What Is Grace?*

In the Church, there are those who greet each other saying, "Grace and Peace", as Paul also greeted the churches in his letters to them. The Hebrew sages approach scripture with the understanding that there are multiple facets to each verse by which men may learn the heart and will of God. Jesus also commanded us to "Search the scriptures...", so we will now look into the scriptures for the meaning and vital importance of grace. The Greek the word "grace", as used in the New Testament, is charis, which means: "that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, good will, loving-kindness, favor, the merciful kindness by which God, exerting His holy influence on souls, turns them to Christ and keeps, strengthens, and increases them in Christian faith...and kindles them to the exercise of Christian virtues". The word "peace" as mentioned above is the Greek word eirene meaning "security, safety, prosperity, felicity - of the Messiah's peace in Christianity: the tanquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and the blessed state of devout and upright men after death". Our peace comes from the assurance of our faith in Christ. For today's purpose, our discussion will focus on grace. In the Book of Ephesians, Paul begins his letter to this church with the salutation: "Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." (Eph. 1:1-2). He wrote of all blessings in heavenly places that have been bestowed upon us in Christ. We were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world "that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." We were chosen by Christ for adoption to Himself. "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved". (v. 3-6). It is through the riches of His grace that we have forgiveness of our sins, and redemption by His blood (v. 7). The purpose of His grace towards us is to accomplish a great reconciliation "that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ...which are in heaven, and which are on earth..." (v. 10). Grace makes us accepted, and grace reconciles us, and all things, into Christ. We have obtained an inheritance of riches in glory by the power of that grace, given to us by the will of God (v. 11-18). This grace full of power and glory was "wrought in Christ when he raised him from then dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come..." (20-21). The grace of acceptance and inheritance is not accomplished by the will of man, but of God, through the overcoming of spiritual principalities by Christ's death and resurrection. As Paul wrote regarding the change in us: "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That...he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph. 2:4-9). God has created us for good works, and has ordained that we should walk in those works (v. 10). This is not the kind "greasy grace" with which some believers excuse or justify their continuing walk in sin. The grace of God achieved through Christ on our behalf empowers a godly and righteous walk of works by the Spirit for which we were created and ordained by Him. This grace builds a citizenship with the saints, of the household of God, "...built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone." (Eph. 2:19-20). Grace is not confined to the New Testament, but, as Psul wrote, is encompassed within the Torah, the law and the prophets. The first mention of "grace" in scripture is from the Book of Genesis: "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God." (Gen. 6:8-9). We see here that grace was appointed to Noah, and as a result of the work of grace, he was a just and perfect man, and his walk was with God. This is also what Paul taught regarding grace, above. We saw the meaning of grace in the Greek language, but with these verses from Genesis, we can see the meaning of grace in Hebrew. The Hebrew word is han/hanan, meaning "grace, favor, pleasant, precious, acceptance, kindness, good-will, prayer, supplication/mercy, merciful, be inclined towards". In Exodus, God described His name and character to Moses as He descended from a cloud on the mountaintop, and stood with Moses: "And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and fourth generation." (Ex. 34:5-7). The LORD joined His mercy and grace together in these verses as He described His goodness, or hesed in Hebrew, meaning mercy, kindness, loving-kindness, beauty, favor). The message of grace hasn't changed from the Torah to the New Testament. The commandments of God are not limited to tablets of stone, but through the working of His grace, God wants His commandments to be written upon our hearts, and reflected in our walk. Notice that the LORD refers to "the guilty" in the above verses. The guilty are those who are unrepentant of their sin. Not only can grace not do its work in them because of that, but the iniquity of their sin passes to their future generations. The commandments of God are for our good, coming to us from His goodness. Paul wrote of this goodness of God found in His scriptures to his fellow worker in the Gospel, Timothy. The scriptures to which Paul referred would have been the Torah and the prophets, the Old Testament scriptures, because the New Testament had not yet been written: "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Tim. 3:15-17). We can follow the presence of grace from the beginning of scripture as it leads to Christ's death and resurrection, and on through the New Testament as the gift of the favor and mercy of God in our salvation and inheritance as believers in Christ. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 1/22/23 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.The ShroudofTurin.org/freebook.

Understanding the Atonement*

The Feasts of the LORD give vital pointers of who the Messiah is, and how He comes, and they illustrate God's plan for creation. We just observed the Feast of Trumpets, or Rosh Hashanah, as it is also known, and in a few days, the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur will occur: "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement (kipur/kapar - atonement, purge, expiation, redemption, reconciliation, forgive, propitiation, cover over, cleanse): it shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people...it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath." (Lev. 23:26-32). The feasts are not just for the Jewish people, or for the time of the Old Testament only, but forever. The Hebrew pictographic letters that make up the word for atonement, kipur/kapar, have the meaning "to cover by the mouth of the Most High". The promise out of the mouth of God in Genesis was the seed of the woman to redeem. The atonement has come forth from the mouth of God, and has been fulfilled in Christ, and will be fulfilled again by Christ. The LORD established a testimony in Jacob, not for that generation only, but to tell their children, who in turn, would arise and tell the testimony to their children: "That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments: and might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God...they did flatter him (God) with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant." (Ps. 78:5-8, 34-37). This psalm said that even so, God forgave them, and didn't destroy them because He remembered that they were mere flesh. However, they repeatedly provoked and grieved Him, turning their back to Him, and limiting the Holy One of Israel (v. 38-41). We limit God if we forget His repeated mercies to us, and again turn away from Him. Psalm 79 asks God not to remember our sins, because we have been brought low: "Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake." (v. 8-9). The word "purge away" in these verses is the word kapar, atonement. The psalmist asks the LORD to hear the sighing of the prisoner, and to preserve those who are appointed to die (v. 11). Jesus, our Atonement, after His death, descended into hell, and led the captives of death out, and ascended with them into heaven, fulfilling the psalmist's prophetic prayer, and the Word of God. The prophet Zechariah received a vision of the LORD in which the high priest, Joshua, standing before the Angel of the LORD, was cleansed and his filthy garments were changed into clean garments. Satan was resisting the cleansing of Joshua until the LORD rebuked him: "The LORD rebuke thee O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" (Zech. 3:1-3). As Joshua's filthy garments were ordered to be taken away by the LORD, He said: "Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment." (v. 4). This reminds us of the pure, white linen of righteousness granted to the Bride to be worn for her marriage to the Lamb in Revelation 19. This was the charge that was given to Joshua at the time of his cleansing: "If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by." (v. 7). At the cleansing of Joshua, the LORD also prophesied of the One whom He would send, the Messiah: "...behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH...and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day...shall ye call every man his neighbor, under the vine and under the fig tree." (v. 8-10). The atonement cleansing of Joshua the high priest also brought the promise to remove the iniquity of that land, the prophecy of the Messiah to come, and the Millennial Reign of the Messiah, Jesus. Who must be cleansed? Paul wrote: "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God", but we have been justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, whom God sent to be "the propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." (Rom. 3:22-26). Paul is describing the atonement, and it is not achieved through religion or our own efforts, but by faith in His atoning blood. There is a song that says "Nothing But the Blood of Jesus" can wash away our sins. Even when we were enemies of God, "we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." (Rom. 5:7-10). Here is the reconciliation of the atonement, not with the blood of animals, or even the blood of a man, but by the blood of the Son of God. Because of this atonement by the Son's own blood, we are no longer to yield to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but "to yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." (Rom. 6:11-14). After being freed from being servants to sin, we have become servants, even slaves to God, bearing fruit of holiness and the end being eternal life, rather than receiving the wages of sin, which is death (v. 22-23). We have been reconciled and saved by Jesus' life, the atoning blood, given for us. Therefore, we are no longer to be conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing and washing of our minds in the Word of God, washed by the water, the blood, and the truth. Sin is still sin, although many churches have compromised this truth. We are to bring sin under His authority. The Book of Hebrews, in saying that Jesus Christ, our High Priest, entered into the perfect tabernacle in heaven, making atonement for us, obtaining eternal redemption for us, not by the blood of animals, but by His own blood, then asks, "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?". He then became also the mediator of the new testament by means of His death. (Heb. 9:11-15). This is the simplicity of the Gospel. It's not about going to church, but going to Christ in our hearts. It's not about the name on the door, but about the name on our hearts. In the third epistle of John, John wrote that he prayed that we would be prospered as our soul prospers, and that he has no greater joy than when he hears that his spiritual children are "walking in truth" (v. 1-4). This upcoming Feast of the LORD, the Day of Atonement, calls us to prosper in our souls, and walk in the truth of Christ's atonement for us. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 10/2/2022 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 END TIME SCHOOL, also on Facebook.

The Resurrection And The Life*

Back in 1966, The New York Times had a headline that read, "God is Dead...". Just this Passover and Resurrection weekend, the same newspaper ran an op-ed piece suggesting, "Lets get rid of God". We live in times when we are witnessing the end time signs prophesied in scripture, such as wars and pestilence, causing such great damage to the human race. The resurrection of Christ is not only the central truth of Christianity, but of the Bible in its entirety. Paul wrote: "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 firstfruits of them that slept." (1 Cor. 15:17, 20). Scripture holds that not only did Christ rise, but His rising causes all who believe to rise with Him. From the beginning, in Gen. 1:1, scripture has borne witness to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Genesis 1 begins with the expression, "In the beginning God...". The Hebrew word for "beginning" is Bareshiet. In the pictographic Hebrew letters used to construct this word, bareshiet means: "the Son crushed, His hand upon the cross". "God" as translated in this same verse is written as Elohim Aleph-Tav in Hebrew, or "God, the beginning and the end, the first and the last". This is how Jesus refers to Himself in the Book of Revelation (see Rev. 1:8, 17, Rev. 22:13), and also as translated into the Greek letters, Alpha and Omega. The LORD revealed His unpronounceable name to Moses as YHWH, or I AM THAT I AM (Ex. 3:13-14). Again, the pictographic letters of the Name in the ancient Hebrew would have the meaning: "Behold the hand, behold the nail". The Lord has brought back the pure language (Zeph. 3:9), Hebrew, for a reason in these end times. There are clear prophecies that specifically point us not only to Messiah, but Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. His prophesied suffering and death are identifiers to us. Psalm 22, written by David, gives the details of crucifixion, specifically Christ's crucifixion as described in the gospel accounts, many hundreds of years before crucifixion was invented as a means of execution. Isaiah 50:6, and 53:9 not only describe the purpose and details of Christ's death, but in Isa. 52, a prophecy is given regarding physical evidence of the event that would survive afterwards: "As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men. So shall he sprinkle (Nazah) 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. 52:14-15). Paul was involved in an example of this very thing several years after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, as he testified before a king (Acts 26:1-28). As the scriptures prophesy about Judah and Jerusalem being the center of turmoil, the Prophet Zehariah also wrote: "...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). I am convinced that the physical evidence that people are prophesied to see is the Shroud of Turin. All of the details found on the Shroud confirm the gospel accounts of the physical injuries suffered by Jesus, as well as His condition just after death. Having personally examined the Shroud, and also having participated in the many tests that were done on the Shroud as part of the original STURP team that traveled to Turin, Italy, I am very familiar with the results and observations. While there is blood on the Shroud, there is no evidence of paint or dyes present. No brush strokes exist on the Shroud. Only the very top fibers of the threads of the linen Shroud are dehydrated and discolored, creating the image of a scourged, beaten and crucified Middle-Eastern Jewish Man between the ages of 30-35. The evidence is on the Shroud that the Man wore phylacteries on His head and arm, in accordance with Jewish practice. It was not Jewish burial custom to wrap a body like a mummy, as was done by the Egyptians, but to lay the body on a length of fabric, and then fold and lay the fabric over the head and top of the body. The position of the image on the Shroud reflects this Jewish burial custom. The pollen on the Shroud reflects plants found in Jerusalem, and from plants found where the Shroud was later known to have been transported. The image threads of the Shroud are stable both in water, and chemicals. The image on the Shroud is a negative image, and can only be seen as a positive image when a photo is taken of it. The image is a three dimensional image. Although Carbon-14 tests done afterward by a different group purported to show that the Shroud dated from the middle ages, later examination of the results by experts (Ray Rogers and others) showed that the fibers that were initially C-14 tested were cotton fibers, and not linen. It was then concluded that the fibers taken for the original testing were taken from an area of the Shroud that had been repaired later in history using cotton thread. For these reasons and more, I believe that the Shroud is genuine evidence of the resurrection, and I would be remiss not to tell others, especially in these end times. The Shroud, as someone once said, is "God's love letter in linen to all mankind". There is a link on my Facebook page (see Kenneth E. Stevenson Jr) to a Shroud presentation I conducted, and you can also find the video on You Tube (see eagleeye1015 channel). As I have said many times, the Shroud of Turin is not the basis of my faith in Jesus Christ, but it is a confirmation of the truth of the gospels, particularly the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. My prayer concerning all who see or hear this message is that you not let this day pass before searching the scriptures, and that you call out to the Lord who died for you. I pray that blind eyes are opened that all might see, in Jesus' name, AMEN. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 4/17/2022 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.

Foundations, Traditions and Doctrine*

More and more we are seeing examples of ideas and doctrines within the church that are not based upon the Word of God. They are instead doctrines of men, rather than God. There are consequences that occur when God's people begin to turn from His Word, and prefer the words of men: "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, no 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." (Hosea 4:1-2). The LORD said through His prophet that as the knowledge of God was removed from the inhabitants of the land, sins and violence began to spread, as we see here in America. The LORD further warned: "My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge (Hebrew da-at - knowledge, wisdom, insight, understanding), because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." (v. 6). Rejected knowledge of God leads to corruption, creating future generations that are separated from God. Psalm 11, a psalm of David, tells us to place our trust in the LORD. It also carries the warning: "If the foundations (Hebrew satah - basis of political or moral support; defenders of morality fall from moral righteousness) be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (v. 3). The foundations of the Word of God, the foundations of our faith, are being destroyed. As an example of this, this Psalm warns that fire and brimstone will be poured out upon the wicked, but fewer and fewer believe that there is such a penalty for wickedness, or that Hell exists. Often, the church doesn't want to hear knowledge. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth that he had to continue feeding them milk, like babies, because they couldn't bear the meat of the Word. He told them this was because they were still so carnal, rather than spiritual (1 Cor. 3:1-2). If we are to be mature believers, we need the meat of the Word of God to grow. Paul described himself as a "masterbuilder" who has laid the foundation, that foundation being Jesus Christ: "For other foundation (Greek themelios - first principles of institution of truth) can no man lay that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." Paul warned others to be careful how they built upon that sure foundation (see v. 10-11). The elemental principles of the foundation of our faith established in Jesus Christ, which basic principles the church should know and teach, are described in the Book of Hebrews: repentance from dead works and of faith towards God (we are not saved by works, as some churches believe, but through faith), doctrine of baptisms (There is more than one baptism, however, many churches reject the baptism of the Holy Spirit, for example), laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment (There is a heaven to gain, and a hell to shun). These are foundational beliefs for the Christian, but the Christian is also expected to continue growing from these: "...let us go on unto perfection." (Heb. 6:1-2). Here is also a serious warning in these verses: for those who have believed this foundation, experienced this gift and the Word of God, and partaken of the Holy Spirit, and have seen the powers of the world to come, yet fall away from the truth, it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance because they crucify Christ again for themselves, and put Him to shame openly (v. 4-6). It is not a small thing for the church, or an individual, to fall away from the necessary foundation of truth in Christ. Again, Paul tells us in the Book of Ephesians that the foundation of our faith is established by the apostles and prophets, with the chief cornerstone of that foundation being Jesus Christ. There is a living holy temple of God being built upon this foundation, and this habitation of God is built together by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:19-22). Yet many in the church teach that there are no longer apostles and prophets, and many deny the active working of the Holy Spirit in this continuing work of God. Ephesians also tells us that the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers have been given to teach the church until all are brought into the unity of the faith, and the full measure of Jesus Christ (see Eph. 4:11-16). Since this outcome has obviously not yet been achieved, apostles, prophets, and the other gifts must still be needed and are present in the church. Paul tells Timothy to teach the church that they are to be "...laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. O Timothy, keep that which has been committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: which some professing have erred concerning the faith..." (1 Tim. 6:19-21). It is that good foundation, not false science or men's doctrines, that will keep us against the time to come, that will keep us unto eternal life. As people accused Jesus and His disciples of not obeying the Jewish traditions that had been in practice for centuries, Jesus warned them that these traditions of men could not save them, cleanse them from sin, or offer them excuses to ignore the Word of God: "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (see Mt. 15:1-20). They made their traditionals as important, or more so, than the scriptures. This took them away from the truth that they needed to know in order to be saved. Jesus told them that men were not defiled by what they touched or ate, but by what was in their hearts: "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man..." (v. 19-20). We see stories of so-called believers speaking hatred, anger and even threats against those with whom they disagree. They believe they are righteous in their violent militancy, but this is not the foundation of Jesus Christ. These are the doctrines of men and devils. Paul wrote again in Timothy: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron...Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine...Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." (1 Tim. 4:1-2). To the church, Paul wrote: "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein in thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ...Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances (Touch not; taste not; handle not; which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?" (Colossians 2:6-10, 20-22, excerpt). Often we have seen that religious legalism stems not from the Word of God, but from the teachings of men. However, these teachings are wrongly treated with equal importance to the Word of God. The church has been impacted by all of the things that we have seen warned of here in the scriptures. In many cases, they have rejected the truth and the knowledge of God, as Hosea warned, and embraced instead the doctrines of men, demons, false science, philosophies, all of this world. We are not to be conformed to this world, however, but transformed by the renewing of our minds, by the washing of the water of the Word of God. I pray that eyes and ears will be opened to the truth that the LORD has provided to us. *Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 10/17/21 message to the church. To contact, submit a prayer request or 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.

Real Freedom*

In today's message, which is on July 4th, Independence Day, I would like you to consider the meaning of independence and freedom. America has always represented freedom to other nations, and oppressed people around the world. Many desire to come here to America to obtain that represented freedom. America is described in our national anthem as "the land of the free, and the home of the brave". What is the real truth about freedom? Jesus began to reveal to those who believed in Him the truth about freedom: "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (Jn. 8:31-32). The root of freedom is not political, but spiritual, and not just any spiritual source, but freedom is created and obtained in the truth of the Word of God, and more specifically, the Word that Jesus came to deliver to us. However, his listeners rejected the idea that the Words of Jesus exclusively provided this freedom, as He had said. They argued that as the descendants of Abraham, they had already entered into the freedom of which Jesus spoke. On the same occasion, Jesus revealed the root of the opposite of freedom, which is slavery and oppression: "Jesus answered them, 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant (meaning "slave; to be in bonds")of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (v.34-36). Jesus told them that sin in a person's life made that person a slave to that sin. It is sin that creates slavery. He also said that His unique position as the Son of His Father's house, rather than being a servant, such as Abraham had been to God, gave Him the authority to set the enslaved sinner free. The Apostle Paul wrote that not only is freedom found in Christ's power to deliver us from that slavery to sin, but in order to remain free, we must abide in Christ, and not again submit to the bondage of sin. Sin still has the power to enslave us, if we give it a place in our lives: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that sre dead to sin, live any longer therein? ...that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life....Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve (meaning "to be a slave") sin." (Rom. 6:1-6, excerpt). Our body of sin was killed, crucified on the cross with Jesus. Why would we want to reintroduce sin to our new lives to be enslaved once again? "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace...Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you...But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (v. 12-14, 16-17, 22-23). America is not representing freedom when it does all that it can to celebrate and condone sin. Instead, it is guiding people into slavery. Again Paul wrote, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage...For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another." (Gal. 5:1, 13). In that liberty from the enslavement to sin given to us through Christ, we have become a special people: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy...for so it is the will of God, with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: as free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God." (1 Pet. 2:9-10, 15-16). How we carry ourselves, our lifestyle of service to God through Christ, puts to silence those who would lead others into the slavery of sin. Are we serving God here in America, or are we serving flesh? Concerning those who, having known the freedom of Christ, turn back to the slavery of sin, and encourage others to do the same, Paul wrote: "For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption...For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and The sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." (2 Pet. 2:18-22). America, along with Israel, are the only two nations that have ever dedicated themselves from their beginnings to service to God. However, America is turning away from the true liberty found in Christ, and turning back to the ways of bondage to sin and the flesh. The verses above warn that the end of such are worse than their beginnings. We have a responnsibility, as those who are commanded to love God and to love our neighbor, to live in the ways of freedom from the bondage of sin bought by Jesus Christ for us, so as not to lead our neighbors into the slavery of sin. As we celebrate Independence Day here in America, let us thank the two people who have been willing to lay their lives on the line for our freedom: those who have served in the military to fight on our behalf, and Jesus, Who died and rose again to make men free. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 7/4/21 message to the church. To contact: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and endtimeschool.com.

The Crux of the Faith*

Last week, we discussed the Lord's command to Peter, based on the Peter's expressed love for Christ, to "Feed My sheep". In the condition in which the Church finds itself today, do we know how the feed the sheep? As in the natural, babies in the faith need to start out with the "milk" of the Word, the basic fundamentals of the Christian faith, and as they mature, they can be fed the "meat" of the Word, those things that take us deeper and higher in the knowledge of God. The first of the basics is found in Romans 3, "...for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one...Destruction and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. But now, the righteousness of God...is manifested... Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;" (v. 9-25). The use of the word, "propitiation" refers to the sprinkling of the blood, in this case Christ's own blood, upon the mercy seat of God for the remission of the sin that all of us have. We do not come to this gift of righteousness through any religious works or good deeds, but by faith, not even by our own faith, that we would take crdit for it, but we come by the faith of the Son of God. And we believe in the power of His blood to cleanse us of sin by that same faith, the faith of the Son. John the Baptist declared upon seeing Jesus, "Behold the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world." It is the lamb's blood, on Passover, applied to the doorposts and lintels of their houses, that delivered God's people from the angel of death in the last plague of Egypt. Having received this saving faith of the Son of God in order to accept the gift of righteousness given to us by the Father, having our sins wiped away by the blood of Christ, what is our continuing understanding to be and teach to others? Romans 6 says, "...Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?...like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we should also walk in newness of life...our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth, we should not serve sin...Let no sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof...For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace...Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness...For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (v. 1-23). Having been delivered from our sins, and its consequence, death, we are not to continue in sin. We have died and been raised with Christ. The dead no longer are the servants of sin. Having received the gift of the righteousness of God in Christ, and the newness of His resurrection life, we are not to continue in unrighteousness. In Isaiah 52 and 53, the prophet writes to us of the severe suffering of the Servant of God, who did not suffer this rejection and torture because of His own sin, but for the sins of others. His blood would sprinkle (NAZAH) all nations, and kings who did not see this event as it happened, still "would see" and considered it. As Paul would also write later in Romans, Isaiah saw the condition of those for whom this servant died: "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....he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter..." (Isa. 53:7-8). And, "...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...by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities...he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (v. 5, 11-12). Jesus interceded for us in His work on the cross. He continues to make intercession for all. Paul writes, "...God our Saviour...Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." (1 Tim. 2:3-6). God desires that none should perish, but that all should come to repentance, and to that salvation, righteousness, and everlasting life that He has provided through Jesus Christ, His Servant, and beloved Son. These things are the basic fundamentals of the faith of Christ, which we are to know for ourselves in order to be transformed, and in order to teach others. *This is based on the 10/18/20 message of Dr. Stevenson to the Church. To contact Dr. Stevenson and the ministry, write to PO Box 154221, Waco, TX 76705. By email: everlastingcovenant@ymail.com

A Legend Unlocked- The Holy Grail

A recent episode of “Mysteries At The Museum” revealed by historical research that the famous literary work “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” was actually based on facts from a nearby battle. The following day, I noticed a billboard for the Texas Ranger Museum with LEGENDS emblazoned across the top. The real life history of the “Lone Ranger” is recounted there for all visitors to see. Most are shocked to learn that he was Black and a true to life legendary hero. Perhaps that’s why Hollywood portrayed him wearing a black mask. The two separate events stirred in me the need to revisit a legend that is directly related to my forty-two years of research into the Shroud of Turin. The Legend I refer to is: The Holy Grail.

     It is most important to begin with Webster’s definition of the word itself. “Legend: a story coming down from the past especially: one popularly regarded as historical (emphasis added) although not verifiable…Arthurian legends.” Of course one of the most important Arthurian legends is the Legend of the Holy Grail. While several have authored detailed books on the subject, my purpose here is to take a more simplistic historical approach to the main facts.

     In short, the Grail Legend involves the following key points:

a) an artifact which contained the very “blood” of Christ as referred to in the Gospels, when Yeshua lifted the Passover Cup of Redemption and declared, “ …This cup is the new testament in my blood which is shed for you.” (Luke 22:20 KJV)

b) The artifact is connected with Joseph of Arimathea

c) the artifact was part of the treasure of the Templar Knights.

      Now let’s begin to connect the dots. First of all, the origin of the Grail Legend itself is mysterious at best. According to Britannica while even the “etymology” of the word itself is “uncertain” it “denoted a wide-mouth or shallow vessel.” Citing Robert de Borons poem about the Grail Legend, Britannica goes on to state that the Grail was “…(linked) with the cup used by Christ at the last supper and afterward by Joseph of Arimathea to catch the blood flowing  from Christ’s wounds as he hung on the cross.” That interpretation of the Gospel accounts of the Passover and the crucifixion led to the incorrect conclusion that the Grail was a chalice or cup used by Yeshua. However, the key points to ponder are Joseph of Arimathea and catching the blood from the wounds. The simple historical fact is that Joseph of Arimathea according to Scripture purchased “fine linen” (fine, costly, and bleached) (Mk 15:46) and laid the body of Christ in “his own new tomb”(Mt 27:60)

     Next according to historical accounts which are now confirmed by archaeological and botanical evidence, the linen burial garment now known as the Shroud of Turin is first accurately described by Crusader Knight Robert di Clari before the Knights plundered Constantinople. Secondly the Shroud is first displayed in Lirey, France by Crusader Knight, Geoffrey de Charny who was killed in battle before he could tell how he acquired it. His family could only say it was a “spoil of war.” In what is most certainly more than just coincidence, his possible namesake Geoffrey de Charnay a Templar Knight was burned at the stake by France’s King Philip the Fair along side Jacque DeMolay. Accused of “idol worship” based on the description of their homage to a “bearded male image”, they recanted confessions obtained by torture and called for God’s judgment upon the King and the Pope both of whom died within the year. Philip with the support of the Pope was after the “treasure” of the Templars. 

        So here is the summation of what we now can confirm through Scripture, medical science, history and archaeology: Joseph of Arimathea purchased a costly linen garment to wrap the body of Yeshua before he placed it in the tomb. That linen garment now known the world over as the Shroud of Turin, caught the post-mortem blood that seeped from all the wounds in Christ’s body. Wounds that fulfill prophecy written by David in Psalm 22 some 700 years before the Persians first used crucifixion as a death form. The very wounds recorded in the Gospels. That same linen described accurately by French Crusader Knights before they sacked the city of Constantinople taking the cloth and other artifacts. The burial garment is first displayed in Europe in the possession of a French Crusader Knight whose likely namesake was burned at the stake having been accused of idol worship by a King bent on acquiring their “priceless treasures”. That linen garment has gone on to both baffle and fascinate scientific minds determined to uncover the source of its mind-boggling image but able only to conclude as follows: Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP) ”We can conclude for now that the Shroud image is that of a real human form of a scourged, crucified man. It is NOT the product of an artist. The bloodstains are composed of hemoglobin, and also give a positive test for serum albumin. The image  is an ongoing mystery…”     

     So, we are left with the three-dimensional, photographically negative image of a Sephardic Jewish man, an estimated 30-35 years of age whose dead body left the cloth without evidence of rot or decay; an image that resides solely in the upper curved surface fibers of the threads themselves and to this day defies reproduction even with space age technology. Conclusion: Grail legend unlocked: The Holy Grail is the burial garment of Christ. 

 
Author: Dr. Kenneth Stevenson

Yom Kippur:Atonemen, and Reconciliation with God

The Veil That Separated the Holy of Holies

 

Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement. It is the second of the fall feasts of the LORD. It is considered the most sacred of the feasts. It comes at the end of the ten days of awe that began with the Feast of Trumpets, or Yom Teruah. Yom Kippur is a time of fasting, and repentance. It was also a Sabbath day of rest from all work (Lev. 23:27-32). Offerings were made, and on this one day of the year, the high priest could go behind the veil, a heavy curtain, that separated the holy of holies from the rest of the temple. There he would sprinkle the blood of the animal sacrifice on the mercy seat, which sat upon the ark of the covenant, which contained the law. This blood was the atonement blood for the sins of the people. This sprinkling of the atonement blood would have to be repeated every year. That veil of the temple represented the separation of the people from God because of sin. The Hebrew root word in regards to the word "veil" here, means "to break apart, fracture, severity, crushing".
As with the temple, the priesthood, and all of the feast days connected with them, the Israelites were given a pattern to copy after the heavenly temple of God (Ex. 25:9, 40, Num. 8:4). Paul also mentions this earthly pattern that copied the heavenly original:
"Who (the priests) serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount."  Heb. 8:5
Because all of these earthly things are shadows that were made after a heavenly original, they carry the promise of the greater heavenly original. and that heavenly original surpasses the earthly copy in every way!
For this feast of Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement, the shadow of the earthly priest after the order of Aaron, has been surpassed by a heavenly Priest, Who is unlike them. The heavenly Priest, Jesus Christ, is of the order of the eternal, supernatural priest, Melchizedek (meaning "King of Righteousness"). Melchizedek was not only a priest, but a king as well, who brought forth bread and wine. He was and is an incarnation of Christ who appeared to Abraham, and received from him the tithe of all (Gen. 14:18-20). The Psalms identify the Lord Who sits at the right hand of the LORD God as a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (Ps. 110:4). The Apostle Paul also further identifies this eternal priest as Christ (Heb. 7:21-22). The oath, the hope, the promise of a priest that surpasses earthly pattern of the priests was fulfilled in Christ. Those priests of the order of Aaron died, but this Priest after the order of Melchizedek lives and serves forever:
"But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore, he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."   Heb. 7:24-25
Unlike the earthly priests, who can only go behind the veil one day a year (Heb. 9:7), Christ is ever making intercession. He went behind the veil of separation in the heavenly Temple, not to offer the blood of bulls and goats as a temporary relief from sin, but to offer His own blood upon the mercy seat once, forever:
"...for this he did once, when he offered up himself...by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say not of this building, Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood 0f Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"  Heb. 7:27, 9:11-14
The hope of the more perfect heavenly atonement, and reconciliation with God promised in the pattern of this feast of the LORD, has been fulfilled beyond anything that could be imagined by men through the atonement of an eternal Priest, Christ, with His own blood in the heavenly tabernacle. He obtained a more excellent ministry, was established as the mediator of a better covenant, established upon even better promises than the former, earthly copy (Heb. 8:6). An awesome God established His promise of atonement for sin and reconciliation with man in this feast of Yom Kippur, and fulfilled that hope and promise through His own Son.
The atonement, and the reconciliation is available to all who come to God through Christ. God is long suffering towards us, not willing for any to perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9). As the earth is tried with great storms, earthquakes, floods, fires, and more, the hearts of men are being called by God to repentance and for salvation. To all who are of the Jewish people, to all who are of the Gentiles, to all who desire to share in this fulfillment of the promise and hope of the eternal atonement and reconciliation of Yom Kippur: Let us not keep Him waiting any longer.

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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. 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.