Thursday, February 18, 2010

Mankind's Approach to God

Beads of Joy 02-18-10

Mankind's Approach to God
©2010 James Dacey, Jr. SFO

Lent 2010 - Day 2
Hello Everyone,

First of all we must get a few things perfectly clear before we begin. Man (meaning all mankind - both male and female) is not from some evolution of an ape (if you want to believe that then that's your fantasy, not mine); or any sort of an angelic being (our human abilities do not allow us to be that way, angels have not flesh and blood); nor an automaton (meaning a human being who acts in any mechanical way). Man is Body and Soul. This is who man is, and this is how man and woman were created: "Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:26-27 I hope you enjoy this bold fresh approach. The objective for us during this Lenten Season is not be politically correct, but rather Spiritually Correct. I am inspired by Fr. John Corapi.

Man is flesh and blood, and he has a mind to think and reason with. No other being exists in the world like man. Animals merely use their instincts they can not think or feel or reason like a human can. We are unique and we have been made in God's image, "the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." Genesis 1:7 Then God created woman, "So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,'for she was taken out of man." Genesis 2:21-23 I took this approach as I begin this Lenten Season, so there is no confusion to what it is that I believe.

So how does Mankind approach God? What's really neat is that our minds have the ability to imagine and we can use words and phrases; and with those words and phrases we can sort of picture things we really can't see. That alone makes us extremely unique, and we tend to use our senses a lot to understand things. And we also believe what God himself has told us, so mankind sees God as someone with a body; Jesus is God's Son, we are made in the likeness of God, how else would we picture God. When mankind is convinced about anything they believe they usually approach it and do something relative to that belief. Because we understand what magnificence God has accomplished in creation; biological design and the countless infinite things about our own physical being, the planet we live on and the universe we revolve in; we see God as someone who is huge is size, strength and power, that which we can truly never will ever fully comprehend.

Now knowing all that, mankind's approach to God is also unique. We prefer to approach God on our knees or prostrate before Him. The approach is almost like a fear, but it's a fear knowing that His love for us is immeasurable. The fear is full of love and devotion to our Lord and Creator and Maker. "Then the man bowed low and worshiped the Lord." Genesis 24:26, "And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him," Matthew 8:2, "Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him;" Mark 5:6. But we also know that our God is a jealous God, we are not to worship, love or desire anything or anyone before Him. "You shall have no other gods before me. "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments. "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." Exodus 20:3-7

Today's Challenge: Pray to Jesus on your knees. Try to develop this into a regular daily habit within your own private prayer life.


Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO