The I Am’s of John
“BREAD”

Freedom Fighter blogger, Chris Hughes is sharing a 7 part series starting today:

“So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own authority, but speak just as the Father taught Me. And He who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” John 8:28-29 (ESV)

“Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh” This may not be the absolute correct of saying it in Hebrew but in the book of Exodus God says this to Moses. “I AM WHO I AM.” Fast forward down that Deuteronomical road I like to take and we arrive at the Gospel of John. This Gospel is the only Gospel that recorded the “Great I Am’s” of Jesus. There are seven that are attached to a metaphor. There are eight places where Jesus simply states “Ego Eimi” (I AM). None the matter to what language He used, anytime He declared “I AM” the Pharisees gathered their stones together and sought to kill Him. After all He was basically saying “I AM JEHOVAH” and that was just a no-no in those days.

Over my next few Freedom Fighters I would like to cover those moments where Jesus says “I AM”. I’ll cover the seven metaphorical ones before I get to the eight times where Jesus refers to He being “I AM” as we would read in Exodus 3:14. Not only do I think it would be cool to take a look at them but since Elohim revealed them to me the way He did, it would be fitting to share them with all of you in obedience to Him. AMEN? So without further ado….

The first occurrence is in John 6:35 where Jesus declares “I am the bread of life.”  Just to re-cap the story leading to one of the hardest public discourses in the life of Jesus we have Jesus feeding 5,000 men (not counting the wives and children traveling with them), then we have Jesus walking on the water. Both of these events are tests of faith for the disciples of Jesus but what happens starting in John 6:22 is awesome. People are seeking Jesus out…probably for more of bread to eat than the “manna” that Jesus represents.

Now the manna (What’s this?) that was given to the Nation of Israel was given only to Israel, was great to sustain physical life, was temporary and was a gift of God through the mediation of Moses. By Jesus acknowledging that He IS THE bread of life we need to keep in mind that His bread is given to the whole world, is great to sustain spiritual life forever, is given to us continuously and is a gift of God given directly by God. And where manna only had one flavor, Jesus comes as the bread of everlasting life, the bread of satisfying life, the bread of resurrected life and the bread of indwelling life.

Gotta love that variety when you are coming outta the wilderness of a darken life, huh? The cool thing to note here is that whether these people knew it or they would, by seeking out Jesus the day after he feed all those five thousand men, represent an object lesson to what it looks like when the Father draws us to Christ. And of course with our freewill we can choose to trust Christ as Lord and Savior and enjoy the steps we’ll take to get to be raised up with Him or we can choose not to and continue to walk around stumbling over breadcrumbs. Perhaps it would be better to follow the breadcrumb trail that has been left behind by those who are already following Him? – Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a regular blogger on Freedom Fighter 

Team YOU: Isaiah 1-2; Proverbs 17; 2 Corinthians 10

Motivations: “Christ is enough. To have Him and nothing else is to be rich beyond conceiving. To have all else and have not Christ is to be a cosmic pauper, cut off forever from all that will matter at last.”—A.W. Tozer

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 4:8; Level 2: Philippians 4:25-23

Powered Up:  See that you do not use the trick of prayer to cover up what you know you need to do. Oswald Chambers

Three Things

“There are three things that will endure – faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT

Here is some food for thought for you to chew on as we bring this week of blogs to a close:

Three things in life that, once gone, never come back:
1. Time
2. Words
3. Opportunity

Three things in life that can destroy a person:
1. Anger
2. Pride
3. Unforgiveness

Three things in life that you should never lose:
1. Hope
2. Peace
3. Honesty

Three things in life that are most valuable:
1. Love
2. Family and friends
3. Kindness

Three things in life that are never certain:
1. Fortune
2. Success
3. Dreams

Three things that make a person:
1. Commitment
2. Sincerity
3. Hard work

Three persons who are truly constant:
1. God the Father
2. God the Son
3. God the Holy Spirit

Thanks for joining me on the journey! I love and appreciate you, brothers. – Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick

 

Team YOU: Song of Solomon 3-4; Proverbs 14; 2 Corinthians 7

Motivations: “When Jesus started to cry out [on the cross], he didn’t say, ‘My friends, my friends’ ‘My head, my head!’ ‘My hands, my hands!’ He said, ‘My God, my God.’ On the cross, Jesus was forsaken by God.  He said, ‘My God’. That’s the language of intimacy… Jesus the Maker of the world was being unmade. Why? Jesus was experiencing our judgment day. ‘My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?’ It wasn’t a rhetorical question. And the answer is: For you, for me, for us. Jesus was forsaken by God the Father so that we would never have to be. The judgment that should have fallen on us fell instead on Jesus.” (Dr. Tim Keller, King’s Cross).

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 4:6-7; Level 2: Philippians 4:8-14

Powered Up:  The illustrations of prayer our Lord Jesus uses are on the line of importunity, a steady, persistent, uninterrupted habit of prayer. – Oswald Chambers

TAPPED ON THE SHOULDER

“Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.’” (Jeremiah 1:4-5)

            Not often enough can I say, “The word of the Lord came to me.” Yet, that is what Jeremiah remembers. The truth is, that word comes to all who are in a relationship with God. He still speaks to His own people: through the scriptures, through circumstances, through other believers.

When the word came to Jeremiah, it was a very specific word.  God told Jeremiah that he was not an afterthought. Before Jeremiah was even born, God knew him and had a plan for him. God set him apart. One could say that Jeremiah never had an opportunity to be a rebel. He was set up by God from his pre-natal days. What a way to think about life. Instead of thinking we are accidents or unplanned surprises, let’s think of ourselves as products of God long-range planning.

The God who has formed Jeremiah also calls Jeremiah to speak in God’s name.  Jeremiah’s response is that he is not qualified to speak for God. Have you ever felt that way? Perhaps we should leave the speaking to other people. “God could not possible use us,” we say. In fact, Jeremiah says he cannot speak for God because he is only a child (verse 6). However, if God has decided to use you, you dare not tell Him he cannot.

The God who calls us delivers us from our fears.  Both for Jeremiah and us, the call is not to go into the world with our own words. God put His words in Jeremiah’s mouth and he’ll do the same for us. Our effectiveness comes not from our cleverness or education but, rather, from our having been given God’s words.

The most disturbing part of the account of Jeremiah’s call is in verse 10. It appears that Jeremiah is to go to people and situations and tear them down. Be deliberately offensive?  Actually, we are not only to be firm and address wrong (tear down) but to encourage, motivate, and to stimulate, building people up.

You and I are like Jeremiah: planned in the mind of God, called to speak for Him and useful to Him. Dr. Richard Allen Farmer spoke at America’s Keswick on Labor Day Weekend. Listen to the archive audio and video messages at: www.americaskeswick.org 

Team YOU: Song of Solomon 1-2; Proverbs 13; 2 Corinthians 6

Motivations: There are so many things to occupy our minds: so many books, so many examples, so many good teachings that deserve our attention, that say, “Here is a truth.” But, as I have been serving the Lord these past years, He has led me to seek for two things and two things only: to know the heart of God in Christ and to know my own heart in Christ’s light. Francis Frangipane

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 4:6-7; Level 2: Philippians 4:8-14

Powered Up:  If your crowd knows you as a man or woman of prayer, they have a right to expect from you a nobler type of conduct then from others. – Oswald Chambers

The Rest of the Story

“ ​​Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days. ​​​There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the LORD’s counsel—that will stand.” Proverbs 19:20,21

I was looking at some things on my dresser the other day and came across several of those memorial cards you get at funeral services. It’s been a tough year for losing friends and loved ones.

Each one of those people had an obituary; I started to wonder if the final words and remembrances that were spoken of them is what they wanted? What is it that completes the final words of our life?

As I was listening to a man’s testimony about the destruction and chaos that brought him to the foot of the cross I started thinking that every day looking forward is another day or page of the rest of the story.

Too many times I have seen people resting on “what the Lord did” and it seems that they allow the things that held them captive continue to write each page of their life.

One of my losses this year was a young man who came thru Colony, Joe became close to Terri and I. He was a guy who struggled most of his life with issues that lead to addiction. His story was being written as ones with many ups and downs. Joe reached out for help and with a resolve to be victorious he began to be the man God was calling him to be. Joe was killed in a motorcycle accident in June. His story ended with a fantastic finish. Sometime it’s a better ending when the battle is the fiercest and the person perseveres because of the decision to follow Christ.

In the “Sermon on the Mount” Jesus tells us “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock”. The day will come when you will stand before the Lord and give an account for the way you’ve built your house. The wise and foolish builders heard the same message but only one responded. James 1:22 tells us to “be doers of the word, not just hearers only”.

I know we are to not worry about tomorrow, but to not plan on it is foolish. Consider your ways; are they according to “The Lord’s counsel”? Maybe we should consider what we want our obituary to say or better yet to hear the Lord say “Well done, good and faithful servant” and work backwards to make it happen. When I hear of a person who followed the Lord and was used mightily I know it didn’t just happen.

“There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the LORD’s counsel—that will stand.”    Rob Russomano is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and serves on the full-time staff at America’s Keswick

Team YOU: Ecclesiastes 11-12; Proverbs 12; 2 Corinthians 5

Motivations: We need to be refueled often spiritually. That renewing fuel is found in Bible reading and prayer. Just like a fuel tank on the car, we need frequent filling. Lack of fuel causes spiritual weakness and stunted growth. Unlike the car, we don’t have to hunt for a gas station, and the price of fuel doesn’t change. This fuel is always available and free for the taking. There is no substitute. Our part is to keep our spiritual tank full. Verna Pollock

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 4:6-7; Level 2: Philippians 4:8-14

Powered Up:  Prayer is not logical, it is a mysterious moral working of the Holy Spirit. – Oswald Chambers

September 11^th

“God is our refuge and strength – an ever present help in time of trouble.” Psalm 46:1

It started off as any normal day. But how quickly things unraveled as the news announced that the World Trade Center had been hit by terrorists and then the news announcing the attack on the Pentagon followed by the demise of Flight 93.

The night before September 11^th our team were enroot to North Jersey for our anniversary banquet. The weather was challenging. Rain. Wind. Sun. Riding around New York City there was a weird dark cloud hovering over the World Trade Center. We all commented that we wished we had had our cameras.

Little did we know how the next day would unfold. Little did we know how that tragedy on September 11^th would impact our ministry personally.

Board member Don Peterson and his wife Jean arrived early at Newark Airport. They were heading to California for a family reunion. They were bumped from a later flight to Flight 93 – and the rest is history.

Life is often like September 11^th. It starts out with everything going just fine and then out of nowhere life is turned upside down.

That day the Lord gave us the promise from Psalm 46:1 as we gathered as a staff to mourn and pray for the families impacted by this horrific tragedy.

I love that in the midst of life’s surprises we can count on the fact that He not only IS – He is an every present help in our time of trouble. Are you facing a challenge today? A storm? Claim this promise and trust Him. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: Ecclesiastes 9-10; Proverbs 11; 2 Corinthians 4

Motivations: When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure. Peter Marshall

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 4:6-7; Level 2: Philippians 4:8-14

Powered Up:  Prayer is the vital breath of the Christian; not the thing that makes him alive, but the evidence that he IS alive. – Oswald Chambers

 

SURRENDER – WHOSE IS YOUR LIFE?

“And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” (Romans 6:13)

            God has ownership rights to the life of every Christian.  He purchased us to Himself through the blood of Christ (Ephesians 1:7).  In terms of the slavery practices in the days of the Apostle Paul, a purchased slave became property and lived at the bidding of the owner.  Referring to this practice, the Apostle makes an application to the responsibility of Christians to realize that they do not have the right of self-determination.  Life’s decisions are to be made under the direction of the Master.

In our theme verse the term members applies to the portions of the body which can be used in service to the Master.  In the secular use of the term instruments it was often found in a military context and translated as weapons or armor.  A spiritual application of it is found in 2 Corinthians 10:4 where the weapons of spiritual warfare are declared to be different and more highly effective that the strongholds and defenses of evil.

In our Romans passage the time elements in the verbs are important.  It says, in effect, “Do not keep presenting your members…., but once and for all present yourself to God.”  The first verb indicates that presentation of the members to unrighteousness had been a pattern which must be changed.  In the second, there is a call for a decisive action of surrendering ourselves to the Lord once and for all.  This type of turnover cannot be done on an installment plan.

The terms used to bring an end to World War II were unconditional surrender.  This meant that on the basis of signed documents, the Japanese were to live in submission to the occupying forces of the United States.  Following the surrender there was to be a process of yielding to the conquering ones.  In the Christian life, surrender is to be followed by daily yielding. – Pastor Bill Raws is the grandson of the founder of America’s Keswick. His writing today is from Real Victory for Real Life

Team YOU: Ecclesiastes 7-8; Proverbs 10; 2 Corinthians 3

Motivations: Humility is the root, mother, nurse, foundation, and bond of all virtue. John Chrysostom

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 4:6-7; Level 2: Philippians 4:8-14

Powered Up:  God puts us in circumstances where He can answer the prayer of His Son and the prayer of the Holy Ghost. – Oswald Chambers

Go Home In the Light

“Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:7-10 (ESV)

It was the third year in a row that I was privileged to watch the summer conference season come to its end at America’s Keswick. Sitting at the campground picnic tables, enjoying Keswick bbq and dialoguing with the various folks who come and go during the season is the best way to bring it to its close. This year fellow Colony grad and a recently married Dave Maxwell with his bride, Pat, along with my wife and myself got to share our moments spent in Bar Harbor, Maine. We vacationed there at the same time but never bumped into each other. (Guess God planned it that way.)

Anyway…the real intention of being there this year was to pick up my teenagers after their summer staff tour of duty came to its end. And while my wife and I waited for that to happen we decided to take in some of what Dr. Richard Farmer had to say since he was the speaker for the event. One passage of Scripture that he dug into was the passage I am using today from Ephesians. I like what he said about verse 8 because he really laid it down. It got me thinking if that comma in between what is said about darkness and what is said about the light of the Lord is the transforming element in this passage of Scripture.

Then we are blessed to walk as children of light but take a look at what is in the parenthesis in the King Jimmie version, “For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.” John Gill thought maybe this is the example of the renewed spirit of man but really felt this is the Spirit of God. The believer is a tree of righteousness with Jesus Christ as their root system. The Spirit is the sap which supports, nourishes and under the influence of His grace, good works are the fruit. Hmm…then for some reason I thought about my kids. I wondered if they could discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

As the rest of the weekend came about my wife and I heard wonderful things about our two teenagers. Now their dorm partners had their stories (apparently they’re nuts and when asked if there were any more of them they replied “Yes, our dad”) but what we heard from Keswick staff and Keswick guests really made us take notice on how they have chosen to walk. We didn’t hear a complaint from anyone, not even our own teenagers. There was much talk about their servant’s heart. Both Kevin and Karen chose to walk uprightly and shared the fruit with all they were around.

Brings a tear to my eye when I think about how I was darkness at one time and because of the comma my children get to walk in the light. It was even more the blessing to hear that my son read through the book of Ephesians during his time as a summer staffer. I will be explaining to him the first half of this wonderful book concerning doctrine and do my part in showing him the duty that is in the last half of this book written to the Ephesians. And the daughter will get the same treatment after all they made it quite clear to me over this past Labor Day weekend that I am one of them. Nuts…but walking like children of light!! – Chris Hughes blogs regularly on our Freedom Fighter blog and is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy

Team YOU: Eccl. 1-2; Proverbs 7; 1 Corinthians 16

Motivations: “We must look upon the Word of God both as a light and as a law. It is a light that our understandings must subscribe to; it is a lamp to our eyes for discovery and so to our feet for direction. The Word of God reveals to us truths of eternal certainty. Scripture light is the sure light. It is a law that our wills must submit to.”—Matthew Henry

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 4:4-5; Level 2: Philippians 4:1-7

Powered Up:  Prayer is God’s ordained way, the insignificant way of prayer. Oswald Chambers

“Blow Your Trumpet”

“When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.” Numbers 10:9

As I was reading this account of the beginning of the journey from bondage in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land I realized that God wants to keep us safe.

If I were to ask you when you were saved you probably think back to your salvation. God’s desire is to not only save you from your sins but also to keep you safe. Now I’m not saying you won’t have problems or experience hardships, but Jesus tells us “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” John 16:33.

Now we are anything but safe, but with the right perspective we are “kept safe”, that is, an alternative to our own devises.  So when things come at you “Blow your Trumpet”. For me it’s living by faith, 1 John 5:4 “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith”. In the book of Hebrews chapter 11, the faith chapter, each obstacle in these accounts were overcome by faith. Faith in God will cause you to make the right choices to stay safe. It also makes you a person who is safe to be around and for us men that’s an important attribute.

I’m convinced that when the world and all its stuff come at us, it’s our responsibility to “take heed” to the promises of God, to inherit the attributes that our Heavenly Father has bestowed on us. Or we can resort to our own devises to “get by” and put ourselves and others at risk.

Some “Keep Safe” necessities are:

Trust – Psalm 36:7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

Endurance/Perseverance–  John 6:27 -“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

Keep it Biblical– 1st Terri 1:1(my wife) “Line it up with scripture”

So men, know that you’re Lord and Savior is also the Hero of the story.—Rob Russomano is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and serves at America’s Keswick

Team YOU: Psalm 148-150; Proverbs 6; 1 Corinthians 15:29-58

Motivations: How rare it is to find a soul quiet enough to hear God speak. Francois Fenelon

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 4:4-5; Level 2: Philippians 4:1-7

Powered Up:  We have to pray with our eyes on God, not of the difficulties. Oswald Chamber

New Beginning

We end this week of blogging about revival to a prayer on NEW BEGINNINGS:

Incomprehensible, Great and Glorious God,

I adore You and abase myself,
I approach You mindful that I am less than nothing, a creature worse than nothing.
My thoughts are not screened from Your graze,
My secret sins blaze in the light of Your countenance.

Enable me to remember that blood which cleanse all sin, to believe in that grace which subdues all iniquity, to resign myself to that agency which can deliver me from the bondage of corruption into glorious liberty of the sons of God.

You have begun a good work in me and can alone continue and complete it.
Give me an increasing conviction of my tendency to err, and of my exposure to sin.

Help me to feel more of the purifying, softening influence of religion, its compassion, love, pity, courtesy, and employ me as Your instrument in blessing others.

Give me to distinguish between the mere form of godliness and its power, between life and a name to live, between guile and truth, between hypocrisy and a religion that will bear Your eye.

If I am not right, set me right, keep me right; And may I at last come to Your house in peace. Amen

Great prayer to prepare your heart for the Lord’s Day! Have a blessed weekend. – Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: Psalm 146-147; Proverbs 5; 1 Corinthians 15:1-28

Motivations: “When my eye is filled with my own management of things, I am not prepared to see God acting for me; and, in that case, prayer is not the utterance of my need, but the mere superstitious performance of something which I think ought to be done, or it may be, asking God to sanctify my plans. This will never do. It is not asking God to sanctify and bless my means, but it is asking Him to do it all Himself.”  CH Macintosh, 1879.  We have to get over the idea that prayer is giving God advice on how to accomplish our plan.

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 4:4-5; Level 2: Philippians 4:1-7

Powered Up:  Little prayer is characteristic of a backslidden age and of a backslidden church. Whenever there is little prayer in the pulpit or pew, spiritual bankruptcy is imminent and inevitable. E. M. Bounds

Proof Churches Part 2

Is your church stagnant? Not growing? Need reviving? Before you are quick to judge everyone else or your Pastor – maybe the work needs to start with YOUR heart. Here is part 2 of Harold Vaughn’s (Christ Life Ministries) insights into revival-proof churches:

17. are “bound by the past” and “blind to the future.” (Phil 3:13-14)

18. believe the “best days” are behind.

19. cling to tradition for tradition’s sake and fear change. (Mat. 15:9)

20. pride themselves in the notion that they are better than other churches. (Lk. 18:11)

21. had rather “hold the fort” than beg God to “take the field.”

22. find comfort in a defensive, defeated outlook.

23. may be doctrinally sound and spiritually asleep simultaneously.

24. may have an appetite of “cerebral preaching” or shallow preaching, but are weak on application in either instance.

25. neither desire God’s presence nor miss it when absent.

26. are “issue oriented” and bound by culture.

27. are led by men pleasers. (Eph. 6:5-6)

28. provide a spiritual surrogacy service instead of equipping parents to shepherd their own children. (Mal. 4:6)

29. do little to strengthen family unity.

30. endorse the belief that rebellion is a normal part of growing up. (1 Tim. 6:20)

31. are more interested in entertainment than intercession.

32. are stingy.

33. are quick to condemn others and slow to confess their own sins.

34. elevate religious politics over principle. (1 Cor. 3:4)

35. let things slide—they ignore the speaking voice of God and ultimately get to the place where they no longer even hear from God.

 

Oh Lord, revive Thy church and start that work in me! – Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick

 

Team YOU: Psalm 143-145; Proverbs 4; 1 Corinthians 14:21-40

Motivations: “I became a Christian once for all upon the basis of the finished work of Christ through faith;  that is justification.  The Christian life, sanctification, operates on the same basis, but moment by moment.   There is the same base (Christ’s work)  and the same instrument (faith); the only difference is that one is once for all and the other is moment by moment…If we try to love the Christian life in our own strength we will have sorrow, but if we live in this way, we will not only serve the Lord, but in place of sorrow, He will be our song.  That is the difference.   The ‘how’ of the Christian life is the power of the crucified and risen Lord, through the agency of the indwelling Holy Spirit, by faith moment by moment.”  Francis Schaeffer

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 4:4-5; Level 2: Philippians 4:1-7

Powered Up:  You can organize until you are exhausted; you can plan, program, subsidize all your plans. But if you fail to pray, it is a waste of time. Prayer is not