Exodus 3:14
“And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’
INSIGHT
-I AM in Hebrew means Yahweh. The word is derived from the meaning to be or to become. Our God is a self existent God, Sovereign & cannot be contained in any boundaries or fully comprehended for His thoughts are higher than our thoughts & His ways higher than our ways (Isa 55:9). He is Omnipresent, Omniscience & Omnipotent. He is sovereign above all deity, powers, rulers & creator of all things. Our God is love. In the Bible we find a number of “I am” statements including; Exodus 3:14 Jesus introduces Himself to Moses as I AM WHO I AM, Leviticus 11:45 God declares His power in removing Israelites from Egypt & calls them to holiness, 1 Samuel 3:4 the LORD called Samuel & he answered, “Here I am!”, Job 10:15 Job laments that through either righteousness or wickedness he is still in misery, Isaiah 48:12 Jesus introduces Himself as the First & the Last, John 6:35 Jesus says “I am the bread of life”, John 8:12 Jesus says “I am the light of the world”, John 10:9 Jesus says “I am the door”, John 11:25-26 Jesus says “I am the resurrection and the life”, John 14:6 ”I am the way, the truth, and the life”, John 15:1-5 Jesus says “I am the true vine and My Father is the vinedresser”, 1 Peter 1:15-16 Jesus says “Be holy, for I am holy”, Revelation 1:17-18 Jesus says “I am the First and the Last, I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen” etc.
-For 40 years Moses was a scholar in Egypt & for another 40 years a shepherd in Midian, & was ready for his mission. When he went to the mountain of the Lord, God appeared to him through a burning bush in an illusion of flames that Moses couldn’t comprehend; for the shrubs were not consumed. Jesus then introduced Himself to Moses as I AM WHO I AM. Probably Moses did not understand this introduction & the Lord then said; “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, which is My name forever” (Exo 3:15). Moses response reveals his deficiencies in speech & authority; when he asks “who I’m I that I should go to Pharaoh & bring out the Israelites from affliction in Egypt”. Our responses to God may sometime correspond to those of Moses, but the Lord calls us to believe in Him & assures us that He made our mouths like sharpened swords, in the shadow of His hand He has hidden us, He has made us into polished arrows & concealed us in His quiver (Isa 49:2)
PRAYER
You are our King of glory, our great I AM, our great High priest & our sure Foundation Jesus, we praise Your name forever. Thank You Lord for the gift of life & for showing us Your loving kindness. We glorify You Father for You have heard our afflictions & have always made a way where there seems to be no way. As we begin this new week; shepherd us Lord in our going out & our coming in so that we may only do that which You have purposed for each one of us. Amen
John 6:35
“And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”
INSIGHT
-After feeding the multitudes of 5000, Jesus identified Himself as the bread of life to bring out the fundamental truth about the bread that does not perish. As the bread of life, Jesus invites us to partake of Him through seeking Him in all situations & believe in Him so that we may find satisfaction for our souls. God loved the world & gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (Jn 3:16). In the same way, by partaking of His body & blood, we have the assurance of eternal life with Christ & He will raise us up at the last day (Jn 6:54). Jesus becomes in our hearts spiritual food through His word, prayer & communion through faith, & quenches our deep heart desires. Probably this was the same call that Jesus made when He said “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water (Jn 7:37-38). The Holy Trinity One God quenches our thirst through spiritual blessings, provision, sustenance, security, healing, comfort, strength, His fruit, gifts & becomes our sure foundation even at the point of anxiety, fear, confusion, weakness, despair & renews us through His word.
PRAYER
Jesus You are our bread of life Who came down from heaven into our lives that we may believe in You & be saved, we bless Your mighty name. You are our salvation & strength, help us in our journey of faith & uphold us when are weak. Through Your body & blood You make us whole in our minds, hearts, bodies, souls & spirit; we will forever remain in You as You are in us. How excellent is Your name Lord in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens, we will praise You forevermore. Amen
John 8:12
“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
INSIGHT
-Jesus once more reveals His sovereignty as the light of the world Who delivers us from all forms of darkness. This was a time when Pharisees & Scribes caught a woman in the act of adultery & tested Jesus’ reaction to this heinous crime; punishable by death. Jesus confronted condemnation with grace by asking them; “whoever does not have sin let him cast the first stone” (Jn 8:7). This serves as a lesson to us for if we say we have have no sin; we deceive ourselves & the truth is not in us. But if we confess all our sins; Christ is faithful to forgive us & cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn 1:8-9). Jesus exposes human blindness found in acts of unforgiveness, revenge, judgment, adultery & other sins; which can only be cured by His divine nature of light. When we don’t know God; we end up substituting darkness for light & light for darkness thus remaining dead in transgression to sin. Jesus brought out other divine aspects of His deity as the righteous Judge, loving Father, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, & reminded us that He is light & in Him there is no darkness. Let us remain in Him as He is in us, that we may always have the light of life.
PRAYER
We all have sinned & fallen short of Your glory Lord; please forgive us & cover us by Your precious blood. Search our hearts Lord & know us. Consume all forms of darkness with Your light Jesus & lead us to the way of everlasting. Many among us do not know You Jesus, be merciful unto them loving Father. We thank You Lord for Your everlasting love upon us. May You always shines a bright light in our homes, families, businesses, work places, schools, friendships, churches, institutions, nation & the whole world. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ & the love of God & the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now & forever more. Amen
John 10:9
“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”
INSIGHT
-During the ancient times, shepherds would go out from village during the day to graze the sheep on the hill side & kept them in a common area where they hired door keepers to ensure they remained secure. When it was summer time, shepherds would go out further in the wilderness in search of pasture & would build an enclosure for the sheep without placing a door. At night the shepherd would lie at the door to offer security for the sheep by ensuring that no sheep would go out & no predator would come in. In this picture, Jesus is portrayed as both the Shepherd of the sheep & the door to the sheep-fold. Jesus is the Door through Whom His sheep pass through & share riches of His glory. He provides salvation for those who go through Him, safety & grace in protection, good health, wealth, fruit, gifts, talents, wisdom, sustenance & abundant life through His rich pasture. Abundant life implies being reconciled to God through faith, living in His grace & having hope of spending eternity in His presence for He is the only way to the Father.
PRAYER
Our Father who at in heaven; hallowed be Your name; Your Kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread & forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptations but deliver us from evil; for thine is the Kingdom the power & the glory; forever & ever. Amen
John 11:25-26
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
INSIGHT
-Lazarus was sick before he died & his sisters Mary & Martha sent word for Jesus with the message “Lord; behold he who you love is sick” (Jn 11:3). It is through the same love that Jesus has for us, that He died on the cross for our sins & resurrected so that we who were dead to sin may have abundant life through His grace. When Jesus instructed them to remove the stone to the tomb, Martha interjected Him & cautioned that there was a great stench; for Lazarus had laid dead for four days. Jesus took notice of her unbelief, affirmed her faith, & many who witnessed the resurrection believed in Him; which we are all called to do. Sometimes we also have our own moments of unbelief & question the word of God especially when things do go our way or take long to materialize. Jesus reminds us that He knew us before the foundations of this world & has great plans for our lives despite our fears. He resuscitates our spirits when we are dead in weakness, wickedness, anxiety, fear & gives us strength, hope, purpose, direction, faith & many other victories through the battles that we face. Jesus died so that we may live forever & resurrected so that we may have victory through the power of the Holy Spirit Who raised Him from the dead & lives in us.
PRAYER
We praise You Jesus & glorify Your holy name for You died for our sins & made us alive when we were dead to trespasses, have mercy on us Lord. Help us Lord to always trust in You despite the difficulties that we face. Some among us are grieving the loss of their loved ones, others are confused in various life situations & others still are asking questions why they are going through hard times or delay, comfort us all Holy Spirit by Your grace. Help us Jesus to always over look our trials & weaknesses, & cast our eyes on You. Give us the strength to always give thanks to You Lord in all situations. We also ask You dear Father to help us so that we may have complete trust in You for You are the resurrection & the life, & have assured us that You love us with an everlasting love. Amen
John 14:6
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
INSIGHT
-Sometimes we are caught at a crossroads wondering which way to go, we get curious to know the truth about a matter & other times we search for meaning in life. Jesus tells us that He is the way, the truth & the life, & that He is the only access to the Father. Jesus gives us direction in all matters, He is the source of truth & communicates truth for the salvation of all men. Jesus also reveals His nature as the Word of God by refreshing our souls & gives us prolific life which transcends into eternity. No one can access the Father unless through Christ our Lord & Savior who deserves all the glory & praise, & calls us to repentance & salvation.
PRAYER
We thank You Jesus for the gift of life & good health, comfort all those who have lost their loved ones merciful Father & heal all those who are sick. Be merciful unto us Lord & comfort us when we have troubled hearts & cleanse us from all unrighteousness. May Your peace Father that surpasses all understanding dwell in our hearts & minds through Christ Jesus. You are the way, the truth & the life Jesus, we believe in You. Guide us Lord when we are lost, shepherd us in all things that affect our well-being & that of our societies, reveal the truth about Yourself to us everyday & give us abundant life through Your grace. Dwell permanently in our hearts & homes Jesus that all Your promises for us may come to pass & we may find rest in You. Only You Jesus deserve glorify & praise, now & forever. Amen
John 10:11
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”
INSIGHT
-‘The good Shepherd’ is an exclusive statement that Jesus puts across to inform us that He is the only good Shepherd. Jesus calls us His sheep to always seek Him & when we hear His voice; we are called to follow Him & He gives us eternal life, for no one can snatch us out of His hand (Jn 10:27-28). Jesus is our good Shepherd. He provides for our hearts desires, protects us, refreshes our souls, anoints our heads with oil as kings & priests, directs us in all decisions & actions, & blesses us so that we may prosper in all things. As our good Shepherd, Jesus reveals His unending salvation plan for us; & helps us to walk with Him as His sheep & guides us in all areas according to His purpose. Jesus reminds us that His grace is sufficient for us & His strength is made perfect in our weakness; especially when confronted by infirmities, reproach, needs, persecution & distress we remain thankful for His power rests upon us. Therefore when we are weak then we are strong for He dwells in us (2 Cor 12:9-10).
PRAYER
Lord You are our Shepherd we shall not want. You make us lie down in green pastures; You lead us beside still waters. You restores our souls. You lead us in the paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake. Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil; for You are with us. Your rod & staff, comfort us. You prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies; You anoint our heads with oil & our cups run over. Surely goodness & mercy shall follow us all the days of my lives & we shall dwell in Your house Jesus, forever. Amen
John 15:1-5
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
INSIGHT
-Jesus is the true vine & we are His branches. He helps us to bear fruit according to His will & for the glory of His name. God the Father is the Vinedresser & as the owner of the vineyard He takes charge of all His branches. Jesus reveals three levels fruitfulness I.e. bearing fruit, more fruit & much fruit. Those who don’t bear fruit the Father takes away & on other instances are thrown into the fire (Mat 7:19-20). Those who bear fruit the Father prunes so that they may bear more fruit. The Father chastens us through pruning to ensure He corrects all our bad habits & trains us in His holiness. Additionally, by abiding in Christ Who is the true vine; we bear much fruit as He directs us. Fruitfulness can be achieved by abiding in God through love for Him & our neighbors as He has commanded us for He is love. Also, through works of charity, other good works, exploiting our gifts, obedience to Gods’ commandments, conducting ourselves in a manner that is pleasing to God, taking heed to the fruit of the Holy Spirit, seeing people come to faith in Christ, helping others to grow in Christ-likeness, doing our work & all that has been entrusted to us to the best of our abilities etc. Jesus calls us to abide in Him as He abides in us which enables us to cultivate a close personal relationship with Him for His love & mercy for us everlasting. We also abide in Christ through our dependence to Him; for without Him we can achieve nothing but with Him we will bear fruit, more fruit & much fruit as He directs us.
PRAYER
You are the true Vine Jesus & the Father is the Vinedresser; help us to abide in You as You are in us. Increase our faith Holy Spirit & shower in our hearts with the fruit of love so that we may bear much fruit. Guide us in times of victory & during times of weakness; Christ our Lord so that we may always run to You for without You we can do nothing. Be present always merciful Father in our families, homes, schools, churches, societies, judiciary, government & nation. Direct all our thoughts, heart desires, decisions, dispositions & ramifications through Your merciful love Lord. Help us to be innovative in all areas of our lives for all wisdom, understanding, knowledge & strength belong to You Jesus. Bless the work of our hands Father & expand our territories accordingly to Your loving kindness. Help us Lord to abide in You always that we may bear fruit, more fruit & much fruit for the glory of Your name. Amen
1 Peter 1:15-16
“but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
INSIGHT
-Holiness refers to purity & being separated from sin to righteousness through the blood of Jesus. By faith & obedience to Gods’ word; we become progressively transformed to holiness leaving behind the old evil ways & focus on the bright future as Jesus promises. Since we are created in the image & likeness of God, Christ is holy & calls each one of us to emulate Him. Guarding our hearts with all diligence & being renewed in our minds; we are able to judge sin at conception level & avoid it through the grace of God. God reminds us each one of us to work out our own salvation with fear & trembling, both when we are alone & in the presence of others (Phil 2:12).
PRAYER
You are holy Lord the fountain of all holiness; help us to be holy according to Your will. Forgive us our sins & cleanse us from all unrighteousness by Your precious blood Jesus for Your love & mercy endures forever. Create in us clean hearts Lord & renew a steadfast spirit within us. Have mercy Lord on all those who are addicted to alcohol, drugs & other addictive behaviours, those who are undergoing stress & depression, those who have abandoned the faith, those who have lost the sense of direction & purpose in life, those who are sick, & all of us in our diverse challenges & weaknesses. Fill our hearts with love & self control Lord; & help us to always be obedient to Your word. Direct us Father in all spheres of our lives according to Your will. Amen
Revelation 1:17-18
“And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
INSIGHT
-John had an encountered with Christ Himself in this book of Revelation & fell in reverence to Him at His feet as dead. Jesus reveals that He is the First & the Last, He who lives & was dead & lives forevermore. Christ holds the keys of hades & death, to set us free from eternal condemnation & give us everlasting life through His grace. We are called to live according to His will as He will come again to rule forever for all glory, honor, power, dominion & strength belongs to Him.
SUMMARY
-Christianity is centered on the knowledge of Christ for who He is & having a personal relationship with Him. The I AM statements shared throughout scripture reveal Jesus’ sovereignty & deity, & are geared towards enhancing our belief system in Him. Jesus introduces & makes known to us His nature when He says that “I am who I am, I am the bread of life, I am the light of the world, I am the Door, I am the resurrection & the life, I am the way the truth & the life, I am the good Shepherd & I am the true vine, be holy because I am holy & I am the First & the Last”. These statements remind us that Christ is all we need in our lives & nothing can separate us from His love. We are required to always believe in Him & hope in His promise that we may find rest in Him.
PRAYER
You are the Alpha & Omega, the Beginning & the End Jesus, Who is; Who was & Who is to come, the Almighty. We give You thanks & praise Lord with all our hearts & tell of all Your wonderful deeds. We are glad & rejoice in You O Most High & sing the praises of Your name. Our Father who at in heaven; hallowed be Your name; Your Kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread & forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptations but deliver us from evil; for thine is the Kingdom the power & the glory; forever & ever. Amen