WHO AM I?

JOHN THE BAPTIST [Mtt.11:11]-
“…Who are you? He declared, he did not deny but declared, I am not the Christ. So they asked, then you are Elijah? He replied, I am not. Are you the Prophet? He answered, No. So they said to him, who are you? We must take back answer to those who sent us. What have you to say about yourself? So he said, I am, as Isaiah prophesied:
A voice of one that cries in the desert:
Prepare a way for the Lord.
Make his paths straight!” {Jn.1:19-23}

JESUS CHRIST; OUR GOD, SAVIOR, REDEEMER, IMMANUEL AND RIGHTEUOSNESS-
‘…who do people say the Son of man is? And they said, some say John the Baptist, some Elijah and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. But you, he said, who do you say I am? Then Simon Peter spoke up and said, You are Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus replied, Simon son of Jonah, you are a blessed man! Because it was no human agency that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven’ {Mtt.16:13-17}

----from the perspective of John the Baptist, it takes humility (he who humbles himself will be exalted and vice versa) to accept our nothingness [“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, naked I shall return again…” Job 1:21] before God in order to fill the power of His love urging us on thus ‘he who humbles himself will be exalted’. Without the virtue of humility and a host of other virtues we may be standing in the realm of lip-service Christianity (“this people honors me only with lip-service while their hearts are far from me. Their reverence of me is worthless; the lessons they teach are nothing but human commandments” Mtt.15:8) which makes our cry to God for healing [personal, family, country e.t.c] seem more of a mockery of ourselves ‘…those who honor me I honor in my turn and those who despise me will be an object of contempt’ {1Sam.2:30} and “if my people who bear my name humble themselves and pray and seek my presence and turn from their wicked ways, then I will listen from heaven and forgive their sins and restore their country” [2Chr.7:14]

----from the side of Our Lord and Master (Sirach 36:1) Jesus Christ; there is need for reflection and thought provoking questions to ourselves and others around us about what we depict in their presence as well as what we are to God Our Creator {Gen.1:27} in the absence of peoples observation (gaze) i.e the thoughts [“More than all else, keep watch over your heart, since here are the wellsprings of life” Prov.4:23] we feed our minds with when alone, the pictures/videos/books/songs we hold-unto {downloading via internet, camera phones} or share (uploading via internet, camera phones) when no one seems to be around [‘A word is not yet on my tongue before you, Lord know all about it’ Ps.139:4], the things we do with same/opposite sex behind closed doors (“The Lord says this, out of your own household I shall raise misfortune for you. Before your very eyes I shall you’re your wives and give them to your neighbor, who will lie with your wives in broad daylight. You have worked in secret, but I shall work this for all Israel to see in broad daylight” 2Sam.12:11-12) as well as with our body-parts when alone {‘…I know about your behavior: how you are reputed to be alive and yet ye are dead’ Rev.3:1}, the speech, gesticulations, dressing/eating/sitting-habit during the day in and around the house/streets/schools/office-apartments/church/institutions e.t.c what impression and thoughts does it promote on the hearts of passers-by [“ “no foul word should ever cross your lips; let your words be for the improvement of others, as occasion offers and do good to your listeners” Eph.4:29, ‘others you must save by snatching them from the fire; to others again you must be compassionate but wary hating even the tunic (clothes) stained by their bodies’ Jude 1:23] as well as personal accruals? (“To which Samuel said: is the Lord pleased by burnt offerings and sacrifices or by obedience to the Lord’s voice? Truly, obedience is better than sacrifice, submissiveness than the fat of rams. Rebellion is a sin of sorcery, presumption a crime of idolatry!” 1Sam 15:22, ‘a woman must not dress like a man, nor a man like a woman; anyone who does this is detestable to the Lord your God’ Deut.22:5)

When you ask questions about whom you are to people in and around your world; you will get both positive and negative answers: thank God for both responses as they are his secrets revealed only to the innocent and child-like (‘at the time Jesus exclaimed, I bless you Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and clever and revealing them to little children. Yes, Father for that is what it pleased you to do’ Mtt.11:25-26) then focus more on the negative comments, without sentiments and bias as well as openness to Grace (‘none of the trials which have come upon you is more than a human being can stand. You can trust that God will not let you be put to the test beyond your strength, but with any trial will also provide a way out by enabling you to put up with it’ 1 Cor.10:13) and the Holy Spirit [Jn16:8-11, Jn.8:32] work on it by rejecting such behaviors, attitude, thoughts, ideas as well as renouncing/fleeing the environment [unholy tie with a man/woman/spirits via internet/physical realm, pornographic pictures/videos/books/leaflets/songs, clothes that promote lust/scandal amongst other people who are weak (women; tight-skirts/tops /mini-skirts/transparent clothes/visible under wear lines/strapless gowns/sleeveless tops/V-neck &show-back tops/trousers/bomb-shots)\ (men; boxers/short knickers/sleeveless tops/sagging & tight trousers) ], unforgiving spirit, slander, back-biting, pride, anger, jealousy, drunkenness, lying lips {Hell-fire; Rev.21:8}, smoking, idolatry, haughty look, abortion, glutton, partying-spirit, spite, heresy (leaving the One, Holy & Apostolic Church of Christ for miracles; Jer.14:14-16, Lk.17:21). The renouncement of these environments is followed up by a replacement of the above attributes with virtues of reading, meditating, and living on the word of God [Col.4:5], building up decent friendship with those who are desirous of righteousness (Mtt.5:6) within the foundation laid on the apostles and prophets {1 Cor.3:11, Eph.2:20} with Christ as the corner-stone in order to consistently maintain a righteous path with God till the end (‘but anyone who stands firm to the end will be saved’ Mtt.24:13)
WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?