Immanuel

I sometimes wonder how the institutional church interprets Immanuel.

God with us.

God in us.

God present.

… and then, looking at what is preached, I wonder … who is this God?

Is it the same God that Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 7:14?

Is it the same God quoted in Matthew 1:23 and Luke 1:35 when the prophecy was about to be fulfilled?

Is it the same God who promised never to leave nor forsake us in Hebrews 13:5?

I wonder

Is this God the same Parakletos promised by Jesus as the One who would teach us, lead us, comfort us, guide us, and abide in us forever? (John 14 & 16)

‛immânû'êl (עִמָּנוּאֵל) - from the Hebrew composite word êl for Elohim or Mighty God and the word im meaning in; with; overshadow; before; beside; for all … (Strong's concordance). The word-picture denotes: perceive the mighty (blood) of life secured by the leader ashering.

But the deception was real

When I was an intercessor (and later chief-intercessor) in one of the institutional charismatic churches I attended way back when, I was made to believe that the Spirit of God is fickle. He comes and goes as He pleases and you never knew when He might show up, leave or what He would do.

We were also made to believe that, apart from all the other things we had to do to become righteous and holy, when praying, we had to push through to get to be in the presence of God. This was very seriously likened (and visualised) to first getting into the courtyard of the temple (temple of Solomon) the way the priests had done in the old covenant. Then, still praying, once we were spiritually in the temple courtyard, we had to push through to the temple building, then through the doors, the holy section, through the vail and into the holy of holiest until we reach the ark of the covenant where we had to pour out our hearts.

It was tough!

No one ever made it!

But later when I thought of it … we all always made it, whether we pushed hard (whatever this entails) or whether we did not push at all.

Once the matriarch of this institutional church, suspecting that we did not do it quite right, invited a very prominent prophet/intercessor/overseer to come and assess the situation and instruct us.

And then it was easy

By this time the HS had already started conversing with me, teaching me that all the wailing, travailing and shouting, pushing and stumbling, crying and calling, and following rules and recipes was a waste of time and effort. It was nothing but religious hogwash!

So, by the time the great overseer/prophet came to visit, I had already convinced the prayer group to pray differently. Our prayers transformed to giving praise to God for what He had done. We started declaring the truths of the Word of God and more specifically the finished work of Jesus Christ over all situations and circumstances.

And we did not push into the holy of holies! We went straight in to sit on Abba’s lap.

When she enquired about our ways and methods of praying, this is exactly what I explained to her. She was absolutely stunned. And although she did not approve of our methods, we could see that somewhere, somehow the penny had dropped.

People in authority will seldomly allow you to listen to someone else

Shortly after our inspection I had a fall-out with the matriarch's son. He was the other pastor and refused to preach more on Jesus’s finished work. My family and I left their church, much distressed at the time, but all well and ready for the real Teacher to take over in our relationship with Jesus.

So, I don’t know whether or not the great overseer/prophet came to accept that all culminated in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

I don’t know if she ever influenced that particular church to tell the attendees more about the finished work of Jesus and His great Grace.

I don’t know whether the new lead intercessor still lead prayers that conform to man-made traditions and prescripts.

But there is hope

But my hope is that any and everyone who attends a service, or pray or participate in that particular church will be taught by the real Teacher to come to the full measure of faith (Romans 12:3) so that we come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. Eph 4:14-16