God is clear in the beginning of the Bible that He was willing to create man-kind in His image ... "Let us create man in our own image, after our likeness (Gen 1:26)." God's command means that each of us are designed to have a life that reflects the image of God. In fact, we do not have to strive to become in His image, but were created in His image. It is only through the fragmentation of this image that we became separated from the image of God. The more fragmented our lives become the more our image of God within us starts to fade or becoming unclear. When people reach a point of brokenness, or their lives become fragmented they begin a process of masking their story, and/or begin to hide how they perceive the perfect image (story) of who they were designed to be. The process of fragmenting our life is top priority for satan who knows that our stories must be limited. The reason he knows our stories must be limited is the fact that our life story (testimony) and the blood of Jesus are the only two things that matter in the last days. Please read Revelation 12:10-12 and you will clearly see that our testimony (life story) and the blood of the lamb (Jesus) are the only two things which prevent Satan from being victorious over us.

God knows that humanity loves complete stories and that a complete story is able to reflect God's story. Every time I tell a great story of what God has done in my life, I am going back to Genesis and stating that I have been created in God's image; therefore I am reflecting God's story. The image of God-within-me is the truest form of a testimony or witness that I was created in God's image, and I am on the pathway to heaven!   Satan does all he can do to prevent your story from bringing a reflection of God's glory into the world. This is why he has mastered the art of breaking up our story. The more fragmented a story/life becomes the less likely we are to see the reflection of God shine through us. If we were created in the image of God we are a 'mirror' of Him. And, this mirror of Him can be seen in its completeness when our life story is in the process of being complete.

As a person's life story is unfolded they start seeing God's image, and when they see God's image through their life they become more confident, bold, and assured with their life-story. Unfortunately, many people let a broken element in their life separate their full story, causing them to start minimizing God's glory and image through them. My advice to people has and always will be to stop letting circumstances rule their life. If we are called to rule and reign with Christ, then we need to practice ruling and reigning over circumstances, emotions, and disappointments. Whenever we allow these things to rule over us, the enemy is on the pathway to fragmenting our story that was meant to be told.

When the great running back Walter Payton played football for the Chicago Bears, he was asked how he remained injury free and act as if he was never in pain in spite of the inflictions his body endured each game. He replied and said "I never give the defense the belief or satisfaction that one of their tackles hurt me; because as soon as I do, they will see a weakness that will be exploited, and before long I will be injured." In essence his secret was never to let the enemy know the pain he was going through. In this way he was able to illustrate a life a life story of greatness on the football field. For this very reason Walter Payton's nickname became 'Sweetness.'

Each of us must realize that God created us in His image and we were each designed to have the sweetness of His image displayed in and through us. This image must be lived and told as a witness or testimony of God's greatness. This style of living puts satan in his place, while elevating God to His rightful position --- though us.

We must learn to guard against the tackles, defenses, and losses of life from breaking apart our complete life story that needs to be continually unfolding in partnership with God. God's story displayed in and through me becomes my main story, and my main story brings credit to His story. In simple terms God's reflection can be seen in me, and my reflection can be seen in Him. This all brings the fullest story back to how God created me ... in His image and likeness.  

God's ultimate plan for this imagery can be see through His son Jesus Christ. God states that Christ is to be glorified in and through us. 'Christ in us be glorified!'

God knew that satan was having a 'field-day' in the lives of people by putting doubt, confusion, and brokenness into their path to prevent them from telling a complete and full story. For this reason God simplified the process of bringing back the image of His creation through humanity by allowing each of us to accept Jesus into our hearts. Upon that sincere acceptance and confession (Romans 10:9-10) Christ comes into us and quickly allows the image of who God is, as well as who we are to shine. Christ in us becomes glorified and reflects the two-way reflection of both God and man. This is why Jesus is called the only intercessor and given the title as the only 'Name' under heaven whereby we can be saved. No one else has the ability to clearly reflect the intended image of God and man, in order that God's will can be done on earth as it is in heaven. When I allow Christ to be glorified in me, I allow my story to tell God's story; and our perfected image begins to be seen and told through His Story and My Story combined. Below are four key versus that help illustrate the imagery of God in us; and us in God.

The concept I am sharing with you allows us to see why the only prayer given to us by Christ included this aspect of refection. "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." God's desire is for us to reflect His image and creation on earth as it has been designed for us in heaven. As history continues to unfold, humanity will start seeing the more of the types of reflections (pure images) that were created and designed by God for humanity. God of order and will bring all things full circle back to Genesis where He created us in His image.

Each of us were created in God's image, and we should start reflecting His story through our story. The world can smell-through people who claim sweetness, greatest, and the Kingdom of God, only to live and pray as if we are always a beggar or complainer in the Kingdom. People are, and will always be drawn to the Story of Christ as they see it reflected in the Bible, a church, a dream, or your life story. We have lived in an era that has heard and embraced the untrue story of Humpty Dumpty which clearly tells of brokenness and despair 'All the kings horses and all the kings men couldn't put humpty back together again.' A minimum of four generations have heard this story of brokenness. Its time these four generations reverse this broken curse and tell a story of completeness, by letting our glory reflect back towards the Kingdom, as Christ becomes glorified through our complete story.

If your life story is broken, and your story has become fragmented, you cannot see your beauty and image as God sees it. In these cases the enemy has temporarily fulfilled God's Word in your life 'The thief comes not but to kill, steal, and destroy' (John 10:10). It is time for you to pull a Walter Payton and jump back up on the playing field of life and start scoring for the Kingdom of God with your complete life story... which is the second half of John 10:10 "But I am come that you might have life and life more abundantly."

Our prayer and concern for the world today has little to do with politics, finances, joblessness, etc. Rather, it is the untold story of broken lives that have inhibited the greatest reflection ... God-on-earth-as-He-is-seen-in-heaven. Every broken life is a candle that went dim on earth and the enemy gloats over another life story that may not be told to reflect God's story. We desire and pray for every reader to pick up the pieces of their lives and allow Christ in you to redeem any brokenness. This will allow you to begin to recollect and unfold the story that God always intended for you. Step back in the recesses of your mind and allow God to erase the failures, missteps, and brokenness, and redeem it for a quick pathway to the very person He always designed and created you to become.

We can see many people weeping over the words that have been shared in this spiritual bulletin due to its accuracy of brokenness and inability to tell the story that God designed for them from birth. May we encourage you to realize that any weeping is God's cleansing process that will allow you to embrace (by faith) His ability to heal, cleanse, and restore your life in order that more of His Story can be told through Your Story. Your weeping is merely an act of faith that states 'I believe that God created me in His image, has a design for my life, I can redeem my missed steps through Christ (Romans 10:9-10), and now begin to tell His Story through My Story."

Below are the lyrics to a Song by Casting Crowns called 'Let My Life Song Sing for You.'

Blessings,  

Mike and Pam Mathews

Michael.Mathews@focusonheaven.com

Pamela.Mathews@focusonheaven.com 

Lyrics to 'Life Song'

Empty hands held high
Such small sacrifice
If not joined with my life
I sing in vain tonight

May the words I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to You

Let my lifesong sing to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
I want to sign Your name to the end of this day
Knowing that my heart was true
Let my lifesong sing to You

Lord I give my life
A living sacrifice
To reach a world in need
To be Your hands and feet

So may the words I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to You

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Let my lifesong sing to You