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Common Errors in Ministry
To the abused and wounded

It is difficult to overestimate the fragility of one who has suffered sexual abuse, PDM's must acknowledge that we have "feet of clay" and will not always be sensitive to the moving of the Holy Spirit as we work to heal. Without caution, understanding and prayer, we can unwittingly inflict serious wounds to any client, especially the sexually abused.

This is a lesson in awareness. Prayer Deliverance Ministers will profit from constant self- examination, as we come before God with our gifts, knowledge and healing abilities. This lesson describes some of the many ways in which PDM's can act outside of the will of God, especially in ministry to the abused. Many errors are made from ignorance and I or a rigid adherence to technique; others from excessive zeal or religiosity derived from inadequate or truncated theology, Unfortunately, some counselors prey on the weaknesses of their clients, and seek their own satisfaction rather than healing for others.

'..How long will you torment me and crush me with words? Ten times now you have reproached me; shamelessly you attacked me . . . .you would exalt yourselves above me,
and use my humiliation against me..."
Job 19:2-5




Errors in ministry resulting from truncated theology

You've received Jesus. It's all under the blood. Now shape up and get your act together.
Act out your new life!

o We must learn to die daily
I Corinthians 15:31

o Healing is a process of transformation
Matthew 15:13, 1 Corinthians 4:4-5;5: 7, II Corinthians 3:18; 4:16; Ephesians 4:15; philippians 1:6; 2:12; Colossians 3:3-14; Hebrews 10:14; Peter 2:1-3

o "That's in the past. Forget it." We are not to forget until we take all sin and put it to death on the cross of Jesus.
Galatians 2:20; 5:24; Phillippians 3:12; Luke 6:45, 11:46; Hebrews 12:15;

o Reading Scripture, preaching "sermons" and assuming a person will alter their behavior is not what we do. We do not teach behavior modification or the use of "will power". Jeremiah 13:23 Healing requires meeting the heart, faith with "skin" on it.
Hebrews 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8,11
And they heal the brokenness of the daughter of my people superficially by saying, allis well, all is well, but there is no peace.
Jeremiah 8:11; 6:14

Unbiblical practices in ministry

o Attempting to receive knowledge in unholy ways, i.e., using hypnosis or other occult/psychic means of "seeing". We must rely upon the Law, the Word, and the Holy Spirit
Deuteronomy 18:10-11;
I Corinthians 4:5

o Using imagination to change history is destructive.

o We must not insist that the client relive traumatic experiences. Jesus knows how much memory is needed to identify sin and bring about healing.

o Comforting only, is as bad as no comfort at all. We must confront sin gently, encourage forgiveness and repentance, and then bring it to death on the cross.
Galatians 2:20; 5:24

o Any form of sexual conduct with a client is strictly forbidden, and is not acceptable behavior for any reason.

Premature practices in ministry

o Healing wounds prematurely, without exploring the nature of the woundedness in the context of the family short circuit's the healing process. Get all the information before you start the healing process. You might miss some judgements, or habits, patterns and structures.

OLD TESTAMENT

Deuteronomy 18:1O-11-Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.

Job 4:2-3 - "If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? But who can keep from speaking? Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands."

Job 8:2-3 - "I-low long will you say such things? Your words are a blustering wind. Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right?"

Proverbs 11:14 NAS - But where there is no guidance, the people fall, /But in abundance of counselors there is victory.

Isaiah 1I:2-4a - The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him-/The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, / the Spirit of counsel and power, /the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord-/and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;/but with righteousness he will judge the needy,/ with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

Jeremiah 6:14 NAS "And they have healed the brokenness of my people superficially, /Saying, 'Peace, peace,'/But there is no peace."

Jeremiah 8:11 - "They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. 'Peace, Peace,' they say, when there is no peace."'
Jeremiah 13:23 - Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil,


NEW TESTAMENT

Matthew 15:13-He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots/'

Luke 6:45 - "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks."

Luke 11:24-26 - "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."

Luke 11:46 - Jesus replied, "And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you your-selves will not lift one finger to help them."

I Corinthians 4:4-7 - My Conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts.
At that time

Galatians 6:1 - Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.

Ephesians 1:4-6 - For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy arid blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his Sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Ephesians 4:15 NAS - But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ.

Ephesians 6:13-17 - Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Philippians 1:6 - .. being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:12 - Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act accordingly to his good purpose. (emphasis added)
each will receive his praise from God. Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

I Corinthians 5:7 NAS - Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?

I Corinthians 15:31 - I die every day-I mean that, brothers-just as surely as I glory over you in Jesus Christ our Lord.

II Corinthians 3:18 NAS - But we as with un-veiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

II Corinthians 4:16 NAS -Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 5:24 - Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions arid desires.

Phillippians 3:12-13 - Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:3-14 - For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being re-newed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kind-ness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

I Thessalonians 2:7-8 - As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.

I Thessalonians 2:11-12 - For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting arid urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

Hebrews 4:12 RSV - For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Hebrews 10:14 - .. .because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

Hebrews 12:15 NAS - See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.

I Peter 2:1-3 -Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

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Site Last Updated October 18,2023