#immanuel

Every believer has times they feel as though God is distant or absent altogether. For many Christians this means something has gone wrong, that the inability to “feel” God’s Spirit means God has rejected you. But this is not what God’s Word tells us. It is in fact, an important part of how He works in our lives and helps us grow into the men and women of faith He wants us to be. The greatest saints in the Bible often felt the absence of God. Isaiah cried out in dismay, “You have hidden your face from us.” Isaiah 64:1-7 ...and Gideon: If the LORD is with us…where are all His wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us? Judges 6:13 Jesus Himself cried out, " My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?'"Matthew 27:46

Why does God sometimes leave us feeling alone and deserted? He wants us to walk by faith, not by sight; and walking by faith means sometimes pressing on when we can’t feel or see Him.

Every believer has times they feel as though God is distant or absent altogether. For many Christians this means something has gone wrong, that the inability to “feel” God’s Spirit means God has rejected you. But this is not what God’s Word tells us. It is in fact, an important part of how He works in our lives and helps us grow into the men and women of faith He wants us to be. The greatest saints in the Bible often felt the absence of God. Isaiah cried out in dismay, “You have hidden your face from us.” Isaiah 64:1-7 ...and Gideon: If the LORD is with us…where are all His wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us? Judges 6:13 Jesus Himself cried out, " My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?'"Matthew 27:46

Why does God sometimes leave us feeling alone and deserted? He wants us to walk by faith, not by sight; and walking by faith means sometimes pressing on when we can’t feel or see Him.

I made it. lmao

Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23

Isaiah 7:14 says The Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel.

Permit me to explain

These gracious words were spoken by the Hebrew prophet Isaiah about 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. This prophecy like some other old testament prophecies seemed to have a double fulfilment.

That is the prophecy was fulfilled in the days around when it was first given for King Ahaz.

However, its second and much greater fulfilment came several hundred years later when Jesus Christ was born.

We know this Immanuel prophecy about was about Jesus because the Gospel of

Matthew 1:23 quotes the prophet Isaiah 7:14 scripture as follows;

Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Please note that both spellings are acceptable that is Immanuel and Emmanuel.

So, what does Emmanuel or 'God with us' mean?

Emmanuel in a sense is an overview of God's full plan of salvation for mankind.

First God becomes an actual man of flesh and blood, he can feel pain and the full range of human emotions.

This brings God in a new way into a full identification with mankind.

He now knows exactly what it is like to be a human being.

This baby born in a manger, grows up to become the Messiah the Saviour, who at the end of his life saves mankind from our greatest foe...not the Romans, not the Egyptians, not the Russians… mankind's biggest foe is sin or we could say acting against God's wishes.

This unique baby went on to provide a way back to God for mankind for all of us have gone astray.

Imagine that, God the Son was with us and is still with us!

What does that mean to you?

Yes, that little baby in the manger, grew up to become the suffering Messiah who has provided a way back to God for all who want it.

We can rejoice in Emmanuel

We rejoice that God is with us.

We can rejoice in God’s greatest ever gift Christmas gift- Immanuel, Jesus Christ who came to take our sins. If this is new to you then check out the teaching below 'How to be born again'.

Amen

Personal prayer