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God's promise through the Prophet Isaiah for the children of Israel in the Old Testament is an everlasting promise - not only for Israel then ~ but also for the Church of Jesus Christ today!
'Thus says the Lord, who created you, 0 Jacob, and He formed you, 0 Israel —fear not, for I have redeemed you — I have called you by your name — you are Mine! ... I AM the Lord your God - the Holy One of Israel - your Savior" (Isaiah 43:1,3).
He goes on to say - "You have been honored - and I have loved you"(vs.4). Keep in mind that He is also including New Testament Christians who are following Jesus Christ - "Fear not, for I am with you"(vs.5). Remember - "He is the same — yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8);
Continuing in Isaiah 43, in verse 10 He says — "You are My witnesses, says the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen"— and in verse 11 — "/, even I, AM the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior."
In instructions to Moses as he was to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, in answer to his question of who shall I say sent me - God answered, "I AM that I AM!" (Exodus 3:14) - so we see that He is the Great I AM! This name for God points to His self-existence and eternality — it denotes "/ AM the One who was, and who is, and who will forever be" — He is the same God throughout the ages!
A famous quote of Jesus Christ says — "I AM the Way, and the Truth, and the Ufe - NO ONE comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).
Again, God says in Isaiah 43:10-15 - "You are My witnesses says the Lord...that I AM He ... I, even I, AM the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior. .. Indeed ... I AM He — and there is no one who can deliver out of My hand" — "I AM the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator, your King."
"Behold I will do a new thing" (vs.19) - "This people I have formed for Myself - they shall declare My praise" (vs.21) - "I, even I, AM He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake"(vs-25).
The Apostle Peter proclaimed - "Neither is there Salvation in any other, for there is no other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be Saved" (Acts 4:12). And the Apostle Paul added - "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ -and you shall be Saved" (Acts 16:31).
The Great I AM - God the Creator - knew the hopelessness of man - the sinfulness of man - the very man that He created for fellowship in the Garden of Eden — yet He made that man with a free will to choose his destiny — and Adam chose to disobey God's simple rule and sinned against Him - thus putting us all under the curse of sin - "For ALL have sinned and come short of the Glory of God" (Romans 3:23) - and - "The wages of sin is death - but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
"As through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus sin spread to all men, because all sinned" {Romans 5:12) ~ "Therefore as through one man's (Adam) offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's (Jesus) Righteous act the Free Gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life — for as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, also by one Man's obedience many will be made Righteous" (Romans 5:18,19).
So it comes down to a decision - the same decision Adam had to make - a choice between obedience and disobedience - so we today have the same decision to make - to choose to obey and follow a righteous and loving God - or to choose to follow our own selfish downward path to destruction and death.
Jesus is a gentleman - He will never force us to do anything. The perfect example of this is - "Behold, I stand at the door and knock — if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and He with Me" (Revelation 3:20). The picture is of Jesus standing at the door of your heart - patiently waiting for you to open your heart and life to Him so he can come in and Save you and give you Forgiveness, Salvation, and the Abundant Life He has promised (John 10:10).
We are very lovingly warned - "He will not always strive with us - nor will He withhold his anger forever" (Psalm 103:9). God is patient and longsuffering but when we have had opportunity to receive His Salvation and reject or put-it-off, He will say - Enough is Enough!
Paul warns - "Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts" (Romans 1:24).
Settle your Future — Today — Believe and Receive the Love of God in His son Jesus Christ.
For more information or counseling contact Pastor Bruce R. Burke, Open Bible Ministries, 263 Edgefield Road, Lake Ariel, PA 18436; Phone (570)698-7890; cell (570)470-3760 or e-mail openbiblemin@verizon.net.
God's promise through the Prophet Isaiah for the children of Israel in the Old Testament is an everlasting promise - not only for Israel then ~ but also for the Church of Jesus Christ today!
'Thus says the Lord, who created you, 0 Jacob, and He formed you, 0 Israel —fear not, for I have redeemed you — I have called you by your name — you are Mine! ... I AM the Lord your God - the Holy One of Israel - your Savior" (Isaiah 43:1,3).
He goes on to say - "You have been honored - and I have loved you"(vs.4). Keep in mind that He is also including New Testament Christians who are following Jesus Christ - "Fear not, for I am with you"(vs.5). Remember - "He is the same — yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8);
Continuing in Isaiah 43, in verse 10 He says — "You are My witnesses, says the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen"— and in verse 11 — "/, even I, AM the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior."
In instructions to Moses as he was to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, in answer to his question of who shall I say sent me - God answered, "I AM that I AM!" (Exodus 3:14) - so we see that He is the Great I AM! This name for God points to His self-existence and eternality — it denotes "/ AM the One who was, and who is, and who will forever be" — He is the same God throughout the ages!
A famous quote of Jesus Christ says — "I AM the Way, and the Truth, and the Ufe - NO ONE comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).
Again, God says in Isaiah 43:10-15 - "You are My witnesses says the Lord...that I AM He ... I, even I, AM the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior. .. Indeed ... I AM He — and there is no one who can deliver out of My hand" — "I AM the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator, your King."
"Behold I will do a new thing" (vs.19) - "This people I have formed for Myself - they shall declare My praise" (vs.21) - "I, even I, AM He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake"(vs-25).
The Apostle Peter proclaimed - "Neither is there Salvation in any other, for there is no other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be Saved" (Acts 4:12). And the Apostle Paul added - "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ -and you shall be Saved" (Acts 16:31).
The Great I AM - God the Creator - knew the hopelessness of man - the sinfulness of man - the very man that He created for fellowship in the Garden of Eden — yet He made that man with a free will to choose his destiny — and Adam chose to disobey God's simple rule and sinned against Him - thus putting us all under the curse of sin - "For ALL have sinned and come short of the Glory of God" (Romans 3:23) - and - "The wages of sin is death - but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
"As through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus sin spread to all men, because all sinned" {Romans 5:12) ~ "Therefore as through one man's (Adam) offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's (Jesus) Righteous act the Free Gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life — for as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, also by one Man's obedience many will be made Righteous" (Romans 5:18,19).
So it comes down to a decision - the same decision Adam had to make - a choice between obedience and disobedience - so we today have the same decision to make - to choose to obey and follow a righteous and loving God - or to choose to follow our own selfish downward path to destruction and death.
Jesus is a gentleman - He will never force us to do anything. The perfect example of this is - "Behold, I stand at the door and knock — if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and He with Me" (Revelation 3:20). The picture is of Jesus standing at the door of your heart - patiently waiting for you to open your heart and life to Him so he can come in and Save you and give you Forgiveness, Salvation, and the Abundant Life He has promised (John 10:10).
We are very lovingly warned - "He will not always strive with us - nor will He withhold his anger forever" (Psalm 103:9). God is patient and longsuffering but when we have had opportunity to receive His Salvation and reject or put-it-off, He will say - Enough is Enough!
Paul warns - "Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts" (Romans 1:24).
Settle your Future — Today — Believe and Receive the Love of God in His son Jesus Christ.
For more information or counseling contact Pastor Bruce R. Burke, Open Bible Ministries, 263 Edgefield Road, Lake Ariel, PA 18436; Phone (570)698-7890; cell (570)470-3760 or e-mail openbiblemin@verizon.net.
