There’s A Verse For That…
I had forgotten one of the core techniques of abusive ministries until I saw it again in spades with the Potters Field scandal.
That technique is to turn the victims faith against them by suggesting that their response to the abuse is ungodly. They are used to make the victim a perpetrator and deflect accountability from where it belongs.
Are you angry that you were abused?
Anger is sinful and there’s a verse for that.
Upset that nothing has been done to hold the perpetrators accountable?
You’re bitter…and there’s a verse for that.
Want to tell others what happened to you and warn others of danger?
You’re a gossip and there’s a verse for that.
Have no desire to allow the abuse to continue?
You refuse to forgive and there’s a verse for that.
Believe that someone is biblically disqualified from ministry?
You’re touching God’s anointed and there’s a verse for that.
You won’t move on and let God handle it…
You are judging and there’s a verse for that…
I’ll say this clearly again…
All of those verses are used out of context and are cited to prevent victims from holding leaders accountable for sins against Christians and the Body of Christ.
They are carefully crafted to make the victim the perpetrator while allowing the abusers to continue to abuse.
Listen to me…
Anger and grief are the proper responses to being abused or seeing others abused.
Abuse angers and grieves God as well.
The Bible commands us to deal with these situations openly and transparently and do everything we can to protect each other and the church.
God has left us here to handle this stuff…and He says to remove the evil ones from among you.
What was done in secret will be shouted from the rooftops…so shout.
Silence is a tool of Satan to suppress the truth and enable evil.
Speak, warn, shout, grieve, and growl if necessary…but don’t be victimized again by having your voice taken.
True words, Michael. Those in the church that abuse their position in order to excuse their sin will face greater judgment. How sad that the victims are once again victimized.
Thank you, Randall…it seems these things never change…
Absolutely true. . Amen !
Recently one of my grown children asked me what verses i relied on when raising them… I replied that i didn’t rely on verses – that the whole counsel of the Book, line upon line and precept upon precept was the only way to feed on the Word
Just speaking for myself, I am a fan of verses.
Amen, Michael!! This needs to be said over and over and over!!
Xenia, I’m a fan of verses too. 🙂 Just not taking verses out of context with which to beat people over the head.
Xenia, may we assume you are referring to verses IN context?
Somehow i don’t picture you closing your eyes, opening the Bible and pointing to a verse…. ?
Well said, Michael. Much needed, and well said!
[I’m sure PFM and The Rozells follow these posts. So this is to them.]
“Either you truly realize the harm, extreme hurt, and spiritual damage you’ve caused to your fellow Christians – God’s children and The Body of Christ as a whole, as well as your gross misrepresentation of our Savior, or sadly, you don’t.
And If not, then this horrible tragedy and need for true repentance and real brokenness from you goes far, far deeper than your pride, narcissism, finances, and ‘life going on as usual.’ For many are still suffering from your abuse, in silence from you. This is not about your posturing, or being on stage, or presenting an image. But real trench Christianity. To see if what you preached, taught, and proclaimed all these years is real, or was just “the greatest show on earth’ To ask, who were you really doing all this for? To see if this Jesus you say you’ ve been following and proclaiming , is actually real in your lives.
Someone recently said, ‘Your apology and restitution needs to be as loud as your disrespect was.” You might want to read that again. Maybe several times for they are wise words to be applied. And not for show. The Body of Christ will know if it’s truly genuine or not, or simply just another stage performance. It was with Zaccheus.
So, everyone is waiting. Now months later, still waiting. With our wondering is protecting the ‘image’ of Michael and Pam more important than that of The Gospel and of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? [The same goes for CCA and Don McClure.] The real question is, what IS really most important to you?
For we are admonished, “when you’ve done it unto the least of these, you’ve done this to Me…”
Thank you for this.
B and I have been called it all.
We do not “count it all joy.”
You betcha there is a verse for that.
Try Ezekiel 34.
To uncomfortable?
Try Matt 23:27.
Still unsure?
Matt 15:14
Oh, yes, to be sure…
There is a verse for that.
#churchtoo
#damnyou
Thank you, Lori Anne…
“…I gotcher’ verse right here…”
— Joe Pesci —
It’s Past Time To Act, I am sorry to tell you but an apology and accountability most likely will never come. Since 2014 I waited for Bob Coy to stand up like a man, father and husband and take responsibility for his trail of destruction. It took me years to finally understand thanks to Michael and this site why an apology will never happen, bc there was more, lots more about the situation that made your hair curl. So you find out the beginning is the “tip of the iceberg” and so with Mike and Pam surely there is more. These monsters prey on people, have no conscience and are sociopaths. This post hit home for me. I have been a caregiver of a very close loved one who had been sexually assaulted and I can tell you I cringe thinking if we had been still attending these churches and were told the twisted verses, my loved one would not have healed, instead though it was their fault which it never is. For PFM I say get attorneys and go to court to sue. That is the only way. But I know most survivors of abuse do not want to relive their trauma, but instead move on, but like with rape survivors it takes years to work through issues. And someday when these brave young survivors want to tell their story or go after Rozell they will. For now, we can only thank Michael for keeping the communication lines open, here. We shall keep them in our prayers.
@Jessica
So true jessica!!!! Im dealing with the same exact thing you are talking about. I commented under a comment of yours in another post too, “bob coys real profile picture” would love to chat with you personally. (There’s a lot I’m trying to work through right now surrounding these churches and want to share with someone and ask questions with someone who seems to understand)
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
But who do I tell?
My family will suffer.
I need someone else to testify in my place.
I’m too scared.
If someone throws a verse at you intended to back you down you should ask why they are doing that and you should stand a little more firmly.
We all can be bullied by having our sins highlighted. Usually my position is to affirm their suspicions and tell them that there are much worse things they have not seen.
So verses of scripture lead to discussion and mutual sharing. They do not lead to shaming and silencing. Otherwise take a flamethrower to the place.
Pastor Dread, that is true – hope everyone sees those words – maybe they should be over on open blogging, too?