Mark H. Stevens, Th.D's Blog – April 2009 Archive (68)

Firm Footing in Gospel Shoes

Firm Footing in Gospel Shoes

“...and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace...” (Eph. 6:15)

Knowing, believing and acting upon the truth of the gospel gives us firm footing to stand against Satan’s attacks. The shoes that Roman soldiers wore had spikes on the bottom that gave them a firm grip on the battlefield. When we know that Jesus has died for our sins and been raised from the dead for our justification, Satan’s lies are unable to knock us off our… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on April 23, 2009 at 2:45pm — No Comments

“Pulling Down Strongholds”

The Bible does sometimes use military terminology when describing the Christian’s responsibility. Yet, in those cases, we must ask ourselves if we are “pushing the parables too far,” by reading more into metaphorical language than was meant. For example, a classic text that is often misinterpreted is 2 Corinthians 10:3-6:

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on April 23, 2009 at 2:40pm — No Comments

What is Witchcraft?

1 Samuel 15:23 (KJV) "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft..."

Those Nasty Witches

With all the warnings in Scriptures about witchcraft, you would think it was a major problem in life. But "witchcraft", as we generally think about it, is hardly appealing to most people, so why the emphasis? Is God "out of touch" with what we are really tempted with? Or are we deceived about what witchcraft really is? Do our ideas come from… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on April 23, 2009 at 12:00am — No Comments

The Truth About Prosperity

Luke 16:13 (NIV) "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Mat 6:19-21 (TEB) "Do not save riches for yourselves here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers break in and steal. Instead, save riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and robbers cannot break in and steal. For your… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on April 22, 2009 at 11:51pm — 5 Comments

How Do We Hear God's Voice?

Rev 3:22 (NIV) "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Sandy Gregory's Story Of The Remote Employee

Imagine you are hired to open up an office in Anchorage, Alaska. Your new boss gives you a high-tech looking two-way radio, a policy and procedure manual, and tells you that you will receive instructions once you arrive, and off you go. Upon arrival you hear your boss's voice over the radio, saying, "I will… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on April 22, 2009 at 8:52pm — 2 Comments

What is The Gospel?

2 Tim 2:8 (NIV) Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel.

The gospel is a message. It is also referred to in Scripture as a "word", a "doctrine", a "seed", the "good news", "the truth". Because God uses the message of the gospel to reconcile men to himself, it must be taught, heard, understood, believed, confessed and defended.

The Message is That Jesus is The Christ, that He Was Crucified,… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on April 22, 2009 at 8:47pm — No Comments

Salvation Comes Through Jesus ALONE!

Despite the decree of the apostles and elders of the church in Jerusalem, the "Judaizers" continued to preach the need of the Gentiles to conform to the Law of Moses. Within a few years of the conference in Jerusalem, the "Judaizers" are seen actively in the areas of Asia Minor and Greece. We see this concern manifest in Paul's letter to the Galatians, written to churches in south central Asia Minor around 55-57. In this letter, Paul first defends his apostleship and declares his authority… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on April 20, 2009 at 8:22am — 2 Comments

The Duties of an Elder

1. The Term "Elder"

1. PRESBUTEROS - elder, an old man, a leader in the church.

The term is used

1. of the elder of two persons (Luke 15:25, or more,

John 8:9).

2. of a person advanced in age (Acts 2:17; in Heb.

11:2).

3. of the forefathers in Israel (Matt. 15:2; Mark

7:3,5).

4. of members of the Sanhedrin (Matt. 16:21; 26:47).

5. of those who managed public affairs in the various

cities (Luke 7:3).

6. of those who were the heads or… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on April 19, 2009 at 9:18pm — 4 Comments

For the Modern Day Judeaizers...please read this!

Galatians 1:13 "For ye have heard of my conversation in time past

in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church

of God, and wasted it:"

Paul is speaking of the law that had been given to the Jews. Paul

was educated by Gamaliel in this law, that they called the law of

Moses. Paul believed that he was doing God's will, when he persecuted

the Christians. He was very anxious to be rid of these Christians and

their gospel. Paul was a… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on April 18, 2009 at 2:14pm — 7 Comments

THE MANDATE FOR PRISON MINISTRY

The mandate for prison ministry is clear in God’s Word, both by scripture and example.

SCRIPTURE:

The greatest scriptural mandate for prison ministry is given in Matthew 25:31-40. Jesus said:

. . .“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on April 17, 2009 at 10:24pm — No Comments

Johannesburg & capetown, Africa Short-Term Missions Trip This summer the National C.O.G.I.C. Youth On A Mission (Y.O.A.M.), short-term missions team, have a group scheduled to minister in AFRICA. Y…

Johannesburg & capetown, Africa

Short-Term Missions Trip

This summer the National C.O.G.I.C. Youth On A Mission (Y.O.A.M.), short-term missions team, have a group scheduled to minister in AFRICA. YOAM is an auxiliary of the Department of Missions for the Church Of God In Christ, Inc. under Bishop Carlis Moody. Missionary Stephanie R. Stevens, a YOAM team member since 2002, will travel with them to Johannesburg & Capetown this July.

During the 2… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on April 17, 2009 at 9:54pm — No Comments

Where Did Allah Come from?

Muslims worship a god by the name of Allah. They also give him ninety-nine other names. The question that naturally arises is who or what is this Allah? Where did the Muslims derive their ideas of Allah's nature and attributes?

Historical Source of Islam

Historians, linguists, and archeologists have dug into this question for over a century. Various archeological digs in Arabia and throughout the Middle East have uncovered the answer: Islam is a modern version of the… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on April 17, 2009 at 8:43pm — No Comments

Paul Understood The Law and Grace PERFECTLY...read and LEARN!

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on April 17, 2009 at 6:17pm — 1 Comment

Demonolgy 101

This teaching will give you a basic look into the world of demons according to the Bible. As you know, the Bible is the safest and most reliable book to turn to when seeking knowledge on the spiritual realm.

Various functions of demons

There's different spirits that cause different kinds of problems in a persons life, some affecting the person physically while others mentally and some give people special occult powers or… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on April 15, 2009 at 12:28pm — 1 Comment

The Season of God's Wrath is Upon Us!

The season of God’s wrath is upon us because of our willful disobedience and gross immorality. There will be no judgment you say? Examples in the Old Testament portray a sharp rise in widespread sexual sin and idolatry before a harsh and swift judgment from God.

Genesis 19 - God destroys Sodom and the cities of the plains for its wickedness namely unrepentant pride in its sexual sins and human injustices.

Numbers 25 - God send a plague of… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on April 15, 2009 at 10:12am — No Comments

Merchandising The Gospel

I marvel that more people are not totally embarrassed by the way the world of Christendom exacts money from the poor and peddles the Word of God like so much merchandise for sordid gain. It is an international disgrace. I will not mince words, so get ready for some startling revelations.

WHAT WE WILL LEARN

What is the real message of Malachi’s prophecy for believers today?

Did Paul finance his international ministry through… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on April 15, 2009 at 1:01am — 3 Comments

666

According to the Scriptures, the "mark of the beast" is received on the right hand or forehead. With modern technology, it is very possible that this mark may be directly linked with a computer chip. But regardless if it is or isn't, everyone who is living immediately before the return of Christ will be forced to take this mark in order to buy or sell anything:

"He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave,… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on April 12, 2009 at 8:11pm — 1 Comment

"When God Hides His Face" (You can buy it on Amazon)

I titled this book “When God Hides His Face” because many humans feel like God abandoned them when tragedy strikes. People in grief do NOT need a sermon or a lecture. Just concentrate on listening to the words that are being shared with you. Resist the urge to preach and educate the grieving person. Women will generally vent verbally more than men, allow her to vent! Even if she is screaming and wailing…LET HER! Yes it may make YOU uncomfortable, but… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on April 12, 2009 at 7:08pm — No Comments

A Biblical Look at Deacons

Apostles chose men they called “Deacons” which is translated “Servant-Ministers”, these men where responsible for the physical aspects of the ministry while the Apostles devoted themselves to prayer and preaching the Word of God. Two of the Deacons were responsible for an explosion of spiritual growth for the Early Church. Philip was a Deacon, but he also was anointed to be an Evangelist. Today we would consider Deacon and Evangelist two separate offices or ministries, but the Word makes no… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on April 12, 2009 at 6:51pm — 4 Comments

MONEY AND THE BELIEVER

There is not one example of anyone tithing MONEY to anyone in the entirety of the Bible! The only reference to "money" with regards to tithing has absolutely nothing to do with paying tithes ON money. It is found in Deut. 14:24-26, which we shall now read in it’s entirety:

"And if the way be too long for thee [to the place where God placed His name to be worshipped, especially during the fall feast harvest of tabernacles] so that you are not able to carry it [the tithe of their farm… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on April 11, 2009 at 10:08pm — 14 Comments