Image Bearers

"God... has in these last days spoken to us by His Son... being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person."
                                                                                                                                    Hebrews 1:1-3




One of the reasons God sent Jesus to this earth for us was so that we could visualize who God is.  He wanted us to tangibly see how much He loves us and how big His heart for mankind truly is.  When we trace the steps of Christ throughout the Gospels, we see His power and His compassion and His tenderness.  We also witness Jesus' beauty, goodness, truth, justice, and love.  More than all these, when we survey the cross, we see the fierce longing of a God who sacrificed everything just so He could have a relationship with us.  So vast, and yet so close.

In the same way that Jesus was called to be the image bearer of God the Father, we are called to be image bearers of Christ. We have been given the tools (the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit) to do so.  But, ultimately, it will be our values that determine our course.  That is because we are created to pursue that which we love.

The prophet Jeremiah penned a portrait of godly values in the book of Lamentations when he wrote: "Oh, remember the bitterness and suffering you have dealt to me!  For I can never forget these awful years, always my soul will live in utter shame.  Yet there is one ray of hope: His compassions never end.  It is only the Lord's mercies that have kept us from complete destruction.  Great is His faithfulness; His loving-kindness begins afresh each day.  My soul claims the Lord as my inheritance; therefore I will hope in Him.  The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for Him, to those who seek for Him.  It is good both to hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."  (Lamentations 3:19-26).

We are called to be agents of change on this earth and more than likely that means that we will live with opposition and persecution.  Jeremiah was faithful, in spite of what it cost him.  He continued to love his people until (and even after) they were destroyed for their sin.

True faithfulness to God can only occur after we have had a thorough reformation of our heart and life.  It is not enough to have right actions, if we don't have the right motives to go along with them.  It is only by God's grace that we become God-pleasers, both in what we say and in what we do.

In the first chapter of the book of Galatians, the apostle, Paul, asks a rhetorical question: "Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God?  Do I seek to please men?" (Galatians 1:10a).  He goes on to answer his own question by emphasizing the fact that being a God-pleaser and being a man-pleaser are mutually exclusive.  He says, "If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah)." (Galatians 1:10b).

Mutual exclusivity.  That means that no matter what our actions may be, if our motives are to please ourselves or to please others, we still miss the mark.  When our motive is our own self, we will continually seek the approval, acceptance, and favor of others.  This makes it impossible to please God.  In the gospel of John, he asks: "How can you believe when you are always wanting honor from each other?"  (John 5:44a).  He goes on to add that, in this, "you do not look for the honor that comes from the only God." (John 5:44b).

Honoring God is very costly.  When the apostle Paul surrendered his desires to God, he paid a high price.  He lost the ability to be promoted in the Sanhedrin.  He lost the opportunity to rise among the ranks of the Rabbi's.  He also lost his security, comfort, reputation, dignity, and the predictability of his life as he knew it.

And yet, he gained so much more!  He moved from living a life in the natural to a very supernatural life.  Because his troubles were beyond his human ability, Paul learned to full trust God.  There is nothing that will conform us as quickly as intense pressure will.  Paul became a beautiful example of a God-pleaser, living in the center of God's will, bringing glory and honor to the name of God.

It is only by God's grace that we can become God-pleasers.  It was the grace of God that called Paul and it was the grace of God that revealed His Son to him. The same will be true for our lives, as well.

It was the grace of God that turned Paul from a persecutor of the Church to being persecuted for Jesus' sake.  This required a transformation from within.  Not only did the grace of God choose Paul, but it also changed him.  The same is true for us.  If there is not a change in our lives, then it is not really God's grace that is at work.

A life of obedience does not come from making good impressions on people.  Nor does it come from looking good on the outside.  It comes from the peace and joy of knowing that God loves us, is not done with us, and despite our sin, He still chooses us for His service and glory.

We please God by obeying His Word and doing as He commands (in His Word).  We are equipped through the power of His Holy Spirit. David tells us that, "Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces will never be ashamed." (Psalm 34:5).  This is how we fully become the image bearers of Christ, our King!


"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.  For this comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
                                                                                                                            (2 Corinthians 3:18)

The Throne

                   " God reigns over the nations; God sits upon His holy throne."
                                                                                                   Psalm 47:8




As the political banter begins to ricochet from every media outlet, we are inundated with a plethora of ideas and visions for what will be best for us and for our nation in the coming years.  If we limit our forcus merely to the horizontal plane, we will overlook the most important aspect of our day- that is, where is God and what is He saying to us? The answers to these questions can only be found vertically, in an upward ascent.

As believers in Christ, the hope we have will always be secured to the throne of God.  If we have a limited view of God, we will have a limited life.  It is God's purpose and plan for each one of us to see Him with clarity in the vastness and majesty that are ascribed solely to Him.  In the Old Testament, the prophet, Isaiah, describes God's throne as follows:

   " In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne,
     and His robe filled the temple.  Seraphim were standing above Him; each one had
     six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two
     he flew.  And one called to another: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; His glory
     fills the whole earth.'  The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices,
    and the temple was filled with smoke.  Then I said: 'Woe is me for I am ruined for I am a
    man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have
    seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.' Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand
    was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs.  He touched my mouth
    with it and said: ' Now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed and
    your sin is atoned for.'  Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: ' Who should I send?
    Who will go for us?'  I said: ' Here i am. Send me.'"   ( Isaiah 6:1-8).

After Isaiah saw the Lord in His fullness, it was impossible for him to remain silent.  His first order of business, however, was to see himself in humility and come into agreement with God's Holy Spirit regarding the sin in his own life.  He cried out for God to cleanse him and God willingly answered his prayer.

We are all prone to have blind spots in regards to the sin in our own lives.  The more we resist God's truths the more likely we are to become blind, deaf, and hard-hearted to our own sin.  Weaknesses will vary among us, but the antidote never does.  Susanna Wesley, mother of John and Charles Wesley, describes sin as follows: " Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, and takes off the relish of spiritual things- that, to you, is sin."

The author of the book of Hebrews teaches us that when we identify sin in our lives that this is the time to run to God's throne of grace.  He says, " Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace ( the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it.]"  (Hebrews 4:16).

Not only does God sit upon a throne of grace, He also sits upon a throne of glory and a throne of government.  The apostle John describes God's throne as follows:

    "Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had
     heard before, which sounded like a mighty trumpet blast, spoke to me and said, 'Come
     up here and I will show you what must happen in the future!'  And instantly I was in the
     spirit there in heaven and saw- oh, the glory of it!- a throne and someone sitting on it!
     Great bursts of light flashed forth from Him as from a glittering diamond or from a shining
     ruby, and a rainbow glowing like an emerald encircled His throne.  Twenty-four smaller
     thrones surrounded His, with twenty-four Elders sitting on them; all were clothed in white,
     with golden crowns upon their heads.  Lightening and thunder issued from the throne,
     and there were voices in the thunder.  Directly in front of His throne were seven lighted
     lamps representing the sevenfold Spirit of God.  Spread out before it was a shiny crystal
     sea.  Four Living Beings, dotted front and back with eyes, stood at the throne's four sides. 
     The first of these Living Beings was in the form of a lion; the second looked like an ox;
     the third had the face of a man; and the fourth, the form of an eagle, with wings spread out
     though in flight.  Each of these Living Beings had six wings, and the central sections of their
     wings were covered with eyes.  Day after day and night after night they kept on saying,
     ' Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty - the One who was, and is, and is to come.'"
     And when the Living Beings gave honor and glory and thanks to the One sitting on the
     throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four Elders fell down before Him and
     worshipped Him, the Eternal Living One, and cast their crowns before the throne, singing,
     ' O Lord, you are worthy to receive the glory and the honor and the power, for you have
     created all things. They were created and called into being by your act of will.'"  (Revelation,
     Chapter 4).

There are not words in our language that can adequately convey the essence of our God.  Therefore, John can only use comparisons as he tries to describe the image of God the Father that he beholds.  He says that God appears as a glittering diamond or as a shining ruby.  He describes God as being robed in light ( Psalm 104:2 and 1 Timothy 6:16).

He then describes a rainbow that surrounds God that is a complete circle.  He describes this rainbow as appearing like an emerald.  Typically a rainbow would appear in the sky after a storm but this rainbow precedes the judgment that is coming to the earth.  This is a reminder of God's covenant and His mercy, even in the midst of judgment.  The prophet, Habakkuk, reminds us that even "in wrath [God] remembers love, pity, and mercy."  ( Habakkuk 3:2)

Because God is showing John His throne at a futuristic date, the twenty-four Elders probably symbolize the completion of all the people of God in heaven.  The white robes they wear and the gold crowns on their heads probably convey their victory in overcoming the world and standing firm in Christ.

The four "Living Beings" surrounding God's throne probably symbolize His wisdom ( because of their many eyes). Their mission is to declare the holiness of God.  These creatures use the name, Lord God Almighty, which shows the ultimate power of God and His ability to complete His mission on earth.

In front of God's throne are seven blazing lamps and a sea of glass that looks like crystal.  The blazing lamps symbolize God's Holy Spirit and the sea of glass represents His holiness.  In the 22nd Chapter of the book of Revelation, John tells us, "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb."  (Revelation 22:1).  This is where revival and refreshing are connected to the very throne of God!

Everything we will ever need comes from God's throne.  It is pre-eminent above all else.  No matter what is happening in our lives, in our nation, and even in the world, our very foundation is established in the throne room of God.  Regardless of our circumstances, we remember that God is still seated upon the throne- the throne of glory, the throne of government, and the throne of grace!


" Nothing whatever, whether great or small, can happen to a believer, without God's ordering and permission.  There is no such thing as "chance", "luck", or "accident" in the Christian's journey through this world.  All is arranged and appointed by God.  And all things are "working together" for the believer's good."
                                                                            J.C. Ryle (1816-1900), Anglican bishop, Liverpool

The Thoughts We Think

" I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me..."
                                                                                                                        ( Galatians 2:20)



     God created our brain to be a very powerful and complex organ.  It is the epicenter of our nervous system and the cerebral cortex, alone, contains between 15 and 33 billion neurons.  The brain exerts control over all our other organs, muscle activity, and the secretion of hormones.  It operates as a biological computer as it acquires information from the surrounding world, stores it, and processes it in a variety of ways.

     Researchers have studied the brain for centuries but still have many unanswered questions.  When the electronic computer was discovered in the 1940's, it brought enlightenment to the study of brain function through more understanding of electrical activity and information processing.  Despite decades of research and development in computer science, we still have no technology that rivals the ability and complexity of the human brain.  That is because the brain uniquely has the ability to: adapt to new and different situations,  undertake complex reasoning tasks, and to enable us to feel emotions.

     Our brains also differ from the animal kingdom in terms of how they work.  We understand morality and ethics in ways that animals could never  comprehend.  Perhaps, having been created in the image of God is more of a distinction in regards to our minds than even to our physical appearance.

     Thankfully, we have a Creator that understands the complexities found within our brains.  Not only that, but He also offers us solutions on how to win the battle over our minds.  When we achieve victory in our thinking, we can achieve victory in every aspect of our lives.

     There is a caveat.  This victory will never be achieved on our own.  When Jesus was crucified in a place called Gol'gotha ( Calvary), it literally means " the place of a skull".   Early writings suggest that this was a hill that resembled a skullcap located very close to the gate that entered Jerusalem.

     Symbolically, this is a picture of how Jesus triumphs over the carnal mind of man.  God showed abhorrence of sin by the sufferings of Jesus in the flesh so that believers might be pardoned and justified.  When we unite with Christ, by faith, we begin the transformation from carnality to spirituality in our thinking.  Some of us need a lot more transformation than others.

     Carnal minds desire to control.  Relinquishing this control requires persistence and abiding in Christ through prayer.  The book of Romans tells us that " the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace". ( Romans 8:6).

     We change from being hostile toward God to being fully submitted to Him.  Unfortunately, for many of us, this transformation requires much effort and time.  We often hold onto "old tapes" in our minds that replay without any effort whatsoever.  Our incentive to ultimately change becomes the awareness that we "cannot have a positive, exciting life AND a negative mind." ( Proverbs 23:7).

     Therefore, "we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ." ( 2 Corinthians 10:5).  This verse explains to us that human beings have a throne in their minds and that there is someone or something sitting upon it. When that someone or something is anything other than Christ,  it exists to oppose God and requires spiritual weaponry to bring it down.

     We cannot tame or re-train that which opposes God.  The truth is, our carnal mind must die and be replaced by a spiritual mind.  This includes our ways of controlling, our ways of thinking, and all knowledge that is opposed to God.  For most of us, it is an inaccurate belief system regarding who God is, or who we are in Christ.  Yet, we do have the ability to decide against some of our tendencies and for others.  It is all about making our thoughts serve us instead of mastering us.

     To do this, we have to become aware of each and every thought.  We have to pay attention.  Then we can make choices regarding our thoughts.  We take our thoughts to Christ so that He can shine His light upon them.  If they stand in opposition to Him or His Word, they must be nailed to the cross.  Each and every time.

     Our minds are like our bodies in that they need to be fed.  If we feed them junk food, they will not function properly.  It will impact our attitudes and behavior in a detrimental way and ultimately they will atrophy.

     An example of this has been studied.  A functional MRI can be used to evaluate what parts of the brain are doing when exposed to various situations and emotions.  Different areas of the brain will light up when a person experiences sadness, or joy, or anger.  When repeated episodes of violent images or music is introduced, it shuts down the part of the brain that feels compassion or empathy.

     For one whole year prior to the Columbine shootings, the two shooters played a violent video game named "Doom" everyday after school.  They customized their two characters to have unlimited weapons and ammunition.  All the other characters in the game were helpless and defenseless.  After one year, they acted out their wicked imaginations.  When our thoughts are out of sync with the truth, our actions will be too.

     Our minds need wholesome exercise- Scripture, noble literature, redeeming music, and works of art.  We are to nourish our mind, just as we are to nourish our body.  The apostle, Paul, admonishes us," I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious- thefts, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse."  ( Philippians 4:8).

     A well-balanced mind is a mind that is under the control of the Holy Spirit.  The book of Colossians tells us to "set [our] mind on things above".  ( Colossians 3:2).  We can accomplish this through the practice of determining God's wisdom and direction by using a mind that is saturated in God's Word, instead of relying on emotional impressions.

     A faithful mind comes when we have single-hearted devotion to Christ.  It is a loyal mind, and not a duplicitous one.  This requires serious commitment.  As John the Baptist said, " He must increase and I must decrease."  ( John 3:29). And, as we allow God to truly increase in our lives, we begin to see Him for who He truly is.  C.H. Spurgeon said, "God is too good to be unkind.  He is too wise to be confused.  If I cannot trace His hand, I can always trust His heart."

     Our lives change for the better when our thinking does.  When we are transformed by the renewing of our mind, we will understand what " God's will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will."  ( Romans 12:2).  We then have the freedom to choose the way of Christ and the power of His Holy Spirit to help us live it out.


                                              " we have the mind of Christ"
                                                    (1 Corinthians 2:16b)

No Worries!

" Worry implies that we don't quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to care of what's happening in our lives."
                                                                                                                                       Francis Chan




     It is the pressures in our lives that scream for us to worry about tomorrow.  Each one of us can sustain a certain level of pressure under which we can still function normally.  And yet, we can all find ourselves in a place where the circumstances of life begin to feel like a pressure-cooker, and we are overwhelmed.

     This is what happened to the prophet, Elijah.  Physical and emotional exhaustion collided in Elijah's life just following a spectacular display of God's power in front of the king and queen of Israel and their false prophets.  Elijah's hopes for the redemption of Ahab and Jezebel abruptly came to a screeching halt at the reality of their depravity.  The proverbial "straw" that broke for Elijah occurred when Jezebel sent this message to him:
     " Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the [Baal]
     prophets with the sword.  So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, ' May the gods deal 
     with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of
     one of them.'
     Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.  When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant
     there, while he himself went a days journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush,
     sat down under it and prayed that he might die.  ' I have had enough, Lord,' he said. ' Take
     my life; I am no better than my ancestors.'  Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
     All at once an angel touched him and said, ' Get up and eat.'  He looked around, and there
     by his head was some bread baked over hot coals and a jar of water.  He ate and drank and then 
     lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time  and touched him and said,
     ' Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.'
     So he got up and ate and drank.  Strengthened by that food, he travelled forty days and forty 
     nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God." ( 1 Kings 19:1-8).

     After all the exciting exploits Elijah had experienced with God, it would be easy for us to imagine him as a spiritual superhero of sorts.  However, the book of James tells us that Elijah was " a man just like us."  ( James 5:17).  What?  He had seen God raise people from the dead, multiply food supplies during a famine,  and bring holy fire down on wet wood.  Mind-bending, jaw-dropping kind of miracles.  I don't know about you, but I've never seen anyone involved in any of those kinds of miracles, let alone all of them! And yet, even after the Mount Carmel piece de resistance, Elijah turned and ran because he was consumed with worry and fear.

     It's hard to understand why Elijah may have vacillated between such extremes.  Had he convinced himself that after God's dramatic display of power that all who witnessed it would be saved?  Or, was he shocked to learn that there were still some who were provoked to rage because their idol, Baal, had been humiliated?  Is it possible that Elijah's imagination set him up for the reality he faced?

     The truth is, we can only speculate.  What we can know for certain is that if the Bible highlights the emotional roller coaster this committed man of God experienced, then we, too, may experience a gamut of emotions in spite of a sincere faith.  The question is not IF we will ever worry or be afraid.  The real question is how will we deal with our worries and fears when they arise.

     We really have two options: we can focus on our worries and let our imaginations get the best of us OR we can turn to God and the Bible to find our answers.  God's Word is filled with promises if we will entrust our cares into His capable Hands.  Psalm 55:22 tells us to " Cast our burdens on the Lord, and He shall sustain us;  He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."

     The same God who redeemed the world certainly knows how to govern it.  The problem then becomes our focus.  In his book, The Me I Want To Be: Becoming God's Best Version Of You, John Ortberg says,  " We tend to be preoccupied by our problems when we have a heightened sense of vulnerability and a diminished sense of power.  Instead, we should view each problem as an invitation to prayer."

     Oftentimes, we forget to pray and allow worry to rob us of our power and peace.  God gave us our imagination to use in a constructive way.  However, when misused, we use it in destructive patterns that often repeatedly occur like a bad tape stuck in an old VCR machine.  Often, these habits even become generational within our families and begin to affect both behaviors and personalities.

     Numerous surveys on worry indicate that only about eight percent of things people worry about were even legitimate concerns.  The other ninety-two percent were either imaginary or involved matters where the people had absolutely no control over the situation.  That represents a whole lot of wasted worry!

     Even though some are more prone to worry than others, persistent worry is not the calling of believers in Christ.  The fruit of worry is bondage, and ultimately, death.  God created us to reign with Him ( even over worry), and He gives us His grace and His power to do so.

     Worry is the opposite of power.  Max Lucado says, " Worry divides the mind."  And we know that anything that is divided has less efficacy and purpose.  As sons and daughters of Christ, this is not God's plan.

     To change the outcome of worry, we have to change the patterns of it.  Instead of just omitting it from our lives "cold turkey", we have to replace it with something else.  Before we replace it, we have to recognize it and determine that we will not tolerate it- even, a little.

     For some of us, there are certain times of the day or week that we worry more.  In these situations we can proactively distract ourselves and we can pray.  We can identify our anxious thoughts and replace them by speaking the Word of God.  An example might be,  " The peace of God transcends my understanding and guards my heart and mind in Christ Jesus."  ( Philippians 4:7).

     Grace is stronger than sin.  When Jesus died, He not only saved us from something, He saved us to something.  And it is grace that will abound and triumph.  The book of Romans says that the " sin of one man [Adam] caused sin and death to rule over many.  But even greater is God's wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ."  ( Romans 5:17).

     By faith, we do "have the mind of Christ and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart."  ( 1 Corinthians 2:16).  This means we entrust our cares unto Him and know that He can and will take care of all that concerns us.  Therefore, beloved, we have no worries!


" Life... as God intended it enables us to live above the drag of fear, superstition, shame, pessimism, guilt, anxiety, worry, and all the negativity that keeps people from seizing each day as a gift from Him."
                                                                                                                                Charles R. Swindoll