Thursday, January 30, 2020

To Save Much People*

 
We have suffered a terrible loss in the murder of our son, Sean. In dealing with this loss, we have an understanding that is given to us from the Word of God:
"But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to being to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."   Gen. 50:20
The apostle Paul assured us and confirmed this truth by writing:
"And we know that all things work together for good  to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose...What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"   Rom. 8:28-32 (excerpt)
The Lord will take what happened to our son, Sean, and turn it for souls to come into the kingdom.
The Judeo-Christian faiths, but especially the Christian faith, are the only faiths in the world to stand on the truth presented by God in His Word of the resurrection of the dead. All men will face an eternity: the resurrection of the just, the first resurrection, to an eternity with God in heaven, and the resurrection of the unjust, the second resurrection, to an eternity without the light, love, and presence of God in hell. For all men, there is a heaven to gain, and a hell to shun. It is written:
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."  Rev. 20:6
In Job, one of the oldest books of the Torah, Job cries out in Job 19:23-26 that he wishes his words could be printed in a book, engraved in a rock forever. The words he wanted all generations to know were these:
"For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God."
Paul witnessed before king and governor that his life was on the line because he was being judged for the promise of God that He raises the dead. Yet, even though this imperiled him, he wished that all men would be the same as himself, except for the suffering of being chained as he was (Acts 26:6-11). Paul went on to say that this resurrection is the very thing promised by God through Moses and the prophets. Christ was the first to fulfill this prophetic promise, but He would not be the last. His light of resurrection would be shined upon many people, including the Gentiles (v. 22-23). Even facing imprisonment and death, Paul would not deny the truth that he knew: Through Jesus, God raises the dead.
We do not believe the resurrection promise and Christ's fulfillment of it for ourselves only, but we believe it for many people, for all who believe on His name.
Paul guarantees as the word of the Lord, that at the sound of the trumpet, the dead in Christ are raised first, and then we who are still alive, will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air, ever being with Him. Because of this assurance, we do not sorrow as those who have no hope, but we comfort one another continually with the truth of the resurrection of the dead (1 Thess. 4:13-18).
In another place Paul wrote of the resurrection for our assurance:
"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality...then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"   1 Cor. 15:51-55
The way in which we want to turn for good what the enemy meant for evil in the death of our son, Sean, is with a book of remembrance of the miracles and goodness we have seen through God during these many years of ministry. Sean was so proud of his parents and the ministry, and spoke of them. Malachi provided a model for us in argument with people who might be tempted to believe that those who serve God are wasting their time:
"Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him."   Mal. 3:14-17 (excerpt)
As with the champion Samson in scripture, who even in the moment of his death, took more lives of the enemy than he had taken throughout his life up until that moment (Judges 16:28-30), we want Sean's death to be miraculously productive for the Kingdom of God. What the enemy meant for evil, God will turn it for good. We want you to be a part of this book of remembrance we are creating. We plan to hold a memorial for Sean on his birthday in July 2020, and we would like to have this book finished and available by then. We request that you send to us your testimonies of miracles that you have witnessed through this ministry. We will incorporate those testimonies into the book of remembrance. All who contribute in any way, including financial gifts towards the project, will be mentioned by name in the book.
You can send your testimonies to:
everlastingcovenant@ymail.com or PO Box 154221, Waco, TX  76705.
 

Sean Stevenson
 
*The above is based upon the 1/26/20 message to the Church from Dr. Kenneth Stevenson. 

To Contact/Submit prayer requests/Support the ministry/Order the book, "NAZAH-White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling", and to help us get out the message, to contribute to the Book of Remembrance for Sean Stevenson:

Dr. Kenneth Stevenson
P.O. Box 154221
Waco, TX  76705

https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8


http://endtimeschool.com/

To watch/hear Dr. Stevenson's complete message:

https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8

Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior: Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Inscribe my name in the Lamb's book of life. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.
 
Dr. Stevenson's newest book is now available:
NAZAH: White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling  

 
 


Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Two Plus Two

This is a message for a "mess"-"age". It is a time to go back to some simplicity. The Church has been distracted and led away in different doctrines, even false doctrines that are meant to divert the Church from the simple, pure truth of the gospel. Paul wrote of this same problem to the Church of Corinth:
"...I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty (craftiness, cunning; a specious or false wisdom), so your minds should be corrupted (to shrivel or wither; to lead away a Christian church from the state of knowledge and holiness in which it ought to abide) from the simplicity (singleness, simplicity, mental honesty; the virtue of one who is free from pretense and hypocrisy) that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him." 2 Cor. 11:2-4
Paul felt that the spiritual condition of the church was such that although they had received the true gospel from him, it was just as likely that they would receive, and had received, a false gospel from someone else, straying from the simple truth in Christ, and following after beguiling but false wisdom presented by someone or something else.
Paul was not presenting a false gospel to the church, but the true (v. 31) gospel of Christ as first foreseen and prophesied by the prophets of God. God remained faithful to that prophetic word, and remains faithful to the simple truth in Christ. The prophet Amos wrote:
"Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? Surely the LORD God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the LORD God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?"  Amos 3:6-8
If a lion by his roar can clearly communicate his intent to us, that we can easily interpret as danger, do we think that God has difficulty communicating His plans and purposes beforehand through prophetic? Who can but prophesy? As we speak His Word, we prophesy. His prophets lined up their words with God's word to them by the Holy Spirit. This is homologea- "speaking the same as". Paul urged all believers that they should covet one thing- they should covet to prophesy. In fact, the gift of prophecy will discern and affirm the truth of the simple gospel Paul preached (1 Cor. 14:37-40). We can't help but prophesy when we line up our words with the Word of God: homologea. Jesus, the Word of God become flesh, is the Spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:10). It is as simple as 2 + 2. Are we "speaking the same as" the Word of God, or are we coming up with another Gospel?
Peter wrote insisting that the gospel of Christ was delivered by eye witnesses who saw and heard everything pertaining to Christ in their association with Him. The Christian faith, he wrote, was not based on fables of men, but on these eyewitness accounts (2 Pet. 1:16-18). Not only is the gospel based on these eye witness accounts, but as a fulfillment of the words of the prophets:
"We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well to take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."  2 Pet. 1:19-21

Many events in scripture and in the current events of today were and are defined and shaped by prophecy.
When Jesus miraculously raised Lazarus four days after that man's death, the religious leaders were afraid of what the Romans would do to their nation if the people accepted Jesus as their Messiah (Jn. 11:38-48). They counseled together to consider the problem. The High Priest prophesied, reminding the counsel that it had been prophesied that one man should die for the sake of the nation, as well as for those scattered abroad (Jn. 11:49-53, Isa. 49:5-7). This is when they began to seek Jesus' death.
The timing and completion of end time events also, as prophesied in the Book of Revelation, has been set according to when "the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets", and saying, "that there should be time no longer." (Rev. 10:5-7).
One false doctrine that has caused many corruptions in the Church is "Replacement Theology". This doctrine contends that the Church has replaced Israel, and that this replacing Church will transform the world for the return of Jesus. This is not part of the simple gospel in Christ, nor does it line up with the prophetic word, as we see next.
Miracle working spirits of devils will beguile the kings of nations into a great battle against Israel in the place called in Hebrew, "Armageddon", a place in northern Israel, whose name means "to invade, cut into, attack, gather in troops or crowds" (Rev. 16:14-16). These devils will prophesy through the false prophet (v. 13), resulting in a great voice out of the temple of the LORD in heaven saying, "It is done." (v. 17). Israel is still the time-clock of end time events, as the prophets spoke. Ezekiel clearly prophesied the role of physical Israel in this coming battle. Even as Ezekiel prophesied in detail, we now see the coming together of the nations against Israel as prophesied by him, Including Russia, Persia or Iran, Ethiopia, Libya, Turkey and parts of Europe, to take place in "the latter years" after Israel has once again been returned to the land, having been brought forth out of the nations (Ezek. 38:1-8).
Again, prophetic timing is tied directly to the physical nation of Israel. The Church does not replace Israel.
According to prophecy and the Word of God, the Church will not make the world perfect in preparation for the return of Jesus.On the contrary, Peter prophesies in homologea: by lining up with the prophetic Word of God, that false prophets and false teachers will come among the Church causing great harm (see 2 Pet. 2:1-15).
The simplicity of the gospel in Christ is not a fable created by men, but a fulfillment of the prophetic word established by God through His prophets. It is not to be obscured, compromised, or corrupted by the false wisdom of beguiling men or spirits. It is to stay as simple in truth as 2 + 2.

*The above is based upon the 1/5/20 message to the Church from Dr. Kenneth Stevenson. 

To Contact/Submit prayer requests/Support the ministry/Order the book, "NAZAH-White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling", and to help us get out the message:
Dr. Kenneth Stevenson
P.O. Box 154221
Waco, TX  76705

https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8


http://endtimeschool.com/

To watch/hear Dr. Stevenson's complete message:

https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8

Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior: Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Inscribe my name in the Lamb's book of life. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.
 
Dr. Stevenson's newest book is now available:
NAZAH: White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling