The mystery and the miracle of the birth of Christ was the fulfillment of the promise that God would be with his people.

The very name Emmanuel means God with us, and Jesus Christ is our Emmanuel. In this study, Scott Pauley reminds us of our

ever-present Savior, God with us. When someone you love comes to visit, we normally say something like this, make yourself at home.

And then at some point, very often, we say to those same people, just stay a while.

Just stay a while.

May I say to you that no matter where you are today, if you're in the presence of God, you can make yourself at home.

You can be at home in strange places. You can be at home in

difficult circumstances. And if you don't believe me, ask the Apostle Paul. Because in Acts chapter

number 18, he is in Corinth facing opposition in a dark season. And yet he finds rest. He finds

a home in the presence of God. Acts 18, verse 10, the Lord says to him,

I am with thee. And the fascinating thing was, Paul stayed a while. In fact, Corinth is known as the

place where Paul ministered for a longer period than any other city where he visited.

Let me read Acts 18, 9 and 10 again, and this time let me add the next verse, verse 11.

We read Acts 18 and verse 9, then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by vision,

be not afraid, but speak and hold not by peace,

for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee,

for I have much people in this city, and listen now to verse thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee, for I have much people in

this city, and listen now to verse 11, and he continued there a year and six months, teaching the

word of God among them. Was Corinth a carnal, worldly wicked place? Was it full of idolatry and

immorality? Yes, yes, and yes.

And yet there, Paul found a rest, a home in the presence of the Lord and was able to press

on in the words of Acts 18, verse 11, to continue. That's what I'm praying for you today,

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