THE BIBLE SPEAKS DAILY (NOVEMBER 1st, 2024)

TODAY'S TOPIC: "... LET US MAKE GOD IN OUR IMAGE..."

TODAY'S VERSE: Genesis 1:26-27.

"...Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them..." nkjv.

Happy New Month to you all, Amen. As we turn to the pages of the Bible, we find the patriarch Moses giving this inspired testimony concerning the creation of Man.  No matter what Scientists, Geologists or Archaeologists may say about their Theory of Evolution, The Scriptures assert that Man was created in the image and likeness of the Almighty God! The Devil may reject the infallibility of the Scriptures, which affirmed Creation Theory, and embraced The Theory of Evolution.  The Devil has gone a step further and has reached a little deeper into his "Bag of Deception. He has convinced the majority of the Human race to reject the God of Heaven and Earth, who is revealed in the Scriptures, and has helped them to creat a god in the image and likeness of Mortal Man (Rom. 1:18-25).  This idea is not new, for in Exodus 32, the Children of Israel were found guilty of making a god in their own image in the absence of Moses. Historically speaking, the Bible shows Man as a habitually rebellious Being. This type of rebellion allows every Man of every walk of life, from the very devout to the very abased, to preach and practice his own self-righteous, egotistical belief without condemnation from his god. Even the World's most renowned religious leaders and advocaters of Bible belief are guilty of this ungodly and despicable sin because they, "...being ignorant of God's law, have not subjected themselves to the righteousness of God..." (Rom. 10:1-3). A look at the divine nature and eternal power of the Godhead (Col. 2:9,10), should be sufficient proof for any Man to know who is the Creator and who is the created. When trying to define and describe God properly, four adjectives are commonly used: a. God is Omnipotent because He is unlimited in power. He depends on no outside source or agency to sustain Him.  b. God is omnibenevolent because His love is matchless, as evidenced by His creation of Man and the giving of His begotten Son as a ransom for the sins of the World (John 3:16; Rom. 5:6-9). God's infinite love is not physical, neither is it self-serving, but rather it is as wide as the Heavens and endless as space (Eph. 3:16-21).  c. God is also omnipresent. He is everywhere He desires; He see all He needs to see. We are told in Luke 12:6 that even the sparrows are under the watchful protection of God. Nothing is withheld from the sight of the Almighty God (Heb. 4:13).  d. The Scriptures also teach that God is omniscient, meaning that God has all knowledge and needs no Counselor to advise Him. He also knows the intents and thoughts of man's heart (Heb. 4:12). Yet God doesn't know sin because God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.  From the above definitions we can firmly attest that God is the Creator and Man is the creature because Man is not all powerful, he is not capable of infinite love, neither does he have access to the power of being in all places at all times. He most assuredly does not have all knowledge. In light of the above adjectives which depict God as the Creator, Man, with his finite wisdom still tries to assert himself as the creator of God. This carnal-minded Man has a picture of what God looks like, whom he will accept and not accept, and what God can and cannot do. This depraved and presumptuous attitude has even crept into the Body of Christ. As a result, many have soiled their Garments and alienated themselves from the cleansing power of Jesus Christ. To illustrate, let's look at some examples. Man has created a god in his image and likeness by making god anthropomorphic (that is, to give God Human traits and characteristics).    This kind of rationale allows Man the privilege of making God Male and Female. After all, God created male and female and gave them their sexuality, therefore, He must have those same qualities. Also, since we are His offsprings, it would no longer be a sin to practice alternate lifestyles. Homosexuality and lesbianism would no longer be classified as sexual deviation, but rather our liberty to express our sexual freedom.  God of the Bible is neither male nor female, neither does He have physical desires like a Man. He has however, given strict judgment concerning sexual perversion and, according to Galatians 5:19, He considers them works of the flesh and those who practice such are eternally lost. Consider this example: Man created a god in his image and likeness who is a respecter of persons. This is the only way Man can justify his deep-seeded hatred for his fellow man. Those who practice racial bigotry for social, economical or religious purposes stand before God condemned. The God of the Bible shows no preferential treatment to any race of people (Acts 10:34-55).  Men who teach that God is partial to one race, creed or color are dangerous and poisonous. Revelation 7:9 describes heaven as a place where all nations will dwell, a place where all who have obeyed the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ will dwell. Brethren, it is pathetically sad to know that some New Testament Christians practice and embrace this same cancerous belief. Man has also created a god in his image and likeness who has authorized man to worship at the church of his choice so long as he is sincere. This could never be farther from the truth of the Scriptures. The young, nameless prophet of God in 1 Kings 13:1-35 should be enough proof that "sincerity of heart" alone does not save. The God of the universe has clearly and definitely condemned the sin of division (denominationalism). Religious divisions are contrary to Jesus' prayer for unity (John 17:20-22) and it makes the Almighty, our Heavenly Father, the Author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33). Such heretical thinking has permeated the body of Christ also. We find God's people becoming more and more divisive, factional, opinionated, traditional and liberal-minded. Man has created a god in his image and his likeness whose judgments are based on finite human logic and reasoning. Based on this, they boldly confirm that God will not condemn alcoholics, drug abusers, wife abusers, child molesters, etc., because society has judged them mentally incompetent or socially misguided. The god created by man undoubtedly has judged the same. Exonerate the guilty, persecute the innocent for being his victim. Man has a warped sense of values and of the final judgment of the World by Jesus Christ our Lord (2 Pet. 3:9,10; 2 Thess. 1:7-9). Man has created a god who accepts worship of any kind. Man dance to all kinds of Worldly dancing steps, musics and rhythm, despite (Ephesians.5:18-19; He.13:15). Man created a god who deceived, extort, and make merchandise of the people in the name of religion. The Church leadership live in affluence, opulence, splendor, luxury, grandeur, magnificence, extravagance, lavishness, and sumptuousness. They first created fear in the hearts of the Simple, "You must bring money always or else, our god will curse you, your prosperity depends on the money you bring, even your eternal rest in Heaven". Men have created a god in all their worship places, who asked them to bring Candles, Oil, Water, Beans, Corn, Blood of Animals, Life Animals, white garments, red garments, blue garments, yellow garments and etc. Unfortunately, dear friends there is almost no end to man's god making. Man has created a god in his image and likeness who will grant a divorce or separation for almost any reason imaginable, despite Matthew 19:9. As a result of this, divorces, separations, and remarriage are at epidemic proportions, even in the so-called Churches. We find more broken homes and single parenting than ever before. The home, as the God of Heaven would have it, has been reduced to social agencies, under the control of our federal government. Justification for this is simple; times have changed and so should the laws governing divorce and remarriage. Statics show that the average marriage can't stand up under the pressures of our modern society. People sometimes fall out of love and need a way out of their stressful situations. There can be no doubt that our atheistic and humanistic society is guilty of creating this god. A god who would permit something as ridiculous as a no-fault divorce or a divorce for irreconcilable differences truly is a god created by man! The God of the Bible, in Matthew 19:1-12, has explicitly expressed His law on divorce and remarriage. In verse 9 God says: "And I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doeth commit adultery." Can God be any plainer? How can the practice of today's divorce courts be justified by God's law which is the "same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb. 13:8)? In closing, read Joshua 24:15,  "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."  Whom will YOU serve, the God of Creation of Heavens and the Earth or the god whom you have (knowingly, unknowingly) created? credits: Charles E. Davis; Benson O. Omole. TODAY'S PRAYER: Heavenly Father of our Spirits, help me to demolish all the strange gods I have created, knowingly or unknowingly. Including all the pillars of errors I may have erected, and all my presumptive attitudes and dispositions. My Father, I love your salvation and your precepts, help me to obey your Word for the salvation of my Soul. Dearest Father, heal the Sick and provide for the Needy around us, AMEN. Read, Study, Meditate and Do the Will of God the Almighty, always. THANKS. For questions and comments, please contact us on: +2348060066660; +2347069554486; +2347070020042. Or benoomole@gmail.com, omolebenson@gmail.com  Listen to us on: a. FRCN PROGRESS FM ADO EKITI, 100.5 every Thursday by 6.30pm. b. FRESH FM ADO EKITI, 106.9 every Friday by 6.30pm. This work is under the oversight of the Church of Christ Ekute Quarters Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State Nigeria.