The Case For The Resurrection*

Often the day to celebrate the resurrection of Christ is referred to as "Easter". However, knowing the origins of the term "Easter" in paganism, I have long preferred to call this day "Resurrection Sunday". It's not that much harder to say these words, which reflect the truth and power of the day, than it is to say "Easter". Many people reject the truth of the resurrection of Jesus, although the scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, make reference to it. Not only does scripture bear witness, but there are confirming sources, like the Shroud of Turin, that bear witness in every way to the truth of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, which is the essential foundation for the Christian faith, as we will see. So why do so many people do all that they can to reject and despise this precious gift given to us in love by God? This is nothing new. Jesus gave an account of a king who invites people to a banquet. Those invited came up with all sorts of weak excuses for not attending. We will see this attitude spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, who wrote prophetically of the Servant of God who would be abused and marred beyond recognition (Isa. 52:14) and killed, not for His own sins, but for the sins of His people. Isaiah also prophesied what the prevailing attitude would be towards this Servant who went to His death like a lamb for many: "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid, as it were, our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted>" (Isa. 53:3-4). The religious people would think that this Servant must have done something to displease God, and God was punishing Him. However, His suffering and death were for our sins, because He was blameless (v. 8-9). The prophet continues: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (v. 5). Not only was His suffering to pay the price that we deserved, but the stripes of His suffering results in our healing. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." (v. 6). This sacrifice made for our sins will be so great, and the evidence for it will be so convincing, that Isaiah wrote that even kings and nations will consider it: "The LORD hath made bare his holy (aleph-tav) arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation (Yeshua - Salvation by God, and the Hebrew name of Jesus) of our God...So shall he sprinkle (naza - spurt, spatter, startle, sprinkle in expiation) many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider." (Isa. 52:10, 15). Even the individual Hebrew letters that form the word for "sprinkle", which is nazah, spell out the meaning of His purpose: "Behold, the Heir to the throne pierced". As Isaiah brought forth this powerful revelation of the Servant who would suffer and die for the sins of others, he also wrote in the face of these things: "Dapart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD." (Isa. 52:11). This knowledge and evidence of so great a sacrifice is to lead us into repentance and cleansing (see also 2 Chron. 7:14). We are also "vessels of the LORD", and this atoning purpose of our Savior should not leave us as we were, but changed. Isaiah mentioned that this precious Servant of Salvation would be despised (baza - despise, regard with contempt, condemned, scorn, worthless). This is not the first time that men would look upon the things of the LORD, and despise them (see Lev. 26:40-43, Num. 15:30-31). As Isaiah prophesied, the awareness of this sacrifice of expiation would go beyond Israel to the nations of the world. Kings and nations would desire to consider it, not because someone told them, but because they saw something to convince them of the matter. The Shroud of Turin is an example of something the eyes could look upon and be moved to consider. The apostle Paul appeared before kings and acknowledged that they were already familiar with Christ's sacrifice and resurrection. The Shroud continues to bring the reality of the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus to the eyes of many who may not have seriously considered this before. Part of the Biblical evidence for the resurrection of Christ as our Savior, was declared before, and at His birth! Joseph, who was betrothed to Mary, decided to put her aside when he found out that she was expecting a child that he had not fathered, but something happened that convinced him otherwise. An angel appeared to him in a dream and said: "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS (Yeshua in Hebrew, meaning salvation): for he shall save his people from their sins." (Mt. 1 :18-21). The Gospel then states that this event was a fulfillment of a prophecy from Isaiah regarding a virgin bringing forth a son, Immanuel, meaning God with us (Isa. 7:14, Mt. 1:22-23). Joseph did not despise the Word of the LORD when it was brought to him, nor did he despise the One who was about to be born who would fulfill that Word. The shepherds, who witnessed a remarkable event full of the glory of the LORD in the heavens when Jesus was born, heard an angel proclaim: "Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David (Bethlehem) a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger'...the shepherds said to one another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger." (Lk. 2:8-16). The shepherds did not despise the Word brought to them by the angel in heaven, nor the infant that they subsequently sought out with haste and found. The angel had identified this infant as "the Saviour" for all people, and revealed the specific sign by which the shepherds would be able to identify Him - an infant wrapped and placed in a manger. Shortly after Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph fulfilled the law of Moses by bringing Him to the temple on the eighth day for circumcision, where His name was also confirmed to be JESUS, following the Word of the angel to Joseph before His birth (v. 21-24). There in the twmple, the parents met two special people. The first was named Simeon, who was devout, and was waiting for "the consolation of Israel", which is the Messiah, or "Christ" in Greek. The Holy Spirit had promised Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Christ. The same Holy Spirit led him to enter the temple that particular day, where he encountered Mary, Joseph, nd the child. (v. 25-27). Simeon took the baby Jesus and held Him up in his arms, blessing God, and said: "...mine eyes have seen thy salvation (Yeshua/Jesus), which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people, Israel..." (v. 28-32). To Mary, Simeon prophesied: "Behold, this child is set for the fall (ptosis/pipto - includes the meanings "descend to a lower place, perish, decay of a corpse") and rising again (anastasis - includes the meanings "a rising from the dead, resurrection, restored to life") of many in Israel.; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." (v. 33-35). Immediately after this encounter, an aged prophetess named Anna (a form of the name, Hannah, which means "grace"), whose father had been Phanuel (meaning "the face of God"), came upon the family with the child, and gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of the child to all of those "that looked for redemption in Jerusalem." (v. 36-38). The apostle Paul wrote of the foundational importance of the death and resurrection of Christ to all believers. He wrote: "...Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures (referring to the Torah, or Old Testament); And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures..." (1 Cor. 15:3-4). Many people were witnesses to the resurrection, and saw Jesus, not just the disciples, but also five hundred others, Paul wrote. Finally, Paul saw Him, himself, when he had his own conversion experience on the Road to Damascus (v. 5-9). There is no question as to the truth of the resurrection from these eyewitnesses. Paul wrote that, because of this, there was no excuse to believe that Christ was not raised, as even some believers were saying at the time (v. 11-12). Paul wrote emphatically regarding resurrection of the dead: "But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain...And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins...But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive...Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power." (v. 13-24). There is no completion of the atonement for sin without the resurrection of Christ from the dead. We, as Christians, have no hope and no faith, without the resurrection of Christ from the dead. The final victory of the Kingdom of God over all spiritual and natural powers in the end times would not be accomplished without the authority established in Christ's overpowering resurrection from death, Hell, and the grave. Christ's resurrection is the power behind all of these things. Finally, His resurrection is the power behind our transformation from corruption and mortality to incorruption and immortality. Paul wrote: "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. The sting of death is sin...But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (v. 50-57). Because Christ was raised from the dead, we shall be also, but not only that, those alive who belong to Christ when that trump sounds will be changed in a moment to the same resurrection life. For this reason, Paul wrote, we must remain steadfast and unmoveable in this powerful truth, and therefore, abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your faith is not vain, but contains resurrection life (v. 58). The Lord's return is soon, as all of the signs point to it. The truth of Christ's resurrection is a necessary, unchangeable, incontrovertible basis of our faith. To view a remarkable presentation by Dr. Stevenson on the Shroud of Turin, please visit this link: https://youtu.be/BBXgmbHWG64 . *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 4/9/23 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and END TIME SCHOOL, also on Facebook. You can also get a free ebook titled "The Shroud of Turin- A Perfect Summary" at www.TheShroudofTurin.org/freebook.

Search the Scriptures*

In Acts 17, a special group of people in Berea were mentioned as those to whom Paul preached the Gospel. They were commended in this regard: "These (Bereans) were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed...". (Acts 17:11-12). The Bereans looked through what we call the Old Testament scriptures to verify what Paul was telling them about Christ and His suffering and resurrection (see v. 2-3). These scriptures caused them to believe. Jesus also said: "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." (Jn. 5:39). If we search the scriptures, we will find Jesus. On this same occasion, Jesus spoke of His unbreakable connection to His Father in heaven: "For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth who he will...Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man." (v. 21-27). Jesus also spoke of the two parts of judgment: "...the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice; and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." (v. 28-29). There is a judgment for all. For those who believe in Christ, and live according to that belief and do good, eternal life awaits them. If we will search the scriptures, we will find that David spoke about this in Psalm 23. He spoke of experiencing the "shadow of death" without fear. Death has become just a shadow, rather than the reality, for those who believe and know the LORD as their Shepherd. Paul wrote, referring to the prophecy of Isaiah (64:4), that man has not seen, heard, nor understood the wonderful things that God has prepared for them that love Him. These things are revealed to us only by His Spirit: "...for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God." (1 Cor. 2:9-11). As we search the scriptures, the Spirit of God also searches on our behalf, to reveal to us those things that only God knows. Peter gives us an interesting look into how this mystery of Christ is revealed by the Spirit. He wrote to those who had never seen Jesus Christ, yet believed, and connected this to the prophets: "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." (1 Peter 1:8-11). It was the Spirit of God that revealed Christ to the prophets, not for their sakes alone, but to benefit us later. The very things that the prophets saw ahead by their diligent search of the Spirit of God, are the things that were revealed to us many centuries later for our salvation. We received this revealed Word by the same Holy Spirit sent from heaven for that purpose (v. 12). David, searching the Spirit of God, was given a prophetic revelation in Psalm 22, of Christ's suffering and crucifixion, a form of execution not invented until seven hundred years later by the Persians. Search the scriptures, and search the Holy Spirit as the prophets, the Bereans, and David did, and you will also find the Person of Jesus Christ, as Jesus said. This kind of revelation is to keep our minds, our soberness, and our hope, until the appearance of Jesus again (v. 13). Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost (see Acts 2:25-31) the prophetic revelation of the resurrected Jesus given to David. David wrote this revelation in Psalm 16: "I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." (v. 8-11). Peter said that David was both dead and buried (the Upper Room of Acts 2 is located above the Tomb of David), but, speaking to us as a prophet, and according to the promise which God had sworn to him, David was speaking of the Messiah to come, who would be the fruit of his loins, of his flesh, in a future generation of David's, to be raised from the dead incorruptible, and seated on David's throne (Acts 2:29-31). Those who search the scriptures are kept and made strong in the discovery of the prophetic promises and their sovereign fulfillment. Ezekiel prophesied of this same King and Shepherd, whom he called "David", even though David was dead long before this prophetic word came forth: "...Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen...and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation...; and one king shall be king to them all...I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them." (Ezek. 37:21-24). The LORD also prophesied the everlasting covenant of peace that He will make with His people, and of His sanctuary that will be in the midst of them forever (v. 26). This refers to the millennial reign of Christ. The prophecy regarding David as their King and Shepherd immediately follows a prophecy shown to Ezekiel in which God will unite as one, Ephraim, the son of Joseph, and a tribe of Israel, and Judah, another tribe of Israel. Joseph's son Ephraim, meaning "doubly fruitful", was born of a Gentile mother in Egypt. The name's feminine form, Ephratah, refers to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ, and the place where the Passover lambs are pastured during the year. The Book of Revelation confirms the prophecy of Ezekiel, and David as well: "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful." Rev. 21:3-5). Serch the scriptures, for His Word is indeed true and faithful. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 8/28/2022 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and endtimeschool, also on Facebook.

Search, Study, Show*

I am convinced that we are living in the time of the coming of our Lord. I pray that the church is prepared. Second Timothy says, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness." (2 Tim. 2:15-16). If we don't know the Word of God, then all else is profane babblings that lead to ungodliness. The Word and voice of God and Christ impact our everlasting life. Jesus said, "...he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life...The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live...for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." (Jn. 5:24-29, excerpt). Jesus told His listeners strongly that they did not have the Father's Word abinding in them because they did not believe the one that the Father had sent to them, Himself. He said, "Searh the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." (v. 38-39). Jesus said that Moses would accuse them, because his writings testify of Jesus, whom they refused to believe. Jesus observed a truth about them. He said that while they wouldn't believe or accept one, such as Himself, sent from God, and of whom God has testified, they would receive any other man who testifies of himself, rather than of Christ or the Father (v. 43-47). Today also, many reject God and His Word, but believe anything man tells them. The Prophet Zephaniah received the Word of the LORD concerning the corruption and shamelessness of Jerusalem. He called it filthy, polluted, an oppressive city and unashamed (Zeph. 3). He wrote, "She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God (v. 2). Her princes, her judges, and her prophets were unjust and treacherous. Of those who served in the house of the LORD, God said, "...her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law." (v. 3-4). Anyone searching and studying the scriptures would also have seen the serious consequences brought to Judah because of their worship of the false god, Baal: "And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I have commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin." (
Jer. 32:35). Many of our own children have been offered to this false god as well, as abortion became the law of the land almost fifty years ago. Regarding this offering of children in Judah at the time of the prophet, the LORD called it an abomination that He never imagined, and that the sin weighed against the whole nation. However, after the LORD's prophecy of a judgment of desolation for their corruption, and refusal to hear the voice of the LORD, the LORD brought this promise to Judah also: "For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent." (v. 9). We will see more about the restoration of the Hebrew language later. Zephaniah also prophesied the command of the LORD to the daughter of Zion and the daughter of Jerusalem to sing, be glad and rejoice with all their heart, because the LORD, the king of Israel, promised to restore Israel, and dwell within her midst: "...thou shalt not see evil any more...The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing...At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all the people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD." (v. 14-20). We have seen Israel restored as a nation after almost 2,000 years. The world would have never expected the nation of Israel to rise again from the ashes of history, but for those who searched and studied the scriptures, they knew that the prophets made clear the intention of the LORD to do so. Also the Hebrew language, the pure language, has been restored as prophesied by Zephaniah. Hebrew is the only language that has been brought back from the dead. For those who study the scriptures, looking into the original Hebrew word meanings, and even the meanings of the individual Hebrew letters as well, offers a wealth of understanding into the depth of the Word of God. The prophet Jeremiah also prophesied the restoration and revival of Israel, as Zephaniah did, even while the Babylonian army was at the wall of Jerusalem. The LORD said, "Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built..For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the LORD our God." (Jer. 31:4-6). The individual Hebrew letters that make up the word "mount" used above are beth and reysh, which have the meaning when combined "the revelation of the Highest". The individual Hebrew letters used in the name Ephraim combine to mean, "The Head, or Adonai, is the beginning, the mouth that opens the door to the cross". This is the revelation of the Highest found in the phrase "mount Ephraim" in these verses above. In this revelation the LORD also said, "I will surely have mercy upon him" (Ephraim my dear son). Not only does the LORD promise to restore Israel, but to also establish a new covenant with them: "Behold the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers...which my covenant they brake, although I was a husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Jer. 31:31-33). The written Word was to become a living, inward work in us, to become part of our substance. Also, as part of this new covenant the LORD prophesied through Jeremiah, "And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, , from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (v. 34). Again we see the results of the new covenant, which was accomplished by the blood of Jesus, in the forgiveness of our iniquity and the forgetting of our sins. Again a Word of comfort and hope went forth from the LORD to His people: "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD's hand double for all her sins." (Ia. 40:1-2). The LORD's Word is not finished with Israel, but here promises to bring them to a new level of comfort, completion and peace in Him. This weekend the Second Passover took place, as allowed in scripture, for those who were unable to participate in last month's Passover because they were defiled or a journey away. God gives a second chance to come to His table for those who have been defiled, or have found themselves far away from God and our Passover Lamb, Jesus. This weekend we are also seeing another unusual sign involving a blood moon lunar eclipse. As a prophesied part of the new covenant, the Word is meant to dwell in our inward parts, and in our hearts. It is time for the church to search, study and show forth the Word of God. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 5/15/2022 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and theshroudofturin.org.

Putting It All Together*

Looking at the world, we are seeing events play out, such as the rise of Russian aggression and nuclear threats among the nations, that coincide with prophesied signs of the end times, and Christ's return. There is a new documentary available titled, "Who Can He Be?", which examines the Shroud of Turin and the work of the original STURP research on the Shroud. The question of "Who Can He Be?" becomes the most important question in these times, and will help us to put together the whole picture. Who He is, and what's next on the prophetic timetable of God will impact the whole earth. Even believers often have a limited idea of who Christ is. Scripture brings us this revelation: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." (Jn. 1:1-3, see also Gen. 1:1). Jesus was always with God and He was the Word spoken that created all things. In the same way, Christ plays the principal role in the current events and future events of the world, and beyond. We also play a role living in our knowledge of God through these events: "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord. According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust:" (2 Pet. 1:2-4). Knowing Christ in the fulness that God has provided for us, changes our natures, even to becoming partakers of the divine nature, and escaping the corruption of the world, and the consequences of that corruption. Those who are not changed by knowledge of Christ in such a way (v. 5-8), remain blind and cannot see into far things, and cannot remember the purging of old sins in themselves done by Christ (v. 9). Part of the knowledge of Christ that is necessary for our future pertains to prophecy, and the understanding of those prophetic promises that have been given to us. These prophecies and commandments were not given by men, but by God through the holy prophets, and through the apostles (2 Pet. 3:1-2). Among these prophecies of God to us are those which pertain to a coming judgment by fire upon the earth, and of Christ's sudden, and to some, unexpected return. Scripture tells us that there will be those who scoff at these prophecies: "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire (see also v. 10-12) against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." (v. 3-7). These scoffers even deny what we already know - that God had previously judged the earth (by water) in Noah's flood. They purposely decide not to believe that God will judge the earth again, although He has promised to do so. Peter warned us not to be ignorant of the fact that while God views time differently than we do, He nevertheless has a very precise timetable for these things, and that timetable puts us very close to the day of judgment (v. 8). To the Lord, a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day. The Lord, Peter wrote: "...is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (v. 9). Our knowledge of the Lord also goes beyond the day of judgment. Peter wrote that our knowledge should result in our looking forward to His prophetic guarantee of a new heaven and a new earth. (v. 13). In having the knowledge of these things, and Who He is, our behavior should be ruled by this knowledge into being holy and godly (v. 11). Hosea also gave us prophetic knowledge of the Lord's view of the timing of events: "Come and let us return unto the LORD...After two days he will revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain; as the latter and former rain unto the earth." (Hos. 6:1-3). As the morning, and the rains, the timing is set. Again, our following after knowledge of the LORD affects how we will live through the moving of the LORD, whether in godliness or ungodliness, with understanding or willful ignorance, with preparation, or in being unprepared. We, in general, have not consistently been walking in His sight - we need to prepare for the third day, because it is sure to come. Paul wrote that we are not to be ignorant of the fact that in the day of the coming of the Lord, the dead in Christ will be raised, and we who are alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, which is also known as The Rapture (see 1 Thess. 4:13-17). In getting the answer to the question, "Who Can He Be?", we have seen that the knowledge of Christ stretches from the beginning, to the ending, and beyond to a new beginning. He has revealed who He is to man prophetically in manners that could not have been anticipated, or engineered by men. In Psalm 22, written by David approximately one thousand years before the birth of Christ, Christ revealed Himself to David in crucifixion details that were later described in the gospel accounts. At the time that David wrote the Psalm, crucifixion as a form of execution had not yet been invented by the Persians. Yet Christ revealed Himself in this Psalm saying, "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels...the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet...They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture..." V. 14-18). However, through this terrible experience, the prophetically revealed Christ declares that He trusts in the LORD to help Him, and that He will praise the LORD, and declare His name (YHWH - "Behold the hand; Behold the nail"). This is the transforming of the character of others based upon what has happened to Him: "The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations...They shall come and declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this." (v. 26-31). The knowledge of "Who can He Be?" is a transformative and necessary knowledge as we prepare ourselves for these end times, God's judgment upon the earth, and the Day of Christ's return. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 4/24/2022 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and endtimeschool.com.

Birth Pangs and Appointed Times*

There is an increased amount of signs of the (end) times: Pestilence, increased wickedness, etc.. These signs that have been prophesied in scripture are like the birth pangs of the return of the Lord. Birth pangs are an indication that you are about to be delivered when they occur in the natural, and the same is true in the Spirit. However, the Church has for the most part ignored these signs and appointed times of the Lord's return. As Jesus met with His disciples after His resurrection and gave to them The Great Commission, it was at an appointed time and place: "Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain, where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world (age)." (Mt. 28:16-20). Even while seeing Jesus at this appointed time and place on the mountain in Galilee, we notice that some of the disciples doubted. Doubt and unbelief are also present today in the Church regarding the return of Christ. Regarding another appointed time and place, Jesus assembled with His disciples, and instructed them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come upon them, as promised by the Father (Acts 1:4-5). They began to question Him if it was at this time that He would restore the Kingdom. He answered, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (v. 7-8). While the disciples did not receive a specific date regarding the restoration of the Kingdom of God from Jesus, the fact that He spoke of the future outpouring of the Holy Spirit in answer to their question, connected the outpouring and the coming Kingdom. This meant that the outpouring was both a sign, and an enpowerment of them to do the work of The Great Commission, that Jesus had spoken to them about earlier (see Mt. 28 above). After speaking with them, Jesus then ascended into heaven into a cloud from the mount upon which He had met them, Mt. Olivet. Two men in white apparel then said to the disciples, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." (v. 9-12). This is the appointed place of the return of the Lord, from the clouds onto the Mount of Olives, not only as promised at this time by the two men in white, but as prophesied in both the Old and New Testaments. On an earlier occasion when questioned about the timing of His return and the end of the age, Jesus began describing to His disciples, again from the Mount of Olives, the signs or "birth pangs" that would indicate that the appointed time was approaching (Mt. 24:3). Jesus again said that only His Father knew the day and hour, "But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." (v. 36-39). Jesus described the wicked in Noah's day being removed. He then described a similar and specific removal that will take place before His return (v. 40-41). This "removal" was taught by Jesus to be of the same kind as experienced by the wicked during the flood. Up until that moment in Noah's time, life continued "as usual", with most being unaware that the moment would soon be upon them. His warning regarding this appointed time: "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come...Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man cometh." (v. 42,44). Since most of the Church today lives as if Jesus is not about to return, this again is one of the signs of the appointed timing of His return. This kind of indifferent attitude, along with getting caught up with the wickedness and cares of this world, causes that day to come upon you unawares (Lk. 21:34). Jesus describes it as a "snare" that will come upon all of them that dwell upon the face of the whole earth (v. 35). "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." (v. 36). When warning of these things, Jesus taught in the temple during the day, and dwelled upon Mount Olivet at night. The Jewish understanding of the history of man on the earth is broken down into 2,000 year periods totaling 6,000 years, as patterned after the six days of creation, and a seventh day of rest, which is also referred to by the Apostle Peter (2 Pet. 3:8): First 2,000 years= Age of Chaos, before the Torah; Second 2,000 years= the Age of the Torah, and living by the Law; Third 2,000 years= the Age of Messiah. The last 1,000 years is the Sabbath rest of the Kingdom. The prophet Daniel also wrote of the events of the last days, even specifically in numbers of years, and even days. As he prophesied the events, Daniel was told, "...for the time appointed, the end shall be", and "...the time of the end, because it is yet for a time appointed." (Dan. 8:19, 11:35). The end time events that we are now seeing, and the return of Jesus Christ, are not set for a vague time in future history, but these things are set for an appointed time, even appointed specific places, as spoken by the apostles, prophets, and Jesus Himself, so that God's people will be aware and prepared. We are not meant to be overtaken, indifferent, ignorant, or spiritually asleep regarding these apponted times and places. *Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 5/2/21 message to the Church. To contact: PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com Find us also on Facebook, Twitter and endtimeschool.com

Has America Become Latter Day Amorites?*

Someone once said that if we don't learn from history, we are bound to repeat it. This message today is a serious prophetic warning. Second Peter warned that in the last days scoffers would come and the source of their scoffing would be the prophesied return of the Lord, and the judgment against wickedness. These scoffers would say, "Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." (2 Pet. 3:3-4). These scoffers, Peter said, deliberately overlook the flooding of the earth in judgment, which occurred since the creation. Peter wrote that instead of a judgment by water, this time, the judgment against ungodly men would be by fire that is stored up for this purpose. Both the heavens and the earth will be dissolved and melted with fervent heat (v. 7, 10). The description of this melting heat sounds very much like the outcome produced by a nuclear holocaust. Many nuclear powers among the nations today are on the verge of conflict, and such conflict was only narrowly avoided in the past. The only reason that we have not yet seen this prophesied judgment, said Peter, is "The LORD is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night..." (v. 9). The judgment of God is patiently withheld to give men an opportunity to repent, but the day will come. You can read a confirming word in the Apocrypha: Wisdom 12, for those who understand that while the Apocryphal books are not now considered scripture, they were quoted in scripture, and offer interesting additional information. In a prophecy given to Abram, the LORD promised that Abram's seed would experience servitude, or slavery, as strangers in a foreign land. That servitude would last 400 years. At the end of that time, the Lord would bring judgment upon the land that oppressed His people with servitude, and His people would be delivered out of that land with great substance (Gen. 15:13-14). It has been approximately 400 years since America began oppressing the native people of this land, and began to bring people from Africa and other lands into slavery here. Now, in America, there is still violent racial hatred against different racial and ethnic groups. The prophecy of the LORD to Abram does not stop there, however. He could not bring Abram's descendants back to the land of Canaan until the 400 years were completed "for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full" (v. 16). After four generations, God would bring back Abram's descendants to the land of Canaan through judgment against Egypt, and at the same time, displace the iniquitous Amorites from that land. God found the practices of both the Egyptians and the Amorites to be an aabomination and warned His people not to do the same: "After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God." (Lev. 18:3-4). What were the practices of both Egypt and the Amorites, the inhabitants of Canaan, that were so abominable that the LORD would bring judgment upon them. What are the abominations that America shares with the Amorites? The LORD, in Lev. 18, describes numerous sexual sins that defile. Not only do these sins defile a people, but they defile the land on which the people dwell: "For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled; that the land spue not you out also, when you defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you. For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people." (v. 27-29). All of the sexual sins mentioned in Lev. 18 are running rampant in America today. Sexual perversion, promiscuity, and pornography, are tolerated by law, while those who speak out against it are not tolerated. Another abomination of the people of the land that the LORD warns His people against is the offering of children to the god, Molech: "And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD." (v. 21). Here in America, millions of chldren have been slaughtered in abortion. This is the human sacrifice of children. Shall the Lord judge the Amorites, but not judge us for doing the same? The LORD said that there were six things He hated, and seven were an abomination to Him. One of those things mentioned is the shedding of innocent blood. Does there exist any more innocent blood than that of an unborn child in its mother's womb? Yet we shed it daily. One who wanted the practice of abortion to become widespread, Margaret Sanger, who served as president of Planned Parenthood, shared the views of Hitler regarding those who were "less desireable". She believed that populations from the "mongrel nations" should be controlled, even eliminated, and that civil and religious leaders, especially from the poor, black, and immigrant communities, should be recruited to endorse and spread these methods of population control in those neighborhoods. The prophets wrote of the Word of the LORD concerning His people when they practice the ways of the Amorites. Isaiah wrote that when God's people join properties into large land possessions, their houses shall be desolate. He judges His people who no longer are sober, but drunk until they have no self-control, and encourage their neighbors in drunkenness to see them fall. As a people, we have become users of alcohol, and also drugs, in order to escape sobriety. God told His prophet that His people have turned away from the knowledge of the LORD, and no longer consider the work of His hands. "Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it." (Isa. 5:14). Not only do these conditions exist in America, but Isaiah continues to show us our nation: "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!...which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him." (v. 20-21, 23). Truth, justice, and the knowledge of the LORD are no longer sought in America. We here in America surely fit the picture that Isaiah has painted. As the prphet Habakkuk sought the LORD to hear for what he should repent and intercede, he was told to write the vision down plainly, so all could quickly read and understand it (Hab. 2:1-2). This vision, though it was for a future time, would come, and it would not be late. Though the scoffers, such as those spoken of by Peter, above, believe that the Word of the LORD will not come to pass, the LORD assured Habakkuk that it surely will. The LORD spoke judgments or "woes" that would come to "him that increaseth that which is not his, and to those who become involved in the covetous and oppressive economics of debt (v. 6: "thick clay"). The Word is spoken against those who take spoil from other lands, and fill their own land, and cities, with violence and blood. The Word is against those who are covetous, seeking and taking to accumulate what they need, they believe, to secure a place for themselves in order to avoid an evil overtaking them. However, we cannot buy or accumulate our way out of the woes and judgment of God. "Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!" (v. 12). Much of the growth of our nation came by violence and practices of iniquity. We purposefully and violently drove out native peoples to inhabit their lands, and built our wealth on the enslavement of others. Habakkuk was so convicted by this vision from the LORD, that he immediately went into prayer: "O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy." (Hab. 3:1-2). This is the same kind of prayer that the LORD asks of His people when they see their land embroiled in these conditions of iniquity (2 Chron. 7:14). If His people will pray and repent, and change their own ways, He will hear and heal our land. There is no other remedy or solution. Though men may try to buy, fight, or even vote their way out of the "woes" that come from their iniquity, there is only one solution given by God: the repentance of His own people. Though men might scoff and say that there is no coming judgment, the Book of Revelation says that a moment comes when the mystery of God declared by His servants the prophets will be finished, when the voice from heaven says, "...there should be time no longer", which means there shall be delay no longer. Until that moment comes, we have been given time by a longsuffering God to heed, understand and repent. *Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 4/25/21 message to the church. To contact: PO Box 154221, Waco, TX 76705 or Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com Look for Dr. Stevenson on Facebook, Twitter, and endtimeschool.com

Confirm Scripture With Scripture*

We mentioned last week that we were going to begin to unlearn error so we can learn truth. One of the strongest confirmations that the scriptures are truth, and inspired by God, is the fact that it contains prophecies, especially dealing with the Messiah, that have been fulfilled. If the books of the Apocrypha also contains fulfilled prophecy, then why are they not also considered inspired scripture? These books were once included in the King James Bible, and they are still included in the Catholic Bible. Jewish religious leaders first contended that the books of the Apocrypha did not rise to the level of scripture. However, these same books point directly to the Messiah being Jesus. Could this be the reason that these books began to be disregarded? Jude, the writer of one of the books of the New Testament, and one of the brothers of Christ, who also held the position of Bishop of Odessa, quoted from the Book of Enoch, one of the Apocryphal books. Jude wrote: "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken aginst him..." (v. 14-21, excerpt). In another example from scripture, the Apostle Paul, speaking to the Greeks, told of how the LORD created all peoples from one blood, and determined beforehand the geographical boundries of their habitations (Acts 17:24-27). Genesis 10 tells us of the three sons of Noah and their sons after the flood. From those sons, came the various people, both Gentiles and Jews, with their physical locations named after them. In the beginning of the earth's creation, all of the seas were gathered in one place, and the same being true of all of the land, which the LORD called "earth", or eretz in Hebrew (Gen. 1:9-10). However, along the descendants of Noah was born one named Peleg (meaning "division"), because it was in Peleg's days that the land, or eretz, was divided (Gen. 10:25). As we see on maps today, the continents could fit together like puzzle pieces, if we brought them together without the water dividing them. This could be one reason why various peoples, including Native Americans on this continent, show a DNA relationship with Middle Eastern Jews. Many of God's people, the Israelites, have been, as Moses prophesied, rooted up from their land (Deut. 29:19-29): "And the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day." According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, Columbus' explorations and discoveries were based in part upon the earlier astronomical and geographical writings of learned Jews. He also took several Jews on his voyages to the new world. This is during the same period when Spain was expelling Jews from their nation, and those Jews were seeking new homelands. The Apocryphal Book of Esdras 2, Chapter 13, includes descriptions of Jews, ejected from their lands because they did not keep the ways of the Lord. They became determined to keep His ways in their new lands where men had never before dwelt: "...37 And this my Son shall rebuke the wicked inventions of those nations, which for their wicked life are fallen into the tempest; 38 And shall lay before them their evil thoughts, and the torments wherewith they shall begin to be tormented, which are like unto a flame: and he shall destroy them without labour by the law which is like unto me. 39 And whereas thou sawest that he gathered another peaceable multitude unto him; 40 Those are the ten tribes, which were carried away prisoners out of their own land in the time of Osea the king, whom Salmanasar the king of Assyria led away captive, and he carried them over the waters, and so came they into another land. 41 But they took this counsel among themselves, that they would leave the multitude of the heathen, and go forth into a further country, where never mankind dwelt, 42 That they might there keep their statutes, which they never kept in their own land. 43 And they entered into Euphrates by the narrow places of the river. 44 For the most High then shewed signs for them, and held still the flood, till they were passed over. 45 For through that country there was a great way to go, namely, of a year and a half: and the same region is called Arsareth. 46 Then dwelt they there until the latter time; and now when they shall begin to come..." In the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus was crucified, He was mocked, reviled and scorned by spectators, saying, "If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross." Even the religious leaders mocked Christ saying, "He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross and we will believe him. He trusted in God, let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God." (Mt. 27:39-43). The Apocryphal Book of Wisdom (of Solomon), Chapter 2, tells of an identical event: "16 We are esteemed of him as counterfeits: he abstaineth from our ways as from filthiness: he pronounceth the end of the just to be blessed, and maketh his boast that God is his father. 17 Let us see if his words be true: and let us prove what shall happen in the end of him. 18 For if the just man be the son of God, he will help him, and deliver him from the hand of his enemies. 19 Let us examine him with despitefulness and torture, that we may know his meekness, and prove his patience. 20 Let us condemn him with a shameful death: for by his own saying he shall be respected. 21 Such things they did imagine, and were deceived: for their own wickedness hath blinded them. 22 As for the mysteries of God, they knew them not: neither hoped they for the wages of righteousness, nor discerned a reward for blameless souls." As is mentioned in the above Book of Wisdom, the Apostle Paul also spoke about the spiritul blindness that had in part come upon the Jews for the sake of the Gentiles, until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in (Rom. 11:25). However, let us also keep in mind the next verses concerning Israel, which includes: "As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes." If the Apocrypha is judged the same way that we judge scripture, as containing fulfilled prophecy especially those dealing with the Messiah, we can see why these Books had originally been included in our scriptures. We can also see, why they have likewise been removed: because they testify specifically and in detail as to Jesus being the Messiah. It is time to unlearn error, and learn the truth. We can do that by confirming scripture with scripture. *Based on the 12/6/20 message of Dr. Stevenson to the Church; To Contact: PO Box 154221, Waco, TX 76705, Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com

Believe HIS Prophets*

 

 

King Jehoshaphat declared to Judah, "Believe in the LORD your God, so shall you be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper." (2 Chron. 20:20). It is especially important now, in the times in which we are living and during this pandemic, to listen to the prophets. 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 hath spoken, who can but prophesy?  Amos 3:6-8

How far we have come away from God's Word, and our understanding of the vital importance of His prophets and His prophecies! Sometimes we miss the prophetic because we don't recognize the package it is coming in. For example, there is much prophetic significance in the Books of the Apocrypha concerning the Messiah, but because of where they are found, we are not familiar with them, or discount them. In another example, secular songs have been written that have prophetic significance:

"And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made.
And the sign flashed out its warning
in the words that it was forming.
And the sign said, 'The words of the prophets
are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls.
And whispered in the sounds of silence."

Sound of Silence, by Paul Simon

 

or from Bob Marley:

"One love, one heart
Let's get together and feel all right
Hear the children crying (One love)
Hear the children crying (One heart)
Sayin', "Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right."
Sayin', "Let's get together and feel all right."

 

Jesus compared the coming of the Son of man to the conditions and warning given during the days of Noah, giving that scriptural account prophetic significance for our time (Mt. 24:35-42). The response to Noah in that day was an example of how people often respond to the prophetic today - they ignore it or do not see its significance. The people of Noah's time ignored the prophetic warning until the flood carried them away. There will be those upon the coming of the Lord who will be carried away by calamity, as in the flood. However, in the midst of great and universal wickedness, Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD (Gen. 6:5-8). Jesus concluded by saying, "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come."

The grace that Noah found in the eyes of the Lord was also a prophetic picture of the foundation upon which the new covenant would be established forever, in the grace found through Yeshua, Jesus.

The apostle Peter exhorted his readers to be mindful, to take heed, of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and also now by the apostles. The same (prophetic) words which spoke of the unrighteous in the world having been flooded with water, continues and has created a store of fire this time in the earth for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men- fervent heat that melts the elements and the works of man. God is only holding off from this fiery destruction in His patience to allow as much time and opportunity as possible for men's repentance. Knowing this prophetic warning is still active, this knowledge should mold how we believers continue in our character, expectations and outlooks: "...what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness...?" (2 Pet. 3). As Peter mentioned in his epistle, the apostle Paul wrote similarly of the Lord revealed from heaven in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who don't know God, and refuse to obey the gospel of Christ. His presence and glory will punish with an everlasting destruction. Christ will be glorified in those who do believe His Word and promise. We are to be worthy of this calling of faith in Him who saves us, and "fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power." (2 Thess. 1:7-12). The apostles of today are likewise bringing forth the same prophetic warnings to the Body of Christ for this same purpose, that we would be shaped and conformed in this fullness (Eph. 4:11-13).

As prophesied, there are many false prophets and teachers who come to bring a contrary word, driven by covetousness, twisting the scriptures in order to make profit off of those who clamor to hear lies and false assurances (2 Pet. 2:1-3, 3:17). But the genuine word of prophecy which we have received, and are now receiving from the true apostles, prophets and teachers, is a sure word of prophecy, because it does not come from the will and interpretation of men, "but holy men of God (who) spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (2 Pet. 1:19-21).

By these precious prophetic words originated in the Holy Spirit, we are conformed, not to this world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds, minds washed in the truth of the Word of God, becoming blameless and without spot, growing in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:14-18).

 





*The above is based upon the 5/24/20 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/

everlastingcovenant@ymail.com

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

https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8

Sermon.net/EverlastingCovenant
 

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:

  

To order "NAZAH": https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8     http://endtimeschool.com/ 

To send testimonies for the Book of Remembrance to be published in the memory of Sean Stevenson:
 

You can send your testimonies to:

everlastingcovenant@ymail.com or PO Box 154221, Waco, TX  76705.

 



                                                                   Sean Stevenson





Fulfilling My Destiny*

 

 Everything that has led to where I am today has been a course set by God to fulfill my destiny. God sovereignly directed each of my steps, including my childhood education, attendance at the Air Force Academy, my military career, and the opportunity fo me to participate in groundbreaking research as part of S.T.U.R.P. (Shroud of Turin Research Project). I have been able to write four books on this subject, and have given many presentations concerning the Shroud. My calling as a pastor, and as an apostle, have led me to see the destiny that God has designed for me: to take this Gospel message across nations, and to the Jewish people, especially, in these last days.

Scripture tells us of the important ministry to the Jew, as well as the Gentile. The Book of Revelation gives a powerful prophetic picture of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists, sealed in a special calling to follow the Lamb of God wherever He goes:

"...Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel."

                                                                                                               Rev. 7:4

In the verses that follow the one above, Revelation tells us that of the 144,000, 12,000 will come out of each tribe of Israel.
Then we are shown the worship in heaven which includes a great multitude of those from all nations, kindred, people and tongues, wearing white robes. This multitude in heavenly worship is described as those who came out of great tribulation, having made their robes white by washing them in the blood of the Lamb (v. 9-14). We are seeing the beginning of this time of great tribulation, with believers being persecuted and martyred in many nations today. Not only are Christians seeing an increase in this persecution, but anti-Semitism, and anti-Israel hostility has risen greatly as well. We are living in a time when the prophecy of Zechariah is fulfilled saying that Jerusalem will become a cup of trembling, and a burdensome stone for all people., but the LORD will come to the defense of Israel (Zech. 12). Zechariah 2:8 proclaims that the LORD will punish those nations who harm Israel, "for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye."
God has not forgotten His covenant promise that all of Israel shall be saved (Rom. 11:25-27). The Jew has been temporarily blinded to the Gospel so that the Gentiles may come in, according to Paul. As the time of the Gentiles is now fulfilled, salvation is once again revealed to the Jews:
"And I will pour out upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn."   Zech. 12:10
The image of the crucified and resurrected Christ miraculously revealed on the Shroud of Turin is a timely witness and ministry to the Jews, as was prophesied, who will "look upon me whom they have pierced".
I feel very strongly that this is my destiny in God-to bring this witness to the Jew, and also to the Gentile. The God-led events of my life have all culminated in this purpose, and for this time.
I ask you to view this video, and pray about what you can do to support and be apart of this ministry, which is an end time fulfillment of prophecy.

 

*The above is based upon the 2/23/20 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

Sermon.net/EverlastingCovenant
 

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:
  

To order "NAZAH": https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8     http://endtimeschool.com/ 

To send testimonies for the Book of Remembrance to be published in the memory of Sean Stevenson:
 

You can send your testimonies to:

everlastingcovenant@ymail.com or PO Box 154221, Waco, TX  76705.

 



Sean Stevenson



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

https://everlastingcovenant.sermon.net/main/main/21320220
 

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:
  

To order "NAZAH": https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8     http://endtimeschool.com/