another viewpoint

Through the Fog, oil and cold wax on 12×12 panel SOLD

Do you ever get a glimpse of something and you’re not sure what it is?

Maybe my newer abstracts are that “something” to you. 🙂
It has been very interesting to hear what others are seeing. A friend was over and was at first turning her head sideways to look at a painting. I gave it to her and she began turning in different directions and sharing some new stories. It was beautiful the way it spoke to her. Reminding me of days as a child looking into the clouds with friends and waiting expectantly for new things to be revealed.

It’s often how it is in the spiritual world too. We can read a passage over and over and then sharing with another, they see something we did not. A reason I love having conversations about God’s Word.

In three different places, I am in the book of Ephesians. A devotional, recent church messages and a study group. It’s sharing even more life! We’ve been digging out the promises of God. Seeing how He views His creation and encourages His children. Recognizing God’s heart in the prayers that are still very alive.

I think that’s why I’m also enjoy the The Passion Translation and The Message as I study. It removes some of the lenses I have used and reveals hidden things before not seen.

The Passion Translation (TPT) Ephesians 4 – Our Divine Calling
As a prisoner of the Lord, I plead with you to walk holy, in a way that is suitable to your high rank, given to you in your divine calling. ² With tender humility and quiet patience, always demonstrate gentleness and generous love toward one another, especially toward those who may try your patience. ³ Be faithful to guard the sweet harmony of the Holy Spirit among you in the bonds of peace, ⁴ being one body and one spirit, as you were all called into the same glorious hope of divine destiny.

⁵ For the Lord God is one, and so are we, for we share in one faith, one baptism, and one Father. ⁶ And He is the perfect Father who leads us all, works through us all, and lives in us all!

I pray this week you will take some time with a familiar passage and ask the Holy Spirit to share some new insight. Maybe discuss with another over coffee or tea.

Thank you Lord we are not left to our own devices, that you have richly blessed us and continue to guide us in all truth. Let us not get so focused on our own understanding that we neglect to seek and ask for Your wisdom.

heir to what

Royalty

What does it look like to be an heir? 

Our earthly definition is a person legally entitled to the property or rank of another on that person’s death OR a person inheriting and continuing the legacy of a predecessor.

What you are heir to depends on who died.

Did you inherit debt, investments, pets, or homes? Maybe someone left you a car, painting, business or ministry.

Generally an heir receives things that were previously part of the deceased person’s life. Seems pretty basic, right?

Why do we as believers in Christ, His Word and His kingdom, feel “we have to die” before we receive our inheritance? 

Who are we inheriting from then?
How can we inherit from ourselves?

(Yes, I have these wonderful conversations with God. Thankfully He’s gracious in His sharing and continues to tell me to Ask, Seek, Knock.)

Reading, studying, meditating, and praying through God’s word isn’t just brownie points, its learning God’s ways and seeking to understand Him more.

The death of Jesus gave each and every believer an eternal inheritance. That clock starts when the moment we say YES to him. It doesn’t have to wait for our earthly death. Jesus already passed on the inheritance at the cross.

Take some time in these coming days to ask the Lord what your inheritance is through Jesus’ death. I don’t think we’ll all get the same answers.

It seems like a Trust Fund to me. The more we mature, the more He can trust us, the more we will see and experience. It’s not all released at once but it’s all saved up for later either.

Lord, thank you that You give good and perfect gifts to Your children. That you have not left any of us as orphans without hope but love to lavish on us. Help us to know and understand Your ways and seek Your goodness – on earth as it is in heaven. 

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 

The good Samaritan story – GO AND DO LIKEWISE. Luke 10

behold

verb

archaic . literary

1. see or observe (a thing or person, especially a remarkable or impressive one).

   Example: “behold your king!”

I  have intentionally omitted an image for the day so that your imagination can be used further. One of our greatest strengths is our mind. To be fully functioning, it needs to include both creative and logical sides. I don’t believe the “mind of Christ” exists only in knowledge. We have often discounted our imagination by calling it vain. Twisting what is really said in 2 Corinthians 10.

I’d like to leave you with the word BEHOLD today. A place to engage your imagination in seeking the Lord. Each place we step, every person we encounter, all of the wonders of nature that surround us have something for us to BEHOLD. A message for us to learn from, to share, to ponder.

Lord – let us BEHOLD Your presence today. Let us BEHOLD Your creation today. Let us BEHOLD Your love today. I pray we would walk in anticipation of seeing, of beholding, of imaging WITH YOU. Not in a way to usurp You but in a posture of knowing You more fully today and everyday. That what we behold would reveal Your heart to us so we would walk more fully in Your ways. 

ask.answers come

Spirit Dance

After I wrote on Jesus coming for His Bride, I listened to a message while I was doing some work. It was on Jesus and the Bride. My before bed reading talked further on Jesus and preparing His Bride. Prayer with a friend also ended up sharing again – the Bride of Christ!

The Lord knows the questions of our heart. He longs to give us answers even more than we want to know them. His heart is that we would have questions. His desire is for us to know Him more. Not just to know “about” Him but knowing the intimacy of His heart. Through this we will know ourselves even better. It’s not a knowing that comes from self-reflection of how bad we goofed but of who our Creator has designed and called us to be.

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
    to search out a matter is the glory of kings.
Proverbs 25:2

Thank you Lord that You long to share the secrets and mysteries that surround us. Thank you that You graciously give and give and give. Let us learn to be the BEST RECEIVERS of Your wisdom and grace! 

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Romans 8:32

about you or who

“Garden Cherub”

Another impacting point was about Kingdom and church. Depending on where you look, there are over 300 references to kingdom and about 100 for church. Jesus was all about revealing the Father and His Kingdom, on earth as it is in heaven.

Our churches often seem more interested in attendance, numbers and quality of the worship and message. In other words…about man’s opinion more than God’s opinion.

In a theology class in college, our study of Revelation required us to write on which of the seven churches our body of believers was most like. An interesting method of evaluation. What does “lukewarm” really look like?

We can know so much in our earthly viewpoint but if we aren’t in tune with God’s kingdom viewpoint (or thermometer) – we might not be as hot as we think.

A further thought of mine…
Jesus didn’t come to create or prepare a church, but a bride.

How is your church doing at being the bride?
You might want to study what the bible has to say about the bride.

But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
Matthew 25:10

Help us Lord – to see as You see and do what You need us to do. Guide us with wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of YOU instead of the knowledge of this world. That we would understand further. 

 

 

see simplicity

Interesting things come as I pray and listen before sleep. Recently questions arose on the Israelite’s and their years of wandering.

I don’t usually as God “Why” when it refers to my life but in understanding His ways and His word, it’s frequent.

Why 40 years for a 250 mile trip? Their complaining and disobedience.
Why were their lands later restored? They repented and praised.
Seem too simple from a complex and awesome God?

We do make many things difficult and intricate in regards to the Lord…I feel He wanted me to see the simplicity too. We often read the details of the Bible and try to dissect each word, often feeling an overload instead of a simple point.

In just one verse you will find a multitude of messages as it comes to life over and over.

A challenge to you this week – pick one verse and meditate/study/pray through it multiple times in each day. See what great things are revealed to you and what the simple points are that He would like to share. 

I think I’ll start here…

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. John 16:7 ESV

Thank you Jesus for sending the Helper – Your Holy Spirit to guide us in all truth, to enlighten us more in Your ways and share even more of Abba’s heart. Let us know You in a richer way this week through Your holy words. 

 

the moments

I heard from mom my phone wasn’t receiving messages. It was great to listen to some of them again. An artist/singer friend called with her husband to leave a Happy Birthday song! That one stays in the save list for smiles through the year.

Another was from a woman I met last April who was at the end of hope…it was the majority of her years. In some ways I barged into her life. She did all she could to push me away. I’m smiling as I remember some of the tense moments and even my talk with God later, “Do you really need me around this negative person?”

She asked me not to get involved in her life unless I was going to really be there. I was very honest to say, “I don’t know how long I’ll be around but I would like to walk with you while I can.” We found some good footing and even better, she found some hope in Jesus.

There is so much to her story I don’t know but I clearly saw God’s hand reaching out to her with great possibilities if she would press in to His goodness. She did! She was baptized and in love with Jesus. As a teen she felt a calling to ministry so finally, 30 years later, she signed up for ministry classes.

 

My friend went to be with Jesus in November and its so sweet to think of her out of physical and mental pain and getting tutored direct! I was remembering her after hearing the message and painting another beach scene…she loved the beach.

Questions I’m pondering and maybe you will too…

How many of those around me will be able to run to the arms of Jesus? 
What am I doing to reach OUT instead of just invite IN? 
Where can I get to know those who don’t yet believe? 
Are there “Christians” around me who don’t really know the fullness His love? 

Thank you Lord that You direct our steps – guide us to those we need to touch for You. Prepare their hearts and help us break down those walls of separation. Let us not just smile and wave but truly share the love of Jesus with them. It’s the best thing in this world!! Amen

 

 

growing wings

Several years ago I ran across this little one out of it’s nest. I didn’t know what to do for it. I tried to usher it toward a tree so it would not go from sidewalk to parking lot. There’s a big dangerous world out there little bird…I’d like you to grow up and be able to fly. I’m not sure how it fared.

A message to me today and maybe to you – though we can try our best to be helpful, we can’t guarantee success or outcome. So much will depend on their choices too.

Our part is to do what the Lord tells us to do…no more and no less. 

Church is reading in Ezekiel this month. Another group was talking on evangelism and discussed Ezekiel’s calling. Ezekiel chapter 2 says he was told he must share – whether they listen or fail to listen. Jesus says in several places including John, He is speaking what the Father speaks and doing the will of the Him who sent me. Neither of their steps looked logical, reasonable or easy. Measurable outcomes were not immediately seen.

If we are focused on what God is leading us to do and how, we’ll know how hard to press, we’ll know when we’re not supposed to speak and we’ll know when our work is done – letting God to do His part.

As a person who does like “problem solving”, I’m used to feeling I need to be the one to wrap it up and make sure it’s taken care of. Seeing an outcome that shows my role is complete. Thank you Lord for teaching me further where I need to step and when I need to step away. It’s not always comfortable or going with my logic, but it is getting easier to trust Your words and Your ways.

 

showing wisdom

One Lord One Church

I’ve heard it suggested when you are reading the Bible, if you don’t understand a verse, press in to find out. I think our normal practice is to ignore it and move on to what is easy and comfortable. Another said we should look closer at the verses we have not underlined in our Bibles. I definitely take that to heart when digging into a specific area.

A recent verse I have discussed with others is in bold below. 

^9 …This plan, kept hidden for ages by God, the Creator of everything, ¹⁰ is for the rulers and authorities in heaven to learn, through the existence of the Messianic Community, how many-sided God’s wisdom is. Eph 3:9-10 Complete Jewish Bible

How does the “church” (not a building or pastor, but the body of believers) make God’s wisdom known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly places?
Please share your thoughts as well…

Who are the rulers and authorities in heavenly places?
Does this include both angels and demons?
Do we really have more wisdom then they do?
How are we teachers to them?

Manifold wisdom is “many sided or multi-faceted” and that definitely describes our God. I think of the verses that talk of “making known” what God has done and how He doesn’t just call us servants, but friends and shares “His business” with us (John 15:15).

Do you think we as a “church” know God’s business?
Are our weekly gatherings about His wisdom?

Another place of having more questions than revelations…at this time. Definitely a section of scripture I will pray into further.

⁷ Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. ⁸ To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, ¹⁰ so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.¹¹ This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. ¹³ So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. Eph 3:7-13 ESV

Thank you Lord for the richness of your word and that You do want Your mysteries brought to the light. Give us the wisdom and revelation we need to know You better. 

 

above the waves

on the easel

I heard someone over Christmas say, “Oops, I forgot, I’m not going to speak negative, that was negative.”

I think she is is her 80’s and still decided there was a change she felt would be worth it for her life! Keeping up with news, friends, and family – is not always encouraging. Many of the topics most will discuss are the negative ones. She had also commented about getting the paper again. I suggested if she wanted to stay positive – skip the newspaper! :0)

One thing is for sure – the good news of Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven is definitely something to uplift us!!

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. 

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:1-3, 10

The waves will come – it’s part of any great beach scene… but be sure to look up and see what God wants to show you for this coming year. I’ll be taking some time to paint, pray and ponder…

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8

Have a wonderful celebration of the NEW! Thank you for joining me on this journey. Praying God’s bountiful blessings to you and yours!