“Behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His Name Emmanuel—which, when translated, means, God with us” (Matthew 1:23, AMP).
Congratulations and welcome to the 6th month of this year. The number 6 is a symbol of love for humanity and harmonious relationships; it is the number of Man. Man is God’s method here on earth, every time God wants a change or a turnaround, He sends a man. In the sixth month, God sent Angel Gabriel to a woman in Nazareth to announce the coming of a Man that will turn things around on the earth and change the course of history forever. I prophesy to you this month that God will send you men to bring about turnarounds in your life, family, business, career, and ministry, in the Name of Jesus.
In 2 Kings 8:6, a woman came to make a request, and the king appointed a man – a certain officer – for her restoration. I prophesy that God will appoint certain officers of restoration for you in this month of June, in Jesus’ mighty Name. I have a divine mandate to announce CELEBRATIONS in every area of your life this month, in Jesus’ mighty Name.
What Does the Bible Say About Emmanuel?
Emmanuel (or Immanuel) is a Hebrew name that means, “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14, 8:8; Matthew 1:23). In the Old Testament, the name was given to a Child as a sign that Judah would receive relief from the attacks by Persia and Syria. Emmanuel symbolized that God was still with them, had not forgotten them, and He would deliver His people. In the New Testament, Matthew quotes Isaiah 7:14 and expands upon the significance of this name. While the prophecy was fulfilled in the Old Testament, Jesus brings much greater fulfillment.
Emmanuel implies that God would dwell among His people. Up to this point, the Israelites had only experienced God dwelling among them by being “confined” in the Holy of Holies in the temple. That changed when Jesus showed up. I pray for you that Jesus will show up for you, in Jesus’ Name. In Matthew 1:20-21, Joseph hears the promise of a Child being born to save the people from their sins in a dream, and it changed everything for him. His perception of God was shattered, not only for him but for the entire nation of Israel. This is true for us as well today. Emmanuel, God with us, changes everything. Consequently, we will investigate what Emmanuel means to us today.
Emmanuel’s Meaning to Us Today:
John 1:14 encapsulates the promise of Emmanuel without using the actual term. I love how Eugene Peterson’s The Message translates this verse: “The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.” Emmanuel means that God is now our neighbor, He is with us, right beside us. I do not think we fully grasp this or at least we do not live it out. God, the Creator of the universe, is with you on your best days and your worst days. In every moment of your life, He is Emmanuel.
It is incredible that God did not pick a good neighborhood to move into. He picked the rundown, dangerous one, that everyone else avoided. God is with you, even if you grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. Let us take a brief look at Jewish history to see exactly what kind of neighborhood Jesus moved into.
Brief Jewish History:
Nation after nation entered Israel’s promised land and conquered the nation, defeating and enslaving the Israelites. Many took turns conquering and ruling over Israel, from the Syrians to the Persians, and even Alexander the Great. However, the worst, by far, was Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
He not only conquered Israel, but he also wanted to wipe out the Jewish religion. He overtook the temple with the worship of foreign gods, and forced priests, by penalty of death, to eat pork (an unclean animal). Most notoriously, he entered the Holy of Holies to sacrifice pigs on the altar.
- The Jews eventually led a revolt that overthrew him for short-lived freedom. Soon, Rome marched in, squashed their rebellion, and conquered Israel once more. Herod was then appointed “King of the Jews” and he was not much better.
- When he heard of a new king that had been born in Bethlehem, he ordered all infant boys under 2 to be slaughtered. (Matthew 2:16)
- This is the neighborhood that Jesus moved into. A place with a broken past, a grieving present, and an uncertain future. God showed solidarity with His people, and us, in the most intimate way possible: Emmanuel moved into our neighborhood.
The Significance of Emmanuel for Us Today:
I think we often have this picture that God wants us to clean up our lives before we come to him. But Emmanuel shows us a different picture. He came after us and wanted to help us clean up. He is not afraid of our mess, our sins, or our brokenness. Quite the opposite, He is seemingly drawn to it. Emmanuel is a picture of a God that so desperately loves His people that He is willing to do anything to get them back. Let us look at the significance of Emmanuel for us today.
1. A God Who Understands
Emmanuel shows us that we have a God that understands what we are going through. He has walked in our shoes, felt what we feel, and knows our pain. It shows us that God does not just want us to follow the rules and get it right. Rather, He wants a relationship with us, and He is willing to do anything to make way for that to happen. That’s incredible. No other religion has a God that willingly suffers for His people, a God that can so deeply and compassionately identify with His creation.
2. A God Who Helps
God chose to understand us and sympathize with us so that He could help us out of the mess of our lives. For whatever reason, God has chosen to respond to the human predicament not by waving a magic wand to make evil and suffering disappear but by absorbing it in person…In the face of suffering, words do not suffice. We need something more: the Word made flesh, actual living proof that God has not abandoned us. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it, “Only a suffering God can help.” The Question That Never Goes Away by Philip Yancey.
God came to earth and suffered with us in His pursuit of us (1 Peter 2:24). He did not give a lecture on why suffering exists; instead, He says I’m with you and I will not leave you (Hebrews 13:5). He promises that one day it will end, but until then, He will be with us. One day it will all make sense, but in the meantime, we do not suffer alone.
- Divine Presence That Fights Our Battles for Us
Divine presence is the heavenly artillery that is an invincible but very destructive missile against every confrontation and opposition that stands in the way of your destiny, performance, and fulfillment in life. It is the guaranteed provision for your dominion and for being more than a conqueror in the conflicts of life. It is your confident assurance of your ever-winning status in any battle before the battle begins at all. This is the platform on which you pray from victory rather than praying for victory in spiritual warfare.
Divine presence is the mystery that informed the boldness of little David against the gargantuan Goliath (1 Samuel 17:37). This was the source of the inner strength of Joshua and Caleb among the twelve spies that went to search out the land of Canaan. Hear what God said: “Today I have made you as a strong city ready for war, as a pillar of iron and as walls of brass against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, the rulers, its religious leaders, and the people of the land. And they will fight against you. But they will not have power over you, for I am with you to take you out of trouble,” says the LORD” (Jeremiah 1:18-19, NLV).
4. A Way To Live
The final significance of the Emmanuel meaning for us today is how we live it out. Emmanuel is not simply a promise to hold onto; rather, it is a way to live. God with us should change how we approach everyday life.
Our response to Emmanuel should be both inward and outward. It should not only affect us but also those around us. Inwardly, we should be reminded and encouraged that God is indeed with us. He wants to move into your neighborhood too. Followers of Jesus must cling to the hope that one day God will redeem all the pain and suffering on this planet. And until that day comes, we know that God is with us.
The second piece is in how we outwardly respond. As Jesus moved into our neighborhood and lived in our suffering, we too must help others see the hope that is extended to them. We do not have to have answers for their circumstances, even Jesus did not offer that. Rather be present with others as God is present with us.
HOW TO KEEP EMMANUEL IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD (COMMANDING HIS PRESENCE):
Your greatest asset and need in life’s journey is God’s presence. Never step out into this year, this month, this week, and this day until you can secure the guarantee of His Presence. His presence is the guarantee for a blissful, fulfilled, and harmless destination and future. His presence makes you stronger than the stiffest and toughest opposition. The inability to secure His presence makes every adventure into any endeavor – marriage, career, journey, etc. – very risky and uncertain.
To secure God’s Presence, we must engage in:
- Purity
“He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, And the shout of a King is among them” (Numbers 23:21, NKJV).
- Praise
The Bible and modern-day life are full of even more examples of people breaking through when they broke forth in praise and God showing up for them. A classic example is Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail. Prison doors are forced opened (Acts 16:25-26): “…so that the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.” When you praise Him, His presence is guaranteed to give you victory.
- God’s Word
The ministry of God’s word is to renew and transform your mind (Romans 12:1-2). Constant meditation on, inspiration, and revelation from God’s word purges the mind from negativities, limitations, and impossibilities that the laws of nature have subjected man to due to the fall of man. The Word of God then plants the abilities and possibilities of God into a man. This then builds God’s mindset into man’s mind, and the mind is transformed from human to divine.
- Evangelism
Evangelism is the heartbeat of Jesus. His mandate is, “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen” (Matthew 28:18-20). Sow the seed and leave the conversion to God for it is He Who gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:7; John 4:35-38).
Conclusion: Moses was faced with the dilemma of missing out on His presence. God said, Israel have it your way (Burger King), but He would no longer go with them. So, Moses went immediately to the Tent of Meeting to talk with God. He was determined that, whatever else happened, they were not going to move forward one step unless God’s PRESENCE went with them! (Exodus 33:15). A few verses later, Exodus 33:18 (KJV) records that, “And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”
It seems that every other church has learned how to have services, songs, and sermons without God being anywhere near the place. We want to be different, and we are willing to be different. We have seen glimpses, felt touches, and experienced moments of Your Presence, and we cannot go on without it! LORD, this month of June and for the rest of our lives, we refuse to go on without You!
Prayers:
- Thank God for His overshadowing Presence and favor over your life.
- I receive the implantation of the very nature and life of God within me from now, in Jesus’ Name.
- Grace for purity, holy living, evangelism, and disciplined commitment to the God that answered for Enoch, Joseph, Adeboye, and our Lord Jesus Christ fall on me now, in Jesus’ Name.
- My destiny will begin to command divine presence, divine backing, and divine power as from today, in Jesus’ Name.
- I prophesy that from henceforth, the Lord goes ahead of me into my future to fight for me against my enemies and to save me, in Jesus’ Name.
- I prophesy that every step I take this year, every move that I make, every endeavor that I embark upon, the Lord shall be with me, so I cannot fail, I cannot fall, in Jesus’ Name.
- Emmanuel, open the door of uncommon, unusual occurrences and experiences unto me as from today, in Jesus’ Name.
- Thank you, Father, for answered prayers.