The Great I Am

The divine One who is the Heart and Soul of the Bible is the Great “I Am.” And behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed. Daniel 7:13-14 NKJV  By Him all things were created, visible and the invisible. Through Him the universe is held together, and He is before all things. He is the head of the body, the church, the firstborn from the dead. He is the Alfa and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

The preincarnate Christ appeared to Moses in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. The bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.  God called Moses from the midst of the bush, and as Moses came closer God instructed him to remove his sandals because he was on holy ground. I am the God of your fathers, and I have seen the oppression of My people in Egypt, and have seen their sorrows, heard their cry. I want you to lead them into a land of milk and honey. “I will send you to the Pharaoh so you may bring My people out of Egypt. I will certainly be with you.” Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” Exodus 3:13-14 NKJV

In John we read that God is tender and compassionate never wanting any to perish that all should turn to Him in repentance. But He has another side that few want to talk about. He is a consuming fire, and the Great “I Am.”  He will render to every person what is due to them. He declares, “Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.” Deuteronomy 32:39 NKJV  In Isaiah we read,  “I, even I, am the Lord, And besides Me there is no savior. I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, Says the Lord, “that I am God. Indeed before the day was, I am He; And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?” Isaiah 43:11-13 NKJV Jesus Christ was, and is, and will be forever .  In the gospel of John the term, “I Am” is used seven times.

  “I Am the Bread of Life” –  “He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst…  I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”  John 6:35,51 NKJV   Jesus Christ gave His life so that we could find freedom from the slavery of sin and to have life more abundantly. He came into the world to sacrifice His flesh so that the sin debt would be paid. He laid down His life to taste death for everyone.  He left the bosom of the Father, and took on a body of humiliation, so those of us who believe His Word will not taste spiritual death, but have everlasting life.

“I Am the Light of the World” – “He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.“  John 8:12,32,36 NKJV  I walked in darkness for many years. My friends, my relations, and my habits were all blinded by the darkness of this world. My perception of this life was darkened by the power of Satan.  When I surrendered my life to Christ through daily Bible study and pray, (DBS&P) it was like thick dark, glasses were removed from my eyes, and I could see more clearly. As I grew in Christ I began to realize that the people I knew were not how they had appeared before. I became spiritually enlightened, and I rethought all of my relationships so they would be aligned to the Way of Christ.

“I Am the Door” –  If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved… The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:9-10 NKJV   There are many religions in this world, and many ways which one may fall prey to falsehood, but there is only one doorway in which to enter into the kingdom of heaven. The rest are thieves and robbers who take from you and profit for themselves. I ask you, what did Christ profit by allowing Himself to be crucified on the cross? Nothing! But we gained everything.  We are lost, poor, miserable sinners who through the love of God, have gained eternity. Please read, “I have Opened the Door.”

  “I Am the Good Shepard” – “The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep, I know My sheep, and am known by My own… As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.  No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” John 10:14,15-17 NKJV  Jesus Christ came into this world to save that which was lost. He came to save those of us who are lost to sin. It doesn’t matter who you are, what color you are, or what background you may have. He will save all those who call upon His name. Come just as you are. You don’t need anything but faith that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

  “I Am the Resurrection and the Life” – He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”  John 11:25-26 NKJV There is no resurrection and eternal life apart from believing what God tells us in His Word. He does more than give life to those of us who believe. He is life, and through our faith we share the victory with Him over death.  Death is swallowed up, and as we are now mortal, we will soon experience immortality through Christ. The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:56-57 NKJV

I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life – No one comes to the Father except through Me… The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.  John 14:6,10,1-3 NKJV Salvation can only be found through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through daily Bible study and prayer (DBS&P).  There is no other name under heaven given to us by which we must be saved. No other belief or religion will ever get you through to God. Listen to your heart, and you will know what the Bible says is true. He is the only way to eternal life and the escape from the madness on this earth. Please read “The Way.”

“I Am the True Vine” –  My Father is the vine dresser.  Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.  Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. John 15:1-4 NKJV  When we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God we are grafted into God’s family just as a farmer grafts one type of branch into another type of vine. This is done in farming because the vine produces a large stem and root system while the branch of a different variety produces more fruit. The goal of every Christian is to produce fruit. It is our service to God to share the gospel of Christ. We can do that in many ways which we won’t go into here.  The main point of reference is faith without works is dead, or in other words, a Christian who doesn’t produce service to God will eventually will be removed from the vine.  Daily Bible study and prayer is the fertilizer that makes your branch grow.

My dear friend, with all that Christ has done for you, do you not have thirty minutes a day you can spare to have fellowship with Him (DBS&P), Someone that gave up His life for you so that you can be reunited with God. It all starts by believing, because believing is receiving the truth that the Word of God declares. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” Acts 16:31 NKJV Everything else will follow when you spend time with God (DBS&P).  In times past He has heard you and helped you. That is why you are here. He has pleaded with you to come unto Him and receive the rest He provides to everyone who believes. Behold, now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2 NKJV

Will you pray with me?

Dear heavenly Father, I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ, died for me. I believe I am a sinner and am in need of a Savior. Please come into my heart and graft me into your family. Please forgive me my sins and lead me into a personal relationship with You through daily Bible study and prayer. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray, Amen.

 

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