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"ATONEMENT" Hebrews 10:5-20
Atonement: reconciliation, at-one-ment: the state of being at one or being reconciled. Thus, the effect, which flows from the death of Christ.
Artist Interpretation: This painting depicts our atonement with God through Jesus Christ. When we look at the painting immediately our eyes are drawn to the large square. This image represents the body of Christ the bread from Heaven...broken for us. Leaven makes dough rise; in Scripture it"s symbolic of sin. Here we see flat, unleavened bread, for Christ was sinless. Holes are pierced through the bread. Christ was pierced: nails in his hands and feet, and a spear in His side. From the baking process we see a pattern of stripes on the bread. This was prophesied in Scripture: "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our inequiti...and by His stripes we are healed" Isaiah 53: 5. Look closer, in the middle of the bread we see a formation of feet nailed to a cross--Jesus crucified. Gaze downward and see blood droplets dripping into a cup. This represents THE BLOOD of Christ, the cup of our salvation. Jesus was the sacrificial Lamb of God. Sacrifice: a priceless value given up to appease God.
During Passover the Hebrew's celebrate their redemption from slavery in Egypt...God set them free. Protected from the "judgment of Jehovah", the children of God were identified by the blood of an innocent lamb sprinkled around their door. The Lord would "passover" their household. No longer are animal sacrifices needed: Jesus is our Passover lamb. Through Christ's sacrifice, we are all redeemed by the pure sacrificial blood of the Lamb of God. With the bread (body of Christ) and the blood we have a "marriage" between Passover and the Lord's Supper--both symbolic of love, sacrifice, and redemption. However, Christ has reconciled us in His fleshly body through death, to present us before God holy, blameless and beyond reproach.
Holy of Holies: The innermost sanctuary of the Temple, associated with the radiant presence of God. In the background is a rendering of the thick curtain that secluded this room. The curtain represented a separation between God and man. No one could enter this room except the High Priest: once a year on the Day of Atonement he would go before the Lord. He would come with innocent blood of an animal sacrifice, and beg forgiveness for man's sin. For Scripture teaches atonement is only in the blood, Leviticus 17:11. The death of Christ was a sacrifice of infinite worth, one that brought man back into "right relationship" with God and the promise of eternal inheritance. When Jesus offered His sinless blood...the curtain of the Temple was torn in two. Shown in the painting: the bread is broken, the curtain is torn...the sacrifice of Jesus' body and blood has opened the way for us into the Holy of Holies. Bursting forth from behind the veil is the brilliant presence of God. His sacrifice: our Day of Atonement with God! Follow the blood droplets, look closely and you'll see Satan screaming, for the battle is over and the victory is won. Jesus our Saviour is Lord!
Bible references: Exodus chap.12, Leviticus 17:11 & 23:26-32, II Chronicles 3:8-14 & chap. 35, Isaiah 53, Matthew 10:28, Mark 14:12-26, John 1:29-36 & 3:16-17 & 11:25, Acts 20:28, I Corinthians 5:7 & 15:21, Galatians 3:13, Colossians 1:22, I Timothy 2:6, Hebrews 7: 27 & chap. 9, IPeter 1:18-19 & 3:18, I John 3:1-8, Revelation 7:17 & chap. 20
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"FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT" Galatians 5:16-26
Artist interpretation: Given time a grapevine can grow to resemble a tree. This grapevine is strong and upright, for it has been guided by the Master of the vineyard. God desires for us to be upright (righteous) before Him. This vine--tree is how we are to be before God and others: upright and bearing fruit in our lives. The heavens have opened: the tree is permeated with the power of God, pouring through his Holy Spirit- shown as the dove. Soaked with His Spirit, standing strong, this tree has produced much good fruit: grapes...symbolic of wine. The Bible tells us to drink huge amounts and be filled with (new wine) the Spirit. This tree is heavy with Fruit of the Spirit. There are nine clumps of grapes- symbolic of the nine Fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Look closely each Fruit is written in the curly vines. Love is emphasized: centered in the painting, within a heart-shaped clump of grapes. This reminds us that love should be at the center of all we do. Without love none of the other Fruit can fully develop. Shown on the tree, we see a vine growing in the shape of a cross: Christ-like character (Fruit of the Spirit) should be showing on us...ever-increasing in us. "He must increase, but I must decrease"- John 3:30. As the vine clings to the tree we must cling to Christ. He loves us so much that He sacrificed himself for our sins. He didn't leave us alone. The Comforter- the Holy Spirit came to live in us: to teach us and help us. This tree is planted by living water, rooted in Him: drinking from the river that will never run dry. He quenches our thirst that the things of this world can not satisfy. His Holy Spirit fills us with fruit that the world cannot produce. When we surrender our lives to the Lord, his Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us. Living under the influence of Christ, we have power to refrain from the "ways of the world". We are given strength to walk in a way worthy of our calling: to be Christ-like. When we allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit: prayer, meditating on His Word, our inner life rules our outer life. Jesus said we will know a tree by the fruit it bears. The upright man out of the good treasure in his heart produces what is upright, and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth that which is evil...
Bible References: Genesis 15:6; Job 17:9; Psalms 11:7; Proverbs: 3:32-33, 15:8-9; Isaiah 53:11; Hosea 10:11; Matthew 7:20; John 3:30, 7:38, 14:6, 15:1-17; Acts 2:39-40; Romans 1:17, chap.4, 8:12-14; I Corinthians chap. 13; II Cor. 5:17, 13:11; Ephesians 2:24, 3:16-17, 4:15, 5:1-2, 6:10-18; Hebrews 10:38; I John 4:7-21; Jude 1:12
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"CHRIST CHILD" Isaiah 11:1-7
Artist interpretation: Jesus the Christ child is Jesus the Great Deliverer, the Anointed One, the Saviour of men. "BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, "GOD WITH US." (Matthew 1:23)
The Virgin Mary has given birth to Jesus. Mary, a humble common girl, is portrayed in the color of heavenly love--blue, which also suggests unveiling of truth. Pondering with love and amazement in her heart she carefully holds her child. God's word has been manifested, not only as the angel Gabriel had told her, but as prophesied through the ages since the Garden of Eden. The child is divine, peacefully sleeping with glory about his head. Captured in this surreal monument is revelation of the Christ child. As if etched into their surfaces, the wood and rocks proclaim who he is: Holy One, Wonderful, Jesus, Christ, Lord, Saviour, Messiah, King, Branch, Immanuel and Word. Deeper into the rock area images begin to immerge: Lion of Judah, Lamb of God, angels-- kneeling, rejoicing, standing in awe. Born among the lowly, a Saviour for all mankind. He came because everyone is precious in His sight. The soft light casts a shadow of the cross--foretelling of his crucifixion for our sins. Based on Scripture, when the branch (Christ) from the root of Jesse comes forth, the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the young cow and bear will rest together: this day prophecy is fulfilled!
Leaning toward the child the Holy Spirit is present, as the dove. The owl, representing Satan, lurks and hides in the shadows glaring at the child. Much to his surprise, the Word has become flesh. In the back a peacock is observing: symbolic of immortality, eternal life--now available through Christ Jesus. Above the peacock we see symbolic letters that "say it all": Alpha and Omega. HE is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Hallelujah our promised Saviour has come!
Bible references: Genesis 3:15; Psalms 83:3-4; Isaiah 7:14, 9:1-7, chap.11, 49:6, chap.53; Matthew 1 & 2:1-15; Mark 1:1 and vs. 24; Luke 1: 26-45, 2:1-20; John 1, 3:14-16, 5:37-38, 6:69, 18:35-37; Acts 17:3; Romans 1:1; Galatians 4:4-7; 2Timothy 1:10; Revelation 1:8, 3:7, 5:5, 12:13
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"HARVESTFIELD" Luke 10:2
Artist interpretation: Fields of green as far as the eye can see emphasize a narrow path of beautiful lilies, visually leading us to the mountains. Gazing upward, the clouds indicate this day is soon to end. Plentiful to harvest, are fields of lentils where blue blossoms have developed into pods. In Scripture it is written: Isaac and Rebekah had twin sons, Esau and Jacob. Being the first born, Esau had a birthright: special privileges and advantages, an inheritance superior to his brother. One day Esau came home famished and chose to trade his birthright to Jacob...for the pot of lentil stew he had cooked. Clearly, Esau cared only for the pleasure of the moment. Showing no regret, he obviously wasn't concerned about his future or inheritance to come. Therefore, the sea of lentils represents "the world": people who choose to sell their birthright as a child of God for the here and now. Unconcerned about their relationship with God, Christ or their eternal destiny, they choose to settle for what this world has to offer.
Planted in the middle are lilies, portraying the faithful believers of Jesus Christ in the world. These flowers are symbolic of rebirth and the "resurrection of Christ". The death and resurrection of Christ allows for spiritual rebirth. Inviting His spirit to dwell in us makes us a new creation...with an eternal inheritance: treasures of Heaven, where thieves cannot steal, nor moths destroy.
Lilies shaped as trumpets, sound praise to the Lord. As we follow the path we notice the lilies are transformed into people. Washed by the blood of the Lamb these people are clothed in robes of white, signifying they are the righteousness of God. People have their arms raised in praise and worship, they are praying, preaching, teaching: proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ to the world. The path of the righteous leads to the majestic purple mountains, symbolic of God all-powerful! The path is narrow for many will choose not to follow...yet others are hungry for God.
The "spiritual" harvest is ready---though the workers are few. Every believer is called to this mission of proclamation. So let us not grow weary but endure, and pray for more laborers. For God does not desire that any should perish, but that all would repent and spend forever with Him...spread the Good News!
Bible references: Genesis 25:19-34; Deuteronomy 21:17; Psalms 39:5-7; Matthew 5:13-16, 6:19-21, 7:13-23, 13:44, 25:34, chap.28; Mark 8:34-38, 16:15; Luke 11:13 & 23, 21:25-31; John 3:3-21, 10: 28, 18:36-37; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:11-18; 2Corinthians 4:4 & 16-18, 5:17-21; Galatians 5:16-23; Philippians 3:18-21; 1Timothy 6:17-19; Hebrews 4:12, 12:16; James 1:21; 1Peter 1:3-5, 4:10-11; 2Peter 3:8-18; 1John 2:15-17; Revelation 7:9-15, chap. 21, 22:1-7
Original paintings, Hand-embellished Canvas Giclees, and open-edition prints available: click on PRICE LIST link below. Looking forward to hearing from you!