What's Wrong With This Picture?*

Please note: Beginning in July, Google will stop sending automatic notifications of new postings for blogs such as this one that are published under "blogspot.com". If you have been receiving notifications, or would like to receive them, please enter your email address in the box in the upper right corner of this blog page before July. Your email addresses will be retrieved hopefully, and you will be sent a notification directly when there is a new post available. Your email addresses will not be used for any other purpose. You will receive the "new blog post" notifications from "the disciple". If you choose not to enter your email address, it is recommend that after June 2021, you should check the blog regularly for new posts. Thank you for your patience and faithful readership. There is a game where a child must look at a picture and decide "What's wrong with this picture?". This applies to spiritual things as well. No matter how often a spiritual matter is verified by facts, there remains great debate and repudiation of those facts. In the many years that I have spent documenting the evidence, including scientific, medical, historical and scriptural evidence regarding the Shroud, people continually bring up the same arguments against it that were proven false long ago. It is an example of true knowledge being rejected, which is also the topic of this message today. Even the Body of Christ, knowing the spiritual truth from scripture that "a house divided against itself cannot stand", finds new ways to create and maintain divisions within the Body. The insistent rejection of knowledge in the face of so many confirmations and verifications, leads us to ask, "What's wrong with this picture?". The prophet Hosea wrote the word of the LORD regarding this subject: "Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore, shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish...Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest...Therefore shalt thou fall in the day...and I will destroy thy mother. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing how thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." (Hos. 4:1-6). The LORD told His prophet that this condition had grown as His people had increased, and He would change their glory into shame. This nation, like the Israel of Hosea, has also grown away from God as it has increased and strengthened. Above, the LORD reveals that His people are destroyed because they lack knowledge, and reject knowledge. The pictographic meaning of the individual Hebrew letters used in the word translated here as "destroyed" form the statement: "Behold the door to chaos". The pictographic meaning of the individual letters of the Hebrew word used here to mean "knowledge" forms this statement: "Behold the door to see the sign". It is necessary for us to seek the knowledge of God in order to see the signs of our times around us, and the signs of His coming. Proverbs repeatedly tells us to fear (reverence) the LORD, and gain wisdom, knowledge and understanding. It is fools who despise wisdom and instruction (Prov. 9:10, 1:7). The prophet Daniel wrote that while the wicked would seek to destroy the covenant (marriage contract) of God, those who know their God shall do great exploits (Dan. 11:32). Jesus told the parable of the five wise (thoughtful, discreet, with practical skill or acumen) and the five foolish (dull, stupid, blockhead) virgins who knew the bridegroom was expected, but the foolish virgins did not have oil for their lamps, and therefore missed the bridegroom's sudden coming (Mt. 25:1-7). Oil always represents the Holy Spirit, and this parable of Christ's teaches that the Holy Spirit is essential for all believers to have in order to meet the Bridegrrom when He comes. All believers should understand the importance of having the Holy Spirit, especially on this feast day of the LORD, Pentecost. The Holy Spirit is also directly connected with having knowledge: "But ye have an unction (anointing: the special endowment of the Holy Spirit) from the Holy One, and ye know all things." (1 Jn. 2:20). Paul pointed out that it was necessary for believers to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. He came across new believers in Ephesus who had never heard of the Holy Spirit, nor the baptsm of the Holy Spirit. They had only been baptized in John's baptism, the baptism of repentance. Even John the Baptist referred to the coming Christ, and His baptism of fire that would come after John, and was greater than John. As Paul laid hands on the Ephesian believers, the twelve men received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They began to speak with tongues and prophesy (Acts 19:1-7). Yet, there are those who will argue and try to persuade agqinst the promise of God, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, or the evidence for the Shroud of Turin, and the men and women of God who teach the truth of His Word. Their intention is to stir up (meaning "destroy") the people to prevent them from receiving the truth (Acts 17:13-15). However, all people, including believers in Christ, are urged by the Word of God to search the scriptures for themselves to see if persuasive arguments are true or not. This is considered a noble act by the Lord (Acts 17:10-12). When Jesus opens the scriptures to us as we search them, our eyes are opened in amazement, and we are convinced that we have received the knowledge of the Lord (Lk. 24:27-32). *Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 5/23/21 message to the church. To contact: PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and at endtimeschool.com