Living up to God’s image

In Created in the Image of God, Rogers Kisambira shares God’s intention of Adam and the operations of the world when He created man. “Man”, Kisambira writes, “was created to extend God’s rule from the spiritual realm (heaven) to the physical realm; the earth.”

The 190-page book also portrays the similarity in the functioning of a man’s spirit, soul and body and the trinity of God. It clearly illustrates how man is the image of God. Kisambira unveils the detailed purpose of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and also addresses the common misconceptions of the same. In an intriguing way, the author compares this tree to tithe and offerings, a common church norm followed by many Christians without fully understanding it.

Kisambira, a renowned Bible teacher, praise and worship leader and civil engineer also tackles, “Grace and Truth”; the covenant Jesus brought into the world which is different from the covenant of “The Law of Moses”. The difference between the two covenants is seen through Jesus, when He compares new wine being placed into old wineskins. This Law was given through Moses but Grace and Truth came with Jesus Christ as articulated in John 1:17.

The author also says when we receive a revelation of the magnitude of God’s love towards us, it will cause us to live righteous with great ease.
In one captivating section, the book says “Dear reader, you may not have realised that you are more important than the sin you committed. God is not judging you; He is extending His love towards you. You are not the sin you committed.”

This book majorly tackles the aspect of identity and the author observes that each one of us is created with a unique identity in God. Every misconception of this true unique identity leads to great internal affliction and like the saying goes, “Ignorance of purpose makes abuse inevitable”.

Consequently...
This misconception will often manifest in various ways such as drug abuse, suicide, abortion, plastic surgery to make changes to one’s appearance in extreme cases. In some cases, this manifests in being irritable and fighting for relevance as a result of insecurity. Kisambira says to achieve what God has intended us to be, we need to be joined with Him in every sense until the very life of Jesus himself exudes in us.

This book also explains the changes that happen when we receive Jesus Christ: We become children of God, we inherit the blessings of God and the heavenly attributes of God. Our spirits are made new according to the very nature of God and are made one with Him. Our souls and bodies are purchased but not redeemed and await redemption on the day of our resurrection. This is what explains the imperfections and inconsistencies in our lives even after being born again.

The last chapter
It defines our roles in the game of life. He asks, “After God has restored to you the dominion Adam lost, how then do you utilise it in the present situation of business, career, relationship and so forth?” adding that, “all creation awaits the manifestation of the sons of God; the believers in Jesus as written in Romans 8:19.”
“Jesus Christ did not simply come as a role model for good spiritual behaviour. He was more than just a prophet and a good teacher. He is the Messiah and He is God the Son. This prophecy had been carried right from the book of Genesis through various prophets who proclaimed that God would come as the Messiah.

The books we have read

Stephen Langa
Book: Discipling Nations by Darrow Miller
Where: Transforming Nations Alliance, Bugolobi
Price: Shs25, 000
The book is about worldwide and Christian views. It explains people’s mindsets. People view the world from a different perspectives, as defined by media, culture or what is popular and that’s what they base their opinions, assessment and decisions on to live their lives. The book gets one to understand life from a different perspective, God’s perspective is important.

Vicki Naluyimbazi
Book: The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
Where: Leading bookstores in Kampala
Price: Shs15, 000
I found that book enriching. I learnt finding purpose for my existence, setting goals and having faith in God. I also learnt that facing challenges that come my way boldly is the best way to sail through life. As a result of reading it, I now set priorities in my life and work towards achieving them.

Emmanuel Jean Kamya
Book: He came to set the captives free by Rebecca Brown
Where: Scripture Union bookstore
Price: 45, 000
Brown talks about many issues concerning deliverance from satanic or demonic attacks. She reveals how Satan has many agents operating in various spheres in communities and families. The most significant is that it shows how to cover ourselves from such demonic attacks or curses, by setting a hedge of protection around ourselves. This protection comes first through salvation.

Sharon N. Katende
Book: Your Vision is your future by Peter Kasirivu
Where: Ggaba Community Church
Price: Shs5, 000
The book is written out of real life experience. For years, I have witnessed the work Pastor Kasirivu has done and I know his writing inspired by life experience. From the book, I got to know the source of a vision. I learnt the importance of writing down ideas that flow during and after prayer. These are ideas from God through which God delivers the vision. When you read the book, you are encouraged to act upon the vision when the time is ripe.