The Return of “I AM”

Moses is in the wilderness before the burning bush, which is a type of the cross of Jesus.

13 Moses said to God, “I am going to the children of Israel and will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ When 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, “You will say this to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

15 God, moreover, said to Moses, “Thus you will say to the children of Israel, ‘The Lord, the 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.’” (Exodus 3:13-15)

God is speaking here, stating that He is I AM.

Jesus is the Word. He spoke in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. “In the beginning was the Word…” (John 1:1) He said, “I am Who I am.”

God is the Existing One, the One Who is, has been and always will be. There is no other.

He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

As the Son spoke and said “I AM” in Exodus, He also said “I AM” in the New Testament.

Jesus took the “I AM” of the Old Testament, God’s personal name, and expounded upon it—giving it deeper meaning. He did so to demonstrate God’s love. In the Old Testament God said to Moses, “I am the Lord, 3 and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by My name, The Lord, I was not known to them.“ (Exodus 6:2-3)

Jesus came to make God fully known. He said:

“I am the resurrection and the life,” (John 11:25) and many other “I AM” statements.

Jesus wants to be known.

John 10 records Jesus speaking to Jews who had taken up stones again to stone Him at the temple. “Do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I am not doing the works of My Father, do not believe Me. 38 But if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” 39 Again they tried to seize Him, but He escaped from their hands.” (John 10:36-39)

Jesus spoke, “I AM.” When Jesus spoke, He could not be touched. He simply walked away.

“I am” in the Old Testament Hebrew is known in English as “Yahweh.”

The name Jesus actually means, “Yahweh is salvation.” In other words, the name Jesus means, “I am salvation.”

Jesus and the Father are One. They are God. God is the power and source of all things necessary for life. Yahweh or “I am” as God’s name explains His presence and closeness to His people—His love and mercy, especially that in sending His Son.

Jesus was approached in a garden by Judas Iscariot, Roman soldiers and temple officers—a force of men with weapons for the purpose of arresting Him.

“Jesus therefore, knowing everything that would happen to Him, went forward and said to them, ‘Whom do you seek?’

They answered Him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’

Jesus said to them, ‘I am He.’ And Judas, who betrayed Him, was standing with them.” (John 18:4-5)

Those men numbered about 500 persons.

When Jesus said, “I AM,” the power of God emanated from Him, causing men to fall to the ground.

The “He” of “I AM He” is not written in the Scripture, except in the English. The Greek of the New Testament is simply, “I AM.”

The horde of men come to arrest Jesus could not take Him. He laid down His life and went with them.

Jesus was in control, even of His own death. Jesus died, rose again and hundreds witnessed Him. This is a living, provable faith to which hundreds and thousands have testified. It is not a blind faith, but is true.

Jesus, who is alive, is yet in control. He has said that He will return. When He comes, He will have a sword in His mouth. Revelation 19:15 states, “Out of His mouth proceeds a sharp sword, with which He may strike the nations. ‘He shall rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury and wrath of God the Almighty.”

The Sword is the sword of the Spirit—the Word of God. These two go together—the Word and the Holy Spirit. Jesus works with the Holy Spirit. When He returns, He will strike down the nations by speaking, just as He did when the 500 came to arrest Him.

For those who love the Lord, His mercies endure forever. But He is also a just God. There will come a day when God the Father will have had enough of the disobedience of men. Then He will turn to His Son and instruct Him to return.

As there were signs of the cross to come in the Old Testament, as there was the sign of the cross in the New Testament, so will Jesus –I AM--return with the sign of the cross—there will be blood upon His robe—there will be holes in His hands, feet and side—and there will be fire in His eyes.

God is the same, yesterday, today and forever.

(C) Kelly Jadon, 2023

Waiting on The Lord: Why It's Important

Have you ever had to sit and wait for The Lord to give you direction? An old friend of mine called it being “put on the shelf.” Waiting isn’t easy. I’m sort of in that place right now. It feels like being a kid again and waiting for Christmas to come.

Abraham was given a promise from God of an heir, a son. But His wife, Sarah, couldn’t wait. It had been 10 years already after all. So she decided to take matters into her own hands by giving her servant, Hagar, to Abraham to bring about fulfillment of God’s promise.

Sarah hurt Hagar, who was not in any position to resist. Abraham complied, neither did he resist. He should have prayed to God and asked Him. Sarah also hurt herself emotionally. She later despised Hagar after Ishmael was born.

But God kept His promise and the child Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah after 25 years.

Many of today’s Middle East conflicts are the result of animosity between Ishmael (Arabs) and Isaac (Jews), both sons dearly loved by Abraham. (Genesis 16: 21, 25)

Psalm 27:14 - "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

2 Peter 3:9 - "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

God’s will was important. Isaac and his ancestral line belong to Lord Jesus. (Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38)

Lord Jesus also had to wait until God gave Him the direction to finish His earthly ministry. (John 7:8)

Paul had to spend time in the Arabian desert before he began his ministry. (Galatians 1:15-18)

The disciples spent three years following Lord Jesus prior to working as ministers.

It is still important for God’s servants to wait until Lord Jesus gives His orders today.

One year, when I was about six years old, I got up early early early Christmas morning, before anyone else stirred. Curious and excited, I unwrapped all of my presents. Then, still curious and excited, I unwrapped all of my baby sister’s gifts too. I couldn’t wait.

Experience and the Word of God teach us to wait, wait on the Lord.

What does God have you waiting for?

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GATHERED TOGETHER: GOD'S HAND MOVES

(C) 2020 Kelly Jadon

Gathered Together: God's Hand Moves

During the last few months I’ve been going to church, to a church that never closed. I go because I need to be in the house of God and worship. I go because there I experience the presence of Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus. I go because God commands us to come together for prayer and worship. (Hebrews 10:25)

The Church body meeting together, no matter where it happens is important.

The Word says that where two or more are gathered, Lord Jesus is present. (Matthew 18:20)

Together we have a spiritual unity, that is spiritual power and it moves God’s hand. (1Corinthians 5:4)

In Acts 12:1-19, Peter has been placed in prison by King Herod, who was rounding up church members and mistreating them. He did this to please the enemies of the church. At that time the church’s adversaries were the Jews, unbelievers in Jesus.

Four squads of soldiers guarded Peter.

But prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God. The church knew the ways of Herod. He had just put James the brother of John to death with a sword. They did not wish to lose a second apostle.

God’s hand moved.

That night Peter slept between two soldiers, bound with two chains and two more guarded the front door of the prison. An angel of the Lord appeared and light shone in the cell. He struck Peter’s side to wake him. He gave directions to Peter and led the way out. Peter thought it was all a vision. They passed the guards, but no one saw them. The iron gate to the prison opened by itself, and they exited onto a street. Then the angel left.

Peter continued to the house of Mary, the mother of Mark, where many were gathered and praying.

Herod conducted a search for Peter, but never located him. The guards Peter left behind were ordered to be led away to execution. Herod’s way once again.

Beneath Saint Gabriel’s Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, Israel, are caves where the the public does not enter. My father-in-law, a local, knew about them and took me to the backyard area of the church. There priests were working outside. One took us on a subterranean tour. Below, I saw a small carved altar in the rock, behind the cobwebs, where the first believers met during times of persecution.

This is a way of the true church—never forsaking the gathering together.

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THE OUTER DARKNESS: FOR JEWS WHO WILL NOT BELIEVE

(C) 2020 Kelly Jadon

God's Way: Encouragement

Last night I attended church. The focus was on encouragement. During the course of my life I have attended many churches of various denominations. All preached Christ. But the specific body I’m in now spends a great deal of time encouraging their people—from the pulpit. Then they ask us to go and encourage each other.

In this season of change in the United States we are quickly becoming a discouraged people, wondering what the future holds for us and our children. These are unprecedented times in our country, even for believers.

Lord Jesus was invited into the house of Mary and Martha. There He sat and taught while Martha prepared food. Without assistance from her sister, Mary, who was sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to Him, Martha became flustered and asked The Lord to tell Mary to help her. But Lord Jesus looked at the situation from a higher way, God’s ways, and answered her: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)

The key lesson, keep my eyes upon Lord Jesus. He is all I truly need.

Social media has become a major source of discouragement to me. I used to enjoy sharing pictures and staying in touch with friends and relatives through Facebook, but no more. I even deleted the app from my phone.

I’ve cut back on the news to a half an hour in the evening, just to hear a recap of the day’s events.

These things aren’t saying anything good. They depress the psyche of a nation already going through a stressful situation.

The Lord wants to encourage us. He has given us a hope and a future. He gives us peace in a major storm. which He has allowed for a good reason. Ask Him to encourage you and He will. Then go out and encourage others.

Are your eyes on Lord Jesus or on a flat screen?

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GOD'S WAY: DEATH BRINGS LIFE

(C) 2020 Kelly Jadon

God's Way: Death Brings Life

During my high school senior trip my class visited New York City. 1982. Part of the visit included a ride up to the top of the World Trade Center and a view of all New York and the surrounding Atlantic Ocean. The sight was astounding, yet terrifying. At that height buildings tend to shake a little when the wind moves. I remember being too frightened to go too close to the edge of the observation area. Heights are not my thing. I still have the ticket from that event, taped within a scrapbook, all that’s left of the memory and the now destroyed buildings.

God tells us, “'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

God’s ways are so high we cannot observe them, understand them, comprehend them, nor know them without His wisdom. (James 1:5)

What are God’s ways?

Death brings about life is one of His ways.

Lord Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24)

When Lord Jesus is as the grain of wheat that died and was in a tomb, the earth. Then He rose again, to eternal life. He made the way for many (much fruit) who believe in Him to have eternal life. (John 3:16)

“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep (dead).” (1Corinthians 15:20)

Being men, the disciples, hadn’t wanted this. They hadn’t understood eternal life, nor the death and resurrection of their Lord. After all, it had never happened before. Many of His followers wanted to proclaim Him king and thought that Lord Jesus would liberate them from the Roman occupation. (John 6:15)

But Lord Jesus didn’t do that, because it wasn’t God’s plan. God’s plan was bigger and more encompassing than that, providing eternal life and forgiveness through Lord Jesus to all who believed.

Sometimes people who are close to us also die. They die young, old, in accidents, of disease. We will all die. But we don’t want that. It is frightening to many.

God’s plan is bigger than what we want. He wants everyone He can get in Heaven. Why? He loves us.

Heaven is where eternal life is. Living on Earth is just temporary and preparatory.

Lord Jesus resides in the Kingdom of Heaven. He sits beside God the Father within the Holy of Holies. The saints, those who have died in Christ, knowing Him, are there with Him within the City of God. (Revelation 21, 22:1-5)

As Lord Jesus’ death brought about eternal life, so will believers’ deaths bring about their eternal lives.

Though we mourn for the missing relationship we had with someone who died, God understands. He sent His own Son, Jesus, to the cross, to die.

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COMMUNITY: A WAY OF JESUS

(C) 2020 Kelly Jadon