Mark H. Stevens, Th.D's Blog – December 2008 Archive (17)

The Heresy of Seed Faith Giving

2 Peter 2:1,”… but there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”





What do you think it means to deny the Lord? Many would say that any person or group that doesn’t believe that Jesus was the Son of God would be denying the Lord and that would be true enough. False religions like Islam and Hinduism… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on December 28, 2008 at 10:36pm — No Comments

Before you call yourself an "Apostle"...Read this!

The Five-fold Ministry Gifts



Apostles are leaders and visionaries... they bring direction to the church. They have the courage and ability to keep the Church moving forward, growing, building in new directions. Apostles are also fathers, able to nurture and disciple the other ministry gifts. They have maturity and experience beyond their fellows and can give guidance as well as leadership. They wear the Helmet of Salvation, which means they walk "within" salvation. They know the… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on December 28, 2008 at 7:32pm — 1 Comment

No More "Laymen" Please

One problem I have found in the modern church is that we have made the church a CLERGY run entity. God meant the church to be driven by ALL of the saints. We are a body of BELIEVERS and BELIEVERS are supposed to CAST OUT DEVILS, PREACH THE GOSPEL, and LAY HANDS on the sick.



(James 5:16 and Mark 16:20) Evangelism, Healing, and Deliverance were not just for the APOSTLES! This is a lie many Seminarians teach and advocate. I too am a college-educated preacher, however I know that the… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on December 28, 2008 at 7:18pm — No Comments

Pastor's Pay Attention

Pastors Take Precautions!

Proactive/protective steps to avoid sin:

1. Do you have an accountability partner or group and do you meet with them regularly and honestly? (This is critically important for pastors who do any serious counseling at all.)

2. Do you leave the office door open or the window in it uncovered?

3. Do you keep your desk between you and your counselee? Physical distance between you and the counselee is very important for her security and comfort, and for… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on December 28, 2008 at 6:11pm — 1 Comment

Who or What is YOUR God?

If poverty is accompanied by physical dangers, prosperity is accompanied by spiritual dangers. God will often move us through both for the purpose of testing us. We have to realize that God is in control of our life, and no amount of verbal commands can change the destiny and purpose God has laid out for us. If the Lord so blesses us with wealth it will add no hurt or harm. God’s blessings don’t come with the taint of evil or falsehoods.





Phil 4:11-13 (Phi) ...For I have learned… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on December 28, 2008 at 4:04pm — 2 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 December 28, 2008 at 3:51pm — No Comments

PLEASE Read YOUR Bibles!

The fact is, these people can find only ONE verse that mentions "Prosperity" in the whole New Testament (-and it is of dubious help, as we shall see). And there are dozens and dozens of verses in opposition! But which one do they choose to quote again and again? Here it is in the King James version (-which is the only translation that helps them in any way): "I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." (3 John 2). Now, it is interesting to… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on December 17, 2008 at 9:46pm — No Comments

PASTORAL ACCOUNTABILITY

A filing cabinet drawer full of objections can be raised against pastoral leadership by a board of elders. For the Bible-believing Christian, however, the real issue is this: is pastoral leadership by a board of elders biblical? Is it apostolic? It is my belief that it is! Both the apostles, Paul and Peter, mandate that the local church elders pastor the flock of God (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1, 2; cf. Titus 1:5). We have no right, then, to take away the elders’ God-given mandate. Yet that is… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on December 17, 2008 at 9:15pm — 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 Popes greed and desire to finance the Cistene Chapel in Rome. Now… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on December 17, 2008 at 9:07pm — No Comments

Popes and Bishops

Over the years I have heard many Protestants criticize the Papal system and all of its pomp and arrogance. But if you spend any amount of time around some of our Bishops and Overseers in the various Protestant denominations you would think you were in the presence of a Pope. Some of our preachers are so pompous and aloof you would think you were in the Vatican. Many preachers today have become celebrities and idols. So often I hear Christians speak of their pastors and bishops with adoration… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on December 16, 2008 at 6:52pm — 1 Comment

Ministry Gifts

The Five-fold Ministry Gifts



Apostles are leaders and visionaries... they bring direction to the church. They have the courage and ability to keep the Church moving forward, growing, building in new directions. Apostles are also fathers, able to nurture and disciple the other ministry gifts. They have maturity and experience beyond their fellows and can give guidance as well as leadership. They wear the Helmet of Salvation, which means they walk "within" salvation. They know the… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on December 16, 2008 at 6:43pm — No Comments

New Reformation Needed

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 on my spare time, I know about all of the church councils through the ages and the anti-biblical decisions they made, I know Peter… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on December 16, 2008 at 6:34pm — No Comments

Knowledge

Doesn't the Bible say that knowledge will be "destroyed"? Isn't it "incomplete"? Doesn't it "puff up"? And then there's the "tree of"! But aren't we also told to "look/ask/seek for it and walk in it"?



First, we will look at knowledge, wisdom, and understanding as a single issue.



How Long Will Knowledge Be Useful?

1 Cor 13:8b-12 (Phi) For if there are prophecies they will be fulfilled and done with, if there are "tongues" the need for them will disappear, if there is… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on December 7, 2008 at 11:50pm — No Comments

Faith is believing and acting on the TRUTH!

Luke 18:8b (NIV) When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?



Believing The Truth



Faith is believing in what is true. Faith has two elements: 1) being convinced of the truth, being certain of reality, having evidence of unseen things, and 2) believing, hoping in, embracing, seizing the truth.

Heb 11:1 (KJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.



Heb 11:1 (NIV) Now faith is being sure of what we hope… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on December 7, 2008 at 10:32pm — No Comments

Biblical Examples of Rebukes & Principles for Protecting The Message

2 Tim 2:15-17 (Phi) For yourself, concentrate on winning God's approval, on being a workman with nothing to be ashamed of, and who knows how to use the word of truth to the best advantage. But steer clear of these unchristian babblings, which in practice lead further and further away from Christian living. For their teachings are as dangerous as blood-poisoning to the body, and spread like sepsis from a wound. Hymenaeus and Philetus are responsible for this sort of thing, and they are palpable… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on December 7, 2008 at 10:29pm — No Comments

The Gospel is Jesus...NOT PROSPERITY!

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, and Rose Again!

1 Cor 15:1-4 (NIV)… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on December 7, 2008 at 10:27pm — No Comments

What The Bible Really Says About Money

Money



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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… Continue

Added by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on December 7, 2008 at 10:22pm — No Comments

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