Something about the name "I AM"!

Have you ever set back and thought about God saying He is the "I AM"? Check it out here:


Exodus 3:13-15

13 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?”

14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’



John 8:58
Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

'I am' and light: John 8:12; 11:25; 14:6; 6:35; 10:9-11,15
'I am' and belief: John 6:35; 8:24; 11:25; 13:19
'I am' and knowledge: John 8:28; 10:14; 14:6,7
'I am' and witness: John 8:12-13, 8:18
'I am' and truth: John 4:24, 26; 8:17-18; 14:6
'I am' and origin/destiny: John 6:40, 5 1; 7:34; 8:23-24
'I am' and time: past and future: John 8:58; 13:19; 7:34
'I am' and the Father: John 8:18; 8:28; 10:14; 14:6; 15:1
'I am' and Titles: John 4:26; 8:28
'I am' and Authority: John 6:20; 8:28; 18:5-6

There is much to the title "I AM". The main point is deity. God! All powerful, all knowing, and everywhere at one time! WOW! Just sit back and think...if you are in Christ, a believer, a follower of Him, you are in the hands of the "I AM"! It don't get any better than that!



Tom

Have you put on love this morning?

Here we are another Monday! Whooo hoooo! Been a great Monday for me so far. Got to go hunting with my son this morning. Now sitting at work in the office writing this devotion. Some of you may have not started off as well. Boss yelling, wife or husband mad, children dragging their feet for school, somebody pulled out in front of you and the list can go on and on!!! But guess what? we still need to show the love of Christ. Look at this verse:


Colossians 3:14

14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.



Putting on love is a choice we have everyday! We can do it or we can put on the grumpy, grouchy, dislike face! But to be the Christians we claim to be the Word says put on love! So how about it? Where you at today? When we love our day will be much better because we will make others day better.



Did you notice in the verse "above all these things"? What else are we to put on? Here is the list and you can find it in verses 12-13.



1. compassionate hearts

2. kindness

3. humility

4. meekness

5. patience

6. bearing one another

7. forgiving each other



Whew! I can put on these other traits only if I have love put on first. So let me ask...have you put on all these traits today? Tough isn't it? It can be done in the strength of Christ!



So put on some Love today and share it! It will make your day much better!



Tom

Are you doing greater things than Jesus?

Your first response to this question may be....ha ha are you crazy? How can I do greater things than Jesus? Don't say that so quickly...read this:


John 14:12

12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.



Remember these are the Words of Jesus. So how in the world can we do greater works than Jesus? It seems like an impossible thing to do. When Jesus died, resurrected, and then went back to heaven He promised to send us a helper. The Holy Spirit. This is the first key. When Jesus was on the earth he could only be at one place at a time but when He sent the Holy Spirit back we are now indwelt with the Spirit at all times as a believer in Jesus. With the Holy Spirit in us we are able to follow His promptings 24/7/365!!!



The second key is Jesus ministry only lasted 3 years. If we are blessed to live a long time physically as well as in Christ, we have a much longer time to work for the kingdom of God. Thus we should have many works done for the kingdom.



The third key is Jesus had a limited range of ministry as he walked everywhere he went. With our modes of transportation, with internet, and with phones, we have a much larger area we can impact. Basically around the world if we want to.



So when you add these three things up we can have a greater ministry than Jesus, but of course all glory and honor goes to Him!



So what are you waiting for? Get busy! Souls are at stake!



Tom

Do you love Jesus?

Jesus tells us in these verses there is proof of your love for Him:


John 14:15-24

15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”

23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.



So what is the proof you love Jesus? Keeping Jesus's commandments. He also says it another way in verse 23, Keep My Word! So here is the question for each of us....are we obeying the Word? It is not a partial keeping either. We are to obey all of the Bible. We do not have the option of picking and choosing like so many so called followers want to do.



Here is the flip side in verse 24, if you do not love Jesus, you do not keep His Words! Can't be put any plainer. Again here is another reason why we need to know our bibles! Hard to keep Jesus's Words if you don't know what they are!



So do you love Jesus? The proof is on the keeping of His Words!



Tom

A return to God.

Under the leadership of King Hezekiah, Israel had a return to God which was much needed. Look at how the people took part here:



2 Chronicles 31:1



The Reforms of Hezekiah

31 Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke the sacred pillars in pieces, cut down the wooden images, and threw down the high places and the altars—from all Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh—until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned to their own cities, every man to his possession.



This makes me think of what it would take for our nation to return to God. The reforms that need to take place. It would be a major under taking. Just think of all the sinful things according to God's Word that would need to be removed by the faithful! Billboards, music, movies, television shows, websites, clothing stores, and even people!!! The list would be huge! Folks it could happen. If we would have revival in this land it still could turn back to God but it has to start with me and you! Our homes must be in order! It is so easy to point at others but remember when we do that we have 3 fingers pointing back at ourselves!



Pray with me for a return to God. Our leaders of this country are not going to bring us back to God, so we must do it on our own! Thank God for leaders like Hezekiah! May we be a leader like him.



Tom

Sermon-I pledge allegiance to the Lamb

Watch this before sermon, then skip song in sermon!

Wait for God in marriage!!

I just Got back from marrying my cousin Sara in Michigan. Sara along with her new husband Eric have waited for a long time for each (in their mid 30's) other but most importantly for God to show them who to marry. In today's society, we tend to think get married to who ever we think we want to and then if it don't work get a divorce and try again. Folks this is not so and we need to learn this is not pleasing to God! Look at this verse:



Mark 10:6-9

6 But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ 7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh’;  so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”



Can it be any more plain than that? First, we see male and female to be joined together. Not man and man or women and women. Do what God says not what man thinks is right! Second, we see they become one flesh. They are now united after marriage. Treat each other with love and respect as you would yourself because in marriage you become ONE! Third, we see the command from God....Don't separate what God had joined together! This is why it is so important to wait on God for the one he has for you! When we get ahead of God, things are not what they should be and hard times lie ahead!



Wait for God to lead you in marriage, it will be worth the wait!



It was such a pleasure to perform Eric and Sara's wedding as they have put God first in their lives. They even asked for me to present the gospel during the ceremony! Praise God! May God bless them and use them for His glory!



Tom