Jesus Christ Who Came as Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14)

Let us bless one another. Merry Christmas! Today is a day where the entire world is commemorating and worshipping Jesus Christ’s birth. We pray that the grace of Jesus Christ will be overflowing and the glory will be given to heaven to all the families worshiping in the church, in their homes, and out of state.

Today’s main scripture passage is from Isaiah 7:14. This is the Bible verse where the prophet Isaiah prophesies about the coming of Jesus Christ who was to come in 700 years. So from this point, it is 2700 years ago. The Bible is different from the religious texts of other religions because the Bible is the way for God to reveal Himself to mankind by inspiring the authors of the Bible. Other religious texts are written by the research and insight of mankind, so no matter how deeply you look into them, you cannot have word fulfillment and life take place.

However, the words of the Bible, written 2700 years ago, were fulfilled 700 years after they were written. Therefore, the way that God works is through His word, so if you hold onto God’s Word, you are holding onto God.

What is the meaning of “Merry Christmas”? We say Merry Christmas, but what is the meaning of that? “Merry” means joyful or happy. Christ in “Christmas” talks about Christ. “Mas” is from the Latin root for worship. Therefore, the meaning of “Merry Christmas” means we are giving a joyful, happy worship to Christ.

Why was it determined to be on December 25? In the Roman age, December 25 was selected because it was a Roman holiday that was celebrated from December 25 to January 6, a celebration of the harvest for all of Rome. Then, in 330 years, the Roman empire was entirely changed into a Christian nation. That’s why they just decided that December 25 would be a day to celebrate Jesus Christ.

People often question, “Is December 25 really the day that Jesus Christ was born?” No, the Orthodox says it is January 6, but more so than worrying about the date, it is about the meaning behind it. It has the meaning of joyfully worshiping Christ.

Why was it that Jesus had to come onto this earth? Why did He have to come? Jesus did not come for the sake of God; Jesus came for our sake. Human beings were created as spiritual beings, so humans have to live with God; that is the identity of mankind.

If humans cannot live with God, we will deteriorate with the image of man. Originally, mankind was created to worship God, living with God, enjoying peace and happiness, but one day, all of this anguish came into our lives, and we have mental illnesses we do not know about. Our life has changed into one where no matter how much research we do, we cannot have the happiness of being with God again.

No matter how much you research with your knowledge, you cannot fill up your spirit. You cannot fill up your spirits by just doing Bible studies. No matter how deeply you research and know the Bible academically, you cannot fill up your spirit. You have to spiritually meet God. Through your Bible study, you have to spiritually meet God. If you meet God, then you receive spiritual strength.

Spiritual things cannot be seen with the eyes, but once you receive spiritual strength, you, yourself, will change. In the past, things that used to be a problem to you are changing so that they’re no longer problematic. That’s not something you can accomplish by reading the Bible a lot. No matter how much you research and dig deeply, you can’t do that; you have to be able to meet God through the Holy Spirit.

Why did Jesus Christ come to this earth in the form of a human? God had to die on the cross, so He could forgive the sins of mankind. He had to resurrect in 3 days so he could overcome the authority of hell, Satan, and death, and now He is with us as the Holy Spirit. It’s invisible; that’s why you have to believe. Therefore, without faith, you cannot please God.

People all around the world are saying, “Merry Christmas,” but they are not worshiping Christ. God appeared on Earth, visible to our eyes, but people are not worshiping that Christ, and they give their worship to idols. People give their worship to the idols of themselves and their physical possessions. Jesus Christ, Himself, is God, so every single day in our lives, as we worship God, it’s “Merry Christmas.” We don’t just worship today, but it’s every day. We give our worship to Christ, who is God.

How do we worship, then? Yes we may need some kind of form, but in the New Testament, we don’t need that anymore. In the Old Testament, there is a lot of structure and form created by God, Himself, but now that Jesus Christ has come in the New Testament, how do we give worship?

That’s the content of John 4:23. The hour has now come where the true worshippers–meaning there are false worshipers–the true worshippers will worship in spirit and in truth, and God speaks to worshipers like this. God doesn’t look for the ones who have a lot of knowledge; God doesn’t look for the ones who boast of themselves; God doesn’t look for the ones who attend the most worship, but God is speaking to the ones who are truly worshiping. Then, is true worship just sitting here quietly, or when you sing praises very loudly? What is worship?

Worshiping God in spirit and in truth. Spirit means the Holy Spirit, and the Truth is the words of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the way you give worship to the Father God is by the Holy Spirit and the words of Jesus Christ, and you completely submit yourself to that.

The Holy Spirit is with us even now, and that Holy Spirit, in John 14:26, will teach us and remind us of everything Jesus told us. This taking place is what it means to have success in worship. When you succeed in worship, all the curses, disasters, and Satan’s work break down.

Now that I come to America, I see that people are thinking of Satan and demons in a theoretical way, that he’s just something written down. God is working through the Holy Spirit, but can you see that with your eyes? That’s why we have this age of mental diseases. Because Satan is completely controlling our minds and hearts, but we don’t acknowledge him, we’re seized by him and dragged around.

You cannot overcome Satan with your mental strength; no matter how much you research, you cannot overcome Satan. No matter how many good behaviors you exhibit and how hard you try, you cannot overcome Satan. That is why Jesus Christ gave you the authority to cast out Satan in the name of Jesus Christ.

Satan is the ruler of the kingdom of the air and is unseen to your eyes, controlling over everything, but when we restore true worship, that’s broken down. That is why the ones who worship in spirit and in truth with the words of Jesus Christ will overcome. Success in worship means you are filled with the Holy Spirit and the words of Jesus Christ. Every single day, the Holy Spirit should work upon us, and we should be filled with the words of Jesus. Otherwise, the devil will work in your thoughts, and that’s why your thoughts are so complicated and your head hurts. Your thoughts aren’t complicated because you study so much. Your thoughts are only complicated because you study so much without the words of Jesus Christ and the working of the Holy Spirit.

King Solomon studied so much, and no one studied more than him. Until now, there’s not a single person who has had more wives and inheritance as King Solomon. But what did he say in the end? That it was all in vain. He’s not saying that those things didn’t mean anything, but he is saying that only God, who is Jesus Christ, is True. America has so much knowledge. Our scientific advancements are great, and we recognize the different religions because we have the freedom of religion; however, the true worship that is able to save mankind is only possible through Jesus Christ.

In John 5:39, Jesus Christ tells the Pharisees, “You diligently study the scriptures because you think that by them, you can possess eternal life.” You research the Hebrews texts, but these scriptures testify of Jesus Christ. But these people studied the scriptures so diligently and killed Jesus. These were people who believe in God correctly. That’s what it means to be seized by Satan. If anything, if you read the Bible without the spirit of Jesus Christ, you’ll be seized by demons because the Bible is talking about Jesus Christ. That’s how you receive eternal life… Of course, we worship and kneel before the baby Jesus Christ, who is God, and that is Merry Christmas. Therefore, every day is a day where we give worship to Christ.

In today’s scripture, the prophet Isaiah prophesied that the Virgin will give birth to a son named Immanuel, and that was fulfilled in Matthew 1:23. It’s very detailed. The virgin will be with child and give birth to a son and His name shall be Immanuel, meaning God is with us.

Why did Jesus come to this earth? To be with us. Only when Jesus Christ is with us can we go back to the normal form of mankind. The way that Jesus Christ is with us is through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit … is invisible to the eyes. The Holy Spirit is not the evil spirit, but it is the spirit of truth. The Holy Spirit influences our thoughts and emotions by giving us the words of Truth, so how can we be with the Lord Jesus Christ 24 hours a day?

I’m alive and moving, and the Lord is with me in the Spirit. So how can we worship, how are we with Him? There’s evidence we are with Him; it’s not the emotions. Your emotions are how you feel, but John 1:1 says the Word is God. John 1:14 says that the Word came down as flesh and that is Jesus Christ, He is with us right now as the Holy Spirit. Therefore, He is with us through the Word.

24 hours a day, God is giving us His Word through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the life where you are with God is a life where the Holy Spirit is with you always. As we live our lives, the way God is with us is by the Word; all you have to do is ask Him. If the Holy Spirit is truly living inside of me, then, absolutely, He will answer me through the word. If you face a problem or incident, then, absolutely, God will answer you through His Word. That’s the reason Jesus Christ came to this earth as Immanuel.

If you have Immanuel but you’re not able to enjoy Immanuel, you’ll be at a great loss. The Israelites were not able to enjoy Immanuel, and that’s why they were taken captives to Babylon for 70 years. If the center of your heart is filled with your own heart, that’s not Immanuel. If you’re living with your own heart centered on the world, that’s not Immanuel. If the center of your heart is filled with your own ideologies, that’s not Immanuel; in other words, that becomes a channel for demons, and everywhere you go that becomes a channel for Satan.

It’s impossible to see, right? Because you’ve lived that way your entire life, everywhere you go disasters gather, but that is why God is with us through Immanuel. Once you have Immanuel, the disaster breaks down. Everywhere you go, the forces of darkness and Satan break down. When? Right now. Right now, God is working in you through the word. Do not receive the Word that you desire, but God, who is with you, is giving you the Word that He desires. It’s not about interpreting the words according to what you want. It’s not about interpreting God’s word according to your convenience.

“God give me the word you desire,” then without a doubt God works according to the word. It’s okay even if your walk of faith is wrong because the Holy Spirit is within you, and the work of the Holy Spirit is to teach you the Word of God.

Not only is He with me, but He is with us. The thing that Korean people have a difficult time doing is “us.” They think they’re the greatest, but God is also in other people as well. Enjoying that is the church, and that’s the reason why God gave us the church. The church isn’t the building; it’s the community of the congregation because I’m imperfect and incomplete. That’s why God gives us the Word, and that’s why, church by church, God is with us through the Word. That’s the evidence that God is alive and working now, so I hope you will always look for the word.

When you face a problem or circumstance, ask “God, what do you need of me?” It is not what you need; it is what God needs. If you struggle and flounder trying to solve your problems, you live the same life as a nonbeliever. God allowed you to have this problem, then what is it that God needs? You must ask this, and that’s what it means to have true worship.

What is not true worship? You live by your own thoughts. You listen to the Words of God, but you live according to your thoughts. That’s not worship. Worship is completely laying yourself down, “God, please give me your Word.” How? God gives you the Word through the Holy Spirit within you, then the word comes upon you every day.

Then what happens? It becomes “Merry Christmas.” Then the peace on earth will be established exactly according to the Bible. Why don’t I have peace? Why am I always in anguish and suffering? Because I can’t have a Merry Christmas. You have to have true worship to Christ. If you’re not able to worship, it means you’re too strong. Ultimately, who will win? You will recognize through the rest of your life that you cannot do this. Once you fail, you’ll recognize whether the Word of God is true or not. Ultimately, God will testify of the fact that your thoughts are not the truth; that’s why worship is so important because only the Word of God is truth. Even now, God is working with His Word.

Religion doesn’t have this because religion is something that humans created from their own nature, and it’s something that comes from the knowledge of man. But God is alive and working within us as life, so there’s nothing you have to do. If you want to analyze so deeply, how would a 90 year old grandma believe in Jesus? All you have to do is worship God truly and in spirit. God works upon us with His Word.

Then when the word of God comes upon us, Philippians 4:6-7, the peace of God comes upon us. Why is it that America has so many mental illnesses arising even though we have Ivy Leagues and scientific advancement? Why is it that people are so smart, but they don’t have peace in their hearts? They say they can do anything, but they cannot maintain peace in their hearts even though we have so many churches. There are churches everywhere you look, and America has the most churches in the world.

Then why is it that these addicts are arising? Now, there aren’t as many shootings because the schools are closed, but do you think people go around happily shooting people with peace in their heart? Why is it that during the coronavirus pandemic, kids gather to do drug parties? It doesn’t matter what the pandemic brings; they are in anguish inside, and even if people tell them not to do these things, they are in anguish. Don’t you think those people will say “Merry Christmas” as well? But who is Christ? The Bible tells us about that, but they don’t know, so that’s why they can’t worship and they fail in life.

But you and I today are already victorious in life, and we will be victorious in the future. Why? Because Jesus Christ who is the True God is with me and with us as the Holy Spirit. Already, the King of Kings, who is Jesus Christ, has overcome the world and is with me. When you kneel before your problems, it means you cannot overcome the world. If you’re trembling in fear because of your future, it means you’re not yet able to be victorious over the world.

How can you conquer the past, present, and future? People suffer from the scars of their past, but why do they continue to seize you today? It’s because you don’t have the Word of God there. Look at your scars. There’s no Word of God there; it’s only you. Think deeply on this. That’s what you call a scar, and Satan is working upon those scars. If you do not have the Word, then Satan will absolutely work upon you; if the Word is there, Satan will absolutely be broken. The reason why you’re afraid of the future is because you don’t have the word of God regarding the future, so you’re afraid of the pandemic and the fourth industrial revolution. Why? Because God doesn’t exist there with the word.

Why do you fall into your present problems? The Word of God needs to be revealed in your present problems, but it’s not taking place. In the past, present, and future, God is with me through the Word, then you will be victorious. Because Jesus Christ who is victorious is with us, you will be victorious as well. You have to live your life having already organized everything like this.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future,” then you’ve already lost, and if you’re always being seized by your past, you’ve already lost. If you don’t know what’s going to happen today, you’ve already lost. The Lord is with me and with us, and He will fulfill everything according to the word He has given us. Then you’ll have Merry Christmas.

When that person says “Merry Christmas,” the demons know and will flee. But if you say “Merry Christmas” without knowing that meaning, the demon will respond, “I know Jesus and I know about Paul, but who are you?” and the demon will attack you. That’s why on Christmas day we give our worship and praise to God.

“Why is there so much worship? We worship today and Wednesday and Friday and again on Sunday.” Look carefully where this person will go, they will go quickly towards playing, and they are especially good at eating. They research places to eat. That’s evidence that their life has already failed. There’s no other failure in life; if you don’t have Christ, it is failure because you cannot block disasters and win against Satan. But if you have Christ, you’re victorious because you’re going to go to heaven in the future and you’re enjoying heaven now.

The way you enjoy this in a detailed way is through the word God gives you, so don’t worry about anything. If you’re a person of God who received salvation through Jesus Christ, then the Holy Spirit is with you. If you truly break through life somehow, that’s what non-believers do. If you try to fight your way through life with a strong mentality, that’s what non-believers do. With us, we believe in Jesus Christ because He has already overcome the life we’re living. I hope you find this because the Holy Spirit has already given us the Word through worship, so I hope you will worship every day, then the Lord will give you the Word through the Holy Spirit.

Our IQ is not 150 or 200. Raise your hand if your IQ is over 200. It’s not, right? So you shouldn’t think you’re smart. How much is God’s IQ? It’s unlimited, so always give everything to Him because He is an eternal God of the past, present, and future. To us, it may look like a problem, but it’s not a problem to God. When the unlimited God looks at this, it’s not a problem to God, so that’s why He guides us with His word. If you look at problems from your IQ that isn’t even 150, it’s a problem, but to God, it’s not a problem at all.

Therefore, the mission God has given to us is to enjoy the message of Christ that God has given to us and to relay it to other people because they know it incorrectly. Knowing Christ incorrectly, you cannot overcome the disasters of your family. You can’t overcome by living a religious life; you can only overcome when you worship every day in spirit and in truth. So I hope you will enjoy this properly every day and relay this properly to others as well. If you enjoy this properly every day, the Word will be given to you, so all you have to do is testify of that Word. For that purpose, God has prepared everything: your finances, and your future.

But if you’re not able to enjoy Jesus Christ, you have to live with your own strength, and if you face a problem, you have to face it with your own strength: if you cannot solve it with your own strength, you will get knocked down. I hope you will have this true worship that is able to enjoy Jesus Christ every day through the Spirit, Truth, and the Word.

Prayer

Let us relay Christ to the entire world through prayer at this time. At this time, when you pray, the Holy Spirit is working throughout the world, transcending time and space, so even if you’re sitting here, you can relay this. Let us pray now for the Los Angeles area where we live, for America, and the whole world, so that this Gospel may be relayed. Let us pray together.