Randy Green's Blog - Posts Tagged "lust"
Breathe the Dust – Part 1
Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being [Genesis 2:7].
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them [Genesis 1:27].
Have you ever wondered if there is extraterrestrial life out there somewhere? Where would they be located? For that matter what would they be like? Perhaps they’d be like ET… Or maybe some of those lizard-like aliens in so many sci-fi films. (Ugh. I hate those B-budget ones from the SyFy channel of yesteryear. Don’t you?)
I got it! They’re slimy ooze…or giant insects…or robots. No, they’re part machine and part human, like the Borg. (I think I saw that on Star Trek once.) Then there is that big fat mass of blubber from the Star Wars trilogy of the 80s. I have a novel idea. Maybe they’re plain old humanoid like you and me.
Naw. There are no other life forms out there. Nor are there any humanoid replicas of mankind either, at least not in our universe. But there are spirits, and some of them aren’t so good to be around…like old Lucifer, for instance. He’s not someone you want to even hold a conversation with, much less permit to babysit the kids.
This has me thinking. Just what is a human being anyway? Anyone out there know? Let’s see a show of hands. Come on now. Don’t be bashful. I am squinting real hard to look all the way to the back rows, but I don’t see any hands. Oh boy. I got my work cut out for me today.
Well, let’s ask the Lord God what the makeup of a human being is. After all, he made ‘em all! Hey, Lord. What is a human being made of anyway? Oh. You say You already told us. Uh, now I’m suffused with a flushed face, Lord. When did you tell us? I should know this.
What’s that, Lord? You say it’s in the Bible. Gulp. Shoulda coulda woulda…but didn’t. But I planned to when I wasn’t so busy, Lord. Really I did. Okay, Lord. I’ll stop making excuses and crooning You to sleep with my rationalizations. I’m kinda tired of them myself.
So gang, let’s hie off to the Bible and discover what the makeup of a human being is. Oh, there it is! Right there in Genesis 2:7. Hmm. A human being is comprised of two ingredients. Let’s itemize them for easy reference:
• dust of the ground
• breath of life
Now that is unique! Really. No, I mean really. I’m not joking either. I’ll let you resolve your issues for the time being and continue this topic in our next study. Now I’m off to see the wizard, er, I mean the Lord Jesus. Perhaps you’d like to come along.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them [Genesis 1:27].
Have you ever wondered if there is extraterrestrial life out there somewhere? Where would they be located? For that matter what would they be like? Perhaps they’d be like ET… Or maybe some of those lizard-like aliens in so many sci-fi films. (Ugh. I hate those B-budget ones from the SyFy channel of yesteryear. Don’t you?)
I got it! They’re slimy ooze…or giant insects…or robots. No, they’re part machine and part human, like the Borg. (I think I saw that on Star Trek once.) Then there is that big fat mass of blubber from the Star Wars trilogy of the 80s. I have a novel idea. Maybe they’re plain old humanoid like you and me.
Naw. There are no other life forms out there. Nor are there any humanoid replicas of mankind either, at least not in our universe. But there are spirits, and some of them aren’t so good to be around…like old Lucifer, for instance. He’s not someone you want to even hold a conversation with, much less permit to babysit the kids.
This has me thinking. Just what is a human being anyway? Anyone out there know? Let’s see a show of hands. Come on now. Don’t be bashful. I am squinting real hard to look all the way to the back rows, but I don’t see any hands. Oh boy. I got my work cut out for me today.
Well, let’s ask the Lord God what the makeup of a human being is. After all, he made ‘em all! Hey, Lord. What is a human being made of anyway? Oh. You say You already told us. Uh, now I’m suffused with a flushed face, Lord. When did you tell us? I should know this.
What’s that, Lord? You say it’s in the Bible. Gulp. Shoulda coulda woulda…but didn’t. But I planned to when I wasn’t so busy, Lord. Really I did. Okay, Lord. I’ll stop making excuses and crooning You to sleep with my rationalizations. I’m kinda tired of them myself.
So gang, let’s hie off to the Bible and discover what the makeup of a human being is. Oh, there it is! Right there in Genesis 2:7. Hmm. A human being is comprised of two ingredients. Let’s itemize them for easy reference:
• dust of the ground
• breath of life
Now that is unique! Really. No, I mean really. I’m not joking either. I’ll let you resolve your issues for the time being and continue this topic in our next study. Now I’m off to see the wizard, er, I mean the Lord Jesus. Perhaps you’d like to come along.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Breathe the Dust – Part 2
Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being [Genesis 2:7].
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them [Genesis 1:27].
Man is created with a unique makeup. He is made from the dust of the ground and the breath of life. Do you know why it’s unique? Because those imaginary ET characters and Blobs and vampires and zombies and any other possible creature—not a one of them has the same two ingredients for their makeup.
Neither does old Lucifer or any of his minion demons. Nor do the angels of heaven. Why, not even the animals on earth have both of the ingredients comprising man’s makeup. I know because the Bible tells me so! I know, it’s a children’s song. But so what? It’s true!
Only man is made in the image of God, dear friends. This is repeatedly spelled out throughout the Bible. And because it’s the case, the Lord makes vital distinctions between man and animals. Let’s consider some.
If an animal kills a man, the animal is a murderer and must be killed. For that matter if a man kills another man, he is a murderer and must be killed. Contrariwise, if an animal kills another animal, it amounts to no more than c’est la vie! When a man is hungry, he kills an animal and eats and the Lord blesses him in the doing.
Clearly animal life rates far below man on the Lord’s food chain! Even the angels are ministering spirits, sent out to render service to those humans who will inherit salvation (cf., Hebrews 1:14). The Lord has established man as a high-ranking being indeed!
I wonder why. Even the Psalmist was a bit uncertain about this. He mused:
What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet. All sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas [Psalm 8:4-8].
Yea, Lord. What is man that You care for him so much? Well, to begin with we know that man consists of the dust of the ground. Could that be what makes him so unique, so valuable in the eyes of the Lord?
We will go to the prayer closet now and allow the Lord Jesus to explain it to us. See you tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them [Genesis 1:27].
Man is created with a unique makeup. He is made from the dust of the ground and the breath of life. Do you know why it’s unique? Because those imaginary ET characters and Blobs and vampires and zombies and any other possible creature—not a one of them has the same two ingredients for their makeup.
Neither does old Lucifer or any of his minion demons. Nor do the angels of heaven. Why, not even the animals on earth have both of the ingredients comprising man’s makeup. I know because the Bible tells me so! I know, it’s a children’s song. But so what? It’s true!
Only man is made in the image of God, dear friends. This is repeatedly spelled out throughout the Bible. And because it’s the case, the Lord makes vital distinctions between man and animals. Let’s consider some.
If an animal kills a man, the animal is a murderer and must be killed. For that matter if a man kills another man, he is a murderer and must be killed. Contrariwise, if an animal kills another animal, it amounts to no more than c’est la vie! When a man is hungry, he kills an animal and eats and the Lord blesses him in the doing.
Clearly animal life rates far below man on the Lord’s food chain! Even the angels are ministering spirits, sent out to render service to those humans who will inherit salvation (cf., Hebrews 1:14). The Lord has established man as a high-ranking being indeed!
I wonder why. Even the Psalmist was a bit uncertain about this. He mused:
What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet. All sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas [Psalm 8:4-8].
Yea, Lord. What is man that You care for him so much? Well, to begin with we know that man consists of the dust of the ground. Could that be what makes him so unique, so valuable in the eyes of the Lord?
We will go to the prayer closet now and allow the Lord Jesus to explain it to us. See you tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Breathe the Dust – Part 3
Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being [Genesis 2:7].
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them [Genesis 1:27].
Man is made of the dust of the ground. Is that what makes man so unique and valuable in the Lord’s eyes? Uh, that would be a no. The animals also are made up of the dust of the ground. When they die they return to dust, even as man’s body does (cf., Psalm 90:3; Genesis 3:19).
Okay. That leaves only the “breath of life” from God to make man unique and valuable. And you know what? That’s the answer! The Lord God didn’t breathe the breath of life into the nostrils of the animals. Plant life hasn’t the breath of life either. And I can guarantee you that those sci-fi critters don’t because they aren’t even real!
Only man is composed of the breath of life from the Lord God, dear friends. This is what distinguishes mankind from all other forms of existence, whether plants or animals or inanimate objects, beasts or fowl or fish. The combination of the dust of the ground and the breath of life makes man valuable enough for the angels to attend to our welfare. Man is valuable to the Lord God!
But don’t go growing a fat head, dear friends. We are valuable because the Lord God made us to be. Our value stems from Him, not from ourselves. We have nothing of which to boast. The Lord is not in our debt and begging us to let Him visit with us. I think it’s the other way around, to tell you the truth.
Man’s unique combination of “ingredients” makes man to be in the image of God. The “image of God” is a depictive phrase to which no other created thing can lay claim. And there are some powerful conclusions to draw from this too.
Man is formed from the dust of the ground. So. Animals are too! If you visit a barnyard, you cannot miss observing the animals mating. They have no qualms about it. They go around without any clothes on and don’t blush. The males sniff after every female in search of the lost lust. In mating season the females do the pursuing.
Animals have no shame. They aren’t supposed to, you see. And do you know why this is so? It’s because they are made of the dust of the ground and the…and the…and the…well, what do you know? That’s all they’re made of. Dust of the ground is the nature of animals, and man shares it with the animals.
This is not the choicest location to press the Pause Button, but we must. Time’s up for today. Let’s spend time in prayer and meditation now and return tomorrow, same time, same station.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them [Genesis 1:27].
Man is made of the dust of the ground. Is that what makes man so unique and valuable in the Lord’s eyes? Uh, that would be a no. The animals also are made up of the dust of the ground. When they die they return to dust, even as man’s body does (cf., Psalm 90:3; Genesis 3:19).
Okay. That leaves only the “breath of life” from God to make man unique and valuable. And you know what? That’s the answer! The Lord God didn’t breathe the breath of life into the nostrils of the animals. Plant life hasn’t the breath of life either. And I can guarantee you that those sci-fi critters don’t because they aren’t even real!
Only man is composed of the breath of life from the Lord God, dear friends. This is what distinguishes mankind from all other forms of existence, whether plants or animals or inanimate objects, beasts or fowl or fish. The combination of the dust of the ground and the breath of life makes man valuable enough for the angels to attend to our welfare. Man is valuable to the Lord God!
But don’t go growing a fat head, dear friends. We are valuable because the Lord God made us to be. Our value stems from Him, not from ourselves. We have nothing of which to boast. The Lord is not in our debt and begging us to let Him visit with us. I think it’s the other way around, to tell you the truth.
Man’s unique combination of “ingredients” makes man to be in the image of God. The “image of God” is a depictive phrase to which no other created thing can lay claim. And there are some powerful conclusions to draw from this too.
Man is formed from the dust of the ground. So. Animals are too! If you visit a barnyard, you cannot miss observing the animals mating. They have no qualms about it. They go around without any clothes on and don’t blush. The males sniff after every female in search of the lost lust. In mating season the females do the pursuing.
Animals have no shame. They aren’t supposed to, you see. And do you know why this is so? It’s because they are made of the dust of the ground and the…and the…and the…well, what do you know? That’s all they’re made of. Dust of the ground is the nature of animals, and man shares it with the animals.
This is not the choicest location to press the Pause Button, but we must. Time’s up for today. Let’s spend time in prayer and meditation now and return tomorrow, same time, same station.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Breathe the Dust – Part 4
Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being [Genesis 2:7].
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them [Genesis 1:27].
Man shares the animal nature with animals. We get it from the dust of the ground, of which we both consist. But man is more than an animal, much more. Man also consists of the breath of life, and this makes man to be in the image of God. This is why man can, and should, blush. Man should wear clothes and cover himself. Man should blush when nudity is displayed. Man should stand aghast and drop his jaw, should humans be so dense as to mate in public view.
You see, the image of God means that man knows right and wrong. Man is aware of morality. The Lord is a moral Person, and He passed this on to man. It is quite true that sex, for example, is a normal part of life…of animal life! But man isn’t a mere animal and shouldn’t operate on the basis of mere animal instinct. Suchlike behavior makes man to be the dust of the ground and nothing more. This is an abomination to the Lord!
Man has the ability to know right and wrong, and to choose right. He has the ability to control his lusts and keep them in subjection to the image of God. Lust comes from the animal nature. When we give free rein to the animal nature, we are living like an animal. This insults the Lord and offends Him deeply because then we aren’t functioning like He created us to function.
The Lord God created man with an elevated status above the rest of creation. He did so in order to establish a personal relationship with us. But the Lord is pure and holy. He cannot abide with sin. The word “sin” means that moral creatures—that would be us human beings—function as if we are mere animals. We make ourselves something other than what the Lord made us to be. We pervert His creation.
So yes, it is only natural to commit adultery and fornication, to get drunk and do drugs and in general be vulgar. And if we human beings were mere animals, it would be expected. But we’re not! We are moral beings created in the image of God to have fellowship with Him. So let’s act like it!
Confession of sin and repentance is called for daily. Diligence in spiritual warfare to avoid sin is mandatory to refrain from sin. But all of this is to no avail, unless we are first born again. The person born naturally is born as a sinner, and sinners sin! The sinner first needs to die, in order for the new creation to be born. That is what it means to be born again.
Are you born again? Today is the day of salvation! Don’t be a mere animal. Come to Jesus and live while it is still today.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them [Genesis 1:27].
Man shares the animal nature with animals. We get it from the dust of the ground, of which we both consist. But man is more than an animal, much more. Man also consists of the breath of life, and this makes man to be in the image of God. This is why man can, and should, blush. Man should wear clothes and cover himself. Man should blush when nudity is displayed. Man should stand aghast and drop his jaw, should humans be so dense as to mate in public view.
You see, the image of God means that man knows right and wrong. Man is aware of morality. The Lord is a moral Person, and He passed this on to man. It is quite true that sex, for example, is a normal part of life…of animal life! But man isn’t a mere animal and shouldn’t operate on the basis of mere animal instinct. Suchlike behavior makes man to be the dust of the ground and nothing more. This is an abomination to the Lord!
Man has the ability to know right and wrong, and to choose right. He has the ability to control his lusts and keep them in subjection to the image of God. Lust comes from the animal nature. When we give free rein to the animal nature, we are living like an animal. This insults the Lord and offends Him deeply because then we aren’t functioning like He created us to function.
The Lord God created man with an elevated status above the rest of creation. He did so in order to establish a personal relationship with us. But the Lord is pure and holy. He cannot abide with sin. The word “sin” means that moral creatures—that would be us human beings—function as if we are mere animals. We make ourselves something other than what the Lord made us to be. We pervert His creation.
So yes, it is only natural to commit adultery and fornication, to get drunk and do drugs and in general be vulgar. And if we human beings were mere animals, it would be expected. But we’re not! We are moral beings created in the image of God to have fellowship with Him. So let’s act like it!
Confession of sin and repentance is called for daily. Diligence in spiritual warfare to avoid sin is mandatory to refrain from sin. But all of this is to no avail, unless we are first born again. The person born naturally is born as a sinner, and sinners sin! The sinner first needs to die, in order for the new creation to be born. That is what it means to be born again.
Are you born again? Today is the day of salvation! Don’t be a mere animal. Come to Jesus and live while it is still today.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Breathe the Dust – Part 1
Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being [Genesis 2:7].
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them [Genesis 1:27].
Have you ever wondered if there is extraterrestrial life out there somewhere? Where would they be located? For that matter what would they be like? Perhaps they’d be like ET… Or maybe some of those lizard-like aliens in so many sci-fi films. (Ugh. I hate those B-budget ones from the SyFy channel of yesteryear. Don’t you?)
I got it! They’re slimy ooze…or giant insects…or robots. No, they’re part machine and part human, like the Borg. (I think I saw that on Star Trek once.) Then there is that big fat mass of blubber from the Star Wars trilogy of the 80s. I have a novel idea. Maybe they’re plain old humanoid like you and me.
Naw. There are no other life forms out there. Nor are there any humanoid replicas of mankind either, at least not in our universe. But there are spirits, and some of them aren’t so good to be around…like old Lucifer, for instance. He’s not someone you want to even hold a conversation with, much less permit to babysit the kids.
This has me thinking. Just what is a human being anyway? Anyone out there know? Let’s see a show of hands. Come on now. Don’t be bashful. I am squinting real hard to look all the way to the back rows, but I don’t see any hands. Oh boy. I got my work cut out for me today.
Well, let’s ask the Lord God what the makeup of a human being is. After all, he made ‘em all! Hey, Lord. What is a human being made of anyway? Oh. You say You already told us. Uh, now I’m suffused with a flushed face, Lord. When did you tell us? I should know this.
What’s that, Lord? You say it’s in the Bible. Gulp. Shoulda coulda woulda…but didn’t. But I planned to when I wasn’t so busy, Lord. Really I did. Okay, Lord. I’ll stop making excuses and crooning You to sleep with my rationalizations. I’m kinda tired of them myself.
So gang, let’s hie off to the Bible and discover what the makeup of a human being is. Oh, there it is! Right there in Genesis 2:7. Hmm. A human being is comprised of two ingredients. Let’s itemize them for easy reference:
• dust of the ground
• breath of life
Now that is unique! Really. No, I mean really. I’m not joking either. I’ll let you resolve your issues for the time being and continue this topic in our next study. Now I’m off to see the wizard, er, I mean the Lord Jesus. Perhaps you’d like to come along.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them [Genesis 1:27].
Have you ever wondered if there is extraterrestrial life out there somewhere? Where would they be located? For that matter what would they be like? Perhaps they’d be like ET… Or maybe some of those lizard-like aliens in so many sci-fi films. (Ugh. I hate those B-budget ones from the SyFy channel of yesteryear. Don’t you?)
I got it! They’re slimy ooze…or giant insects…or robots. No, they’re part machine and part human, like the Borg. (I think I saw that on Star Trek once.) Then there is that big fat mass of blubber from the Star Wars trilogy of the 80s. I have a novel idea. Maybe they’re plain old humanoid like you and me.
Naw. There are no other life forms out there. Nor are there any humanoid replicas of mankind either, at least not in our universe. But there are spirits, and some of them aren’t so good to be around…like old Lucifer, for instance. He’s not someone you want to even hold a conversation with, much less permit to babysit the kids.
This has me thinking. Just what is a human being anyway? Anyone out there know? Let’s see a show of hands. Come on now. Don’t be bashful. I am squinting real hard to look all the way to the back rows, but I don’t see any hands. Oh boy. I got my work cut out for me today.
Well, let’s ask the Lord God what the makeup of a human being is. After all, he made ‘em all! Hey, Lord. What is a human being made of anyway? Oh. You say You already told us. Uh, now I’m suffused with a flushed face, Lord. When did you tell us? I should know this.
What’s that, Lord? You say it’s in the Bible. Gulp. Shoulda coulda woulda…but didn’t. But I planned to when I wasn’t so busy, Lord. Really I did. Okay, Lord. I’ll stop making excuses and crooning You to sleep with my rationalizations. I’m kinda tired of them myself.
So gang, let’s hie off to the Bible and discover what the makeup of a human being is. Oh, there it is! Right there in Genesis 2:7. Hmm. A human being is comprised of two ingredients. Let’s itemize them for easy reference:
• dust of the ground
• breath of life
Now that is unique! Really. No, I mean really. I’m not joking either. I’ll let you resolve your issues for the time being and continue this topic in our next study. Now I’m off to see the wizard, er, I mean the Lord Jesus. Perhaps you’d like to come along.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Breathe the Dust – Part 2
Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being [Genesis 2:7].
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them [Genesis 1:27].
Man is created with a unique makeup. He is made from the dust of the ground and the breath of life. Do you know why it’s unique? Because those imaginary ET characters and Blobs and vampires and zombies and any other possible creature—not a one of them has the same two ingredients for their makeup.
Neither does old Lucifer or any of his minion demons. Nor do the angels of heaven. Why, not even the animals on earth have both of the ingredients comprising man’s makeup. I know because the Bible tells me so! I know, it’s a children’s song. But so what? It’s true!
Only man is made in the image of God, dear friends. This is repeatedly spelled out throughout the Bible. And because it’s the case, the Lord makes vital distinctions between man and animals. Let’s consider some.
If an animal kills a man, the animal is a murderer and must be killed. For that matter if a man kills another man, he is a murderer and must be killed. Contrariwise, if an animal kills another animal, it amounts to no more than c’est la vie! When a man is hungry, he kills an animal and eats and the Lord blesses him in the doing.
Clearly animal life rates far below man on the Lord’s food chain! Even the angels are ministering spirits, sent out to render service to those humans who will inherit salvation (cf., Hebrews 1:14). The Lord has established man as a high-ranking being indeed!
I wonder why. Even the Psalmist was a bit uncertain about this. He mused:
What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet. All sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas [Psalm 8:4-8].
Yea, Lord. What is man that You care for him so much? Well, to begin with we know that man consists of the dust of the ground. Could that be what makes him so unique, so valuable in the eyes of the Lord?
We will go to the prayer closet now and allow the Lord Jesus to explain it to us. See you tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them [Genesis 1:27].
Man is created with a unique makeup. He is made from the dust of the ground and the breath of life. Do you know why it’s unique? Because those imaginary ET characters and Blobs and vampires and zombies and any other possible creature—not a one of them has the same two ingredients for their makeup.
Neither does old Lucifer or any of his minion demons. Nor do the angels of heaven. Why, not even the animals on earth have both of the ingredients comprising man’s makeup. I know because the Bible tells me so! I know, it’s a children’s song. But so what? It’s true!
Only man is made in the image of God, dear friends. This is repeatedly spelled out throughout the Bible. And because it’s the case, the Lord makes vital distinctions between man and animals. Let’s consider some.
If an animal kills a man, the animal is a murderer and must be killed. For that matter if a man kills another man, he is a murderer and must be killed. Contrariwise, if an animal kills another animal, it amounts to no more than c’est la vie! When a man is hungry, he kills an animal and eats and the Lord blesses him in the doing.
Clearly animal life rates far below man on the Lord’s food chain! Even the angels are ministering spirits, sent out to render service to those humans who will inherit salvation (cf., Hebrews 1:14). The Lord has established man as a high-ranking being indeed!
I wonder why. Even the Psalmist was a bit uncertain about this. He mused:
What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet. All sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas [Psalm 8:4-8].
Yea, Lord. What is man that You care for him so much? Well, to begin with we know that man consists of the dust of the ground. Could that be what makes him so unique, so valuable in the eyes of the Lord?
We will go to the prayer closet now and allow the Lord Jesus to explain it to us. See you tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Breathe the Dust – Part 3
Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being [Genesis 2:7].
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them [Genesis 1:27].
Man is made of the dust of the ground. Is that what makes man so unique and valuable in the Lord’s eyes? Uh, that would be a no. The animals also are made up of the dust of the ground. When they die they return to dust, even as man’s body does (cf., Psalm 90:3; Genesis 3:19).
Okay. That leaves only the “breath of life” from God to make man unique and valuable. And you know what? That’s the answer! The Lord God didn’t breathe the breath of life into the nostrils of the animals. Plant life hasn’t the breath of life either. And I can guarantee you that those sci-fi critters don’t because they aren’t even real!
Only man is composed of the breath of life from the Lord God, dear friends. This is what distinguishes mankind from all other forms of existence, whether plants or animals or inanimate objects, beasts or fowl or fish. The combination of the dust of the ground and the breath of life makes man valuable enough for the angels to attend to our welfare. Man is valuable to the Lord God!
But don’t go growing a fat head, dear friends. We are valuable because the Lord God made us to be. Our value stems from Him, not from ourselves. We have nothing of which to boast. The Lord is not in our debt and begging us to let Him visit with us. I think it’s the other way around, to tell you the truth.
Man’s unique combination of “ingredients” makes man to be in the image of God. The “image of God” is a depictive phrase to which no other created thing can lay claim. And there are some powerful conclusions to draw from this too.
Man is formed from the dust of the ground. So. Animals are too! If you visit a barnyard, you cannot miss observing the animals mating. They have no qualms about it. They go around without any clothes on and don’t blush. The males sniff after every female in search of the lost lust. In mating season the females do the pursuing.
Animals have no shame. They aren’t supposed to, you see. And do you know why this is so? It’s because they are made of the dust of the ground and the…and the…and the…well, what do you know? That’s all they’re made of. Dust of the ground is the nature of animals, and man shares it with the animals.
This is not the choicest location to press the Pause Button, but we must. Time’s up for today. Let’s spend time in prayer and meditation now and return tomorrow, same time, same station.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them [Genesis 1:27].
Man is made of the dust of the ground. Is that what makes man so unique and valuable in the Lord’s eyes? Uh, that would be a no. The animals also are made up of the dust of the ground. When they die they return to dust, even as man’s body does (cf., Psalm 90:3; Genesis 3:19).
Okay. That leaves only the “breath of life” from God to make man unique and valuable. And you know what? That’s the answer! The Lord God didn’t breathe the breath of life into the nostrils of the animals. Plant life hasn’t the breath of life either. And I can guarantee you that those sci-fi critters don’t because they aren’t even real!
Only man is composed of the breath of life from the Lord God, dear friends. This is what distinguishes mankind from all other forms of existence, whether plants or animals or inanimate objects, beasts or fowl or fish. The combination of the dust of the ground and the breath of life makes man valuable enough for the angels to attend to our welfare. Man is valuable to the Lord God!
But don’t go growing a fat head, dear friends. We are valuable because the Lord God made us to be. Our value stems from Him, not from ourselves. We have nothing of which to boast. The Lord is not in our debt and begging us to let Him visit with us. I think it’s the other way around, to tell you the truth.
Man’s unique combination of “ingredients” makes man to be in the image of God. The “image of God” is a depictive phrase to which no other created thing can lay claim. And there are some powerful conclusions to draw from this too.
Man is formed from the dust of the ground. So. Animals are too! If you visit a barnyard, you cannot miss observing the animals mating. They have no qualms about it. They go around without any clothes on and don’t blush. The males sniff after every female in search of the lost lust. In mating season the females do the pursuing.
Animals have no shame. They aren’t supposed to, you see. And do you know why this is so? It’s because they are made of the dust of the ground and the…and the…and the…well, what do you know? That’s all they’re made of. Dust of the ground is the nature of animals, and man shares it with the animals.
This is not the choicest location to press the Pause Button, but we must. Time’s up for today. Let’s spend time in prayer and meditation now and return tomorrow, same time, same station.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Breathe the Dust – Part 4
Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being [Genesis 2:7].
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them [Genesis 1:27].
Man shares the animal nature with animals. We get it from the dust of the ground, of which we both consist. But man is more than an animal, much more. Man also consists of the breath of life, and this makes man to be in the image of God. This is why man can, and should, blush. Man should wear clothes and cover himself. Man should blush when nudity is displayed. Man should stand aghast and drop his jaw, should humans be so dense as to mate in public view.
You see, the image of God means that man knows right and wrong. Man is aware of morality. The Lord is a moral Person, and He passed this on to man. It is quite true that sex, for example, is a normal part of life…of animal life! But man isn’t a mere animal and shouldn’t operate on the basis of mere animal instinct. Suchlike behavior makes man to be the dust of the ground and nothing more. This is an abomination to the Lord!
Man has the ability to know right and wrong, and to choose right. He has the ability to control his lusts and keep them in subjection to the image of God. Lust comes from the animal nature. When we give free rein to the animal nature, we are living like an animal. This insults the Lord and offends Him deeply because then we aren’t functioning like He created us to function.
The Lord God created man with an elevated status above the rest of creation. He did so in order to establish a personal relationship with us. But the Lord is pure and holy. He cannot abide with sin. The word “sin” means that moral creatures—that would be us human beings—function as if we are mere animals. We make ourselves something other than what the Lord made us to be. We pervert His creation.
So yes, it is only natural to commit adultery and fornication, to get drunk and do drugs and in general be vulgar. And if we human beings were mere animals, it would be expected. But we’re not! We are moral beings created in the image of God to have fellowship with Him. So let’s act like it!
Confession of sin and repentance is called for daily. Diligence in spiritual warfare to avoid sin is mandatory to refrain from sin. But all of this is to no avail, unless we are first born again. The person born naturally is born as a sinner, and sinners sin! The sinner first needs to die, in order for the new creation to be born. That is what it means to be born again.
Are you born again? Today is the day of salvation! Don’t be a mere animal. Come to Jesus and live while it is still today.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them [Genesis 1:27].
Man shares the animal nature with animals. We get it from the dust of the ground, of which we both consist. But man is more than an animal, much more. Man also consists of the breath of life, and this makes man to be in the image of God. This is why man can, and should, blush. Man should wear clothes and cover himself. Man should blush when nudity is displayed. Man should stand aghast and drop his jaw, should humans be so dense as to mate in public view.
You see, the image of God means that man knows right and wrong. Man is aware of morality. The Lord is a moral Person, and He passed this on to man. It is quite true that sex, for example, is a normal part of life…of animal life! But man isn’t a mere animal and shouldn’t operate on the basis of mere animal instinct. Suchlike behavior makes man to be the dust of the ground and nothing more. This is an abomination to the Lord!
Man has the ability to know right and wrong, and to choose right. He has the ability to control his lusts and keep them in subjection to the image of God. Lust comes from the animal nature. When we give free rein to the animal nature, we are living like an animal. This insults the Lord and offends Him deeply because then we aren’t functioning like He created us to function.
The Lord God created man with an elevated status above the rest of creation. He did so in order to establish a personal relationship with us. But the Lord is pure and holy. He cannot abide with sin. The word “sin” means that moral creatures—that would be us human beings—function as if we are mere animals. We make ourselves something other than what the Lord made us to be. We pervert His creation.
So yes, it is only natural to commit adultery and fornication, to get drunk and do drugs and in general be vulgar. And if we human beings were mere animals, it would be expected. But we’re not! We are moral beings created in the image of God to have fellowship with Him. So let’s act like it!
Confession of sin and repentance is called for daily. Diligence in spiritual warfare to avoid sin is mandatory to refrain from sin. But all of this is to no avail, unless we are first born again. The person born naturally is born as a sinner, and sinners sin! The sinner first needs to die, in order for the new creation to be born. That is what it means to be born again.
Are you born again? Today is the day of salvation! Don’t be a mere animal. Come to Jesus and live while it is still today.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
