Before diving into today’s blog, I want to emphasise that the clock is ticking. You have ONLY TWO DAYS LEFT to seize the opportunity and grab the eBook version of To the New Creation: Living Out Our New Identity, on Amazon at an unbeatable price of $1.99AUD.  Don’t miss out, click HERE if you’re in Australia or HERE if you’re in the U.S. or visit Amazon in your own country.

To the New Creation is a call to rediscover (or discover for the first time) the wonder and power of the life of Jesus within us, His followers. In a world grappling with identity crises, it’s crucial for Christians to know who they are; for the church to know her identity. Our true identity is found in Christ, and it’s rock solid. Only when we embrace it, will the world find its hope. As the new creation, we are a testament to God’s incredible work through Christ!

Click HERE to read my previous blog introducing To the New Creation.

Now, today’s Post…

There is an Aussie band from the 1980s called Cold Chisel. One of their song lyrics goes, ‘All around is chaos and madness, can’t help feeling nothing more than sadness’. That’s kind of how it is today, hey. The atmosphere is loaded with confusion, hate, provocation, divisiveness, and fear. The world is in more than a state of insanity; it is in one of in-satan-ity. It’s not flesh and blood we are dealing with, but powers and principalities that are doing all this. And the heat has been turned right up. There’s no denying it. You’d have to be blind and deaf not to see it. Even some non-believers see it and are frightened.

You know, Psalm 46 is such a wonderful and appropriate reminder of our powerful God. In it, God speaks of His power as opposed to the power and threats of kingdoms, of mere men under enemy influence. God is not unacquainted with kingdoms rising against each other. Nor is He unfamiliar with evil, sin and the havoc brought upon the planet by unearthly beings.

In Psalm 46, He reminds us who He is. He basically says, ‘You think they’re causing damage? Check this out. Have a look at why I can do’. He brings devastation to the earth, not just to little kingdoms!

1God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. 2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth is transformed and the mountains are toppled into the depths of the seas, 3though their waters roar and foam and the mountains quake in the surge. 4There is a river whose streams delight the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5God is within her; she will not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns. 6Nations rage, kingdoms crumble; the earth melts when He lifts His voice. 7The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. 8Come, see the works of the LORD, who brings devastation upon the earth. 9He makes wars to cease throughout the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields in the fire. 10“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth.” 11The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

God assures us that He is all over it. He is all-powerful and unperturbed by these things that are big in our eyes but small in His. And in the light of that reminder, He basically says, ‘Chill out, My people. Stop your anxieties. Stop your striving. Sit down and rest. Stand and see the deliverance of the Lord. I’m God!’

But how can we rest in times like these? He gives us that answer too. He says, know that He is God. There are two key things in verse 10.

1) We need to really know.

Accurate knowledge allows us to be still, to rest. If we don’t really know that God is God, we will continue to panic and strive. So, we need to ask God for revelation of just who He is, to remove any uncertainty. And of course, all that He is, is revealed and made known to us in His Son. Just one look at the One we know, and everything in our turbulent world goes quiet and calm. This is why it is so important, in fact, imperative that in these times, as in any, our eyes are fixed on Jesus and not the world around us.

Jesus doesn’t tell us things just because they’re nice. He tells us because they are true. He tells us the truth. His words and the ways of God come with power. The one who keeps their eyes fixed on Jesus, and His words, will walk in the power of God.

2) God is God.

Sometimes I feel like I haven’t really comprehended what it means, that there is a God. Having been brought up in the West, perhaps like you, the idea of God has presented quite differently than for those in the East. And growing up in a Christian home, God was just there. He always was, as long as I can remember. So, the concept of GOD was far beyond my little world of just having this person called God, or Jesus, who was my friend.

So, forgive me for stating the absolute obvious to Christians, but hey, there is a God! There is a real God who created all things. And guess what? He is our God!

While the dark forces are in a frenzy working day and night, stirring up wickedness and terror like we’ve never seen in our lifetimes, God, is with us!

Fear is a spirit, an evil one at that. It does not come from our God. Our God is perfect love who casts out all fear simply because of who He is. Although, if we don’t really know Him, we are likely to feel afraid.

As Christians, we have nothing to fear. We can be still and know that God is God. He’s set the time frames–the times and epochs. He is God and He’s with us.

Emmanuel or, Immanuel, whichever way you spell it, it means the same; God with us. Think about that for a moment. GOD.With.Us.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14 ESV)

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). (Matthew 1:23 ESV)

Some who call themselves believers question the deity of Jesus Christ. I don’t know how anyone can go past even this one verse, let alone everything else that both the Old and New Testaments reveal of Him. This is a big topic, and one on which I would like to write a great deal over the next few weeks and months as time permits. But today, I’d like to just draw our attention to the simplicity of this statement in Matthew, ‘they shall call His name Immanuel, which means God with us’.

Let’s break it down.

God – The creator of the heavens and earth. God who created all things. God who was and is and is to come. God, the one true God above all other gods. The God of the Bible. God to whom we either belong or we don’t. That God.

With – Permanently here. Keeping us company. Ever present. Revealed. ‘I Am’

Us – Humans. In particular, followers of Jesus, lovers of God.

How is this God who created the heavens, the earth, and all things, revealed to us and permanently present with us created human beings? In Jesus. Jesus is God with us.

We know that Jesus came as that son born of a virgin, was called Immanuel, was sent from God, and is the image of the invisible God. We know when He ascended to the Father after His resurrection, He became a life-giving Spirit, sending the Holy Spirit from the Father, to indwell all who belong to Him, and that both Jesus and the Father have made their home in those who love and obey Him. Jesus is God with us, now and forever.

The German soldiers in WWII had God With Us inscribed on their belt buckles. Many soldiers worldwide during many wars have believed God was with them. But there is only ever one way that the one true God is with anyone, and that is through Jesus Christ. If Jesus is not in our life, God is not in our life. If Jesus lives in us, God lives in us.

Over the coming weeks I’d like to look into the individual aspects of this Lord and Christ, to enjoy discovering and contemplating more of Him together with you. After all, He is endless. But for now, may we face this day or this evening, wherever we are in the world, with the knowledge and assurance that Jesus is God with us. To Him be all praise forevermore.