He is I Am (cover of Marksmen song)

For years, I played gospel music with Pap and his brother Ray in NC, GA, TN, etc. On quite a few occasions, we crossed paths with a talented group from Georgia called the Marksmen Quartet. From talking before and after shows, we became friends. Pap was flattered when the Marksmen performed/recorded some of his songs. It was an honor because the "front man" of the group, Mark Wheeler, is one of the most talented writers of gospel songs of the last decades of the 20th Century. Although Mark was much younger than Pap, Pap was impressed with the depth of Mark's lyrics. Pap especially loved Mark's songs "Mercy and Grace" and "He is I Am." He told me once that he thought "He is I Am" was possibly Mark's best song. It would be hard to pick his best song, but this one is deeply insightful. It opens by presenting how Jesus fulfilled the prophecy that He would ultimately be rejected by his own people, and soon after, it captures the inability of the disciples to comprehend Jesus' mission/Kingdom while he was still among them. We are carnally minded and struggle when it comes to understanding spiritual things. The second verse jumps back to Moses' encounter with God at the burning bush. "I Am" is the English translation of the Hebrew word/name that God gave Moses, "Yahweh." This is such a profound answer to Moses' question, that it cannot be fabricated. Can you imagine how this name stirred the hearts of the Egyptians, including Pharaoh, when they heard it? It would have struck the very core of their inner voice/conscience. They were busy playing around with false gods and idols, but knew inherently that there is a real God, though they did not want to face Him or deal with that reality. In addition to singing gospel music, Mark is a preacher. This song shows that he is very familiar with the Bible as a whole. The third verse references Jesus' words to Lazarus' sister, "I Am the resurrection." This song lists many of the things that Jesus is, causing an attentive listener to mediate on His allness, for lack of a better word. The song is an all around masterpiece, but the deepest part of the song is the chorus. There are so many ways to take the title line, all of them true. I exist only because God exists; I would stop existing without Him (Mathew 4:4). There is and can be no me, without Him. He is not only my way of coming to exist but is my only way of continuing to exist. He provides me a place to exist. He provides me reasons to exist. He literally is everything, and it is only because of Him that I am not literally nothing. This song also features a very interesting note. The first "am" of the chorus is too high to hit while still being in the main chord. If you just hit the note while strumming the chord, you will be sharp. It will sound like you've gone to the high chord with your voice but not your instrument. This almost drove me crazy till I discovered that the note will work as long as you're making the descending run on the A string. Just as you sing that note, you're hitting the A string in the same spot you would depress it in the G major position. It is only this fact that allows you to hit that note while still being in the base chord. I don't know if Mark planned it that way or if it was a happy accident. Either way, it's very interesting, and rare. I thought about doing another Stuart Hamblin song for Pap's birthday. He certainly loved Hamblin's music; but much of Hamblin's music needs strings or large accompaniment to really sound right. Maybe next year, I'll do one of Pap's own songs for his birthday, Lord willing. For this year, I thought this song would be perfect. Pap loved it, and it aligns with his view and understanding of our Lord, our Father. The lyrics are below. You can find both a studio version and live version of Mark Wheeler (the writer) singing this song on YouTube with the Marksmen Quartet. He came unto His own, but they received Him not; The Word inside a body; The Lamb without a spot. He tried and tried to tell them. He said, "I am the way." They couldn't understand how that He could say: I am the Son of God. I am the vine. I am the Good Shepherd, And I know which are mine. I am the life, and with you I will be. When they asked if He was Jesus, He said, "I am He." He is I am. He is I am. He is I am, And I am nothing without Him. Moses on the mountain questioned God the same, "Who shall I say sent me? What is your name?" The Father said, "Go tell them I am sent you. Know that I'll be with you, and I'll show you what to do." Repeat chorus He is the Resurrection. He is the way. He said that He'd be with us, and He still is today. Repeat chorus Listen to original singles released on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5VX6Z... Listen to original singles on YouTube:    / @paulwilson6260   Listen to Shepherd of My Soul (Album released in 2016): https://open.spotify.com/album/4VnoOy...