I would like to invite you to listen to this video before reading today’s blog. Close your eyes, if you will; allow the Holy Spirit to surround you and speak to your heart. (You will definitely want to turn up the volume!)
I can only imagine what it will be like when I walk by His side…I can only imagine what my eyes will see when His Face is before me…I can only imagine! How about you?!? Does your heart not yearn for our Lord’s return? Do you not have your heart set on life eternally spent in the Presence of the Great I AM? Can you hardly wait?!?
King Solomon, a man graced by God with more wisdom than any other man, wrote the following.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart;
yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11
God did this! He put a strong desire to dwell forever with the Great I AM in the human heart! We understand this, don’t we? I can only imagine….
In our final lesson today, Teresa shared with us that we have REASON, we have HOPE, and we have PROMISE to cling to. (Please insert your name in the blanks.)
- REASON: (_______) needed a Savior—John 3:16 and 17
- HOPE: (_______) is awaiting the Lord’s return—Philippians 3:20
- PROMISE: (_______) will have a new, perfect body—Philippians 3:21
Please personalize this, my friends! When we recognize and believe that the Great I AM has made a way from the beginning for (______) to be saved and redeemed and bought back with a precious and costly price—the blood of Jesus—then, I can only imagine….
And check this out! Here is another promise…we shall see Him; how AWESOME is this?
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.
1 Corinthians 13:12
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Matthew 5:8
Hope remains for God’s children (us! you and me!) We have these beautiful promises from our Faithful God—we SHALL SEE Jesus face-to-face. I can only imagine….
Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared;
but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him,
because we shall see Him as He is.
1 John 3:2
From this glorious verse we are assured of THREE things:
—we know that He will appear;
—we know that we shall be like Him;
—we know we shall see Him.
To KNOW and be assured of these things gives such comfort and joy to our hearts, doesn’t it? This is TRUTH to speak to ourselves every day! To remind ourselves that I AM God’s child, I AM going to be like Him (like HIM!!! amazing!), I AM going to see the Lord. The truth contained in the Scriptures is our standard, upon which we can stake our very lives because God has spoken it. I can only imagine….
Jesus’ followers have always believed that He will come again. He promised the apostles: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” John 14:3.
Paul related the same promise: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness…” Titus 2:11-14.
The Church today believe this, too. We wait for His return! When Jesus was finishing giving Revelation to John, at the very end He says,
He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I AM coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Revelation 22:20
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Friends, this concludes our study of ‘I AM, Discovering the Character of God through the Revelation of the Scripture.’ Has this study been EVEN MORE than you had hoped? It certainly has for us! We pray that Teresa’s book, the accompanying blogs written over the past 7 weeks, and our group study has been a great blessing in your life. God has certainly knit our hearts together as we have studied the truth of His Word together. God bless you! <3
And, Teresa, we just would like to communicate our love for you and our thanks! At the opening of your book, you invited your readers to dig in and ‘find ourselves’ in the pages of God’s Word. Oh! My! How amazingly that has happened! We remain so very thankful for your obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit as He taught you…and you taught us! We are so thankful to God for all that He has worked in your heart, Teresa. May He continue to make Himself known as He leads you along this path He has placed you on! We pray for you and your loved ones asking the Great I AM to continue to bless you, keep you and make His face to shine upon you…in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Ladies, may I pray for you?
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26
Lord, I thank You for each and every one of Your daughters who I have been privileged to journey with through this “I AM” study. We have shared this journey—the growth, the challenges, the struggles, the peace, the joy—and grown closer together. Thank You for that, Lord! I pray for each of these dear hearts that You would continue to draw them close to Yourself. I ask, Lord, that as You have worked in each of their hearts, they would continue to seek You and find You through the Scriptures. Thank You, Lord, for their hearts, their lives, and their loved ones. In Jesus our Lord’s name.
Amen.
About coleen hayden
As I awoke this morning and started to pray, I saw in my mind myself as a little “I AM” walking through my day representing The Great I AM to those I came in contact with. My question to myself was (and is), “Are people seeing The I AM in and through me, or am I just another good person?” I know ‘the Reason, the Hope, and the Promise. I am a member of God’s family, a holy people. (Eph 2:19-21) There’s not a lot of hope in this world and promises are broken every day, but I (we) have God’s Hope and God’s Promise to offer those around us. It means Eternity with God if they accept it, but they can’t accept unless they are given a chance to hear the Good News. (Rom 10:14) The cry of my heart is that I can help others “imagine what it will be like ‘with Christ in Eternity.'”
Thank you, Coleen, for wrapping this book up with such a Spirit-inspired study this morning. “My HOPE is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness!”
And Teresa, thank you again, for allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you to write this book. It has made a positive difference in our lives. You said, “The more we embrace theses truths from Scripture about who we have become in Christ, the more stable, grateful and fully assured we will be in this world. Thank God for the REASON, HOPE, and PROMISE of a life in Eternity with Him.” Amen!
we DO have such reason, hope, and His promises!!! His light does shine through you, clella! go light your world! <3
I <3 that song Miss Coleen. I can't even begin to imagine or wrap my mind around what it will be like when we see Him face to face ..Your Blogs always Bless my heart… Thank you each and everyone for all you have done through the course of this study. Teresa powerful, life changing study sister Loved it 🙂
me, too, miss kim! brings me to a place of worship of the Great I AM that almost nothing else does. and, YES, that is the point…we can (hardly) imagine what it will be like! <3
I first heard that song driving home from the hospital after my dad passed way … I cried the entire way home from grief and celebration because I knew where dad was. I knew he wasn’t imagining anymore. I think of him every time I hear the song and smile to think of the wonders he now has on a daily basis, and what I have to look forward to! Great recap of an amazing study!
oh, amy…what a blessing God gave you! thanks for sharing with us! <3
Coleen, you have provided the perfect ‘pause’ to this study. As you said, it will continue in us as we seek Him and grow in Him. What an amazing and rewarding study from the inspiration poured into Teresa for the book to the inspiration poured into all of the bloggers for our daily reads. Poured to overflowing. What will we do with the overflow? Thank you GCH for changing my life for the better through your commitment to sharing God’s Word.
i don’t know…what will we do? (I AM sure that the Great I AM has a plan or two!) we have each been changed through this study, that is really true, coLLeen! <3
For the first time I am speechless. I’m breathing it in all He has promised. And I’m imagining all that we have to look forward to as His children living with Him in eternity. Thank you coleen. Beautifully written.
speechless?!? i am sure you are singing your praises though…if i know you, kim! <3
This has been a life-changing study for me. Thank-you Teresa for allowing the Holy Spirit to work through you to write this book & to teach us. We have Reason, Hope and a Promise…Amen!