“Jesus Is Coming Soon”...Oh Really? by Pastor Stephen Benton

The majority of Christianity believes Jesus is coming soon. Nearly every Christian radio broadcast and telecast end their program with that reminder. The expressions of imminence are many: any day, at the door, nigh, at hand, upon us, today or tomorrow. If the Church really believes that idea, it should also believe that the time of the coming of the Lord, or, the rapture, to use a common expression, (which word many are careful to point out is not in the bible,) it should also believe that Jesus’ arrival will not take place without the heralding of prophets. The words of Amos make that idea abundantly clear. Amos 3:3-7 “Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing? Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? Shall one take u a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all? Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?” The answer to all of those questions is "no". The final line of logic presented by the prophet is “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, But he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” Here, one can apply ‘his secret’ in a generic sense or, more specifically, his secret about the time of his coming! The secret of the Lord has never been the fact of his coming but the day of his coming. Now, let us take that truth one-step further. In the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy Moses prophesied the following in Chapter 18 verse 15: “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;" “That Prophet” will arise because of the desire of the congregation when they begged Moses not to allow God to speak to them directly lest they died (Deut 18:16.) God responded to Moses. He said the request of the people was “well spoken.” “And the Lord said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.” Deuteronomy 18: 19-19 Either the Church is unaware of the ramifications of that passage or it is unaware of its existence altogether. Perhaps because the passage is from the Old Testament, and because it is to Moses concerning Israel, they believe that it has no application to the Church whatsoever. Concerning the latter, nothing could be further from the truth! All one has to do is observe the ministry of Jesus during his time on earth and it should readily be seen that the passage concerning ‘that Prophet’ was not fulfilled. Jesus’ main purpose during his time on earth was to “save his people from their sins.” (Matt.1:21) During his 33 and one half years on the earth, the only time that he prophesied was shortly before his crucifixion when he answered the questions of the apostles in Matthew 24, Luke 21 and Mark 13. And those prophecies were to the Jews, not the Church. The Church had not yet been instituted. It was not begun until Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell. The question is then, when was that prophecy fulfilled? For the answer, we should look at the grand purpose of the prophetic ministry of Jesus. The answer is obvious if we simply consider the time involved in Jesus’ earthly ministry in comparison to the time he has spent ministering from heaven. Jesus ministered on earth for 33 and one-half years. He has been ministering in heaven since 31 A.D. for a total of 1,983 years and counting. Before returning to heaven Jesus declared himself to Peter and the Apostles as The Rock upon which the foundation of the His Church would be built. Note, Jesus refers to the Church as His: “…..and upon this rock I will build my church.” Matthew 16:18 Please note that when Jesus made this statement he pointed to himself as the Rock upon which the Church would be built…not Peter. “Peter” means “stone,” not rock. Jesus was referred to in I Cor. 10:4 as that “spiritual Rock that followed them was Christ.” Why would he come to earth and die only to build his Church, his body, upon a sinful man? When Jesus rose from the dead and established his church forty days later, he also gave his Church gift ministries. “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men… And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets;” Ephesians 4:8 & 11 Whoa! Let’s stop right there. Seeing as how the prophets are listed after apostles and before evangelists, it is clear that these prophets are not the Old Testament prophets. The prophets in this list are Jesus’ gift to the church. So, from where and from whom do these prophets receive their message? The answer is in Hebrews. “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh: for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven.” Hebrews 12:25 Would you like to take a guess in what capacity the heavenly speaker is speaking? Jesus is speaking as “that Prophet.” The next question is: to whom is he speaking directly? He is speaking directly to those prophets whom He has placed in His church. Finally, what is the message of these last day prophets? Something the Church has never heard before even though the message comes directly from the word of God written by the Apostles and in many cases, the Old Testament prophets. The answer of todays’ prophets speaking the unknown and/or the unheard, is not a new exercise. All one has to do is read the messages of the Old Testament prophets and it becomes immediately apparent that their messages were not familiar ones. It is also clear that their message was not believed. Consequently, many of them were murdered. They were murdered not because of the message itself but because they claimed to be God’s spokesperson! In the passage referred to in Deuteronomy where “that Prophet” is first mentioned, the passage closes with information identifying a false prophet. The point is that there will never be only false prophets without the reality of a true prophet. The apostle Peter makes the same point in the same order in II Peter 1:21 and 2:3. The first reference is to the true prophets who speak under the influence of the Holy Ghost followed with: “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” Notice the change in verse one. The focus goes from false prophets to false teachers. The damage being done to true prophets is the direct result of false teachers. The denial of the Lord that bought them is a direct reference to the message of the Lord Himself, as “That Prophet.” If the professing Church really believes Jesus is coming soon it should at least realize that not all of the “so-called” prophets are in the false category and if the Church really believes in the imminent coming of the Lord, by now they should have stumbled upon at least one true prophet….And then believe him.

To read more current revelations from Pastor Steve, check out his book published September of 2017 on Amazon.com

 https://smile.amazon.com/Gods-Final-Secret-Stephen-Benton/dp/1976338476/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509271792&sr=1-1&keywords=god%27s+final+secret+by+stephen+benton

KEEPING THE SABBATH by Pastor Stephen Benton

Keeping The Sabbath This article addresses the issue of observing the Sabbath Day. There are many religions and denominations where the focal point is whether or now we are required to keep the Sabbath Day. The subject at hand is whether the Apostles kept the Sabbath. Before I go into detail and offer up a plethora of evidence such as that which was offered by the Sabbath keepers, let us cut to the chase and establish what we mean by keeping the Sabbath. The real point under consideration is whether or not the Apostles kept the Sabbath according to the Law of Moses as a requirement essential to New Testament salvation. In the fifteenth chapter of Acts, the Church faced a similar issue. The issue was circumcision. “And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said. Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.” Acts 15:1 “When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissention and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them , should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. Verse 2 “But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to keep the Law of Moses.” Verse 5 The issue is clear. There were those enforcing the Mosaic law of circumcision as mandatory for New Testament salvation. The apostles did not ratify their view as indicated by Peter’s remarks. “And God which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear. But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.” Verses 8 - 11 Peter’s comments echo the summation given by God in Romans regarding the success rate of those who were under the Law of Moses, also called the dispensation of law: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” Romans 3:19 Translated: Gentiles were not the recipients of the Law of Moses. Those who were the recipients, Israelites, failed to measure up to its demands. That included observing the Sabbath. The following verse tells us that even if God’s chosen people actually kept all 613 ordinances of the law, they still would not have been pronounced justified by God. “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Verse 20 The next verse delineates the difference between the Mosaic Law and the dispensation of grace. Jesus Christ brought salvation to Jew and Gentile alike not by obedience to written ordinances but through faith in the finished work of Christ. Jesus himself told his listeners not to think of him as one who came to destroy the Law of Moses but to view him as the only one whose life successfully fulfilled the Law of Moses. He did not achieve that feat through a checklist routine. Keeping all of the law all of the time was a natural act for Jesus because the Law of Moses itself was written based on the character and life of who Jesus was. It was obvious that those in Jesus’ time who thought they were keeping the Sabbath were not doing so due to their continuous conflict with Jesus regarding his Sabbath day actions. Those who accused Jesus of breaking the law of the Sabbath were guilty of having Sabbath actions but not possessing a Sabbath heart, much like those who enforce keeping the Sabbath today as a requirement for salvation. “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3: 21-23 There are many scriptures such as those posted associating the Apostles with Sabbath meeting and sabbatical affairs but there is not one single passage indicating that they enforced keeping the Sabbath as a requirement for salvation. Why? “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” Romans 10:4 For a deeper understanding on this subject, read Paul’s passage in Romans 14: 1 – 7 It should be noted that the Old Testament feast of Weeks was established by God as the birthday of the New Testament church, also known as Pentecost. The church was born on Sunday and the Apostles met in worship on Sunday. Yet even though that was the official day for the birth of the church, it too was never required as the day of worship by the Apostles. Going to church on Sunday is not a requirement of salvation.

Is Jesus the GOD of Israel, according to the Scriptures?

Jesus is the God of Israel, according to the scriptures. \ Matthew 1:17 gives the geneology of Jesus from David through his step-father Joseph (for want of a better term. He was actually conceived by the Holy Spirit of God) this was from the royal line of Solomon, David's oldest son. Luke 3:23-38 gives his geneology through his mother Mary as a descendant from the legal line of Nathan, David's other son. Had the throne still existed in Jerusalem when Jesus was born, he would have been king. He is proven to be a direct descendant of David in the scriptures. Now in Matthew 22:42 Jesus asked the Pharisees, what they thought of Christ, "Whose son is he? They answered him, "the son of David. He then asked them, "How then does David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions."

 How would a modern Jewish unbeliever answer that question? The answer would take them to the same place the Pharisees found themselves...they would have no answer, because they would have to admit that he is the LORD, God in the flesh who came down to earth to offer salvation to any and all who would believe on him. Deut. 6:4 says, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD..." Isaiah 9:6 says "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." 

Who answers to those titles? God only! Those titles will be given to Jesus when He rules and reigns on the earth after the tribulation and all of his enemies have been put under his feet! God has fulfilled his promise that he gave to Abraham in Genesis 22:8 when he spoke through Abraham to Isaac, "My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering..." He has, indeed, provided HIMSELF as the lamb slain before the foundation of the world to save his people from their sins. Just as the angel told Joseph when he confronted him about Mary's pregnancy in Matthew 1:20-21: "...saying, "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."

It goes on to say in verses 23 and 24 that all these things were done that the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 might be fulfilled: "Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel..." In Romans 11:25 Paul says "...Blindness, in part, has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins." In Revelation 3:18 The LORD our God says, "I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that you may see!."

 For a fuller explanation of these truths, Check out "God's Final Secret" by Pastor Stephen Benton available on Amazon.com:

 https://smile.amazon.com/Gods-Final-Secret-Stephen-Benton/dp/1976338476/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509436006&sr=8-1&keywords=God%27s+Final+Secret

WE KNOW WHAT DANIEL DID IN THE LIONS'S DEN.....but what will YOU do? "AND YOU?" by Pastor Stephen Benton

And You? I don't know about you but the message Wednesday night hit with the power of a runaway train. If anyone was under the impression that the study of the era of the Antichrist would be weeks of ho-hum sessions studying about someone who would not even be revealed until after the rapture, you've got another 'think' coming. To make matters worse, for the same misled crowd, hearing God say that He has said all he is going to say on the subject of the rapture gave additional cause for a laid-back, mark-time attitude. Well, for those for whom those shoes fit, wake up! Even though God may have already given us the bulk of the information necessary for the rapture, you can be sure that God has not risen up early in this latest installment of truth because He has nothing better to do. The information coming now is vital for just making the rapture even though the subject of the subject matter will not be revealed until after our main event.

My personal concern above and beyond being proven to be acceptable to the Lord that I might attain the resurrection and or the change is will I be able to endure that ten day stretch prior to the rapture. It reminds me of the paradox on aging: Nobody wants to get old but the only way to avoid getting old is to die young. In this context, I don't want to face the difficulties of the ten day stretch but the only way to avoid that road is to die prior to that time. That's not even an option though, for those of you like me who volunteered to be here for the duration. Those words, "alive and remain until the coming of the Lord" are beginning to loom large and the only way that truth will become a reality is by a thorough preparation of the current subject.

But back to the title question: And You? The class Wednesday jerked me out of the nice stories of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego. These men made their decisions based on their faith in God and on their conviction in God's word. They were in situations where the very words, edicts, and commands of the King himself, in whose courts their daily activities were performed, put their lives at stake. The reality that hit me, again, was that God expects us to make the same decisions. God informed us about his attitude and ego and of the fact that He intends that His name be glorified on the face of the earth. And how can that be accomplished except by our actions, actions that will put the spotlight on God himself? If you haven't gathered anything else during the course of the messages for the past several years it should be understood by now that every situation of deliverance in the scriptures takes the delivered into a life and death scenario. I erased the message of the Peter Mentality to clear space for this message without going through a formatting exercise but at this point of this message, that message would fit right in. When one dies for a cause in this world, it is said that they have paid the ultimate price. The ultimate price to me is giving one's life for a cause and then ending up in hell. That's an unimaginable price. Death, to us, cannot really be looked upon as paying a price because after crossing over we come into an inheritance that never fades. But even with that truth in mind, it doesn't put death into a fairy tale setting. Should we be called upon to pay such a price, expect that payment to be on behalf of one another. Then and only then can the words of Jesus really be fulfilled when he said "by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples."

Come to think of it, I can't find a scriptural reference where that truth was fulfilled. And You, what story will be written about you? Knowing the ways of God, it most likely will not come down to a fiery furnace or a lion's den or anything nearly as spectacular, it will probably actually come down to one of us laying down our life for someone in our midst whom we know. Only the power of the Holy Ghost and the love of God that has been shed abroad in our hearts can make such an idea a reality. And you, are you ready?

To hear more truth from this prophet, check out his book, "God's Final Secret" available on Amazon.com: 

https://smile.amazon.com/Gods-Final-Secret-Stephen-Benton/dp/1976338476/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509436006&sr=8-1&keywords=God%27s+Final+Secret