Biblical Truths: Created in God's Image

It's Friday night as I write, fellowship is tomorrow. I'm enjoying the challenge of examining these Biblical Truths, but I have a hard time keeping it simple. I hope my examples help the women to understand the point.

As God’s creations we are created to glorify God. Many believe that we are God’s most important creation, that’s why he gave us the command to care for His world. Before we can fully enjoy and embrace our relationship with God we must confess our sin and understand that we are born with a sinful nature.

In today’s world this emphasis on sin is not an easy one to accept. Many people in the West believe “if it feels good, it must be right” or that everyone’s views should be accepted, though less and less time is given to the Christian view since it places God before anyone or anything.

I think one of the best things about living in an African culture is that African society has a better understanding of the importance of God and the need to keep God as a priority. Granted, equal time is often given to the Islamic tradition and the materialistic emphasis of developed nations is threatening Africa too, but at least respect is still usually given to God and His role in our life.

In the Lutheran faith, the Apostle’s Creed acknowledges our need for the “forgiveness of sin”. As Lutherans we understand that we are not perfect and that sin separates us from God’s love. Some people don’t like to admit sin dominates our human life, but it’s an easy concept for me to accept. If you consider a new baby and watch it during its early hours, days, and months you will notice how quickly even a newborn begins grabbing for whatever is in its reach and crying when it doesn’t get what it wants. From the beginning, we want to be #1 and dominate everyone’s attention. But its only through admitting our wrongdoing that we can find forgiveness.

Like a child, adults too always want more; more food, more power, more toys, etc. It isn’t until we realize that only God’s love will ever fully satisfy us that we can be content with the blessings God brings into our lives. We should also understand that God placed us here on earth with others and He calls us to live in community. Together we worship God and encourage one another in our walk with Him.  By placing Him before all and seeking His will, we slowly reflect His image in our lives and all we do. This third Biblical Truth challenges us to seek Him above all, in spite of our human nature to put ourselves first.

Biblical Authority: The Bible as God's Word

Yesterday was our Women Fellowship Bible Study. We had eleven for the first time. Two of our older members came for the first time and one woman brought her daughter. It was good to share our observations about the Bible and the role it plays in our lives.

I continue to be wonderfully challenged as I write a devotions each week. This is especially true as I report back to school at the end of next week. I pray I can keep the momentum with the writing; classes start on August 8th. Even though the break was quite uneventful, it was  restful time. My goals for the break were reached and I've come to enjoy my almost daily walk/jog, or Nigels, as we call the path at school.

Now as I head back for a new school year I pray that I can begin the year excited for the new challenges and my new students. It will be a heavy year as I may have five classes and five preps, but I'm excited to teach African History again and look forward to the others as well.

We pray for continued peace in Jos journey mercies as staff and students return.

The Bible as God's Word

Matthew 24:35     John 17:17       Ephesians 6:17   Colossians 3:16

Have you ever thought about how the Bible came to be? How it has the Old and New Testaments and that it has so many authors? Have you ever read the Old Testament and noticed that it sometimes talks about Jesus’ coming and how the prophetic words came true?

I admit, I take the Bible too much for granted, but when I pause to wonder how men of ancient days recorded the Israelites’ history, and added their prophecies, praises, and brought their concerns to God, I am in awe of how it all came to be. The details added in the New Testament are also amazing. As one of my favorite authors wrote, the story of Jesus and the details recorded by the disciples are just too amazing, unbelievable and even funny at times. Today if someone tried to write such an account, they would have a terrible time finding someone to publish the story.

Nonetheless, as we understand how the Bible was divinely inspired by God and as he inspired a variety of authors over many years, it truly is amazing! We should never doubt the power of the Holy Spirit in our own lives if we believe the Bible to be God’s word. As Christians, we are called to believe in the Word of God. It may not be necessary to agree on exactly who wrote every book or exactly when they were each written, but the essence of the books should not be doubted, this is the second most important Biblical Truth.

For us today, the Bible offers guidance in matters of life and faith. With it, and with our acceptance of it, God can work in our lives to restore us into His image. As we open His Word, we should pray for the Holy Spirit to guide our understanding so that we might be drawn closer to him in both our hearts and minds and all that we do.

One Day at a Time: Considering Biblical Truths

Today we were only four at fellowship; one was home with a sick child, others had traveled, and still others were kept home by pouring rain. Nonetheless, God met those present with challenges, hope, and encouragement.

The week was a challenging ones for Nigerians in Jos as over 100 were killed during two incidents when a funeral for multiple villagers killed the day before was ambushed. Two politicians were among those killed at the funeral so the shocking event is drawing even more concern from the government. We pray that the government will be more serious about solving the problems in the country.

Some mornings I wake up consider the day before me and ask, “Is this all there is?” or “How can I find strength to get through the day?” Perhaps you sometimes ask the same kinds of questions. For some, one of these questions might come because they are coping with the loss of a loved one, others might be struggling with financial issues; still others might be overwhelmed by the stresses in their life, or dealing with the consequences of bad decisions.

Whatever the cause, there are some Biblical truths we can remember. There are many to consider so I’d like to use them for a series of devotions. But first, what are Biblical Truths? Biblical truths are points that are found in the Bible and are critical to our faith if we are to live a Godly life. They are called “truths” because the points are stated throughout the Bible and cannot be denied by professing Christians.

The most important truth that we begin with is that there is only one God and He is the Perfect Creator of All. If we can remember that each day then that truth can support all we believe that God is and what he has planned for us. In America we have a saying, “God doesn’t make junk”, or to put it in Nigerian English, “God doesn’t make rubbish”.

Sometimes when we go through frustrations or struggles in life we often begin to think we have done something wrong and if we were better in some way, then things would be different. If you ever have thoughts like that, then you can remember that when God created us he did a great job of it. Remember the phrase in Genesis, “and it was good”. That means we too are “good”. We may not be perfect like God, but God graciously forgives us when we do make mistakes.

Likewise, we can say that since all men are created in God’s image, there is an innate, or inner, good in everyone. That means that if we begin to complain or gossip about others we are also speaking ill about God. Next time you find yourself complaining or gossiping about someone, turn your complaints or mean words into prayers for change. Just remember, God’s ways are perfect and if we pray for change he may show you that the change should come from you.

Another aspect of this Biblical Truth is that all men, or people, are created to worship God. Remember in Matthew 5:23 it says if we bring our gifts to the altar and have a problem with someone, we should first go and reconcile with our brother before we present our gifts to God. God deserves our praise, worship, and our gifts that are signs of our love for Him, but if our relationship with his other children are stained in some way, then so is our gift.

One way we can try to remember this first Biblical Truth is by proclaiming that God is the perfect creator of all and that as part of his creation, we too should work hard to be perfect. Since we are far from perfect this may begin to cause even more frustration or stress. If that happens, just remember that God is always nearby to help us out. As we read in Psalm 23, God is there beside us, leading us, restoring us, guiding us, and comforting us. Reflect on this next time life brings its challenges. In time, the joy that can only come from God will return.