Tag Archives: stephencrosby.soarlms.com

Jul 27 2021

The Wrath of God: 'Monday Morning Musing July 26, 2021'

How we define wrath is going to shape our theology and our God-image. The ancient church fathers rightly taught that God is not moved by the same kinds of passions that we are as humans. So, whatever concept of wrath we may hold, it cannot be just a bigger, badder, and more vindictive version of our own anger at sin and injustice.

 

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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.

 

 

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Jul 19 2021

Vengeance or Justice?: 'Monday Morning Musings - July 19, 2021'

Vengeance is based on a self-need for vindication, or satisfaction. It is rooted in desires of having experienced a personal wrong that requires some sort of “equilibrating” payment. There is no self-need in God, of any kind, period. Therefore, our human understanding of vengeance, including that which supposedly belongs to God, needs to be abandoned and a more scripturally sound concept, faithful to both the nature of God and Scripture needs to be embraced. Vindictive retribution is an insult to the nature of God in Christ.

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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.

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Jul 12 2021

His Justice is Not Like Ours: 'Monday Morning Musings - July 12, 2021'

 

In our world justice is static and inflexible. Our image of justice is a blind woman with a balance and a sword. This speaks of something precisely balanced, evened out, equal, proportional–implemented by force and the threat of violence if necessary. The prophets had a different idea. Amos says that God’s justice flows like a mighty river. It is something dynamic and full of surging life and power. It is not precise. It is uncontainable, fluid and brings CLEANSING, HEALING and LIFE wherever it goes, not PUNISHMENT and DEATH. God’s ways are not like our ways and this applies to our understanding of divine justice.

 

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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.

 

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Jun 28 2021

Love’s Price Tag: 'Monday Morning Musings - June 28, 2021'

The rhetoric of love is cheap. The living of love is costly.

 

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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.

Jun 21 2021

Signs and Wonders: 'Monday Morning Musings - June 21, 2021'

Signs and wonders are normal features of a full-spectrum Gospel of Jesus. However, they are not center stage. They are not to be commercialized, systematized nor reduced to “supernatural techniques” and methods. They also do not guarantee that those experiencing or seeing signs and wonders will inevitably accept the claims of Jesus as Savior and Lord. Jesus and the apostles did miracles and it did not make them popular nor successful. They were still martyred. Miracles do not guarantee conversion–or anything for that matter.

 

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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.

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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.

 

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May 31 2021

Ekklesia – Part Four – Leadership: Looking for Patterns that Don’t Exist: 'Monday Morning Musings - May 31, 2021'

 

Sometimes people look for a one-size-fits-all pattern in the New Testament about this or that, but especially how local churches are structured and led. This is particularly true regarding the Book of Acts. It is a serious mistake to try to make historical narrative scripture universally, eternally, and rigidly binding on all believers for all time. The church in Jerusalem, the church Antioch, and the church in Ephesus were all structured and “led” differently. There was a core message that was the same, and core ethics that were the same, but the expressions were different, including in how the communities were led.

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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.

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May 24 2021

Ekklesia – Part Three – Essence or Container?: 'Monday Morning Musings - May 24, 2021'

The value of a matter is not defined by the container. It is defined by the essence of what is in the container. Poison in a Swarovski crystal punch bowl is still poison. Gold coins buried in a 2,000 year old clay pot are still gold coins. When it comes to discussions about ekklesia, the emphasis is often arguing about the container, rather than what is supposed to be “inside” the container. 

 

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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.

 

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May 24 2021

Ekklesia – Part One – Looking for The Church: 'Monday Morning Musing - May 10, 2021'

 

 

Being able to define a matter does not necessarily equate to possessing the reality of the matter. There is much discussion in social media about the ekklesia–the church–and attempts to “properly define it” so we can “correctly practice” it. Deeper, more foundational discussions need to occur first. It doesn’t matter how something is packaged and presented, if the content is toxic. The result will not be positive.

 

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.

 

 

 

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May 17 2021

Ekklesia – Part Two – What’s Love Got to do With it? Everything.: 'Monday Morning Musings - May 17, 2021'

 

The venues in which we meet, have no spiritual significance. The values we hold in our heart, and express toward others, mean everything. Changing the “form” and “practices” of our meeting or gathering, without first having a heart transformation is not an advanced form of Christian spirituality. It is like rearranging the deck chairs and listening to the orchestra play while the Titanic continues to sink.

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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.