I am Who I am

Last night before the clouds started to roll in I was outside praying and looking toward the sky. It was during this time that I began to realize once again what an awesome God we serve. He created the heavens and all that is there in. Among His work in creation, He created this tiny planet called Earth and it is on that planet where I stood. If that is not enough to really boggle the mind we must come to the realization that he also created man and placed him on that planet. So, He not only created me too but He desired a relationship with me before I was born. “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 1:5) This desire for a relationship placed those across my path who would witness to me. When I finally called upon Christ He saved me and He has time for me and desires time with me. In the midst of all that he has created He sees each and every one of us as individuals. He saves us individually and cares for us the same.

How insignificant this can make you feel when you look at this from man’s perspective but when you take in consideration that God does all that He does out of His great love for us. This thought turns into that which is inconceivable. How wonderfully amazing is this God of ours? It is this that drives me to know Him more, to serve Him more and to Love Him so much the more.

Part of that which I love to study comes from the writers of the past. I often read the works of the church fathers and I believe that they truly understood the majesty and the sovereignty of our all might God. I believe that their understanding of God far out exceeds that of most Christian writers today. They had a firm grasp of our creator and with that they had a sound respect for who He was and is. They humbly stepped into the presence of the sovereign God of the universe. We often find them bowing humbly before His presence bringing tears, praise and petitions. What a far cry this is form the modern day believer who often charges in with demands, pouting and trying to barter with God. The reverence that was once a common trait of His children is now replaced with prideful arrogance. That which the church fathers saw as an awe-inspiring experience is now not much more than a mundane experience an almost borderline boring formalism task to be done.

We have access to this Exclusive God, I do not mean that He does not love the world as His Scripture’s says, but I do mean that we who are saved have an exclusive relationship with Him. It is a relationship for those who belong to the family of God enjoy. Jesus referred to the Father as Daddy (Abba) “And He said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.’” (Mark 14:36) We also see that the apostle Paul was familiar with the concept Abba Father, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, (5) to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. (6) And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” (7) Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” (Galatians 4:4-7) So with this, we too have that privilege to do so. We are adopted into His family we have access to His throne.

How often does our great God bring those across our path who have lost sight of this Awesome God that we serve? Man has often allowed their needs, wants, desires and selfish ways to stand between them and God. They do so to the point that they cannot see Him any more. All that they have allowed into their lives has obscured their view. They cannot see God because of their own selfishness. The task ahead is to get them to re-sort and re-organize the needs in their life. Getting them to prioritize the needed truths; starting with the fact that God is God and there is no other. “I AM WHO I AM.” (Exodus 3:14) He is the one who is, who was and who ever shall be. Sometimes it is best to begin with the basics, to go back to the beginning. And there is no better place to begin than with this simple truth, “I AM WHO I AM.”

Selfish?

I received a call the other day to go and visit a couple who desperately needed counsel. When I arrived I was greeted by a middle aged couple. The room that I was escorted into was comfortable at best, and their hospitality was more than gracious. The look that both of them had was one of both pain and despair. You could feel the tension as well as the confusion as it thickened the air. After the normal introductions we gathered together and I asked what I could do to help them. She began by telling me that she was given news that they were not prepared themselves for. Her doctor has done all that he could for her and there was nothing else that they could do. They knew that this day would eventually come but had not expected it this early.

They both seemed to take turns talking as one was over come with distraught or anxiety the other would take up where the other left off. They were both just recently retired and they had plans of growing old together and now this news came crashing in. Her time was now running out and there was noting immediately that doctors or medicine could do for her. There were no more possibilities of surgery; nothing left for the doctors could do to help.

She was now beyond her expertise; they were told that there was little that anyone could do for her. They had gone home and poured themselves into each other, they wept and held each other for hours not knowing what to do or where to turn. Asking each other what can we do or where can we go. What is left for us? Was 45 years of marriage going to end this way or is there anything left?

As I listened the first thing that I knew that I needed to do was to give them hope and encouragement from the Word of God. My first thought was to make sure that they knew Christ. I had to make sure that they knew Him as their personal saviour. After the affirmation that they knew Him I began to give them the assurance that only Christ Himself can give.

I clearly remember her saying, “I do not want to pray selfishly.” To which I replied, “What is praying selfishly?” Are we not allowed to ask anything for self? Does God only answer prayers that we ask for others needs and not our own? I do not believe that is what Christ intended or desires of us. The Lord’s Prayer clearly tells us to ask. We find that there are other scripture that teaches us the same. “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 18:189 (NKJV) “…ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” (James 4:2b-3 KJV) “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah 33:3 KJV)

We find that King Hezekiah prayed for healing and was granted 15 more years as found in Isaiah 38. Can this same thing not be true with us today? Are we not allowed to ask for healing? Is not the God that Hezekiah served is the same one that we do and He is still on the throne? God heard his prayer and answered, cannot God hear and answer a similar prayer form His children today?

The bible also tells us something very interesting about Elijah (or Elias which is the Greek transliteration of Elijah), it says that he was a man of like passion as we are in James 5:17-18, “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. (18) And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” Though this passage talks about rain, we find that in the entire passage found in 1 Kings 17-18 that Elijah had a great confidence in God to ask what he wanted. He also asked for healing of the widow’s son in chapter 17.

If we go to 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 we cannot help but notice the pleas of the apostle Paul in verses 7 & 8, “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. (8) Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.” (NKJV) Paul was troubled by some personal illness that he requested relief from though God said no, He did not rebuke him for asking for personal healing.

It is not wrong to request health and healing form God, nor is it entirely praying selfishly and this dear lady thought. We must also remember what the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (7) and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (NKJV) Notice the words “…in everything by prayer and supplication…” God says in everything, which would include what some call “selfish” prayers.

So the question is, Can God hear and answer our prayer when it comes to healing? Or, do doctors have the last say? Can the prayer, asked in faith overcome that which reality and all actuality say it can’t? The answer is absolutely! James tells us, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:17 (NKJV)

One final thought, our position in Christ should be such that we should yearn to go home to Christ which is better as Paul states in Philippians 1:23-24, “For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. (24) Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.”(NKJV) Yet at the same time, our desire is to be here with family friends and loved ones. It is the human side of us that desires to stay and be with family. It is the human side that finds it hard to let go. We do know that the believer has a heavenly home. If our family belongs to Christ here on earth, we will see them again once we are reunited in our heavenly home.