“Inspirationally Messiah
Makes All Now Understand Emmanuel's Love! (I.M.M.A.N.U.E.L)”
Ramesh C. Reddy
Publisher
SCRIPTURE:
"This
took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
'The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and
they will call Him Immanuel'-- which means, "God with us.” (Matthew
1:22-23, NIV)
APPROACH QUESTION:
When do you know God is with you?
OBSERVATIONS:
I asked myself what did
the Angel of the Lord say the child will be called?
1.
They will call Him Immanuel'-- which means,
"God with us.”
INTERPRETATIONS:
I asked myself why is it so significant
that the Angel of the Lord tells Joseph that they will call the
child Immanuel-which means, "God with
us?"
For more than 400 years or so, the Jewish
people did not hear from the prophets and many might have even felt
God abandoned them. Yet still, though they did not feel the presence
of the Lord or hear from the Lord through the prophets, the priests
continued to give incense and sacrifices at the altar. These times
of 400 years were known as the SILENT YEARS from the time of the Old
Testament. Now, the Angel of the Lord comes with such significant
news about the impossibility happening to show that God had not
abandoned the people. But more than that the angel wants Joseph to
know that the child born to the virgin Mary will be called
'Immanuel-- which means, 'God with us!'.
This alone shows that God would come down to earth as God-incarnate
to be with His people. This is what Jesus would become. He would be
God-incarnate to those around Him so they would never have to feel
that God abandoned them. For whether they feel God's presence or
not, they can know that God is right with them in Jesus.
IMPLICATIONS:
I asked myself what are the
implications for my own life?
The implications for my life are profound in two ways for me. First,
when I believe in Jesus, I will actually be believing in God. Belief
in God can be proved by Jesus, who became God-incarnate to live
among us. John 1 shows that the Word became flesh to dwell among us.
In the Gospel of John, I remember Jesus also using 'I AM' during 7
different conversations to point to the people that He is
'Immanuel-God with us'. This is how the Lord had revealed himself to
the prophet Moses when the Lord said,
'I AM that I AM'.
Not only that but when the Angel of the Lord
promised Joseph that God will be with them in Jesus, the Angel of
the Lord is even letting me know when I have Jesus in me, I will
have 'Immanuel-God
with us'in me. That is so
exciting and awesome to know that the Creator of the Universe loves
me so much that He came down to earth to live among us to love and
serve us and made the Ultimate Sacrifice by laying down His life for
us so that we could be saved. Thank you so much Jesus.
I ask you now dear
friend, what does Immanuel mean to you?
Dear friend, whether you feel Jesus Christ in your life or not, know for
sure that He lives in you when you give your life to Him. He will
never abandon you nor leave you. He promises to be with you whether
you feel His presence or not. We cannot go by feelings but on faith.
There will be times sometimes for months and even years where we
feel like we are in the wilderness and going through a dry season
but the Lord Jesus, your Immanuel will never leave you or me when we
turn to Him. This dryness sometimes becomes that much more serious
when we face tragedy or sorrow but God is still there. He has not
abandoned us in our sorrow.
So friend, whatever you are going through,
come as you are in your pain, suffering, sorrow, or tragedy to the
Lamb of God, to your 'Immanuel - God
with us' who wants to walk with you and
talk with you. He wants to comfort you and strengthen you in your
pain. Help Oh Lord! Jesus loves you so much and will be there for
you in your pain and sorrow. Yes, He will friend for He wants to be
your Immanuel which means God with us. God wants to be with you
whatever you are going through.
If you are struggling relationally, financially, academically,
mentally, psychologically, emotionally, etc you can turn to the Lord
for comfort and strength to get you through. He has not abandoned
you no matter what the sorrow and pain you maybe going through or
those you know are going through. He weeps with you when you are
weeping. He wants to comfort you in His bosom of love. Yes, He does
friend. Help rescue us Oh Lord!
11 years
ago on December 17, if there was a day that we needed Immanuel
more than any other day, it was on that day! For on that day
our beloved dad, who was married to my more for more than 3 decades,
went to be with the Lord. It was the worst day of our life to
lose our daddy [My
Dad's Memoriam:]
for
four of us his sons (Ravi, Raj, Rohit
myself), our mother, and all those he left behind. If my
daddy were alive today, he would have loved being a grandpa to our lovely
daughters Esther and
Evangeline and would have loved to see his precious
daughter-in-laws: Chandraleela's
and Grace.
My dad's death occurring in the Advent
season 8 days before Christmas was very painful too. When I was
compiling the Christmas specials, I got a call from my mommy that my
dad went to be with the Lord Jesus. In the season, where we sing 'O
Come O Come Emmanuel' come ransom us from our captivity, the
words to this song should have been sang at my dad's funeral
because, it is Emmanuel who saved our daddy from spiritual death. On
the night he was going to leave this earth, my beloved dad wanted
Jesus to be with him so He called upon the Name of the Lord Jesus to
save him and become his Immanuel so God was with him even while he
was leaving this earth to the place God prepared for Him. So
even though this was the worst day of our life because of what happened to our daddy, it also became the
best day of my dad's life. He knew that Christmas season for the
first time in His life, He would spend it with Jesus in Heaven and
celebrate the Christmas season with Jesus!
We knew that
'Immanuel - God with us' was right
there with us in our tragedy and sorrow. It could have been so easy
to ask ourselves where was God when my dad was about to die, but He
was right there welcoming daddy into His bosom of love. In our
sorrow and suffering God was right there with us too.
Jesus' words to me from John 11 became more
living than ever when Jesus said, "The
purpose of his illness is not death but for the glory of the Lord!"
So I thought to myself that the Lord Jesus will keep my dad alive
and He did even though it was not physically but more important
spiritually. So one day when I leave this earth, I can be reunited
with my papa and Father God in person. Thank you Jesus. We are
thankful that the Lord Jesus gave us 70 extra days with our papa
after he was in the ICU. In those 70 days, my dad got to experience
God's Word from Psalms, Matthew-Revelation as my mom would read to
him over and over again. Thank you Jesus.
While going to the funeral, my mommy would read from the Psalms to
us and kept praising the Lord in her sorrow. Even at the funeral my
mommy would make the focus on Jesus Christ who is with us.
This Christmas season, just as we remember the
sadness of losing our papa, we can rejoice knowing He is with the
Lord Jesus now and will someday be seen again. I want you to trust
in the Lord Jesus whatever you are going through. Never let anyone
make you ask yourself, 'Where was God?'
in tragedy and suffering. He is right beside you suffering and
weeping with you. We live in a sin infested world that is a deadly
virus and only the love of Christ and His blood shed to ransom us
from the captivity of sin and death can save us from the evil one.
One day all suffering and sorrow will cease as the evil one will be
bound and vanquished as the Lord Jesus will return. Until then we
have to be vigilant wearing the Armor of God as mentioned in
Ephesians 6 to fight evil. For evil is prevalent even to this day.
It is in a world marred with sin that Jesus came to be God with us.
He will be with you whatever you are going through. Let His Word
comfort you and guide you as you read and pray the Psalms.
Yes, friend.
This Christmas season bring the wounded and suffering to
Jesus, Friend of a Wounded Heart. He will be with you comforting you
with the comfort we can never know. His comfort will show that He is
looking after you. Help Jesus. Thank you Jesus.
May you experience Immanuel in your life now and forever more this
Christmas season!
"Inspirationally Messiah Makes All Now Understand Emmanuel's Love!
(I.M.M.A.N.U.E.L)"/"What does Immanuel mean to you?"
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much for becoming our Immanuel - God
with us. You Oh Lord are right with us. It is amazing to know that
the God of the Universe, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, came down
into this world to become one of us to ransom us
held in captivity to the evil one. We pray Oh Lord for those in the
prison of the evil one, that you Oh Lord would come and deliver
them. Please Oh Lord. Thank you for your love. Oh Lord, evil hates
love and will try to destroy it. You will protect Oh Lord. Thank
you so much Jesus. Thanks so much for giving your Word to my dad for
70 consecutive days at which point He gave His life to you and met
you in Heaven. Thank you for the cross and the power of the cross.
Come comfort the wounded and broken hearted with your love. Help us
to always feel your presence and even when we don't, thank you Lord
that you keep your Word and are always with us. In Your Precious
Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!
Lord Jesus,
You are my all in all. You are my Prince of Peace,
Rock, Savior, and Friend. You are my Holy Father guiding me through to live a
life of righteousness, holy righteousness. Oh God, I need you more than ever. I
need to feel your hands around me holding me tight. I need your love to surround
me so that you can glow in my life. Help me please Jesus. I desire in your
presence. Thank you for guiding me to live a life of righteousness. Oh God you
love me more than ever. You hear my voice when I cry out to you. When I seek
your face, you fill me up. You are my all in all. Thank you Jesus so much for
your help no matter what I face, your grace is available and you take my case.
Thank you for hearing us and answering us. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! AMEN!
(Most of the prayer is from a vineyard song called “All in All”)
Pray the
prayer below or use your own words to invite Jesus Christ into your
life and have a personal relationship with Him. Now is the time of
Salvation. Don't wait.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, I believe that
Father God sent you to earth for us, to die for our sin on a rugged
cross where your blood was shed to save us! Then you came back to
life and now sit at the right hand of the Father.
Thank you when
I was sick with soul sickness, you purchased me by your blood which
alone can cleanse me of all my sin and make me your child that I can
belong to. It is my sin that separated
me from God and you became the bridge for me to cross over to God
because of what you did on the cross for me. Thank you so much
Jesus. Even when my sin made me so dirty on the inside and attacks
of Satan have wounded me, you did not abandon me but came for me. I
am never out of your love and never out of your reach. Thank you so
much Jesus.
I do believe Father God for all that Jesus did for me. Jesus, I know
you care for me and laid down your life for me on the cross to give
me new life as you shed your blood for me to wash away all my sins.
Your Blood became the transfusion for those of us wounded by Satan.
I accept the transfusion! Your blood heals all the wounded areas to
give us a new life cleansing us of our sin. Thank you so much Jesus.
I want that new life that you offer so I turn
to you now as a sheep that has gone astray and ask for your
forgiveness of all my sins! Wash me in your precious cleansing
blood. Thank you for washing me in your Blood. Please come dwell in
my heart and save me Jesus. Deliver me Oh Good Shepherd! Thank you
for your free gift of grace! I know you can save me when I turn to
you and ask you to be my Lord and Personal Savior. I want you
to stay with me Jesus in my heart and make my heart your home so I
can always have you as my Lord and Personal Savior who will guide my
path. Please fill me with the Holy Spirit and lead me in the
right paths when I go the wrong way so I can be led to green
pastures. I love you Jesus! Thank you for making my heart your home,
for living in me Jesus and I will live for you and serve you the
rest of the days of my life. I acknowledge you Jesus as my Lord and
Personal Savior believing in my heart that God raised you from the
dead. Thank you for coming back to life to save me. Thank you for
being the Lamb of God. Thank you for being my Lord and Personal
Savior and changing me. Thank you for filling me with the Holy
Spirit and I believe you who began a good work in me will finish it
to completion. I give myself to you, all that I am and ask you to
make something of my life. Thank you Jesus so much. Thank you have
heard my prayer and answered me. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!
You may have felt something, you may
have not, but the important thing to know is that Jesus Christ is in
your life! Don't just go by feelings.
If you have prayed this prayer and meant
it genuinely in your heart, you made one of the most important
decisions in your life. Please let me know as I would like to send
you a free booklet or give it to you in person, to help you in your
daily walk with the Lord. I have read this booklet more than 20
times.
Feel free to email me at
reddy4hisglory@gmail.com
if you want to meet to study the Bible, pray with,
talk about Spiritual issues or whatever is on your mind! My number is
412-641-9426
"This is my
work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work
within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB)
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ADVENT DEVOTIONALS:
Matthew 1:22-23:
"How can P.R.O.P.H.E.C.Y make you believe in
Jesus?"By
Ramesh C. Reddy
(Dec 22,18, 07:34 a.m.)
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(Dec 20,18, 7:38 a.m.)
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Matthew 1:20:
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Ramesh C. Reddy
(Dec 17,18, 5:29 a.m.)
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