Ted Haggard, who was banished from his church in 2006 after a gay sex scandal, is back in his home town today announcing the start of a new church. Haggard made the announcement Wednesday during a news conference at his home with his wife and three sons standing with him three weeks after filing incorporation papers for a new church named St. James Church.

During the news conference, Haggard didn’t directly address the 2006 scandal, but said he had been broken and his church would be a place for broken people. He said his church would espouse that marriage should be between a man and a woman, but that he would stay out of public policy discussions. Haggard said that experience has made him more sympathetic to others and said he now feels better qualified to counsel people. Some may disagree, but I’m ok with the idea of Ted Haggard beginning a new ministry.

Some may disagree, but I’m ok with the idea of Ted Haggard beginning a new ministry.

Restoration was the end goal, wasn’t it? Haggard seemed to fail the restoration process he was to submit to under the leadership of pastors Tommy Barnett and others. He seemed to go off into a world of obscurity where no one really knew what he was doing. Yet, although ‘plan A’ of the restoration process seemed to be unsuccessful, it seems Ted Haggard did not run from the gospel but to it.

He has not renounced his Christian faith. He has not ignored the magnitude of his sin. He has not to my knowledge claimed that what he was involved in was not sin. My impression, though just an impression, is that Ted Haggard has run to the truth rather than away from truth in the wake of this scandal. He and Gayle were also able to salvage their marriage when others would have probably caved in. In my eyes that is what should be commended.

Will people trust him again? Maybe. He probably won’t experience the kind of popularity he did while pastoring New Life, but I think people will give him a second chance at their trust. His past may even give him a more keen edge to minister to people who are struggling with their sexuality.

As to whether or not he has the moral authority to preach, I believe he does, as long as he has applied the truth of the gospel afresh to his own heart and once again places himself under some kind of accountability to others.

The whole message of the gospel embraces the restoration of those who have sinned, fallen, and been broken to pieces. The gospels give us several accounts of Jesus forgiving people and then setting them on their way with a testimony. The body of Christ should be able to accept the restoration of those who have fallen, been broken, repented, and have now been restored.

Of the reasons the religious leaders sought to kill Jesus, one was His work on the Sabbath day. It seems far from a logical reason that one should seek death for an individual, but in Jesus’ day, breaking the Sabbath was an unpardonable offense. When confronted by the religious leaders concerning His work on the Sabbath Jesus makes three claims of deity to His defense. He claimed to be the equal of God; the equal with God the Father in power and authority (John 5:17-24). While the religious leaders sought to kill Him for these claims, to believe these claims is what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

Jesus claimed to be the equal of God

“My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” John writes that “for this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God (John 5:17-18).”

Jesus spoke of God as His father. Though the term father is quite regularly used in our day, Jesus’ claim to God as ‘My Father’ indicated a unique relationship with God in nature. The expression ‘My Father’ was so unique the Jews sought to kill Jesus for blasphemy. Jesus was making the claim that because He is equal with the Father, He is free to work.” God never stops working, so Jesus was at work. Jesus’ claim to be the equal of God is one of His most clear statements of deity in scripture.

Jesus claimed to be equal with God in Power

“I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” Jesus went on to say, “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives to whom He is pleased to give it (John 5:19-21).”

Jesus claimed to be equal with the Father in that they both simultaneously have the power to give life. It is the prerogative of God to raise the dead and grant life, both physically and spiritually. Jesus’ claim of equal power with God would have stood as an amazing claim to deity to His hearers. The same power that they had come to expect from God the Father in the scriptures (Old Testament), Jesus claimed that He in the flesh had the prerogative to work the miraculous. Jesus’ claim of ultimate power was yet another claim to His deity.

Jesus claimed to be equal with God in Authority

Jesus responded to the religious leaders even further by saying, “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.” Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life (John 5:22-24).”

Jesus claimed to be ‘The Judge’, the only person who can truly judge and distinguish right from wrong. His statement of having been given all authority is a claim to be the final judge of every human life. As the final judge he has within Himself the power to declare an individual righteous or unrighteous. He held the power to judge an unlawful act from a noble act. His claim in defense of His work on the Sabbath, then, was that He was the judge of right and wrong, not only on the Sabbath, but on the actions of every human being. In the authority of the final judge, Jesus declared, “whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.”

Christ’s claims to deity are the foundation and bedrock of Christianity. If one of these claims are not true, then we have no Christianity. These claims are the required belief of the believer. To believe these claims is what it means to be a Christian. Christians believe that Jesus was who He claimed to be — the Son of God. While Jesus’ claims of deity caused the religious leaders to want him dead, to believe and trust in these same claims today is to be saved from death and delivered into life. Christians are given the life of God, not at some later date, but now, because God the final judge has decreed it.

Why is this important? The exclusivity of the Christian faith is staked in these claims. To believe these claims sets the Christian apart from the followers of any other major religion. Unlike religions such as Judaism and Islam, who consider Jesus to be merely a great teacher, Christians believe that Jesus is God and worthy of all worship and honor. Believing these claims sets the christian apart, because to believe these claims is what it means to trust only in Jesus for salvation. The Christian life is a daily belief in Jesus as God, and being God, the only one worthy of all worship, honor, and the utmost devotion.

Of the changes which the church has seen within the 21st century, the rise of social media in culture will probably be looked upon as one of the most drastic changes to the way people communicate. Things have changed! Even in my generation, we’ve seen the mega-large cell phone’s of the 1980′s & early 90’s transform into the tiny laptop computer’s we call the iPhone.

The change in the ways people communicate is important for Christians to take note of. Our gospel is spread through communication, and churches ought to be aware of the new world of communication of which we are now apart. As the ways people communicate continue to change, it’s imperative that the church capitalize on the various trends of social media to reach people for Jesus Christ.

Social media has changed the way generations of people communicate, having specific effects on the way the church will reach the next generation. Unlike in previous generations where the church was a unique place to meet and find friends, online mediums have in large part changed that dynamic, becoming the dominant medium of communication for Millennials.

Consider the research of Dr. Richard Beck who suggests that Facebook is killing the church as the unique nature of the church as a place to meet people is usurped by social networking. Dr. Beck suggests the prevalence of social media among younger church goers as one of the reasons Millennials may be leaving the church:

They don’t need physical locations for social affiliation. They can make dinner plans via text, cell phone call or Facebook. In short, the thing that kept young people going to church, despite their irritations, has been effectively replaced. You don’t need to go to church to stay connected or in touch. You have an iPhone.

The need for churches to understand the changes in culture and capitalize on new forms of media may be underestimated. As social media has become not only a quick passing trend, but one of the major ways people look for community.

Social media within the culture has changed many of the social drawing factors related to the church. A local pastor noted that a simple ice cream social was enough to draw young people to a youth gathering in years past, but now the prospects of socializing with their peers isn’t as appealing when they can do this from their home computer or cell phones.

Likewise, in previous generations, churches used buildings and facilities to show their prosperity and legitimacy. The church building became a drawing factor as it was a place for people to meet and find community. Yet social media and the internet have made an effect on this dynamic as well.

Today a high quality and easy to use website is now the equivalent to the sprawling facility sitting off of a major highway. Many people are more comfortable feeling out a church by viewing its website before actually making a personal visit. Consequently, some churches lose people before they’ve even made a personal visit to the church. A website may be a church’s only chance to make a positive first impression.

Though it comes with its own challenges, social media gives churches the opportunity to influence enormous amounts of people with little financial investment. Through community building networks like Facebook, MySpace, Linkin, and beenUp2 people can make friends and find connections to people on the web. Through free megaphone networks like – Twitter, Youtube, Ustream, and Vemeo churches have found ways to broadcast services, events, and messages to a broad audience of people at little cost.

By whatever means possible the church is responsible for spreading the gospel of Christ. Though change isn’t always easy and though it brings its own challenges, it’s imperative for churches to capitalize on the good of social media. Whatever can provide us a mouthpiece into the lives of people who need to hear about Christ is to our advantage. For the sake of those hanging by the wayside, we all need to consider how we can use current technology to reach people. In light of our changing world, I think pastors and church leaders ought to consider the possibilities in becoming a more ‘social’ church.

The Lansing State Journal is reporting that the Michigan Supreme Court has ruled 5-2 in favor of Judith Dadd, a woman who sued a church and its pastor after she was injured when no one caught her fall after she was “overcome by the spirit of the Lord” during a service. The Lansing State Journal reports:

Dadd sued her pastor after she was injured while “slain in the Spirit” – falling backward after being “overcome by the Spirit of the Lord” – during a rally at Mount Hope Church in Delta Township in 2002.

Dadd claimed Pastor Dave Williams defamed her when he accused her of insurance fraud, faking her injuries and renouncing her faith. A jury awarded her more than $317,000 damages for her injuries, as well as libel, slander and false light in a 2007 trial.

The Michigan Court of Appeals last year upheld Dadd’s negligence claim, worth $40,000, but reversed more than $273,000 in damages for libel, slander and false light. It said Williams’ statements might have been subject to qualified privilege.

Is this really the church’s fault? Even though she obviously believed she was being ‘overcome by the spirit of the Lord’?

President Obama signed into law the health care reform bill this morning, which is being called a historic reform of the nation’s health care system. Understandably, the bill is met with both enthusiasm and fear.

What does this bill mean for you? How quickly will the bill change the way health care is performed?

A good source of information regarding who’s happy and not can be found here. While there is some understanding of the bill’s big picture, the details of the bill still seem to me at this point a little unclear, as noted here.

Are you optimistic concerning the bill? The health care reform bill provides needed care to near-poverty families in this country who have no other way of paying for health insurance. Some call it a false compassion, but in my eyes helping people pay for something they cannot afford is far from false compassion. This is real help to people who are in desperate need of health care, even though it may not come until, as some have noted, 2014 (never heard about that in the news).

Are you disturbed? Though the needed help to poor families is a good step, it comes at the cost of family values which consider the lives of the unborn as precious to God and to the health of communities. The health care bill comes with ample funding for those wanting an abortion. Though many had hoped that Mr. Stupak’s anti-abortion language would have been approved for the bill; it was rejected in keeping with the Democratic parties’ norm of pro-abortion rights.

Some have pointed out other reasons for concern: the fact that this is a government takeover of the health care system, requiring people to pay for health care insurance, even against the laws of some states. The requirement to buy health insurance doesn’t bother me as much as the government imposing its will to make Americans buy into something they may have legally refused to be a part of beforehand.

From my vantage point, Health Care reform comes with some good, bad, but most of all unclear consequences. But can we really expect any more than that from the world’s kingdoms?

I consider myself ‘in the middle’ of most political debates. I’m not a Democrat, and I’m not really a Republican, though I’ll line up in moral ideals as more of a conservative. I’m a reader of mostly all news outlets, and try my best to hear both sides of many of the various arguments. I want to see help come to the poor communities of this country and I want abortion to be discouraged in light of the sanctity of every human life. Though we can’t cure the problem of lack with government, I do agree with making a solid effort. And though we can’t stop murder from taking place, I don’t believe it should be encouraged in the name of a woman’s right.

Christians in this instance should consider a posture of rest; rest from the determined bickering as to what all this is about. I’ve heard many Christian leaders riling up the troops for war in the political realm. Although we see evil in our government, the plan for advancement in the kingdom of God should not be any more intense now than it was before the health care reform bill.

Consider the fact that we should not fret ourselves because of evildoers, “evildoers who will soon pass, but “trust in the Lord and do good” (Ps. 37:1-3). If you are a preacher of the gospel, you have not been mortally wounded by a political decision. Stand by the principles of the scripture and continue to preach the gospel. You are the hope of the world. Our job is not to complain and sulk, but it is to continue standing on behalf of God’s principles — and know that He is the righteous judge who is truly sovereign over all governments and kingdoms.

Whether you are looking upon the work of the President with anger or agreement, as Christians we have the responsibility to pray for our President, knowing that God is sovereign over the governments and kingdoms of this world. Our King Jesus will have His way and we must continue to submit to Christ as the Lord over all.

The recent developments concerning evangelist Benny Hinn and his wife Suzanne has got me thinking. My earlier post concerning this situation called for a bit of honesty from Hinn. I am truly praying that God would restore his marriage and that this situation would end happily, but I’m not too sure that will take place.

Benny Hinn released a statement on Thursday concerning the situation. I thought it was somewhat honest, providing that it’s not being spun in his favor. But something about his statement concerned me, and that was the portion in which he explained that he would not be taking a break from his crusades amidst this crisis.

I want you, as my partner in this ministry, to know that I am going to continue preaching the Gospel and praying for the sick as I have for 36 years. I will not allow anything to slow me down or stop me. – Benny Hinn

My concern is simply this; how can you work on your marriage while continuing a grueling ministry schedule? How can someone continue ministry while ignoring a major crisis going on between them and their spouse?

I’m not calling for Benny Hinn to quit the ministry. I hope that when this situation is properly handled and hearts are strong again he will go back to being Benny Hinn. But why not go through this process with the utmost availability to your children and your spouse? Does the world really need Hinn more than his sons and daughters need him right now?

Frankly, I’m not buying the idea that ministry comes before spouse. The marriage covenant binds two people together, making them one person (Mark 10:6-8). If there is a call to do something for Jesus it also involves the person you committed your life to in holy matrimony. Because the two shall become one. It is simply not ok to deem your ministry as more important than your spouse.

Consider what the married Apostle Peter said about marital discord being a hindrance to prayer.

“Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.” (1 Peter 3:7)

He literally meant that when you and your spouse deal with each other in disrespect or discord your prayers are indeed hindered. Prayers are stopped up or blocked by hard-hearted stubbornness.

The ministry of a man or woman to their spouse will always be their primary ministry. I’m going to argue that there is no significant ministry that can take place in your life while you ignore or simply blame your spouse for failure. Healing must take place for the stamp of God’s approval to be placed on the heart of a minister of the gospel.

Again, I’m not bashing Benny Hinn or calling for him to quit the ministry. There probably is significant loss that would take place if he stepped down for any period of time. But am I wrong to think that trying to stay married is worth the break? Maybe even a loss of monetary gains?

Can anybody really expect to be used mightily for God while ignoring or neglecting their spouse? From my perspective, absolutely not.