Emmanuel = God with You, Always

To the word of the Lord in Matthew chapter 28, verse 20. There is a very simple verse, some well-known words of the Lord. The second part of that verse, Matthew 28:20, says: “...and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the world...”

How many can say amen to that? I want you to say with me: And behold, I am with you always, every day, even to the end of the world. Amen. That word is for you, my brother, my sister, this morning, and I want that concept of the God who is with us, God with us, to be engraved upon you.

Once again, as I was looking for a theme for my presentation this morning, my meditation this morning, that text I have just read with you flashed very, very clearly through my spirit like lightning. And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.

That is the word for you, my brothers and sisters, and for me this morning. That is the word of the Lord, the promise of the Lord. Receive it now in the name of Jesus. The Lord says to you as an individual, and he says to you, Lion of Judah congregation: Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.

The Lord wants us to know that he is with us, that his companionship never leaves us, and that his eye, his eyes, are upon you, upon your children, upon your very body, upon the organs of your body, upon your finances, upon your work, upon your aspirations; his gaze and his presence are there in the midst of your struggles and the persistent issues in your life. The presence of the Lord is with you.

And he wants you to remember that. If you feel somewhat distressed, doubtful, sad, overwhelmed, or worried this morning, perhaps facing financial difficulties; if you feel uncertain about your future in this country, or you are worried about your children or your family in Latin America, Africa, Europe, or wherever you come from, the Lord says to you this morning: Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.

That is a wonderful passage. The truth is that when I began to meditate on it and say, well, how do I approach this text? How do I draw out what it has to offer? There are so many ways to do so once you begin meditating on it.

The first thing that strikes me about the text is simply that contrast, that complementarity between “every day” and “the end of the world.” “Every day” reminds me of ordinary, daily life: Monday, tomorrow, when you return to work. The Lord says to you: I am with you on Monday morning, and on Tuesday too, and on Wednesday too. When you are at the factory, or at the nursing home where you work, or at the restaurant where you wash dishes, wait tables, or cook, or at the office, or at your business, or wherever you may be—at school, where you are studying—the Lord says: I am with you. I walk with you. I am there at your business. I am there in the classroom with you. I am in the office while you wrestle with your duties and responsibilities. I am in the truck when you drive on the highway. I am with you every day, even to the end of the world.

That is a very sublime concept, isn’t it? Because “every day” is daily living. You get up, drink some coffee, eat a piece of bread or some cereal, whatever it may be, and go to work. But there is also that idea of the end of the world, when history comes to an end. The Lord says: I am with you there too, and I will be with you in the meantime; at every moment, I am with you.

And brothers and sisters, every day we must make ourselves aware of that fact: that the Lord Jesus Christ is with us every day. That is the source of our power; that is the source of our hope and our vitality. It is knowing that God is with us when we go out and when we come in. I believe that this is one of the great distinctions of the Christian: we have this idea of a present God, an immediate God, a personal God, a God who knows me, a God who formed me in my mother’s womb.

It says that God formed the inner organs of our being, and, “Your eyes saw my embryo,” the Bible says. The Lord was present there even before our life was conceived; the Lord already knew who we were, and he is with us and accompanies us at all times. And this idea of the immediate God, the personal God, the present God, is a distinctive feature of Christianity, of the Gospel: that personal God to whom I can pray if I have a headache or if I have cancer. He is with me. Whether it is something small or something great, whether I need him to get me to a medical appointment or a work appointment on time because there is a traffic jam on Route 93, I can appeal to my God, and he will not say, “No, that request does not qualify because it is not important enough.” The God we have is a God for every day; he is a God for every situation.

And then many texts came to mind, and I began to unpack this idea of the God who is with us. I want to emphasize that preposition this morning: with. This idea of God with me, God with you, and the implications of the fact that God is with us, that he is with me—what practical implications does that have for life?

Look, for example, at one of the first things. In the same book of Matthew, the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, chapter 1, the very nature of Jesus Christ is to be with us. What name was given to him? What is one of Jesus’ names? Emmanuel. And what does the name Emmanuel mean? God with us. Matthew 1:23:

“...and you shall call his name Emmanuel, which translated means God with us....”

Incidentally, do you remember what I was saying about Jesus Christ as God, as one of the great doctrines? I will be revisiting those great doctrines of Scripture from time to time, because there are groups that call themselves Christian but deny the deity of Jesus Christ. Look here at what Jesus is called: God with us. What clearer expression of Jesus’ divinity could there be than that? When Christ was born, the fact that God is with us became a reality as never before. His very name reflects his deity, but even more than that—and in a way that is practical for us—it reflects the fact that he is present.

That is, the incarnation itself, the phenomenon of the incarnation—the coming of God and his being made man—points to the fact that he is with us. That is his very nature; it is in his essence. It is not his nature to remain up there in heaven, separated from history, from humanity, and from nature. The beautiful thing about God is that he is deeply involved in history. He is not nature. There are theologies or religions that speak of God’s immanence in the sense that God is the stone, God is the animal, God is the water, or the sky, or the moon. No, God is not those things, but he is present in them. Do you understand me? God created them and is deeply engaged and involved in the world he created, continually. And the Lord reminded his disciples of that when he was about to ascend, ready to conclude his earthly ministry, risen and ready to be taken up and carried into heaven. He said: And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.

And that is a reminder he left them. In a moment we will see why he chose that particular moment to remind them that he would be with them—with the disciples—and that he is therefore also with us.

Another passage also occurs to me, where the Lord says to the disciples, “Hey, rejoice that I am leaving, because until now I was with you, but now I am going to be in you.” Just look at how deeply the presence of God dwells in the lives of his children: he is not only with you, but within you, so that he will not go flying off somewhere when you slam on the brakes on Route 93 or accelerate too quickly and get left behind. No, he is within you, so wherever you go, he has to go with you too. The Lord is in you and is therefore with you wherever you go. Say amen in the name of Jesus.

There are so many precious passages like that. Isaiah 41 came to mind, a verse that I have written here in my own hand, which I believe I have mentioned to you before, and I keep it here in my Bible. Isaiah 41, verse 10, says: “Do not fear, for I am with you.” “...Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God who strengthens you. I will always help you; I will always uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness....” Amen.

What a beautiful promise from the Lord, isn’t it? It is as though God knows that simply telling me, “I am with you,” is enough. If God is with me, I need nothing else, let me tell you. It is as though God says, “Look, if I am with you, do not worry about whether I will help you or not, whether I will give to you or not. I am with you; you have everything you need.” The mere presence of God in our lives already means that we have everything we need for the demands of existence and the challenges of life.

And that is the great inheritance of the child of God: the fact that, because we have Christ in our hearts and have Christ as our Savior, he is with us; he is present. One thing goes with the other. If you are a child of God, God is with you, and you must never doubt that.

Look at verse 1 of Isaiah 43—indeed, the very beginning of Isaiah 43. How good it is to have your Bible, because you can follow along, right? Although we also have the help of the Internet here, it says:

“But now thus says the Lord, your Creator”—you see, the fact that God is your Creator has a very serious implication regarding your relationship with God—“your Creator, O Jacob, and he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. It says, ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you....’” Glory to the name of the Lord.

“When you pass through the waters”—that is when you pass through anguish. The waters are, you know, when the water is rising up to your neck and you are thinking, “Where is the life preserver that will get me out of here as quickly as possible?” It is when there are problems in life, when there are worries, when the rent must be paid and the check has not arrived yet, when there is too much month left for the money you have remaining, and you do not know where the answer will come from.

“When you pass through the waters,” the Lord says, “do not worry; I will be with you. I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you.” When severe tribulations come, so severe that the current is about to sweep you away and carry you off, and it seems that there is no hope left, he says, “Do not worry. The rivers will not sink you; they will not drown you.”

“When you pass through the fire, you will not be burned.” When the trial becomes red-hot in your life and you have already been declared beyond hope, with no solution for you, the Lord says, “You will not be burned, nor will the flame kindle upon you, for I, the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, am your Savior.” Glory to the name of the Lord.

I will be with you. That is the promise given to the children of God. There is also a passage that says—I do not have it with me—but it says, “And this is the inheritance; this is the inheritance of the children of God”: the fact that God is with us. So if you are a son of God, a daughter of God, if you are in Christ Jesus, if you have Christ as the mediator of your life, if you are connected to the divine Internet, God is with you. You do not have to worry about whether he is there or not. He is with you, and that, my brother, my sister, should give you courage to undertake anything in life. We must always cultivate an awareness of God’s presence.

You know that there are times when we become so caught up in the cares of life that we somehow lose a little of our awareness of God’s presence, don’t we? Sometimes a period goes by and we stop praying and stop seeking the face of God. The cares of life come—work and struggles—and we become immersed in projects and situations. Sometimes periods of illness or financial difficulty also come, or whatever it may be, and our pursuit of God and those practices that sustain us begin to wane a little. Because we have to cultivate an awareness of God’s presence, brothers and sisters; that does not happen automatically. Let me tell you, you can lose it in an instant, within two or three days, if you do not seek God. The mind is the most treacherous thing in the world. Our sensitivity to the Lord becomes dusty and is covered by a layer of dust that prevents the electricity from flowing, that prevents a connection with the divine wires. And then your awareness of God’s presence somehow begins to wane a little.

What must you do at that moment? You know what? Get in a little fast, or set aside three or four hours to seek the Lord more fully. Shut yourself in a room and tell the kids to eat a can of ravioli or whatever, but today I am going to seek the face of the Lord and fill myself with his presence again. I am going to recharge the batteries; I am going to remember that God is with me.

Because when you are aware that the presence of God is with us, that is what gives us encouragement. That is why the Christian life cannot be lived from Sunday to Sunday, depending on a quick little charge there on Sunday, all rushed. You have to be seeking your blessing every day, brothers and sisters. You have to keep revisiting the presence of God, because that connection with the presence of God in our lives is what gives us the encouragement and courage to undertake the things of life. Cultivate the sense of God’s presence, the sense that God is with me, and then, because he is with me, I can undertake in the name of the Lord anything I desire, anything I need in life, whether it is a new business, a future marriage, a career, a move, whatever it may be—you have to make sure.

What did the Hebrews say to Moses? Make sure that God goes with us, that God is with you. And I believe it was Moses himself who said, “If you do not go with us, do not bring us up from here.” We have to know that God goes with us wherever we go, and we have to cultivate that awareness. God wants you to know that he is with you, because if you know that he is with you, it is like having two six-foot-eight bodyguards right there behind you. You know that you can take on anything because you have backup there. In the same way, you have someone who is taller than six foot eight; he measures the expanse of the universe, which is infinite. And he is with you; he wants to be called upon on your behalf.

I remember—I was thinking about that—and I remember my mother, who was a woman who lived immersed in the sense of God’s presence in her life. And that is why, I believe, because she knew that God was with her, my fondest and most inspiring memories of her are of things she undertook that seemed impossible for a woman like her—a humble, simple woman who had not received much education—to undertake. And yet she undertook them, and God always brought her through victoriously. Because she had that assurance that God was with her, and so she dared to do crazy things.

This morning I remembered an occasion in the Dominican Republic involving an aunt of mine who had given birth. And you know all those things that happen in Hispanic families: she was not married to this man, and she had a daughter—a baby who is now a married woman and all of that; this was many years ago. And this man—she took the little girl to the Dominican Republic, where the girl’s father was, in a rural area there in the Dominican Republic, and left her with him in that area for a little while. He could not come here to the United States, and she returned to the United States and became ill here. In the end, the man said he was not going to give up the little girl, and he kept her hidden in a rural area of the Dominican Republic. He had said very clearly and very threateningly that no one should dare take that little girl away from him, because he was not going to hand her over.

And my mother went to the Dominican Republic, and everyone warned her, “Toñita, do not go to that place, because there are dangerous people there, and that family controls that entire area where the little girl is.” It was a place far from the city, very far from the city. And my mother was there, allowing herself to be swayed more by what people were saying and feeling very afraid, because my aunt could not—she was in no condition to do anything about it—and my mother almost returned from the Dominican Republic to the United States without seeing the little girl or doing anything about it. But a couple of days before she was to return from the Dominican Republic, God put it in her heart that she wanted to go to that rural area and speak to this man, and she felt that the Lord had something he was going to do through that intervention.

And my mother asked my brother-in-law, whom we call Pucho—his name is Juan Ramón, but we call him Pucho as a nickname—and she said to him, “Pucho, take me to that rural area, because I want to speak to that man.” And Pucho said to her, “Doña Toñita, you know that these are dangerous people. That is a very isolated rural area over there, and that man is no easy matter, and I do not want to get involved there and run that kind of danger.” But my mother insisted, and Pucho finally agreed and went with her, in fear and trembling, to that remote rural area of the Dominican Republic. And my mother arrived there with Pucho, according to the story she told me—and he always confirmed every detail. They arrived around nightfall at that remote area there in the Dominican Republic, got their bearings, and reached the place where this man lived. Incidentally, he did not receive them with a very friendly expression. And my mother sat down with this man, and because God had always given her a special grace that enabled her to combine firmness with kindness and gentleness, my mother reasoned with him. Among other things she told him, “Look, this little girl is an American citizen, so do not tangle with the United States government. They can do anything,” and this and that. But she also spoke to him about how that little girl did not have much of a future in that rural area, whereas in the United States with her mother she could have a future, and that he should do what was right for that little girl as her father.

The fact is, brothers and sisters, that as the day was ending, when it was already dark, my mother returned to Santo Domingo with that little girl and was able to bring her to the United States so that she could be reunited with her mother. And I remember that whenever that story was told, Pucho would say in amazement, “Look, I have never seen anything like it. I would never have dared to go to that place the way Doña Toñita”—that is what he called her—“dared to go.”

What gave my mother that strength? It was the sense that God was with her. And just as she accomplished that feat, she accomplished many others in her life. And I believe that one of the legacies she left us as a family was precisely that sense that God is with us and that, therefore, no matter how serious the problem, how great the struggle, or how difficult the challenge, we can undertake great things because God is with us. With our God we can accomplish great feats, brothers and sisters.

If a simple woman like her, with relatively little education—she was not a spiritual genius, had no theological education, and had no money—could do so many things that blessed so many people, you can do even more. If you cultivate the sense of God’s presence in your life, if you feel that God is with you, that he is there like a mighty giant, as the Word of God says, that he supports you and walks with you—when you leave your house in that December or February cold here in Boston, the Lord goes with you to your workplace. He is with you in your struggles and in your tribulations.

There are five things that I am going to discuss quickly in which God is with us and which we must always keep clearly in mind. First, I have already pointed this out, and I am simply going to single it out and reinforce it a little. God is with you in daily living, in life’s everyday tasks, in the day-to-day stuff of life, in normal, everyday, simple, customary matters—I do not know how to put it more clearly—simply in the simplicity of life. God is not with us only in the great crises, the great tribulations, and the great struggles. God is with us simply when we come in and go out, when we are having a conversation, when we are earning our Friday paycheck, when we are cooking for the children or dealing with the paperwork of our profession. The Lord is with us right there in that everyday, boring, simple moment without much splendor. God is with you, strengthening you and filling you.

I thought about Joseph. Look in Genesis, chapter 39, at how Joseph benefited from the presence of God in his life. You know that Joseph was a man who went through great tribulations and struggles. He was sold by his brothers. God was with him from the beginning; God had a purpose for Joseph’s life, and God was with Joseph. His brothers sold him because—let me tell you—the presence of God with you does not say or imply that you will not go through problems and tribulations. We are clear about that, right? It says, “When you pass through the fire, you will not be burned.” It is not a matter of whether you will pass through the fire or whether you will not pass through the fire. No: when you pass through it; when you pass through the waters, they will not overwhelm you.

And God had been with Joseph since childhood, but he was sold by his brothers. Nevertheless, Genesis 39, verse 2, says:

“...but the LORD was with Joseph...”

You see, struggles can come into your life—setbacks, persecutions; people can turn against you—but you must always tell yourself, “No, but the LORD is with me.” And that should give you the strength to stand tall again. Instead of staying there like a little fallen, dead flower, you rise again and say, “I am going to keep moving forward. I am going to keep fighting the battle.” Why? Because God is with me.

Then look at this: “...and he was a prosperous man, and he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made everything he did prosper in his hand....”

Everything he did—that is where I see everyday life. Everything Joseph undertook: if they sent him to buy something, he came back with two bags instead of the one that was expected. Why? Because God was with him. If he was put to work preparing a meal, that meal tasted delicious because God was with him. If he was put in charge of managing his master’s money, the money seemed to multiply magically and went further because God was with him. So, brothers and sisters, look at what happened:

“...Thus Joseph found favor in his eyes and served him, and he made him overseer of his house and put everything he had under his authority. And it came to pass that from the time he put him in charge of his house and of everything he had, the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house because of Joseph; and the blessing of the LORD was upon everything he had, both in the house and in the field...”

And this man, who was neither slow nor lazy, left everything he had in Joseph’s hands. Why? Because he knew that if God was with Joseph and Joseph was involved in something, then God was going to be in that thing.

Do you see? And that is something I have always believed, brothers and sisters. You know what? This nation is blessed because children of God are in it. We are the leaven of the earth; we are the salt of the earth; we are the light of the world. Wherever we go, the presence of God goes with us. Remember that you have the right to believe that God is blessing your neighborhood because you are in it, because the presence of God is with you. God blesses your workplace because you are in that workplace.

I believe that if we cultivated more of that sense of God’s active blessing—because I am a child of God and because I am touching the environment in which I move—God would move upon us with greater power. What happens is that many times we do not cultivate that active sense of God’s presence, with its implications of prosperity, blessing, and fruitfulness for our surroundings. I believe that this neighborhood has been blessed, among other reasons, because Lion of Judah came to it ten years ago. And I believe that the broader community to which we belong, with our different nationalities and cultures, is being blessed because children of God who attend this congregation and other Christian congregations are in those places, blessing them with their presence.

Now, I believe that we have to cultivate it, because many people do not cultivate that sense of God’s presence, and that is why God does not move. You see, one has to be aware of God’s presence and cultivate it, because that then gives one more power. It is not that God is not there if you are not conscious of his presence, but God’s presence moves with greater power when you cultivate the sense of God’s presence. Ask for that every day. That is what it means to seek God, to seek the Word of the Lord, and to seek time in prayer so that your awareness that God is with you may be renewed. I try never to step onto this platform without being charged with the sense of God’s presence with me. I could not minister by simply coming up here as though it were an everyday routine. That frightens me, brothers and sisters. One has to minister with the assurance and awareness that God is with me at this moment. God is going to make a way for me; God is going to clear a path for me; God is going to give me the word; God is going to give me the anointing I need.

And so it is at work, wherever you may be. Every day, remember that the Lord is with you in the everyday things of life—in your work, in your struggle with your children, in all things. God is with you.

And God was with Joseph, and that is why God prospered him. People notice when a person has the touch of God, the grace of God, upon his life. So God is with us in everyday tasks, but God is also with us when we serve him. In Christian service, God is with us. God calls us to testify to others about Jesus Christ. Many of us are serving in our congregation as teachers, as children’s instructors, as ushers, in worship, and in different ministries. The Lord has wanted us to know that when we serve the Lord, there is a special anointing resting upon us. We do not serve the Lord in human strength; that is not enough. It is the anointing of God. That is why the Lord Jesus Christ told the disciples, “Do not leave Jerusalem until you have been clothed with power. And when you receive the Holy Spirit, then you will go and be my witnesses.”

Remember: never try to serve the Lord unless you are filled with the presence of the Lord. In everything you do for the Lord, whether simple or great, always make sure that God is right there, very present with you, and that your mind and heart are conscious of God’s presence; make sure that whatever you do, you undertake it with God, in God.

A ministry, when it is led by a person who is aware of the presence of God in his life and believes that God has called him and who cultivates that awareness of the presence of God, is a ministry that is going to prosper, whether it is ushering or anything else, something simple. When an usher does the job of seating someone, or steps into his role on a Sunday morning, he must always fill himself with the presence of God and say, Lord, when my hand touches a person to welcome them, or when I speak to someone so they will give up their seat, or whatever it may be, may you be with me too, may you go with me—and you cultivate that.

Undertake anything you do in the service of God with a profound awareness that God is with you, and that will cause you to prosper and will bless you greatly.

The third category of God’s presence with us is that God is with us in life’s problems, in life’s challenges, in life’s difficulties, in the trials that inevitably come into our existence. God is with us.

Look at Second Chronicles; the life of King Hezekiah is very instructive in this regard. Hezekiah was a man who served the Lord, loved God, was faithful to the Lord, and did many things so that his reign would reflect the glory of God. But a time came in Hezekiah’s life when a very powerful king, King Sennacherib, invaded the kingdom of Israel, and Sennacherib came with his entire army and surrounded Jerusalem. This king boasted that none of the gods of the other nations that had confronted his army had been able to protect any of those nations. And he mocked the Hebrews because Hezekiah had said that they were not to worship any other God, but Jehovah alone. And he threw that in Hezekiah’s face as he surrounded his city.

And Hezekiah encouraged the people of Israel to trust in their God. And look, it says here in verse 5—Second Chronicles 32:6 says:

“...and he appointed military captains over the people and gathered them together in the square at the city gate and spoke to their hearts....”

In other words, Hezekiah speaks to the hearts of his people so that they will not allow themselves to be intimidated by this great problem looming over them, this tremendously powerful king who is surrounding Israel and whom it seems there is no way they can defeat.

It says in verse 7, “...he spoke to their hearts and said to them, Be strong and courageous; do not fear or be afraid of the king of Assyria or of all the multitude that is with him....”

You see, that is the thing: when you know that the presence of God is with you, that should fill you with courage, bravery, and confidence to face life’s difficult situations. It says:

“...for there are more with us than with him; with him is an arm of flesh....”

Many people have only human resources, money, influence, position, and human intelligence.

“...with him is an arm of flesh, but with us is Jehovah our God, to help us and fight our battles....”

Hallelujah! “...but with us is God, our God, to help us fight our battles....”

My brother, when you find yourself in difficult situations, one of the things the crisis will try to do in your life is erase your awareness of the presence of God so that you focus on the crisis, focus on the problem and on the struggle and the difficulty, and stop trusting in the Lord, become discouraged, and falter in prayer, in serving the Lord, and in reading the Word. And you have to tell yourself, No, it is true, I am going through a problem; the situation is difficult, but God is with me, and I am going to take courage and undertake the task; I am going to keep moving forward; I am going to keep trusting.

It says that when the people heard this encouragement that Hezekiah gave them, they had confidence in the words of Hezekiah, king of Judah. And do you know what finally happened? The Bible says that, miraculously and mysteriously, an angel of the Lord walked through King Sennacherib’s camp. Several books say it—not only the book of Second Chronicles, but I believe the book of Isaiah mentions it as well. The angel of Jehovah destroyed Sennacherib’s entire army, because Sennacherib became so proud that he insulted the Lord, and I believe that was what caused God to attack him and kill him with a—It says that when Sennacherib returned to his land in shame because his army had been destroyed, two of his sons killed him while he was worshiping in the temple of his god.

Because when you mess with the children of the Lord, you are in serious trouble. When the children of the Lord are filled with the presence of God, things happen, as the little chorus says. Brothers and sisters, we must fight our battles with an awareness of the presence of the Lord. Let us not allow ourselves to be intimidated by life’s problems; let us fight with the awareness that God is with us.

Two more little things: we have seen that God is with us in our everyday tasks, when we serve the Lord, and when we have a problem. And I also believe that there are times when not only one problem comes, but something like a season of problems comes; it is like a streak of bad luck—I think that is what you call it—a streak of problems that come upon us, one of those windstorms that leaves all the locusts, those insects, covering the ground, and they seem to start devouring the land, and we do not know how to get rid of them. Almost a whole season of problems comes, and we go through weeks and months without the sun coming out.

It is like these days when the rain has been there continually, falling day after day. And that is how it is in the life of a child of God: sometimes times of scarcity come, times of difficulty. I know that for some of us these times of recession and hardship have been painful. Some of us have lost homes or have had various kinds of financial difficulties; jobs have been lost; there have been dry seasons. And during those long periods, we also seem to grow faint. In fact, the apostle Paul speaks about when the evil day comes, remember? When the time of affliction comes into our lives.

Brothers and sisters, do you know what? That is the time for you to remember that God has not left your life. He said, I am with you every day, even to the end of the world. He did not put any asterisks there—just in case, if I am in a good mood. No, he said, every day, even to the end of the world. Sometimes you cannot see the sun, but you know that the sun is there; it is simply covered by the clouds. Sometimes life will keep you from feeling and seeing the presence of God, but you have to know: No, God is there.

And when this streak of difficulty ends, I am going to be, as the apostle Paul says, standing firm, having made it through the evil day, having armored myself with the armor of God. There are times when, when the windstorm comes, what we have to do is shut the windows tightly, put a four-by-eight sheet over every window or door, and let the wind roar and the storm come; and when the sun comes out, then we open the door again, go outside, and celebrate once more.

There are times when the only thing you can do, my brother, my sister, is grit your teeth and say, God is with me, and hold on right there until the storm passes; take shelter in the basement of God’s presence. Make sure you take a good Bible with you and read it there while the wind roars around your house. Stay in there until the bad time passes. Hold on to everything God has told you, all the promises he has given you; repeat them, pray them, confess them. And when the devil grows tired of throwing stones at your house, the Lord will say, Okay, it is over now; you have to go. My servant has been faithful; now the blessing is coming. Because God blesses the children of God when they are faithful to the Lord.

When we go through difficulties, marital problems, and struggles with our children, and we pray and pray and pray, and like the widow we persistently ask the just God to grant us justice, God says, Because you have believed in me and have stood firm, I bless you now and give you much more than you lost.

It is so important, brothers and sisters, when the evil day comes, when streaks of difficulty come, to cling tooth and nail to the promises of the Lord. He says, I am with you every day, even to the end of the world.

And finally, God is also with us in our efforts to better ourselves. That is how I have put it: our efforts to better ourselves, when we want to do something not only defensively, fighting against something bad, but when we are going to undertake something good in our lives. When we are going to take on a new job that will demand more of us, or enter a course of study and do not feel comfortable because perhaps we do not have the required skill, or when we are going to open a business. This morning, a sister handed me a card for her new business, and the business is called Emmanuel, precisely. I said, Ah, that is precisely what I am going to preach about. So I could say to that sister, Look, that name—believe that God is telling you, God is with you in that business you are starting. God blesses you, and you can believe: God is with me in this business that I am going to start.

It is so important, brothers and sisters, that when we undertake new things, we know that God is with us. I will leave you with one final passage, Deuteronomy 31, verses 6 through 8, where the people of God are now ready to enter the Promised Land. A great road, a great new era of their lives, opens before them. They have spent 40 years in the wilderness; now something truly great awaits them there, something very good. It is a radical change of life for the nation, but there are also people who are going to fight against them and will try to prevent them from entering into that inheritance the Lord has given them. And look at how Moses speaks to Joshua and to the people, because they are going to undertake something great, good, noble, beautiful, full of a future and promise, and:

“...Moses called Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, Be strong and courageous, because you will enter with this people into the land that Jehovah swore to their fathers he would give them, and you will cause them to inherit it. It says here in verse 8, And Jehovah goes before you; he will be with you; he will neither leave you nor forsake you; do not fear or be intimidated....”

I like that, brothers and sisters: “...do not fear or be intimidated....” Hallelujah!

“...do not fear or be intimidated.” Tell the brother or sister beside you, Do not fear or be intimidated. Okay. Likewise, brothers and sisters, it is a double warning and a double call. Do not fear; do not even become afraid. Okay. Nor be intimidated.

In other words, brothers and sisters, in the heart of a child of God there is not even—there must not be room even for the tiniest pinch of doubt or fear. We have to undertake our endeavors. The Word says that in God everything is yes and amen. And we have to understand that this God who is with us allows us, brothers and sisters, to undertake great things in life.

I say to those who are battling an addiction or a difficulty in their lives: do not fear or be intimidated; God can give you the victory. A person who is trying to lose weight: do not fear or be intimidated; God is with you. A person who is considering a course of study: do not fear or be intimidated; God is with you. A person who is contemplating some kind of change in life: do not fear or be intimidated. Someone who is going through a difficulty at this time in life—a financial problem, whatever it may be, with work or housing—do not fear or be intimidated, because God is with you. He goes before you. Believe it in the name of the Lord this morning. Hallelujah!

Let us fill ourselves with that awareness of the presence of God. Stand up in the name of Jesus and believe. Whatever it may be, I do not know what lies before you, what land you have before you. There is a river in the middle, a Jordan River preventing you from entering that Promised Land. The devil often throws things into our path so that we will not enter into everything God has, and God is telling you, Look, do not be frightened by that swollen river before you, because I have the power to open that river so that you can cross on dry ground. Those shoes you bought are not going to get wet. I am going to make sure that a drop of water falls on them; you are going to cross on dry ground to enter into the blessing I have for you. Believe it in the name of Jesus this morning.

Fill yourself with a sense of the presence of the God who is with you. God is with me. If God is with us, who can be against us? says the Word of the Lord. Hallelujah! Oh people of God, believe that God is with you. The mere fact that you are a child of God through Christ Jesus already guarantees you the Lord’s companionship. You may have your difficulties; there may be inconsistencies in your life, but look, I want to tell you that as long as you hold on to Christ Jesus, the Lord will neither leave you nor forsake you.

If it were a matter of perfection, I believe that none of us could aspire to the presence of God. This is about the faithfulness of the Lord, not our faithfulness. Everything depends on our believing in the Christ who has called us and who has told us, I am with you every day, even to the end of the world.

When you go out through that door, you are going out to battle the giants; you are going back to your everyday situation. Say within yourself, The Lord is with me every day. God is with me. When I arrive at my business, my office, my home, the restaurant dining room, the place where dishes are washed, or wherever it may be, say, The Lord enters this place with me; the presence of God enters this place, because I am a son of God, a daughter of God, and the presence of the Lord goes with me.

Child of God, be filled with that assurance this morning; cultivate it right there in your spirit. Say, “Lord, thank you because you are with me. I receive the touch of your presence this morning. I receive renewed strength even though I have difficulties, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death; I will fear no evil, for you will be with me. Hallelujah! You will be with me; holy is the name of the Lord. Thank you, Jesus. We worship you.”

God is with you. Have no fear; you must dare to undertake great things in the name of the Lord. You must dare to look to the future with great hope and great confidence because the Lord has said, “I am with you every day until the end of time. I will be with you in the fire. I will be with you in the storm. I will be with you when the waters threaten to overwhelm you. I will be with you in the midst of difficulty, when the enemy comes against you like an irresistible wall.” The Lord says, “I am with you,” and the fact that the Lord is with you means that nothing can stand against you, nothing can prevail against you—not even yourself, not even the difficulties in your life, not even the inconsistencies in your life, not even the defects in your character can stand between you and the blessing of the Lord. Now, you must hold on to Jesus Christ. You must be faithful to him. You must seek him. You must make sure that you are aware of the fact that he is your Lord, he is your Savior, and you must confront every situation with the certainty that God is with you and that he walks with you every day of the week, in every situation of your life. Cultivate that sense of the presence of the Lord and walk in that confidence; walk in that vitality that comes from knowing that the Lord of the universe is with you. And so, I bless you in the name of Jesus Christ this morning.

I bless you in the name of Jesus. Confess that Christ is with you this morning; confess it: “Thank you, Lord. Thank you because you are with me. Thank you because you go with me. Thank you because your presence follows me. Hallelujah!” Father, I bless these people, and I ask you to fill them with a sense of your presence. Praised be the name of Jesus. Glory to the name of Jesus. Thank you, Lord. We bless you. Praise the name of the Lord. Before you leave here, cultivate the presence of God; go with your battery charged with the presence of the Lord. We love you, Father; we bless you, Lord. Thank you, Jesus Christ. Thank you, thank you, Lord. We worship you; we bless you. Praised be the name of Jesus. Amen.