme contrasts being represented in contemporary Christianity are the result of a great deception in the realm of Satan's dominion (man's religion) making puppets of men who serve the devil's desire rather than serving the selfless pattern of Christ Jesus. They who follow Christ hear His voice and follow His command alone without compromise. They who assemble with the contemporary Nicolaitians (preachers of law exercising control over peoples) are themselves still very much in bondage to impossible laws (thereby nulifying the law of grace) and are submitted to hearing a hireling speak and make rules in order to maintain control of his/her followers. This is not what Christ patterned but more closely resembles the likes of pharisism. The result is that most are still weak and defiled, lacking the empowering grace to rise above the sins of partiality, lust, greed and idolatry. It has become the classic case of the blind leading the blind and a house which has been so divided against itself that its fall will soon be realized. Indeed, the dark forces of evil and the powers and principalities of this world are taking us to the brink of Armageddon once again. We will undoubtedly see the final fulfillments of God's Word unfold and be fully realized in our lifetimes.

That is why we must carry on doing what we do at Cephas Ministry. I hope that you can appreciate our view and application of faith on this matter. Time is short and God is using us effectively to make a small difference in am indifferent world so that some by all means may be truly saved.

Nicholas humbled God fearing man, scribe and messenger