Euroclydon Ministries

The Untouchables

2010-11-22T16:19:00.001-08:00

Over the past few years, one of my favorite things to do is visit high schools during lunch hour just to hang out with the students. After sitting down at a table with a group of teenagers, I soon noticed that there was a boy at the end of the table, disconnected and disengaged from the group. It was clear that he was not invited to be “one of them”. As he ate alone with his head down, my heart was breaking. None of the other teens wanted to talk to him or wanted to eat with him. Untouchable.

Leprosy is an atrocious skin disease. One that is infectious and brings a great deal of suffering. In Biblical times, lepers had to live isolated from other people, and had to shout “Unclean!” as they approached others. I cannot imagine what it would be like to not be able to show or receive affection because of a disease. Cannot imagine not being able to hug my family and friends. Lepers do not have this luxury; they are an exiled and forgotten people. Nobody wants to be around them, and they are disconnected and disengaged from intimacy. Untouchable.

Despite what religion sometimes publishes, God is love. He involves Himself with the untouchables. At times, I have felt disconnected and disengaged from intimacy with Him. That through my sin and massive shortcomings that He did not want or could not touch me with His mercy. I have felt isolated and forgotten by those around me. Like no one understood. We all have felt untouchable.

In Luke 17:11-19, we read a story of ten lepers. Ten untouchable people. While on the way to Jerusalem, they approach Jesus and say “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Jesus told them to show themselves to the priests, and as they went, they were all healed of this disease. Only one out of the ten, when seeing he was healed, turn and ran back to Jesus, thanking Him and falling at His feet. It is at this moment that we see Jesus with a broken heart. He asks, “Were not all ten cleansed?” How much did it hurt Jesus to heal ten and only have one to be thankful?

There are so many things that He does for us that we take for granted. With it being Thanksgiving week, this is an encouragement to turn back and run to Him, giving thanks for all that He has done for you. Don’t forget about the untouchables, Christ didn’t. In all actuality, we are all untouchables until we allow Him to forgive our sins. Remember those that are forgotten, exiled, and isolated. I got up that day and left the group to join the boy at the end of the table. We had small talk and I put the focus on him, treated him like he was the coolest kid in the room, because he was. Now, when I see him in public, we talk, even though he does not fully trust me yet, with each encounter he opens up a little more. I am thankful for that.

If you feel like you are the forgotten, exiled, and isolated, ask for His mercy, He will freely give it just like He did in Luke 17. And when He heals you, trades the pain for sorrow, trades the loneliness for love, turn, run, and thank Him.

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 107:1

Happy Thanksgiving, Shaun.

Why Prayer Works

2010-09-29T00:59:00.000-07:00

Prayer works because it is God's designed way of heart communion with Him.

Consider Paul before he was Paul. Saul, perhaps one of the most vicious haters of Christianity of all time, until his Damascus Road experience. In Acts 9, the Lord told Ananias to go and pray for Paul's sight to be restored! Can you imagine the fear that struck Ananias?! He must have been scared out of his mind! But its almost like the Lord said to him..... Don't be afraid, "he is praying".

It is as if prayer is the one thing that made Saul different now. The fact that he "was praying" tells us that prayer is the ultimate agent of change. Saul was getting spiritual and seeking the Lord's face, he was even given a vision of Ananias coming to restore his sight. (little nuance...Get spiritual and start praying and you will see visions, and you will receive sight over the things you are blind about)

Just how special and important are your prayers?

Check Revelation 5:8...."And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."

God keeps your prayers in golden bowls!!

They must be special to Him. Friend, God longs for your prayers. And He offers you promises through prayer.

You have not because you ask not.

Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.

Prayer is what separates you from non believers and lukewarm church goers.

When you can approach His throne with confidence, all things are open to you.

Worrying on your knees is not prayer. Petitioning the heart of God through words of faith is prayer.

Let's pray.

When the Dove Does Not Return

2010-07-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

There is a special pain that follows losing someone, or something. It could be the passing of a loved one, it could be losing something significant in general. When they are removed from our lives, heartbreak ensues and questions follow. If you have lost someone, and are going through that pain, this devotion is for you. If you are not in that place, it will still serve as great encouragement. The following passage of Scripture was a special revelation for me, and I trust it will help you.

Genesis 8:6-12

"So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. He also sent out from himself a dove, to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground. But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned into the ark to him, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her, and drew her into the ark to himself. And he waited yet another seven days, and again he sent the dove out from the ark. Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore."

At first glance, reading "the dove did not return again to him anymore" could be seen as negative. But its quite the opposite. Let's think about it, Noah had just spent 40 days and 40 nights on the ark and had endured the flood. Imagine dark and lonely nights as waters roared outside, imagine the desolation and wondering if the rain was ever going to stop. Then, he sends out a dove to check the water. First she could not find a place to put her feet, then she comes back with an olive leaf in her mouth, which means the water was steadily decreasing, then last but not least, he lets her go and she does not return.

What this means for us is that we might endure great rain, might endure dark and lonely nights, but it is gradually getting better! Remember seasons do not last forever.

The dove not returning was an incredible sign to Noah! The storm was over! God then spoke to Noah and told him to come forth from the ark and to be fruitful and multiply!

What joy?!

To bring this home, if someone has left your life and they have not returned, maybe, just maybe, it is a sign for a new beginning. Maybe it is not a negative thing at all, what if it is God's sign to you to move on and be fruitful and multiply in a new place?

Be blessed, and I hope this has encouraged you in some way. Shaun

Pause

2010-06-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

It happens to all of us. Getting caught in the chaotic flow of life to the point that days become confused, perception gets skewed, and it is easy to become exhausted and dry.

What makes this moment crazy is that it was God that gave the mandate, God that opened the doors, God that made it happen, and right in the middle of the plan things suddenly change.

So what happens when you should be enjoying God's blessings, taking comfort in the fact that He holds all things in His hand, but all you find yourself doing is questioning where God is?

I'm taken to one of my favorite passages of Scripture. I Kings 19 verses 11 and 12: "And he (the Lord) said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind and earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice."

These verses concern Elijah, the great prophet who himself was exhausted and dry. After falling asleep, he awoke to wind strong enough to rip mountains, but God was not in that wind, then an earthquake, but God was not in that either, then a fire, but God was not in the fire as well. But then came a whisper that encouraged Elijah and gave him the strength to keep moving forward.

I imagine the chaos of the strong wind, the earthquake, and fire. The devastating power of God on display. And then, by His mysterious splendor, simply whispers. Have you felt like you are in the middle of a massive wind, earthquake, and fire?

Pause.

Be still and know that He is God. Know that everything is going to be alright. The Lord goes before you. Believe that. Trust it. Sometimes we need to rebuke the chaos, slow down, or better yet, pause.

Follow the Leader

2010-04-29T21:17:00.000-07:00

Psalm 27:8-9 from The Message version says:

"Listen, God, I'm calling at the top of my lungs:
"Be good to me! Answer me!"
When my heart whispered, "Seek God,"
my whole being replied,
"I'm seeking him!"
Don't hide from me now!

Have you ever felt like you were seeking God and could not find Him?

Its kind of like the boy's father in Mark 9 that said "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

However you feel towards God, one thing must remain true...you must continue to seek His face!

I Chronicles 16:11 say "Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually."

Be encouraged! Those that hunger and thirst after righteousness SHALL be filled!

God seems to lead and mislead at the same time. Like He reveals and conceals simultaneously.

Much of the Bible strikes me as if God has gone into a deep forest, so to speak. To most people, it seems like He has simply vanished and does not wish to be followed. But the most intense follower sees something that others do not see. A broken twig here, a crushed leaf there, an occasional shred of clothing hanging from a limb. This is what God wants! He wants to be searched by the most intense and determined!

God never puts spiritually superlative things out of our reach, but He always puts the richest truth on the highest shelf. Stretch and get it!

To put it differently, gleaming gold is never found in huge chunks lying around on the surface of things. You might be able to find a few grains of gold there, but the big chunks are always buried deep below the surface. Dig deep!

Lastly, Jeremiah 33:3 says "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

My friends, lets continue to seek God's face, lets Follow the Leader.

Have a great rest of the week, Shaun

Rooted

2010-03-29T23:07:00.000-07:00

"The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

“What should we do then?” the crowd asked.
John answered, “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.”
Tax collectors also came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.
Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” Luke 3:9-14

What an incredibly powerful passage of Scripture! When I was reading it, I was pierced by these words. I asked myself if I was producing good fruit, or was the tree of my life deserving of being cut down at the roots?

Is your life producing good fruit? A tree is known by the fruit it brings forth. We all know that it is impossible for an apple tree to yield oranges, just like a Christian should only bring forth good fruit, and not the fruit of the world.

What do I have to do to bring forth good fruit? This passage tells us very clearly: Give to those that do not have like you do, be honest with all manner of business, do not accuse people falsely of things, and be content with what God has blessed you with.

We can begin to bring forth good fruit by preparing our hearts.
Hosea 10:12 says "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you."

Break up the fallow ground of your heart and let Him rain righteousness on you!

Finally, be rooted in spiritual things!

Galatians 6:7-8 says "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

Amen. Self-explanatory. I hope you all have a wonderful week rooted in the Word of God. Bring forth good fruit this week. Love God with all of your heart, mind, body, and soul. Enjoy the Easter spirit this week. The tomb is empty. God bless you. Shaun

Affliction...(Not the clothing line)

2010-03-04T21:26:00.000-08:00

Affliction...
*to distress so severely as to cause persistent suffering or anguish.
*a general term that applies to the causing of pain or suffering or of acute annoyance, embarrassment, or any distress.

While answering the questions I got from several of you, I found that many of the questions, just like the ones I have been getting before, seem to all have a common theme...Suffering and Affliction.

So I want to pour some love on you. God loves you and wants good things for you!
Jeremiah 29:11 says "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Jeremiah 29:11

So stop whining! Take a look at the life of Job! Have you had all of your possessions taken away? Family taken away? Your health? Spouse and friends sold you out?

Romans 8:37 says "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." !!!!!

As I look back on my life, I can honestly say that it was the "afflicted" and "times of suffering" that I was closest to God. And out of that closeness was born a stronger, more grounded faith in Him.

I heard an old lady that was a prayer warrior once say, "If anything makes you pray, be thankful for it."

So I guess I am just encouraging you, if you are going through a valley, suffering, hardship, understand that God has great plans for you, but is waiting on your trust in Him.

Nobody enjoys affliction, but we all enjoy the mountain top experience with God. The true key to life is to maintain joy in pain, keep trusting God through the hardest of trials, know that His grace is new every morning, and you will be able to say..."I'm thankful for affliction."

Hope you all have a great weekend, Shaun.

Q & A

2010-02-24T20:55:00.000-08:00

It seems lately that I am getting a lot of questions from people. By email, in person, at church, etc...The questions are theological, doctrinal, outlandish, you name it. But what I am realizing, is that there are things people would like to know but are afraid to ask, or don't feel like they have anyone to ask.

So here goes...if you have a spiritual question you have always been uncertain about, or just a "How does God feel about this?" type question, I am offering you a confidential, non-opinionated, Biblical response.

Since Ole Miss has me in study mode, I am looking forward to doing this. I have been really busy with school, and in all honesty, do not feel like throwing together a devotion just to send one out. So maybe this will be a cool break and I hope you take advantage of this.

I am not a super intelligent Bible scholar, but I do have the resources to address tough issues, and maybe something in my answer will help you.

So here is your chance to get a different angle on something you have been thinking about, FOR FREE! lol

Send your question to shaunwcapps@gmail.com

I will get back with you as soon as I can. Look forward to hearing from y'all, Have a great week and thanks for being a part of this group, I trust it has blessed you at some point. Shaun

Storylines: Piecing it all Together

2010-02-05T22:44:00.001-08:00

Early in the 20 century, an ad in a London newspaper read:
“Men wanted for hazardous journey: small wages, bitter cold, long
months of complete darkness, and constant danger. Safe return
doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.” It was signed
by the famous Arctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and thousands
of men responded.

Warren Wiersbe wrote his own passage that if Jesus Christ had advertised for workers, the announcement
might have read something like this:

“Men and women wanted for difficult task of helping to build My church. You will often be misunderstood, even by those working with you. You will face constant attack from an invisible enemy. You
may not see the results of your labor, and your full reward will
not come till after all your work is completed. It may cost you
your home, your ambitions, even your life.”

II Timothy 2:3-7 says "You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.

Sometimes it is very hard to find our purpose in life. We question our past and look so much into the future, and we never pause to piece everything together. Have you ever stopped to think that maybe you have experience all of the pain and hardship because it was not only preparation for you, but was also preparation for ministry?

You might not be called to be a preacher or a pastor, but everybody is called to be a minister.

Take a minute and reflect on the things that have been difficult for you as a believer. Have they made you stronger? More knowledgeable?

Your life is a story. God is writing what He wants to write. Don't try to take the pen out of His hand. Endure hardship like a good soldier, and don't get entangled with this life. Please the One who enlisted you as a soldier. Piece it all together.

The Greatest Story Ever Told

2009-12-19T14:36:00.000-08:00

Christmas means something a little different to everybody. To me, it is more traditional. Putting out milk and cookies for Santa(and dorritos and coke because there was a chance he might be a little more like me). Waking up as early as possible to rip off wrapping paper like a savage. I will always remember those times and the excitement that I felt. Now that I am older and Christmas mornings have a different meaning, so does the word Christmas altogether.

Several factors make the Christmas story all the more amazing now. Beginning with the fact that Mary was a virgin, but all of the sudden became pregnant. It is hard for me not to acknowledge Joseph's pain. The woman that he loves(and who he has not yet slept with) becomes pregnant. We soon find out that she was impregnated by the Holy Ghost.

What a miracle.

Matthew 2:10-11 says "When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh."

These two verses are speaking of the wise men, who rejoiced with exceeding joy when they saw His star. And then they fell down and worshipped in His presence, offering their treasures.

That is what Christmas means to me now. I have seen His light, I have seen His illumination, and I will fall down and worship Him. I will bring Him my treasures and gifts, and lay them at His feet.

I wish everyone could feel what I feel right now. Perfect peace can wash you. Presents? No. Presence? Yes.

Enjoy your family during this special time, and worship Him. Bring your gifts and treasures and adore Him.

Merry Christmas to all, thank you for joining this group and I hope you have read something this year that has blessed and encouraged you in some way.

Behind Closed Doors

2009-12-01T12:57:00.000-08:00

Hope you all have had a great Thanksgiving with family and friends, and don't look now but Christmas is only 24 days away! I have enjoyed my break, and am slowly but surely sliding into the Christmas spirit. With that, the devotionals are back on. Here goes...

It is almost natural for my mind to think that what happens behind a closed door is something negative. Something that should not be seen. Almost like there is a dark reason why the door is closed in the first place. But I want to bring out a passage that teaches us to seek God in a secret place. To close out everything else. The point of closing the door is not to confine you there, but is simply there to close you off from any distractions.

Matthew 6:6-13 reads:

"But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil."

Gives the Lord's Prayer a new meaning to me. It used to be something I routinely recited before football games. But here we can find absolute direction on how to pray and what to pray for. Sometimes we have great intentions about prayer, but never truly pray because we don't know where to start.

Start with "closing the door" on everything else in your life. Turn your phone on silent, turn off the tv for a while, get away from the computer. Be sincere. You do not have to use a lot of words, because God already knows your needs. But talk to Him. Start by telling Him how awesome He is. The ask His forgiveness(if you are anything like me, you need some of that), and then ask for His protection.

This passage tells us to pray in secret, and then the God who sees in secret, will hear you. So this week, I encourage you to go to Him when nobody else is around. Find a secret and special place just to talk with Him. He is waiting on you there...

Punk'd at the Red Sea

2009-11-04T09:59:00.000-08:00

I always thought the story of Moses parting the Red Sea was beyond cool. I was not able to really appreciate the strength of this story until I faced some things in my life to where there was no way out.

If you are being chased by something, the enemy, your past, etc...And it seems like you are running for your life and there is no escape...Then this story should appeal to you in a major way.

Exodus 13 and 14 is where we find this amazing source of God's power to do the unimaginable. Moses and the Israelites were fleeing from the Egyptian army...

And God punks the Egyptian army so hard...
In Chapter 14 and verse 6, it says "For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, they are entangled in the land, and the wilderness has shut them in."

The enemy "THOUGHT" they were trapped! It "LOOKED" like they were trapped! You just "THOUGHT" you were trapped, but you are anything but!

God will make a way where there seems to be no way!

Verse 16 is where Moses was told to stretch his rod over the sea, and "divide" it. You know what happens later in the story, God's people walk through the sea with the water like walls on the left and the right of them and the entire Egyptian army was killed when the "water returned to it's strength" trying to chase them.

Wow!

Major encouragement to you today! You are God's chosen, and He will make a way for you to escape especially when it seems like you are trapped and the enemy is right on your heels! Have the faith and courage to trust His power!

Have a great rest of the week, God is good! Shaun

It's Hard Out Here For A P.I.M.P.

2009-10-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

LOL. I know what you are thinking. How in the world is this going to be spiritual. That is exactly what I thought when I first heard this concept. Today, I am borrowing this from one of my black preacher friends who is in my opinion the most creative preacher I know. Here goes...

One night he was watching tv when he came across the MTV Music Awards, and 3 6 Mafia was up for an award for a certain song, "It's hard out here for a pimp." First off, let me just say that I hate the word pimp, and don't use it. Neither does this guy, but his mind started to think. "It's hard out here for a pimp." He started to think, life is not hard for a pimp....They seem to have everything that the world has to offer, women, fancy clothes, nice cars, "respect", etc...

But the word "pimp" kept him going. Pimp. Pimp. P.I.M.P. "People in the Master's Palm."

A sermon came to him, haha. "It's hard out here for a P.I.M.P."

John 10:37-30 says "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
I and my Father are one."

Now, a person in the Master's Palm is secure, and no man can pluck you out of that palm. Except yourself. It is no secret that many people claim to be "saved", but their actions show differently. A tree will be known by it's fruit.

Strong statement: Just because you signed a card at some Christian concert 10 years ago does not mean you are saved. A true Christian's life is denoted by humbleness, repentance, and fruit. If you do not have these things, I challenge you to examine your faith. You might be thinking, "who is he to say this?" And that is cool, I say this because I, at one point in my "walk", was claiming Christianity, but my actions proved otherwise. We all fall short, but point blank, many of us are not reading the Word, not praying, and maybe we go to church, but that does not make us Christians, it makes us church-goers.

For encouragement: Psalm 73 records a man who was seeing all of these wicked sinners around him, and they were prospering. It seemed as if they had everything. And here he was doing his best to live for God, and he was struggling....Ever felt that way? I wanted to do this devotional because I wanted you to know that somebody understands how hard it is to live for God. I know what it is like to leave your friends behind and step out on faith, I know what it is like to be persecuted by people you care for, I know what it is like to have a target on your back. I know what it is like to feel all alone on this spiritual journey. Truth is, you are not alone, He will never leave you, nor forsake you, and now you know at least one person understands that "It's hard out here for a P.I.M.P." Have a great week, Shaun

The Divine Laws of Love

2009-10-13T23:07:00.000-07:00

The Divine Laws of Love...According to 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

1. Love is patient
2. Love is kind
3. Love is not envious
4. Love is not boastful or arrogant or rude
5. Love does not insist on its own way
6. Love is not irritable or resentful
7. Love does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.
8. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love is a very strong word. Sometimes it is the easiest thing to say, and at others it is the most difficult. My love for people has been renewed as of late. Truth be told, I have almost been on the verge of tears at several moments of everyday. I feel the need that people have to be loved. People that put up walls and reject the love that God has for them, I feel their need the most. It does not make me want to retreat, but it wants me to pour out love all the more. As you know, love can be seen, felt, heard, and given in the most subtle ways. This week I encourage you to love with all energy. Guard your heart, true, but display the love of God to everybody you come in contact with. They need it, and honestly, you do too.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

14 Things Jesus Did NOT Say

2009-10-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

#1 – “They will know you are my disciples by your theology, and the arrogance that accompanies it.” (John 13:35)

#2 – “Dream really small dreams and make sure you never ask for anything big!” (John 14:12-14, Psalm 2:8)

#3 – “If someone doesn’t believe just like you believe…make sure to do all you can to attack, criticize and beat them down as much as possible.” (Mark 9:38-41)

#4 – “Be tolerant of everyone…I am one of the many ways to God.” (John 14:6)

#5 – “Make sure you make the church about you…that you are served well…please, don’t do anything that might cause you any type of inconvenience. My goal is for you to be happy!” (Matthew 20:28, Luke 9:23-24)

#6 – “Please, whatever you do, DO NOT tell people the good news…keep it to yourself! The reason I died on the cross is so that you could get into really small groups of people and talk about ‘deep things’ that aren’t going to help anyone when it comes to eternity.” (Matthew 28:20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:48, John 20:21, Acts 1:8, Romans 10:14, Romans 10:17)

#7 – “Don’t EVER try anything new…don’t ever take a risk…don’t ever take a step of faith. Be AVERAGE!” (Isaiah 43:18-19, Hebrews 11:1, Hebrews 11:6)

#8 – “You can follow me and it will not impact your money at all!” (Matthew 6:19-24)

#9 – “Pray a prayer to get out of hell…and then live however you want.” (John 14:15, John 14:21)

#10 – “You can do it without me!” (John 15:5)

#11 – “I don’t expect you OR your church to be fruitful in any way.” (John 15:4)

#12 – “Isolate yourself from the world!” (John 17:15)

#13 – “Make sure there is a time when you question my word because it will one day be no longer relevant.” (Luke 21:33)

#14 – “Stop crying out to me in desperation…can’t you see I’m busy.” (Mark 10:46-52)

I'm All In

2009-09-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

It's always an exciting moment when somebody decides to "go all in". The moment when someone declares that from this point on, I am putting everything on the line. Your mind might take you to the game of poker when hearing "I'm all in". But somebody that goes all in in the game of poker is taking a big risk that might not yield a great return. Spiritually, when you decide to go "all in", it can be a step of great faith, but it will always yield a great return. My mind takes me to Peter, who upon seeing Jesus walking on the water asked Him if he himself could go and walk on the water, Jesus accepted. I can see Peter debating, thinking to himself, "Should I?" "Will I sink?" "Will I really be able to do it like Him?" You know how the story goes, Peter decided to go "all in". And when he did, he was able to walk on the water. It was not until he took his eyes off of Jesus that he fell. I want to encourage you to sell out to Jesus, give Him your whole heart, go all in. It is worth every second.

Missionary of the Month

2009-09-21T16:36:00.000-07:00

Euroclydon Ministries presents Aslam Malik, missionary to Pakistan as the "Missionary of the Month"!

Bro. Malik and his family are currently raising support in the United States to return to the mission field of Pakistan.

I encourage you to check out his story at www.pakistanharvest.org, and pray about giving to this wonderful ministry.

You can help reach the nations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ with just a small sacrifice!

Check out pakistanharvest.org to support today!

Of All Nations!

2009-09-15T15:05:00.000-07:00

Matthew 28:19 tells us to make disciples of all nations.

How can we do that? Do we have to travel to every nation on Earth to do what God wants me to?

Surely not. However, there are things that we can do outside of our own fellowships in our respective countries.

Things like supporting missionaries. These people depend on faith that people like you will give. Give of your money, resources, and prayers.

I encourage you today to support somebody or organization that is reaching out, do YOUR part to make sure disciples are made to ALL nations.

If anybody needs to know of any missionaries they can support, don't hesitate to give me a shout at shaun@euroclydonministries.com

Stay Close To The Cross!

2009-07-23T15:59:00.000-07:00

Sin is not a deal-breaker! Jesus paid the price for our sins on the Cross! LORD, keep me close to the Cross!!

True Worship!!

2009-07-05T20:18:00.001-07:00

Worship is not something we do, it is a LIFESTYLE! Live an adventure this week by worshipping God with your actions!

Each One, Reach One!!!

2009-06-28T22:22:00.000-07:00

Everybody REACH OUT to somebody this week! Did somebody witness to you? Sometimes all you have to do is to invite them to church, or simply tell them what Jesus did for you! Witnessing works! EACH ONE REACH ONE!

June News!!

2009-06-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

Hello world! So much is taking place I have to share it. I dont think I have ever been so excited as I am right now about faith and growth. I have been taken by a fresh fire! I have been working hard researching different outreach avenues to help our church grow, and God has blessed it so much! Pastor Blaylock has been working hard attending some training classes and the results are that we are about to launch a Celebrate Recovery program in our city! This is an amazing opportunity and will allow us to be the Church and love addicts like they may never have been loved before! Do it Jesus! I was also told about the GROW program by Jerry Tidwell. Some of our churches have used this material and have had phenomenal results. After researching and studying the program, Bethel decided that it was the way we needed to go. I truly feel in my heart that both of these programs have been issued to us from God. I look forward to many lives being changed by the power of the Holy Ghost and seeing the pure love of God wash souls and bring them into freedom and peace. Aaaaahhhhrrrhhhhhh!!!!! shaun

Current Update!!

2009-05-26T23:24:00.000-07:00

Summer is here! Looking forward to great vacations, great gatherings, and conferences! I really am working hard to start pod-casting and video blogging on the website. Slowly but surely, patience is a virtue! You will be hearing about it on the facebook group "Euroclydon Ministries" as well. Speaking of the facebook group, it now has over 500 members. That means that every 7 days or so, over 500 people are getting some Word, some encouragement, and some truth! With every message I send out, I receive about 10-25 messages back with people asking questions or stating their appreciation! I respond to EVERY message and am having a great time breaking bread with people. In random news, I will be in Birmingham this friday night for the Hillsong United concert at The Cathedral at The Cross. It is going to be an incredible night of worship, I highly recommend Hillsong to anybody looking for great worship music. And they have a new cd that is worth buying before you buy your next meal. lol...Have a great week everybody, hopefully God will help me and I can get some more stuff rolling...pray for me! Shaun

Update!!

2009-05-01T12:43:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! God is so good! Recent news is I sent out a devotion on the facebook group entitled "From the Inside Out"...If you have not had a chance to read it, or are not a member of the Euroclydon Ministries facebook group, join now and get encouraged! Scripture urges us to live from the inside out, to clean what's on the inside before we try to take care of the outside, which so many of us do. I am officially, (yes it's true) on Twitter. I told myself I would not fall victim to every whim of technology, but after checking it out, and some very loving insight from Stanton Blaylock, I decided it could help me. Thanks Stan, lol. You can actually follow me by clicking on the right side of this page, or just go to twitter.com/euroclydon99...Have a great weekend Jesus lovers!!!
I love you all like old people love soft shoes and I miss you like a Shaq freethrow!

Recent Update!

2009-04-17T13:32:00.001-07:00

Hey everybody! Hope all is well your way and you are allowing God to move on your behalf! He wants to! Life is busy busy busy right now, thanks to everybody for the patience on the website. Although it is up and running solid, there is so much left to do! As I said earlier, the podcasts are coming! I am trying to finish this semester strong and this is the busiest week of the year for me in lieu of the Railroad Festival! I am still sending out devotionals on the facebook group. If you are not a member, join...It is "Euroclydon Ministries". You will get a message in your inbox once a week. Thanks to everybody for the cool comments and messages. Not a day goes by that I dont get positive feedback from the devotions. Praise God and have a great weekend! Shaun

Time to use Time

2009-04-02T20:10:00.000-07:00

WOW! It's hard to believe that it's already the 4th month of the year. Time is truly passing by so quickly. Are you doing everything you should be? Are you maximizing the time you have? Quick question....If you knew you only had 24 hours to live, what would you do differently? Think about those things and see if you can begin to do those things now, you aren't getting any younger!
Jesus was emphatic about maximizing our resources and time. In Matthew 25:14-30 we read about the parable of talents. The master gave three servants different amounts of money. To the fist, He gave 5 talents, and that servant in turn gained 5 more. He was called good and faithful and was given more responsibility. The second was given 2 talents, and he gained 2 more. He too was called good and faithful and was given more responsibility. The third servant was given one talent, and he buried it in the ground to keep it safe. The master called him wicked and lazy, and he was ordered to be thrown into darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. WOW! The treasure in this amazingly simple, but powerful story is that if you are faithful in the small things, God will bless you with the big things. Remember, to whom much is given much is required. I encourage you to exhaust your resources, maximize the time you have, and make eternal "gains" for the Kingdom.

I'm just beginning to launch fundraising efforts for El Salvador tomorrow, pray saints!

Have a blessed weekend, God is good!

Website Updated!

2009-03-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

The website is currently undergoing "renovations". We added a Media Player called "EuroMedia". The are several worship songs anyone could listen to while they are browsing the site, or just play while working on the computer. We are editing videos that include testimonial interviews. This will add a new dimension to having a website and will make it easier for people to know what is going on with Euroclydon Ministries.

This past friday night, I was blessed to be a part of a youth revival at Faith Deliverance in Fulton, MS. My brother Brandon Holley preached a wondeful message encouraging the youth to be real Christians and not to play church.

Key thoughts from Brandon's message:
"You can have 32 degrees and still be frozen"
"Jay Z has more than 99 problems"
"50 Cent has more than 21 questions" LOL

He did an awesome job. I got to fellowship with my brothers from KingdomFlowz...It's always good to be around the crew, great spirits.

I will be doing a spoken word at Faith Deliverance in April at a Young Adult Revival. I'm excited! Haven't done one in a long time.

That's all for now, make sure to check out EuroMedia for some great worship music and be on the lookout for videos!

Peace and Love to all!

Recent Update of Euroclydon Ministries

2009-03-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

God has been busy and so have I!! I am overwhelmed with what He has been allowing me to do in the recent weeks. Going back to a few weekends ago, I was honored to minister in Oneonta, AL for a Discipleship Now. Oneonta is about 20 miles from Birmingham and is saturated with wonderful people. The theme for the weekend was spiritual warfare and the Scripture base was Zechariah 10:5 that says "And they shall be as mighty men, which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle: and they shall fight, because the LORD is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded." I want to thank Katy Myers for opening this door, and I thank God for allowing me to teach Bible studies on spiritual warfare to junior high boys. Underneath the massive pillow fights(2 black eyes, one bloody nose), liters of cologne before service, and constant loudness, was a group of guys that were hungry for more of God. What a cool thing to see.

In other news, I am now a licensed minister with the United Pentecostal Church International. Last monday, I was in Jackson, MS all day partaking in Ethics classes, Personal Finance classes, Tax classes, and Event classes, taking a 60 question Diagnostic Test to determine my grasp on the Bible, going through intense interviews with our state board who tested my knowledge of doctrine, our organizational manual, and my ministry experience. Needless to say, I was exhausted mentally, physically, and spiritually, but am so thrilled to be a part of this wonderful fellowship we call the United Pentecostal Church International. I join every other member with one cause: To advance the Kingdom and to usher as many souls to Heaven as possible.

I was honored to preach this morning at the Mission Mississippi prayer meeting. MM is a prayer-based ministry that brings together people from different denominations and races to pray to the One True God. Today, I preached to Pentecostals, Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, and maybe a few more. It was an incredible move of God to say the least. Black people praying with white people, Catholics praying with Pentecostals. I dont believe it gets any better than this.

Last but not least, I have been officially selected to participate in an Apostolic Youth Corp short term mission trip to El Salvador from June 26th-July 6th. The trip cost $1,700 that I will be fundraising for. Please pray that God will provide my needs for this trip. We will be ministering in villages as well as conducting mass crusades. If you or your church would like to donate towards this trip, you can do so by mailing a check to:

Bethel Apostolic Church
c/o El Salvador Missions
800 Tschudi Road
Amory, MS

That's the recent update! I pray God's blessings over your life, have a great day...Shaun William Capps

Let Him go...

2009-02-16T13:15:00.000-08:00

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6

Have you ever felt alone? Like you were doing everything by yourself? Like you were the only person in the world that felt the way you do? Be strong and courageous! What about when people rise against you, even when you are trying to love them? Do not be afraid because of them! Man can not stop what God has ordained! If you have lived this long, you have learned that people will disappoint you and let you down. But God will never leave you nor forsake you! In the trial of your life, friends have the tendency to disappear...Family can even disappear...But God will never leave you. I want to mention to you that God will not place on you what you are not able to handle. When a mother prepares milk for her baby, she tests it to see if it is too hot for the child. She will even taste it and feel it to be assured it is not too hot. As a child of God, He has tested the trials before placing you in them. He even became flesh to experience all the things that you are. He has been where you are. Disrespected. Humiliated. Forgotten. Left alone. And He did all of this to remind us that the Father will never leave you or forsake you. Friends, whatever you are going through, you are not doing it alone, be strong and courageous, it is your duty, but more than that, it is your freedom in Jesus. Maybe God bless every one of you....Shaun William Capps

Bring the Soul Back

2009-02-03T21:50:00.000-08:00

Sitting here, I am overwhelmed. Consumed, saturated, and kindled with a fresh passion. Considering all that God is doing in the Church and in my own life lately, I can't help but to be taken back to I Kings 17:17-22 in a story where Elijah was commanded to go to Zarephath where a widow would sustain him. Suddenly, the son of the woman fell sick and Scripture reads of his condition, "there was no breath left in him". Elijah took the boy and he prayed a simple, earnest, but powerful prayer...."Oh Lord my God, let this child's soul come into him again". The next verse says that the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. What we need is a revival. Sinners and ministers alike. Sinners from the guilt and shame that plagues them when Christ is offering them freedom. Ministers from doubt that the same Christ will not perform what He has promised. As a believer, it is easy to feel like "there's no breath left" sometimes. It gets hard to breathe as we are suffocated by schedules and things that are quite frankly, non-eternal. The answer is simple....Call out to God asking Him to bring the soul back into you, and as I Kings 17:22 reads, the soul of the child came back into him again, and he was revived. Let's admit that we get the breath knocked out of us sometimes, let's cry out to God, lets have revival. Brothers and sisters, Let's bring the soul back. God Bless you.....Shaun William Capps