Pastoral Spiritual Abuse

[ApostolicKitty]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

The Lincoln is as big as a boat, so it worth a try to provide my brother with some delicious Florida BBQ. Which only come second to Louisiana BBQ which is the utmost best in the entire planet. In Louisiana they can cook a shoestring and a napkin and it would still taste awesome.

You do realize we are not known for bbq here in Louisiana....

But, yes, we can cook anything.

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by n david

I agree with much of what you posted. I wish people would take some personal responsibility for their lives and stop whining to Pastors over every little thing.

Again, my response is based on personal experience growing up in the home of a Pastor.

My parents didn't demand the counseling. They didn't "play God" with anyone. People came to them for spiritual help with marital issues or family issues and they were willing to both listen and offer advice. They weren't building a kingdom for themselves. They answered the phone at two in the morning and got dressed, me included, to visit someone requesting prayer at a hospital or home.

There was a man who attended services now and then. Never listened to any advice given, but of course, whenever he was arrested for public intoxication, the first words out of his mouth were "Call Pastor __________. That's my Pastor, he'll pick me up." And my father would. Me? I would have let him sit in jail to sober up and hopefully learn a lesson.

This isn't against you, but this post is more reason as to why I refused to follow in my father's footsteps and become a Pastor.

I agree that the pastor position as it stands today is a very taxing, exhausting place to be in. The demands and expectations are very high indeed.

The NT church leadership was plural in nature, which would prevent a lot of difficulties that we see today with one man pastoring a church.

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

Amen!

But this happens to both sides, the one in the pulpit, and the ones sitting in front of the pulpit. Who fault is it? The finger is pointed in both directions.

Yet, ministers who have never really learned what they believe end up losing out, as well as saints who never really studied to show themselves approved.

Is the system fouled up?

NO, sadly it is the ones with the chip on their shoulders from pulpit to pew who never allow the bitterness to be changed to better-ness who miss out Proverbs 18:19.

Suing a minister because he talked smack about you?

Well, isn't that making you the bigger kid in the sandbox!

Whatever, but that is what we have these days, and everyone would like to grab the cross called spiritual abuse and hang on it for everyone to see them struggle and bleed. They start websites like Lois, social media groups were all ex-preachers and ex-Pentecostals alike can go like each others wounds and never get over their past.

Pick up your cross and follow Jesus Matthew 16:24, Luke 9:23, Mark 8:34. It doesn't say pick up your cross and hang on it, never getting off it. Are people abused? Did people get some bad breaks, ran into some religious psychos, false brethren?

Yes, the Apostle Paul, had Alexander the copper-smith 2 Timothy 4:14. Yet, not every single epistles is filled with weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth accompanied with snot bubbles complaining about Alexander. We have all had bad breaks, we have all found teachings that weren't quite on par with scripture, but that didn't make me dump the Apostolic truth and go out grab a pair of tied dyed shorts, white athletic socks, with a pair of dirty brown Birkenstocks to go follow some Presbyterian/Pentecostal/Calvinist/Paul Washerism.

Amen. There are a lot of issues clouding the water, but that doesn't change the truth of the word of God. Studying to show thyself approved applies to us all, leadership and saint alike.

The scripture says Matt. 17:24 "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me."

If we are teaching people to follow Jesus, they need to know about denying themselves as part of the gospel. Many never hear that part of the gospel teaching. That teaching in and of itself would save people a lot of heartache if they realized the true gospel of Jesus isn't a prosperity gospel. Denying yourself? Carrying a cross? Following Jesus - being obedient to Him?

This is a part of the gospel that should never be glossed over.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

Amen. There are a lot of issues clouding the water, but that doesn't change the truth of the word of God. Studying to show thyself approved applies to us all, leadership and saint alike.

The scripture says Matt. 17:24 "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me."

If we are teaching people to follow Jesus, they need to know about denying themselves as part of the gospel. Many never hear that part of the gospel teaching. That teaching in and of itself would save people a lot of heartache if they realized the true gospel of Jesus isn't a prosperity gospel. Denying yourself? Carrying a cross? Following Jesus - being obedient to Him?

This is a part of the gospel that should never be glossed over.

AMEN!