November 15 - 20, 2010

Monday November 15, 2010
The Perfect Image Of God
Read Colossians 3:9-10

When we look at Jesus, we see the absolute, beneficial, and relational aspects of the image of God in humanity. First, the absolute aspect is revealed through the way Jesus reflects God’s attributes. He shows us the love of the Father. He shows us God’s mercy. He shows us God’s wrath. He shows us God’s holy anger at injustice. He shows us God’s grace to the sinner. He shows us God’s hatred of hypocrisy. He shows us God’s goodness and His care. Jesus reflected these attributes perfectly. Jesus is the true mirror image of God, since He is both God and man. But even in our fallen state, we can see reflections of God’s character and attributes.

Secondly, the beneficial aspect of the image of God in humanity is seen through Jesus’ actions. Jesus reflects God, not only by who He is, but by what He does. When He calmed the storm, He showed His power over nature and His dominion over the earth (which, was part of the mandate given to Adam). Jesus sought out the lost. He freed those who were held captive to demon possession. He suffered in the place of sinners. He fed thousands on the mountaintop, revealing God’s provision. Jesus perfectly reflected God’s image by what He did. Fallen humanity also reflects God’s image functionally, even though differently than Jesus. Whenever we create something, whether a piece of art or music or a sculpture, we are mirroring the God who created the world out of nothing. When we rule wisely over creation, using its resources with care and avoiding waste, our rule of the earth mirrors the God who is Lord of the universe. When we choose to suffer that others may have comfort, we are imaging the Savior who died, that others may live.

Thirdly, Jesus reflects God relationally. In His relationship to the Father, He is showing us what God is like. In His relationship with the disciples, He is mirroring the patience, love that God has for His children. The way Jesus relates to the Father, to the disciples, and to others shows us a perfect picture of God. We reflect God when we worship Him as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We reflect God when we love the people He made in His image. God wants us to know about the image He placed in us. Jesus the perfect image of God came to reveal God so that we could see our image.


Tuesday November 16, 2010
Re-Imaged By Jesus
Read Colossians 1:15

The Bible teaches no one has seen God. It also teaches Jesus is the image of Him who is invisible. Why, even Jesus Himself said to His disciples “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father”. God Almighty is too magnificent for mere humans to see and comprehend. So when Jesus Christ was here on earth in human form, he was the representation of God Himself, in a physical way we humans would be able to understand. Jesus was a picture of God’s character. His life was a model for us to follow. Jesus is the perfect image of the father and when we identify with the Lord we take on His image.

Likewise, we Christians are to be representatives of God to the unbelieving world. By choosing to live God’s way instead of our way, we let God’s glory shine out from within. We are not our own, we were purchased by the precious blood of Christ. Now, let our bodies become tools of righteousness used by God for His glory.

When people see you what do they see a representation of God?


Wednesday November 17, 2010
Re-Imaged By The Word
Read Hebrews 10:7; John 1:1-4

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. (John 1:1-4)

Everything begins with the word. The Word is the God and the Word brings God’s presence. His presence is in His Word or His Word is in His presence. The Word and God are one. All things are created through the Word. Nothing is made without it. The Word creates faith and faith causes us to proclaim it. We are created in the image of the Word. We are changed into His image as we behold that word and have faith. In the volume of the book it is written of me (Hebrews 10:7) Jesus saw Himself in the scriptures. We can’t know who we are without reading about who Jesus is and what He has said.

The Word of God builds the image of God because it builds faith in us. We should be reading the Word to see what God is saying and doing and what ever God is saying and doing is what we are to say and do. The Word mixed with faith creates in us the image of who God is and who He says we are.


Thursday November 18, 2010
The Holy Spirit Re-Images Us
Read John 6:44; Matthew 16:17; 1 Corinthians 2:10

The Holy Spirit is at work, showing us what Christ has done, and how that makes a difference in what's going on around us. The Spirit's witness to Christ doesn't function like a hypertext link. One doesn't click one's mouse on the Spirit's doings and get taken to the front page of Jesus' Cyber-salvation Web Site. First of all, your mouse-clicking takes more initiative than you can take in restoring your relationship with God (or, in church-talk, it's God's grace in Christ's work on the cross that saves you, not anything you do). Second, the Spirit leads us into Christ's presence and Christ's character, two things that don't pop up on a screen and say 'I'm here'. Then, the Spirit works to get our own Web Site to take on the character that others would recognize as Christ's, for instance, by removing the annoying banner ads for the causes and ideas we're stuck on, or the irritating pop-up windows with our excuses, or the sneaky spy cookies that gather the information we might want to use against others. The Spirit is trying to push this Body of the Scared past their fears into full contact with the rest of reality, especially with other people who are not aware of Christ, or who hear the Name and yawn.

The Holy Spirit works in us to make clear to us what purpose God has in mind for us. The Spirit guides us: through Scripture, through circumstances, through other believers, and through prayer. The Holy Spirit reveals who we really are; He draws us to God, as we come into His presence the Spirit in us draws from the image of God inside us. When this happens our true image can be restored or I should say re-imaged!


Friday November 19, 2010
Re-Imaged By A Covenant Connection
Read Ephesians 4:15-16

We are Re-imaged as we have Covenant Connection with Him and His Body. We can’t grown up into Him without being connected. The same Spirit that draws us to God draws us to each other. God connects us like a magnet connects everything that is magnetized to itself. Plastic Christians will not stick because they are not in covenant with God and want stay with God’s people. We need each other to grow into the image of God. Who are you drawn to and who is drawn to you. We need each other. We can’t have the image and life of God without God flowing through us. The enemy can’t hold on to us just as it could not hold on to Jesus because Jesus had none of the image of the devil in Him. Don’t be a plastic Christian but a magnetic Christian that draws all men to Him.

Are we bringing out the best in those who are around us? Are they bringing out the best in us? We grow as we supply what is needed. How do we make them better by our words, our sacrifice, our gifts and callings our love and acceptance and our covenant connection.


The Weekender November 20, 2010
Re-imaged – Our Identity Found
Read 2 Corinthians 3:18

If you were asked to identify yourself you would probably get out some form of ID. There is bound to be something you carry that describes you –your physical description and probably your relationship to other people or an organization. You might have a driver's license; an employee badge; a debit or credit card; a library card; a union card; military dog tags or a law enforcement officer's badge. Those are but a few of the many types of IDs we take with us almost everywhere we go. My main two are a driver's license and a badge to get into and around the buildings where I work.

One of the greatest fears we people have is that of losing our identity. Identity theft is a common topic in the news these days. It even shows up as an attention getting headline on credit card advertisements. When someone uses our name, account numbers and passwords, they can take everything we own and make life miserable. I don't know how many times I've gone looking for a misplaced purse or billfold after leaving them behind at a restaurant or store. The whole time my stomach was filled with anxiety about what could happen if it was picked up by the "wrong person." On TV and in print, there are advertisements about safeguarding against this kind of theft. Those ads are for services to monitor credit reports –to detect fraud– and for insurance plans –to pay for credit card misuse.

We are Re-imaged as we Do the Work the Father has created us to do. Our identify is found in our work – the world identifies us by our occupation – God reveals his image to us and then reveals it through us by the work He has given us to do. We come into the knowledge of His image as we come into the knowledge of the work; He has given us to do. To come into His image we must have: information, revelation, response (did our hearts not burn within us as He spoke) and transformation. God is looking for His Image. Are you being Re-imaged so God is able to see His image in you? The real you is made in His image.