One of his primary gods was Gaia and she was said to be the ancestral mother of all life: the primal Mother Earth goddess. She was the mother of Uranus, the sky, from whose incestual union with her son, bore the Titans who were parents of many of the Olympian gods and the Giants. From the union with Pontus (the sea), she bore the primordial sea gods.

Gaia was angered, for while giving birth, her son Uranus shoved their children back into her body (where they remained alive). She then asked her children, the Cyclopes and the Titans, to help with her revenge upon Uranus. The Titan, Cronos, agreed to do her bidding and attack his father. Gaia made a huge sickle out of flint and gave it to him with some explicit instructions.

When Uranus came to have sex with Gaia, he was met with a horrific surprise. Cronos who was inside Gaia’s womb reached out with the sickle and attacked Uranus, or specifically, that part of Uranus that was nearest at hand. Cronos cut off his father’s genitals and threw them into the sea. From his blood were born several more monsters, the Giants and the Furies.

It seems amazing that anyone could come up with such fantasies; but having been void of a revelation of the Living God, and living in a world full of superstitions, we suppose it was the best they could do at the time. Even two thousand years later in the 17^th century, it was believed that mice were spontaneously generated in dirty clothing and a few grains of wheat, and maggots would do the same on raw meat that was left out for a week.

But not to digress, we will continue. By observing ancient history and following it to a small degree to our day, it is not strange that mythological gods were created by human beings, and then made physical representations of them while regarding the lifeless and unfeeling images as being very real, thinking, powerful entities worthy of receiving homage. We can read about this in the writings of Old Testament prophets; such as Amos, Micah, Nahum, and Isaiah.

Lifting up images as gods led others to do the same. The prophet's words tell us how other nations created their own gods that in reality were not gods. Such were simply the works of religious craftsmen. That which the prophets wrote about are historical records of how religion, even when it is a lie, can be a very real part of people's lives.

It was in the mythology of old that gods were created in the minds of men; but there may be some of this that strikes a little closer to home in our day of "superior" logic, knowledge, and understanding.

One would believe that with such intelligence and increased knowledge, every soul would forsake such folly, but not so. For that matter, it seems that the folly is greatly increasing. From creeping, crawling, swimming and flying things of nature, even trees, grass and flowers are made to be gods, in some way or another.

For most, however, higher forms of life are revered and looked to as being their gods, their potential saviors from the evil of today's world. Some men, women, political parties and/or their leaders, religious organizations and/or their leaders are revered with expectations that they will save the day or perhaps bless them with worldly riches and the Elysian fields of happiness.

It is a mystery; yet very common, for people to trust more in manmade gods or self-serving men in government offices or churches whose foot is often upon their necks rather than looking to God’s Son in their hearts. We cannot say this is the case for everyone; but we can certainly see that it happens on a large scale.

Let us pause for a moment and notice what a couple of biblical scholars said regarding Jeremiah 16:20:

We consider mankind over the past two thousand years, especially those of our own day, and we ask, has it been any different than with the ones that the prophet rebuked? Frankly, there has been very little or no difference at all, and it goes much deeper than religious ornaments, images adorning church buildings, or those setting silently on mantles and dressers in people’s homes.

The ones we will notice are more intangible. They are idols in the minds of men. They are subtle and much more powerful than sticks, stones, gems, or men’s bones lying in cathedral tombs, and they are no different than that which Eve did after the serpent beguiled her. Adam’s creative mind, that of the man and woman, has been at work ever since in making their own image/imaginations in just about every phase of men’s religions.

The image and likeness of God in which man was created was male and female. With this completeness came the ability to create. No other creature was graced with this godlike attribute. There are a few animals that can use tools in a limited way to retrieve food or build dams, nests, dens, crude shelters, etc., but they are all lacking when it comes to possessing the ability to truly think analytically and create.

As far as we know, man alone can muse, formulate thought, generate and build in his mind something that has never been. He can then figure out how to bring it into physical expression. As God creates no snow flakes alike, man is similar with his creations. He can create thoughts and make things that have never been, and with no two being alike. He can create the invisible within himself and then make it visible. As there is no end to God and that which He creates, so it is with man. There is no end to him or that which he creates, whether for good or for evil, and he does very well with both. And please know, as it is with God who created the heavens, the earth, and all their inhabitants from Himself, likewise with man.

God did not create anything from nothing. He drew everything from within and created it. All things were and are made in Him, through Him, and from Him. Therefore, with man being a creator in similar fashion, everything he creates originates in him.

Perhaps we can now see why the gods of men's religions have such variations of character. Man himself is a multifaceted being, and whatever those imaginative facets might be about the gods and/or God, that is what he will believe He is and teach it as fact. Without a relationship and knowing Him, the human creature is left to his own imaginations.

Some of those images of God can be close to what He is, such as a God of love, while others are not. They can come from people they think God might be, should be, or that which is fabricated due to what they have been told by others. When people do not know God in a personal, living way, they can be very easily swayed toward just about any form of belief.

When people have been awakened spiritually they will have clear and truthful images of Him. When they hear the voice of the Son of God they will not only see Him as He is, but they will also live, as He said they would in John 5:25. They will know more about Him than just having been told by someone else. The closer they are to Him the more they will know Him and what His purpose is for them and the rest of creation. They will also know that He not only can fulfill His purpose, but He will fulfill it! Without such a familiar relationship, their images of Him will be imaginary illusions and will be as far from reality as daylight is from dark.

Paul mentioned something of their illusions when he wrote, "Because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man...." Romans 1:19-23.

Men have built strongholds that 2^nd Corinthians 10:4-5 calls imaginations. They believe God to be very much like themselves but usually a little more supreme. Their image of Him can also be one that is far less than man. For instance, they say that He loves all, is all powerful, and always does that which pleases Him; but at the same time, they maintain that He will not save all, or He cannot do so because of man’s so called "free will," which would make man greater than God.

Just about everyone who professes Jesus as their savior will say that they would not burn their worst enemies in hell forever who might have never quite measured up to their church's standard of righteousness or embraced their tenets of faith and requirements for salvation. And they certainly would not condemn to eternal torment their loved ones no matter what they had done or not done.

If they would not subject their own rebellious or unfortunate children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends to endless punishment, but they believe that God will do so, they are then bowing to a god that is lesser than what they are. If He, as the Father of ALL, will burn the majority of humanity, this tells me that their love and mercy goes way beyond that of God’s. Not only do they make God in the image of man, but they make Him lower than themselves, so much lower that their image categorizes Him as a diabolical fiend.

Think about this! The creature that He created in His image and after His likeness shows more love, and is more benevolent and merciful than his Creator. The train of truth does not track on those rails of irrational thought; but such things are created in the confines of man’s ignorance.

Men take pride in their creations, and it is painful when their masterpieces are threatened, defaced, or destroyed. Although they do not consciously say, "Let us make God in our likeness and after our image," this is exactly what they do when they project their own image upon Him in the laboratory of their minds. Therein they create Him as one who chooses special people to set up religions that consist of hierarchies, rituals, dogmas, tenets of faith, and programs.

Although some images that come from these imaginative God Makers exalt Him, others create images of Him that are very belittling. For instance, they imagine Him as having created two entities of which He has no control; namely, Satan and Adam. The first supposedly foiled God’s plan and afterwards came the second who joined ranks with him when he chose the first's lie over the command of his Creator.

So there you go, God's prized creations, Satan and Adam, failed Him and became as loose cannons rolling around on a deck in the midst of the world’s perpetual stormy seas. The God that was created in man’s image simply lost control and fell apart. That spurious image portrays Him as one who is not able to hold at bay and overcome the devil.

According to some calculations, this enemy will have possessed countless billions to be consigned to everlasting hell. This image is of an impotent God who either will not or cannot save His creation. He is seen as one who is easily provoked. If someone tells a small lie to save his skin, off to hell forever with no mercy or hope of relief, that is, if he isn’t saved or doesn’t belong to the right church when he dies, etc.

Man’s image of God has Him as being constantly frustrated, forgiving up to a point and then eternally unforgiving. It seems that in this scenario He is just waiting to get even. He becomes intensely vindictive and enjoys the suffering of all those in opposition to Him. This is in man’s image and comes from his own heart that is desperately wicked. If you think not, let us notice what a couple of well-known religious leaders said:

Another is noted as having said:

As with the ancients, the above are prime examples of men creating God in their own image and after their likeness. They are imaginations created from within themselves which gives God a form in their minds as that of corruptible man, and it doesn't stop there. After creating the image, they then give homage to it. They then, by definition, become idol worshipers. Regardless of how unreal their "brain-child" is, in effect, they have become "God Makers," and rather than worshiping the living God in Spirit and in Truth, they worship a fabricated lie — the creation, the creature of their own imaginations. Such are the offspring of men who bring forth after their own kind.

According to his own nature does he make gods. Like Homer and Hesiod, men today, and centuries past, became god makers of various kinds, yet with the same name and title given to them all, Jehovah God, etc.

As high and holy, as endless is the expanse and majesty of the Living God, so is the opposite true with man’s world of pitiful darkness. And it is from that dark side which brings forth a terrible god that men say demands to be good and requires to be worshiped or His subjects will spend eternity in hell. People are tormented to no end with such threats. Some actually go insane, even commit suicide when faced with such fear and dread.

I knew a man who had gone insane and was confined to an asylum due to the mental horror that overwhelmed him day in and day out. This was after his pastor and elders had told him that he had committed the "unpardonable" sin and would be suffering eternal damnation. Before that, he had a vasectomy to make sure he would never bring children into the world and subject them to the possibility of being condemned to hell forever.

But he was delivered from this lie when he read our Pathfinder studies, along with J. Preston Eby and Gary Amirault’s works. With a sound mind, he was released from that horrid pit of darkness into which men of the clothe had cast him.

Fortunately, there are quite a number these days who are being enlightened by the truth of who the living God really is, while forsaking the one akin to some of the mythological gods.

Sadly, however, it will not matter with some how clear the scriptures are about God and His sovereign purpose for humanity. There will always be those with darkened, minds that will portray Him to be something other than what He is. For instance, some are quick to quote the verses about the good Shepherd going to the extremities to find the one lost sheep and not giving up until it is found. Yet they still teach the opposite, saying, that if the lost sheep of the world do not find their way home of their own free-will choice, they will be forever lost.

It is seen that most of them will do everything in their power to keep from losing one of their own flock. However, they seem to believe that Jesus is not able or willing to keep and save each and every one of His flock that he bought and paid for. Please, do not buy into that scenario of Jesus sadly, but willingly, standing by while His Father consigns the majority of His purchased possession to a burning hell forever.

It seems that in the same way that Homer, Hesiod, and other ancients created merciless gods, so it is today in our Christian churches. One of their gods in league with the one who passes the judgment of eternal damnation on his less than perfect enemies, is well known worldwide. He is similar to the mythological Hecatonchires that were overseers and in charge of Tartarus; that is, the devil and all his demons. He and his evil imps have been given power equal to, or sometimes greater than, God Himself and His saints.

His image seems to be more calculating and cunning than the God who created him. Man hardly stands a chance against such a foe. For if the devil slipped up on God once, and then has foiled His Son's commission of saving the whole world, what would stop him from throwing another monkey wrench into the works? He just might pull the rug from underneath God once more, and no one could be saved. Therefore, the only thing left for the few faithful ones would be to hope God has a few tricks up his own sleeve and finally wins the war, yet with innumerable casualties.

To be continued...