Tag Archives: spiritual abuse

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.

Feb 8 2022

Spiritual Abuse: Culture of Honor: 'Monday Morning Musing - January 31, 2022'

In some churches leadership talks about “creating a culture of honor.” How honor is defined, and how it is expressed, makes all the difference between an authority-intoxicated cult and something truly wonderful and beneficial to all.

 

_______________________________

 

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.

Feb 8 2022

Spiritual Abuse: Inauthentic Identity: 'Monday Morning Musing - January 24, 2022'

 

 

I am of Apollos. I am of Peter. I am of Paul. All these are false identity statements. Who am I and where do I fit in/belong? are two questions common to humanity. Predatory spiritual abusers take advantage of this human desire. This is especially so in those who are young, still being developed in their psychology, or those who because of trauma and abandonment may struggle in this area.

 

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.

Feb 7 2022

Honor Titles: 'Monday Morning Musing - January 17, 2021'

The mandatory use of honorific titles of position, hierarchy, rank and authority, do not create honorable hearts nor honorable cultures. Honor that is demanded or forced from a position of superiority, may work in the military, but that is not the motif for the new covenant family of God.

___________________________________

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.

Feb 7 2022

Spiritual Abuse – Spiritual Predators: 'Monday Morning Musing - January 10, 2022'

So-called “spiritual sonship” can be nothing other than a predatory practice where human lives, gifts and talents become the fuel for a carnal leader’s ambition. Like throwing coal in a furnace, you will be consumed by another person’s “drive for success,” “need to be needed,” persona or charisma. They successfully recruit you by appealing to your ego and promising you special spiritual status as one of their “sons or daughters.”

_____________________________

 

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.

Feb 7 2022

Spiritual Abuse: 'Monday Morning Musing - February 7, 2021'

Sadly, spiritual abuse abounds in many organizations and universes that identify with the Name of Christ. In many independent/Charismatic-leaning/”Apostolic-Prophetic/or so-called New Apostolic Reformation cultures, the father-son ministry paradigm is an unhealthy and unsafe environment of subtle manipulative psychological abuse. This is especially so when dealing with late adolescents or young adults.
_______________________________________________

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.

 

 

Oct 4 2021

Behold How They Love One Another: 'Monday Morning Musings - October 4, 2021'

There is more to “witnessing” than haranguing unbelievers with propositional truth from the Bible. Doing so is one of the least effective, and often most offensive, means of “sharing the gospel.”

__________________________________

 

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.

Sep 20 2021

Escape and Assurance: 'Monday Morning Musings - September 20, 2021'

In many common presentations of the Gospel in modern evangelicalism, the themes of escape and assurance have had a dominant presence. If we are pursuing Christian community with those two values as primary motivators, we will assure ourselves of unnecessary relationship difficulties. A local community is not something we should hope to escape at the first whiff of an unpleasant experience. A local community is the laboratory of relational life where the ethics of what we say we believe gets tested.  I am not saying there are never good reasons to leave a group. There are. But “I am not enjoying myself” or “it is too hard,” or “it hurts,” are not among the legitimate reasons. 

 

_________

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 Rayson Tan on Unsplash

Sep 13 2021

The Dream versus The Reality – Dealing with “Unpleasantness”: 'Monday Morning Musings - September 13, 2021'

 

“The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community, but the person who loves those around them will create community.” – D. Bonhoeffer

 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer coined the phrase the “Dream Wish” in the context of the search for Christian community. He makes the point that the Dream Wish will destroy any Christian Community because it is idealistic and unattainable. It is intolerant of weakness and defect. We must be open to the possibility that “God’s wonderful plan for our lives” might include an assignment to unpleasant people and places. Life can be hard. When it so, it does not mean we have missed God in any way.

_____________

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 Jan Canty on Unsplash