No Struggle, No Progress
No Struggle, No Progress
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Powerful people need to negotiate wisely within the people with power. They should realize that God is the most powerful being a person can possibly encounter. If they are wise, they will face God someday. If they are wise the safest thing to do is to get on God’s side. Nebuchadnezzar did not come to the conclusion until after he had received the message from God. Daniel urged him to repent, but he went back to his old ways. Do not allow pride to get in your path as Nebuchadnezzar did. If you w...
Submitted By Dr. Joseph W. Capers Sr. Many Christians feel that they are not called by God because of their circumstances. Some have made wrong decisions or have been discouraged by others. They underestimate their ability and talents. Success and failure depends on the standards of measurement. We often judge ourselves and others by our inadequate yardstick. For the comparison of success or failure we must use the proper instrument for measuring. God is impressed by man's achievement that...
Stewardship is the management of that which belongs to another. We belong to God by redemption. We are not our own. We were bought with a price. God gave himself for us. We are not our own. We have been bought with the greatest price that could have been paid for us. We belong to God. All we have or ever expect to be are His. Our lives and our times are not our own to control and waste. When we withhold things from the service of God, we are robbing God of that which belongs to Him. We are...
Stewardship is the management of that which belongs to another. We belong to God by redemption. We are not our own. We were bought with a price. God gave himself for us. We are not our own. We have been bought with the greatest price that could have been paid for us. We belong to God. All we have or ever expect to be are His. Our lives and our times are not our own to control and waste. When we withhold things from the service of God we are robbing God of that which belongs to Him. We are...
Christmas is the second most important celebration in the Christian Year, after Easter. It has been celebrated on December 25 since A.D. 336. This date, December 25 was fist placed in a liturgical calendar for the year 336. Of all the major Christian festivals, Christmas is the most recent in origin. The word Christmas can be traced back to the year 1038. The word Christmas is a contraction of “Christ’s Mass”. Dionysius Exiguus fixed Christmas at December 25. He also began the practice of datin...
Every life is in the possession of God. No one has a right to end a life. The Word of God is alive, full of power and sharper than a two-edged sword. If we believe the Word of God, why don’t we study it? Only God has life in the absolute sense. The Holy Bible is God’s Word. It is life itself. It possesses unlimited power. The Word of God has the potential of cutting between the Psychological aspect of man and his spirit. This separates the spirit from the soul. Eve was deceived by Satan by his attack upon her intellect. Christ makes it pos...
Grace is the power to forgive and begin anew. It is God’s boundless and undeserved love for man as it is realized in man’s experience (Westall, 1993). Grace is a mode of existence for the Christian. We should synchronize our lives around the grace of God (Evans, 1982). Grace is love in action. James designates it as the royal law (James 2:8). Grace is where God gives you what you don’t deserve. It is where God is good when you are bad. It is where He is kind when you are unkind. It is where...
To change one’s life is to change one’s thinking. Life is a principle or force describing the distinctive quality of living beings. It is a gift of God. Service is the very purpose of life. It is the rent we pay for living on this planet (Marian Wright Edelman). What is life? Life is a principled or force describing the distinctive quality of living beings. Life is a gift of God. Life is progress and not a station (Dr. Gardner C. Taylor). If life is a progress, a change of thinking is essential....
The earliest name of the Christian Church was “The Way”. It consisted of a group of persons professing trust in Christ. The symbol for the early church in the history of Christianity was the “bat”. The church was an ark of salvation for the lost. The church is described as the body of Christ in Paul’s letters. Some theologians believe that the church exists only in the preaching, hearing and obedience to the Kerygma (the act of preaching). The content of preaching in the earliest name of the Ch...
The earliest name of the Christian Church was “The Way”. It consisted of a group of persons professing trust in Christ. The symbol for the early church in the history of Christianity was the “bat”. The church was an ark of salvation for the lost. The church is described as the body of Christ in Paul’s letters. Some theologians believe that the church exists only in the preaching, hearing and obedience to the Kerygma (the act of preaching). The content of preaching in the New Testament is centered on Jesus. The preaching about Jesus concerns the...
1. There is a God [Genesis 1:1”; Psalm 19:1, Psalm 14: l) 2. God is love (I John 4:8,9; John 3:16; Romans 5:8). 3. God is merciful (Ephesians 2:.4,5; James 5:11; Luke 1:50). 4. God is longsuffering (II Peter 2:2,4;3:15; I Timothy 1:16). 5. God is a God of wrath Psalm 7:11; Nahum 1:2,3). 6. God created heaven (Genesis 1:1; II Corinthians 12 :2,4; Psalm 8:3; Hebrew 1:70; John 14:2,3). 7. God prepared hell (Matthew 25:41; Hebrews 618, Titus 1:2; Matthew 5:22, II Peter 3:9). Things You Need to Know 8. God wants You in heaven (Ezekiel 33:11; Luke 19...
The book of James suggests two sources of wisdom. Source one - God, this is life – giving principle based in the word of God. This is a wisdom from above (James 3:17) which eliminates hypocrisy and partiality. It overcomes conflict and seeks to make peace. The results of wisdom from above is a harvest of righteousness. When God is the source of wisdom it results in a harvest of righteousness (James 3: 1 8). The second source of wisdom is the earth. This wisdom is focused on self. It leads to a life with self-centered principles. This is a r...
In the book of Romans we find Paul’s commitment to serve’ Romans 12:1-2 states - (1) I beseech you therefore, brethren; by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, (2) And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind; that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. These verses summarize the power and purpose of living the life of a Christian. The Christian life is to be acceptable to God...
There are three things that are closely related to each other, they are repentance, faith and repentance and Faith generation. Repentance is a change of mode of thinking, a change of mind about sin, self and God. It is a turning point from self and sin to God. The message of John the Baptist - “Repent ye, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Our Lord gave the same message in Matthew 4; L7, Mark L: L25 and Luke t3:3. Repentance is directed toward God and faith is directed toward our Lord C new relationship to Him. The word conversion is use...
The Gospels began in the heart of God and the resurrection of Jesus. Matthew and Luke begin with the story of Jesus’ birth. The major record about Christ’s birth is the New Testament Jesus is the shepherd of the lost sheep. The major ages of betrothed or marriage of families during New Testament time were 13 and 14. A few married at the age of 15 or 16. Joseph asked his parents if he could marry Mary and at the time he was only 17 and Mary was only 13. Both parents agreed. The biblical standard for marriage is a monogamous relationship. Hum...
The True Church Jesus said, I will build my church. He did not say I will build churches, denominations or sects. He said the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Where is that true church today and what is the church? Why does it exist? The church I am talking about is the one Jesus Christ founded and carries His mission, His church cannot be destroyed because Jesus said that He would always be in the mist Jesus called His disciples who were to become the foundation of the church, to come out from among the world and be separate (II...
Onesimus was a slave of Philemon and an inhabitant of Colossae. The book of Philemon is a brief note from Paul about a runaway slave of Philemon known as Onesimus. Philemon was a close friend of the Apostle Paul and perhaps was led to Christianity by him. He was a slave owner. Onesimus was one of his slaves who fled Philemon after having stolen enough money from him to make his getaway to Rome. In Rome Onesimus became acquainted with Paul and was converted under his influence while in Rome. Paul was not an advocate of slavery. As a runaway...
Dr. Joseph W. Capers, Sr. remembers his late father Rev. J. S. Capers ... Lewis Temple Christian Methodist Episcopal Church of Grambling, LA held its first “Back to School Revival” the week of September 17-21. The evangelist of the week was Rev. J.S. Capers of Shreveport. The pastor is Rev. Harvey D. Willis. Rev. Capers brought an inspiring message each night. He preach such sermons as: “Open the door, let Satan out and Christ in.” “The Prodigal Son,” “I thought I was right but I found out that I was wrong.” The spirit was high each night and...
The beatitudes of Jesus are the keys to the kingdom of God. They represent promises of God to those who have genuine faith in Him. This faith includes trust in God and submission to His will. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthews chapters 5-7) often with eight beatitudes which mean “blessed”. The Beatitudes apply to all Christians. They summarize the Christian ethics. They are similar to Paul’s nine fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. It may have been preached on a hillside near, the Sea of Galilee. The most important beatitude is the first...
The beatitudes of Jesus are the keys to the kingdom of God. They represent promises of God to those who have genuine faith in Him. This faith includes trust in God and submission to His will. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthews chapters 5-7) often with eight beatitudes which mean “blessed”. The Beatitudes apply to all Christians. They summarize the Christian ethics. They are similar to Paul’s nine fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. It may have been preached on a hillside near, the Sea of Galilee. The most important beatitude is the first...
Fear maybe defined as pain about the future. It is the common form of mental stress. Fear can become a problem as well as a solution. We have healthy fear which hold us back from experiencing many of the good things God has for us (Cloud and Townsend,2000). People wrestle with two primary fears. They are: fear of failure and fear of the future. Fear is from Satan. God deals with human fear, confession and paralysis by letting people know that He is the Lord their God who can do anything and can solve any problem. He also reminds them of what...
Man has a choice of being godly or ungodly (those who do not know God). Man also has a choice of being unrighteous (those who know God but do not obey God). These two types of man experience the wrath of God. Why is a man a man? The answer to this question is: because man has freedom in Polar interdependence with destiny. (Polar means resembling a pole or axis around which all else revolves). Man is a trinity, that is, he has a body, soul, and a spirit. This makes man different from other organisms. Only man was created like God, that is, man h...
Man is a multifaceted being. He is material (has a body). He is also immaterial (soul or spirit) heart, mind, will and conscientious. Man was formed; other creatures were created and made. The generic term man includes woman. The word Adam means mankind. The Hebrew word for man is ish which means strong. The Hebrew word for woman is ishshah which means soft and delicate. There are three classes of men. They are (1) natural man - those who are lost and don't know Christ, (2) Canal man - his Christian walk is man and (3) Spiritual man - is the...
Hebrews 10:25 - Not forsaking 1fu assembling of ourselves together. John Donne believed that no man is an island. Many of us Iive our lives ignoring that the simple difficult truth until we become ill. It is well documented that vibrant social bonds are an integral element in health, healing and longevity. God had good reasons for commanding us to fellowship with one another. There 15 something about having to "rub elbows" with other people that keep us from isolating ourselves, especially when we are struggling with emotional issues. Even chil...
A church is an assembly of professing believers in Christ who have been baptized and who are organized to do God's will. Christ is the head of the church (Ephesians 5;23). Christ can not abandon His church because He has such a love for His church. Leadership is a divine requirement in the church (Hebrews 13:7, 17). We must respect leadership. The pastor is the leader in the local church. He is one who serves. Jesus is our example, He came into the world to serve. Whenever Paul preached a revival a revolution broke out. Something always...
There are many titles for Jesus in the Bible. The most important title is the Master Teacher. Jesus used a variety of teaching methods so that all Christians could select the method most fitting to his/her learning style. Jesus was very creative even though he used mostly the lecture method. Lecturing is still the favorite teaching method of many teachers even though it might not be the most effective method. The method of teaching is usually determined by what is being taught especially on the college level. Actually, there is no one best...
The symbol for the early church in the early history of Christianity was the "boat." The church was understood as an"ark of salvation" carrying believers safely over the flood that destroys life. The earliest name of the Christian Church was "The Way." According to Owen C. Thomas in his book, entitle Introduction to Theology, the description of the church as the body of Christ appears only in Paul's letters, and it is his only image of the church, except of the olive tree in Romans 11. Bultmann said that the church exists only in the event of...
Play a Major Role in the Children’s Development Luke 2:52 tells of the boyhood of Jesus as He increased in widsdom and stature and in favor with God and man. Development is a four-fold process: (1) wisdom-mental; (2) stature - physical; (3) in favor with God; and (4) in favor with man - social. Parents must be greatly involved in the total development of their children. They must be active in the life of the children. A tremendous amount of emphasis must be placed on spiritual development...
Obedience does not come naturally. We do not inherit it. It must be taught and learned. Jesus learned obedience through suffering. The Bible teaches children should obey their parents. Also, parents are not to make unreasonable demands on their children. Today, obedience is not often practiced by our children. Often parents do not teach their children to be obedient. Discipline our Children God never intended that children should be disciplined by the courts, but by parents. According to Proverbs 19:18 we need more discipline in the home....
Children need inspiration, instruction, and examples. The greatest of these is “examples.” We must teach our children to love God. Parents should teach by instruction and example. Proverbs 6:20-21 teaches “...my son keep the commandments of the father and forsake not the law of his mother.” This Scripture indicates that parents have a great responsibility. Our children will reflect our teaching and the examples that we have been exemplifying. We must take heed of the statement made by the great evangelist Gypsy Smith. He said, “there are actua...
The home is threatened seriously because we have shirked our responsibilities as parents. The Bible emphasizes marriage. God made marriage possible. He performed the first marriage ceremony. Some years ago every young lady planned on marriage and establishing a God-fearing home. Today, marriage is not in the plan of the majority of young ladies. Single-parent families are the majority. The absence of the father in the home is reflected in the lifestyle of our children. What is practiced today is contrary to God’s plan. The home was e...
