sirvaliant

Hi folks, I haven't been out here in quite a while, saw that some of you are curious as to the current state of affairs within CES. Feel free to give us a call us at 888-255-6189. If you want to talk to JAL, we can give you his cell number when you call. God bless, Matthew

Tzaia, First let me state that I am writing this off the cuff so if I sound rough it’s because I have taken little time to reflect on your posts and frankly don't want to because it's clear that Mark has been "coaching" you on what to think and say. After two years of being completely out of the picture you decide to resurface using language and facts that could have only come to you via Mark. I won't even talk about how ridiculous it is for Mark to be calling you during the board meeting. The errors you have posted are way too many for me to list, but the fact is that most of what you said grossly misrepresents the people and facts involved in this situation. You also must have a very short memory based upon what you remember of the office. Things with Jeff and Dan were never as bad as you claim them to be and to accuse Dan of being unethical gives even more proof that you are being swayed by Marks undoubtedly smooth sounding arguments. Furthermore to accuse some on the board (i.e. John S, Dan, and the Theisens), yet defend others (i.e. Mark and Tom) when all you know is Mark's side of the story shows once again that Mark's words are negatively influencing you--perhaps more then you know. Before you find yourself too deeply entrenched with Mark you may be curious to know what great "prophecy" he had about you when you left. I don't think you would find it to your liking, but if you would like to know PM me and I'll be happy to share. Sadly, I feel as if his calling you was a desperate attempt to try and rally support for himself. Also, I have to say I almost fell out of my chair laughing at your suggestion that we could all use a little more "normal" in our lives. I won't even go into how many issues you continually brought into the office each time you came. Accusing nearly everyone on the board and staff of having issues is really laughable coming from you. Trust me, it was a lot more then just your in competency that led to your being released as a contractor. Perhaps it would do you some good to look at your own life and maybe even take a dose of your own medicine. I hold no animosity towards you, but you can at least get your facts straight and beyond that do yourself a favor and see that Mark is most certainly no friend of yours. Matthew

Well, after reading through this thread for several days now, I thought I would take some time to respond. My name is Matthew, and I worked for CES for nearly 6 years. I was in charge of the publications, audio visual, and IT departments for the ministry. I have seen many people and things come and go over the years, and thought perhaps my two cents would be appreciated, if not necessary at this point. I would like to start by reminding everyone of Proverbs 18:13 which says, "He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him." Personally I am appalled at how many of you have judged these matters without knowing even a fraction of the truth. One of the reasons I have never posted on this board before is because it saddens me so much to see how much pain exists within many of the members here. But sadder then that is the bitterness with which many of you approach life--so full of critical judgment, yet so lacking in grace. I do not discount all of the people on here who are genuinely seeking truth and attempting to honestly sort through the current situation with CES. Yet, too many of you care only for another reason to shun "religion" and shun organization. I think it is a pitiful way to live, and for my own conscience sake I had to be honest about my feelings towards this board and some of its members before posting anything in regards to the CES situation. I have no doubt I will be "flamed" in this thread because of my opinion, but don't waste your time as I won't respond to it. If you take offense at my opinion PM me and I would be happy to talk to you. I resigned from the office in early November for one very simple reason. I no longer trust Mark and Karen Anne Graeser. Mark is a very different man these days, many will attest to that. As more facts have come to light, I have seen that there are a handful of others who are not to be trusted with leadership positions. However, this ministry is a God-fearing, Christ-loving ministry and for six years I have seen nothing to contradict that fact. I only see now a few people who have found that they can no longer run from their sins and they are being held to account for them. Yes the prophetic has been abused, yes people have been hurt, and yes it probably went on to long. Everyone always wants to ask why. The answer is simple. Life is messy. You criticize us now when we take too long to do what you would think is right, and you would certainly criticize us if we removed everyone from the ministry who committed even the slightest infraction. We are, in many of your eyes, in a lose-lose situation. It is for that reason that I write not for many of you on this board, but to the partners and contributors of CES who are already coming here trying to find answers. The ministry has always been like a family to me. And like any family there are problems, and you don't run off members you disagree with, even when they cause hurt and pain. You extend love, grace, and forgiveness just as Jesus Christ would do. This was granted many times to the Graesers, yet now it has become obvious that they are unwilling to change and repent for the evil they have and are currently causing. The board members (with the exception of Tom Resner) are most certainly holding them accountable and I have seen nothing to suggest that they are in agreement with Karen's view of the prophetic, let alone the brazen and manipulative manner with which she carries out her so-called dreams from God. For those of you concerned about CES' view of the prophetic I can assure you that a handful of people hardly represent the ministries views. It pains me to know that she has been allowed to be so hurtful with so many people. But one person's sin is not going to drive me away from a ministry, especially not when so many people are holding her feet to the fire. Nearly all of the concerns I have seen on here are completely unmerited with no real evidence to back them up. Should you be concerned about the way Elizabeth was treated? Absolutely, yet neither was she innocent in the role she played. Should you be concerned with the way some people are choosing to view and use prophecy? Absolutely, but none of you has the right to make blanket statements and far-fetched assumptions about how the ministry was run by this so-called prophetic guidance. It never has been, and because of the men and women who are taking a stand against Mark, I believe it never will be. In fact, perhaps to the dismay of some here, I believe that CES will stand stronger then ever when all is said and done. Thankfully, I don't claim to be a prophet and so that's just my opinion, and I will stand in it if I am wrong. Any questions you have regarding the ministry and how it was run, I would be happy to answer. In six years, I believe that I understand the hearts and motives of the leaders in this ministry. This has come both by listening to their words, and watching their actions. I believe that I can fairly represent the true issues at hand for those who actually have a desire to know. God bless, Matthew