Sep. 23, 2025

September 2025 Conchshell Chronicles

The Journal of Seek The Lamb & Rio Coco Cafe

Made In God's Image

Michelangelo's Fresco of Creation on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel -

Photo by M Bagby, Nikon 2007, Public Domain

Many world religions have a similar view of mankind that we are either accidents of creation or created by the gods to serve them. Evolutionists consider us to be descendants of single cell organisms that were somehow created by lightning striking a primordial swamp or a meteor striking earth causing I don’t know what to happen. There are many theories to explain an extraordinary event in universal history- the Creation of Mankind.

The Bible, which is considered by many historians to be historically accurate according to manuscript evidence, internal evidence and external evidence, which is the standard all historians use to evaluate ancient literature for veracity, gives us a description of and a reason for this event:

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” ²⁷ God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

²⁸ God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:26-28

"Created In the Image of God"

Image: Hebrew ṣelem: A masculine noun meaning an image, a likeness, a statue, a model, a drawing, a shadow. The word means image or likeness; its most celebrated theological and anthropological use was to depict human beings as made in God’s own image. People continue to be in His image even after the fall, although the image is marred, and still serves as the basis of the prohibition not to kill human beings. from the Complete Word Study Bible

We are unlike animals or plants. We are made specifically in the pattern of God, according to His likeness. That means that each human has Divine value and dignity. It means that all human life is precious to the Creator- thus the commandments not to murder, steal from, or lie to your neighbor in the Bible. World religions like Buddhism, Hunduism and Islam do not have this view of the preciousness of human life. That's why we see the sick lying in the streets of Asia, and infidels capriciously kiiled by Muslims. Remember it was those who hold a Biblical world view that started the first hospitals and universities. It was a group of revolutionaries with a Biblical worldview that in 1776 declared that

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

This is THE FOUNDATION of our nation.

The Bible take it a step further, commanding us to consider others more important than ourselves:

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4

We are commanded again and again to help those around us, give to them, and serve them. This applies not only to those friendly people we meet, but also those who oppose us.

You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; Jesus in Matthew 5:43-45

Who said the Bible was irrelevant to our daily lives?!?!

We find ourselve in a society that many do not share this concept of the preciousness of life, nor the basic freedoms of expression that our Constitution enbodies.

What are we to do? How Are we to respond?

With anger and rage? With vengence? With judgemental attitudes?

Seems natural that we would give back what is given to us......

But that is not the way of the Kingdom of God and our Leader, Lord and Savior, who often showed compassion when He encountered those who were morally and spiritually lost. Here is one scene recorded by the former tax collector Matthew, who previously was a servant of the hated Romans and an anathema to the Jewish people. It was a scene where Jesus was sharing a meal with some of Matthew's tax collector friends.

Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:10-13

The Pharisees were the religious sect that never broke a Biblical commandment, gave all the prescribed offerings and tithes, and thus considered themselves righteous. Jesus dismissed their sacrifices at the Temple, instead calling them to have compassion on the lost.

We should do the same.

Paul echoes this attitude to his Greco Roman froends in Ephesus:

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32

We have an opportunity now to live out these commandments. Our kindness and forgiveness will show us to be sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father.

This may be the turning point of our culture toward God.

Proverbs gives us a strategy when we encounter those who have made their minds up to ignore God and oppose His people:

Patience can persuade a prince,
and soft speech can break bones. Proverbs 25:15

The hardest arguments can be turned through patient kindness.

Let this be our response to the anger and rage of our times.

Michael on the Coco RIver (Honduras) across from Utlamatha Nicaragua, 1986

Lamb Bleatings

Mahalo to all of you who have given of your sightly used ALOHA WEAR for our RIO ALOHA 100% HUMANIC PROJECT. Thank you for taking the time out to look through your closet and asking your friends and family to help us raise funds Really appreciate you for sending us your ALOHA in those flat rate boxes. We TRULY appreciate your kokua at this time. THANK YOU! Keep cleaning and keep it coming!

A Word in Honor of Charlie Kirk whose gifted purposed life will now release hundreds of thousands if not millions of young people who will engage themselves with passionate freedom to exert themselves and efforts toward boldly proclaiming the WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. The GREAT AWAKENING IS UPON US.

We will be starting another ALPHA COURSE and ADDING a second part, Living In The Spiritual World, for those that came to our first Alpha Course (which was led by Mikaela and Lukas) and any other new believers.

October 7-December 9 2025 Tuesday 6:30 pm

DINNER together and then break out into two groups

Alpha Course and Living in the Spiritual World

STEWARDING MY OWN VESSEL (TEMPLE)

“….they were praying, worshipping, singing, and praising in the temple ….always….” BRING ETERNITY DOWN TO EARTH.

When Solomon built the temple for God, I noticed that there were details upon details with specific instructions for each and every part, crack and crevice. DETAILED SPECIFICS given by God Himself….ultimate Designer who makes no mistakes.

I have been meditating upon the fact that the Bible also says that, “I am the temple of His Holy Spirit.” When I invited the Lord Jesus Christ to reside in me and began this relationship with the One true God I began the journey of discovering what life was meant to be with God giving each detail for right living and being. When I stay in regular communion with my Source of Life, I am filled with a peace and purposed existence that surpasses anything that I could have thought of or conjured up for myself.

The Lord disciplines who He loves. I am loved and have been discovering how much I need my risen Lord to show me His ways and make me more like him. I am literally lost without him and have been seeking His divine wisdom and hand of mercy as I go into each new day that He gives. I realize the ease that I have living in my own understanding and common sense and not giving heed to My King, Master and Lord.

I need time to be in the prayer closet….giving heed to what my orders of the day are going to be. I can easily just take off without hearing of my Father’s voice . We have been trying to make the practice of asking often ,”What do you think, Lord? Have it Your way. This is your time Lord and We are yours and give ourselves to You.”

Let us divinely hear the details of your heart and plans for our lives Lord and help us to be obedient to You and what you want. We trust you and thank you for pursuing us and speaking to us . Help us to hear and obey and see You more clearly. Laura

Celebrating Lukas' Birthday with a Moselle Cake

Waspam Bible Club

We are actively supporting the work of Young Life in Nicaragua to reach the young people of the Coco River. This is the second year that we are sending many students and young leaders to the Young Life camp in Matagalpa for weeklong meetings of youth from all over Nicaragua.

The emerging leaders of the Waspam club are the children of our Seek The Lamb staff members. We are very excited to see this. Nutie and Tom Keogh continue to lead the discipleship efforts there. Please pray that many will catch the fire!

Rio Coco Cafe Utila

The Rio Coco Cafe Utila is located on The Point between Five Scuba and Free Diving schools.

We opened the Rio Coco Café this past February with four volunteers from Vero Beach Florida. It was a very successful opening. After a few weeks, Jake Ekstrom, a former intern from Hope Chapel Maui joined our Utila team and came to spend 10 days with us. It was apparent that we were going to need more staff housing. Now Daniel Cole, a Christian camp leader from Texas, is joining the team. The need for more housing is very evident. That caused us to begin three story buildi for more team housing.

Now we are adding a meeting room to our new apartment on Utila so that we will be able to have an Alpha class there next January as well as other Bible studies throughout the week.

We know that the field is ripe for many to come to experience our hospitality, share conversations, and get to know the source of Life. We are excited about this coming season. If you or someone you know would like to spend a year or two with us on this western Caribbean island reaching out to the travelers from Europe, Great Britian, Canada, the US and many other countries, please contact us at gmbagby@gmail.com. Aloha!

Utila Cafe Constuction Gift

Israel Study Tour March 9-20, 2026

Our 2023 Study Tour Group on the Temple Mount

Have you wanted to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and His disciples?

Do some of Jesus' words sometimes seem cryptic and confusing?

How does the geography, culture and history of the Bible help us undsestand the message?

We are excited to take many of our friends there to experience the Bible in its geographical and cultural context.

At the Haas Promenade overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem

March is a good month to travel there as the rains have ended, the hillsides are green and red, blue and purple flowers are everywhere.

This is our 8th study tour to Israel and we think it will be the most peaceful time to visit the Bible places. Please consider joining us in February.

The details and cost are on the Christian Travel Study Programs website.

Please call Dottie or Larissa at (800) 371-4485 and tell them you are on the Seek The Lamb Team before November 1.

Please contact me if you have any questions:

gmbagby@gmail.com Aloha! Michael

Israel Study Tour March 2026