Who Is Jesus?....I AM Part 1

Who was Jesus?
Who is Jesus?

Jesus said several times,
"I Am...."

Jesus said, "I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to me will never go hungry and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." -John 6:35

Jesus said this right after the miracle of feeding 5,000 people. I love that! They had been hungry and He had fed them with earthly food, then He gives them the Real Food- Himself! They had experienced hunger and were fed with bread, but He tells them that He is the Bread of Life. He tells US that He is this bread....

Are you hungry?

Jesus can fill you.

Are you lonely?

Do you need love?

Do you need energy?

Do you need hope?

Do you need faith?

Come, eat of the Bread of Life and be filled.

Be satisfied.

Jesus said that when we fill up on Him, have a relationship with Him, we will not go hungry. He says when we believe in Him we will never be thirsty again.

Jesus met with a woman and said something very similar. While talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, (John 4) Jesus talks about “living water.” He points out the “world’s” water- the water of the well, and says, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again.”
Isn't that true with our “water”? Food, possessions, praise from man, material possessions, or watching TV never satisfies us. We continually want more and more. Our desire becomes insatiable, sometimes consuming us. The more we have, the more we want! Jesus tells the woman at the well, “ But, whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)

Doesn’t that water sound so much more refreshing? Not only will our initial thirst be quenched, but we will have a SPRING bubbling, flowing within us! Not a glass of water, a drop of water, but a source of water. You will never, never be thirsty again! Jesus says in John 7:37-38, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

Lord, thank You for being my daily bread. When I pray the Lord's prayer and pray, "Give us today our daily bread," I am praying for my needs of the day, but I am also praying for You, Jesus! I want You, Jesus to be my "daily bread"! I want to be filled, satisfied with You. Lord, You say when I fill up on You, I will never go hungry. Thank You! Jesus, You said Your bread was to the do the will of the Father. Lord, I want that to be my bread, also! I want to do Your will! Lord, fill my desires, my needs, my hopes, my fears, fill everything I am with You! Thank You that you are my Bread from Heaven- my everything! I love You, Lord! I love You, Jesus!

First posted April 2008

Rolling the Dice

I love Proverbs! There is so much wisdom to be gleamed from this book of the Bible. And, although it is NOT a book of "promises", these are wise sayings that are generally true in life.

Chapter 16 has a theme of how the Lord is over our lives.....how He is in CONTROL. We are told to commit our plans to God in order for them to succeed. We are to watch our motives. And, we are told in verse 9 that we can make plans, but God determines our steps, reminding me of Romans 8:28: "God works ALL things together for good for those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose."

It is a comfort to me knowing that God even controls how the "dice" in my life fall. He is working out every life circumstance and weaving them together into a beautiful tapestry that makes "life."

Who is Jesus to ME?

As we draw near to Easter, I want my thoughts to focus on Jesus. I will be republishing a series I have done before during the Lenten season- "Who Is Jesus?" Please stop by frequently to join me in thinking about just who Jesus is and what He means to me....

Jesus asked His disciples, "And who do YOU say I am?" It is an important question for all of us to answer....

Once during a bible study, the leader asked us to keep a “journal” of who Jesus is to us, personally, writing down whatever came to us during the length of the study. It was a great "task". I think sometimes I forget to sit and ponder just how much Jesus means to me.

I encourage you to take on this assignment, writing everything you KNOW about Jesus and everything Jesus is to you (for example, He may be “tender” to you…). This is the beginning of my list, and if I were to write everything, you would be here for hours reading it!

Things most precious to me:

Jesus knew He would be Savior BEFORE the beginning of time. Before creation, He knew “the plan”. He knew Adam would fall in the garden. He knew He would have to die for my sin, to BECOME sin for me- the Spotless Lamb- to take away my sin. He would take on my punishment. BEFORE He created me, He knew in order to spend eternity with me, He would willingly, joyfully choose to be my Savior, to take my lashes, to take my punishment, scorn, ridicule, and death on the cross. Knowing ALL of this, He still chose to create me. Wow, that blows me away! The love He has for me.

Jesus is the Creator of the universe- “through Him all things were made- without Him nothing was made.”

He is the Word made flesh. He is the Living Word. He is the Written Word. Genesis through Revelation tells the “story” of Jesus. The Word- the Word that leads me and guides me……

Emmanuel- “God With Us”- Jesus never leaves me, never abandons me, never is too busy for me. Jesus is with me in my trials and my joyful celebrations. Jesus is part of me- “I am in Him and He is me.”

Savior- Jesus is my Savior, saving me from my sins, saving me from myself, rescuing me over and over again……..

Healer- Jesus is my healer, healing me from ALL my diseases- body, soul, mind, and HEART. One of my favorite examples is the leper that says he believes Jesus can heal him if Jesus is willing. Jesus answers, “I am willing.” Those three words bring me such comfort- I am willing. I am willing.  I am willing. I am willing. Jesus, you healed ALL who came to you.

Author and perfector of my faith- my biggest “cheerleader.” Jesus, you want me to succeed, you want me to grow and mature. Jesus, you don’t condemn me, but challenge me, encourage me, guide me and perfect me……..

Bridegroom- waiting in eager expectation to return in glory for ME. As a bridegroom, you rejoice over me with singing (Isaiah 61), Jesus, you are “enthralled with my beauty.”

Jesus is my Intercessor- Jesus is praying for me every day!

Redeemer, You bought back my life....REDEEMED it! My life is "paid in full"!

Friend, a friend that sticks closer than a brother, my best friend……

Freedom! I no longer am in bondage to anything!!!!!!!!

Lover- Jesus, you love me with an everlasting love that never ends……

Way- Jesus, you are the only way to the Father………..

I love you, Jesus.

Who is Jesus to you?

This was first posted  1/18/08

Dying

Jesus was sharing here that He was about to die and rise again. He begins the passage with "The hour has come for you to see the Son of Man glorified." He is reassuring them ( the disciples) and US that to LIVE, we must die. When Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected, He produced many seeds. I love that Jesus uses the example of the wheat. It falls to the ground and dies, but then it grows in the soil, producing many more seeds. He uses this example to illustrate what will happen to Him, but then, extends it to us.

We must die to live.

Die to our flesh.

Die to our own selfish desires.

Die to sin.

And......LIVE.

Jesus continue by saying, "The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant will be also. My father will honor the one who serves me."

Aren't those amazing promises?

When we DIE, we LIVE.

When we serve, we are honored by GOD!

Whoever hates his life here....whoever turns away from the pull of the world, lives a life set apart, whoever does not conform to the patterns of this world...

will keep it for eternal life.

Ash Wednesday

I love lent.

I was reading something online which said something like, "Ash Wednesday is the one holiday the secular world won't take over and make it about materialism. Hallmark won't be making Ash Wednesday cards."

Could you imagine? Why? Because Lent, with the beginning of it being Ash Wednesday, is about a season of realizing your sin and complete "human-ness." We are reminded that "from dust we came and to dust we will return." We remember that we are sinful creatures in need of a Savior. It is a season, 40 days, of repentance. We are preparing our hearts for our Christ as we focus on His death on the cross and most importantly, His Resurrection! Do you remember before Jesus began preaching there was a voice crying out in the wilderness (John the Baptist), "Repent! Repent! For the Kingdom of God is at hand!"

 Lent is our time to repent, to prepare our hearts for the Lamb of God.

"Have mercy on me O God, according to your unfailing love, according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Surely you desire truth in the inmost parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean, wash me and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
CREATE IN ME A CLEAN HEART AND RENEW A STEADFAST SPIRIT WITHIN ME!
Cast me not away from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.
Save me from the blood guilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
O Lord open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
Lord, you do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it,
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God you will not despise."- Psalm 51

Lord, I do come before You in spirit of repentance, with a broken and contrite heart. Lord, I confess and repent (turn away from) the ugliness of my heart.

 I repent of a critical spirit that judges others. I expect others, especially my family to do things the way I would do them, and if it isn't done my way, it isn't "good enough."

 I repent of complaining. Forgive my heart that complains that "I am doing all the work around here"- all of the laundry, the cleaning.... I know what your Word says- to "do everything as you are doing it for the Lord." It says "do everything without arguing or complaining....so you may shine like stars in the universe."

 I confess my bad attitude and worshiping at the alter of self.

 I confess my bad choices. Instead of doing the things You have laid on my heart, I waste precious time. I haven't been a good steward of time and resources. How can I expect You to give me more when I haven't been faithful with what You have already generously given?

 I confess my unbelief. I say I believe You, but do my actions trust you completely? Am I obedient in all things? And, if I believed You completely, I would be...........

 Lord, forgive me for going my own way so often. Forgive me for pridefulness. I don't want to have an ounce of pride in my being, Lord! I don't want to depend on ME, but on you!

 Lord, I turn away from all of these things and turn towards you. Help me, Lord! Thank you for Jesus! I am in such desperate need of a Savior! Prepare my heart, Lord for Jesus' coming. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me! Father, I am on my knees, asking You to have mercy on me, to forgive me. Lord, may these 40 days of Lent leading up to Easter be filled with Your Presence. Thank You for Your forgiveness. I love You Lord. In the Precious Name of Jesus, the Name above all names, the Alpha and Omega, the Lamb of God, the Prince of Peace, Immanuel, the Healer of the lame, the One who sets the captives free, the Light of the World, the Bread of Life, the Resurrection, and the Lover of my soul, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.