What's Wrong With This Picture?*

The title of this message is based on a children's game in which the child would have to identify what was wrong with a picture. We also have a picture presented of the Church today based upon some statistics. Although 90% of Americans say that they believe in God, their affiliation with any kind of church has dropped to an all-time low of 50%. We can also see that in the last generations, our society has changed in its viewpoint towards God and His Word. In 1961, prayer was removed from schools. In 1973, abortion was legalized. In 2015, same-sex marriage became the law of the land, although only 5.6% of the population identify themselves as LGBT. These are the facts and statistics of a troubling trend in America. Now the Church must find out "What is wrong with this picture?". The Word of the LORD to the prophet Isaiah gave us answers to this question. What is wrong with the picture is found in how far God's people have turned away from Him, and His Word. In His Word to Isaiah, the LORD describes His people as a vineyard (Isa. 5:1-7): "...My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: and he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes...What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?" The LORD promises that He will remove His protection from this vineyard that did not bring forth the acceptable fruit, and lay it to waste. He said the the vineyard represented Israel, and the vines, Judah: "...and he looked for judgment (justice, rectitude), but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry (from the oppressed)." The LORD specially established and provided everything for His vineyard, His people, but they did not produce a Godly fruit. They produced oppression and covetousness against others for profit. They drank and celebrated, "...but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands." Because of this, their houses and land will become desolate, and they will go into captivity, "...because they have no knowledge" (v. 8-13, see also Hosea 4:6). The captivity that will come upon what was once the most choice and cared for vineyard of God will include hell, which will enlarge itself in order to swallow up the proud and mighty..."...and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled." (v. 14-15). Instead of repentance and humility, the people of God began to scoff Him, taunting Him to draw near so they could see His work, and know His counsel (v. 19). Then the woes would begin - the consequences of their actions. The woes would fall unto those who would "...call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter...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. 20-23). They would experience a fire from the LORD that would destroy their fruit: "...because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people..." (v. 24-25). It is the people of God who have turned away from Him and His Word, and caused this devastation to fall. We must admit that we see this same kind of godlessness in our own land, and among God's own people. Unless we examine what is wrong with this picture of the Church, we will, and are even now, experiencing the same judgment from God. Isaiah also revealed the voice of the LORD from heaven asking: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?". Isaiah answered, "Here am I; send me." (Isa. 6:8). Are there any today who are willing to go for the Lord? The message the LORD sent Isaiah to deliver was serious: "Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not....make their ears heavy and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed." (v. 9-10). Isaiah asked the LORD how long this condition would be upon the people, and the LORD answered that it would be until the land became desolate, and the cities wasted and without inhabitant (v. 11). America, do you think you can keep sinning, and the LORD do nothing? Jesus commanded us to be salt and light in the earth (Mt. 5:13-18). If the light in us is hidden, or we, as salt, have lost our savor, then we are of no use in the kingdom. Jesus also assured us that He didn't come to do away with the law and the prophets, but to fulfill them. If the Church is removing or disregarding anything from scripture because they consider it inconvenient, or offensive to themselves or others, they are breaking the commandment of God. It is also not enough to speak the Word of God and claim holiness, but we must live and walk in the Word. Jesus concluded by saying, "Be ye therefore perfect (complete, whole), even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Mt. 5:48). Both Paul and Peter warned that we would see in the last days the conditions that we are seeing today. Listen to how Paul described the men of the last days: lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers...despisers of those that are good...lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. Paul said, "...from such, turn away." (2 Tim. 3:1-5). He warned that evil men and seducers would get worse, using deception and being deceived themselves (v. 13), but Paul advised Timothy to continue in the things of God that he had learned. All scripture, Paul said, is given, not by men, but by inspiration of God, so that the man of God may be perfect, furnished unto all good works (v. 14-17). Peter also told the Church to stay steadfast to, and mindful of, the words of the prophets and the apostles, because in the last days, there would be scoffers who would mock the prophetic promise of the judgment of God (2 Peter 3:1-4). The timing concerning the epochs is set, and the judgment by fire is already stored up in the earth against ungodly men (v. 7-8). The witness of the scriptures, and also the witness of the Word and the resurrection provided by the Shroud of Turin (see Isa. 52:13-15, 53:1, 1 Cor. 13:12, 2 Cor. 3:18, Gal. 3:1, also "NAZAH: White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling"), testify and give evidence to the Church and to the world of the only saving power and name, JESUS. If you don't know Christ as Lord of your life, you need to search the scriptures. If you DO know Him, you need to "check the picture" of your church, and your life. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 12/26/21 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.T You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and endtimeschool.com.

Rise, Shine, and Redeem the Time*

RISE, SHINE, AND REDEEM THE TIME!

 

 

When we were children, our parents might have awakened us in the morning by saying, "Rise and shine, time to get up!". As we see the end time signs pointing to the return of Christ, the Word of God also cries out the same thing to the Church, because the Church is sleeping. Jesus spoke a parable of ten virgins who were sleeping when the sudden call of the bridegroom came (Mt. 25:1-10). Five of the virgins were wise: they had lamps filled with oil. They had vessels of extra oil, and the lamp wicks were trimmed and ready for lighting. They had properly prepared for the arrival of the bridegroom, though they did not know exactly when that would be. Five of the virgins were foolish: they had lamps, but they had no oil for their lamps. All ten had something in common though. They were all asleep when the call that the bridegroom had arrived went forth at midnight. The wise virgins awoke and being prepared, were able to go immediately to meet the bridegroom and to enter the wedding with him, and the door was shut. The five foolish tried to borrow oil from the wise ones, but were told that they must go out and buy their own oil at this last minute. By the time the five foolish virgins returned with the necessary oil for their lamps, the bridegroom had come and left. When they tried to get into the wedding, asking the bridegroom to open for them, He answered,"Verily I say unto you, I know you not." Jesus concluded the parable by warning, "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."

Scripture tells us that after this prophetically timed point, the only way to enter will be as martyrs.

As Jesus was able to identify those whom He knows by their readiness and preparation for His coming, Paul taught that we can identify the readiness of the Church by their "shine" of preparation also, as the wrath of God becomes imminent for those who are the "children of disobedience" (Eph. 5:6-17). He even tells us not to walk as fools but as wise. The children of disobedience are those who fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness. However, he says, we are light in the Lord: walk as children of light. Walking in the light means that not only do we not fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but we reprove them:

"But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light."  (v. 13-14).

Paul wrote that by shining as light in this manner, we are "redeeming the time, for the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is." (v. 16-17). In teaching this wisdom concerning being light in darkness, Paul was referring to the prophecy of Isaiah which said,

"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising."   Isa. 60:1-3

Jesus prayed to the Father that we would have the same glory that He had in the Father from the beginning. We can understand then why Jesus said that He, as the Bridegroom, did not know those who did not possess this light which is with those who love Him, and are prepared, waiting and looking for His appearing. It is not a light that you can obtain from others. It must come with the preparedness found in the relationship we have with the Light of the World, Jesus. This glory light in us is at its most important when the darkness has come to cover the earth, as we are seeing now. Knowing these signs of the times, Paul urges:

"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." 

                                                                                                      Rom. 13:11-12

Jesus told His generation that they did not know the signs of the times. Is the Church the same way? If not, then it is time to wake up, rise, and shine. Paul wrote that he should not have to tell the Church of the times and the seasons, because they should already know this (1 Thess. 5:1-6). He wrote again:

"Ye are all children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night..."  v. 4-7

Paul wrote again of "redeeming the time"  by our speech and walk of wisdom toward them that are without (Col. 4:2-6):

"Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."  v. 6

Shining as light, and redeeming the time requires us to speak.

Peter wrote that Noah was a "preacher of righteousness" placed in the middle of corruption and evil before the bringing of the flood upon the world of the ungodly. Noah and his family were delivered out before the destruction. In the same manner, Lot was living in Sodom, vexed in his soul by the unlawful deeds of those around him. The LORD delivered him out of the area before the overthrow with ashes of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha. The overthrow of these cities continues to serve Him as an example to those who follow after wickedness, and the deliverance of Noah and Lot, and their families, continues to serve as an example of the preservation of those of light who shined in the midst of the works of darkness. Peter warned not to accept the false teachings that would try to convince you otherwise (2 Pet. 2:1-9).

Again and again, the Word of God calls to the Church to rise, shine, and redeem the time, especially as we see the signs of the times all around us.

 

*The above is based upon the 2/16/20 message to the Church from Dr. Kenneth Stevenson. 

To contact/Support this ministry, to submit prayer requests, to order the new book, "NAZAH: White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling", to submit a miracle testimony regarding this ministry for the memorial 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