In "His" Image

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created
he him; male and female created he them". - Genesis 1:27 We are made in God's image. Not just the man. Not just the woman. Both male and female are made in God's image! Incredibly, this is not just true before the Fall.

When God made us in the womb of our mothers: "For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them." - Psalm 139:13-16 he made us in his image, "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man."  - Genesis 9:6.

Because people are precious to God, because we reflect something of the character of our Creator, each person is to be valued. None is to be denigrated, belittled, or cursed "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh."
- James 3:9-12. People are precious, not only to God, but also to us because in some special way they reflect his image.

He's Holding Me!

"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to
present you faultless before the presence of his glory with
exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and
majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."-Jude 1:24-25
      
What a great cluster of truths are found in this one prayer of
blessing. Our eyes are first drawn to what God can do for us --
prevent us from falling and present us before his glorious presence
in joyful perfection. But on closer inspection, our hearts are
drawn to the description of our incredible God: the one who is
able, the only God, our Savior, the one who lives in glory and
majesty and power and authority, the one who has communicated to us
through Jesus our Lord, and the one who exists before all ages and
who is alive now and who will be forevermore. Our blessings as
God's children are incredible, but the reason why they are is that
our God is beyond incredible, awesome, and wonderful. Our words
cannot do him justice. Our brightest insights cannot comprehend the
glory he has. Yet despite his grandeur, he loves you and me in our
finite mortality!

A Leap of Faith

Isaiah 28:16

¹⁶Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Is a Oak tree, like a great foundation? I would believe that it is, considering the overwhelming size and root system that occurs in them. Today I was watching a group of squirrels run around gathering nuts and what not, even though it's already winter, and by now there should have already been snow, but I digress. Still these squirrels were gathering, running to and fro from nut to nut, and from tree to tree.

Something that I found intriguing as I watched these beautiful, funny looking creatures would take a leap of faith, and would jump from tree to tree, and limb to limb with no hesitation, and no regard of whether the tree would hold them up or not. I opened with the verse from Isaiah stating "a sure foundation" what a wonderful thought, a foundation that is sure means we can depend on that foundation to hold, stand firm, and last, no matter the storms, wind, heat, water, and so on and so on.

Just as those squirrels would jump from limb to limb without hesitation, faithed truly in knowing those tree's would hold them, so should we rely in faith on our God who can uphold us as He stated in Hebrews 1:3 "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high"

May we always be reminded of the majesty and security of God, and always consider the God of the universe in every decision we make, and every step we take.

How much surrender?

The Measure of that surrender; We read in the fourth verse of Genesis 39: "All that he had he put into his hand." Then in verse 5: "And it came to pass from the time that he made him overseer over all that he had" - there you have it the second time. "The Lord blessed the Egyptians house, and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had."  - there the third time. Then in verse 6: ^"And he left all that he had" - there you have the words the fourth time - " in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat."

What do I see hear? I see that Potiphar actually put everything into Joseph's hand's. He made him master over His slaves. Even all of His money was put into Joseph's hands, we read that Potiphar had care for nothing. When dinner was put upon the table, he ate it; and that was all he knew of what was going on in His house. Is this not being entirely surrender? He put everything into the hands of Jesus!

Joseph is obviously a parallel to Christ in the New Testament, so with this thought in mind, should we not put our in tire trust into the King of King's and the Lord of Lord's? Where do you stand today, with your trust in Christ? Let us lean on Him, and learn of Him!

Reflecting, to move forward

By: Brandon Harrison /1-18-12

It's easy to say that the last few years have been difficult, and not always the best, but it's well known that what's to come is far better than what's been. Studying this week on the importance of a better relationship with Christ, there are a few things I found...

1. Christ Desires a closer relationship with us:
• Let us strive to grow closer to him.
2. Christ Delivered His best for us:
• Let us strive to give our best for him.
3. Christ Determined to carry the Cross for us:
• Let us strive to go the extra mile for him.
4. Christ Demonstrated His Love for us:
• Let us strive to gain more love for him.
5. Christ Despises Sin in us:
• Let us strive to guard ourselves from it.

May we this year determine to Grow, Give, Go, Gain, Guard more than ever in our walk with Christ!