Black Chaplains Association

Comment

Comment by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on February 12, 2010 at 1:35pm

According to 1 Corinthians 3:1 all Christians can be divided into the two groups, spiritual and carnal. A spiritual Christian allows the Holy Spirit to guide and govern him to do the perfect will of the Father. A carnal Christian has been born again but has not overcome the sinful nature of his flesh. Instead of being governed by the Spirit he is ruled by feelings, emotions, desires, greed, good or bad intentions, intellectual interpretation etc. etc. Our churches are filled with carnal believers that don’t depend on the Word for their daily guidance. By rejecting the Word they also reject the Holy Spirit that speaks the Word to our spirit and mind.

The Catholic Church doesn’t encourage it’s congregates to study for themselves because the priest is the source of revelatory knowledge, but the Bible (John 14:26 and John 15:26) and the Holy Spirit are all the help we need. Yes we need teachers (Spirit-filled teachers) to help us, but we are still responsible to study to show ourselves approved unto God.

Pastors and teachers have to take the church from MILK to MEAT, I would be horrified to see an adult wearing diapers in church, but spiritually many saints are wearing diapers in the house of God. The reason we treat our pastors like gods is that we are babies and we are letting them carry us like babies! They should be taking us from milk to MEAT! We have to grow up so we can assist in the ministry and stop being a burden to the church. So many pastors quit because of burnout, but most of the time it is their fault! Imagine a woman trying to care for 20 to 30 babies at one time, she would eventually crack under pressure! We have to GROW UP SPIRITUALLY! We have to pray and study 7 days a week, not just on Sunday in the presence of your pastor. Martin Luther was a great man but we need MORE men and women like him today! Men and women committed to the truth of scripture over tradition, hype, and fluff!

Comment by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on December 4, 2009 at 1:14am

What is a Chaplain?

A chaplain is usually a person who is an ordained minister who has been commissioned by their religious faith group to minister in an institution, organization, or governmental agency. Chaplains have additional training for the specialized setting in which they work and are certified by an agency or organization that sets standards for their professional competence. The first chaplains were appointed for personal ministry to monarchs, or noblemen who owned their own chapels. Today chaplains serve in a variety of institutional settings such as hospitals, prisons, businesses, schools, diplomatic facilities and all branches of military service.
Chaplains Offer Spiritual Care
Spirituality is a basic human experience present in all of us. It is characterized by the impulse to impart meaning, value, purpose, connectedness and a sense of hope to our existence. It derives from the Latin word "spiritus" which refers to breath, air or wind. Spirituality is often understood as the life-essence that animates or enlivens who we are.
When facing a crisis, persons will turn to their spirituality as a means of coping. Many attend to their spiritual concerns within religious communities through the use of traditional religious practices, beliefs, and values. They may pray, read sacred texts, and observe rituals that are particular to their tradition. Others focus their spirituality outside traditional religious systems and beliefs. All, however, engage in a universal need to find meaning, purpose and hope in their lives. This is especially evident in times of illness or crisis. Supporting a person’s efforts to cope in the crisis of illness is appropriately thought of as spiritual care because their search leads to spiritual questions and challenges such as: Why do I exist? Why is this happening to me? If I die, what will happen to me? Health care is more than repairing bodies, it is taking care of the WHOLE person.

Comment by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on November 12, 2009 at 6:21pm

Inductive Bible Study
Saturday November 14th, 2009
9 AM – 3 PM
The Place: Mt Calvary COGIC
7th and Market
Camden NJ


WHAT IS INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY?


Instead of studying resources about the Bible, inductive study focuses first upon the Bible. You need to be willing to lay aside your preconceived notions, pet interpretations, ready references, study notes, sermon tapes, etc, coming to the Scriptures as for the first time. Your primary resource is God's Word, then other secondary resources. The tendency for many Bible students at the beginning of a study is to rally secondary resources that will do the "observing" and "interpreting" for the reader. It's quick but is it correct? How can you know if you don't make your own independent observations and arrive at your own interpretation based on those observations? And why even go to the Scriptures if you almost immediately forget what you've just read? Research show that we learn more and retain more, the more actively we are involved in the learning process

The Teacher: Elder Mark H. Stevens, M.Min

For more details call – 609-346-8343

Comment by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on October 25, 2009 at 1:14pm

I have been a Christian since I was about 14 years old growing up in Richmond, Virginia. I remember walking up to the altar one Summer Sunday morning and giving the pastor my hand. I was baptized and became a part of the Body of Christ. It should have been a happy time, but it was the beginning of a war. I was raised in a single parent home in Bridgeport, Connecticut and we later moved to Richmond. I had some serious emotional problems that were hidden from everyone but my mother.

I have suffered from depression as far back as I can remember. I even had a doctor offer to prescribe medication for me when I was a teenager, but my mother refused to make me take it. Thoughts of suicide have haunted me every since I was about 12 years old. My father wasn’t there for me and that was a major contributor to my depression, but it really got worst after I got saved. Looking back I realize it was the enemy trying to cause me to end my life prematurely to abort my calling and mission for God.

My brother was in the Army during the Vietnam War and he had just got home from College before he got drafted. I was a loner and didn’t have many friends, I was a book worm and spent most of my time in the attic reading comic books and yes the Bible. One day I found a trunk in the attic that belonged to my brother, it was filled with pornography. To this day my mother never knew that stuff was in the house. I was right at the age of puberty so you can imagine the effect finding this stuff had on my young life. Needless to say I spent a lot of time in the attic.
The devil knows that our battle starts in the mind; our thoughts are our freedom or our bondage. If our minds are on the truth of the Word, then we walk in freedom and deliverance. The devil knows if we are led by our fleshly desire then we will be in bondage. Satan will provide all of the fuel our flesh needs to keep us in bondage. When I got saved the Holy Spirit convicted me about the pornography. The enemy would back away the more I embrace Jesus and His Word. (James 4:7); The moment I lapsed and stopped praying and studying the Word that is when the opportunities to sin became available.

I am 50 years old and I still have urges and compulsions to view pornography. The good news is I KNOW it is an area of weakness, so I avoid place and people that would make pornography available to me. When I was in the military it was very hard because pornography is SO accepted and available. I had to ask the First Sergeant to change roommates twice because they had porno in the room. I am not going to lie and say I was victorious every time. I fell on many occasions, I was frustrating and I was often ashamed about this bondage. I biggest key to victory is admitting you need help and that you can’t do it without God’s help.

What is really amazing is how today I work in a Psychiatric hospital and most of my patients and sex offenders. I believe God ordered my steps this way for a few reasons. Many of the men I deal with were molested as children; also many were exposed to sexual perversions in the homes they grew up in. My own struggles help me be more empathetic towards them and help me be patient when I minister to them.

My prayer is that this book will help you realize that you are NOT alone. Jesus died so we can be free from the powers of darkness. When I was a teenager I didn’t know that demons were subject to Jesus name. I never realized the full extent of the power of God over the devil and his imps. Today I know that pornography is my Kryptonite and I have to avoid it of I will fall. The devil knows what YOUR Kryptonite is, never forget that.

The biggest thing I had to deal with was GUILT, I always felt like a failure in God’s sight, there have been times I begged God to take me home because I grew weary of the struggle. Guilt will destroy a Christian unless they give the struggle over to Jesus Christ. He died on the cross so we could be free from the condemnation of the devil.
Guilt is one of Satan's biggest weapons against us. It tears us down, it makes us feel dirty, unworthy, robs of us of our faith and confidence in Christ Jesus. Jesus not only came to cleanse us from our sins, but also set us free from the guilt of our sins. If you want to live a life of spiritual victory, you need to have a conscience freed from the guilt of your past. 1 Timothy 3:9, "Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience."
Two kinds of guilt
There's two kinds of guilt in the Bible. There's Godly sorrow that leads a person to repentance (2 Cor 7:10), which is know as conviction and it comes from the Holy Spirit (John 16:8, "when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin..." - NASB). Once a person repents, the guilt lifts and they feel relieved and joyful that their sin(s) have been forgiven. Then there's another kind of guilt, and that's condemnation or accusations from the devil. Satan loves to torment God's people by reminding them of their pasts, and continually holding their sins before them even after their sins have been forgiven. This is condemnation and there is no good that comes out of it whatsoever. It tears us down, makes us feel dirty, unworthy and robs of us of our faith and confidence in Christ Jesus. It's a lie from the father of lies, and it needs to be ignored.
The difference between condemnation and conviction is explained in much more detail in the teaching Condemnation verses Conviction.
In this teaching, we will be dealing solely with the negative kind of guilt called condemnation.
Guilt is a door to the enemy
I have seen how guilt can be an open door to be tormented by evil spirits. False guilt is actually a symptom of unforgiveness in your heart that is directed at yourself. In Matthew 18:23-35, Jesus tells us how important it is to forgive those who have wronged us, and how we can be turned over to the tormenters (evil spirits) if we are unforgiving. Collisions 3:13 tells us to be, "...forgiving one another..." The phrase 'one another' in NT Greek translates to the word Heautou, which includes THEMSELF! Bitterness, regardless who or what it's about, defiles a man (Hebrews 12:15). Spiritual defilement is what makes a person open to unclean spirits. It is very possible for a person to be harassed by evil spirits or come under their power, just because a person has refused to forgive them self.
How guilt is cultivated and nurtured
Guilt is cultivated when you continually allow yourself to dwell and think about how badly you've messed up, your pasts, the sins you've committed, etc. The enemy loves to remind us of our past failures, so he can keep us thinking about them. The problem is, if we allow ourselves to fall for this trap, it allows the enemy to build what they call a stronghold in our minds.
Your best bet is to learn what is going on, and stop Satan dead in his tracks. Learn the difference between condemnation and conviction, and stop listening to condemnation. Condemnation comes from the devil, and it's meant to build strongholds in your mind and weaken you spiritually.
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Comment by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on October 24, 2009 at 7:53am

For those living in the Camden County Area...

I will be teaching at Cooper University Hospital on Friday evenings, It will be a Bible based class dealing with issues related to ministry. Every friday @ 6pm in room 805 in the Kelleman Building.

609-346-8343 for more details

Comment by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on October 8, 2009 at 11:38pm

Comment by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on September 14, 2009 at 8:46am

A Normal Life Process
At some point in our lives, each of us faces the loss of someone or something dear to us. The grief that follows such a loss can seem unbearable, but grief is actually a healing process. Grief is the emotional suffering we feel after a loss of some kind. The death of a loved one, loss of a limb, even intense disappointment can cause grief. Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross has named five stages of grief people go through following a serious loss. Sometimes people get stuck in one of the first four stages. Their lives can be painful until they move to the fifth stage - acceptance.
Five Stages of Grief
1. Denial and Isolation.
At first, we tend to deny the loss has taken place, and may withdraw from our usual social contacts. This stage may last a few moments, or longer.
2. Anger.
The grieving person may then be furious at the person who inflicted the hurt (even if she's dead), or at the world, for letting it happen. He may be angry with himself for letting the event take place, even if, realistically, nothing could have stopped it.
3. Bargaining.
Now the grieving person may make bargains with God, asking, "If I do this, will you take away the loss?"
4. Depression.
The person feels numb, although anger and sadness may remain underneath.
5. Acceptance.
This is when the anger, sadness and mourning have tapered off. The person simply accepts the reality of the loss.
Grief And Stress
During grief, it is common to have many conflicting feelings. Sorrow, anger, loneliness, sadness, shame, anxiety, and guilt often accompany serious losses. Having so many strong feelings can be very stressful.
Yet denying the feelings, and failing to work through the five stages of grief, is harder on the body and mind than going through them. When people suggest "looking on the bright side," or other ways of cutting off difficult feelings, the grieving person may feel pressured to hide or deny these emotions. Then it will take longer for healing to take place.
Recovering From Grief
Grieving and its stresses pass more quickly, with good self-care habits. It helps to have a close circle of family or friends. It also helps to eat a balanced diet, drink enough non-alcoholic fluids, get exercise and rest.
Most people are unprepared for grief, since so often, tragedy strikes suddenly, without warning. If good self-care habits are always practiced, it helps the person to deal with the pain and shock of loss until acceptance is reached.

Comment by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on September 11, 2009 at 1:30pm

False Self
All of life in the natural sphere conditions and inclines one to deal with life's experiences from a horizontal perspective, that is, to react from a self-protective and self-defensive posture, to insure one's survival in a competitive and fallen environment. This pronounced self-focus degenerates, in time, until life is characterized by guilt and shame, anger and bitterness, and fear: a life devoid of the Presence of God. Life becomes filled with the presence of self attempting to meet the needs of self by a fruitless search for the meaning of life in a world system energized by evil.
A person in this condition seeks relief by the fashions and customs of this world, by the lusts and appetites of the flesh, by justifying his own behavior, by placing the blame on others, by seeking peace and joy in things, people, possessions. Emphasis is on what others have done or failed to do, and the remedy is to change others and the circumstances of life by whatever human (fallen) resources are available. The focus is on self, to save self and to use others, and the things of the world to find the meaning of life.
True Self
All that was done to us, what we have done to others, the failures, the ills, the violations of our persons, the brutalities, the perversions of life, rejections, death of loved ones, tragedies, loneliness, abandonment, Jesus paid the penalty for all these sins. and provided the means to handle the tragedies of life. We do not need to deal with these violations , and the tragedies of life on our own. Christ is in us to work out our salvation daily ( Phil. 2:12-13 ; Gal. 2:20 ; 2 Cor. 5:17 ; 2 Cor. 5:21 ; Rom. 6:3-6 ; Ezek. 18:20 ).
Being in Christ, we are new creatures and we are to deal with life now from a biblical perspective. Our problem is not with Satan, not with people, not with the circumstances of life, but our problem lies in our relationship with God. Our focus is to change from a concern about self, to a concern about God's glory and that is accomplished by our godly responses to others and to life in general ( Rom. 5:17 ; 2 Cor. 5:21 ).

Comment by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on September 4, 2009 at 5:47pm

Biblical Counseling 101

NJ Institute of Theological Studies is conducting a 3 week study of Biblical Counseling from Sept. 11th through Sept. 25th 2009

Friday Sept. 11th 2009 – The Root of All Problems
Friday Sept. 18th - 2009 – Biblical Application
Friday Sept. 25th - 2009 – Depression and PTSD

About The Instructor



Mark Stevens graduated from the Institute of Jewish Studies, a school of the Philadelphia Bible University. He is an ETA (Evangelical Training Association) certified Bible Teacher. He holds a BA in Theology and an MA in Ministry from Freedom Bible College and Seminary, and is the final stages of receiving his Doctorate in Ministry from Freedom. He has completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at Cooper Trauma Center. He is a Staff Chaplain at Ancora Psychiatric Hospital and at Cooper Trauma Center.

The Place: 3 Cooper Plaza
Cooper Trauma Hospital
Camden, NJ 08013
Pastoral Care Conference Rm - Room 506


The Time: 6PM
The Cost for course FREE (Books $15.00)
For more info….
Phone Number – 609-346-8343
E-mail – chaplainstevens@gmail.com

Comment by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on August 30, 2009 at 5:43am

A chaplain is usually a person who is an ordained minister who has been commissioned by their religious faith group to minister in an institution, organization, or governmental agency. Chaplains have additional training for the specialized setting in which they work and are certified by an agency or organization that sets standards for their professional competence. The first chaplains were appointed for personal ministry to monarchs, or noblemen who owned their own chapels. Today chaplains serve in a variety of institutional settings such as hospitals, prisons, businesses, schools, diplomatic facilities and all branches of military service.
Chaplains Offer Spiritual Care
Spirituality is a basic human experience present in all of us. It is characterized by the impulse to impart meaning, value, purpose, connectedness and a sense of hope to our existence. It derives from the Latin word "spiritus" which refers to breath, air or wind. Spirituality is often understood as the life-essence that animates or enlivens who we are.
When facing a crisis, persons will turn to their spirituality as a means of coping. Many attend to their spiritual concerns within religious communities through the use of traditional religious practices, beliefs, and values. They may pray, read sacred texts, and observe rituals that are particular to their tradition. Others focus their spirituality outside traditional religious systems and beliefs. All, however, engage in a universal need to find meaning, purpose and hope in their lives. This is especially evident in times of illness or crisis. Supporting a person’s efforts to cope in the crisis of illness is appropriately thought of as spiritual care because their search leads to spiritual questions and challenges such as: Why do I exist? Why is this happening to me? If I die, what will happen to me? Health care is more than repairing bodies, it is taking care of the WHOLE person.

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