The "I Am" God

By Tony V. Hammack

Abundant Life Today Media
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God’s Nature, Our Needs

Thesis: Traditionally the church has been great at teaching people about the God of the Bible. This includes the great things God’s done in the past as well as the things he’s going to do when he comes again. Where the modern church has come up short is in demonstrating the “I Am” nature of God. He’s the God of the urgent, He’s available to be the God of right now.

 

Names = the character and nature of a person.

Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh, I will be what I will be

 

Exodus 3:13, 14

13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

 

God exists by himself for himself, and is the uncreated Creator who is independent of any concept, force, or entity; therefore "I am who I am"

 

Jesus claiming the “I Am” name for himself.

 

Leviticus 24:16

16 anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them. Whether foreigner or native-born, when they blaspheme the Name they are to be put to death.

 

John 10:30-33

30 I and the Father are one.” 31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” 33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

 

John 8:57-59

57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” 58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

 

Now the reader of this passage, without having any understanding of Exodus 3 or Leviticus 24:16, may not understand that Jesus is making himself out to be equal with God and specifically have the name and nature of God found in Exodus 3, the “I Am”, but in light of these two verses we see very clearly that the first century Jewish listeners clearly interpreted what he was saying as blasphemy which is why they took up stones to stone him, Jesus “a mere man, claiming to be God.” (John 10:33)

 

Psalm 46:1

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

 

Malachi 3:6a

6 “I the Lord do not change.

 

Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

 

James 1:17

17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

 

Don’t let anyone ever tell you that God can’t use you or someone else to do something that’s clearly laid out in scripture. Men build doctrines to accommodate their lack of faith and destroy the faith of those that would listen in agreement to their erroneous ideas. God can meet your need and begin moving in your situation right now.

 

Strong's Greek #: 4982. σώζω (sózó)

 

No matter what your need?

• Spiritual Salvation
• Physical Healing
• Deliverance from Sinful Habits
• Deliverance from Unclean Spirits
• Widsom/Knowledge
• Financial Increase
• Spiritual Growth and Maturity
• Spiritual Salvation

Acts 16:31
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

I believe each person has to have a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus to be saved but I also believe that me coming to saving faith in Christ creates an impact on my entire family. I believe I can quote this scripture and believe in faith that my family will come to know Christ if they currently are not saved.

John 6:44
 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.

Luke 10:2
2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

Physical Healing

Matthew 12:15
Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill.

Mark 6:5
5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. Deliverance from sinful habits

Galatians 5:16-18
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

The same faith that saves you is the same faith that sanctifies you. Keep looking at Christ and his atoning sacrifice on the cross for grace to give power to overcome sin.

Deliverance from unclean spirits

Acts 10:38
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

Wisdom/Knowledge

Maybe you need to know what to do in a certain situation.

1 Corinthians 2:10
10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

Financial Increase

Deuteronomy 8:18
18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

Spiritual Growth and Maturity

Philippians 1:6
6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

James 1:4
4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Galatians 4:19
19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,

Ephesians 4:13
until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Jesus is the, I Am God and can meet your need! No matter what your need!

• Spiritual Salvation
• Physical Healing
• Deliverance from Sinful Habits
• Deliverance from Unclean Spirits
• Widsom/Knowledge
• Financial Increase
• Spiritual Growth and Maturity

   

Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) and Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) If you can't be with us in person please visit via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KBAP 88.1 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.

Jubilee Family Church45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501 (870) 793-9124
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For God So Loved the World that He Gave

After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church's pastor slowly stood up and walked over to the pulpit.  Before he gave his sermon for the evening, he briefly introduced a guest minister who was in the service.

In the introduction the pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends. He wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service.


With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak.


"A father, his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the Pacific coast," he began.  "When a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to the shore.  The waves were so high; even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright.  The three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized."

The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story.  The aged minister continued with his story. "Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life, which boy would he throw the other end of the life line?  He only had seconds to make the decision.  The father knew that his son was a Christian, and he also knew that his son's friend was not.  The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of the waves."


"As the father yelled out, 'I love you son!' He threw out the life line to his son's friend.  By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of night.  His body was never recovered."

By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old minister's mouth.

"The father," he continued, "knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus, and he could not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus.  Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the son's friend."


"How great is the love of God that He should do the same for us.  Our Heavenly Father sacrificed His only begotten Son so that we could be saved.  I urge you to accept his offer to rescue you and take a hold of the life line he is throwing out to you in this service."  With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room.

The pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon with an invitation at the end.  However, no one responded to the appeal.

Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man's side.  "That was a nice story," politely stated one of them, "but I don't think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian."


"Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied, glancing down at his worn Bible.  A big smile broadened his narrow face.  He once again looked up at the boys and said, "It sure isn't very realistic is it?  I'm standing here today to tell you that story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up His Son for me."

"You see, I was that father and your pastor is my son's friend."

If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here.

Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:00 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.

Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124


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by Tony V. Hammack

The Four Truths about Salvation

If, you'd like to listen to this article please CLICK HERE!
Just as there are physical laws that govern the physicial universe, so are there spiritual laws which govern your relationship with God.
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God LOVES you, and offers you an abundant life.




God's Love
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life". (John 3:16)
God's Plan
Jesus said, "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly" (that it might be full and meaningful) (John 10:10)

Why do so many people live lives that would not be considered abundant? It is because...

...MAN IS SINFUL and SEPARATED from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his life.




Man is Sinful
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". (Romans 3:23)

Man was created to have a loving relationship with God; but, because of his stubborn self-will, he chose to go his own way and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is evidence of what the Bible calls sin.

Man is Separated
"For the [result] of sin is death" -- spiritual separation from God (Romans 6:23)

The image below illustrates that God is holy and man is sinful. A huge gap separates the two. The arrows show that man is continually trying to reach God and the abundant life through his own efforts such as living a good life, following specific philosophies or religions, etc.


The third law explains the only way to bridge this gap......

Jesus Christ is God's ONLY provision for Man's sin. Through Him you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life.





He Died in Our Place
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
He Rose from the Dead
"Christ died for our sins....He was buried....He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures....He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that, He appeared to more than five hundred...." (1 Corinthians 15:3-6)
He is the Only Way to God
"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me." (John 14:6)

The image below illustrates that God has bridged the gap which separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.

It is not enough just to know these three laws. The Fourth Law is essential.....

We must individually RECEIVE Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives.




We Must Receive Christ
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12)
We Receive Jesus Christ Through Faith
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
When we receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth
"I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Do not be surprised when I say you must be born again. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit." (John 3:1-8)
We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation
Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him." (Revelation 3:20)

Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us the kind of people He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of will.

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You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer

Prayer is talking with God
God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:

Lord Jesus,
I need you. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my personal Savior and Lord. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart?
If it does, pray this prayer right now and Christ will come into your life, just as He promised.

If you prayed this prayer for the first time or the first time in a long time I'd like to hear from you. Please e-mail me and let me know you prayed so we can help you in your new walk with Christ.

Jubilee Family Church