"THE I AM”!!

 TEXT:  EXODUS 3:13-14: And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, the God of your fathers hath sent me unto you:  and they shall say to me, What is his name?  What shall I say unto them?  And God said unto Moses, “I AM THAT I AM”:  and he said, "Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you".

“I” is the ninth letter of the English alphabet.  “I” is the person speaking or the person writing.  And right now I AM the person speaking.

We must first realize and know that “I AM” is God’s name in “man” (male and female), the indwelling Christ!  This is the same name God gave Himself when He commissioned Moses to deliver the Israelites from Egypt, and that name became Moses’ name when he went back to Egypt:

·         Exodus 3:14: And God said unto Moses, “I AM THAT I AM”:  and he said, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.  Vs 15: “And God said moreover unto Moses, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you:  this is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations”.

This “memorial” has continued and will continue throughout the ages forever!!

Memorial in this verse is the Hebrew root word zikrown’ (zik-rone’) meaning, a memento or memorable thing, day or writing; record.  It goes to another root word zakar (zaw-kar’) meaning, to mark (so as to be recognized); to remember; mention; be mindful; think on.  What did God say He would do with His Word?   

·         Hebrews 8:10: For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days (after Jesus’ resurrection; after Pentecost), said the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people.

This is actually a fulfillment of what God said through the Prophet Jeremiah in relation to the “new covenant”, which has extended even until now:

·         Jeremiah 31:31: Behold, the days come, said the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

There is no more two, a house of Israel nor a house of Judah, because all now are ONE HOUSE that’s contained in Christ Jesus!  For all believers now are God’s Israel [he/she that have power with God; a prince with God; shall rule as God) / and we are His Judah or His congregation of praise].  Galatians 3:27: For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  Vs 28: There is neither Jew nor Greek (Gentile), there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female:  for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

·         Jeremiah 31:32: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they break, although I was a husband unto them, said the LORD: Vs 33: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days (after the sacrifice of Jesus Christ), said the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts:  and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Are you a believer in Christ Jesus?  Then you are included in the category of being “God's Israel or God's people”.

Back to the definition of “MEMORIAL”:

What better “mark” can we have from God than His Word written in us?  So that makes us God’s Word in flesh form. 

·         2^nd Corinthians 3:2-3: You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:  forasmuch as you are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God:  not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart (kardia’) [thoughts; feelings; will; mind; understanding]!  Hallelujah!! 

This word fleshly is sar’kinos, meaning, similar to flesh.  The other definition touches on the human nature and its frailties (physical or moral), and passions that taps into the heart which are the thoughts; feelings; will; mind; and understanding.  But we must be willing to fall on “The Stone” for purification, which is Christ so that He can cut away everything that is not like him, and cleanse us in every area, heart, soul, mind, and body, so that we can be like Him.  Or, “The Stone” will fall on us, for destruction. 

·         Matthew 21:44 (Jesus said): “And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken:  but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder”.

Paul gave specific instructions to us: Romans 12:1: I beseech (beg; ask urgently; entreat) you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies, a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service.  Vs 2: And be not conformed to this world, but be you transformed, by the renewing of your mind:  that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.

Know with certainty that God’s Israel is not over in the Middle East, His Israel is all over the world made up of people that have accepted His Son Jesus Christ and following after Him.  Israel means he will rule as God, and also from sarah (saw-raw’) meaning to prevail; have power (as a prince).  Being a “prince” places one in position for “king-ship”.  We God’s people, believers in Christ Jesus are already “kings and priests” in God, through Christ. 

·         Revelation 5:10: And he hast (already) made us unto our God kings and priests:  and we shall reign on (over) the earth.  (Also Rev.1:6). 

·         Revelation 19:16: And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 

WHAT A MEMORIAL (MARK), bearing the “NAME OF GOD”!!

And all this was done “after those days”!  What days?  After Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and at  Pentecost when the Holy Ghost was given as a universal gift to all that would believe and receive God’s Spirit, Jew and Gentile alike and thereafter! 

·         Galatians 3:28: There is neither Jew nor Greek (Gentile), there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female:  for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

·         Ephesians 2:14: For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us:  vs 15: Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace.  Vs 16: And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. 

Back to Exodus 3 (the I AM):  

Vs 10-11 (God talking to Moses):  Come now therefore and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou may bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.  And Moses said unto God, “Who am I”, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt”?  Moses did not know who he himself was at that time, because of what he said in verse 12, when he said to God, “Who am I”.  He didn’t know yet that he was the “I AM” that was about to go into Egypt and deliver God’s people!!  Did you get that revelation?

The Lord gave Himself the personal name I AM THAT I AM.  From this is derived the Hebrew name YAHWEH, a Hebrew phrase that indicates action.  God was in effect saying to Moses I want to be known as the God who is present and active.  In Hebrew “AM” is hayah’, meaning to exist, be or become, come to pass.  Then it goes to another Hebrew word havah’, meaning to breathe; to be (exist):  be thou; shall be; may be; hath.  In the Greek “AM” is eimi (i-mee’), meaning, I exist; I am; am; it is I; be; I was; have been.

These definitions are explaining that “AM” is neither, past, present, nor future tense.  It’s all three at once!!  It connotes eternal existence.  God is, He has always been, He will always be!  

·         Psalm 90:2: Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

·         Revelation 1:8: I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, said the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Inherent in the name YAHWEH is the promise of the living presence of God Himself day by day with His people.  Inherent in Webster refers to something that is “stuck in” something else so firmly, they can’t be separated.  “I AM” reveals the God that is present with us and dwells in us.  Hebrews 13:5: Let your conversation be without covetousness:  and be content with such things as you have:  for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 

What did the Prophet Isaiah say:  Isaiah 7:14: Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign:  behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [with us (is) God].

·         2^nd Corinthians 6:16: For you are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them:  and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

·         1^st John 4:4: You are of God little children, and have overcome them:  because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

God is the one independent (free from outside control), entirely (completely) self-subsistent (sustained; sufficient; contained; supporting; standing] Being in the universe who Eternally Exists, and all that exists has been created by Him for His own glory.

·         Colossians 1:16: For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers:  all things were created by him, and for him:  vs 17: And he is before all things and by him all things consist (sunista’o) [set together; introduced (favorably); is exhibited; constituted or approved]:  vs 18: And he is the head of the body, the church:  who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence (superiority; supremacy].

Jesus declared Himself to be the Great I AM, maintaining that He tells the truth and supports it by saying what He has heard, seen and been taught by His Father.  Didn’t the disciples make the same claim, that they can only testify to what they had seen, heard and handled?  

·         1^st John 1:1: That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of life:  vs 2: For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.

This “I AM” statement is a powerful phrase!  When Jesus said to the Jews in John 8:58: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am”!! 

The Jews realized this was a claim to deity and they wanted to kill Him because they knew He was identifying Himself with the, I AM THAT I AM of Exodus 3:14, when God was speaking to Moses.

Deity can be a supernatural being who’s attributes are sinless, divine, holy, or whose name is sacred and to be revered.  As a matter of fact John recorded seven statements of Jesus declaring His deity.  He said I AM the Bread of life (John 6:35); I AM the Light of the world (John 8:12); I AM the Door (John 10:9); I AM the good Shepherd (John 10:11); I AM the Resurrection (John 11:25); I AM the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6); I AM the true Vine (John 15:1).

Jesus made these declarations because He knew who He was!  So therefore with every I AM declaration, He was identifying Himself!  Paul said, “But by the grace of God I am what I am:  and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all:  yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1^st Corinthians 15:10).

I thank God for this truth and I’m so glad about it because I (we) can declare the very same!!  That is why God is maturing us and growing us through knowledge and experiences.  We are changing our language and speaking in “new tongues” because of the revelation of His Word.  These “new tongues” are not just the heavenly language but also our English language, which is, we being careful what we attach to the “I AM”!!!

·         Matthew 12 (Jesus said):  vs 36: But I say unto you, that every idle (argos’) [inactive; unemployed; lazy; useless] word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment:  vs 37: For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

And the “Day of Judgment” is the day those “idle words” comes out of one’s mouth, because those words at the time spoken are taking effect. 

Before we came into this knowledge we all know what we were saying then:  “Lord, I’ve got to die with something”.  “I am sick and tired of this and that”.  And surely our response to gross situations was “I will be damned”!  I didn’t curse either, because Mark 16:16, (the latter part):  But he that believeth not shall be damned.   Also Romans 14:23: And he that doubts is damned if he eat, because he eats not of faith.  In both scriptures damned in Greek is from katakri’no, meaning, to judge against; sentence; to condemn. 

In 1^st Thessalonians 2:12: That they all might be damned who believes not the truth.  Damned in this verse is the root word kri’no, meaning to distinguish, decide (mentally or judicially); condemn; punish; avenge; conclude; sentence to.  So whatever “idle (inactive; unemployed; lazy; useless) word” you send forth out of your mouth is a judgment call that will sentence you to life or death. 

Oh yes, such harsh words we spoke upon ourselves because we didn’t know any better at that time.  We didn’t know that “Death and life” (was and) is in the power of the tongue:  and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof (Proverbs 18:21).

Yes, we believed the lie or saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but WORDS can never hurt me”!  But we found out that our words are power, and we have what we say, whether negative or positive.  Words can build up or words can destroy!

Let’s take a look at Numbers 14, and what the Israelites said [The Israelites rebel]:

·         Vs 2: And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron:  and the whole congregation said unto them, “Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt or would God we had died in this wilderness!”  Vs 3: And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey?  Was it not better for us to return into Egypt?

Now we will take a look at what God said (in relation to what they said):

·         Vs 26: And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying:  vs 27: How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me?  I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.  Vs 28: Say unto them, “As truly as I live, said the LORD, as you have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you”:  vs 29: Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness, and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me.  Vs 30: Doubtless you shall not come into the land, concerning which I swore to make you dwell therein, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.  Vs 31: But your little ones, which you said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised.  Vs 32: But as for you, your carcasses, they shall fall in this wilderness.

What they said, was what they got.  By their own words they were condemned and sentenced to death, and died.

But NOW, because God is maturing us, has opened and is opening our understanding, and now our words are those which bring life and not death.  We are aware that we have to “change our thought processes”.  We have become aware of ALL these things, which in turn, we are saying, “I have the mind of Christ”, because we didn’t know at first that our carnal man or (natural mind) was enmity (hostile) against God and that was how we operated at that time, by the flesh.  But now because of revelation truth we know that we have to become spiritually minded!!  For to be carnally minded is death:  but to be spiritually minded is life and peace (Romans 8:6).  Thank you Jesus!!!

So now, because God has opened our eyes to see and our ears to hear, we know that the “old man” (Adam) has to die and the second man Adam, the Lord from heaven (Christ) has to be manifested in us!! 

·         Romans 5:12: Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin:  and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:  vs 18: Therefore, as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

·         1^st Corinthians 15:22: For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

What a mighty God we serve!  He didn’t just provide salvation for the Jews only, but He broke down the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile, having abolished in his flesh the enmity (hatred; hostility), even the law of commandments contained in ordinances for to make in himself of twain one new man so making peace (Ephesians 2:14-15).

So when Jesus said “I AM”, He was again declaring His deity in John 18:1-11.  This was the time of Jesus’ betrayal and arrest:  then came Judas with a band of men and officers sent by the chief priests and Pharisees with lanterns, torches, and weapons to arrest Him.

·         Vs 4: Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth and said unto them, “Who seek you”?  Vs 5: They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth”.  Jesus said unto them, “I am he”.  And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.  Vs 6: As soon then as he had said unto them, “I am he”, they went backward, and fell to the ground.

What had just happened?  Because of the fact Jesus had said, “I AM HE”, He had uttered the ineffable title of deity and the effect was startling!  The word ineffable means too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.  These officers were awestruck!  They were in the presence of incarnate deity and were overpowered by a brief consciousness of Divine Majesty!!

OH MY GOD!!  I AM THAT I AM!  Such authority, such power and majesty in “I AM”!! 

Because God has given unto us Ephesians 1:17-21: The spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:  the eyes of our understanding being enlightened, that we may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints:  and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, and because “As he is, so are we, in this world (1^st John 4:17), we know how to use “I AM” in a sentence!!  NOW we say:  “I AM NOT SICK, I AM HEALTH”!!  “I SHALL LIVE AND NOT DIE, AND DECLARE THE WORKS OF THE LORD”!!  “I AM REDEEMED”!!  “I AM THE WORD MADE FLESH”!!  “I HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST”!!  “I AM THAT I AM”!!  “I AM THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD”!!  “I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA”!!

Keep in mind people of God, the Word of God:  “AS HE IS, SO ARE WE, IN THIS WORLD” (1^st John 4:17).

Once again, “AM” is defined in Hebrew as hayah’, which means to exist; I be or I will become; I will come to pass.  It goes to another Hebrew word havah’ meaning to breathe; to be (be in existence); be thou.  This is saying that He is us and we are Him!  This doesn’t happen somewhere out beyond the blue, but it is happening, occurring right here in us God’s people, right now!!

·         1^st Corinthians 12:12: For as the body, is one and have many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, is one body:  so also is CHRIST!

·         Ephesians 5:30: We are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones!!

Again, “AM” in the Greek is eimi (i-me), which means I exist; I am; I have been; it is I; I was; I have been; I be.  That’s why Jesus could say to the Jews in John 8:58: “Before Abraham was, I am”!!   “Am” is always present tense!

Again I say, Paul wrote in 1^st Corinthians 15:10: “But by the grace of God I am what I am:  and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all:  yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me”.

The “am” here is the same as “ei’mee”, the same “AM”  in Exodus meaning I Exist; I AM; I have been; it is I; I was, I were; we are!!

Always remember, regardless of what is thought or said about you, regardless of what is said to you, just know, you are none of those negative things, because you are everything God says you are!!! 

Watch over your words as to what you say!  Let your words be positive and not negative!  Let them be life and not death!!  Because you will have what you say!!

“YOU ARE THAT I AM”!!  “I AM THAT I AM”!!  WE ARE GOD’S “I AM” IN THE EARTH!!

Evangelist Mary Perry