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

1997 "…at the last trump…" CHAPTER SEVEN: EVERYBODY TALKIN' 'BOUT HEAVEN AIN'T GOIN' THERE!

1997 "…at the last trump…" by G. Stephen Benton 

CHAPTER SEVEN: EVERYBODY TALKIN' 'BOUT HEAVEN AIN'T GOIN' THERE! 

WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE 

WHEN THE RAPTURE WILL TAKE PLACE? 

     That question has been asked of me several times by believers. the prevailing attitude within the Church is that if Jesus is coming, whenever he comes, we're going and that's that! The Church has adopted that attitude because for centuries it has la bored under the impression that initial salvation qualifies one for automatic entry into heaven. That is not the case. Israel was under the same impression after they were saved out of the land of Egypt. Because God promised Canaan to Abraham centuries before Israel became a nation, those who came out of Egypt accepted the land of Canaan as a given. Under Moses, the nation reached Canaan a little over a year after their departure from Egypt. But en route to Canaan, they continually tempted God by not believing his word. They had what God called "an evil heart of unbelief."

     The writer to the Hebrews admonished his readers not to emulate the actions of Israel with the following words: "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 always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest.)" Heb. 3:7-11

     The word to-day appears five times in the third and fourth chapters of Hebrews. Whenever God repeats himself, he should be listened to with undivided attention. In the scripture, the "To-day" refers to a period of time when the grace of God is being extended. God expects his word to be believed when it is heard. In this case, he limits the time for his word to be believed. God is patient and gracious, full of mercy and slow to anger. But he can be provoked beyond measure. That's what Israel had done to God. Every time God attempted to prove them, they turned the tables on God and put him on trial. He indicted that congregation because they saw his works but never cam to know his ways. God accused the people of having an unbelieving heart. God has the power to save to the utmost. There is not one sin that you or I can commit that goes beyond God's saving ability except the sin of unbelief. God's hands of deliverance are tied when he is dealing with someone who does not believe his word.
     In the tenth chapter of Romans Paul showed that faith in God is accomplished in the life of an individual if that person hears the word of the Lord. Further, in the letter to the Hebrews we are told that "without faith it is impossible to please God." Throughout history, God has been searching for the rare individual who will believe his word without accompanying signs. Because today's Church does not have an ear to hear the voice of the Spirit, it has little or no faith! Because it has very little faith, it is constantly looking for God to prove his word with a display of signs. God initiated signs as an aid for unbelief. Once it has been established that God is faithful to his spoken and written word, signs should no longer be necessary for believers.

     The message announcing the day of the Rapture is essentially a sign-less message because God has provided an abundance of scripture announcing the day of his appearing. Those signs covered earlier are gracious confirmations but they are meaningless without the scriptural foundation that allows us to know the day. But because the message has been given to a Church Age who no longer has an ear to hear what the Spirit has to say to it, much of the so-called believing church will stumble at this message and lose the opportunity to be with the Lord forever! Mind you, the Church has no problem with the fact of his coming, the gagging part of the message is God's announcement of the day. Hearing God's word is the ultimate duty and responsibility of every saint but this present Church Age has turned a deaf ear to the word of God. By doing so, it has caused Christ to leave the sanctuary and take a position outside the door.:
     "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Rev. 3:20

     That text has often been preached as an evangelistic text tailored to the saving of sinners. That passage is addressed to the last days' Church Age, the one we are living in right now! Jesus has moved out of today's Church. He is knocking at its door in search of those within who will come out and hear his voice. The reason Jesus left his Church was because his voice was being ignored by those who profess to be called by his name. For the same reason Jesus said he would "spue" this Church out of his mouth. Today's Church must come to the realization that it is in the same situation today that Israel was in when that nation approached Canaan.

     Israel believed that their entry into Canaan was automatic ad the Church today believes the same regarding its entry into heaven. Paul warned the Church against making the same error Israel made: "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." I Cor.10:1-6, 11

     Paul used the word all five times. His objective is to over-emphasize that Israel was saved with a common salvation. Just what does that mean? There are many religions in the world and each of their individual members believes that theirs is the right religion. But in truth, God ordained only one religion, the one given to Israel. God has recognized only one group of people as his people: the nation of Israel. God never made a covenant with any other nation except Israel. If anyone had a right to claim that their religion is acceptable to God, the Israelites could. Yet, in spite of the fact that the entire nation was saved by the blood of the lamb in Egypt, they did not make it into the promised land. The children of Israel were not kept out of Canaan because of sin, they were barred because of their unbelief.

     Israel's character ever since they were delivered had been one of murmuring and complaining. They had a history of not believing God. They provoked, tried, and proved God every time he opened his mouth. They were stiff-necked and rebellious. God endured their rebelliousness until they reached the border of the promised land. There, God did the unimaginable, he gave them a faith hurdle that he knew they would not jump and those who did not jump that hurdle did not enter Canaan. In this final Church Age, God has presented a faith hurdle for this Church to leap. The hurdle is the announcement of the Day of his coming. That announcement has come forth against the backdrop of "no man knoweth."

     Those in the visible Church who do not belong to Christ are going to reject the message. They will rely on their past salvation experience to take them to heaven. However, God is making it quite clear that yesterday's faith is insufficient in meeting the promises of God for today.  No believer will be kept out of heaven because of sin. Your sins and my sins were paid for in full at Calvary. Since dying on the cross almost 2,000 years ago, Christ has never offered himself again as a sin offering for this world. Those of you who placed your faith in the efficacy of the blood of Jesus received remission of all of your sins, past, present and future. While Jesus will not keep anyone out of heaven because of sin, he will keep this Church Age out because of unbelief!  We are told to labor to enter into the rest of God. The Church has been preaching a message of works for a long time. Works do not work where salvation is concerned. The only work we can do to be saved is to work to enter by resting in the faith of the completed work of the cross. Any works of righteousness that we do after we are saved are works performed because we are saved; works motivated by our love for God and prompted by the Holy Spirit within us. Those works will receive a reward in heaven but they are useless in gaining entry into heaven.

     Israel did not believe Daniel when he told them that they would be released from captivity in about two or three years. When the time came to leave Babylon, only 43,260 Jews left! Many remained behind because of unbelief. Others had become satisfied with life in Babylon in much the same way that many professing Christians today are satisfied with life down here on the earth. Over five hundred years after Israel came out of Babylon, John the Baptist came preaching about the kingdom of heaven as we referred to earlier saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Jesus preached the same message. The Jews rejected the kingdom message because it did not mesh with their worldly plans. Their rejection of the message and the kingdom broke Jesus' heart. Before his death, he wept over Jerusalem because it did not know the time of its visitation. The offer of the kingdom to the Jews was postponed and God instituted the Church.

     Once God reveals the time of his appearing it is time then for the Church to make its calling and election sure. When Daniel discovered the time of their deliverance from Babylon, he began praying and taking care of spiritual business above everything else. Hebrews 9:28 tells us that Christ will appear a second time "to those who look for him." Understand that going to heaven in the Rapture is not an automatic departure, it will be accomplished by believing the message of when he will come and then adjusting your life in eager anticipation of his arrival. When you go on vacation you do not prepare to go on the day of the departure. You save money, buy clothes for the trip, make travel arrangements, arrange for a house sitter to tend to the animals, plants, mail, etc. Much planning is involved. You don't just buy an airline ticket and forget all about the day.

     So it is with the Rapture. When God swore in his wrath that Israel would not enter into his rest, he wasn't just talking about the promised land, he was talking about eternal life also. Joshua led their children into Canaan but the scriptures state plainly that Joshua did not give them rest: 

     "For if Jesus (Joshua) had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore, a rest to the people of God." Heb. 4:8&9

     We can learn much from the world itself in our effort to understand the importance of knowing the times of the end. In professional basketball and football games there is a "two minute" announcement near the end of the game. At that time both the losing and winning teams make major adjustments in the game. In essence, the strategy of the game becomes paramount in the last two minutes. So should it be with the Church. Some things should automatically cease to be important as we head into the final stretch. This is the time when the Church should "lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." (Heb. 12:10)
   
     The balance of that message admonishes us to take on the mind of Christ and lay hold to salvation. In Israel, as the Jubile year grew closer the value of the property decreased. If an individual were to sell his property, he was restricted from charging as much for the land as he could if the Jubile year was many years away. Conversely, the further away the Jubile year was, the higher the price of the property. Because the Church is so close to its "jubilee" all earthly possessions should now be at their lowest value and continue to be so until we are taken out of here. (Lev. 25:51) One can immediately see the vast difference in the attitude of the members of the Church today by comparing it with the initial members of the Church in 31 AD. They, not knowing the date of his appearing, sold their houses, land and possessions. This Church age is so attached to this world that it cannot let its earthly treasures go, not even for a few months. Its heart is earth-bound because its treasures are here. Why would a Church who is rich and in need of nothing even want to go to be with the Lord?

     Actually, there have always been two churches: the visible Church (the one recognized by the world,) and the invisible Church (the one recognized by God as his own true Church.) The invisible Church is actually much smaller than the visible Church. many will be surprised to find that they are not going to be taken in the Rapture because they do not belong to Christ and are not members of the invisible Church.

ADMONITION FROM THE PROPHET

ADMONITION FROM THE PROPHET

I pour living water on you
Yet you refuse to grow
Are you really that confident with what you think you know?

I shine a light of prophecy on a dark unchallenged place
And you remain in darkness while content to hide your face

You say you serve a Living God?
And yet you seal his tomb

Unless you hear His words to day
it will bring about your doom

You hide behind your sayings and your silly cutesy stuff
You plus it, you amen it; you high five it, that’s enough!

But when the Words of Truth reveal secrets you should embrace,
You turn….................You hide;
Your brain goes dead
That unbelieving face!

That comfort zone is where you stay;
"No man knoweth" is what you say;
Won’t believe what the Lord has to say.

God’s Word when he speaks is very clear,
But your ears you've closed so they won’t hear.

I've been given a job not easy for most;
But it's a message straight from the Holy Ghost.

"Despise not prophesying;" don't refuse His speech
Heaven is within your grasp and is so easy to reach.

Jesus said "my yoke is easy" and His burden is so light;
Why make it heavy with your stiff necks

 and miss what is in your sight?

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PRAISE THE LORD!

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Prophet

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27)

The answer to both questions is, no one.  In fact, we have not been given the spirit of fear, period!  We are not beholden to anyone because no one here on earth can claim to be the strength of our life.

We are new creatures in Christ.  In Christ, we actually have a new source of strength.  the strength we have in Christ is a measured strength according to the scriptures:

"and as thy days, so shall thy strength be." (Deut. 33:25)

That is reassuring; to know that God is personally aware of the needs of each and every one of us.  To know that God has already inventoried our day before it starts and has measured out sufficient strength for that day.  The second verse in that Psalm talks about our enemies.  God knows all of them and He knows exactly when they will exert their will against us and that too, is covered.

For these great wonders let the Church say Hallelujah!  Let the Church say, "Praise the Lord!"

painting by Stephen Benton

WHAT IS SATAN'S KINGDOM?

WHAT IS SATAN'S KINGDOM?

The Prophet

Let's turn to the text in Luke 10:18 and 19.

"And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightening fall from heaven."

We came across that passage in the message taken from 1Peter chapter one verse four where our heavenly inheritance is discussed.  In the course of the message we learned that our inheritance is undefiled.  That's when the Holy Ghost gave us insight into the significance of this passage and the reason for the swift disposal of Satan from heaven.  Because of his infinite and seemingly, out of control love for the Church, God the Father wasted no time dispatching the Adversary from the heavens in order to keep our inheritance undefiled.  Today, as I write, that passage now takes on a deeper meaning.  Because it goes before what is written in verse 19, the text for yesterday's message, it serves as a stepping stone to understanding verse 19.

What Jesus is telling his disciples is that the leader of the serpents and scorpions, Satan, is already fallen.  Because of that fact, we have a power over his cohorts and "over all the power of the enemy."

I made reference to the movie the Matrix Sunday as an example of how God's word is continually unplugging us from this worldly matrix.  In the movie, the new member was perceived as being "the one."  If you recall, he was taken to see the Oracle and the Oracle was not convinced that he was who or what Morpheus thought he was. At the completion of his training, he soon came to understand that he indeed, was "the one" and that his powers against the enemy were unlimited.

As Special Agents of Christ, we cannot be effective against the enemy until we fully understand who we are and what are our God given abilities.  Who are we?  We are born again creatures of God.  Sons/daughters of God!  What has God given to us according to the text?  The power (exousia: Gk.) to tread on serpents and scorpions!

Jesus is not referring to literal snakes and scorpions here.  And neither is he referring to merely a spiritual force.  Now, that's a jawbreaker of a statement unless one understands that just as God has a Kingdom, so does Satan.  And if God has real, literal troops in His army, so does Satan.  Jesus referred to Satan's kingdom with the remarks that if Satan's kingdom be divided, it cannot stand. (Matthew 12:26) We have learned over the past few years that Satan does indeed have a kingdom and that Jesus' words about it being divided are true.  Consequently, we must understand that Satan's kingdom will fall.

(Here, I must say that I get a unique thrill just writing these words through this "web", Satan's most powerful tool for enslaving the souls of men.  We had a class some years ago showing the equivalence of www to the number 666.  Imagine how Satan and his minions must feel when they see this stuff transmitted.  They never envisioned their net being a tool used to bring about their own downfall.)

Back to Satan's kingdom; he does have one.  He has forces that are ready to do battle against the Kingdom of God and at this time in his lengthy career that he actually believes he has both the resources and the power to take God's kingdom out!

God has been showing us, since 1996; in the text taken from II Thessalonians chapter two, that what are referred to as "aliens" are none other than Satan's creation.  Someone may object by noting that Satan does not have creation power.  No, he does not, but he can meddle with God's creation.  That is exactly what he promulgated in Genesis chapter six with the intermingling of the sons of God with the daughters of men.  The result of that union was a hybrid race known as Giants, or Nephilim.  The flood was sent to eliminate that seed from the face of the earth.  That was in the days of Noah.  Jesus prophesied letting us know that "as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the time of the coming of the Son of man."  While that passage focuses on "eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage," it includes with it, the reality that we live today among the seed of Satan.  

Does Satan have a seed?  Yes, most definitely! According to Genesis 3:15 Satan has his own seed upon the earth and his seed and the Seed of the woman, which is Christ (and His seed: us) are engaged in a deadly conflict.

God first published the story of the conflict between the two seeds, not in the Bible, but He wrote it using the stars that He placed in the heavens.  The constellation of Scorpio shows a picture of a scorpion.  Above the scorpion, a symbol for Satan, is a picture of a man, Ophiuchus, (a symbol for Jesus) holding a large snake, Serpens (another symbol of Satan.)  The tail, stinger, of the Scorpion is lifted up toward the heel of the Strong Man.  "…and he shall bruise thy heel."

Those who are familiar with the different species of aliens will tell you that the most insidious branch of aliens are the Reptilians.  They are depicted in just about every sci-fi movie ever made. The TV series, "V" that was made in the 80s and then re-made a few years ago used disguised Reptilians as the invading aliens.  Another branch, aside from the Greys, is a group simply known as Insectoids.  These are not usually called by that name; they are just portrayed in many space/alien films as creatures resembling insects, usually of the scorpion variety.

If you think we've taken a trip to a place "where no man has boldly gone" before, all you have to do is read Revelation, chapter nine and there you will find a description of some locusts unlike any plant-eating locust you will find on the earth.  In that passage reference is made to scorpions.  The scorpions are said to have power.  They are positioned as being "on the earth."  If the reference is to a natural scorpion, then the expression "on the earth" is redundant at best.

There is a conflict coming and at the end of these last days God will reveal his true saints and before we leave here we will fulfill the words of Jesus in Luke 10:19, a passage that cannot be verified as having occurred during any period of Church history.

To read more of these revelations from Pastor Steve, check out his book 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

MIXING THE WORD WITH FAITH

MIXING THE WORD WITH FAITH

from The Prophet

"For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it."

Of course, we must link this passage to what has become the "Golden Text" for this assembly. That passage is found in John 8:30 -31.

"As he spake these words, many believed on him.  Then Jesus said to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples, indeed."

I have been saying for many years now that Jesus did not take a head count of those who believed as many churches do today.  We are told that "many" believed.  How many constitute "many" I do not know but I imagine the number was considerable.  I just noticed that Jesus didn't even ask if anyone did believe.  He simply knew they did.

According to this example, believing is a start but Jesus placed a low premium on that act.  There are many who believe on Jesus but not many who continue in his word.  In the great invitation given by Jesus recorded in Matthew 28:11we find the phrase, "and learn of me."  Meeting Jesus is one thing, continuing in his word and knowing him is another matter altogether.

I meet too many so-called disciples of Jesus who check in only once in a while.  Seeing as how the early church met on the first day of the week, I would say that a professing Christian should attend service once a week, minimum.  If the local assembly conducts a mid-week bible class, as most do, that time slot should be reserved by those claiming membership in the body of Christ. True salvation brings with it a desire to hear the word of God.  God gives the believer "ears to hear."  he then states in his word again and again, "let him hear."

With the scripture in John 8 is one of the most underrated promises in the entire bible.

"And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."

Free from what?

Free from the spirit of error!  A guarantee of knowing the truth is given to those who continue in God's word.  And that includes the truth about everything, not just what is in the word. What a blessed promise!

But just what does it mean to continue in the word?  Well, first of all it means to make a lifetime habit of being in attendance whenever the word is being dispensed by a true preacher called of God.  Your preacher should be so sure of the truth that he/she is preaching, that you should be able to question them and receive straight answers.  But one can be in attendance and still miss the objective of the message being preached.  That is the warning issued in Hebrews;

"Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." (Heb 4:1)

God did the unimaginable in Israel's eyes.  After leaving a promise of Canaan on the shelf for over 400 years, he removed it.  How did they "come short" of the promise?  Was it because the promise was not preached unto them?  No!  The text in Hebrews 4:2 confirms that the promise was preached to them.  As I have pointed out in previous messages, Israel never missed a service.  The twelve tribes camped around the tabernacle.  Listening to the words of Moses was mandatory.  So, what happened?  They did not mix the preaching with faith.  They never appropriated the message as their own personal promise.  They failed to keep the promise of Canaan in view.  They failed to take personally the fact that there really were houses that they would not have to build and vineyards that they would not have to plant.  Evidence of the indictment is found in their continual murmuring and complaining.  Had they taken a firm grip on the promises of God there would have been no reason for griping and complaining.

Of course, we cannot limit this scenario to Israel. The entire story is presented for our edification. Israel is presented as a pattern of things that we should avoid.  Keep in mind the passage in I Corinthians that we have been referring to a lot lately:

"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."

(I Corinthians 10:11)

Now allow me to admonish you.  Continuing in God's word is much more than just showing up for church.  It's more than taking notes and buying CDs.  It involves hearing what the Spirit is saying, hiding that word in your heart and personally claiming the promise as you're very own.  If we take that posture, this world should become dim to us.  The words of an old song go through my mind here:

          Turn your eyes upon Jesus; look full in his wonderful face;

          And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

          In the light of his glory and grace.   

If heaven and all of the wondrous things associated with it are really in your view, the inconveniences of the wilderness will not matter.  If the promises of God are the focal point, you will come to every service and sing unto the Lord as if it is your last opportunity.  You will give to God with a different attitude knowing that this world is nothing and that a piece of paper, inflated, and almost worthless, cannot cannot compare with the riches of heaven.  You will also be more responsive to your brother in true Christian love, realizing you need one another to make it through down here.

Before I close I want to point out one more passage in the Old Testament that sort of puts the icing on the cake and crystallizes what I have been trying to say in this edition.  Turn to Zechariah chapter one.

"Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD."

God cites them for evil ways and evil doings.  What were they?  They did not hear the word of the Lord and if and when they did hear, they did not hearken by mixing the word with faith.  

To read more current revelations from Pastor Steve, check out his book published September of 2017 on Amazon.com.  It gives crucial revelations about the rapture, strong delusion and the Lie.

 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