Note: As the Immanuel approach has become more widely known, people have appropriately raised the question, “Is it Biblical?” Our perception is that the Immanuel approach (for emotional healing and for life) is clearly consistent with and strongly supported by the Christian scriptures.
"God With Us" Verses (The Basics)
To begin with, well known verses unambiguously teach that the Lord is always with us, that we should expect to be able to perceive his presence, and that he wants us to have a living, interactive relationship with him. For example...
- In Matthew 28: 19-20, Jesus says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (NIV)
- In John 14:21, Jesus says, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love him and show Myself to him.” (NIV)
- In John 15:4&5, Jesus says, “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear
fruit...unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit; because apart from me you can do nothing.” (NRSV)
- And in Revelation 3:20, Jesus says,“Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you and you with me.” (NRSV).
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Scriptural Support for the Immanuel Lifestyle
Our ultimate goal with the Immanuel approach for life is getting to the place where we perceive the Lord’s presence, and abide in an interactive connection with Jesus, as our usual, normal, baseline condition as we walk through life each day. In therapy/ministry sessions as well as in every-day life, the first, number one, highest priority item on the agenda is to be with God. According to the team of more than 50 people who have spent 5 years preparing The Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible, being with God is the central, organizing theme of the whole Bible. Quoting directly from the general introduction:
“...the unity of the Bible is discovered in the development of life ‘with God’ as a reality on earth, centered in the person of Jesus. We might call this the Immanuel Principle of life.”
So, according to these scholars and authors, the entire Bible happens to support the central theme and ultimate goal of the Immanuel approach to life.
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Scriptural Support for Deliberate Appreciation:
Deliberate appreciation is included in the Immanuel approach process at several points. This component of the Immanuel approach is strongly supported by many scriptural references. See Outsmarting Yourself chapter 19, pages 194-197, or DOWNLOAD PDF (3pgs, 44kb) for a brief discussion of this scriptural support, and also for a list of many specific references.
Scriptural support for prioritizing a living, interactive connection with God: An interactive connection with Jesus is foundational for the Immanuel approach process. Furthermore, our ultimate goal with the Immanuel approach is getting to the place where we perceive the Lord’s presence, and abide in an interactive connection with Jesus, as our usual, normal, baseline condition as we walk through life each day. To put this another way, in Immanuel approach sessions as well as in Immanuel approach every-day life, the number one, highest priority is to be with God. According to the team of more than 50 people who have spent 5 years preparing The Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible, being “with God” is the central, organizing theme of the whole Bible. Quoting directly from the general introduction:
“...the unity of the Bible is discovered in the development of life ‘with God’ as a reality on earth, centered in the person of Jesus. We might call this the Immanuel Principle of life.” (see reference)
So, according to these scholars and authors, the entire Bible happens to support this particular point.
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Biblical Uses of the name "Immanuel" God with us
Immanuel God With Us
(New: 10/25/2006 revised: 10/26/2006) summary: This document is the manuscript of Charlotte’s seminar lecture recorded on the DVD/VHS entitled “Immanuel: God With Us.” Charlotte delves into the Biblical uses of the name Immanuel, Hebrew for “God with us,” and draws out essential insights, both for emotional healing, and more broadly, for the life of Christian discipleship. This presentation of Biblical exegesis and real life illustrations can also serve as an indirect and non-threatening, but compelling, introduction to the necessity for emotional healing in the life of the believer. This teaching also contributed to the discovery and use of powerful new approaches to emotional healing, which we are now sharing in the “Immanuel Series.” Download PDF (12 pgs, 66kb)
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Excerpts from Immanuel a Practicum by Patricia A. Velotta
Patricia Velotta has graciously allowed us to post excerpts from the appendices of her new book here on the Biblical Basis page of the website. We recommend reading through the appendices listed below and in the left nav bar to get a fuller understanding of the Biblical basis for the Immanuel approach to emotional healing and to life.
- Appendix 3: God With Us
- Appendix 4: Experiencing God
- Appendix 5: People in Scripture Who Saw God
- Appendix 6: God Can Appear in Different Forms
- Appendix 8: Answers to Objections to Seeing God
- Appendix 9: God Accepts and Loves Intimacy with Us
Velotta, Patricia. Immanuel: A Practicum. Libertyville, IL: This JOY! Books, 2012.
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The Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible: New Revised Standard Version with Deuterocanonical Books, Editor: Richard J. Foster; General Editors: Gayle Beebe, Lynda L. Graybeal, Thomas C. Oden, Dallas Willard; Consulting Editors: Walter Brueggemann, Eugene H. Peterson. (New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers), 2005.
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