“Guided Safely Home”: A Visual Tribute to Dr. Eldon DeWitt

The basis of this composite is the same as the one below titled "Deliver Us From Evil".  It is eerie to me now that I made the other one.  I had been working on this artwork for my pastor and dear friend, Eldon DeWitt, for a long time.  On September 19th, I took the rough draft I was working on for him, which I was planning to give him for his birthday on November 10th, and made the darker composite for Pirate Day (which always seems to bring out in me a strong desire to witness for the Lord).  It seemed the Lord was helping me, as the daunting task of blending many images went very quickly.  I was almost finished with Eldon's composite, and I was very excited about that!  I didn't want to spoil his surprise though, so I didn't share the intermediate version with him.  When he died of a heart attack on September 24th, completely unexpectedly, as he was very healthy, including his heart,  I almost threw out the entire thing.  I'm glad I didn't, as now it speaks of his heavenly homecoming!  Death and evil have been defeated by Jesus Christ, as Eldon well knows.

I have written a more personal essay concerning this picture and how Eldon inspired it and helped me in my spiritual and artistic development.  You may read it on my Facebook wall: here is a link to it.  In this blog, I will make brief references to the symbolic meanings of this piece.

Really, this artwork has a double-entendre, as it is just as applicable for a person living on this Earth as it is for a person whose spirit has left his bodily dwelling and has gone to his heavenly home.   We call that death, but when we are born-again children of God, not only do we have hope of eternal life in heaven with God, but we also have the hope of receiving a new, heavenly body-- free from pain and sickness, and with capabilities we only have glimpsed.   The temporary separation of physical death is extremely difficult, as Eldon's friends and family will testify, but it cannot be compared with the eternal agony of separation from God that those who do not accept Christ will experience.  That truly is grief not to be faced.  Today is the day of salvation, and Jesus has His arms open wide to receive those who will come, offering us Life instead of the Second Death, and so much more. . .

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. "

1 Corinthians 15:50-58 NKJV

That leads me to the temporal meaning of a ship (representing someone's life) being led into a dangerous and rocky cove by the light of a lighthouse:  the Spirit of God is faithfully drawing men, women and children into the safety of His realm.  Whether we have strayed away from Him, drifting on the seas of circumstance, or whether we are still waiting to be found, He is calling His people home.  His covenant is so great that I cannot begin to go into it here, but forgiveness and cleansing from sin, healing of emotional wounds and physical disease, everlasting love, acceptance and belonging in His holy family, and His nature imparted and trained into us through His Word and the help of His servants: all these are there for us, and much, much more.

Since this artwork was done specifically for my friend, his unique interests are included.  The eagle was a special symbol to him, and though I'm not completely sure what it meant to him, I can guess that it had partly to do with soaring into the heavenly realm by the Spirit, and receiving a prophetic message from the Lord to give to His people.  So this eagle represents Eldon himself, who so loved the Word and the presence of God.  He always had a revelation of truth from God to give us, represented by the scroll.  That reminds me of the scrolls in Scripture:

And He said to me, "Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you." So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness. Ezekiel 3:3

Then I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. And he said to me, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings." Revelation 10:10-11

The burning bush, as I talked about in the previous blog, represents the manifest presence of God, such as how Moses saw the glory of the Lord and heard the call of God.  This burning bush sign not only represents a level of presence of God that Eldon always pursued, but it also symbolizes the people of God when they are "on fire" with the Spirit and Truth of God in their lives.  Eldon was certainly a "burning bush" while he was here with us.  He always said that trees represented knowledge or people.  Here it can represent both, a greater knowledge of God and a greater presence of God in our own being.

I left the treasure in this version of the artwork.  Its meaning is different however, for Eldon had truly left behind all pursuit of earthly wealth, and completely trusted God's provision for his needs.  Eldon's treasure was the things of God.  He treasured every word God spoke to him, whether through study of the written word or revelations he received through dreams or any other means.  He was never a "hireling", meaning: he didn't serve in the ministry for gain, but because he knew the call of God on his life, feared the Lord and obeyed Him, and had the Father's heart for the healing and restoration of people, he treasured the people of God and the gifts that were placed in them.  He constantly worked in the Kingdom, with very little earthly reward.  Therefore, this treasure also represents "gold tried by fire", the heavenly riches he sought for and imparted, and the heavenly reward he will receive as the Father says, "Well done, good and faithful servant". (Matthew 25:23)

Credits: these are additional credits to the ones listed in "Deliver Us From Evil":

Eagles on the beach © Jim Dubois

Sunset At Orre Beach, Norway © Harald Tjøstheim
Manuscript with flowers 2 © Alexmax
Images from Dreamstime.com
 
"Guided Safely Home" is a composite artwork by Karen Gladys Henry © 2009.  All rights reserved.  For permission to use this image in any way other than copying to your computer as wallpaper, please email me at ArteZoe@gmail.com  Thank you.

Deliver Us From Evil

This composite is quite simple in meaning, so I won't have to write much here.  Obviously this depicts danger and the need for guidance, protection and deliverance from evil, as the title says.

The waves and the rocks are one easy-to-find danger: there are many difficulties and obstacles to overcome in our lives (a ship represents a person's life, and/or ministry), including natural disasters that happen at an increasing pace.  The lighthouse is shining, which is the Truth of the Gospel (and thus, the Church, who has the Truth in her).  We do not have to fear, for He is with us always:

". . . teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen."  Matthew 28:20

This does make it clear that He expects us to hear and obey His commands. 

Jesus instructed us to pray for deliverance from evil in what we call "The Lord's Prayer" (which is really His example for us to pray):

"And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."  Matthew 6:13

Some translations say simply "evil" rather than "the evil one".  One reference stated that the presence of a certain article makes it clear it is being specific about "the evil one" rather than simply "evil".  If we know what Jesus accomplished by His life, death and resurrection, we realize that Satan is already defeated, and that Jesus gave us an example of how to resist the enemy:  "it is written".  I don't intend to go into depth on that today, as it is a topic clearly seen in Scripture and much written about. I exhort you to study it out yourself if you feel that Satan is constantly defeating you.  Jesus won the victory over Satan and over all evil.  He made you to be "more than a conqueror"!

In the artwork, there are some gold coins in the corner.  This is a representation of this truth:

"For the love of money is a root of all [kinds of] evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. "  I Timothy 1:10

Notice that "kinds of" is in brackets, meaning that these words are not in the original: therefore it says "a root of all evil".  I didn't write it!  Is is so hard to think that any evil you see can somehow be coming out of a root of the "love of money"?  In the picture, somebody buried some treasure, and someone apparently died over it!  In a "parable" sort of way, pirates are the epitome of the "love of money."  Don't we all have greed, selfishness and whatever else that is unholy and unworthy inside of us, until we allow the Holy Spirit and the Word to rout it out of us.  The danger depicted in this artwork is not only physical danger, danger from a marauding enemy, danger from the temptations of this age, but also the evil that lurks in the depths of our own hearts (God calls it "iniquity").  Thank God Jesus paid for this as well, forgives us and cleanses us. 

Another part of "The Lord's Prayer" is relevant to this:

And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us." Luke 11:4

Taken very literally, we see we must forgive "those who are indebted to us".  If we're greedy, we won't even forgive someone a monetary debt.  But there is pride and other things that keep us from releasing others from whatever debt they may have incurred, for example, even a small thing such as "hurting our feelings".  So I see unforgiveness as a definite danger we need to be delivered from.

I could go on and on, but I'll try to stay close to the picture.  The last symbolic reference I see here is the burning bush, representing God's manifest presence, as Moses saw it:

So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."  Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground." Moreover He said, "I am the God of your father--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. And the LORD said: "I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.  So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites."  Exodus 3:3- 8

Moses had a fear of the Lord, which enabled him to obey Him and deliver the Israelites from their land of captivity.  Moses is a "type" of Christ, showing in a real-life parable everything that Jesus would do for us, including delivering us from evil and leading us to His Kingdom flowing with milk and honey.

"Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."  Galatians 1:3-5

Without a proper fear of the Lord (not a "phobia" that keeps us away from Him), we do not listen for His voice, follow His lead, or enter in by faith into the promises.  I, for one, want to submit to Him so that I can not only watch the devil flee from me, but be freed from the iniquity that leaves me open to temptation.  I want to overcome all the obstacles of this present age and enter safely into my King's presence.

If you see anything else in this artwork, I'd love for you to leave a comment and share it with me.

Here are the credits for the individual licensed images I used:

Treasure Beach Tree © Greg Payan | Dreamstime.com

Flames and brush © Peter Armstrong | Dreamstime.com

Carved Skull © Claire Collier | Dreamstime.com

Unfolded book dark smudged paper © Alexmax | Dreamstime.com

Surf & Clouds 3 © Joe Gough | Dreamstime.com

Seagull on the beach © Eric Gevaert | Dreamstime.com

Treasure! © Kristin Speed | Dreamstime.com

Bass Harbor Head © David Davis | Dreamstime.com

Rugged Coast of Pt Lobos © Ron Kacmarcik | Dreamstime.com

Atlantic Ocean coast © Anton Gvozdikov | Dreamstime.com

Hermit Crab 4 © Jose Gil | Dreamstime.com

Lighthouse No.2 © Npage | Dreamstime.com

Dreamy Sunrise on Tropical Beach © Heico Neumeyer | Dreamstime.com

Green waves I. © Erik Van Den Elsen | Dreamstime.com

Three-Masted Schooner On York River in Virginia © Kcastagnola | Dreamstime.com

This blog and artwork is by Karen Gladys Henry, Copyright 2009, All rights reserved.  For permission to use please email me at ArteZoe@gmail.com   Thank you.
This work is available for purchase at Imagekind.com, See my gallery.

The Gift

As I mentioned on my Flickr stream when I originally posted this piece on New Year's 2008, "this was my first artwork of the year". Actually, it was the last one of 2007, and is signed such. Here we are, making headway into 2009 and I'm just getting onto blogging this! I have so many pieces to write about! I chose this one today, just because. . . I suppose it is an "artist's statement" in itself, a kind of visual creed. So I will try to interpret it into English the best I can.

There is so much in this piece, and in many of the others, that I sometimes feel daunted with the task of describing their meanings. It always seems to turn into a major Bible study. I just have to deal with laziness and a need for good time management. In 2008, I posted a blog on 360 that describes some of why I write about my artwork. It's titled "A Clear Trumpet" (here's the link): http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-oj.OJZEheq8_EXpBB7LkDC.kEFovCw--?cq=1&tag=trumpet

Sometimes I forget that it's out of obedience to the Lord that I do it, not because I think someone will read or like what I write. So again I am reminded by the Spirit to be diligent.

This composite was created mainly for my husband, who likes it very much (maybe because it includes photos I took of and him and me). It graced his laptop for a long while, until I made him one for his birthday, which he liked even better! So, I guess at first glance, love and romance would be the main theme.

If you've read anything else in this blog, you've discovered that the husband-wife relationship, as well as the preparation of the Bride of Christ, is a major theme in my artwork. With this theme, one could see a story of a lover who has given his Beloved a gift of beautiful jewelry. Perhaps it is a bridal gift, as it is pure and white (the photo is of a necklace I made myself of natural rock crystal and pearls, along with Swarovski crystals. Since then, I have learned to clean any crystal obsessively before photographing-- haha!!). The roses also remind me of a floral bouquet a bride might carry.

Sgs 4:9
You have ravished my heart, My sister, [my] spouse; You have ravished my heart With one [look] of your eyes, With one link of your necklace.

To me, the main subject of this artwork is creativity. So much was going on in my spirit while I was making this! I was meditating on the image of God in us as humans. God put His stamp or signature in us as His creations. We are made "in His likeness and in His image". The ability to create is part of that image. It is "the gift" to which the title refers.

Gen 1:27
So God created man in His [own] image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Gen 1:26
Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

One of God's first commands to His creation was to "be fruitful and multiply." The grapes in the picture are partly a reference to this. It can also remind us of the "fruits of the Spirit". . .love, joy, peace, etc.

Gen 1:22
And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."

As natural beings, we take this first to mean "procreate". We so take for granted our ability to conceive and bear children, in our "image and likeness, after our own kind"!

Gen 5:3
And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.

It is such a privilege and awesome responsibility that we have been given. What terrible things the fallen human race has done to trample, desecrate and pervert the image of God that is to reflect and glorify God! I'm sure that was one of satan's primary designs in seducing mankind. Perhaps he was jealous of our ability to engage in sex and reproduce! Perhaps he was jealous of our special relationship to God.

Conceiving, birthing and raising offspring is a mark of our true godlikeness. In fallen humanity, it has brought about much heartache, but God's plan of redemption makes a way to turn the damage of generations around for His purposes and good pleasure. Indeed, raising children with His help is a wonderful experience, and continues to be as the young ones grow into adulthood and themselves bring new people into the world.

It takes a more ridiculous kind of faith than I could ever have to believe everything came about by some random act of the universe!!! I'm in awe of a God who has so much life in Himself that He could breathe it into a creation and have it continue and expand, as does the universe itself (the background contains a space image from the Hubble).

Another theme in the artwork is Eden: the fallen and the redeemed. I have already made reference to Adam and Eve in the creation and commissioning of mankind. There is a waterfall in the picture that is a special place my husband and I like to go. It calls to mind the four rivers in the garden of Eden, that represent living water:

Gen 2:10
Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads.

Jhn 7:38
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

The overall image gives us a picture of an idyllic sort of place that optimizes love, contentment and intimacy. A "secret garden" is another of my favourite themes, reminding me of passages in the Psalms and Song of Songs. The word "Eden" comes from a primitive root meaning "take pleasure in, delight in, to luxuriate, be soft and pliable."

Psa 37:4
Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

The tree in the picture poses a question: which tree is it? Is it the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, or is it the Tree of Life? To me this tree says we have a choice, to choose God's way, or to reject what is God's for what might seem "good" yet comes from the other tree. A good reference for this understanding is Rick Joyner's book "There Were Two Trees in the Garden." Part of the message of this artwork is "choose life":

Deu 30:19
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

The choice to conceive, carry and give birth to life is ours. Not only are we called to be fruitful in our bodies, but also in our minds and hearts. This brings us to a deeper illumination of what this work is about: the function of the God-given ability to conceive things in our imagination and to bring them to life. I think the imagination is a function of the mind and spirit working together: this is our heart. Real creativity-- whether artistic or musical or scientific or whatever-- flows out of our heart.

Psa 45:1
To the Chief Musician. Set to "The Lilies." A Contemplation of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love. My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; My tongue [is] the pen of a ready writer.

Pro 18:21
Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

I don't have a clear revelation on how this coincides with the revelation about "speaking with other tongues" and getting interpretation. I do know the Scriptures are clear about the power of the spoken word. I truly do not know how much life is in a piece of art, or how much life can be in an artwork, or in instrumental music, or a mathematical formula, for instance.

I think there is more life in my artwork now than there used to be. I think there is death in some artworks, don't you? Could it be like seeds, that when planted, might have truth in it that could grow when given life in the heart? I don't know yet. You can seek the Lord along with me for revelation on that. I do know we are in training to have the power to create with our words. We are people made in God's image, and our destiny is to be creative like our Father. What will we create in eternity? I don't know. I look forward to finding out.

So far, I have used the images of winged horses, unicorns and fairies to depict the realm of the imagination. Children need to be trained to develop their imaginations, not have them fed full of stuff of doubtful value while blocking their ability to imagine for themselves. Creative play and a peaceful environment are essential for healthy development, and that need continues throughout life. At the heart of all creativity should be a strong foundation of truth. Without an anchor of truth, light, life and love (all attributes of God), our imaginations become darkened and we bring forth destructive things.

1Pe 1:13
Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest [your] hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

The "loins of your mind" is the procreation power of our imagination. The more revelation of Christ we have and the more we are free from lies, the more powerful our imagination is, and the more life we can bring forth. This type of conception and birth belongs to men as well as women, for it is spiritual:

Jer 30:4
Now these [are] the words that the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah.
Jer 30:5
"For thus says the LORD: 'We have heard a voice of trembling, Of fear, and not of peace.
Jer 30:6
Ask now, and see, Whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man [with] his hands on his loins Like a woman in labor, And all faces turned pale?

Jer 30:7
Alas! For that day [is] great, So that none [is] like it; And it [is] the time of Jacob's trouble, But he shall be saved out of it.

Jer 30:8
'For it shall come to pass in that day,' Says the LORD of hosts, '[That] I will break his yoke from your neck, And will burst your bonds; Foreigners shall no more enslave them.

The presence of the lion in my artwork is representative of Jesus, the Lion of Judah (Judah means "praise"). He seems to have a serious and authoritative look in this picture. It's almost like there's a spotlight on Him, and I believe the word He is about to speak is in the music lyrics that are in the artwork, taken from Handel's Messiah (they are from Scripture):

Mat 11:29
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Christ came that we might be set free from slavery to sin, and to deliver us from captivity to the world, the flesh and the devil. As long as we are in bondage to other "gods", we are not free to be the creators we are meant to be, and our works will not produce His life. Being yoked to Him is the greatest freedom we can know. He then begins to train us to be containers of His glory, and to bring forth works worthy of the King.

P.S. In regards to the Bride, I have said before that I don't believe we are married yet, we are betrothed. I had big questions for the Lord about how we could conceive anything, considering the marriage has yet to be "consummated". He then reminded me of the Virgin birth: how she received the Word of God and gave birth to the Son of Man, who was also the Son of God. This pertains to His Church, His Body, His Bride. A mystery perhaps, but something He will give us more understanding on if we seek Him for it.

Mountain Top

As I pondered this piece, after I had finished it, I wondered to myself, "This doesn’t seem like a mountaintop experience to me! It’s too dark. What gives?" Did you have this reaction to it too?

I didn’t plan this artwork, as is usually the case. I began with a feeling, a need to express something for which I had no words or thoughts. Although the image is somewhat complex, with the layering, it is a simple expression. It is a picture of what it feels like to me, at times, to be in the valley, sharing the pain or burdens of others whose darkness or distress has overtaken them.(1-- this is the best I could do for footnotes, Scripture verses listed at bottom) It is the stark reality that although the light and peace of the Lord are always available, people don’t always live there. It is an expression of a desire for more of Him and the heavenly reality, remembering times of greater revelation, greater intimacy and greater glory, and a desire to rise above circumstances and reach a higher level of spiritual experience and power.

The female figure stands tall, though she appears lonely. She is located in two places at once– in the valley and on the top of a mountain. She has quite a vista– one of a sunset, and the other, the view from the mountaintop (2), and of the lion. So far in my pictures, the lion figure represents Jesus, the Lion of Judah (Judah = "praise" in Hebrew), who is the King. She is not afraid, as she knows this Lion, and He knows her. He is reclining, which indicates to me to "enter into His rest". His face is turning towards the viewer, which speaks to me of His interest and attention towards her. He is the focus of the picture. His presence is available to us if we accept the mountaintop as Reality, and approach Him, even in the midst of the darkness of the valley.(3) We may not necessarily see Him in all His glory, but we can interact with Him, receive what we need from Him, and lay our burdens at His feet. "Jesus loves me" is not a Sunday school platitude, it is Truth. The feeling here is not that this truth has been lost, but that a greater experience of it is desired and sought.

The Holy Spirit constantly works to prepare us for greater closeness and deeper relationship with Christ. He spoke to me more about this piece as I meditated on my desire and need for more of Jesus in my weariness and in the place of seeing the darkness around me and feeling others’ pain. Prayer is where the mountaintop mingles with the valley, and our praise is where we connect with Him, in thanksgiving and worship. And His word is the food He feeds us to strengthen us on our journey. I need Him so much. I need more of Him to impart to others. I must keep my lamp filled with oil to shine the light in the darkness. I must carry the mountain with me in my heart.(4)

There is a dark frame in the picture, only a piece of one, and it speaks to me not letting the darkness dictate to me what I see. I must see the big picture, the true picture, and not let the darkness and evil of the world be my frame of reference, to box in my viewpoint. I must see with the eyes of the spirit, with eyes enlightened by hope and truth.(5) I must hold firm to the promises of God.(6)

The swallow speaks to me to "not swallow" the lies of the enemies of my soul: the world, the flesh and the devil. It also gives me a picture of soaring freely above, in the atmosphere of heaven. I must make my own atmosphere in the midst of trouble. A swallow is not a raptor, it is a bird that pursues and eats flying insects, especially mosquitoes. This speaks to me of the ability to "eat" the things that "bug" or harass people and the things that bite and spread disease, by opening our mouths and speaking the word of truth in the appropriate moment and manner. This reminds me of Jesus saying "I have meat that you know not of" as He ministered to the woman at the well.(7)

The woman is standing in ankle deep water, which indicates to me the need to press on to the deeper things of God, rather than to stand passively in shallow water. This water is the river of God, which flows from the throne of His presence (from the mountaintop). The scripture in Ezekiel, one of my favorites in the Old Testament, gives us a good word picture of this.(8)

So, I believe this artwork is a visual to help locate us in our life and pursuit of God, and to warn us and encourage us. As Christians, we cannot constantly live in a "mountaintop experience" as we tend to think of it, we must love God’s creation and people as much as He does, and go down into the valley, moved with compassion, taking the Light of Life with us.

But we must keep going deeper and higher in our relationship with Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. If we do not, we will be swallowed up by darkness, and our light and effectiveness will be gone. Kingdom living partly entails moving mountains: casting the prideful mountains into the sea, and doing our part in bringing the mountain of His Kingdom down to the earth as He rules and reigns in our lives.(9)

Epilogue: I’m continually amazed at what the Lord communicates to me as I seek to interpret the art He inspires me to do. I hope this helps you receive what He was saying to me, and to the Church, His beloved people, who are to be His Bride.

*******
Notes:

(1) "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:1

(2) Since I took the photo, I know that it was early morning on the mountain. The sun is setting on the kingdom of darkness, but it is rising on the Kingdom of God.

(3) "I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20

(4) "For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:21

(5) "the eyes of your understanding* being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints" Ephesians 1:18

(6) "For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us." II Corinthians 1:20

(7) But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. "Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! John 4: 32-35

(8) "Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river. When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other. Then he said to me: "This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes."

Ezekiel 47: 1-9

(9) "Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth." Daniel 2:35

All Scripture quoted from the New King James Version

Photo art by Karen Gladys Henry, copyright 2008. All Rights Reserved. Credits for licensed images are on Flickr, link in the title of this blog.

Ancient Rival

Sometimes I do artwork as spiritual warfare. This particular piece is one of those. It began as an abstract photo of a red plastic screen at a restaurant. In it I began to see shapes, and as I worked on it, this is what it became. It's not the "prettiest" art, but to me it is important, because it depicts a devious enemy of the the Church of Jesus Christ.

I'm not going to write much about the evil spirit we call Jezebel, because there is plenty of material out there to study. A great resource is a book by John Paul Jackson, titled "The Veiled Ploy". I'll put up a link as soon as I get my connection upgraded. I've had plenty of experience with this evil spirit, having been under its influence in the past; but the Lord enabled me to break free of it and combat it at various times when I have encountered it. I will share what I have personally learned from the Lord about this evil spirit.

The book of Revelation speaks of this evil spirit in the letters to the seven churches. Jesus says to the church of Thyatira: "Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols." Revelation 2:20 NKJV It's quite certain that He is not talking of a particular woman here, or of woman at all, but a spirit whose characteristics are seen clearly in the Old Testament figure, Jezebel. Here, the Lord is revealing that this spirit is still at work in the church, and it must be overcome.

To see the Jezebel spirit in action, read the passages in I and II Kings that refer to this "queen", Ahab's wife: e.g., I Kings 16: 31; 18:4, 19; 19:2; 21:23-25; II Kings 9:22; 30-37. In the realm of the spirit, this evil entity will behave the same way. There is subtlety to it, as well as intimidation when it doesn't win by seduction. A demonic spirit is not male or female, and can work through or influence a person of either sex. Calling a woman a "Jezebel" is not the love of Christ, but it is common to see that spirit working through a "witchy" woman who doesn't respect men, especially her husband. Nonetheless, I have seen men who were totally given over to the Jezebel spirit, and their wives strongly controlled by the counterpart spirit we could just as well call Ahab (submissive, wrongly, to the controlling spirit).

The Satanic spirit we call Jezebel is jealous of the Church-- who is betrothed to Jesus, and is being prepared as a spotless Bride, full of glory and power, and who will rule and reign with Christ at His return. As Satan wants to be "like God" and tries to gain worship for himself, he has a counterfeit for everything he sees God do. This evil spirit works to get the true Bride away from her pure love of Christ, and to seduce her into defiling herself with occult practices, sexual immorality, and spiritual adultery and idolatry. It hates all things and people of God that are prophetic, and it tries to seduce people into using prophetic giftings for power and profit, and to lead others astray with false prophecy.

The Jezebel spirit especially hates the Bride of Christ, marriage, proper authority, proper male-female relationships, and godly creativity and imagination (because this births things from God). An Ahab-Jezebel type relationship is something to be repented of, whether in a Christian marriage or in a pastor-church relationship. [As I wrote this, I got a revelation that the Jezebel spirit is behind abortion, physical and spiritual! I haven't done a specific study on this, but it was confirmed to me by a prophetic friend after I posted this blog. I will be seeking the Lord for more insight into the topic, and will blog on it soon in "Fireberries" -- see link on top page].

It must be kept in mind that the Bride of Christ is not an individual person, but the Church as a whole, and that individualistic doctrines of brideship are most likely ideas promoted by the Jezebel spirit to keep a child of God separate from the Body, in pride and rebellion, and open to seductive and occult ideas that pollute the spirit and infect others.

As will be more and more evident, the Jezebel spirit will set "herself" up as the false bride of a false christ, and will seat herself luxuriously upon an idolatrous throne right in the midst of the apostate church: "So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication." Revelation 17:3-4 NKJV

This artwork reminds me of the following verse, now that I'm writing about it, for in it there is a man hidden in a cave-like place, and there is a rescuer coming with a torch: "For so it was, while Jezebel massacred the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah had taken one hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty to a cave, and had fed them with bread and water." I Kings 18:4 NKJV

The redness of this picture speaks to me of not only the bloody history of the original Jezebel, and of that influencing spirit's destructive work, but also of the blood of Jesus: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." Revelation 12:11 NKJV. Jesus has already overcome Satan and his tactics, and is coming to His Church in power (as the Lion of Judah) to help her enforce His victory. [Now, with the additional insight on abortion, I am seeing this red, cave-like place as a womb!!].

I believe we must fight to deliver the young people who are being seduced enmasse by the "dark side" of fantasy and witchcraft to such things as Harry Potter. There is a major difference between something birthed by a demonic spirit and something birthed by the Lord such as C.S. Lewis's fantasy writing or Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings"(at least partially, as I don't claim these works to be perfectly God-inspired-- are any of us?).

In my artwork, a unicorn or flying horse represents the creative and imaginative power that God placed in us, which is part of His nature and image. In this picture, the unicorn, not evil of itself, is being drawn to the seductive power of Jezebel. It is the Church's job to see the young generation, called to be prophetic and powerful in warfare against evil, delivered from the captivation of the enemy and trained and released against that enemy. We must see to it that our creative powers are used by the Holy Spirit and not by the devil.

It is crucial that all of us in the Body of Christ be cleansed of everything that is related to this seductive and rebellious spirit. Time is running out, but there is an open window of freedom available to all who will call out to God for help.

*

The credits for the images used in this composite have been listed on my Flickr stream, with links to them: http://www.flickr.com/photos/artezoe/3232829658/

The Letter of Marque

It was "International Talk Like a Pirate Day", and I was thinking about pirates! I wanted to make an artistic statement, and I had a basic idea of the picture and format, but no clear concept in my mind of what it would say. But I did have a feeling that the Lord had a declaration, or proclamation to make, so the first thing I did was to procure a parchment image.

After working on the background all day, I discussed with my husband a concept that I had, unclearly, that turned out to be the "letter of marque". I decided to research that on Wikipedia the next day. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_of_Marque

When the background was done, I went to bed, not knowing, still, what the document would contain, but praying that the Lord would speak to me about it. First thing the next morning, I read about the "letter of marque" and began searching the Scriptures for what the Lord was saying pertaining to this. Keep in mind, please, that this is a spiritual statement and NOT a natural or political one.
Here is the final outcome:

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The Letter of Marque
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The Decree of the King, Jesus the Christ, the Word of God: King of Kings and Lord of Lords; The Faithful and True Witness of the New Covenant of God; The Holy Lamb, Slain from the Foundation of the World; The Righteous Judge and Captain of the Host; The Only Begotten Son of the Almighty God, The Beloved, Firstborn Among Many Brethren, Who Lives and Reigns Forever in the Heavenly Realms of Glory:
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I Hereby do Authorize the children of God, called, chosen and faithful, (Buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him Through faith in the working of God, Who raised Him from the dead, Having triumphed over and disarmed all principalities and powers,)
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To plunder those who plundered them,

To pillage those who pillaged them,
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And to take back everything I have given you by My promises, Which has been stolen from you through Satan’s piracy: Confusion, intimidation and deceit.
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For he who touches you touches the apple of My eye.
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Beware lest you become pirates yourselves, For pride cometh before a fall. He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.
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Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the LORD.
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Do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, Against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this age, Against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
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Though you walk in the flesh, you are not to war after the flesh, For the weapons of your warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God For pulling down strongholds, Casting down arguments, and every high thing That exalts itself against the knowledge of God, Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, And being ready to punish all disobedience When your obedience is fulfilled.
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Therefore, take up the whole armour of God,

Praying always in the Spirit.
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Be sober, be vigilant. Be valiant, be courageous.
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Have I not commanded you? Be strong, do not be afraid,

For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
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Sealed by the Spirit of Truth

Until the day of redemption.
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Here is a list (by no means comprehensive) of Scriptures that this decree was taken from. Hopefully, you'll see from studying these verses that I haven't made up a thing, just related them to a subject people know and are interested in.

Revelation 19:11-16; 12:11,13:8; Isaiah 11:2-5; Romans 8:29; Psalms 96:10; Hebrews 2:10; Ephesians 1; Colossians 1, 2:9-15;
Ezekiel 39:10; Zechariah 2:5-11, 4:6; Proverbs 22:23, 24:15; Deuteronomy 23: 14-16;
Jude 1:23; Galatians 6:1; Romans 2:3; Proverbs 8:13, 16:18; IICorinthians 10: 3-6, 17; Ephesians 6:10-18; I Peter 5:8; Joshua 1:7-9;
II Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13, 4:30; John 15:26, 16:13; IICorinthians 1:20; 3:6; II Peter 1:4; Isaiah 42:22; Joel 2:25

Until next time,

Karen