Category: Authentic New Testament Solutions

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Authentic New Testament Solutions

A Protestant View of the Confessional

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is James 5:16:

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 

I like it for several reasons.

  1. It promotes trust among fellow believers. It assumes that all of us have others in our lives with whom we can be vulnerable—genuine friends who understand the Gospel, who want the best for us, and who will stand with us against the schemes of darkness.
  2. It establishes prayer as key. Prayer stimulates the ministry of the Holy Spirit in those doing the praying and those receiving the prayer. This is important because the Holy Spirit delivers into our lives everything Jesus appropriated for us on the cross. And this vital ministry is fundamental to our Christian growth, our Christian wisdom and revelation, and our Christian depth of insight. The righteousness and holiness we receive by God’s grace is infused into our lives by the Holy Spirit.
  3. It reveals that God wants us well. Every Spirit-filled Christian I know wants to be a better person than they are. However, perfection won’t be completed in our lives until we see Christ face to face. In the meantime, we are somewhere between our sinful state and total perfection, which is the process of progressive sanctification, our lives developing from glory to glory. It is a process of being set free from the tentacles of the world, the flesh, and the devil as we grow in Him.

For hundreds of years, the church has acknowledged both the risk and the necessity of confession. Roman Catholics have formalized protecting this process. We’ve all heard stories of Catholic priests who have given their lives to guard the information they learned in the confessional because they believe and hold sacred that every believer needs the freedom to confess their sins without fear of their confession being used against them. They know that the blood of Christ becomes effective in the life of the repentant once they have confessed, which empowers them to do what they ought. As a result, very often after spiritual confession, those who have violated others soon either turn themselves into the authorities and/or go to those they have violated to make things right with them. I have watched this happen many times and it is a beautiful portrayal of Christ’s work in the forgiven heart of a believer.

A Catholic friend of mine wrote to me regarding this issue.

The Seal of Confession is absolute. Most of the rules for excommunication apply to priests more than lay people, and breaking the integrity of the confessional gets a priest tossed. . . If a priest hears a man confess that he embezzles money, and afterward the man applies to be parish accountant, the priest can’t say anything!

He also directed me to Canon 21 of the Fourth Council of the Lateran (1215), which is binding on the Roman Catholic Church, and lays down the obligation of secrecy in the following words:

Let the priest absolutely beware that he does not by word or sign or by any manner whatever in any way betray the sinner. But if he should happen to need wiser counsel let him cautiously seek the same without any mention of person. For whoever shall dare to reveal a sin disclosed to him in the tribunal of penance we decree that he shall be not only deposed from the priestly office but that he shall also be sent into the confinement of a monastery to do perpetual penance.

I am a Protestant, not a Roman Catholic. We Protestants emphasize that we can go directly to God in order to repent and receive forgiveness. Even so, we don’t discount the importance of James 5:16 and the confession to fellow believers followed by prayer, and the healing that can powerfully occur.  However, because of our emphasis on going directly to God with our sins, many of us miss out on the confession, prayer, and healing process.

One well respected Protestant commentator wrote this about James 5:16:

It seems likely, in the modern world, that very few [Protestant] Christians are practicing this in any specific way. We’re just too afraid to be that vulnerable. James’ command is for us, as much as it is for the original readers. The church would be far healthier if more of us prayed for each other, in family love, to overcome our specific sins. After all, James writes, prayer works. God listens and responds. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective because God hears and takes actions.

As a Protestant, I have confessed my sins, received prayer, and am being and have been healed. I’ve confessed privately to the Lord, to friends that I trusted in my time of need, and to the public at large. Actually, it feels like I’ve confessed my sins more openly than anyone else in my generation. Why? Because I believe confession and repentance are fundamental to my biblical faith, and that my relationship with God is more important to me than the opinions of those who enjoy using the content of my confession against me.

It’s true, we all need to be very, very wise when we choose to discuss our personal battles with another, other than God. Our goal is freedom from sin and growth in our relationship with God. And on the other side of the coin, if someone chooses to repent to and confide in us, it is an honor that they would trust us to keep their confidence and respect their process. We become responsible to pray for them to be healed, and to use the Lord’s authority imparted to us by our position in Christ to pronounce that their sins are remitted.  When someone confesses to us, they see us as Christ’s ambassadors, which means they believe we have the authority Jesus spoke of in John 20:23 when he said, If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. 

I know it’s foreign to our Protestant ears, but Jesus gave us the power, by faith, to hear their confession and let their sins be washed away . . . or not. So, let’s be like Christ and acknowledge, in a tangible way, that the cross works for them too and that their sins are washed away. If we violate that confidence, we are ensuring that their sins are not washed away — at least in the minds and hearts of those we talk to, and, this demonstrates that we are in sin ourselves. Because we Protestants have not protected the sanctify of the confessional, we have, in effect, been rewarding hypocrisy and punishing repentance. We Protestants need to grasp that being a safe place for others to share their repentance and confession might be the most sacred thing we ever do. It makes tangible the purpose of the Cross.   

The point of this blog is for us to improve our ministry to others, not to evaluate everyone else who doesn’t understand. As I write this blog, it is an exhortation to me. I don’t write this from a lofty position of judgment on anyone else. This blog is for us to build character in ourselves, to become those who are trustworthy, who understand the Gospel, and respect the sanctity of the confessional. 

But, if we violate the sanctity of the confessional, we might be denying the very faith that we trust will save us on that day. 

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Pastor Ted Haggard, DD, CHBC, is a Bible teacher with an emphasis on New Testament solutions to the human condition. His Bible teaching is informed by biblical scholarship, Choice Theory (Glasser), Attachment Theory (Johnson), and Behavioral Studies using DISC (Rohm).

This and other blogs by Pastor Ted Haggard are available at http://www.tedhaggardblog.com as a ministry of St. James Church. If you would like to strengthen the ministry of St. James Church and Pastor Ted Haggard by giving, please use the “give” tab at http://www.saintjameschurch.com

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Authentic New Testament Solutions

I’ve Never Seen Such A Christian Easter

It’s Easter morning. Because we are quarantined at home and most stores and churches are closed, there are fewer Easter bunnies, Easter egg hunts, and no concern about preparing for the Easter Sunday services. Instead, people are watching The Ten Commandments, The Passion of the Christ, and local church services on TV and the Internet. Strangely enough, most people are at home with their families keeping the main thing the main thing.

Even those who are sick or watching their loved ones suffer are not trivializing this holiday. When people are sick and/or their loved ones may be dying, they think about eternal life, healing, redemption, and God’s role in the events we are all experiencing. And with this being Easter, the message of Jesus’ redemptive death and resurrection is all around us. Health care workers are singing Amazing Grace and praying with patients in secular hospitals. Practically every news cast has someone testifying that prayer healed them or that their hope in God sustained them. That can’t be bad.

Several weeks ago, I wrote a blog in answer to a question about God’s presence in the midst of this pandemic. (https://wp.me/p2QTRC-IQ), which has become a very popular blog.

Why?

Because people are having to settle what their families mean to them contrasted with what their possessions mean to them. Quarantined people have time to contemplate why they are living the way they are, and they have the time to decide whether they want to spend live their lives watching television, enjoying their relationships, growing in the Scriptures, or medicating themselves with a chemical high. My guess is that anyone searching any form of media this morning could easily find a life-giving Easter message that would be uplifting to them. Or, they could react to that Gospel message that was so omnipresent this morning and allow their rebellion and hatred of the Gospel to cause them to take a course into darkness that will be eternal.

I once asked an old man what he thought of President Trump. He paused, thought, and said, “Well, he sure causes people to reveal themselves.” As I thought about his response, I realized how wise it was. As a result of our response to our president, I think we all know more about ourselves, our politics, our friends, and our nation. The same thing is happening with this pandemic, political philosophies and personal convictions are being vividly revealed. So, between our President and the pandemic, lights are coming on in ourselves and others, and this Easter ended up being more Christian than I can ever remember.

So, I think we might be wise to thank God for this Sabbath rest in quarantine. This is our opportunity to grow in God, enjoy our families, read some good books, clean out some closets both in our homes and in our hearts, and be grateful for this time when we can all determine why we do what we do. We may decide it’s time to redirect a little – or a lot.

I know this season has created horrific financial situations for thousands of individuals and institutions across the country. We are doing all we can to participate with the churches, non-profits, individuals, corporations and government agencies helping relieve some of the pressure this pandemic is placing on people.

I am personally aware of the thousands of small churches like ours without a strong media presence that function based on the spiritual and financial strength of Sunday morning services. We at St. James are attempting to attend to these needs with daily Zoom meetings, a Zoom based Wednesday night Bible study, and Sunday morning livestreamed on Facebook and then posted on our website. But financially, even though some people are giving online, it does not compare to the resources we could be using if we were still having public Sunday morning services. Thus, I as a pastor and our church leadership team are having to make some tough decisions. Those decisions reveal us.

Let’s celebrate the focus on the Gospel we’re seeing across our nation today. Just as Easter celebrates Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, these circumstances might cause all of us, our families, our churches and institutions, to rise from the dead and experience new life. Let’s embrace Him.

We are Easter (Resurrection) People!

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Pastor Ted Haggard, DD, CHBC, is a Bible teacher with an emphasis on New Testament solutions to the human condition. His Bible teaching is informed by biblical scholarship, Choice Theory (Glasser), Attachment Theory (Johnson), and Behavioral Studies using DISC (Rohm).

This and other blogs by Pastor Ted Haggard are available at http://www.tedhaggardblog.com as a ministry of St. James Church. If you would like to strengthen the ministry of St. James Church and Pastor Ted Haggard by giving, please use the “give” tab at http://www.saintjameschurch.com.

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Authentic New Testament Solutions

Healing Devotions: Day 6

Today’s Scripture: For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Confession: I am the righteousness of God in Christ. My standing with God is secure. God is for me. He is my friend. My prayers are powerful and effective.

The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Being a Christian means that we accept that Christ and Christ alone is our righteousness. We were created in his image and likeness, and we were fearfully and wonderfully made in our mother’s womb by God. God sent us here during this generation for a purpose.

Because of our tendency toward sinfulness and the influence of evil all around us, we need Christ’s righteousness continually infused into our lives. This happens as we grow in the Scriptures, are continually filled with the Holy Spirit, and as a result of our deliberately developing life-giving relationships with others.

That is why we can fearlessly declare that God has made us righteous. We didn’t do it. God did it. Righteousness means right standing with God. Jesus who is righteous became our righteousness so we can stand in the presence of God as though we had never done wrong. We can stand in God’s presence without a sense of condemnation or spiritual inferiority.

We can measure how healed we are in a variety of ways. Any physician can test our physical healing, and our mental health is often revealed by our long-term life-giving friendships. But how do we measure our spiritual health?  It’s simple—by how we respond to someone else’s sin.

To the degree that we are impressed with ourselves and our own righteousness is the degree to which we respond to another’s sin judgmentally and/or punitively. To the degree that we believe that Christ and Christ alone is our righteousness is the degree to which we respond to someone else’s sin redemptively. When we are spiritually healthy, we are like God in our response to the failures of another. God sent Jesus, his son, in response to our sin. We, as his instruments, view the sins of another as our opportunity to model the effectiveness of the Gospel.

We must be experience some healing to effectively heal others.

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed (Isaiah 53: 4-5).

The Hebrew word which is translated weaknesses in Isaiah 53:4 is translated everywhere else in the Old Testament as sicknesses. Remember, He was whipped so we could be healed.

Matthew quotes this passage in Matthew 8:

That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command and he healed all the sick. This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, ‘He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases’ (Matthew 8:16-17).

So the cross provides healing for our weaknesses, sorrows, rebellion, and sins. We are made whole in Christ. He was whipped so we could be healed. And since he took our sicknesses and removed our diseases, we can be whole physically, mentally, and emotionally. As we receive his righteousness and the other benefits of the cross, we are fully capable of being, as Paul says, ambassadors of Christ in our generation.

Though none of us will be perfect until we see him face to face, we are God’s people, chosen by him to do good works. We are saved by grace through faith in who Jesus is and what he did for us, and then we are empowered by his love to serve others. Let’s do that.

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Pastor Ted Haggard, DD, CHBC, is a Bible teacher with an emphasis on New Testament solutions to the human condition. His Bible teaching is informed by biblical scholarship, Choice Theory (Glasser), Attachment Theory (Johnson), and Behavioral Studies using DISC (Rohm).

This and other blogs by Pastor Ted Haggard are available at http://www.tedhaggardblog.com as a ministry of St. James Church. If you would like to strengthen the ministry of St. James Church and Pastor Ted Haggard by giving, please use the “give” tab at http://www.saintjameschurch.com.

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Authentic New Testament Solutions

Healing Devotions: Day 5

Healing Devotions: Day #5

Today’s Scripture: For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago (Ephesians 2:10).

Confession: I was created by God to do good things. God has made me exactly who I am and placed me where I am to do good things that no one else can do. Today I will do what I am assigned to do to improve my life and the lives of those around me.

The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

God created a new nature inside of us which enables us to do good works. We are each uniquely placed in this world to do good things that no one else can do. Our lives are unique. We have unique relationships, thoughts, and opportunities.

Since we are his masterpiece, we need to value how we are created, as well as our experiences and relationships so we can accomplish the purposes he has for us. Every one of us has opportunity if we will believe what God believes about us. If, however, we believe only what others say about us, we may never accomplish the uplifting and life-giving plans God has for us. God wants to bless us so we are empowered to do his work. The following Scriptures highlight Jesus’ determination to fulfill God’s perfect will for his life.

I (Jesus) have come to do your will, O God – (Hebrews 10:7).

Jesus himself is a revelation of the will of God. He did the will of God; he healed all who came to him. You might think that your failures will prevent you from doing God’s perfect will for your life. The exact opposite is true. It’s your failures that will allow the manifestation of God’s total healing in your life which will actually equip you to fulfil God’s calling.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people (Hebrews 2:17).

Healing does not just apply to physical healing, but emotional, spiritual, and relational healing. Jesus provides every kind of healing that any of us might ever need. His sacrifice for us was enough to keep us effective as his instruments all of our lives. In other words, he set the example of healing in the Gospels, then he heals us in ways that enable us to heal others.

Go and announce to them (God’s people) that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! (Matthew 10:7-8).

These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed (Mark 16: 17-18).

Are any of you sick? You Should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results (James 5:14-16).

Remember, God has provided all types of healing through Christ’s redemptive work.

Yet it was our weakness he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed (Isaiah 53: 4-5).

That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command and he healed all the sick. This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases (Matthew 8:16-17).

Let’s receive all the healing God has for us, and fulfill the purposes he designed for us to fulfill.

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Pastor Ted Haggard, DD, CHBC, is a Bible teacher with an emphasis on New Testament solutions to the human condition. His Bible teaching is informed by biblical scholarship, Choice Theory (Glasser), Attachment Theory (Johnson), and Behavioral Studies using DISC (Rohm).

This and other blogs by Pastor Ted Haggard are available at http://www.tedhaggardblog.com as a ministry of St. James Church. If you would like to strengthen the ministry of St. James Church and Pastor Ted Haggard by giving, please use the “give” tab at http://www.saintjameschurch.com.

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Authentic New Testament Solutions

Healing Devotions: Day 4

Today’s Scripture: This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Confession: I am a new person in Christ Jesus. I am different than I was before. I have the life of God in me, the very nature of God, and the ability of God. Darkness has no place in me. I am a child of the light.

The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus still heals today in order to fulfil his covenant.

No, I will not break my covenant; I will not take back a single word I said (Psalm 89:34).

As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one (Luke 4:40).

Healing was for all in those days, and Christ the healer has never changed.

When people don’t know God wants them well, they have a tendency to accept sicknesses and diseases.. This is why the New Testament demonstrates for us the importance of preaching healing.

Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city(Acts 8:6-8).

Peter preached Christ to the cripple (Acts 3:6), to the multitudes (Acts 5:14-16), and to Aeneas (Acts 9:34). All were healed.

While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been born that way from birth, so he had never walked. He was sitting and listening as Paul preached. Looking straight at him, Paul realized he had faith to be healed. So Paul called to him in a loud voice, ‘Stand up!’ And the man jumped to his feet and started walking (Acts 14:8-10).

I am the Lord who heals you (Exodus 15:26b).

And then he (Jesus) told them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned’ (Mark 16:15).

Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authoirty in heaven and on earth, Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the command I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20).

The fact that God wants us well is part of the good news of the gospel. That is why we preach this throughout the world. Physical healing is part of the gospel, and healing is for all. A careful study of the Scriptures will show that God has declared that his will includes healing for his children. He has declared himself to be the healer of his people.

Many believe in devine healing, but have no personal knowledge of Jesus as the healer of our bodies. They see that others are divinely healed, but question whether God will heal them in answer to prayer or not. God need not give any special revelation of his will when he has plainly given his revealed will in the Bible.

The Scriptures are clear: God wants us well. And the evidence is clear, sometimes God heals instantly, other times he heals over time, sometimes he uses natural law, and other times he works through the care of a doctor or nurse. All of these methods reveal that God wants us well, even while we are here on the Earth. We in the West tend to rely more on medical science than on divine healing, yet regardless of the delivery mechanism for healing, the fact is, God wants us well. Thus we have a responsibility to take care of our emotions, minds, and bodies, and to care for others,  praying and serving, so others can be better off as well.

He (God) said, ‘If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptiuans; for I am the Lord who heals you (Exodus 15:26).

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Pastor Ted Haggard, DD, CHBC, is a Bible teacher with an emphasis on New Testament solutions to the human condition. His Bible teaching is informed by biblical scholarship, Choice Theory (Glasser), Attachment Theory (Johnson), and Behavioral Studies using DISC (Rohm).

This and other blogs by Pastor Ted Haggard are available at http://www.tedhaggardblog.com as a ministry of St. James Church. If you would like to strengthen the ministry of St. James Church and Pastor Ted Haggard by giving, please use the “give” tab at http://www.saintjameschurch.com.

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Authentic New Testament Solutions

Healing Devotions: Day 3

Today’s Scripture: Yes, I (Jesus) am the vine; you are the branches . . . if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted (John 15:5a, 7)!

Confession: I have been born-again and am being continually filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit teaches me God’s Word, and God’s Word teaches me about the Holy Spirit. We abide together. My life is empowered by Christ, and is directed by God’s Word. As a result, as my life is in harmony with God, I pray God’s will. And when I pray God’s will, my prayers are always answered.

The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Healing Scriptures

Uncertainty Corrected

We need not pray “if it be your will” when praying for the sick, because the Bible makes it clear that God wants us well. Mark 1:41 records Jesus setting the record straight, it was his will to heal, which is why Christians world-wide devote themselves to people being well, whether through nutrition, exercise, supernatual intervention, medical science, or simply loving care. Everyone who effectively works for us to be as healthy as possible is aligned with God’s overall purpose.

. . . Jesus reached out and touched him. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be healed’ (Mark 1:41b)!

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake.He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent (2 Peter 3:9).

Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven (James 5:14-15).

Numbers 20 tells us about the children of Israel becoming impatient. They began to complain against their leaders. As a result, poisonous snakes began biting people, killing them. After asking God for help, God instructed Moses to make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. Everyone who was bitten could simply look at the replica of the snake on the pole lived. The Bible says in vs. 9,

So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed.

The bronze snake on the pole is a type of Christ. When we have poison in our lives, we can repent and look to Christ and be healed.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

. . . and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them (Matthew 12:15b).

They begged him to let the sick touch at lease the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed (Matthew 14:36).

Everyone tried to touch him, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone (Luke 6:19).

That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick (Matthew 8:16-17).

Christ is still healing the sick, in order to fulfill the prophet’s words from Isaiah 53:4-5 and referred to by Jesus in Matthew 8:16-17. When these verses use “our” or “we,” it includes YOU!

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed (Isaiah 53:4-5).

That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick. This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, ‘He took our sickness and removed our diseases’ (Matthew 8:16-17).

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Pastor Ted Haggard, DD, CHBC, is a Bible teacher with an emphasis on New Testament solutions to the human condition. His Bible teaching is informed by biblical scholarship, Choice Theory (Glasser), Attachment Theory (Johnson), and Behavioral Studies using DISC (Rohm).

This and other blogs by Pastor Ted Haggard are available at http://www.tedhaggardblog.com as a ministry of St. James Church. If you would like to strengthen the ministry of St. James Church and Pastor Ted Haggard by giving, please use the “give” tab at http://www.saintjameschurch.com.

Categories
Authentic New Testament Solutions

Healing Devotions: Day 2

Today’s Scripture: For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ (Acts 17:28).

Confession: In him I live . . . and move . . . and exist in power. In him I live a rich and satisfying life! I am his child. I am God’s property. I am his representative. What a vast storehouse of power he placed in me! In Christ my Savior and Lord I have life . . . energy . . . healing . . . and strength for impossible tasks!

The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

COVID-19: In the world today, disease and sickness are claiming a terrible toll on human lives. In spite of the fact that medical science is demonstrating its greatest achievements, disease persists to ravage human lives all over the world.

The tragedy is that these sicknesses and diseases affect the bodies of thousands of people, while too many stand by with little more than words of sympanthy and pity, assuring the sufferer that it must be God’s will; that it will work out for the best; that God is teaching us some lessson in humity; that possibly it is God’s chastisement; or that by it, we are being drawn closer to him who often works his will in our lives through sickness. These are lies.

We Christians do not have to be sick, any more than we need to be sinful. It is always God’s desire to heal us, which is why we stand with our doctors, nurses, and anyone else who is fighting sickness and disease. God wants us well, and he uses a variety of tools to help us be better off. In Heaven, there is no sickness or disease, so when we pray, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven, we could use my paraphrase, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, in our earthen vessels as it is in Heaven.
Scriptures on Healing

Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant (Hebrews 9:14-15).

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins – and not only our sins but the sins fo all the world (1 John 1-2).

Note: There is no better way to know the will of God than by reading the gospels, which record the teachings and the works of Christ. Jesus was the physical expression of the Father’s will. His life was both a revelation and a manifestation of the unchanging love and will of God. He acted out the will of God for all of us to see.

Then I (Jesus) said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God – as is written about me in the Scriptures (Hebrews 10:7).

For I (Jesus) have come down from Heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will (John 6:38).

Note: After a three year study by a commission appointed by the Episcopalian Church, they reported:

“The healing of Jesus was done as a revelation of God’s will for humanity. . . No longer can the church pray for the sick with that faith-destroying phrase, If it be your will.”

Only one place in the Bible was Jesus ever asked if it was his will to heal. In Mark 1:40-41 the Bible says,

A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. ‘If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,’ he said. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. ‘I am willing,’ he said, ‘Be healed!

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Pastor Ted Haggard, DD, CHBC, is a Bible teacher with an emphasis on New Testament solutions to the human condition. His Bible teaching is informed by biblical scholarship, Choice Theory (Glasser), Attachment Theory (Johnson), and Behavioral Studies using DISC (Rohm).

This and other blogs by Pastor Ted Haggard are available at http://www.tedhaggardblog.com as a ministry of St. James Church. If you would like to strengthen the ministry of St. James Church and Pastor Ted Haggard by giving, please use the “give” tab at http://www.saintjameschurch.com.

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Authentic New Testament Solutions

Healing Devotions: Day 1

Today’s Scripture: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved” (Romans 10:9-10).

Confession: I believe in my heart Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe he was raised from the dead for my justification. I confess him as my Lord and Savior. Jesus is my Lord. He is dominating my life. He is guiding me. He is leading me.

The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Scriptures on Healing:

He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death (Psalm 107:20).

For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believers – the Jew first and also the Gentile (Romans 1:16).

My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body (Proverbs 4: 20-22).

God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs (Matthew 5:3).

You must serve only the Lord your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness. There will be no miscarriages or infertility in your land, and I will give you long, full lives (Exodus 23:25-26).

If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptiuans; for I am the Lord who heals you (Exodus 15:26).

. . . it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him (Hebrews 11:6).

But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord (James 1:6-7).

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through (Numbers 23:19)?

Praise the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the wonderful promises he gave through his servant Moses (1 Kings 8:56).

Your eternal word, O Lord, stands firm in heaven (Psalm 119:89).

I (God) will certainly carry out all my plans (Jeremiah 1:12b).

I am the Lord who heals you (Exodus 15:26b).

When God brought his people out of Egypt, there were approximately 3,000,000 of them. None of them were weak because of God’s Word being strong among them. Note the two Scriptures below and let them strengthen your confidence in God:

That night the people of Israel left Rameses and started for Succoth. There were about 600,000 men plus all the women and children (Exodus 12:37).

The Lord brought his people out of Egypt, loaded with silver and gold; and not one among the tribes of Israel even stumbled (Psalm 105:37).

. . . I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism (Acts 10:34).

So if God has done it for anyone, he’s willing to do it for you!

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Pastor Ted Haggard, DD, CHBC, is a Bible teacher with an emphasis on New Testament solutions to the human condition. His Bible teaching is informed by biblical scholarship, Choice Theory (Glasser), Attachment Theory (Johnson), and Behavioral Studies using DISC (Rohm).

This and other blogs by Pastor Ted Haggard are available at http://www.tedhaggardblog.com as a ministry of St. James Church. If you would like to strengthen the ministry of St. James Church and Pastor Ted Haggard by giving, please use the “give” tab at http://www.saintjameschurch.com.

Categories
Authentic New Testament Solutions

What Would Jesus Do?

“What would Jesus do?” We have all heard that question.

However, few of us understand what it really means.

Even so, we all accept, Jesus is our model FOR human behavior.

For those of you who live near Colorado Springs, that’s what we will be discussing in the seminar you are invited to attend here at St. James Church this Saturday, March 7th, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

It’s the The Jesus Personality Style Seminar.  Registration is $49 for one person, or $79 for you and as many as you want to bring from your family. Your registration fee covers the valuable material we’ll be discussing and that you’ll receive as handouts, plus refreshments, and lunch. I can assure that you will learn about Jesus. You will learn about you. And you will learn why you respond to him the way you do. You will also discover things about his personality that will help you enjoy greater success in representing him to the people you influence.

I am teaching this seminar because I believe that as followers of Christ we need to understand what it means to be like him—to understand him and to understand his personality. And he does have a vivid personality!  We often bog down in trying to understand human behavior, but as Christians, we understand that Jesus gives all of us the model FOR human behavior. (I know, I already said that.)

Armed with the understanding of Jesus’ personality and our own personality, we can begin to understand the personalities of those around us, and how to develop more productive and satisfying relationships with them. These tools can also help us repair those relationships that are currently filled with stress and frustration.

Most importantly, this four-hour seminar will help you better understand how Jesus deliberately lived his life—how he perceived situations as well as the way he responded to them differently in different circumstances. He understood human behavior better than anyone who has ever lived. He was a master at demonstrating how to do the appropriate behavior at the appropriate time for the appropriate reason.

As you learn this information and as you begin to practice this approach to life, you are going to be amazed at the peace and productivity that develops in your own life.

I will never waste your time. I believe that the insights in this seminar will transform your life the way they have transformed mine.

You do not need to pre-register for the seminar. Simply arrive at 4615 Northpark Drive in time for us to start at 10:00. We’ll be excited to see you Saturday.

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Pastor Ted Haggard, DD, CHBC, is a Bible teacher with an emphasis on New Testament solutions to the human condition. His Bible teaching is informed by biblical scholarship, Choice Theory (Glasser), Attachment Theory (Johnson), and Behavioral Studies using DISC (Rohm).

This and other blogs by Pastor Ted Haggard are available at http://www.tedhaggardblog.com as a ministry of St. James Church. If you would like to strengthen the ministry of St. James Church and Pastor Ted Haggard by giving, please use the “give” tab at http://www.saintjameschurch.com.

Categories
Authentic New Testament Solutions

The Power of Emotions

#4 in The Love Series

I just heard an endorsement for socialist Bernie Sanders for president by a free-market capitalist because he met Sanders and liked him. He liked him!?!?!?  So, a man who is a student of history, who seems rational and reasonable, who knows the benefits of free-market capitalism and the devastation socialism can cause, will vote for a socialist because he likes him! Humph! I don’t like it, but it does illustrate the power of emotion over reason.

Another example of the power of emotion over reason is one of the most common prayers ever prayed, “Lord, I’ll never do that again.” But very often the person who prayed that prayer “does it again” because their emotions changed. None of us like that when it happens, but it does illustrate the power of emotion over reason.

Emotions are a strong motivator in all of us, and love can cause some of our strongest emotions. Most social scientists today agree that there are only six innate and universal emotions, and interestingly, none of which are love. They are:

  1. fear,
  2. anger,
  3. happiness or joy,
  4. sadness,
  5. surprise, and
  6. shame.

Each one of these emotions naturally leads to unique actions and unique facial expressions that are able to be interpreted in every culture accurately. But why is love not on the list? It’s because love is not a single emotion. It does not have a distinct facial expression, and it is much more complex than any one emotion.

Instead, love produces a variety of feelings and emotions depending upon the circumstances. Sometimes it produces a melody of feelings that can knock us off our feet and cause us to throw caution to the wind; other times it makes us feel so violated and betrayed that we want to be hermits the rest of our lives. Love can produce a full spectrum of emotions. When we love, we can be joyful, sad, angry, afraid, surprised, or ashamed – sometimes at the same time. The emotions love produces can swing from passionate lust to murderous anger. This is why some people try to avoid love, and, no doubt, this gives love a bad rap among many.

So, what is love? I believe a simple definition of real love is living for the good of another. For example, we love God, so we live to serve him.  God loves us, he takes care of us. When parents love their children, they live for the good of their children, and when children love their parents, they enjoy making them happy. Some love football, so they adjust their schedules and spending for football. Others love The Church, so they live for the good of their local church. In this process of living for the good of others, we all experience a wide variety of emotions.

The emotions prompted by love powerfully organize and elevate our lives so that we don’t merely exist on this earth, we experience it. They organize our lives by prioritizing our time and influencing how we spend our money. They elevate our lives because when we love, we live for the good of someone or something else. When we’re enjoying healthy, life-giving love, we are not selfish.

Our emotions turn objects into mementos, events into life-long memories, and that one other person into the love of our lives. It’s my emotions that transformed a truck into a loved and cherished machine.

Emotions are more significant to our personal lives and our society than we as rational, reasonable people like to admit. Certainly, the Bible and our faith informs our moral judgments and actions, but I’ve observed that if we believe one thing, but feel another, most of us will often do what we feel, not what we say we believe. Strangely, after doing what we feel, we create a rationale to give the appearance that we had a reason for our actions instead of a simple, “I did it because I wanted to.”

Don’t get me wrong, I know that God is emotional and is sometimes motivated by his emotions as well. A quick read through the Bible reveals that reality. And since we are created in his image and likeness, we too are emotional and are sometimes motivated by our emotions.

But just as God is also reasonable and rational, so we can be reasonable and rational too. How do we mitigate the power of emotion in us so we can also be reasonable and rational? Through healthy, wholesome, long-term life-giving relationships.

Long-term life-giving relationships balance us.

In the biblical creation account, when God formed the universe, the earth, and everything in it, “God saw that it was good” . . .  until he created Adam. And for the first time in biblical history, God expresses displeasure when he says, “It is NOT good for man to be alone” (which is still sooooooo true today). That’s when he created a companion for Adam, a relationship that became a family.

Healthy, long lasting life-giving relationships provide a safe haven for all of us. Both physical and emotional pain are lessened when we are with those we love and those who love us. Marriage, children, churches, civic organizations, and recreational clubs all help civilize us. We are created to function best in groups, corporations, cities, states, and nations. And learning to love and be loved is, in effect, about connecting in a healthy way so that as life happens, good or bad, we are stronger and safer. It’s God’s infinite grace to provide us with the ease and safety that comes from a dependable life partner or a group of faithful friends. It’s what makes life good.

But love relationships aren’t meant only to be joyrides; they produce restorative, balancing emotions that calm and regulate our feelings. We need one another, and in secure relationships, we become the best people we can be.

No doubt, we were created to be together. Our emotions depend on it. 

 

 

This and other blogs by Pastor Ted Haggard are available at http://www.tedhaggardblog.com as a ministry of St. James Church. If you would like to strengthen the ministry of St. James Church and Pastor Ted Haggard by giving, please use the “give” tab at http://www.saintjameschurch.com.