GOD'S FINAL SECRET " ABOUT THIS AUTHOR"

ABOUT THIS AUTHOR:

Stephen Grady Benton was  a third generation preacher.  He began teaching the scriptures at the age of seven in Children's church using a flannel board with sheep in a pasture.  His topic was "The Lost Sheep."  He was called to the ministry shortly after he was saved at the age of 13 and at that time God gave him the scripture from Jeremiah: "Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee..."  In later years, as he began to preach, God added Ezekiel's promise:  "As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house."   He was a "pinch hitter" for his Father at the Apostolic Pentecostal church for nine years but was never actually called his assistant pastor.
         This Church, known as the "home" Assembly, was the first established "Apostolic" Church after the breakup of denominations from the Azusa Street Revival.  (It was only fitting that God had Stephen preach the time of the Rapture or "end" of the Church from the "Home" assembly where the Laodicean Church Age started. He also bears a resemblance to William Seymour,pastor of the Azusa Street Church.) He taught prophecy on occasion in his Dad's stead at Aenon Bible College, and he taught his own Sunday school class every Sunday that grew to be the largest class with the greatest giving record at the church.   Because Stephen considered himself a teacher, he was curious as to why he would teach truths that seemed out of step with the Pentecostal and Apostolic doctrine.  He firmly believed in the ranking of gifts to the Church that was laid out clearly by Paul in Ephesians, 4:11, "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;"

 

       He considered himself to be the lowest of the group and was satisfied in that role, until it became clear that he was far more than that.  His unique gift for opening up truths that were previously unknown and shining more light from well known scriptures became his trademark within the church.  The older saints were truly mesmerized by his teaching.  Among the younger, aspiring ministers there was a love/hate relationship with "Brother Steve."  They envied his knowledge of the scriptures, but hated the fact that he had it. His deeper knowledge eventually brought him ridicule by the congregation and the Apostolic leaders.  Thus began his struggle within the denomination.  Because the Holy Ghost steadfastly led him away from traditional, doctrinal beliefs, Stephen left the Apostolic church in 1986 and with a broken spirit embarked upon a new endeavor: God's plan for his ministry.  He began teaching his family at home in 1987 and little by little people began to drop in to hear him teach.  The House of Good News was born:  in his house.  He called it the "no frills" church.  "No choir, no auxiliaries, no building fund, no selling "Jesus junk" and no fried chicken dinners,  just The Word!"  Over the years the church would grow and then shrink as God took away some and added others to the number.  God told him, as with Gideon, "I'll try them for you."  Stephen also called his church the school of the prophets, when he had finally accepted the fact that God had called him to be a prophet.  He did not know until much later that he was training prophets for the last days.

       Stephen's love for God's word led him to preach "Jesus" like no one else could.  His ultimate message was salvation by faith in Jesus and continuing in God's word to become disciples, "indeed." as in John 8:31-32.  In 1994 God threw him a fast ball with a curve: the day of the Rapture of the Church!  And so began his final, incredible adventure in the Word of God and among God's people.  The downside to this joyous message was that the Holy Ghost let him know that the message was being given to a "deaf" church that no longer heard His Voice.  Although that was the message, Stephen still had a difficult time believing that the Church would not believe it.  He also found that they did not want to leave this earth yet.  They were invested in this world and the things of this world. They had stopped hearing God's voice and were hearing and preaching "another gospel and another Jesus."  

       Stephen grabbed the message and began to teach and preach it in earnest.  After recovering from the 1997 disappointment, he continued to teach  the gospel of Jesus including the rapture event  in almost every message.  It was an additional ten years, not until 2007,  before the Holy Ghost gave him another rapture window.  As the Holy Ghost led him to additional rapture windows and then more delays, his faith was not quenched and he continued to trust God to reveal to him more information as the time drew closer. He lost members of his congregation during those years but his faith in the message was unquenchable and he continued on without missing a beat!  And God faithfully added more and more detail regarding his return for his Church!  Stephen's greatest rapture disappointment came in 2014 as he was anticipating the rapture ending the pain of the cancer in his bones and having his body "changed" while he was living,  yet the Lord delayed once again.

       But God had a different plan for His "last prophet" to the Church.  He gave him one more year, five months in remission and the remaining seven in a state of experiencing his body deteriorate from the disease.  During this last year he missed only three church services while he preached two from the hospital and three by telephone.  He would not be stopped by his body nor by the enemy from finishing his work and preaching what the Holy Ghost was giving him to say.  This book was completed in sections and revised in sections by 2014.  When he complained about no longer being able to work on it or complete it the Lord told him that it was HIS book, and He would finish it.  After that Stephen rested, trusting that God would keep his word as always.  And He has!  Stephen always thought that this rapture message would be taken around the world and was waiting for the Lord to move him.  He did not dream that God would use Satan's world wide web to spread the message faster than he would ever have been able to travel.  By way of the internet, his message has reached every continent on this planet!

       Stephen loved studying God's use of numbers.  He was fascinated by them.  I believe as his reward for his in-depth study, God stamped his life with His numbers.  Stephen was born on the 8th day of the 10th month, Eight being the number of "new beginnings"and 10 the number of divine ordinance. on the Hebrew calendar it is the 7th month;   He was born in 1951. Strong's Concordance reference number for 1951 is "to select; to choose." He was given the rapture message in 1994, 8 years after leaving the "visible" Church.  He preached it for 21 years, 3 (divine manifestation) X 7 (completion). God took him home on 11-11-15.  Eleven being God's "cutoff" number!  Fifteen,  5 (the number of grace) X 3 (divine manifestation.)  In Revelation 2:5 Jesus says, "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."

       God had no other option than to remove his last prophet, the "candlestick" or messenger to the Laodicean Church because they have not returned to their "first works," their love of God's word.   They stopped hearing and have not repented.  Two being God's number of adequate witness, the double elevens add up to 22.  From the day he was taken until the day of the raising of the dead is 22 months and 8 days.  8 being the number of new beginnings.  At the time of his removal Stephen was 64 years old:  8 X 8.  And finally, his grave marker, which was assigned by the Veteran's Administration, is stamped with the number 2849.  4 X 7 (4, the number of the earth, his work on this earth was completed) and 7 X 7 (He is forever complete in HIM.)