Restoring the distorted image of the Father

“The purpose of revelation is restoration, the renewal in us of that likeness to God which man lost by sin.”

Stephen Neill

'The creation of man and woman was the part of God’s creative process which reached its pinnacle when God formed two perfect beings that were in His image. Adam and Eve were created to resemble their Creator.

In nature, form and appearance Adam and Eve reflected their Father’s purity, goodness and holiness. But when sin entered this perfect world, God’s perfect image was not reflected in this world of sin, in fact it became distorted. Try as God might to show His earthly children what His heavenly image was like, we find that all through the Old Testament, as we have studied the lives of some of the best people in the Bible as well as the worst, too often God’s children got the picture of God wrong in their minds. They didn’t get the clear and correct picture of what their Father was really like. In fact, much too often, they followed the lead of surrounding nations who made up gods to their own liking, that fit their way of life, and it was these false gods that our heavenly Father’s children chased after, even wished for.

As time went by, there was such a false view of God by nearly everyone, that many of God’s children no longer reflected their Father. They were more like the rusted out car in the barn. And when people saw the piece of dilapidated metal, they thought it was worthless --- and what’s so tragic – is that when these people who were rust-buckets said, “But I’m God’s child,” the “heathen” laughed their heads off and said, “You are telling me your God looks like you. Forget it. We can do better than you with our shiny, golden idols. We like the looks of our gods better than the God you reflect.” Does this sound familiar? Does it sound like the confusing message, some people, who call themselves followers of Jesus, give off today?

With this terribly distorted picture of God being the only message the world had, God sent the most precious gift heaven could bestow – He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to earth. And it was Jesus, God’s Son who in His own words told His followers, “If ye have known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him” (John 14: 7, K.J.V.). Through this gift of God’s Son, our gracious Father began the restorative process that once seemed impossible. When the Son came, He brought the vision of His Father, for He saw us as we could be, not as we were. When our Father looks at us, the eyes of our Creator see us as the perfect image created in His likeness, not the old beater, left by the side of the road like a piece of rubbish or left to rust in a barn.'

As we walk with Him and become more like him, the distorted image of the Father we have been presenting will be replaced by His real image and likeness. To a lost and dying world, we will become the lights and salt we were meant to be if we will be restored into His image and His Likeness.

Quoted text From Dorothy Valcarcel, http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/transformgarden/

Becoming like You

“The purpose of revelation is restoration, the renewal in us of that likeness to God which man lost by sin.”

Stephen Neill

I have come to realise that one of the most important parts of this walk with You is in me becoming like You. As I walk with you, I grow to become like you. I pick up the way you talk, the way you think, the way you respond, the way you love. All of the things I ask for, I can get by being deeply intimately involved with you.

For me, not becoming restored to Your likeness is a failing I cannot have. So Father, help me to walk with you. I want to walk in deep intimacy with you, so I can learn how to build intimacy with others. I want to be the light you made me to be. Walk with me Lord! Walk with me.

Fellowship with one another and cleansing from sin

I have had I think the best weekend so far for me!It was just full of God's love and his grace and forgiveness.I finally know I'm back on the right way and I feel so humbled and amazed to just be feeling God again.And it happened because I was spending some time talking to someone and he was just so full of fire that I couldn't help but catch it.That brings me to the point of this post.
1 John 1:7 says that...
 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

I never really took note of the part of this verse that talks about fellowship with one another and thn purification from sin.This weekend I experienced that and today when I read it it made sense!I had been sharing fellowship with someone,and through that I came back to my place in Christ,resulting in purification.I know we probably already know that fellowship is important for us to keep our fires burning as iron sharpeneth iron,and a single firewood out of the communal fire soon dies.But I never even considered it this way.Fellowship is so important.If we try to walk a life of isolation in Christ,the walk becomes harder than it should be.I do not refer to just going to church and leaving,but to actually sharing fellowship where we talk about our issues,share our passions and strengths and also our weaknesses.This results in a special place in our walks with God that is hard to explain.If you find yourself isolated,I encourage you to find another bgrother or sister you can talk to and share fellowship with.Trust me,its going to revolutionize your walk!

Hot or cold?

I have been missing for quite a while and I have to apologise for that.However,I'm back!I just wanted to use this short post to share a little something about how I have been these past few months.I recently left my home for school and in doing so have found myself in a very small town with very few churches that I can attend.I have had to make a lot of adjustments to just keep my head above water spiritually,and I have to say I don't think I am very healthy spiritually right now.I am working on getting back to a better place in my walk with God and thankfully,praying on the phone with friends and a lighthouse church has been very helpful,as well as listening to messages online and lots of worship music.I hope to move from this point of not hot to really hot soon.I hope that you guys are doing well yourselves.If you are down,I encourage you to pick yourself up and come back to the father again because he loves you!
I want to end with sharing a few worship tracks with you.I hope to put an actual playlist on this blog that you can play whenever you want but till then,please just click on the youtube links for the songs and enjoy them.Till next time,God be with you and abide in love!
1.Your love Oh God-Danielle Munizzi
2.Your love Oh God-Danielle Munizzi(cover by someone else..I like this version a lot)
3.I am yours-Misty Edwards
4.I love you presence-Kim Walker cover by someone else

THINGS

             

Are you saved? Are you sure? Are you really sure? What is the evidence?

Are you saved because you said a prayer one time and asked Jesus into your heart? What happened after that?

Did your life change or you just went back to living the same way as before? What is the evidence of your salvation if you walk the same, talk the same and dress the same?

What is the mark that sets you apart as a child of God when you watch everything, listen to everything and say anything at anytime? How can you watch sin being paraded in front of you in the form of sitcoms and movies and series and games and laugh and enjoy it when your father hates sin?

Why are you so relaxed in that chair and in that bed and couch watching blood being shed in front of you and wickedness being perpetuated in the land? Why are you watching such stuff on your TV and computer and laughing and enjoying the sin and wickedness in the land instead of being broken and in tears that such things are happening?

So I ask again: Are you saved? What is the evidence when all your prayers are directed at removing those obstacles in the way of you getting what YOU want and what YOU desire? How can you say you are when since the day you were born again all you still desire from God is bread and butter and lentils and cucumbers and onions when HE is offering Himself in His fullness to you?

How can you tell me you had an encounter with God and yet your desires and your character remain the same? All you want is to fulfil your desires and all you want to hear from God is a watered down Gospel that says He will give you all you want and He will make your life comfortable and good and enjoyable. How is it possible that this is all you desire if you have truly encountered God? How can you struggle with the same sins over and over again since you became ‘born again’?

How can you keep being an infant, feeding on the milk of repentance everyday instead of growing in your knowledge of Him? How can you stay there when there is more, so much more waiting for you? How can your attention be so fixed on things that fade away when the author and finisher of our faith stands with His arms open wide calling you to come and seek Him and His kingdom first? Things that weigh you down distract you and so consume you that you forget that He is still there. Aren’t you tired?

Are you sure you have encountered God? Are you very sure? If a car were to run you over right this minute at full speed would you just get up and walk off without so much as a scratch or a bruise or pain to show for that experience? Wouldn’t there be a sign or a bruise or bandages for everyone to see and ask you what had happened to you?

Then how can you encounter the Living breathing, all powerful, all knowing creator and God of the universe, the one who holds the earth in His hands and can put all the waters of the sea into a teacup, and remain the same? How is it even possible?

So I ask again: Are you saved? I am not writing this to encourage you to continue in your ways. I came that you may know that the gate  is small and the way narrow that leads unto salvation and few find it. If you find yourself on the very broad road with everyone else ask yourself if you are truly in the right place. If not repent and seek the way, truth and life. He is the only one who can save you. Leave all these things and seek Him because he alone is worthy of all your attention. Stop focusing on these tiny inconsequential things and let them fade away as you fix your eyes on the only true God.

I pray that God Himself stirs your heart with a passion and brokenness so intense that you cannot help but to run back to Him. Pray also for me and for whoever shared this with you and for yourself as you share that after doing this we may not be found falling short of the standard that is Jesus Christ Himself.

The 21st Century Nazarite

THE NAZARITE LAW: ARE WE FOLLOWING IT IN THE HOLY SPITIT DISPENSATION? (15th Sep 2009)
Scripture References: Numbers 6:1-21, 1 Peter 2:9, Jn 4:23, 24, Rom 12:1
In the Old Testament days, people took vows to be completely set apart or dedicated to God. They were called Nazarites. There were laws for them to follow as long as they remained Nazarites. One could choose to be a Nazarites for a while or for a life time. The question then is, since Christ has come and the Holy Spirit is with us, do Nazarites still exist? The answer is YES!
The Bible says that we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and a holy nation. That is all that is needed to be a Nazarite. We are all Nazarites and are to live accordingly. But are the Old Testament laws applicable to us? Are we supposed to wear funny clothes and leave our hair uncut as was required? How do the Old Testament laws apply to us, especially as ministers of the Gospel being conformed to the Image of Christ?
1. The Old Testament Nazarites were not to drink wine or alcohol. Wine is a symbol of joy (Ps. 104:15).In taking the vow to abstain from all wine and strong drink, they were essentially saying, “Lord, you are going to be our only source of joy. We are going to rejoice only in you! You are going to be our one joy!”In much the same way, all our joy is to proceed from God. We are to rejoice in God through the Holy Spirit.
2. They were not to cut their hair as a sign of separation from the world and consecration unto God. Everyone meeting them was supposed to know that they were special, set apart for God. In our time, there is supposed to be a defining sign on us to show that we are Christians. People meeting us, even random strangers, should be able to say,”Hey, there is something special about them!” Do people meet us and have that reaction? Do they just know that we belong to God? If not, Why?
3. The Nazarites had one more law that amazes me when I think about it. They were not to associate themselves with death or the dead, even if they were family. Even accidental contact was not tolerated. The cleansing procedure if this occurred was stringent, for lack of a better word. In these end times, death is every where around us in the form of sin. Christ said we are the light of the world. We are not to have even a little darkness in our light.
4. The Bible says that if we believe in Christ, out of us would flow streams of living water. No death or dead stuff should come from us. We should not be associated with the sin of this world, for we are in the world but not of the world. We should be the very essence of our society, just as salt adds taste to food. Everything coming from us should be alive, vivacious and joyful. This means that our work, marriage, academics, family, relationships etc. should be alive, excellent and beautiful, not mediocre, dead and dull. Are we living lives full of joy, life and excellence? Do people see us and want to be like us, or at the very least, give glory to God? Are we attractive to others because of our lives?