Immanuel

All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).
Isaiah 7:14 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/isa.7.14.NLT

Immanuel means God with us. It does not mean magical fairy, fairy godmother, spoiler of all Christians. The Son of God came as a humble baby to a humble family who was refused accommodation even though an imminent birth was to be expected. Jesus lived a humble life, did not own a home or His own donkey. Jesus gave up His rights for us.

As Christians, we are told by Christ Himself to pick up our cross and follow Him. Each of us has a different cross, our own grief and hardship. We are not to sit in self-pity but to raise up and be a blessing to all mankind.

Christmas carries a stigma, we see it in the media: 'they have nowhere to go and it is 4 days to Christmas.' Christmas can be a good time but for many it is not. If it is not for you, make it so for someone else, be the hand, the voice, the smile. Amen!

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