Friday, May 28, 2010

Created in His Image

Out of all of God's creation, man was created last of all, on the 6th day of creation. He was made the same day the beasts were and from the same earth. He was also made to inhabit the earth with them, yet to rule over them. Man was created to be a different creature from the animals. He had flesh and spirit and was made to be dedicated and devoted to the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. God said, "Let us make man in our image." God then proceeded to create Adam, the first man, from the earth. He then created Eve, the first woman, from the side of Adam. The first man and first woman were made in the image of God. This was before the fall of man, (before the serpent talked Eve into eating the forbidden fruit and she twisted Adam's arm into doing the same [the devil made me do it]) but the Bible tells us in
1 Corinthians 11:7 that man is still created in the likeness and glory of God.

So how does man reflect the image of God? How can that be? God is infinitely above anything man can hope to attain. God is perfect and man is imperfect. It is the soul of man that bears God's image. The soul is an intelligent, active, immortal spirit resembling God, the Father of spirits, and the soul of the world. God’s image upon man consists in knowledge, righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10). We know from John 4 that God is Spirit and does not reside in a physical body. We exist currently as body and soul together which are intertwined to make us the persons we are. While our bodies do not resemble God, our bodies are called the temple of God in 2 Corinthians 3:16-17, "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple." This truth is also found in 1 Corinthians 6:19, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,you were bought with a price. Therefore honor God with your body." What an endorsement for a healthy diet and lifestyle!

God gave man free will which also reflects God’s image. Man has the ability to choose his own actions. He understands good and evil unlike Adam and Eve before the fall, although Adam and Eve did understand they should obey God’s commands. God did not create mankind to be robots, but to think and make decisions based on principles He has set in place.

Because we are made in God’s image, we are able to fellowship with Him. Through this fellowship we should daily be more and more like Him in everything we do. Thanks to progressive sanctification, we can be made more into His likeness day by day. My responsibility as a Christian is to let the light and love of God shine through my life to everyone I come into contact with. My prayer daily is for the Holy Spirit to assist me in doing just that. God wants me involved in His work here on earth. He loves me and has called me to serve Him. The highest compliment I have ever been paid and the biggest responsibility I have ever been given was for the God of all creation to tell me that I am created in His image!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

My Vacation

This week I am preparing for a vacation. I am so excited; I’ve already packed my bags!! I have not taken a trip (other than a short weekend trip) in many years. I remember the last trip I took which required me to leave Texas was when my son got married in Las Vegas 4 years ago and, you guessed it – weekend trip! In just 3 days I will get on a plane at Hobby Airport and fly to Atlanta. I’ve never been to the Atlanta Airport, but I have heard horror stories. All I have to do is find the MARTA train and make sure I am on the correct one to take me to Doraville, where my niece will pick me up and drive me to Cleveland, GA, about an hour north. I will be visiting my sister and her children and grandchildren who live nearby. Hopefully my niece and nephew from Alabama will have the opportunity to drive over for a visit while I am there. Judy (my sister) has a lot of things planned and it was wise to make her home the first stop on my trip. I am sure we will go to Helen, Babyland (home of the Cabbage Patch Doll), and some antique stores. Of course, we will be attending First Baptist Church of Cleveland, GA on Sunday followed by a wonderful lunch with family. It will be so good to see everyone there that I miss so much.

After spending 3 busy days and nights with Judy, I am taking a shuttle back to the Atlanta Airport and flying to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. to see my newest grandson, Raven. He was just born 8 days ago and I can hardly wait to hold him and kiss his chubby cheeks. My daughter Krys is fairly laid back so I am planning to spend a lot of time at my hotel, sunning, sleeping and doing a lot of nothing for 4 solid days! Oh, I am sure we will take in the sights, but my goal once I hit Florida is to enjoy white sand beaches and crystal clear water. That is something I have never experienced. I was born in Galveston. From pictures I have seen of other islands, Galveston beaches are the ugliest in the world! Thank goodness Ft. Lauderdale is on the Atlantic side of the state so there should be no problems from the ongoing influx of oil and is currently spewing off the coast of Louisiana. By the way, I remember getting tar all over my body and bathing suits since I was a child whenever we went to Galveston. Oil spills must be talked about more now than they were then. Just a thought . . .

I have had a very difficult couple of years with the loss of 3 jobs. Fortunately, I now have a wonderful job at NASA, but no one here knows how long our jobs will be in place. I know God is in control so I refuse to worry about losing this job. Instead I have chosen to thank God for His blessings and provision. I wanted to share this particular blog to let my friends know about my trip May 15 -22, but to also give thanks to God for allowing me to take this trip. Every good and perfect gift comes from God. He does not vary or change; God is good, all the time. I also want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to go to college and pursue a degree in Religion with a minor in Biblical Studies. I’ve been working hard and am proud to report that at the end of my first semester I have 4 A’s (the highest average being 100 and the lowest being 96.7). That is pretty cool for someone who hasn’t been to school in 44 years! So, thank you, Lord! I worship You for who You are and I praise You for the things You have done and are continuing to do in my life. As the Vicki Yohe song says, “Because of who You are I give you glory. Because of who You are I give you praise. Because of who You are, I will life my voice and say, Lord I worship You because of who You are. Jehovah Jireh, my provider; Jehovah Nissi, Lord you reign in victory; Jehovah Shalom, You’re my Prince of Peace; Lord I worship You because of who You are.”

Don’t forget to thank God today for those things He has done and continues to do in your life. Everything you have came from His hand. The prayers of his children are like sweet incense to Him. Be faithful in prayer to the One who loves you more than you will ever know.

Be blessed this day!

Candy