And He will be called Immanuel which means "God with us"

Throughout the past month, God has shown me the meaning of Immanuel in greater and greater ways. I needed a lot of money to come and God was with me, but He didn't stay in America.

Yesterday, we had two baptisms and a wedding. The first baptism was just one man, who was the same man to be married later that afternoon. After he came up out of the water, the pastor's wife started a song. When the song finished, she pointed up to the sun and there was a ring around it like a halo. I thought that was a very beautiful symbol of the day that included a marraige and six people being baptized.

As I thought about the things that symbol could mean, I thought about the sybolism of Christ and the Church as a bride and groom. I thought about a wedding band and how it sybolizes two becoming one. Then I thought about how if we accept Christ into our hearts, we are in a sense entering into a marraige relationship with Him. We become one with Christ. I am not married myself, but when you enter into marraige, your life in a sense revolves around that person. You love them and want to do all that you can for them. As I looked at the picture I took of the ring around the sun, I thought about how if we are in a relationship with Christ our lives should revolve around Him. I have never seen anything like that before. I am not sure if I have ever seen my life go a complete revolution around the Son before I take a detour in sin or selfish desires (which are not always sins). Have you? Even though we constantly choose our way over God's way, He is faithful to always be "with us." Last night, Jason and I read Matthew 1:18-25. In verse 23, it says that Jesus will be called Immanuel which means "God with us." As I read that verse, I remembered that the name of the church where we are staying is called Iglesia Emmanuel, which means Immanuel Church or if I may throw a Nick Jones translation in, "Christ with His bride." Ask God to help you to fall madly in love with Him today and to help you to remember, no matter your present situation, "Immanuel."