Mark H. Stevens, Th.D's Blog – March 2009 Archive (30)

DEMONS DEFINED

The Bible Vocabulary of Demon Activity (4:33-36)

The familiar Bible term "demon-possessed" has controlled our thinking about people troubled with demons. But the word "possessed" is one of those final, all-or-nothing expressions. And it prevents us from understanding the mechanisms involved in demon activity within humans. Let's study further:

• "Unclean spirit" (20 references in the NT, including Luke 4:33; 6:18; 8:29; 9:42; 11:24). The Greek word pneuma, the same word used to… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on March 30, 2009 at 8:27am — No Comments

THE CURSE OF MALICHI...Part One

In Malachi we find some very interesting facts. If we look carefully at Malachi we find the word “tithe’ mentioned only once in Malachi 3:10; but Nehemiah uses the word, or refers to it seven times in three chapters (10:37; 38; 12:44, 47; 13:5, 10, 12). Therefore, tithing in Nehemiah should be the required study for the context of tithing. EZRA, Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi cover 536 B.C. to about 400B.C. and should be read together. The seventy years of captivity had lasted from… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on March 29, 2009 at 8:56pm — 1 Comment

The Truth Will Make YOU Free!

How the early church was financed

It should come as no surprise that the early congregations of Christianity were financed the same way the early Israelite society was financed—through a free-will offering, which according to Moses, was more than ample to provide that which was needed.

"Men and women, as many as were willing...more »

How the early church was financed

It should come as no surprise that the early congregations of Christianity were financed the same… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on March 27, 2009 at 4:47pm — No Comments

Beware of The Prosperity Pimps

The Risks Of Wealth...

Mark 4:18-19 (Phi) "Then there are the seeds which were sown among the thorn bushes. These are the people who hear the message, but the worries of this world and the false glamour of riches and all sorts of other ambitions creep in and choke the life out of what they have heard, and it produces no crop in their lives."

Luke 8:14 (Phi) "And the seed sown among the thorns represents the people who hear the message and go on their way, and with the worries and… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on March 27, 2009 at 1:11pm — 1 Comment

Did Jesus Ever Get Depressed?

You don't think of Jesus as having a bad day, do you? Nevertheless, I want to look in this study at what was quite probably one of the worst days of Jesus' life, and how he handled the challenge he was faced with. Matthew 26:36-39

(36) Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.

(37) And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on March 26, 2009 at 4:25pm — No Comments

What Does it Mean to Be a Christian

Theologically speaking, a Christian is someone who has received the Lord Jesus as Savior (John 1:12), trusts Him alone for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 4:12), has put not trust in His own efforts (Isaiah 64:6) to please God, and repented from his/her sins (Mark 1:15). Experientially speaking, the life of a Christian does not consist only of theological knowledge. It is theology that defines who Jesus is and what He has done, but it is not the end of… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on March 25, 2009 at 11:49pm — No Comments

Jesus is God

Jesus is God

"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me" (Isaiah 43:10).

JESUS IS GOD, "YAHWEH"

John 1:3, "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."

Col. 1:16-17, "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on March 25, 2009 at 11:40pm — 1 Comment

What is the True Church?

People mistakenly think that there is an earthly organization that is the one true church. The true church is not an organization, not a series of buildings, but the body of true believers. The true church consists of those who are regenerate; that is, it consists of those who are the true Christians. There are, however, churches that are Christian and churches that are not Christian.

But you might ask how we can tell if a church is Christian or not? The answer is simple once we… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on March 25, 2009 at 11:23pm — 4 Comments

Bitterness is a root!

Hebrews 12:15, "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled."

What is a root? A root is a source, or a bubbling fountain that is laying under the surface. Roots do not directly manifest or make themselves known, but are a source of nutrition or fuel for other elements that are on the surface. You don't usually see a plant showing off it's root system, but if the plant didn't have a root system… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on March 22, 2009 at 9:23am — No Comments

Casting out Demons

There are many today who will attempt to pray over a person who is obviously in demonic bondage, but they don't even consider the thought of casting out the demon spirit behind the bondage. What is the usual result? The person remains in bondage and the prayer does little or no good.

God has given us authority over demon spirits, and along with authority comes responsibility. We were not given authority over demon spirits and told to cast… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on March 22, 2009 at 9:01am — 3 Comments

The Sin of Materialism

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 heart will always be where your riches are."

It is easy enough to "explain away" one or two verses to come to the conclusion we want. But what you are about to read is more than one or two verses: Scriptural teaching about… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on March 13, 2009 at 10:06pm — No Comments

The Spirit of Martin Luther

When Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses on the door of the church, he did so not to create a denomination, as some believe. Martin Luther wanted to correct anti-biblical practices being promoted in the church. The main theme revolved around the practice of “selling indulgences”. What the church was doing was convincing people that they could “pay” their family members out of purgatory. The church did this primarily to finance the Pope’s greed and… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on March 12, 2009 at 7:56pm — 3 Comments

The Need For Reform

I’ll get right to the point! Every since Martin Luther received the revelation from God that salvation was a free gift from God, that came through grace and faith…there has been a chasm between the Catholic and the Protestant. As an ordained Protestant minister I know all of the doctrinal problems involved in Catholicism. I have studied church history in college and in my spare time. I know about all of the church councils through the ages and the… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on March 12, 2009 at 7:52pm — 3 Comments

"When God Hides His Face" My latest book

Chaplain Stevens Says...

About The Book:

I wrote this book because most of us, both clergy and laity know absolutely nothing about helping a person get through grief. Quoting scripture or spouting rhetoric when a woman lost her 5 month old baby or when a strong vibrant man is suddenly paralyzed from the waist down doesn’t really help. I have been a chaplain for almost 18 years, the last 4 as a professional staff Chaplain. I… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on March 12, 2009 at 3:44pm — No Comments

Why God Had to Die

Why is it necessary for God to die for our sins?

Muslims often ask why it is necessary for God to die for man's sins. Why can't we just confess our sins and have God forgive us? Isn't that enough?

Following is an attempt to logically demonstrate the necessity of God atoning for our sins.

1. God is infinite.

A. There is no limit to Him. He is endless.

2. God is holy.

A. Holiness is purity. God is incapable of doing anything wrong. Part of the quality of holiness is… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on March 11, 2009 at 10:00pm — No Comments

The Holy Spirit is God

The Holy Spirit has the attributes of God, is equated with God and does work that only God does. Like God, the Spirit is holy—so holy that insulting the Spirit is just as sinful as trampling the Son of God under foot (Hebrews 10:29). Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is an unforgivable sin (Matthew 12:32). This indicates that the Spirit is holy by nature rather than having an assigned holiness such as the temple had.

Like God, the Holy Spirit is eternal (Hebrews 9:14). Like God, the… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on March 11, 2009 at 9:38pm — 3 Comments

The Plurality of God

The Bible teaches a plurality within the Godhead in both the Old and New Testaments. It is these verses, in part, that lay down the foundation for the doctrine of the Trinity. For more information on the trinity, please see What is the Trinity? and The Trinity Chart on how the doctrine of the Trinity is arrived at. See more information on the Holy Spirit

Plurality of God in the Old Testament

Gen. 1:26, "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on March 11, 2009 at 6:54pm — 2 Comments

Early Trinitarian Quotes

There are cult groups (Jehovah's Witnesses, The Way International, Christadelphians, etc.) who deny the Trinity and state that the doctrine was not mentioned until the 4th Century until after the time of the Council of Nicea (325). This council "was called by Emperor Constantine to deal with the error of Arianism [see page 45] which was threatening the unity of the Christian Church."

The following quotes show that the doctrine of the Trinity was indeed alive-and-well before the… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on March 11, 2009 at 6:49pm — No Comments

How the early church was financed

It should come as no surprise that the early congregations of Christianity were financed the same way the early Israelite society was financed—through a free-will offering, which according to Moses, was more than ample to provide that which was needed.

"Men and women, as many as were willing hearted, brought bracelets, and earrings, rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold ...the children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord ... They brought yet unto him (Moses) free offerings… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on March 10, 2009 at 9:21pm — 2 Comments

How to Deal With Jehovah's Witnessess

What do the Jehovah's Witnesses Teach?

1. There is one God in one person, Make Sure of All Things, p 188.

2. There is no Trinity, Let God be True, p. 100-101; Make Sure of All Things, p.386.

3. The Holy Spirit is a force, not alive, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp.

406-407.

4. The Holy Spirit is God's impersonal active force, The Watchtower, June 1, 1952,

p. 24.

5. Jehovah's first creation was his 'only-begotten Son'. . . was used by Jehovah… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on March 7, 2009 at 5:42pm — No Comments