My Story
Stephen L. Bening
Born (January 20, 1957 in Carbondale, Illinois, USA)
BIO
I've been thinking about the Lord and how
I got my start. I mean, how I got my God start! Then,
sometime later, I realized, in reviewing my web site,
that it contains nothing to give it my personality:
there is no explanation of who I am and of how I came
to be doing what I do. It is a rather remarkable story,
or at least I think so. Perhaps someone else will agree.
Since I did not receive Jesus Christ as Lord until age
30, my early years, the first 24 which were spent in
Illinois, are quickly described. The son of a wealthy
man, growing up in a small town, I
majored in Accounting and obtained my degree in 1978. Then, in 1981, I became a CPA, or certified public accountant and moved to Florida.
How does a young CPA at the age of 24
wind up doing what I do? That is the story here. Today,
I help and advise 41 churches and ministries with
financial matters as of July, 2000. I serve on six church and ministry
boards of directors. God also called me as a
prophet to the nations: at age 35. What happened?
In 1987, while doing accounting services at a large
construction company in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the
gospel was presented to me by the owner, who had
recently experienced a dramatic conversion and deliverance
from addiction to cocaine and sex. I attempted to
persuade this man that he did not have to destroy his
business by preaching this christian gospel with such
tenacity. In the process, I attempted to disprove the
bible: to prove that it was a work of man. What I
proved to myself is that it is the word of God. During
this whole time, my client paid me $100 per hour to
listen to the gospel. I think that is quite unique,
don't you?
I did a brief, 3 month detour through the Mormon Church, or Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints. I don't want to go into that here, but you can read about my experiences
at Mormon Chronicles.
I added this section on August 4, 2000, at the urging of the Holy Spirit. I know that someone
who is reading this will need to hear what I have to say about Mormonism.
Now we fast forward to 1991. By this time, I had
entered private industry, first as a CFO and by 1991, as
a CEO of a billion dollar Florida real estate subsidiary
of the financial empire of Charles Bronfman of Montreal.
On September 29, 1991, I was terminated without warning
and given sufficient funds that I was under no financial
pressure. I began to pray and seek the Lord to see
what he was doing in my life. Sometime during the next
month, the words came into my spirit: FINANCIAL MINISTRY.
This word was confirmed in writing, prior to my having
received it, by another man in my church, Caldwell (Blitz)
Robinson, who had received a vision, of which I played
a major part. Blitz had written this vision down and
had given it to our pastor. He saw me doing FINANCIAL
MINISTRY before I was even fired! Amazing God!
Now we come to my birth as a prophet. I became convinced
during my conversion in 1987 that the return of the
Lord was near. These aspects of the bible greatly occupied
my mind as I read the bible through over and over again,
many times during those first years.
During 1990, I met a man named Art Cormier. Art was
a butcher: a meat cutter in Fort Lauderdale. God was
showing him some incredible things. He was having
trouble getting people to pay attention to him, for he
was receiving warnings about America's future. His
english grammar was not very good, but I quickly saw
the importance of what he was receiving and I felt
called to help him, so, in a sense, I became his scribe.
I began doing prophetic newsletters then, mainly filled
with what Art was seeing. God led me to call them the
"Gammadim Reports", after Ezekiel 27:11.
I recall one event that changed me forever. It was
June 18, 1991. I had just visited the location of my
previous employer at 666 71st Street. I had been
showing a friend that place and laughing about the
numerical address. I pulled my car into my office parking
lot at 6 P.M.: the 18th hour of the 18th day of the
6th month of 1991---can you see all those sixes. Art Cormier
was waiting for me. He handed me a revelation he had
received that America was going to be destroyed by a
Russian attack of SS18 nuclear missiles. Russia has
named these missiles "SS18 Satan". Art had no idea
where I had been---he had no idea that I had just come
from 666 71st street. He had not even noticed the 18th
hour of the day. He had not even noticed that it was
6/18, but I did immediately and I was changed forever.
During February, 1992, the Lord God called me to a fast of forty days on water alone. I prayed to know the purpose of my fast. The Lord revealed that I was fasting for something that had not been seen on the Earth for a long time: the anointing of Elisha. I completed that fast in March, 1992 and a few months later, God spoke to me at about 9 P.M on June 24, 1992, calling me after the order of the prophet
Jeremiah as a prophet to the nations. I have been called to many long periods of fasting and prayer since that time that lasted from seventeen to twenty four days.
Well, that is my story, well almost all. I recall now
the words of my friend Roger Heim, who says that he
has never written a book because he would have had to have
included his failures along with the glorious stories.
I have had my failures. I was dreadfully deceived and
drawn into Mormonism in 1987 and did not get totally
free of it until 1991. This humbled me. How hard and prideful I was in 1991. How all of that has changed!
Ever since that time, I have
been trying to do my best to serve my master. It has
not been easy. I have suffered much and have lost
everything I had. But like Paul, I consider everything
I have lost to be dung in comparison to the riches that
I have obtained in Christ Jesus my Lord. And God has
been faithful to begin the process of restoration. I went through seventeen years suffering the loss of all things and then God began to say "enough".
I have endured three divorces and the thought I have today is whether I should attempt to hide or withhold that fact from you? I was the one put away without just cause; the one abused; the one not cleft to; the one abandoned and left with the children. How is it that my experiences were thrice repeated? I do not in thus saying make any proclamation as to my own perfection, yet I have found that the professing church has one doctrine with respect to marriage, divorce and remarriage and Jesus Christ has completely another one. These doctrines and dogmas of men have caused much suffering and heartache in the church. I have been helped along my path by certain resources. You may find the website of Danni Moss to be one such help:
Because It Matters-Freedom From Abuse in Christianity
I write now in 2017 in full enjoyment of the ministry partnership I share with my wife Mary. It has taken a long time to get to a life that is so rich and full.
Please pray for me that I continue to faithfully and boldly
serve and obey our master, our Lord Jesus Christ. He is
coming soon.
