"KNOWING WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED." Pastor Stephen Benton

THE PASTOR'S PEN
 While analyzing Paul's message at Antioch, we found that Antioch is the birthplace of the label "Christian."  The name Christian does not carry the same association today as when it was initiated.  Today it is almost used as a badge of pride or honesty.  You'll see placard announcing Christian businesses such as a Christian lawyer or dentist or plumber.  With reference to the forgoing, it as been my experience to beware of those establishments who advertise themselves as Christian.  A Better Business Bureau check couldn't hurt.

The followers of Christ back in the early church were called Christian in the same sense as one would use the word nigger today.  It was a derogatory term.  In reality the name means, "like Christ," a most coveted compliment to those who follow him.  It's interesting to note that the name of Jesus is such a lofty name whereby even those who seek to belittle that precious name end up glorifying his name.  The early saints in Antioch received the intended slander as a tag of praise.

The same apostle, Paul, made reference to some who preached Christ as a source of contention saying that whatever their motives, Christ was preached and the declaration of his holy name produced positive results just the same.

One does not have to conduct an exhaustive search to find that many, not most who currently believe in Jesus Christ actually know very little about the man.  I have said for years, ask a believer to stand up in church and give a five minute speech about Jesus and most of them would fizzle out after about two minutes. Or,  they would go on and on talking about Jesus being a heart fixer, a mind regulator, a lawyer in a court room, a doctor in a sick room, and so on but such a testimony falls far short in convincing an unbeliever to place his or her faith in Jesus.  To do so  is like the words of that popular Easter song:
"You ask me how I know he lives, he lives within my heart."

While that may pass for the end of a chorus, theologically the statement is inaccurate.  I might feel his spirit moving on the inside but try persuading the sinner with my feelings as motivation for his faith!  Our personal feelings about Jesus are worthless unless we have the factual evidence to support those feelings.  In truth, personal feelings are akin to blind faith, something God would never promote.

God acts as if we are all from Missouri, the "show me" state, where faith is concerned.  God took ample time and sufficient evidence to show us multiple reasons for our faith in Christ Jesus with the evidence of the Old Testament, specifically, the writings of  Moses and the prophets.

When Paul made his defense of the gospel of Jesus Christ he boldly and confidently stated, "I know whom I have believed."  Looking at the preaching of Paul it is evident that Paul was not issuing idle words.  His first stance for Jesus occurred in the same city where he was introduced to Jesus, Damascus.

"And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues that he was the Son of God."  Acts 9:20

Keep in mind an incident that occurred years before with Jesus and his disciples when he asked them who they thought he was.  Peter received a revelation from the Father and announced that Jesus was the Son of the Living God.  When Peter made that statement the group had been following for at least two years or longer.  Paul made that declaration not long after his conversion having never walked or talked with Christ as did the disciples.

"But Paul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ."  Acts 9:22

Put another way, Paul proved to the Jews that Jesus was the actual Messiah promised by God to deliver Israel and subdue the nations of the world  Being confounded is a state most prefer not to be in when it comes to religious beliefs.  Paul confounded the Jews.  They had two options after hearing Paul:

1) They could continue in the former knowledge of Jesus and reject the light given to them from God or,
2) They could receive the facts presented by the Apostle, believe the gospel and be converted and healed and saved.

What did they do?

"And after many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him." Acts 9:23 

Paul escaped from Damascus and continued in fellowship with the disciples in the city of Jerusalem.
His reception there was cold except for the friendship of one named Barnabas, who personally spoke up for Paul and convinced the apostles and disciples in Jerusalem headquarters that Paul was legitimated.  Later Paul would have what I think was one of his finest moments in the city of Antioch showing forth his intimate knowledge of Jesus Christ:

"Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience."   Acts 13:16

With the beckoning of the hand Paul gestured that start of the presentation of a great truth that he desired all present to hear clearly.  When you know who you are talking about you will want to be heard above all.  Get the attention of your audience.  That may require turning off the television or radio or any other distraction.  If the location is not conducive to the conoverstion, take the candidate to a quiet place where you can present Christ without distraction.

Notice the text in Acts, chapter 13.  Paul first presents the history of the Jews and of Jesus Christ.  To really know Jesus it is imperative that you know Jesus' pedigree.  He himself said, "Lo, I come in the volume of the book."

Paul and the apostles did not have the New Testament writings when they presented Jesus.  Paul convinced the Jews of the deity of Jesus using the Old Testament writings alone.  Can you do that?  So much for a homework assignment!  If you want to go deep and deeper into the word of God I suggest you start your study in Leviticus.  It has often been called the pictorial gospel.  All of the sacrifices and offerings depict Jesus Christ in shadow and type.  You will never find a more fulfilling study of Jesus anywhere.  I will not make that study mandatory but those of you who really want to elevate into the realm of professional prophets will take advantage of the opportunity.  Leviticus is a perfect opportunity to employ the "Ask, and it shall be given unto you," principle.

The day is rapidly approaching when we will be called out to defend this savior we have been following.  Will  you be able to do so as a workman that needs not be ashamed or will you be embarrassed by your limited knowledge of Jesus?

The Holy Ghost is not delivering this special edition of Jesus without reason.  We have already discovered in our tour through the book of I John that many defectors have already gone out from us, denying the only Savior, Jesus Christ and God the Father.  That's where the attack will be focused on in the last days.  Personal testimony will not cut it.  You and I will need nothing less than the historic, scriptural description of Jesus.  May the Holy Ghost and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ assist us to obtain nothing less than absolute knowledge of Him.


Written in the THE WEEKLY WORD OF THE HOUSE OF GOOD NEWS

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

The complete volume of 

GOD'S FINAL SECRET by Stephen Benton 

is now available on Amazon.com.

HAS THE RAPTURE TARRIED....AGAIN? 9.30.17

  HAS THE RAPTURE TARRIED...again? INDEED IT HAS!

            "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?"   Numbers 23:19

            Out of the mouth of a false prophet , Balaam, issued one of the most true statements about the nature of God that has ever been uttered.   "God cannot lie!"  This page, God's Final Message to His Church,  has posted the dates for the "last day," the day of the resurrection of the dead, and the rapture of the Church. These dates were given by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of His last days' prophet to the Church.  They were the last day of Israel's civil year, Elul and the Day of Atonement, eleven days later. The last day has passed which means the Rapture has been delayed as prophesied by Habakkuk: 

            "For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."  Hab. 2:3

        God has chosen to delay His appearing, once again. He told us in the past the reason for this: For God is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9
 
       The Lord also says in that same verse that He "is not slack concerning His promise as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to us." 
We could assume that God is allowing more time for repentance for those who have yet to repent. But that is not the reason God did not keep His appointed time this year! He delayed for the exact same reason He did not keep it in 1997, the year that announced the 69th Jubile year: Unbelief! 
 
      The Church is now the recipient of the same judgment the Children of Israel faced in the Wilderness when they "tempted God and proved him and saw his works but never came to know his ways.." 

In Hebrews 3: 7-11, Paul warns: 

"Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.")
       This Seventh and final Church Age has steadfastly refused to hear God's voice through His last days' prophets promised in Ephesians 4:11 & 12
"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:"

       Just as He did in the Old Testament, God sent prophet after prophet to this Church, from 1906 to 2015 and they were all ignored, discredited and vilified by the hierarchy of the Church. God told Israel in Numbers 14:34: "...and ye shall know my breach of promise" because they would not believe his word. This Church was promised in Revelation 3:16: "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."

       This Church has refused to hear God's current message and has not heard his voice for a very long time. It has broken its promise to hear and obey Jesus speaking from heaven. Today's pastors are described in Jeremiah 12:10:

         "Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness."

         And many so-called prophets were also addressed in Jeremiah 14:14:
"Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart."

        This Church is now ready to be vomited out of Jesus' mouth. He has taken his promise of a "rapture" to it off the shelf since it "refused to hear the voice that speaks from heaven." Heb. 3:15 -19:

       "While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
       For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
       But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
       And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
       So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief."

In Revelation 3:3 Jesus warns,
"Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." 
 
     What the Church does not realize is that God is not the thief, the thief is the believer who has attempted to find out the truths and revelations of God by any other means than Jesus' voice in these last days!

       John 10:1 tells us, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber."
       Jesus does not have to come as a thief to steal His Church, the Church belongs to Him, it is His. Those who look for His appearing and have heard his voice, will be ready to go with Him when He comes for them. He will be "coming upon" those who would not hear his voice through the last days' prophet He sent to tell them when He was coming. THEY are considered "thieves and robbers." God will not be "coming upon" them to take them with him, but to allow them to believe the strong delusion and the lie that is coming with it! Then He will spew this unbelieving Church out of His mouth and they will be destroyed. They will not inherit the promise.

Our prophet was taken home by the Lord on 11/11/2015. He was the candlestick that the Lord removed. Rev. 2:5. He left behind a multitude of messages that explained, validated and proclaimed God's Word. His basic message before God gave him the message of the rapture was salvation by faith. A message that was rejected by the hierarchy of the Pentecostal Church. He condemned this Church for its rejection of God's Word and refusal to hear the voice of Jesus speaking by the Holy Spirit to his Church. Those messages will remain on this page and continue to speak to those with "an ear to hear" God's voice. The book, God's Final Secret given to him by the Holy Spirit and also outlines these last days' truths to the Church, is also available on Amazon.com. God will not forget His promise to return for those who are looking for him and neither will he abandon those who believe his Word.
Isaiah 55:8 & 9 says,

"For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? "
1 Cor. 2:16

       Although Antichrist will "think" to change times and laws, Our God is in the ultimate controller of time from His place in eternity. In Luke 21:24 Jesus says, "...and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." You can believe when that time is here, God will come for those who "look for his appearing."
  
        We have faith in the truth that this prophet proclaims and we guarantee that you will learn more about God's Word in these messages and articles on the blogger than you have learned in all your days in a Church. Continue in God's word and looking for him because when the time comes for His return, He will tell us. May the Lord richly bless you and open your ears to his truth!

The entire volume of GOD'S FINAL SECRET by Stephen Benton is available on Amazon.com