Willingly Ignorant*

Each week there are alarming headlines that seem to be pointing towards Armageddon. Hostilities with Russia, Iran, and other nations are escalating. In addition, we are seeing an increase in injustice, wickedness, racism and ethnic hatreds. These are all signs of the end times as prophesied by Christ. The apostle Peter wanted the church to be reminded of these signs and others as the Word written by the prophets in the Torah, and by the commandments of the apostles (2 Peter 3:1-2). Peter also wanted to bring to our minds another condition of the last days: "...knowing this first: that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking in their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his (Christ's) coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished." (v. 3-6). The scoffers who deny the possibility of Christ's return, and the judgment to come, do so to justify continuing in their lusts. They are described not as ignorant, but willingly (thelo - intend, resolve, determined, desire, love, take delight and pleasure in) ignorant (lanthano - to be hidden, to lie hidden). The scoffers don't want to see the truth themselves, and delight in hiding the truth from others. Peter wrote that the same Word of judgment is now stored up as fire for the days of destruction of ungodly men (v. 7). However, God is not arbitrarily delaying that day of judgment: "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (v. 9). That day wll oome however, and it will come like a thief in the night, with fervent heat that will melt the elements of the heavens and the earth. This knowledge should have an effect on how we live - living lives of holiness and godliness, and with diligence, to be found by Christ to be without spot and blameless (v. 10-11, 14). We who know these signs are to look forward to new heavens and a new earth "wherein dwelleth righteousness" (v. 13), and be watchful "...lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness."(v. 17). Theses last days are a time when even the believers in Christ may fall into the same errors of the wicked, if we are not diligent. The "error of the wicked" is that willful ignorance of the truth: "But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory, both now and for ever. Amen (v. 18). We have learned that both grace and knowledge are contained in the Torah and the prophets. Jesus warned that the last days would be like the days of Noah, and like that of Sodom and Gomorrah, when life went in as usual, with people choosing to be willingly ignorant of the warning of the judgment of destruction about to come (Lk. 17:26-30). In the days of Noah, while all men were filled with corruption and violence continually, God found Noah to be perfect, whole and complete, in his generation. Noah found grace in the eyes of God, and he walked with God. God told Noah that He would destroy wicked men with the earth (Gen. 6:9-12). God then instructed Noah to build an ark. This ark was the witness of a coming judgment by water to that generation, but only Noah and his family heeded that warning and were saved. In the same manner, the violent perversion of Sodom and Gomorrah was before God. He sent two of His angels to see the cities for themselves, and to bring the judgment of brimstone and fire to the cities. Lot, who was Abraham's nephew, lived in Sodom with his wife and daughters. He saw the angels of God come into the city and pressed them to stay at his house, because he feared for their safety. The men of the city, both young and old, and from every walk of life, came to Lot's house, and demanded that Lot send the two "men" out to them that they might do what they wanted with them. Lot offered his daughters to the mob instead, but they wanted the visiting men. Lot warned them: "I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly." The mob ignored Lot's warning, and grew angry at Lot for "judging" their desires and deeds to be wicked, and they sought to harm him. The angels pulled Lot back into his house, and struck the mob blind, so they could not find Lot's door (Gen. 19:4-11). The angels then told Lot to warn any other family that he had in the city to get out: "For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it." (v. 12-13). Lot went out to warn his sons-in-law, "...but he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law." (v. 14). Like the sons-in-law of Lot, the world often treats the warnings of those who believe God's Word as if they are crazy, yet God's Word is proven true time after time, even to physical evidence found that supports Biblical accounts, such as the utter destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, with ash being all that's left of them. These examples from Noah's flood, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah were the warnings of Jesus regarding the time of His return, and it is willful ignorance to ignore them, or mock them. These warnings were not given by Jesus in an act of hate, but of love. As we read above, God desires none to perish, but for all to come to Him in repentance for salvation. Peter gave his warnings in love in order to remind the church of the words of the prophets and apostles, so that they would be prepared, and found living in holiness and godliness by Christ. Paul also wrote that our walk must be one of love: "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us...But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints...but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man who is an idolator, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." (Eph. 5:1-5). As Jesus said, all of the Torah and the prophets reflect love. All of the law and the prophets are summed up in two commandments according to Jesus: Love God, and love your neighbor. Paul wrote that he who loves another fulfills the law, and that the Ten Commandments, with which we are so familiar, are contained in the one phrase, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Love will never do harm to a neighbor, therefore, Paul repeats, love fulfills the law (Rom. 13:8-10). It is a deception, however, to believe that because God loves, He will not judge: "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be ye not therefore partakers with them." (Eph. 5:6-7, see also Isa. 61:1-2). We are to walk as children of light in the fruit of the Spirit, which is all goodness, righteousness and truth, proving with our lives what is acceptable to the Lord (v. 8-10). Rather than having fellowship with the works of darkness, we should reprove those shameful things which are done in secret. By doing so, we are being the manifestation of light (v. 8-13). Paul also wrote the following based upon what the prophet Isaiah said: "Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." (v. 14, Isa. 60:1). It's not about reproving people, but reproving sin and darkness. Resurrection from the dead brings the light of life that is found in Christ, and has no part in the works of darkness (Jn. 8:12). Finally, Paul warned here for us not to walk as fools but as the wise. Don't waste the time given to us, but redeem the time in these evil days (v. 15-16). In another place, Paul wrote: "...knowing the time, ...it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed...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). In Ephesians 6:10-17, Paul tells us to put on the whole armor of God. That armor is an armor of light. This is our purpose: "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 his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising." (Isa. 60:1-3). Are we just going along with the crowd, or are we redeeming the time with spiritual light? Paul also wrote: "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how ye ought to answer every man." (Col. 4:5-6). *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 3/19/23 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and END TIME SCHOOL, also on Facebook. You can also get a free ebook titled "The Shroud of Turin- A Perfect Summary" at www.TheShroudofTurin.org/freebook.

Esther's Royal Garments*

We just finished observing the feast known as Purim that comes from the Book of Esther. Purim celebrates a great victory over an enemy whose intention was to destroy all of the Jews living in Persia. The enemy's name was Haman, who developed a bitter hatred for a Jew named Mordecai because Mordecai had failed to pay him the honor that Haman felt was his due. Haman drew lots, or pur, to determine the date of the Jews' destruction, when he would go to the king, and enact his plan for revenge against Mordecai (Est. 3:7). These lots, or pur, is where the name of the feast Purim comes from. So, in order to destroy Mordecai, Haman persuaded the king to give an order that would mean the destruction of all of the Jews, even paying money to those who would carry out his order (Est. 3:5-6, 8-9). We will see how this enemy was defeated, and how God's people were delivered from a death sentence. The account starts with the replacement of a queen. The king of Persia had required that his wife, Vashti, who was very beautiful, come and make an appearance before his party guests, who all had been drinking for seven days. Vashti refused, and the king was advised to set aside Vashti, and obtain a more biddable wife, lest all the wives in the kingdom rise up against their husbands as Vashti had done! (Est. 1:5-19). The search for the most beautiful maidens in the kingdom began. Mordecai, a Jew, had raised his niece, Esther, as his own daughter after her parents had died. Esther obeyed the command of Mordecai to hide her Jewish heritage. As the most beautiful women were gathered to the palace, Esther was included. She found favor with the chamberlain who was "the keeper of the women" for the king, and he treated her with kindness (v. 4-9). Esther found favor with all who dealt with her there because she was agreeable and obedient to what the chamberlain told her to do. She was brought before the king, who loved her above all women. Esther found "grace and favor" in his sight, and she was made queen instead of Vashti (Est. 2:15-18). Esther still did not reveal herself as being one of the Jewish people "as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him." (v. 20). (note: Although the name of God does not directly appear in the story of Esther, His name appears in acrostic form. When Mordecai heard of the order that Haman had persuaded the king to enact that would mean the destruction of the Jewish people, he immediately sat before the king's gate in sackcloth and ashes, crying with a loud voice. All of the Jews did so also (Est. 4:1-3). Mordecai was repenting before God for the deliverance of His people. Esther became alarmed by Mordecai's behavior, for it would surely offend the king, and sent servants to inquire why her uncle was doing such a thing. He passed the information about the king's edict to Esther, and charged her "that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people (v. 5-8). Esther sent her servants to answer Mordecai that she had not been called for by the king for thirty days, and she could be killed if she went to him without his invitation. Mordecai sent this response: "Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (v. 13-14). Mordecai felt confident in the LORD's deliverance, because he had fasted and prayed for it. Shouldn't we also understand the importance of fasting, repentance and prayer, as commanded by God in 2 Chron. 7:14? Esther answered Mordecai that he should tell all the Jews to fast with her for three days and nights, and then she would go to the king without his invitation. She said, "...and if I persiah, I perish." (v. 15-17). "Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on (her) royal (apparel), and stood in the inner court of the king's house.: and the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house...And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen...she obtained favor in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre." (Est. 5:1-2). Regarding the phrase "her royal apparel" in the above verse, the words "her" and "apparel" were added to the original Hebrew to help in translation. However, the Hebrew says that Esther "put on her royal", with all of the kingdom authority that that Hebrew word for "royal" (malkut/malak - kingdom, reign, royal, sovereign power, dominion/ascend to the throne) carries. Esther again obtained favor from the king, granting her whatever she asked (v. 3-4). To add to Haman's further anger and humiliation, Mordecai received an honor from the king that Haman felt should come to him. For saving the king's life, Mordecai was given the king's own royal apparel to wear, the king's personal horse to ride, and the royal crown set upon his head (Est. 6:6-12). Eventually, Haman's plot against the Jews, and therefore against Esther herself, was exposed by Esther before the king at a banquet. The grace and favor of God towards Esther and the Jews appeared several times in the story of Esther, and worked for the deliverance of the Jews. The Torah and the Prophets reflect the grace of God, as I have mentioned in previous messages. The apostle Peter described the same royal apparel of Esther in regards to the believers in Christ: "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood...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." (1 Pet. 2:5, 9-10). This royal people who believe in Christ as the chief cornerstone, are obedient to Him, and to His Word (v. 7-8). We saw this same obedience of a royal Esther to Mordecai's aleph-tav commandments to her (see above). Grace and mercy flowed as a result. Peter also wrote to the royal believers: "...abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation." (v. 11-12). Peter wrote that the lusts of the flesh war against your soul. There is a war going on, as the war of Haman against the people of God foretold. Scripture says that the devil has come down having great wrath against the people of God. Jesus said that the days before His return will be like the days of Noah. We must be prepared to enter the Ark provided by God, clothed in our royal apparel. Peter also wrote that we were to have the grace and peace of God multiplied to us, the righteousness of God (not our own), as well as all things that pertain to life and godliness, these exceeding great and precious promises, through the knowledge of God and Jesus. We attain this knowledge through His Word. In this same knowledge is our escape from "the corruption that is in the world through lust...give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:1-11). An entrance is made for us, in the same way that an entrance was given to Esther by the king's grace and favor, and the royal sceptre was extended to her. Our royal apparel was described by the apostle Paul: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places...Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perserverance and supplication for all saints." (Eph. 6:10-18). Our enemies, like Haman who sought to destroy all life, are spiritual powers, and our armor and royal apparel is spiritual, including truth, the righteousness of God through Christ, the ministry of the Gospel to all, our faith which is the faith of the Son of God, our salvation, a gift to us by grace, and the Word of God, which establishes all of the above. Not forgetting, the prayers, supplications, including repentance, for all of the saints, just as the Jews of Persia interceded before God, and received His miraculous deliverance. We need our royal apparel today more than ever as we see the wickedness of Haman increasing around us. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 3/12/23 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and END TIME SCHOOL, also on Facebook. You can also get a free ebook titled "The Shroud of Turin- A Perfect Summary" at www.TheShroudofTurin.org/freebook.

How Long?*

Current events including wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, as well as a sharp increase of racial and ethnic hatred, and intolerance towards the Word of God, and people of faith, cause us to ask "How long?" in regard to the return of Christ. There are those who troll and deride any suggestion of the possibility that there is coming a Day of the Lord, a day of judgment and of Christ's return. They even reject the belief in the resurrection of Christ, or the existence of miracles. Some of this denial comes from within the church itself! However, scripture warns us of this dangerous denial, especially in connection to the last days, and Christ's return. Peter wrote to stir up the pure minds of the believers, and remembrance of the words of the prophets, saying: "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they are willingly ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water, and in the water: Whereby the world that was, being overflowed with water, perished..." (2 Peter 3:1-6). The scoffers that are now so prevalent are yet another prophetic sign of the last days. These scoffers deny the possibility of a day of judgment and return of the Lord, because they claim that judgment has not happened since the beginning of an admitted creation. However, judgment did strike the earth, and the physical evidence exists that testifies to a great global flood. Peter continued to write: "But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men...beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." (v. 7-8). The same prophetic Word of judgment that released the deluge of flood waters is still active, and, this time, that Word will release stored up fire rather than water. As we see the increase of ungodliness around us, and question the timing of the judgment, Peter assured us that the Lord's timing follows a certain pattern for the following reason: "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness' but is longsuffering toward us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (v. 9). The judgment that some scoff of as eternally delayed, is delayed just long enough to allow all to repent who will repent and be saved. Our behavior should reflect this knowledge as we take the Gospel to all nations, as Jesus commanded His disciples to do, so that all may be given the opportunity to hear, repent, and be saved. (Following through with this Great Commission from Christ, I have written an ebook, "The Shroud of Turin: A Perfect Summary", which is made available for free. The instructions for getting this free ebook are found at the conclusion of this post.) However, make no mistake, the day of judgment against ungodliness, and the return of Christ is ordained, and will happen according to the plan and timing of God. New heavens and a new earth come forth out of this event. This knowledge of the unstoppable, sudden day of the Lord, when a cataclysmic heat will melt all of the elements, requires a certain lifestyle and manner from us, a lifestyle of holiness and godliness (v. 11-12). If we truly believe that this day approaches, and soon, then it should be reflected in our behavior. Peter wrote: "...look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation...beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.. To him be glory now and for ever. Amen." (v. 14-18). In Matthew Chapter 24, Jesus is asked by His disciples' the question of "When?": "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world (meaning "the end of the age")? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation (meaning "ethnicity against ethnicity"), and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places. All thses are the beginning of sorrows...And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains...For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." (Mt. 24:1-22). After this time of terrible tribulation, Jesus said that the sun and moon will be darkened, the stars will fall, and the heavens shaken - then the sign of the Son of man shall appear in heaven: "...and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." (v. 29-30). Jesus taught this to His disciples, and to us, from the Torah, and the Prophets, as He taught all things. In answering the question of "When?" for His disciples, Jesus cited Daniel the prophet who wrote of an abomination of desolation, which upon occurring, Jesus said, people should run for their lives. Jesus was referring to a prophecy in Daniel 9, as Daniel gave an account of what happened when he read a prophecy written by Jeremiah: a prophet reading a prophet. This prophecy from Jeremiah (see Jer. chapters 23, 25, 27, 29) brought Daniel to prayer and fasting in repentance for his sins, and the sins of his people: "We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even from departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land." (Dan. 9:5-6). Daniel had read the prophet Jeremiah, who had written of a certain mysterious time frame of seventy years, that would come to mean much more than would appear on the surface. What Jeremiah wrote brought Daniel to repentance seeking God's covenant and mercy "to them that keep his commandments" (v. 3-20), and this repentance immediately brought a revelation from the angel/man, Gabriel, concerning "How long?". This revelation included the timing of the arrival of the Messiah, His death, and "the overspreading of abominations" to be committed by the Anti-christ, who "shall make it desolate". (v. 21-27). As we read from Mt. 24 above, Jesus also spoke of the tribes of earth mourning when they would see the sign of the Son of man. The prophet Zechariah wrote this: "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." (Zech. 12:10). The image of a pierced Christ, Daniel's Messiah who is cut off, whether found in scripture, or upon the Shroud of Turin for example, brings a spirit of mourning and repentance upon the souls of men who will look upon Him. Zechariah also prophesied that the LORD would make Jerusalem "...a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it." (Zech 12:2-3). This small geographical area has become, and will continue to be, the focus of all the nations' hatred and threats, as we hear regularly from speeches given in the United Nations, and see on the news. As the prophet warned, those nations will tremble, and be cut in pieces as the LORD defends Jerusalem and Israel. God will keep His covenant with Israel, and restore them, with the questions of when?, and how?, being answered according to what the prophets have written: "In that day, there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness." (Zech. 13:1). The Lord answered another question of "When?" as asked by those who will be martyred for their faith: "...How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled." (Rev. 6:9-11). Believers are being martyred now for their faith in various nations across the earth, a martyrdom that could one day be seen in America as well. As we consider the other signs of the last days that we have read about above, we know that when asking the question, "How long?", we receive the answer that we have a wait of only a little season. How long before the church wakes up to the lateness of the hour, stops accepting wickedness, and obeys 2 Chron. 7:14 in seeking the LORD in repentance and prayer? All are sinners, but God sent His Son to shed His blood for all. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 3/5/23 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and END TIME SCHOOL, also on Facebook. You can also get a free ebook titled "The Shroud of Turin- A Perfect Summary" at www.TheShroudofTurin.org/freebook.

Broken Cisterns*

We have been talking about the Torah and the Prophets, and how they express the grace of God. In the present political turmoil that has gripped the globe, debates have arisen regarding the forms of governments that exist or should exist. Three forms of government, especially, are prominent in the world today: democracy, autocracy, and theocracy. We should define these terms because each of these forms of governing also appears in the Word of God. Democracy is defined as a system in which eligible members of society elect politicians to represent them. The term "eligible" can unfortunately be interpreted in different ways. There have been times in our history when women, blacks, and poor people have been considered ineligible to vote. An autocracy is defined as absolute rule by one person. We have seen the negative aspects of this type of government in Russia, China, North Korea, and other nations. Finally, a theocracy, it may surprise you to hear, is a government where people rule in the name of God or a god. Some theocracies, either currently existing, or proposed by certain groups, rule in the name of a god of another name who is nothing like the God of the Bible, or is an outright misrepresentation of God, and of the government which God has planned for man. The title of this message comes from the prophet Jeremiah who wrote a Word from God in correction of His people: "...I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness...Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of his increase...What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?...And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination." (Jer. 2:1-7). The LORD also condemned the fact that His priests did not seek Him, the rulers that handled the law didn't know Him, and the prophets prophesied by the demon god, Ba'al: "Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the LORD, and with your children's children will I plead...my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD. For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me (written with an Aleph-Tav, which identifies Jesus Christ) the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." (v. 8-13). Jesus spoke of the rivers of living water coming from Him that Isaiah prophesied. These living waters were the waters of the Spirit of God, and eternal life (see Jn. 7:37-39, Jn. 4:13-14). Zechariah prophesied of the living waters of God also: "...And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem...And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day there shall be one LORD, and his name one." (Zech. 14:7-9). However, the people of God forsook Him, and chose ways, like broken cisterns, that could not hold these life-giving waters. Men have rejected God and His life-giving waters before. Descendants of the eight people who came off of the ark after the flood, having one language among them, sought to build themselves a different system in order to avoid the commandment of God to have dominion over the whole earth. They built a city instead so as not to be scattered across the earth, and then they built a tower to reach the heavens. Like the broken cisterns of Jeremiah, they built these things of bricks and mortar, but God confounded their language and scattered them anyway (Gen. 11:1-9). The name of this city and tower was called Babel, which means confusion, or to confound. We can say that the government systems of the world today that men have built have also confused and confounded us. We see an example of God's people choosing an autocracy in 1 Samuel 8. Samuel was a prophet and judge of Israel. His two sons who were also judges were corrupt and took bribes and perverted justice. The elders of the people gathered together and demanded that Samuel make them a king to rule them instead like the other nations around them (v. 1-5). This was not God's plan of government for them. The LORD told Samuel that the people were not rejecting Samuel, but were rejecting Him, "that I should not reign over them" (v. 7). The LORD told Samuel to to give the people a warning about the manner of the king that shall reign over them: "He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots...he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields...your vineyards...your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants...he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work...and ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day." (v. 9-18). The people refused to listen to Samuel's warning, and said, "...Nay, but we will have a king over us; That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out befoe us, and fight our battles." The LORD told Samuel to listen to the demand of the people and make them a king (v. 19-22). The people of God thought it would be better to have a man rule them, than God - to become the servants to a man, rather than God. In a similar manner, the people of God insisted to Pilate that the oppressive Caesar was their king, thereby rejecting Jesus (Jn. 19:10-12, 15-16). This kind of choice did not reflect God's plan of government for His people. We have another example in scripture where a group of men convinced two hundred and fifty of the princes of Israel to overthrow the government that God had established, being Moses and Aaron, to lead His people to safety, and into their inheritance. The rebels used the argument against Moses: "...Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift you up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD? And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face..." (Num. 16:1-4). Moses then brought forth the Word of the LORD that the LORD would show who were His, who is holy and chosen by Him to come near to Him. The LORD caused the earth to open and swallow those who had challenged Moses and Aaron based upon a self-serving twisting of the truth of God's presence among His people (v. 30-35). Paul wrote to Timothy of the perilous times of the last days saying in part that men would be "lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." (2 Tim. 3:1-5). This describes the men who rebelled against Moses, Aaron, and most of all, God, and it also describes what we see in people and governments of today. Paul's advice to Timothy in the face of these things: "Preach the word...for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2 Tim. 4:1-4). God's government is superior to what man chooses as government. This is God's vision of government for His people: "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine." (Ex. 19:5). The LORD then commanded Moses to sanctify the people, and to tell the people to wash themselves: "And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mt. Sinai.(v. 10-11). The New Testament also testifies of this same government of God: "...Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone (referring to Jesus), elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded...a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 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." (1 Peter 2:6-10). God's kingdom government, built upon the chief cornerstone who is His Son, creates a holy nation of people that serve Him as kings and priests, a royal priesthood, whose purpose is to show forth the praises of God. There are people who call themselves Christians who believe that this kingdom government of God is made up of only certain kinds of people, from certain races or ethnic groups, but this is a lie. The Book of Revelation clearly describes the kings and priests of God (Rev. 1:6) as coming from every kind of people saved by the Lamb, Christ, the chief cornerstone: "...for thou (the Lamb) wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth...and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years...Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." (Rev. 5:9-10, Rev. 20:4-6). The government of God for the earth, promised from Exodus onward is the reign of Christ, and our reign with Him as priests and kings, being partakers in His resurrection. This government of God is not based upon being Democrats, Republicans, Liberals nor Conservatives, but a government ruled by the living waters of Christ, resurrection life, and the praises of God. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 2/26/23 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and END TIME SCHOOL, also on Facebook. You can also get a free ebook titled "The Shroud of Turin- A Perfect Summary" at www.TheShroudofTurin.org/freebook.

What Can the Righteous Do?*

The basic concepts of God, righteousness, justice, and truth are being attacked daily in our nation. King David sought the LORD about these same conditions: "In the LORD put I my trust...the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth...(Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men. They speak vanity...with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak...Who have said, 'With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?...The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.) Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup. For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth uphold the upright." (Ps. 11 (Ps. 12)). 'What can the righteous do?', David asked and answered. We can trust in the LORD who loves righteousness, and upholds the upright. David wrote here of the foundations, and we can discover in the scriptures what those foundations are. Paul wrote: "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 3:10-11). Christ is the foundation. Jesus is also described by Peter as the chief cornerstone of the foundation upon which God is building His spiritual house: "...laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and all evil speakings...desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious, to whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ...also it is contained in scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded (shamed, dishonored, disgraced). (1 Peter 2:1-6). Psalm 118:22-23 says that this cornerstone, refused by the builders, "...is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes." This chief cornerstone, which is Christ, is precious to us who believe, but to those who are appointed to disobedience, this same cornerstone becomes a rock of stumbling and offense because they stumble at the Word of God (1 Pet. 2: 7-8). For those to whom this cornerstone of Christ is very precious, they have been chosen to be "...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." (v. 9-10). Peter also told the people of God to abstain from the lusts of the flesh, which war against the soul (v. 11). Our warfare and victory were accomplished at the cross, and in the promise of the resurrection of the dead. Although others may do all that they can to avoid or deny that truth, it is true nonetheless. Not only do the scriptures bear witness to the deth and resurrection of Christ, but also many testimonies of near-death experiences, and the resurrection witness of the Shroud of Turin are available for all to see and hear. As we consider again the question of what the righteous can do, we can be that royal priesthood, that holy nation, "shewing forth the praises of him that hath called you...". Jesus spoke of the prophecy from Isaiah (28:14-16) and the Psalms (118:22-24) concerning Himself as the precious chief cornerstone, rejected by the builders, about which Paul and Peter wrote above (Mt. 21:42). Jesus gave this warning at the same time about the continued rejection of Him as that chief cornerstone by those called to build with it: "Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." (v. 43-44). The priests and Pharisees wanted to kill Jesus for saying this, because they knew He was speaking of them, but they were afraid to harm Him because the people thought of Jesus as a prophet (v. 45-46). The LORD said that He laid this precious cornerstone, Christ, in Zion, and gave the prophetic Word to Isaiah to be delivered to the scornful, to those who said that they made a covenant with death and hell, who did not fear the "scourge", who have made lies their refuge, and have hidden themselves under falsehood, which we also see today (Isa. 22:14-16). However, this precious chief cornerstone, although rejected by some, caused those who did believe on Him to be changed: "Now therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord: In whom you also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit." (Eph. 2:19-22). What can the righteous do? We can be built together by the Spirit, not into any kind of building made by man, but into the building that has Jesus Christ as the cornerstone of its foundation. That living building is the habitation of God. This is also a spiritual building about which, when trouble and pestilence flood the land in judgment, God says: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land...For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there forever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually." (2 Chron. 7:12-17). The LORD also instructed Solomon at that time, who had built His house, to be sure to walk as his father, David, walked before God, observing and doing the statutes and judgments of God, which are the Torah and the Prophets. We see the results of a king following the example of his "father", David, when young King Josiah, broke down the places of idolatry in Judah, repaired the house of the LORD, and read all the words of the rediscovered Book of the Covenant before the people: "And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book...And Josiah took away all the abominations...and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers." (2 Chron. 34). Along this same line, as we consider what the righteous can and must do when we see this holy foundation come under attack, we must consider the correction of the LORD to His people given through His prophet, Isaiah. This correction came even when God's people thought that they were fasting "righteously" on a day of repentance in accordance with the law of Moses: "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily, as a nation that did righteousness...ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite (naka - slay, kill, slaughter, strike, wound, give stripes (whip), beat, hurt) with the fist of wickedness...ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high...wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?" (Isa. 58:1-5). This, on the other hand, is what the LORD is looking for from His people in their repentance and fasting: to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, to break every yoke, to give bread to the hungry, to house the poor in your own house, to cover the naked, to acknowledge your own flesh, to cease the pointing of the finger and the speaking of vain things. "Then shall thy light break forth as morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward (asap - rearguard, to gather in)...thy light shall arise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: and the LORD shall guide thee continually...and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not...thou shalt raise up (qum - to establish, raise up, rouse, endure, stand, to carry out, to give effect to) the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." (Isa. 58:6-12, excerpt). The righteous can do this, according to the prophecy of Isaiah - raise up the foundations, with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone, which was laid by God Himself in Zion, and is precious to God, and to us who believe in Christ. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 2/19/23 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and END TIME SCHOOL, also on Facebook. You can also get a free ebook titled "The Shroud of Turin- A Perfect Summary" at www.TheShroudofTurin.org/freebook.

A Remnant By Grace*

A lot of things have been going on this week that should be causing the Body of Christ to think and consider. Jesus scolded the people saying that they could interpret the signs and anticipate the day's weather by the appearance of the sky, but they could not interpret the signs of the times (Mt. 16:3). Men may debate interpretations concerning the day of the return of Christ, or the timing of the rapture, but truth is found by comparing scripture with scripture, not by man's interpretation. Regarding these events, there will be a remnant by grace, so believers need to know how that remnant is spared throughout these prophesied events. Jude wrote of the dangers ahead by looking at past events from the history between God and the ungodly in scripture: "...it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith (pistis - in the New Testament: of a conviction of the truth or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things) which was once delivered to the saints...certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." (Jude v. 3-4). The work of the ungodly turns the grace of God into lasciviousness. The Church of England, and other Christian denominations have approved same-sex marriage, rather than believing and teaching the Word of God. The apostle Jude wrote examples from scripture of those who chose ungodliness, and contended against the Lord, and the inevitable consequences of it: Although the LORD saved the people out of Egypt, Jude wrote, He destroyed those among them who did not believe. WWhen the angels left their first estate and habitation, and sinned against God, He placed them in everlasting chains under darkness until the day of judgment. When Sodom and Gomorrha, chose strange flesh and fornication against the law of God, they suffered eternal fire as an example to others (v. 5-7). These examples given by Jude are for the purpose of a warning to all. In Numbers 26:9-10, a sign is provided to us as a warning regarding those who rebelled and strove (struggled, laid waste, made desolate) against both Moses and God, in this case, respected men in authority among God's people: "The earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together...the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men...". The men who strove with Moses and God were in positions of respect and authority among God's people. Men in authority, especially in the Church, should not go against God's law, which is to love God, and to love their neighbor. Our nation is also continuing to be plagued by injustice with cruelty. There is a denial of its existence as books are banned that deal with racism, like biographies of Roberto Clemente and Jackie Robinson. Jesus warned: "And shall God not avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith (the conviction and belief regarding the relationship between men and God, and divine things) in the earth?" (Lk. 18:7-9). There are those who turn away from the idea of God, because they believe that the truth of His judgment is cruel. However, even as He commands His people to carry out justice, love mercy, and to walk humbly before Him (Micah 6:8), He also does so, and He will not let the cries of the abused and oppressed of His elect go unheard, as Jesus said. Jesus also described terrible signs that would appear before His return, such as ethnic groups and kingdoms rising up against each other, great earthquakes, famines, pestilences, fearful sights and great signs from heaven (Lk. 21:10-11). We have seen those signs occurring this week! His warning to those who look to be part of the remnant by grace: "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 shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." (Lk. 21:34-36). There is a remnant by grace. There is a snare that is coming upon all who dwell on the earth, including the cares of life that draw us away from our watch and prayers. We are not meant to be caught unprepared and without faith, and not walking in the grace that fulfills the law and the prophets: to love God, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Paul wrote regarding the watchfulness of the remnant: "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night...But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the 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...But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thess. 5:1-10). There is a remnant by grace, not meant for wrath, who are of light, and not darkness, of faith and love, sober and watching with hope in our salvation through Christ. The prophets brought the warning Word of the LORD to His people who mistakenly believed that they were righteously walking with Him, and in His law. However, all that became left of His people was a small remnant: "#xcept the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD....I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats....Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths...it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you: yea, when you make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash ye, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isa. 1:9-19). Empty religious observances, even of the law of Moses, means nothing when our hearts and souls are full of sin, being unrepentant before God. Where is justice among God's people, especially towards those who are powerless? The two commandments that incorporate all the law and the prophets are to love God, and to love our neighbor (Mt. 22:36-40). The LORD said that because of these things, God's people would be reduced to a "very small remnant". The prophet Amos similarly said: "Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it (see also 1 Thess. 5 above)? I hate, I despise your feast days...Though you offer me burnt offerings...I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take...away from me the noise of thy songs...But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream." (Amos 5:20-24). Amos also added: "But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. Therefore I will cause you to go into captivity..." (v. 26-27). His people, while practicing ritualistic and vain observances of God's law, really dwelled within a different spiritual "tabernacle". They were worshipping false gods like Moloch, who was worshipped with child sacrifice, as we also practice today in child murder, and Chiun, involving astrology and the worship of the heavens. However, God was in the beginning, before the demon Moloch, and before the stars in the heavens, having created them: "B'reshiet (meaning 'the Son crushed, His hand on the cross') Elohim aleph-tav (Alpha and Omega)", and His name is The LORD, YHWH: "Behold the hand, Behold the nail". The prophet Ezekiel also wrote that even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in the land, when God sends His judgment against the sinful land that has trespassed against Him, they would only be able to deliver themselves by their righteousness. All others would be cut off, both man and beast. When God sends the the sword, the beasts, the famine, and the pestilence in His judgment, even these three righteous servants would be able to deliver none but themselves - "Yet behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters...and ye shall see their ways and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought forth upon it." (Ezek. 14:12-22). Jeremiah wrote saying that even Moses and Samuel, if present in the land, would not be able to save anyone from the judgment of God (Jer. 15:1). Our nation, like Israel, is consumed in sin. Men have crept in, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness. We have made public prayer illegal, removed the Bible from our schools, while our leaders strive against God. Instead of the grace found in the law and the prophets: loving God with our whole hearts, and loving our neighbors as ourselves, and doing as the LORD requires of us: to do justice, love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God, this nation is concerned with the cares of this life, and the corrupting gods that we have made for ourselves. There is a remnant by grace, however. The LORD is calling for a remnant that has washed and made themselves clean. This remnant is called to be watching, praying, being the children of light, and not the children of darkness, being the children of the day, and not the children of the night. This also is the law and the prophets. This is the gift of grace. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 2/12/23 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and END TIME SCHOOL, also on Facebook. You can also get a free ebook titled "The Shroud of Turin- A Perfect Summary" at www.TheShroudofTurin.org/freebook.

The Perfect Summary*

"The Perfect Summary" is a new free book that I have recently written and released with Brian Donley Worrell in order to get the truth of the Gospel, which is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, to as many as possible. I have researched the Shroud of Turin for forty years, having also handled it personally in Turin, Italy, and I believe that it is a valuable witness to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. So far, "The Perfect Summary" free book has been read in 37 countries, and we are believing for many more. This free book is currently being translated into Hebrew (see Rom. 1:16), and will eventually be translated into additional languages. Because of current troubling international and national events, prophesied as part of the last days before Christ's return, it is more important than ever to reach as many as possible. The account of the Gospel starts from the beginning: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;" (1 Jn. 1:1). John wrote that this is knowledge from the beginning, using the Greek word arche, meaning "origin, that by which anything begins to be, the active cause". The fact that Jesus Christ and His sacrifice is "from the beginning", or B'reshiet Elohim aleph-tav (Alpha and Omega) in Hebrew, is attested to in several places in scripture (see John 1, Rev. 13:8). John bears direct witness to the events of the Gospel in four different ways: he heard (akouo - to hear, to attend to, to consider, understand, perceive, and learn from hearing); he saw for himself (horao - to see with the eyes and with the mind, to perceive from experience, to pay heed to); he looked upon (theaomai - to behold, to view attentively, contemplate, meeting or visiting with a person, to learn by looking); he handled (pselaphao - to handle, touch, feel, to seek after a token of a person or thing, to verify by contact, to feel after). John wrote that he identified Jesus as "the Word (logos - uttered by a living voice, the sayings of God, doctrine (the Law), Old Testament prophecy given by the prophets) of life (zoe - life, every living soul, the absolute fulness of life which belongs to God, ...in Christ after the resurrection as a more perfect body to last forever)". These things not only pertain to John's personal contact with Jesus, but also may relate to the Shroud. The Gospel tells us that John was convinced of the resurrection by the burial cloth that he saw for himself in the empty tomb of Jesus (Jn. 20:5-6). 1 John 1 continues: "For the life was manifested (phaneroo - to make visible or known what has been hidden or unknown, expose to view [of a person], to become known, plainly recognised and thoroughly understood who and what one is), and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew (apangello - declare, bring tidings, make known openly) unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us)." (v. 2). Then John wrote the purpose of his witness to them: "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." (v. 3). The purpose of relating his eyewitness testimony is to bring others into the same fellowship as himself with God and Christ. John wrote that as a result of this living fellowship with God and Christ, our lives and understanding are changed. As a part of God, we are no longer part of darkness but of light. If we are still walking in darkness and committing acts of darkness, we lie when we say that we know Him (v. 5-7). If we indeed have fellowship with Christ, and His blood that cleanses us of sin, then we must have an understanding of the effect of sin upon our lives. If we do not have this knowledge, and do not feel the need to admit and confess our sins to Him and be cleansed, then we don't know Him (v. 6-10). Jesus is our advocate with the Father regarding our sin, not only being the atonement or propitiation for our sins, but for the sins of the whole world (1 Jn. 2:1-2). Finally, the evidence of whether we know Christ, and have this fellowship with Him and with the Father, is that we keep His commandments (v. 3). This is the power of the Gospel, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The prophet Isaiah wrote the Word of the LORD concerning the life-changing purpose and power of this truth. Isaiah wrote: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation (Yeshua - the name of Jesus); that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy watchmen...they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion...for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD hath made bare his holy (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) salvation (Yeshua - the name of Jesus) of our God." (Isa. 52:7-10). In these verses from Isaiah as noted, two words, "arm" and "salvation" have an "aleph-tav" connected to them in the written Hebrew. Jesus identified Himself with the aleph-tav, the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, when He called Himself "the Alpha and the Omega (the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet), the beginning and the end, the first and the last." (Rev. 22:13, 1:8, 11, 21:6). Isaiah said that all nations would see it. This is why we are releasing the free book, "The Perfect Summary". Isaiah wrote of the stunning effect the marred appearance, and the wounds of this special Servant of God would have upon kings of nations: "As many were astonied (samem - astonished, amazed, appalled, desolated, stunned, stupified, causing horror) 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 - spurt, spatter, sprinkle - especially in expiation) many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider." (Isa. 52:14-15). This is something that would be able to be seen without anyone telling them. We saw something similar to this when Paul stood before Festus and King Agrippa and told them that the king was already aware of the events pertaining to Christ's death and resurrection (Acts 26:25-26). Isaiah prophesied hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, the purpose of this Servant's terrible suffering: "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?...He is despised and rejected of men...But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray...and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all...for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin...and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand." (Isa. 53:1-10, excerpt). This Gospel, like the Word of God, will not return to Him void, but it will accomplish what the LORD has set it out to do. He will uphold His Son, His Servant, and the testimony of His suffering, death, and resurrection triumph - not for His own sake, but for our sins, and as John said, for the sins of the world. I urge you to get the free book, "The Perfect Summary" at www.TheShroudofTurin.org/freebook, not only for yourself, but also to forward to all that you know. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 2/5/23 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and END TIME SCHOOL, also on Facebook. You can also get a free ebook titled "The Shroud of Turin- A Perfect Summary" at www.TheShroudofTurin.org/freebook.