Tag Archives: NAR

Feb 8 2022

The Reign and Rule of Love – Father/Son Ministry: Part 14: 'Monday Morning Musing - February 14, 2022'

 

When the central theme of Christ-crucified and risen in the power of self-giving love ceases to be our only metric, motif, and model of ministry, we have lost our way. When subordinate themes (legitimate or otherwise) take its place we are unnecessarily complicating things. When things which only possess transforming and liberating life and power when they derive freshly from the Holy Spirit are systematized and reduced to protocols of ministry, the logical outcome is human pain. This is simply because even something from Scripture, without the animating power of of the life and love of God, becomes a dispenser of misery. So it is with so-called father-son ministry motifs.

 

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 6 2021

Father-Son Ministry – Limits for Safety: Part 4

It is a mishandling of Scripture to take something that was unique, precious, and limited to specific human beings, at a specific place, at a specific time, in specific circumstances and turn it into something universal for all believers for all time. This is a mistake many make when it comes to “spiritual fathers and sons.”

 

Photo by Héctor J. Rivas on Unsplash 

 

Copyright 2021. 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.

 

 

Jun 7 2021

Apostles and Apostolic Ministry – Paul’s Apostolic Ethos: 'Monday Morning Musings - June 7, 2021'

 

In many Charismatic leaning type of congregations the term apostle is used broadly and loosely. Too often it is used as a title implying significance, rank, positional authority, and governmental hierarchy–a hyper-spiritual veneer for naked ego and ambition. Paul’s cruciform “apostolic ethos” is plain and costly. It is also plain that many who profess to be apostles, do not possess it.

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Copyright 2021. 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.

 

Photo by Braydon Anderson on Unsplash

Sep 21 2020

The Long War Against Thinking in Pentecostalism/Charismatic Churches: 'Monday Morning Musings 9-21-2020 - "What . . . . IF?"'

There is a prevalent strain of anti-intellectualism that has infected some forms of Western Protestantism for one hundred years, particularly some Pentecostal and Charismatic brands. It goes like this: “I don’t need any one to teach me what the Bible says. The Holy Spirit gives me ‘downloads.” All that education just gets in the way of the ‘anointing’ and ‘revelation'”. In this episode, I use the simple English word “if” to demonstrate how foolish that paradigm truly is.

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Copyright 2020. 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 19 2013

Spiritual Warfare: 'Separating Reality from Hype'

Spiritual Warfare

Spiritual Warfare: Separating Reality from the Hype

Spiritual Warfare–it seems Christians either obsess over it and engage in all kinds of antics and hype, or they ignore it because the intellectualization of their theological categories disallows for the reality. The fakery and the hype inoculates the inquiring novice from accepting the real thing. Arid intellectualism leaves believers unequipped to deal with phenomena outside of their worldview. What is genuine spiritual warfare and what is just a bunch of noise and enthusiasm in a meeting?

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