Category Archives: Praise and Worship

May 17 2022

God Inhabits the Praises of His People: 'May 2, 2022'

What were temporarily inhabited praises being sung in the old economy have be come permanently inhabited people by the indwelling union with the Spirit of Christ in the new.

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Copyright 2022. Dr. Stephen R. Crosby. www.stevecrosby.org. For video and audio resources, sign up as a student here. You will find a mix of both free resources and those with cost. This ministry is sustained by the freewill offerings of those believe in the message of a radical grace in a new covenant understanding. If this blog article has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider making a contribution through our Paypal button to help? Stephanos Ministries is NOT a 501-c-3 corporation Click here to understand why. Thank you and God bless you.

 

 

May 17 2022

The “Take-You-into-the-Presence-Person”: 'March 28, 2022'

“I have the ministry of taking people into the presence of God.” So, said a famous worship leader. That’s odd. I thought Jesus has done that already. I thought we were always in His presence since He indwells us by the Spirit. In order to make that kind of statement, a person has to draw upon bad Old Covenant typology. There is no such thing as a “taker-into-the-presence-ministy” in the new era, other than the Person of Christ by the Spirit. We certainly don’t need to sing and carry on for half an hour or more to try to get to some adrenaline-filled “place” called “the Presence of the Lord.”

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Copyright 2022. Dr. Stephen R. Crosby. www.stevecrosby.org. For video and audio resources, sign up as a student here. You will find a mix of both free resources and those with cost. This ministry is sustained by the freewill offerings of those believe in the message of a radical grace in a new covenant understanding. If this blog article has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider making a contribution through our Paypal button to help? Stephanos Ministries is NOT a 501-c-3 corporation Click here to understand why. Thank you and God bless you.

May 17 2022

The Anointing: 'April 25, 2022'

The anointing is virtually a fetish, an object of desire, in many types of churches, especially Pentecostal/Charismatic types. For some the anointing is measured by “the preaching of the Word.” For others it is associated with praise and worship. Like in so many things, we are running on Old Covenant octane when this topic comes up.

 

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Copyright 2022. Dr. Stephen R. Crosby. www.stevecrosby.org. For video and audio resources, sign up as a student here. You will find a mix of both free resources and those with cost. This ministry is sustained by the freewill offerings of those believe in the message of a radical grace in a new covenant understanding. If this blog article has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider making a contribution through our Paypal button to help? Stephanos Ministries is NOT a 501-c-3 corporation Click here to understand why. Thank you and God bless you.

Apr 18 2022

The Manifest Presence of God: 'April 18, 2022'

Jesus links his manifest presence to obedience and ministering to and among the “less-than” other. How and why do we shift the association to praise and worship? Because of bad typology from OT proof-texts and because it is just easier and more enjoyable. We like to pretend adrenaline-driven spiritual narcissism is an enlightened form of corporate worship.

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Copyright 2022. Dr. Stephen R. Crosby. www.stevecrosby.org. For video and audio resources, sign up as a student here. You will find a mix of both free resources and those with cost. This ministry is sustained by the freewill offerings of those believe in the message of a radical grace in a new covenant understanding. If this blog article has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider making a contribution through our Paypal button to help? Stephanos Ministries is NOT a 501-c-3 corporation Click here to understand why. Thank you and God bless you.

Apr 12 2022

“Covering” Sins?: 'April 11, 2022'

Why do so many worship choruses, songs and hymns focus on our sins being “covered” by God, or the “blood of Jesus” when the NT/Christian scripture never uses that language in relation to God and our sins. It is all based on OT Jewish scripture typology. We have a better covenant based on better promises. Let’s sing better songs.

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Copyright 2022. Dr. Stephen R. Crosby. www.stevecrosby.org. For video and audio resources, sign up as a student here. You will find a mix of both free resources and those with cost. This ministry is sustained by the freewill offerings of those believe in the message of a radical grace in a new covenant understanding. If this blog article has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider making a contribution through our Paypal button to help? Stephanos Ministries is NOT a 501-c-3 corporation Click here to understand why. Thank you and God bless you.

Apr 4 2022

The Restoration of David’s Tabernacle: 'April 4, 2022'

 

Out of the Latter Rain Movement of 1948 came a belief system regarding praise and worship centered around Amos 9:11– the restoration of David’s Tabernacle (tent). It is an unquestioned and unexamined doctrine in almost any modern expression of praise and worship, particularly in Pentecostal, Charismatic, Apostolic-Prophetic and even many Evangelical congregations

 

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Copyright 2022. Dr. Stephen R. Crosby. www.stevecrosby.org. For video and audio resources, sign up as a student here. You will find a mix of both free resources and those with cost. This ministry is sustained by the freewill offerings of those believe in the message of a radical grace in a new covenant understanding. If this blog article has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider making a contribution through our Paypal button to help? Stephanos Ministries is NOT a 501-c-3 corporation Click here to understand why. Thank you and God bless you.

Mar 21 2022

Praise and Worship: A New Covenant Perspective – Introduction: 'March 21, 2022'

For the next several weeks I will be breaking out some highlights and excerpts from my book: “Praise, Worship and the Presence of the Lord”. If you have been exposed to teachings about the alleged Restoration of David’s Tabernacle, or other Old Covenant typology about praise and worship, strap yourself in, and join me for some thought provoking and challenging re-examinations of those kinds of things from a New Covenant Perspective. The book is available on Amazon in soft cover and Kindle.

 

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Copyright 2022. Dr. Stephen R. Crosby. www.stevecrosby.org. For video and audio resources, sign up as a student here. You will find a mix of both free resources and those with cost. This ministry is sustained by the freewill offerings of those believe in the message of a radical grace in a new covenant understanding. If this blog article has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider making a contribution through our Paypal button to help? Stephanos Ministries is NOT a 501-c-3 corporation Click here to understand why. Thank you and God bless you.

 

 

Dec 17 2020

The Incarnation: 'God Dwells Among Humanity'

Photo by Pro Church Media on Unsplash

The Incarnation

Without getting into all the technical language details, the Prologue to John’s Gospel makes some profound declarations concerning Jesus. Jesus is the localized presence of God in the earth and Jesus is the glory (shekinah) of God. Jesus has replaced the Temple as the localization of both. That’s a pretty gutsy declaration for a Jew to make. A few observations:

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Jul 2 2017

The Hidden Idolatry in Charismatic Worship: 'Feeding the "Worship Experience" Beast'

Prophets of Baal

Prophets of Baal Worship Their God – J.J. Tissot

I have been a Charismatic believer for forty-two years. I was a weekly “worship leader” in Charismatic, “prophetic and apostolic” environments for thirty-five of those years. I get the picture as someone who has been on the inside for a very long time. I thoroughly understand the history, theology, values, beliefs, and practices behind Charismatic praise and worship expression. I also have had serious concerns and uneasiness about the theology and practice for a very long time. 

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Jul 1 2016

Church Refugee Sanity Guide – Part Eight: 'What About Praise and Worship?'

Praise and Worship - The Most Sacred, Sacred Cow

Church Refugee Sanity Guide – Part Eight – Praise and Worship: The Most Sacred, Sacred Cow

When it comes to the most sacred of sacred cows in the Christian herd, praise and worship is the lead steer. In this installment of the Church Refugee Sanity Guide, I take a look at the theology, methods, and values behind much evangelical worship expression.

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