Cornerstone

Genesis 1:26-31 (26)

     And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

I was surprised when I saw this literally taking place.  Bro. Andrew had just taken Bro. Trussell and me to visit some of the church plants in the area surrounding Mandalay, Myanmar.   Now we were in the large city of Mandalay.  We visited a huge Pagoda (Buddhist temple), we saw the prison where Adoniram Judson was incarcerated and then Bro. Andrew pointed to a building we were passing.  “That is where they make idols,” he said.  It was picture taking time.  Sure enough, in a ram shackled building men were pouring cement into large cast molds.  All around the building we saw the finished products.  Big Buddhas.  Little Buddhas.  Medium sized Buddhas.  They were all staring lifelessly back at us. 

So often we try to pour God into our own mold.  “Let us make God in our image.”  We want Him to think like us.  We want His Word to say what we believe it should mean.  We want a God we can manage.  On the other hand, He created us to be like Him.  We have failed miserably but that is still His desire.  Romans 8:29 reminds us that God’s predetermined will is that we be “conformed to the image of His Son.

Dr. Gayle Woods

Acts 19:21-29

Browsing through your local Christian bookstore you will notice many titles that explain and describe false doctrines, cults and the occult. You may pick up a book about the New Age movement, Mormonism, or the Moonies. As you leaf through the books one by one you would be struck with one central consideration. Each of them is challenging the Truth! Galatians 5:20 says that this idolatry is a work of the flesh. God made man in his own image but ever since Adam and Eve sinned, people have been trying to create God in their own image. This is idolatry! Romans 1:22-23 speaks of this when it says people just like those of our society were

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. (KJV)

This is terrible and we waggle our spiritual fore-finger at those who are steeped in overt idolatry. But maybe we should examine ourselves. Do our materialistic, self-sufficient, self-planned Christian lifestyles challenge the truth? Matt 6 says that we should be content to only have our needs met. Are we? Heb 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God. Are we people of faith? Maybe if we would divorce our “Christian” idolatry we would experience a real revival of holiness.

Dr. Gayle Woods