“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16).
The Apostle Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel.” The word gospel means “good news.”
Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the good news.” But I have seen people who were ashamed of the good news.
The reason for their attitude was that they had heard someone who was arrogant. They taught in such a manner that people just didn’t want to hear it.
I have heard some people say, “I’ve heard all of this faith business I want to hear.”
If they have, they have heard all of the Word of God they want to hear, for God’s Word is filled with faith. If you teach God’s Word, you will be teaching faith.
That isn’t really what the critics meant. They meant they didn’t like the attitude with which some people delivered the message of faith.
If you are going to reach people, you must reach them where they are. And the message must be presented in an attitude of love.
The same is true concerning prosperity, because of the ways it has been presented. I also know that the individuals who taught it didn’t mean for it to sound that way.
Check Up on Yourself
It helps those of us who are ministers to go back and listen to our own tapes sometimes to see how our message is coming across. We need to check up on ourselves.
Sometimes things come over to the audience in a different way than was intended, and they misunderstand it.
Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the good news, for it is the power of God.” Good news is the power of God. It is the gospel. And the gospel, of course, is faith, and it is prosperity, and it is healing. All of these are involved in salvation.
When Paul said that, he was telling us that the power of God is in the Word of God. He upholds all things by the Word of His power.
The gospel is good news. It is the power of God unto salvation – which means deliverance, preservation, healing, soundness.
If you preach it the way the Word says it, and with the right attitude, people will believe it. But you can turn people off by saying things the wrong way.
Don’t take the Bible and beat people over the head with it. Sure, they are bound in religious tradition. You were too before you first heard it – we all were. We were all in the same boat.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Charles Capps is a retired farmer, land developer, and Bible teacher who has traveled extensively throughout the United States and several foreign countries sharing the truths of God's Word. He has taught Bible seminars for over 35 years, emphasizing the authority of the believer, faith and the power of words.
Charles and Peggy both have their roots in the rich farmland of Lonoke County, Arkansas. Having been raised by parents who were farmers, Charles began farming cotton, soybeans, and rice immediately after graduating from high school and marrying in 1951.
Peggy, being 3 1/2 months older than Charles had to sign as the adult on his behalf when he wanted to begin flying lessons at the age of 17. They joined an organization known as the Flying Farmers and gained experience going to "fly-ins" and national meetings across the United States. Neither knew that this skill of flying would be such an asset later when Charles began teaching personal evangelism in the 1960's. He spoke on the subject of soulwinning in churches not only in the US, but flew his twin engine Piper Comanche to the Bahamas to teach students of Youth With a Mission how to share Christ with others.
After reading a book by Kenneth E. Hagin entitled, "Authority of the Believer", Charles and Peggy's life took on a new dimension of travel and ministry as Charles became known for his teaching gift and insight on the subjects of faith and confession. Invitations to minister to the Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship International (FGBMFI) began to pour in, eventually leading to the publication of his teachings in book form. "The Tongue a Creative Force" and "God's Creative Power(r) Will Work for You" became bestsellers after Buddy Harrison, Kenneth Hagin's son in law, launched his publishing company with these two classics. These two books have sold millions (the God's Creative Power(r) series has sold over 5 million copies) and are still much in demand today.
We celebrated Charles' promotion to heaven at 5:15 pm Sunday, February 23, 2014. He informed the family and close friends on Friday that he would be going home to heaven in 3 days. After having some final words with family and friends on Saturday, he went to bed, went to sleep and never awoke. (He kept saying, "I want to go in my sleep.") His wife and daughters had the privilege of being with him as he finally got that glorified body he always talked about. Charles Capps was a man of integrity, a man of his word and he got what he said. He called those things that be not as though they were.
Charles Capps broadcast called, "Concepts of Faith", continues a daily national radio broadcast and a weekly television broadcast aired over several networks, satellite, and the internet. Click on the Radio or TV link to find the broadcast in your area.
Peggy continues to reside in Arkansas. Both Charles' and Peggy's daughters, Annette and Beverly are involved in the ministry.
