Check Out My 2016 Painting and Post Goals

Holy, Holy, Holy: Abstract Triptych

Holy, Holy, Holy: Abstract Triptych

Story behind the Paintings:

One definition of “triptych” is a picture (such as a painting) that has three panels placed next to each other.  “Abstract” is existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence.  The number 3 in the Bible symbolizes wholeness.  I chose to do a series of “abstract triptychs” because it is truly a reminder to me to “walk by faith and not by sight.” (2 Cor. 5:7)  It is a “complete” visual to “fix my eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:18)   Faith is defined in Hebrews 11:1:

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are more real than anything we will ever see in the natural.  The Trinity is the most concrete complete “abstract” there ever was, is or will be.

This “abstract triptych” series will be a visual and written treasure hunt of the gold I am sifting out in 3’s.  My goal is not  to research every reference of 3 in the Bible.  My goal is to let the Word renew my mind, transform my life and continue to make me into an ever-increasing “whole” new me, the me God intended me to be.  My prayer is that it will do the same for you.

May this “abstract series” give you “a tangible taste” of the transforming love of Christ, while leaving  you hungry for more and more of HIM, the Bread of Life.

Get Ready: Be Strong, Be Strong, Be Strong!

My Bible reading today was the tiny, prophetic book of Haggai.  I believe there are no coincidences in Kingdom economy; therefore I know the timing of Haggai’s message is significant, and our country has an opportunity to receive the blessing.

Will we?

Take-away Treasure:

Let me preface this take-away with:

THE BLESSING GOD IS GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE IS NOT ABOUT A POLITICAL PARTY, POLICIES OR A PARTICULAR PERSON.  GOD IS FAITHFUL TO HIS PROMISES AND HE CAN AND WILL USE WHOMEVER HE CHOOSES, NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE GOOD, BUT BECAUSE HE IS ALMIGHTY!

In Ann Voskamp’s “The Broken Way” she expresses the truth that “brokenness is the way to abundance,” not the “prosperity gospel,” but the abundance of fruitfulness that makes an eternal, not a temporal difference: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.

Would you agree that our country is broken?

Would you agree that we are strategically positioned “to take the broken way – to abundance.” (Ann Voskamp, “The Broken Way”)

Haggai puts it this way:  (Haggai 2:3-9)

_**The words in red are the ones I pull out and chew on below**________________

3 ‘Does anyone remember this house—this Temple—in its former splendor? How, in comparison, does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all! 4 But now the Lord says: Be strong, Zerubbabel. Be strong, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 5 My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.’

6 “For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 9 The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. And in this place I will bring peace. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”

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I believe that God is calling us to BE STRONG.  HE says it 3 times here, because HE is addressing 3 groups.  HE is telling the government, the church and the people:

“be strong…be strong…be strong…” – STAND STRONG IN UNITY!

“get to work…”– GET TO WORK

“for I am with you…” – AND BY THE WAY-MY PRESENCE IS YOUR SOURCE:    YOUR STRENGTH, YOUR GUIDANCE AND YOUR WORK ARE ALL FROM ME, FOR ME AND ACCOMPLISHED IN AND THROUGH ME— IT IS ALL ABOUT ME-THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS, IS AND IS TO COME!  

“…and my spirit remains among you…so do not be afraid.”–I AM NOT GOING ANYWHERE;  I AM HERE FOR THE LONG HAUL HOME; THEREFORE, DO NOT FEAR, BECAUSE I’M HERE AND I’M THERE FOR YOU EVEN WHEN THE WORLD IS NOT! 

“I will fill this place with glory…” – THIS NEW ADMINISTRATION, THIS NEW HOUSE, WILL BE FULL OF MY GLORY-NOT HUMAN GLORY-MY GLORY “trumps” HUMAN GLORY EVERY TIME-PUN INTENDED! I CAN USE WHOMEVER I CHOOSE, NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE GOOD BUT BECAUSE I AM GREAT! I MADE AN “ASS” SPEAK (see Numbers 22:28-33) AND I USED PAGAN KINGS TO DO MY WILL AND BRING ME GLORY (see 2 Chronicles 36); I DID IT THEN AND I CAN DO IT AGAIN. 

“The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies...”–DON’T FOR A SECOND THINK THE RICHES OF THIS COUNTRY ARE YOURS.  EVERY RESOURCE HERE, AND EVERYWHERE,  IS MINE! 

“The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory…”– I INTEND TO MAKE THIS NATION GREATER THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN, NOT “great again.”   AND I AM ALSO SPEAKING OF A NATION MUCH LARGER THAN JUST SEA TO SHINING SEA-I AM SPEAKING OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD HERE ON EARTH, COMPRISED OF ALL (red and yellow, black and white they REALLY ARE PRECIOUS IN MY SIGHT and in the sight of ALL MY CHILDREN!) WHO CHOOSE TO ACCEPT MY WIDE-OPEN, ALL-INCLUSIVE BEAR HUG! 

“in this place I will bring peace. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!” – PEACE IS ON THE WAY! HIS NAME IS JESUS, not Trump.

BUT IN THE MEANTIME, QUIT BEING SO MEAN TO ONE ANOTHER!  PRAY FOR YOUR LEADERS, I KNOW THEY NEED IT!

 The Book of Haggai goes on to say:

_____**The red words are the ones I pull out and chew on below**________________

18 “Think about this eighteenth day of December, the day[d] when the foundation of the Lord’s Temple was laid. Think carefully.

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“Think about… when the foundation was laid.  Think carefully.” – REMEMBER WHAT THIS NATION WAS FOUNDED ON.  YOU SAID YOU TRUSTED IN ME AND YOU MADE A LOT OF REALLY GOOD PROMISES THAT LINE UP WITH MY CHARACTER.  YOU ACKNOWLEDGED INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY TO LIVE IN FREEDOM FOR THE LIFE OF ANOTHER, NOT IN FREEDOM FOR YOLO. ( YOLO: living in freedom at the expense of others. )

The Preamble of The Constitution of the United States of America:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

In a nut shell, this is what I believe the preamble means:

As a people group living together here in America, this is what we collectively stand for:

Unity (diverse but not divided, unique we stand united!)

justice for ALL

peace, (Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.)

protecting ALL people here:

All people means:  women, men, black, red, yellow, white, plus infinitely more colors…the unborn, the born, the elderly, those on life support, anyone breathing in and out on their own or with additional help, people we know and don’t know, people we agree with and people we don’t agree with, people we like and people we don’t like so much … (That should cover ALL of the living.)

(***Our life is not our own. We belong to one another.  We have personal rights but they are governed by moral guard rails that enable us to exercise our rights in order to add value to the lives of others, not to satisfy selfish desires at the expense of others.  God created each of us and put us on the planet whenever and wherever HE chose to. We can never boast in something we have absolutely nothing to do with! )

standing in the gap giving goodness and kindness and generosity to ALL people here, ALL THE TIME,

and

make sure ALL people here, in the present and all future generations, are blessed with personal freedom and blessed by, not hurt by, the personal freedom of others.

The History of “In God We Trust”:

The 84th Congress passed a joint resolution “declaring IN GOD WE TRUST the national motto of the United States”. The law was signed by President Eisenhower on July 30, 1956. The United States Code at 36 U.S.C. § 302, now states: “‘In God we trust’ is the national motto.” History of ‘In God We Trust’

REMEMBERING THE PAST IS NOT A CALL TO LIVE THERE.

REMEMBER THE GOOD AND APPLY THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE BAD.

LIVE IN THE PRESENT, LEAVING BEAUTY MARKS, NOT SKID MARKS, IN YOUR WAKE FOR THE FUTURE!

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God has something BRAND NEW in store for this nation.

No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this,
Never so much as imagined anything quite like it—
What God has arranged for those who love him. 1 Cor. 2:9 MSG

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!

He does it not by pushing us around

but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Glory to God in the church!
Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations!
Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!  Ephesians 3:20-21 MSG

The prerequisite for a President who will actually make an eternal difference in this country,

has nothing to do with political parties or personal preferences,

but everything to do with falling humbly to their knees saying,

“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 2 Chronicles 20:12

I guess you could say our future is ABSTRACT, since it has never been seen before.

And

I guess the COMPLETE story will continue to unfold like a TRIPTYCH painting, with a beginning, middle and end.

In Christ, we know what the beginning and end panels look like, Genesis and Revelation.

In the MEANTIME,  may we continue to paint on the middle canvas, letting the cross of Christ come into view, one kind and selfless brush stroke at a time!

Be Strong, Be Strong, Be Strong: Abstract Triptych