The Late Great United States*

The title of this message comes from Dr. Stevenson's yet to-be-published book, "The Late Great United States". That book grew out of a message titled, "America's Last Hurrah", given to the Church upon the election of William Clinton as President. Dr. Stevenson then sent an open letter to newly elected Pres. Clinton, based upon what the Holy Spirit was saying in that moment. Since then, Dr. Stevenson has sent open letters to each successive president. When the results of this recent election are certified, Dr. Stevenson will send a letter again to the president. Much of what will be said in that new letter will be a reprise of the letter sent to Pres. Clinton, because America has not changed its course spiritually since that time. Because America has continued down the road that turns away from God, rather than towards Him, the same truths of the Word of God apply now as they did then. To this nation and its president, and to all of the people of God, the Word of the LORD came to the prophet Micah saying, "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Mic. 6:8). Pres. Clinton, like many of the presidential candidates, spoke in churches, quoted scriptures, and claimed faith in God, and in Jesus Christ. This word from Micah requires something from those who claim to know God in this manner. Yet recent politics especially have been an arena of hostility, rather than humility. Racial animus has grown in this country, rather than justice and mercy. Pestilence has come to this country. In the era of Pres. Clinton, there was an A.I.D.S. epidemic that took the lives of many. Yet neither then nor now, none of those who stand in leadership of this nation have called America to the repentance and humility that scripture tells us in 2 Chron. 7:14 will cause God to hear our prayers, and heal our land. The LORD clearly told His people when it was time to repent. He said, "If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chron. 7:13-14). When we go against the Word of God, it brings consequences. Moses said that if the people of God rebel aginst God, they will be judged. It is obvious now as it was when President Clinton was elected, that we were choosing to go down the road to approve and legitimize sin. Consider the condition of men in the last days as written by Paul to Timothy: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof: from such turn away...ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth...these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate cncerning the faith." (2 Tim. 3:1-8, excerpt). Do we not see these very conditions and attitudes now in our nation? Some may say that a president is not the one to call America to repentance, that political positions are to be separate from spiritual principles. However, two of our greatest presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln directed the nation to prayer and repentance. President George Bush, upon entering the Persian Gulf War, called the American people to prayer. In that war, American troops experienced what many would call a miraculous and overwhelming victory. As we sought God as a nation, we had a reprieve from our headlong rush into God's judgment. The Apostle James wrote, "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up...to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." (James 4:8-17, excerpt). According to the Word of God, healing won't come through any government program, or by taking hands and singing "God Bless America". Healing will only come when we get on our knees. We have forbidden our children to pray in schools. We have banned the mention of Jesus, or prayer in His name, in public. At the same time, we have allowed churches to be invaded and services to be disrupted by those groups who wish to express their contempt for God's commandments. America is on the verge of judgment. The prophet Jeremiah was given this word of the LORD to His people who enter into His gates to worship: "...Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place....if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings...if you thoroughly execute judgment...If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever." (Jer. 7:1-7). This was the condemnation that the LORD had for His own people as told to Jeremiah: "...ye trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Ba'al, and walk after other gods...; and come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?...they hearkened not nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward...This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth....they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it. And they have built the high places of Tophet...to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart." (Jer. 7:8-31, excerpt). The LORD commanded Jeremiah, "...pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee." (v. 16). Having ignored the LORD's many corrections and warnings up to this point, the LORD would no longer receive any of the prophet's prayers and intercessions for the people of God. Jeremiah laments, "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." (Jer. 8:20). Have God's people in our nation also failed to heed the many warnings of the LORD? Will the time soon come when the LORD directs spiritul leaders not to pray for this people any longer? We hope never to hear that command. At the time of the original letter, President Clinton had claimed that with his election, we as a nation were entering a "new covenant". There is only one new covenant. That is the new covenant established by the blood of Christ. No one has the liberty to change the Word of God. As is our habit, we will continue to pray not only for the president of this nation, but all of those who are in government leadership. We will continue to pray for pastors and spiritual leaders as well, that the Word of truth and righteousness be delivered to the people. Especially during this week of Thanksgiving, our prayer will be that God's people humble themselves, repent and return to Him. I pray in thanks that God hears our prayers, and that our land would be healed. I want to see an end to this pandemic. Don't you? I want to see a return to righteousness. Don't you? *The above is based on Dr. Stevenson's 11/22/20 message to the church. To contact: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX 76705; or Everlastingcovennt@ymail.com

End Time School*

As the signs around us point to the fact that we are in the end times, our focus in these last few years has been to prepare the Body of Christ. Our church website is called "endtimeschool.com", because we feel it is imperative to prepare the Body of Christ for the days ahead. We also plan to begin teaching an online course based upon my book, "NAZAH: White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling", in order to reach not only new believers, but also the lost sheep of Israel. We will also be reading and teaching from the Apocrypha in the future. You can buy the Apocrypha in book form, and you can also obtain free versions of the KJVA (King James Version with the Apocrypha) in app stores. You can find free versions of the Books of the Bible, including the Apocrypha, free online at websites, such as "earlyjewishwritings.com". In all cases, it is not only about what we teach, but it is what you learn about the Bible that changes your life. We know that you will find these upcoming courses and teachings a blessing to you. We begin today to look at end time knowledge. David wrote about a difference between how the world views the thngs of God, and how David, himself viewed them. In Psalm 42, David described his longing for the LORD this way: "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thristeth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?" (v. 1-2). David thirsts after God, and desires the day when he can appear before Him. Do we thirst for God in this way, or have the cares of life, and the business of the day, interfered with the intensity of our relationship with God? David is troubled in this Psalm. While all he wants is more of the LORD, the world around him asks, "Where is thy God?" Today, more and more people have fallen into unbelief. Agnostics and atheists mock the presence of God, and even many who call themselves Chritians seek solutions to problems from men, from politicians, rather than from God. In the midst of the the bad things that happen, it is God's people, if we will come to Him in repentance, who can change things. David goes on to say that while many go up to the House of the LORD, he goes with them with a voice of joy and praise (v. 4). Do we go to church on Sunday out of habit and custom, or do we go to worship and praise the Lord? In these end times especially, we need to take stock of the attitudes of our hearts: what are we thirsty for? What do we feel in the presence of the LORD? Do we desire with all of our heart to appear before Him, or have we grown cold, like the attitude of the world? Daniel the prophet was given revelation and visions about the end times. He was specifically instructed that the things he recorded were to be sealed up until the time of the end (Dan. 11:35, Dan. 12:4). However, because these visions of Daniel are no longer sealed to us, we can know that we are indeed in the times of the end. In chapeters 11 and 12, Daniel describes the rise of a "king". This king does not worship a god with whom whom we are familiar, including the God of Israel, Whom this king will blaspheme. He worships a god of forces. He will end sacrifices to God, and commit an abomination in the holy place, or temple of God. Since Christ prophetically referred to this ooming act of abomination that makes desolate from Daniel, we know that this is an act subsequent to the Assyrian act of abomination. We can draw the conclusion then that there is to be a third temple built, as is also mentioned in the Book of Ezekiel. In fact, people in Israel have been making preparations for the rebuilding the temple for years. Back to Daniel: This king is deceptive, bringing a false agenda of peace, but he himself will break the peace. He will even divide the land for gain. It will be a time of great persecution against the people of God. Many will lose their lives. It will be a time of trouble such as has never been seen before. The only ones who will be delivered from it are God's people, whose names are written in the book (Dan. 12:2). From the Book of Revelation, we know that Daniel is referring to the Lamb's Book of Life. Are you written in the Lamb's Book of Life? Have you given yourself to the Lord Jesus, Who can raise you into everlasting life? It will happen that many of the dead will be raised, Daniel wrote: some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt (12:2). However, Daniel describes what the attitudes and actions of the people of God will be in those days. They will teach righteousness to many. Daniel wrote, "...but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits" (Dan. 11:32). He wrote, "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever...Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand (12:3, 10). In the end times that Daniel described, there will be a great difference shown between those who truly serve God, and those who serve the world. Are we preparing ourselves for these times? In Isaiah 55, the word of the LORD to the prophet is of the same nature. What do we hold to be importnt, and in what are we investing ourselves? Are we investing in spiritul bread, which is life, or a different kind of bread that leaves one unsatisfied? The eternal things of God that lead to life cannot be bought as the world buys and sells. The LORD says, "...hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David...Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near." (Isa. 55:2, 3, 6). The LORD calls the wicked and the unrighteous to repent and to return to the LORD (He is talking to His own people!), for He will abundantly pardon (v. 7). It is not through his own ways that man can be restored to God. It is not by his own ideas that man can attain those things that are eternal. God said that neither our ways, nor our thoughts are like His. His thoughts and ways are much higher than ours (v.8-9). The thoughts, ways and words of the LORD accomplish what He sets them out to do (v. 11). The word of the LORD, which always reflects His thoughts and ways, is transforming. His word that goes forth to accomplissh that which pleases Him, produces joy, peace, singing, and rejoicing. Instead of painful and fruitless thorns and briers, fir and myrtle trees are produced (v. 12-13). God's will and His Word will be produced in the earth. He will triumph over the plans of the wicked. His people who know Him, who are prepared in Him, will make an impact in the end times, and triumph with Him. *The above is based upon Dr. Stevenson's 11/15/20 message to the Church. To contact: PO Box 154221, Waco, TX 76705, or Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com If you would like to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, and become one of those who knows their God in these end times, believe in your heart and confess with your mouth the following: Lord Jesus, I believe that You died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead to bring me into eternal life. I ask you to become Lord of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit, Who will teach me and lead me in the truth, and the ways and knowledge of God. Fill me with the thirst for Your righteousness, and thirst for the presence of God above all other things. I believe that Your Word and work in me will not return to You void, but will accomplish Your will and pleasure in me. You are transforming me. I come to You in Your holy name, Jesus, with joy, peace, and praise, because You have forgiven my sins, and You have reconciled me with the Father in heaven. Amen.

Learn to Discern*

Like last week's message, "Be Not Deceived", this message is important in these times in which we live. The prophet Malachi wrote regarding the need to properly discern: "Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not." (Mal. 3:18). In the New Testament, there were those in Berea who would search out the scriptures to confirm what was being taught to them. Before we accept anything from anyone who "comes down the pike", we need to compare it to scripture and decide whether it lines up or not. God raises up prophets, putting His word in their mouths, and He expects us to heed what the prophet of God is telling us, or it will be required of us (Deut. 18:15-19). The LORD also spoke of the judgment that would come against any prophet who claimed that he spoke in the name of the LORD, but spoke words that the LORD had not commanded him, or if the prophet spoke in the name of others gods, that prophet shall die (v. 20). This is how important God considers the truth and integrity of the prophetic word to His people. The LORD told His people how to determine a prophet who is not speaking the word given to him by the LORD: "When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him." (v. 22). The test of a prophet is if the word they prophesy comes to pass. Many of those who have called themselves prophets have said that we are not to fear the Corona virus, yet some of them have sickened and died. The LORD warned of prophets who speak out of their own hearts and spirits, seeing vanity and lying divinatios, saying the LORD had said it, when He had not. These lying prophets seduced God's people saying "Peace" when there was no peace. The LORD compared them to bulders of a wall who use faulty mortar. The wall can't help but fall. The LORD would bring down these walls built upon vanity and divination, and the prophets would be consumed in the midst of the destruction (Ezek. 13:1-9). Ezekiel again warned the people to discern the prophets. In another example, the LORD dealt with the elders whose hearts were filled with idols, yet they sought out the prophet of God for the word of the LORD. To those who do this, the LORD said, "...Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations." (Ezek. 14:2-6). The LORD speaks of pouring out His fury and sending famine, beasts, sword, and pestilence upon the land of His people who refuse to hearken to Him, having been told to turn away from their abominations. God's word tells us that if we obey His commandments and statutes, He will bless us. If we disobey, the curse comes. For a long time now, America has been experiencing the curse of disobedience to the Word of God, and to the warnings of His prophets. Racism, armed violence against the those who are unarmed, and child murder have become the daily events and the wickedness imbedded in our society. It has become systemic, rather than isolated events. In scripture, the prophets of God called His people to repentance, but the people would not listen to the word of the LORD. The anger of the LORD came upon them: "And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets...but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear. They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever: And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt. Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt." (Jer. 25:4-7). Ignoring the prophets who speak the word of the LORD, and relying instead on false gods and our own strength and efforts, leads to our own hurt. False gods today include Mammon, the corrupt and worldly system of money and wealth. The sacrificing of our own children in abortion is like the worship of the god Molech, or Ba'al. The Word of the LORD to His people today, through the mouths of His servants, is again a call to repentance. The 2 Chron. 7:14 repeated message to God's people is very similar to the message that the prophet Jeremiah brought to the people of God long ago. Will we heed that message, or turn instead to the gods we have made with our own hands? Again, through Jeremiah the prophet, the LORD asks His people, "...Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? saith the LORD...Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend his doings, and go not after other gods to serve them...but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me." (Jer. 35:12-15). The prayer of the porphet Daniel, for God's people in the midst of their captivity in Babylon, applies very much to the confusion that we are surrounded by today. He prayed, "O LORD, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee. To the LORD our God belong mercies and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against him; Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him." (Dan. 9:8-11). The prophet Amos wrote that God does nothing without first revealing it to His servants the prophets, who sound the alarm of warning to God's people (Amos 3:6-8). Paul's letter to Timothy includes the warning that "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." However, Paul wrote that Timothy should continue in the things of the scriptures tht he had been learning since childhood. It is scripture, which is inspired, that corrects us and instructs us in righteousness so that "the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Tim. 3:13-17). He also warns Timothy of the time when people will not endure sound doctrine, but accumulate teachers who appeal to their lusts..."And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2 Tim. 4:1-4). As the scriptures close in the Book of Revelation, John is assured that the things that he has been told are true. The LORD God of the holy prophets sent His angel to reveal these things to come to His servants. concluding, "Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book." (Rev. 22:6-7). There is a blessing in heeding and keeping the words of the prophets of God. God expects His people to rightly discern His true prophets, and listen and obey the Word of the LORD. If you would like to heed the prophetic warning of God's servants, and join in repentance, turning away from sin, and turning back to God, join us in prayer: Lord Jesus, I want to learn to discern Your voice. Forgive me for refusing to hear Your prophetic word, and for disobeeying the scriptures. As Daniel said, there are mercies and forgiveness in You for a people who will turn and repent. I want to abide in Your Word so that You will abide in me. I believe that You died for me, and that You were raised from the dead. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit to lead me in truth and obedience to Your voice and Word. I ask this in Your name, Amen. *Based upon Dr. Stevenson's 11/8/20 message to the church. To contact: PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 or Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com