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.

The Third Day Wedding*

We can start with the Prophet Hosea: "After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight." (Hos. 6:2). "In the third day" pertains to the time in which we are living, according to Peter who wrote that a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as a day. We have completed the second day, or 2,ooo years since the death and resurrection of Jesus, and we are entering that third day, or 3,ooo year time to be revived and raised up to live in His sight. Jesus spoke about the difference between those of the world, and those who are part of Himself, and the Kingdom of God. He said that those of the world cannot receive His words, which are the words of the Father, the words of truth that make men free: "Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world...if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins...he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him...When ye lift up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things...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...Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin...If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed...Why do you not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word...He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." (Jn. 8:23-47, excerpt). We who are in Christ, and hear His words, are not from this world, and we are not to be conformed to this world, but transformed. The Church needs to stop looking at the world for remedies. The third day is about transformation, and the transformation is in preparation for the wedding of the Lamb and His Bride, the believers. There is a connection in scripture between the third day and the wedding, and it also involved Jesus' first miracle: "And the third day there was a marriage in Cana (meaning: reed, shaft and branches of the lampstand, purchase, redeem, God originating, creating, and redeeming His people) of Galilee (meaning: circuit, ring, turning of a door, to roll away the reproach, roll away a stone); and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage." (Jn. 2:1-2). At this wedding feast, when they asked for wine, Jesus' mother told Him that there was no wine left to drink. Jesus ordered that the large stone pots used for cleansing or purifying be filled to the brim with water. Then He told them to draw some out and take it to the ruler of the feast. The ruler did not know that the wine that he tasted had originally been water, and he marvelled that the good wine, usually served to guests at the beginning of the fest before too much drinking had gone on, was saved for the end of the feast (v. 3-10). "This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him." (v. 11). Those pots containing the water of purification is our washing of the water of the Word of God. And this first miracle of Jesus that caused His disciples to believe in Him occurred at a wedding that took place on the third day. Jesus again used wine to represent the new covenant in His blood, that is shed for many for the remission of sins (Mt. 26:26-29). The cup of wine that He used was the Cup of Redemption of the Passover meal, or Seder. That cup is also known as the Cup of Betrothal. Jesus told His disciples: "I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." This is the third day marriage. Revelation tells us that the Lamb's wife has made herself ready. Jesus told a parable warning us to be ready for His return as the Bridegroom. He said that there were ten virgins who were waiting for the Bridegroom to arrive. Five were wise and had prepared ahead of time, having their lamps trimmed and extra oil on hand to light their lamps when He came. Five of the virgins were foolish and had not prepared properly, having no oil on hand for their lamps. They all slept, because the Bridegroom did not arrive until midnight. Suddenly the cry went out that the Bridegroom had arrived, and only the wise virgins could join the wedding party, while the foolish virgins had to go out at the last minute to purchase a supply of oil. Meanwhile, the door to the marriage feast was shut, and the five foolish virgins were left outside the door. When the foolish ones cried out to be let in, saying, "Lord, Lord, open to us", the Lord answered: "Verily I say unto you, I know you not." Jesus ended the parable saying: "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." (Mt. 25:1-13). The Church has also been asleep while we wait for Christ's return. Will there be those who are unprepared for the Bridegroom's arrival, having no oil of the Holy Spirit in their spiritual lamps? We may not know the exact day nor hour of His return, but we know the signs of His return, because He told us ahead of time (see Mt. 24, Lk. 21). Those signs are around us today. The world even has something called a "Doomsday Clock" set up with its hands approaching midnight. The world is paying more attention to the signs of the times than the Church! Jesus said that His return will be like it was in the days of Noah, when the world carried on their activities as they normally would. But the day came when Noah and the animals were told by God to enter the ark, and the LORD shut Noah in. None of those left outside the ark could enter. Then the flood came and destroyed them. Noah was spared because he received grace from God, a gift, and was therefore seen as righteous before Him (Lk. 17:25-26, Gen. 7:1-16). The day of the Lord is a day in which the door will be shut. Those who find grace in Christ will be inside, and those who haven't will remain outside. In another part of scripture, Jesus was making His way to Jerusalem, the city which plays an important role in the prophetic timetable of God, and has just in the past generation become re-established with the nation of Israel, Jesus warned those whom He was teaching: "Strive to enter in at the strait gate (the eastern gate where the King or Messiah will enter): for many...will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." (Lk. 13:22-30). In that day, even though they knew of Jesus, He did not know them as belonging to Him, and He will say to them: "I tell you, I know you not whence you are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity." (v. 27). Others would enter the Kingdom of God, but these would be thrust out, Jesus said, "And behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last." (v. 30). Jesus requires more of a relationship with us in order to save us than just a casual acquaintanceship. Finally, Jesus told a parable comparing the kingdom of heaven to a king who was preparing a marriage feast for his son (Mt. 22:1-13). He invited many, but all had an excuse not to come. They treated with violence the messengers whom the king had sent with his invitation. The king sent his army to destroy those who had murdered his messengers. Then he sent his servants out again telling them to invite as many as they could find, both good and bad (our righteousness is of the Lord, not ourselves), to the marriage feast. Those who came knew to prepare and wear wedding garments. However, there was one there who wore no wedding garment. When asked why by the king, he remained silent, for he had no good reason. The king said to his servants: "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." In Jewish customs, the wedding garments are a very important part of the marriage feast. The bride begins weaving her wedding garment when she becomes betrothed. We also see in Jesus' parable that wedding garments are necessary, yet how many in the Church have given no thought to the preparation needed for the coming marriage to our Bridegroom? Church games and rituals will not save you. The world puts up signs of what will set you free, whether that is work, money, drugs, or other things that pass away, but it's a lie. Whoever sins becomes a servant to sin, and all have sinned. However, the Lord's truth has made us free, if we will hear and accept it. We are living in the time of the third day wedding. Have you prepared for it? *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 7/3/2022 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.com.