Last month we continued our series on Reflecting His Image by showing a series of charts on Solomon’s Temple as a model or floor plan of the architecture of man. Our motive was to visibly show what a “spiritual” Christian looks like when walking by the Spirit; and, what a “carnal” believer looks like when he chooses to follow the flesh. In review:

If our purpose as Christians is to reflect Christ, how does this visibly play out?

What is your purpose as a Christian?

For many months now, we have been talking about “reflecting God’s image,” which is the purpose of our lives as Christians. In order to accomplish this purpose, God has given us His indwelling Spirit so that we can be transformed into His likeness and we can glorify Him.

II Corinthians 3:18 tells us that “we will all be changed into the same image from glory to glory, even by the Spirit of God.”

Continuing our series on the importance of “reflecting Christ’s image” and not our own, as Christians we must realize there are two spiritual forces or entities struggling against each other inside of us. One is called the old self, the flesh or the old man (which is the old Adamic nature); and the other is called the new self, the spirit or the new man (which is God’s Life in us).

Continuing our series on “reflecting Christ’s image,” the whole point of our being “born again” (John 3:3) is so that we might, through the sanctification process, once again regain the image of God. Our purpose as Christians is to glorify and reflect the Lord, not ourselves.

As we continue our exploration of what it means to glorify God—reflecting His Image and not our own—let’s investigate what exactly an image is. The dictionary says that an image is an exact likeness of something. It’s a visible representation or reproduction of the form of a person.

For a few months now we have been exploring what it means to reflect Christ—to bear His Image—in all we do. This is God’s purpose for calling us as Christians. I really believe if more of us would learn to glorify God in our actions, there would be a spiritual revival like we couldn’t believe. Everyone would want what we have!

First of all, I pray that you would have a blessed Christmas season, not only in your home, but also in your heart. I pray that you would experience the Love of God in a deeper and more real way and that you would be able to share that fullness of Love with your family, friends and neighbors.

Last month we began a new series of articles called “Reflections of His Image,” based on my new book (same title), which is due out this month. I am so very excited about this little book because it really clarifies many of the Christian terms and phrases that we so cavalierly banter around but truly don’t understand.

Since my new book Reflections of His Image: God’s Purpose for Your Life is due out this month, I thought I would take this opportunity to tell you a little about it.

Continuing our series on loving God, Jesus says in John 13:34, A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

The discovery of DNA as the blueprint of life in the 1950s was the starting block of a race to understand the molecular basis of life. One of the more intriguing findings to follow was that specific pieces of DNA can be used to study human history. Genetic anthropologists are now busy decoding that history, written in the molecules of life since the beginning of time.

In the last several newsletters, we've been studying obedience and what it really means. We confirmed that there are three essential parts to obeying God. 1) Learning to love (agapao) God; 2) learning to renew our minds; and 3) learning to have unshakable faith in all circumstances.

Continuing our series on the fruit of longsuffering, we turned our attention last month to what it really means to obey the Lord. Since the word ''obedience'' is such a very broad term, we narrowed it down to meaning three essential things: 1) Obedience means learning to ''love'' (agapao) God; 2) Obedience means learning to moment-by-moment renew our minds; and 3) Obedience means learning to have unshakable faith in our difficult times.

Continuing our series on ''the fruit of longsuffering,'' in the next few articles we want to turn our attention to what it means to obey and love the Lord. When we encounter various trials and tribulations, we have two choices we can make.

Over the last several months we have been talking about what Gods will is for all believers. Romans 8:29 tells us that we are to be ''conformed into Christs image'' by the process of sanctification. In other words, God wants to reproduce His Life in us so that others might come to salvation.

Last month we learned that Gods will for all believers is that we be conformed into His image by the process of sanctification (Romans 8:29). God wants to reproduce His Life in us so that others might come to salvation. But, we found that to allow God to conform us into His likeness, we must first be able to unconditionally trust Him.

Continuing our exploration of the ''fruit of longsuffering,'' we have emphasized that God's ways are often far beyond our human understanding. And, if we are to walk with Him, love Him and experience His Life through us, we must unreservedly cling to the assurance that whatever He allows in our lives is always for a purpose.

Our subject over the last few months has been longsuffering and the ability to never give up - no matter what is occurring. Again, the mail I have received on account of these articles has been overwhelming. Truly, this is where many of us are living in these end times.

Over the last few months we've started a new series of articles called the ''fruit of longsuffering'' - the choice to hang on tighter, trust the Lord further and never give up. I am absolutely amazed because I have received more heartfelt responses from this series than any other I have written.

May the Lord bless you with His presence this Holiday Season. As the psalmist says: "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: Come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord He is God: It is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Last month, we jump-started a new series of articles by asking the question: "Have you ever experienced a time where you became so confused, so discouraged and so disheartened in your Christian walk that you just wanted to let go, give in and give up?"

What do you do when your dreams, your plans and your hopes blow up in your face? Who do you blame when everything in the Bible gave you hope, but then, out of the blue, all was destroyed? How do you react when difficult and trying circumstances seem to go on and on and on?

This will be our final article on Private Worship - The Key to Joy. I pray the Lord has used these articles to stimulate you not only to "do your own homework" in the subject of worship, as my Chuck always says, but also to prompt you to begin your own daily time of intimacy with the Lord.

This month and next, we will be wrapping up our series on Private Worship: The Key to Joy. I pray the Lord has used these articles to encourage you and provide you with practical steps to experiencing His joy through worship.

Last month, we shared a little about spiritual warfare and its connection to worship. We said that if we are going to learn to worship on a daily (and deeper) basis, then we must be knowledgeable in the art of warfare.

Spiritual warfare? What does this have to do with learning to worship the Lord on an intimate basis?

Why is worship the single most important thing a Christian can learn to do? This is the subject we have been exploring over these past several months.