Fine Art America

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Fallen


Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Genesis 3:7
The state to which all of the human race was condemed to came through an act of disobedience. In the act the heart of man was decieved and set apart from God. This deception separated man from God's original intentions concerning him ,which were to subdue and take dominion over the earth. Unable to hallow( set apart) and realize the awesomeness of God our eyes were opened and we began to realize the evil that God didn't intend for us to have knowledge of.
Unlesss we find death to this deception by the spirit of God through the Lord Jesus the Christ ,it is impossible for us to live out the creation mandate set forth by the creator concerning man. His intentions for man was to be free of the evil that separates us from God.
As we celebrate hallow(set apart)-ween lets use this time to separate our thoughts from the dead and evil spirits of this world and become encourage in the spirit of God which eminates life.
Amen

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Glory Spot






In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."
Isaiah 6:1-3

As I sat down to reflect on my latest piece of artwork I can hear this word over and over again in my soul. That word is Glory. I find it not coincidental that during this time I have been reading a book by James Mac Donald titled “Gripped by the Greatness of God”. While exploring the contents of this manuscript I have come to identify with his labeling. Here is an example his first chapter which is labeled “Gripped by the Holiness of God”. Chapter two is “Gripped by the Awesomeness of God” and so on. All of the chapters use the adjective “gripped” as the action that takes place when encountering the different characteristics of God. He uses Isaiah chapter six as a reference point to God's awesome power. As the prophet Isaiah paints the scene King Uzziah’s death affords him the opportunity to see the pre-incarnate Christ on the throne in it's awesome power. Could you imagine the awesomeness of that event as God provides him with a glimpse of our Lord before he comes into his manifested glory? As Mr. Mac Donald points out in the book there are four words spoken by Isaiah that describe the witness that changed Isaiah’s life for eternity. “I saw the Lord” are the four words.
The point I’m trying to make is this. In order for us to present a gospel of peace and encounter a witness we have to see the cross of Jesus the Christ in the same manner Isaiah saw the throne. He saw the throne high and lifted up. Many of us will not be afforded the chance to see into the throne room of God. We are afforded the opportunity to witness however the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus the Christ. When we look toward the cross and position it where it belongs the power and manifested glory scripted there provides us with the impetus to overcome the challenges that occur in our lives. It empowers us into the living and removes us from the presence of the dead. As we encounter these experiences with the Holy Spirit our reliance is not with our eyes and ears, but with our hearts.(Isaiah 6:10)
Today I can bear witness that the power of the cross is absent in the message of the gospel. It is not readily apparent in the lives of present day Saints and believers. Yes we all fall short of His glory (Romans 3:23) but we are still afforded the opportunity to look toward the Cross of the Christ and use it as the standard of hope which allows us to envision and see the magnificent eternal throne of our Christ and King. My prayer today is for a renewed witness of Calvary and a refreshing look at our relationship with the King of glory. Lets stop pretending and start believing. Allow Jesus the Christ to be the head of our lives and not the tail.
It is an overwhelming and awesome thought that God loves us so much that all the power of the universe is presented at the cross of Christ. Each one of us by virtue of the Cross will receive nothing less than the opportunity to celebrate (Revelation 7:9) Jesus throughout eternity. Lift Jesus the Christ up today and allow Him to minister to every need concerning your present and future. It is the source of power that presents us with eternal life in the presence of a Holy God. Amen

"For you are our glory and joy." 1 Thessalonians 2:20

Monday, October 12, 2009

Preparation


See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty.
Malachi 3:1

When you are expecting company how do you prepare for them? Do you make changes concerning the accommodations? How do you prepare for there arrival? Many of us care very much about those love ones and friends so we prepare for there arrival with love and care.
While making the preparations we look to visit every detail in order to please those who we are expecting. Our efforts concerning usually take us outside of our ordinary in order to present a great impression.
Are you prepared for the arrival of our Lord and King Jesus the Christ?

The prophet Malachi wrote, “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty.” (Malachi 3:1) Now is the time to prepare for Him who has prepared a place for us in His kingdom. What is your message? How is it fashioned? Is it fashioned to the Lord of Glory?
Mark in his witness to our Lord writes this, “The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"(Mark 1:15)To all of us alive by the grace mercy and love of God this is the message. .In this message we set forth the preparation of the coming of our Lord Jesus the Christ. It isn’t fashioned by the ideals of this world through its dogmas concerning the worship of God nor is it matriculated in a manner that is found by the wisdom of this world. Is is not predicated upon our deeds or actions. It is written on our hearts by the Holy Spirit as He bears witness to our Lord and King Jesus the Christ. All of creation will line up with His coming. It is already apparent in the changes of our natural world as it groans for the coming of our Lord. It’s preparation in the Spiritual is contingent upon our receiving and believing the truth of the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord through the Spirit of God. Nothing else.
Is Christ the Lord over every area of your life? Is your death to this world apparent in your message concerning the Lord of glory? Is it predicated solely upon Him? Have you gone into the wilderness areas of your life in order to proclaim the message of the cross? Is that message the witness of love hung on the tree for us?
In order for us to proclaim the good news of the cross we have to believe it. Allow the Holy Spirit to enter your dwelling in order for the power of God to lead you to salvation. Not only for us as believers but for those who encounter that witness through us. Remember that preparation begins with Christ living in us. Allow Him to be Lord of your life. The time has come! Repent for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand (Matthew 3:2) the sooner we prepare the temple the sooner He will return. Lets not get it twisted He will return if we are prepared or not It is in that preparation that the glory of God will be presented to us. Without Christ there is no eternal life for us.
Pray and ask the Lord to prepare His way in your heart today. Ask him for His power to remove the barriers present in your life that hinder the message of the coming of our Lord. Amen

Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.
Revelation 3:12

Friday, October 9, 2009

Peacemaker


Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Matthew 5:9

Congratulations are in order for our President and his award from the Noble Prize committee. Certainly there are a number of challenges available to President Obama but the root to solving them is founded in peace.
I believe that a heart that is genuine towards his ambitious goals concerning peace will prevail in a world in need of it. I do not believe in coincidences and that during this time and season President Barack Obama is the right leader to usher in an attitude of peace through this nation and the world. Many of the challenges present in this nation and world stem from an attitude of indifference and ignorance when confronting the diverse nature of cultures. There is a piece in scripture that the apostle Paul touches on concerning the choice and placement of leaders as it relates to the agenda of the Kingdom of God. He writes;

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
Romans 13:1-3

In a world in need of an attitude adjustment President Obama is that breath of fresh air and the vessel willing to work towards the good for mankind and not for evil. There are times when his decisions and choices are not perfect, none of us are, but to his credit his humility and perseverance speaks of a heart that seeking to please God and his fellow man. Applaud him for his efforts and express gratitude for his service so far to this nation and world.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace , longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Galations 5:22

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Christ Crucified




So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say its all nonsense
1Corinthians 1: 20-23

One of the most effective ways to reach people for Christ is presented in this piece of scripture. The Apostle Paul experienced first hand the power of Christ crucified with his experience on the Damascus road.
Christ crucified works not by what we can see or touch. Neither is it manifested in the process of mans theory or philosophy. It can not be comprehended through the dogmas of man and his way to worship.
To those whose philosophy is based on the concept of karma or deeds will come to find out that Christ crucified confounds that notion. Man and his ability to reason with the effects of sin and death is contrary to the power of God which is presented through Jesus Christ crucified. Christ crucifixion becomes offensive to those who hold on to the processes of this world and its application to sin. It becomes nonsense to those who look to the wisdom of men to deliver mankind from the challenges it faces in every facet of our lives.
It was love manifested by the Spirit of God that presented His son to the cross to save us. (John 3:16) Nothing else. When we preach Christ crucified we proclaim the love of God unconditionally in order for the Spirit of God to manifest the glory of God. It is available only when we proclaim the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and apply it in every area of our lives. Not only in the presence of His precious Saints and body but also to those who do not believe.
Delivering the message of the cross is one that can be challenging to this world. Armed with the Spirit of God and the power of the risen Christ can we accomplish the mandate (Matthew 28:19) set before us by our risen King. To the Jews it is an offense (the traditions and religion) and to the Gentiles it is nonsense (the non believers and those who put there faith in this world).
Today continue to allow Christ to be crucified in your life. Understand and know it is the power of God that leads to salvation.
Ask the Lord today to allow you to see the cross and its message. Thank Him for His power to give us life through the cross. Bless him for giving you the opportunity to embrace it in every area of your life. Amen.
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men,
and the weakness of God is stronger than men
1 Corinthians 1: 25