Month: December 2022

The name Immanuel means God with us. It means for the Believer that God is in the midst of us right now…a intimate & personal relationship filled with His promises to save, bless, and protect. So I need to ask, is Immanuel, God with us, with you today? Or are you out there trying to make it on your own? This promise of God with us first was written in Leviticus 26:11, then repeated throughout the Old Testament, followed by being quoted in II Corinthians 6:16, but will be brought full circle on that wonderful day in Revelation 21:3, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.’ ”

The Apostle Paul’s command here to rejoice can always be obeyed – even in the midst of conflict, adversity, and deprivation – that’s because joy doesn’t depend on favorable circumstances, but in the Lord. In Matthew 5:12 Jesus also exhorted us to, “Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven…” When our focus is on our reward we will receive in the hereafter not on what’s happening to us in the here and now, we can truly have joy and thanksgiving regardless of what we’re currently going through. That’s because a strong faith in God, filled with hope & trust, can transform any fear into rejoicing…anxiety into gladness…and worry into thanksgiving.

A coalition of Israel & Syrian armies were threatening to invade Judah if King Ahaz wouldn’t aid them against the Assyrians. Even though God emphatically assured Ahaz that all their threats would never come to pass, Ahaz wavered. This is when God told King Ahaz he needed to stand firm in his faith, trust in His promises, and believe that they would happen just like God said. But still King Ahaz’s faith faltered. God then graciously offered to give him a sign for reassurance, but Ahaz even refused that. So in verse 14 we see one of the greatest promises given by God…a miraculous sign too wonderful to imagine, given to bolster not only King Ahaz’s faith but all mankind’s, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His Name Immanuel.”

Jesus made it very clear the source of His message & teaching here on earth wasn’t His but originated from God the Father. He reiterated this many places with in New Testament that, “The words you hear are not My own; they belong to the Father Who sent Me.” (John 14:24) But then He challenged us as Believers, that if we truly want to do God’s Will, we must be in the Scriptures regularly so that we may know God’s good pleasure… and that Jesus’ words align perfectly with our heavenly Father’s.

Jesus had quietly traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles while the whole city was speculating about who He was. The crowd’s opinion varied widely from, “He is a good man.” to “Surely this man is the Prophet.” Referencing back to the unnamed Prophet in the Old Testament first spoken of by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15-19, & later identified by the Apostle Peter as Jesus Christ in Acts 3:22-23. While others said of Him, “He is the Christ.” – the Anointed One, the Messiah. But they met with resistance by others who falsely assumed that Jesus was born in the town He grew up in when they said, “How can the Christ come from Galilee? Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David’s family and from Bethlehem?” It says that the people were very divided in their view of just who Jesus was…split on His origin and trapped by their limited knowledge. Kind of sounds like today and the progressive movement of some Churches. Is Jesus the divine Son of God or just some moral example for us to follow? Is He in fact the Anointed One of God that came to save humanity from their sins or was His sacrificial death on the Cross just some unnecessary act?

Jesus was spending time in Galilee as the Feast of Tabernacles was about to start. Rather than staying put, His brothers were urging Jesus to go up to Jerusalem to make Himself known to the huge crowds that would gather for the Festival. But Jesus wasn’t looking for publicity, notoriety, fame. or fortune…quite the opposite. In Matthew 12:15-21 Jesus quotes Isaiah 42 about Himself…that He is gentle & lowly with humility and meekness – not a warrior figure leading a military or political movement…not clamoring for attention, but always speaking in a Spirit of gentleness & patience. But most of all always listening, following, and pleasing His Father first and foremost.

I am accountable to God for the way I control my body under His authority. Now God’s grace is perfect & limitless, and the work of salvation is absolute. I’m not being saved, but rather I am saved…salvation being as sure as God Himself, but I must put to work what God has placed within me. In other words, to work out my salvation responsibly by setting aside selfish interests, subduing carnal thoughts, and showing the life of Christ through self-discipline. (I Corinthians 9:27) Just think, my body is the spiritual house or temple of the Holy Spirit and should be treated as such…sacred in all thought & deed. So as Paul exhorts me in Romans 12:1, I should offer my body as a living sacrifice – holy & pleasing to Him and in total reverence to Who dwells within.

The unbelieving world has always raged against God. They rebel and refuse to be ruled by Him… rather, disobeying and opposing everything about God, they seek the throne for themselves . But God is saying to them in this verse that He is establishing a Messianic King that would rule forever – His Name is Jesus Christ the Anointed One. Or as I Timothy 6:16 tells us, Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords…now seated at the right hand of God and interceding on our behalf before the Father. The rulers of this world may think they are strong and powerful, but they will never be a match to God.

The wonderful question the apostle Paul asked was…”If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) The answer is nothing can! But there is also a vast spiritual realm we know nothing about, filled with hostile spiritual powers wanting only to to steal, kill, & destroy. For it tells us in Ephesians 6:12, “Our struggle isn’t against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” But the good news is the Cross of Christ Jesus was Satan’s undoing and in His resurrection, Christ Jesus was exalted over every created being…visible & invisible…heavenly & of this world. Therefore our confidence in God’s power and protection can be certain that our persecutors will be put to shame & brought to ruin…the consequences of His judgment.

God’s plan & purpose isn’t to perfect us to make us a trophy in His showcase. Rather, it’s getting us to the place where He can use us. That’s why our Christian walk is a journey not a short jog…and more of a marathon than a sprint. God’s ultimate plan & purpose in our lives is found in the process, with the ultimate goal manifested in our heavenly perfection someday. We are all far from perfect, but that doesn’t mean we don’t press on, forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, pressing on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)