Black Chaplains Association

Comment

Comment by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on August 29, 2009 at 2:22pm

Pastors and teachers have to take the church from MILK to MEAT, I would be horrified to see an adult wearing a diaper 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! I leave this scary verse with you to meditate on.

Isaiah 2:6 (NIV) You have abandoned your people, the house of Jacob. They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and clasp hands with pagans.

Comment by Rev. D. R. Grear on August 27, 2009 at 11:41am

"And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us." Acts. 16:9


UNITED PARACLETIAN MINISTRY, INERNATIONAL

MISSION
And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. St. Luke 14:23

PURPOSE
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tiding unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; Ish.61:1

VISION
To have ministries in all fifty states and abroad

If you believe the Lord is or have call you into these part of his vineyard.
Contact me by phone or email
325.869.0049 or revdrgrear@yahoo.com

Comment by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on August 14, 2009 at 11:25am

Religion wants nothing to do with grace; it wants to feel like it's right with God because it has somehow earned right standing with God by being good and 'keeping all the rules'. Grace humiliates religion, because grace admits to weakness and failure. Religion justifies it's actions while grace humbly realizes the failure and accepts mercy.
It is a goal of religion to degrade the seriousness of sin, so that it doesn't feel so bad, thus avoiding the need to repent and receive God's mercy. In this passage, Jesus is rebuking the Pharisees for rejecting the mercy of God through John the Baptist's baptism:
For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

Comment by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on August 12, 2009 at 5:51pm

The place where intercessory prayer must start is with you. It's great to know that others may be stepping up for someone before God, but God wants you to put something of yourself on the line. Otherwise, it's too cheap to be real. Your private devotions are not just for your own benefit. If God's love is at work in you, you will care about others, and your love for them will lead you to take it to the ultimate Source of strength, healing, and love. Don't be fearful; be persistent and stubborn. God doesn't mind; God likes to see divine love at work in you. God honors your part in the relationship. I personally do not believe special people are intercessors per se, I do believe the work of intercession is special and ALL believers SHOULD be intercessors. I work as a Chaplain in a Psychiatric Hospital and I have groups of mentally ill patients that tell me all the time, “Chaplain we are praying for you” I firmly believe God can use anyone. It is best to always be aware that you never really pray alone. For when the honest love in you for other people causes you to ask God to act to strengthen, heal, defend, change, or bless them, there is someone else praying with you: the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is leading you to pray. When your love is not whole or your mind is not clear, the Spirit steps in for you, to express the intercession and draw you into it. Christian intercessors over the past two millennia have prayed their intercessions in a 'Trinitarian' manner: to the Father, through the Son, and in and with the Holy Spirit. God isn't fussy about the pattern, but it helps us to see some part of how God works in prayer. The Holy Spirit helps in intercession because He knows what we need to pray for better than we do.
The intercessory prayer you first pray about someone may not be what God wants you to pray for. For instance, you might be praying to lift a burden, but the Lord might be using the burden to prepare them to do something for God. Then again, your prayer might be what God wants to happen. Thus, we are to pray listening for the Spirit, and pray that God's will be done. I find myself concentrating better when I mutter the words; it gives my mind more focus. The mind may go off to explore something during personal devotions, but not while you're interceding for others -- those others must be your first concern. So, it's sometimes best to do it before you seek stillness (though God will sometimes lead you out of stillness into intercession -- be open to it).
Don't be surprised if the Holy Spirit starts tugging on your heart to take some sort of action about a matter you're praying about. You may be the answer God sends into their lives. That's not a license to be nosey, stepping into everyone's private lives like some sort of conquering hero. But the Spirit might be calling you to be more than a bystander. Be ready for it. When you intercede, bring your knowledge, gifts, abilities, attention and energies before God and say, “use these, if that's what it takes to set this right”.
Chaplain Mark H. Stevens, B.Th, M.Min

Comment by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on July 4, 2009 at 7:28am

Once you get saved, the devil will try to make sure that you encounter false doctrine. Your faith is tender and you will be prone to believe anything people tell you about the Bible (that's why you need to read it for yourself everyday). If you have any questions, please write me and I will direct you to the appropriate scriptures. Please heed these warnings: 1. Don't let anybody tell you that you have to "speak in tongues" to show that you are saved. These people take one or two passages out of context and make false doctrine out of them. 2. Don't let anyone tell you that water baptism saves you. If you are saved, you WILL get baptized out of obedience. Saved people are children of obedience (Heb 5:9). The gospel and baptism are separate--I Cor 1:17. You are baptized in order to outwardly identify with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and to symbolically show the washing away of sins. So if you are trusting in your baptism to save you, you are wrong. An unrepentant sinner will go down a dry sinner and come out a wet sinner.
1 Peter 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
3. Don't let anybody tell you that you're going to hell if you don't go to church on Saturday--Colossians 2:16, Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days. Chaplain M. H. Stevens, M.Min

Comment by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on June 19, 2009 at 7:45pm

Revolutionary Disciples Media is a new Christian Media Company that was established to help writers and artists promote their works. This is a Kingdom based entity and whether it is a romance novel, fiction, mystery, action and suspense, poetry, children’s or any other genre, we can help a writer reach their publishing goals. We offer writers and artists the personal touch we would expect others to extend to us. Our motto is “Promoting the Word, breaking strongholds, one Author at a time.” This is more than just a motto for RDM, this is our ministry. We have heard the call and have received the message. There needs to be a place where those that are called to reach the masses can get their works out in a way that respects them as an individual and respects the Word of God, and that is Revolutionary Disciples Media.
We are similar to other publishing companies in the sense that we help authors publish their work; but the next level is what sets us apart. We pride ourselves on our timely responses and extending a personal touch to each author. We interview our authors to ascertain where their strengths and priorities lie, to determine exactly what their unique message happens to be, and to find out the best way to assist them in reaching the next level. We will help all authors; achieve their desired goals—while maximizing their God given talents and producing/creating top quality products, grounded in His life changing Word.
In August, RDM is set to release two prominent works. The first work is to help those who counsel others about the intricacies of the grieving process and how to deal with it. The other is an unconventional book of poetry and prose that will tease the senses, while it engulfs your thoughts and helps you on your spiritual journey.
To learn more about Revolutionary Disciples Media, please visit: www.revolutionarydisciples.com or contact us at 912-564-2427; 443-264-0070 (telephone and fax) or by email at jwpublishing@gmail.com or customer_service@revolutionarydisciples.com .
###

Comment by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on June 19, 2009 at 2:00am

Pastors have to be more accessible and be willing to mentor others towards being a successor.

Paul mentored Timothy and Titus like sons in the faith, and they looked to Paul like a father. Elisha learned at the feet of Elijah and went on to be a greater prophet of God. Jonathan was the rightful heir to Israel’s throne but he forsook that to mentor and befriend young David. My first two Pastors were instrumental in helping shape me into the man I am now!

The Necessity of Training and Delegation (Acts 6:3-4; Ex. 18:1f; 1 Tim. 4:6, 11-16; 2 Tim. 2:2, 15)
Facing the limitations of one man, the necessity of priorities, and the giftedness of the body of Christ naturally leads to the importance of training and delegation. Neither Moses, following neither Jethro’s advice, nor the apostles ignored the legitimate needs of the people, but neither did they allow themselves to be distracted from the primary needs of the people and the priorities of the Word. It becomes important, therefore, for pastors to train the body of saints in the basics of the Word and delegate various aspects of ministry to other members of the body according to their gifts and the Lord’s leading in each believer’s life.

Too often a pastor tries to be a one-man show; the church will always suffer under this kind of leadership! Usually this stems from insecurity and jealousy on the pastor’s part. If you are the Pastor NO ONE can take that away from you! You must be secure in your office; you need other minister’s help! The Pastor needs an evangelist to bring lost souls to be fed, Teachers have to be there to help disciple saints, and prophets need to bring a Word in season.

Comment by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on May 27, 2009 at 9:45pm

1. More emphasis must be placed on soulwinning and outreach
initiatives, evangelism has to be outside the 4 walls of the church,
our understanding of an "evangelist" in many of our churches is
someone that get the saints excited and raise a big offering for the
church and himself. An Evangelist is a SOULWINNER plain and simple.
The Pastor has to disciple the new converts after they are won to
Jesus! The primary purpose of the Holy Ghost is to HELP us in
ministry (Acts 1:8). Ministry isn't just at a PULPIT! It is in
hospitals, Prisons, Nursing homes, and the street. The problem is
when you minister away from the pulpit no one can see you, too
many "preachers" like the spotlight rather than being a light!


2. The Office of Deacon MUST be restored to it's rightful place, we
could take a lesson from the Baptist church on this issue. We would
have more men and stronger men if they were groomed and trained to be
DEACONS! Deacons are not just old men holding the collection plate! I
was a Deacon at the age of 22, I tought Bible Study, Sunday School,
and led the street witnessing team! I did more ministry as a Deacon
than some Elders!


3. EDUCATION is NOT the enemy! We MUST make the requirements for
ordination TOUGHER! We have far too many preachers that are not well
versed in the scriptures, we know who sits on the general board, we
know who the state mother is, and the Clark Sisters latest CD...but
tell some of these ministers to stand toe to toe with a Jehovah's Witness and defend
The Bibles stance on the Trinity
and the deity of Jesus Christ.
Apologetically TOO MANY of our preachers are lacking! And don't tell
me "all I need is the anointing!" A sound Bible education ENHANCES
the anointing, if you can't read well, how can you understand the
Word and preach to others? With all thy getting get an
understanding...isn't that what the BIBLE say's?


4. Women need to be ordained with a stipulation, no woman can rise to
the office of Bishop. Women CAN and are called to PREACH! Nuff said!
Many of our COGIC churches were STARTED by women but woman are not
GOOD enough to sit in OUR pulpits? God forbid!


5. Youth Ministries MUST expand and think outside the box, if we lose
our youth the church will dry up and die! When I was 14 years old my
Baptist church had a "Youth Deacon Board" (I was one), The Older
Deacons mentored us, we delivered food to the sick and shut in,
washed seniors cars and cut thier grass....we need to better train
our boys to be men. True religion is to visit the widow AND the
FATHERLESS!



6. Foriegn Missions has to be MORE of a priority in the COGIC and in
Black churches in general, who better than black people to evangelize
3rd world countries? Our problem is we preach prosperity more than
the Gospel, prosperity doesn't work on the Mission Field. We MUST
fulfill the Great Commission, it was a command NOT an option!



7. Feeding the hungry is also a part of outreach, remember when the Apostles apointed Deacons? The purpose was centered around feeding poor widows, as the feeding ministry flourished the numbers of the church GREW! Acts of kindness draw people to Jesus, because JESUS primary mission was to the POOR and REJECTED!



Chaplain Mark H. Stevens, M.Min

Comment by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on May 18, 2009 at 1:32pm

"Sex addiction is a betrayal of the loving heart. Like all addictions, it is cunning, baffling, powerful--and destructive. It often has its roots in childhood, in unhealthy family relationships where there was boundary trespassing, seduction, violence, and other abuse. Sex addiction then may continue in secrecy from generation to generation. Those of us who were abused often kept seeking out situations that seemed to promise gratification, but they inevitably brought humiliation and pain. We tried to figure out the obscure mechanism that drove our behavior, and we may have even managed to work out some kind of explanation. But more often than not, we continued acting out and re-enacting our desperate scenarios. Our behavior remained inexplicable, implacable and devastating.

"To understand what was happening to us, we found we needed to change the beliefs that under laid and motivated our behavior. What we discovered continues to be true at each stage of our recovery. We need to be honest, fearless, and confront our affliction by breaking out of our secrets and shame. Above all, we need to develop new ways of interpreting our feelings and expressing them, and new ways of loving and relating to the world.

"Love is the antidote to addiction. By love, we mean the abiding affection that comes from connecting with others. This love includes and nurtures our sexuality as we rethink the relationship between love and power. Such love does not exist in isolation, and so we move toward other men and women to find and develop it.

"Most of us were enslaved by our addiction as long as we were convinced that we were unlovable and therefore incapable of loving others. For many of us, our search brought us to programs that offer vital and nurturing communities where we can learn the simple truths of loving an allowing ourselves to be loved. It is here we can find the serenity and strength to daily turn our struggles over to a Power greater than ourselves. Often spiritual healing brought sexual healing as we recognized an expressed ourselves as whole people, with both masculine and feminine aspects. In these programs, we continue to find confidence and fellowship as we open ourselves to others and our faith in Jesus Christ and His Word..."

Comment by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on May 17, 2009 at 6:08pm

2 Corinthians 10:4, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds."
Strongholds are birthed and dwell in deception (which are lies and false beliefs), so naturally the cure is to bring the truth in God's Word on the scene. You debunk the lies of the enemy, with the truth, which is in the Word of God! The Bible says that our weapons are mighty for the tearing down of strongholds (2 Cor 10:4, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds."). What is our primary offensive weapon? The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph 6:17, "...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."). Truth dispels deception and lies, and therefore the more truth you bring into a situation, the more the darkness must flee. This is where it's important to grow in God's Word, is because it is your primary weapon for tearing down the strongholds of deception that the enemy has been feeding you.

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11
• 12
• Next ›
• Page