Are You Ready?*

We see the signs of the times around us, and the Word of God is still going forth. However, we don't see the Church growing, and this is troubling. We see in the Book of Revelation: "And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God...for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand...Alleluia: for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. And he saith unto me, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb...These are the true sayings of God." (Rev. 19:1-9, excerpt). John was so overwhelmed by this vision and prophecy that he fell down and worshipped this voice in heaven. However, the voice who showed John these things was of the brethren and a fellow servant of God "that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (v. 10). Is the Church carrying this prophetic testimony of Jesus that causes those hearing it to fall down in worship? Has the Church made herself ready for the marriage supper? Wake up Church! Jesus told His listeners that they had better be ready, as those who await the return of their lord from a wedding: "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning...that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching." (Lk. 12:35-37). Jesus said that when this lord comes home and finds his servants alert with a welcome, the lord will "gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them...blessed are those servants...Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not...Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing."(v. 38, 40). If good servants in the world are expected to be always watchful and prepared for the return of their earthly master, how much more should a Church of believers be watchful and ready to receive the return of their Lord, Jesus Christ? Will He find us doing, as these good servants were? Jesus also spoke of the servants who were not found doing as the master had expected for his return, and were even abusing the other servants: "The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not (a)ware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew the lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes...For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." (v. 46-48). Those servants not found prepared and doing on behalf of the Master will be treated in the same manner as unbelievers at the Master's sudden return. Jesus said that He is come to send fire on the earth (v. 49). Today nations are hostile and at open warfare, and several involved have nuclear capability. The earth could be engulfed in fire at any time. Are we seeing the signs and making ourselves ready? Isaiah wrote of the "doing" that we should undertake as we watch for our Master's return: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bring good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice...they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion....he hath redeemed Jerusalem...all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God." (Isa. 52:7-11, excerpt). As watchmen, we should be alertly watching, and shouting out regarding the good news of salvation. The LORD has, in fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy, already brought Zion and Jerusalem back in 1948. The world has been able to see the Salvation of God as never before in history with the revealing of the image on the Shroud of Turin to all. Jesus told parables of a man, and, in a similar parable, a king, who had prepared a wedding banquet for his son, and invited his guests. However, the guests had found excuses not to attend, citing the obligations and cares of this world, such as having bought a piece of land, or new oxen, or having just acquired a new wife. In one parable, the servants who were sent with the invitations were beaten and killed for doing so. The king then sent his soldiers to kill those who had done this, and destroy their cities. Strangers from the streets, like the poor, crippled, maimed, and blind, both bad and good, were then invited instead, even compelled, to the wedding supper. Of those who had refused the previous invitation, it was decided, "...none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper." The other people who were invited off the street to fill the banquet hall, however, were still expected to be dressed in the appropriate wedding garments. One of those guests failed to do so in Jesus' parable, and was asked why, but had no answer. The king then ordered: "Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen." (Lk. 14:16-24, Mt. 22:1-14). The wedding supper was not to be treated lightly in Jesus' two parables, and those who did treat it lightly or with disdain were harshly dealt with and excluded. One must be prepared in advance for a wedding. In the Jewish tradition, the betrothed bride weaves her wedding garment to prepare herself for her wedding. It is not something that can be done at the last moment. In another parable, Jesus told of five foolish virgins who, while waiting for the bridegroom to come, had not prepared themselves with the oil (symbolizing the Holy Spirit) needed to light their lamps as the five wise virgins had done. When the cry went out at midnight that the bridegroom was on the way, the foolish, unprepared virgins tried to scramble at the last minute to attain the necessary oil to light their lamps. By the time they got back, the bridegroom had already come and left, but "...they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came the other (foolish) virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." (Mt. 25:1-10). The cares and interests of this world can cause us to be unprepared for the day and the hour of the Lord's return. These worldly cares act as a snare to trap us, as Jesus said: "And take heed to yourselves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare it shall come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 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." (Lk. 21:34=36). Again, Jesus said: "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." (Rev. 16:15). Immediately after this verse, the scriptures say that the kings of the earth, and the whole world, are then gathered together, drawn by the spirits of devils, to the place called Armageddon in Hebrew (v. 16). Watch, and have your wedding garment prepared. Demons are now actively in our faces. The false gods Molech and Ba'al are openly served and protected by law. Even the news media speaks of the conflicts of the day in reference to Armageddon. Are we beginning to understand what the Church has been called to "be doing" in these last days? There are those watchmen of the LORD who are supposed to be sending out the alarm as the beasts are about to devour, but the prophet Isaiah says of them: "His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, living to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter." (Isa. 56:10-11). What an indictment of a Church not found doing their job, and concerned only with themselves and their greed for more! Prosperity for itself is wrong. We are to seek first the kingdom of God, and all of the other things will be added unto us. God gives His people the power to get wealth in order to establish His covenant in the earth, not just for consumption on ourselves. The habitation of devils and every foul spirit, the cage of every unclean and hateful "bird", Babylon, is fallen, according to the prophetic judgment in Revelation. Its sure and complete destruction will come. The whole earth has taken part in this foul habitation, and has even become rich on its fine things. However, God is calling us to "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." (Rev. 18:1-4). This is not a political game. We have removed God from every public place, and replaced Him with devils and abominations. However, the deception of political correctness won't prevent the destruction that is to come upon this evil. Will God's people receive the warning to "Come out", or will they be caught in the downfall? We have seen already that life can end, and destruction can come, in a moment. We must repent, and the Lord promises to forgive us (see also 2 Chron. 7:14). We need to make ourselves ready, to act as if He is coming back today, and be found doing the Master's will when He returns. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 11/6/2022 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.

Palm Snday 2020*



 

All four Gospels give an account of the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem (Mt. 21, Mk. 11, Lk. 19, Jn. 12), which we call Palm Sunday, because the great multitudes spread palms on the road, and waved palms in the air in welcome and praise Him. The words the crowd cried out fulfilled prophecy (Ps. 118:25-26). The colt miraculously supplied that Jesus rode into Jerusalem was a fulfillment of prophecy (Zech. 9:9).

There were other events that happened around the time that Jesus entered into the city for Passover. He went into the temple, and began clearing out the merchandizing which had taken over the house of God, saying:

"It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer (of all nations), but ye have made it a den of thieves".  Mt. 21:12-13 (Mk. 11:17) (see also Isa. 56:7, Jer. 7:11).

The people were astonished, but His zealous action of cleansing the temple was resented and His authority was called into question by the religious leaders of the city. They began to plot against Jesus because the people were listening to Him (Mk. 11:18, 27-28). At His first coming, Jesus judged and punished the merchandizing and corruption of the temple, the house of God. This is a prophetic warning to us, the Church, to cleanse ourselves in preparation for His arrival again. The Church has become defiled, and we as individuals have become defiled by the buying and selling of religion.

Also during that time, Jesus sought fruit from a fig tree, although it was not yet the season for fruit. Finding no fruit, He curses the fig tree, saying to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again." The fig tree withered from its roots. (Mk. 11:13-14, 20-21). At His first coming, Jesus expected fruit without excuse. This is a warning to us that He will expect us to have produced fruit in our lives when He comes again.

After this eventful entrance into Jerusalem, His disciples asked Jesus, "What shall be the sign of thy coming? (Mt. 24). They were asking about the signs accompanying His return, and the end of the age. After describing the signs to watch for, many of which we are already seeing today, Jesus begins to describe His return with a wedding parable (Mt. 25:1-13). In this parable of the ten virgins who were to be at the marriage, Jesus describes the different outcomes awaiting the five who were wise and prepared for the bridegroom's coming, and the five who were foolish and unprepared. The five wise virgins, who were prepared with trimmed lamps and extra oil when the sudden cry went out of the bridegroom's arrival at midnight, went with him to the marriage. The door was shut after them. When the five foolish virgins arrived late because they had been unprepared, they were not allowed in, and the bridegroom/Lord told them, "Verily I say unto you, I know you not."

At the end of the parable, Jesus exhorts us, "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." We do, however, know the times and the seasons. We know the signs as written in scripture. We are not meant to be unaware or unprepared for the sudden moment of His return. The Apostle Paul wrote to the church:

"But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." 

                                                                                               1 Thess. 5:1-13

Paul made it  point to teach the churches the signs to watch for regarding the return of Jesus, because he wanted them to be prepared. Though the world may think that peace has been established, the day of the Lord comes with sudden destruction. We are not to be overtaken as if this moment is unexpected, like a thief's ambush. "For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that...we should live together with him."

Paul goes on to say that the work of those who are our spiritual leaders is to teach us these things and to admonish us in preparation. We are to value and esteem those teachers who faithfully prepare us.

Peter also wrote to the church who profess the belief in Jesus, that they should stir up their pure minds in remembrance of what the prophets have written and what the apostles have taught concerning the last days, and the signs of the return of Christ (2 Pet. 3:1-14). He wrote:

"Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless."

Revelation also speaks about the bride who has made herself ready to enter the marriage  of the Lamb, arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, which is the righteousness of saints (Rev. 19:7-9).

As the signs reveal to us the approach of the time of Christ's return, we are to take the prophetic lesson from His entry into Jerusalem, and we are to be prepared for His sudden appearance at any moment. There will be no time to prepare when the moment comes.

Jewish customs concerning preparation for marriage is a parallel to the preparations to be made by the bride of Christ, and Jesus, her Bridegroom. A previous message concerning these marriage customs titled, "Preparing for the Marriage of the Lamb" has been posted to the right of this entry as the "featured post" for your convenience. There is also a link here. Please read it for additional information concerning this subject.
Be watching also for a special live broadcast this week from Dr. Stevenson on the Shroud of Turin.
 





*The above is based upon the 4/5/20 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, 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:

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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:
  

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

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Sean Stevenson