The Watchers

This is one of those artworks I did just for fun, and later discovered it had a lot of meaning in it.  Since it isn't all that obvious, I'll explain it.  Click on the picture to see it large.

I was making this for a "party"/ art contest I was having on my Flickr stream to celebrate my 3 year anniversary on there.  I wanted to involve people, so I tried to make something interesting, and invited lots of my contacts.  What I didn't think about was, I was saying a lot about myself and my belief system. [to see the contest description and entries on my photostream, click here:
"The Watchers" on ArteZoe's stream on Flickr
to go directly to the related gallery, use this link:]
The Winners' Gallery by ArteZoe on Flickr

I believe this artwork represents a safe, clean and fun celebration. The reason I now call this "The Watchers" is because it is full of personages who are watching "the viewer" and the party-goers.  The reality of this is what keeps a "party" or other get-together safe and fun.  Really, faithful oversight is what should keep life on this planet a free and enjoyable thing.  (There is much to say about this, but I probably won't say it-- I'll let you think about it instead.) 

First, I thought of the woman in the foreground as being my "alter ego," or an artistic representation of myself.  She is the hostess, and the reigning  princess in this artistic space, as I am of my Flickr stream and all my other places, whether in cyberspace or in my 3D world.  If it's in my realm of authority, I have the responsibility of watching over it.  If evil tries to come in, it's my duty to get rid of it.  Because I take this responsibility, my places are safe, fun and peaceful places to be.  I take this very seriously.  To me, hospitality is much more than a physical task, although I try to do my best at that as well.  It is an opportunity to serve people and minister to their souls and spirits as well as bless them with physical pleasure and comfort.  I hope this is what I am able to do with my creative work in general, and in my home.

Because this artwork was a form of self portrait, I put in several things that were symbolic to me personally.  The large chickadee in the foreground represents me as a child.  The reason for this is that my mother always used to call me "chickadee."  The chickadee says to me that I should never lose my childlike joy and wonder in life, or my freedom of creativity.  I need to be true to myself and who I was created to be. 

The chickadee also reminds me that I shouldn't reject the good things about my upbringing: how to be a great hostess was one of the things my mother well demonstrated and taught to me.  Here, the chickadee becomes one of the watchers; although I am free from overbearing parental voices (speaking psychologically), I still respect my parents and the conscience they built into me.  I am most grateful for it, especially seeing so many people these days who seem to have no conscience.  Our conscience can be added as one of the watchers.  If we are still minors, our parents are still watchers in our life.  They are responsible for keeping their children as safe and healthy as they can, giving them a good home and environment, and training them to be fine adults.  The boundaries they set and the discipline they do should be loving and consistent, and based on God's truths and an understanding of them. 

Lack of diligent and loving parenting is one of the main reasons the younger generations are hurting so much.  In general, they seem to be parenting themselves and each other.  This affects the future of society and is a great concern of mine.  In this artwork, the young people are having a free and fun time, without fear or inhibition.  They don't need to be rebellious (or distant from the watchers) because they understand that the watchers have their best interests at heart.  This could be considered a rather utopian view, one which doesn't hold up well if you look around at the world.  This is a Kingdom of God view, not exactly a "world view, because the only trustworthy watchers would be those who are faithfully submitted to God.  Children really can trust them. 

People in the world today seem to be polarizing into one of two categories (speaking in great generalities here): either completely rebellious against all authority, or totally too trusting-- to the gullible and easily deceived and controlled level.  Neither one of these stances are safe.  There's only one way to be truly safe and free, and that is under God's perfect rule and covering.

The glowing gazebo represents a covering and a safe place.  In much of my artwork it also symbolizes a place of romantic privacy and marital bliss, faithfulness and safety.  Interestingly enough (to me at least), the gazebo takes on that meaning here as well.  Another level of meaning in this artwork is purity and faithfulness in a couple's relationship.  The white rose represents love and purity.  The hostess feels safe and generous because she is in proper relationship with her husband (even though he is not obviously in the picture).  The swans always represent marital love, purity and faithfulness in my artwork, as in nature swans stay with their mate throughout their life.  In this artwork, the swans are swimming away from the guests, leading them towards the castle on the lake.  The castle represents the Kingdom of God as a place of safety and loving rule by Christ the King. 

The message in this for the upcoming generations is that it is possible, and needful, to keep themselves sexually pure until marriage, and to keep their marriage holy by being loving and faithful to one another.  As children grow into teens, especially with the pressure towards sexual experimentation and same-sex relationships, it is very important that the watchers in their lives help them in these choices.  It is truly in their best interest to do things God's way, and life definitely is much more fun when one is free from dark and evil.

There are a couple of other watchers, who seem dark, but that is simply because their jobs are mostly unseen by us.  The bagpiper in the gazebo on the right is, at first glance, simply an interesting mode of entertainment.  I put him there because I happen to like bagpipes and other celtic music, and this, of course, is my party!  But thinking about the concept of watchers, I realize he represents another set of watchers: "the great cloud of witnesses" in heaven.  Some of my ancestors are English, Scottish and Irish.  This is part of a traditional heritage that I am interested in historically and artistically.  It is also part of my religious heritage.  The ancestors who have gone before are all watching, hoping we will hold fast to the truths they lived their lives and died for.  As Christians seeking to walk daily by the leading of the Holy Spirit, it is wise not to stray from the foundations and clear paths built by our forebears.

The other mysterious watcher on the left -- the mythical beast the griffin-- represents an angelic warrior to me, I think, as lions and eagles are both spiritual (and prophetically meaningful) symbols in the Bible.  God's angels are watchers who are constantly ready to follow God's word.  As long as we are submitted to God, they will be guarding us and our environment.  The mythological griffin guarded the gold.  In one way, I see the significance of trusting God and His agents to be the watcher over my property, including my intellectual property and images.  Knowing this allows me to be free to show my artwork on the internet.  The spiritual griffin will protect my interests.  I think this griffin also represents my own spirit, watching with discerning spiritual eyes of the eagle and the strength of a lion that comes from the Lord. 

Christ-- the watcher over all--appears on the right, as the lion, as He does very often in my artwork.  Because He is not completely visible, one understands that He is shown as spiritually present at all times.  Looking more deeply and spiritually into the artwork, one can see that the woman actually represents the Church as the bride of Christ, and in this role, she practices hospitality in the world in a very meaningful and powerful way.  The local church is a watcher in the lives of its members, serving them as God's own family.  The universal church of Christ is also a watcher in the world.  She has the responsibility of holding forth the truths of God, meeting needs through God's provision, and bringing the world's issues before His throne in prayer.   

You can take the idea of watchers as a good or bad thing, depending on your point of view.  Many people chafe at the authority of the watchers, and refuse to acknowledge them as being good.  They feel closed in, suffocated, and repressed by the watchers, whether they realize they are there or not.  They rebel.  But others, like myself, are grateful for the watchers.  There is true safety under the watchful eyes of all those who love and take responsibility for seeing God's creation and people treated with justice, righteousness, and love.  God sees everything always, and there's no getting away from it.  Freedom and joy come when we at last realize that He is the light of life.   

A few Scriptures to help you begin a Bible study on the topic of watchers:
Genesis 31:49; Judges 7:17-19; 2Kings 11:5-7; Nehemiah 4:9, 7:3, 12:25; Job 7:20, 13:27; Psalm 127:1, 139; 141:3; Proverbs 15:3; Isaiah 21:6; Jeremiah 18:15; Ezekiel 33: 6-7; Daniel 4:17, 12:1; Nahum 2:1; Mark 13:34-37; Romans 1:30; 1 Corinthians 16:13; Ephesians 6:1-4; Hebrews 12:1,13:7

The background for the artwork was my own photo of a pink crystal chandelier.
Credits for licensed stock images used in this composite:
Royal beauty © Anna Minina
Castle on lake © Stefano Maccari
Bandstand © Martinturzak  
Rose © Jevgenia Petrova
Frozen lake in the alps with swans © Bas Meelker
Misty Sea © Petr Doubek
Beautiful small waterfalls © Wolfgang Amri
Griffin #01 © Ralf Kraft
Detail Romantic garden © Tamas [used to decorate the princess' dress]
Cup of tea and teapot © Galina Ermolaeva
Scottish bagpipes © Photowitch
Vintage Willow Pattern Background © Kathleen Good
Male Lion © Eric Gevaert
Couple jumping © Edyta Pawlowska
Chickadee 7 © Bruce Macqueen 
Peacefull hawaii beach © Csaba Fikker
http://www.dreamstime.com/free-stock-photo-peacefull-hawaii-beach-rimagefree1749389-resi122770
All stock images licensed from Dreamstime.com

"The Watchers" is by Karen Gladys Henry.
© 2010 All Rights Reserved.
For permission to use in any way besides a personal desktop or reblogging with link, please email me at ArteZoe@gmail.com

You Set A Table Before Me

Although this image may look mysterious, there is nothing deliberately hidden or cryptic about it.  It's a very straight-forward illustration of part of Psalm 23:

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Psalm 23: 5

This artwork refers to the first and last parts of the verse, only alluding to the oil with the branch of olives (and again, the olive leaves, if you read the last blog).  The table is the focal point.  On it are items that would be sustaining if in the natural, and although the Lord does provide us with our earthly sustanence, it is spiritual reality that I am illustrating. 

As I mentioned, there is an olive branch, which here represents healing and anointing. (We often think of the olive branch as representing peace, from the dove in Genesis, after the flood, but it was a leaf it carried, not a branch-- still we can also add the meaning of "peace with God, because of His covenant"-- which makes a theme in this picture, God's New Covenant with us).  There are grapes, which are "the fruit of the vine" from which wine is made-- so this can represent the wine of communion-- the blood of Christ-- and the fruit of the Spirit as well.  The bottle is a wine bottle, so that is redundant in a way.  I would take this to mean that the grapes represent the fruit of the Spirit more specifically. 

The bread is "the bread of life" which Jesus called Himself (John 6: 33, 35, 48, 51-- look these up for a really great Bible study).  However, notice that the bread is challah, a Jewish bread, but that it is not unleavened.  Jesus would have been serving unleavened bread at the "Last Supper," because He and his disciples were celebrating the Passover.  All though the communion table is somewhat referenced in this artwork, I think that the table I'm referring to here is really a more "every day" sort of table.  Truly, what is being served here is the Life of Christ in the middle of ordinary life. 

Lastly, there is cheese, which I chose to artistically represent the "milk of the Word", the "solid food", and if you'll allow me a little artistic license "the meat of the Word" as well (honestly, I didn't want to look at a leg of lamb sitting on the table, but I think it should be there spiritually speaking--the foibles of an artist!  Maybe I'll have to go back and add it after all-- but then, I'd have to put a bottle of milk there too!)  The cup on the table, which I decorated up with some designs and a cross, obviously symbolic, could be the "cup of salvation," -- it is there to hold whatever is being drunk, either the wine, or the milk, or the water.  It also represents the body and the soul.

That brings me to the large goblet behind the table, translucent to represent "unseen," spiritual reality.  It represents Christ and His presence, full of the water of life.  His presence is there, even if "unseen," officiating at the table, serving as He does, and ministering with His constant overflow.  In a way, it also represents the Christian, who, when he is in Christ and Christ is in him, truly can say "my cup overflows."  Here we are in the wilderness, and all we really need is the Cup, because everything on the table is actually a product of His overflow. 

We could also relate to Jesus praying, "let this cup pass from me, if it be thy will." (Matthew 26:39)  In the situation, or experience, of this picture, we may also be praying the same thing.  Our answer seems to be, "no, you have to go through this, but I will be with you."  And Jesus, having gone before us, has been the victor.  It is because He accepted the cup that was given Him that we are saved and delivered.

When I say the table is the focal point, I would have to say that it was  to me, when I thought of making this image.  And yet, the subject of the artwork is truly the "You" in the title, and the awesome power and presence of the Lord.  It's hard to miss the lightning, and when I first chose to put that in, it made me wonder if the viewer might take it as God was one of the enemies.  I'd say to that, "only if you are an enemy of God," and of course, that is your choice. 

For me, and any other child of God, the incredible power packed into that lightning bolt is a cause for fear and trembling, but it's not aimed at us!  If it's wrath against sin, Christ absorbed it, and He can take it.  I'd say, the enemies around better take warning, for that is just a tiny bit of a display of God's power.  This shows how much we don't have to fear any amount of display of so-called power by any enemy, demonic or otherwise.  We have God on our side, if indeed we are on His.

This image is a rather dark one, for the simple fact is that we live in a darkened world.  Sometimes our enemy is only the darkness of our own mind and the blind state we might find ourselves in.  In that case, the light of the gospel is shining, and it will overcome the darkness if we don't run away.  The lamp on the bottom left is representative of  Spirit and Truth, and it's not plugged in to any natural source!  It's getting its energy from the lighting, from God's power. 

I noticed that while I was working close up into the picture, and the table and the chandelier filled the screen, or higher up where the lightning hits the cup, it is very bright.  It is only when you back off from the image that it looks dark.  This is very significant, as that's how it is with our walk in Christ.  If we back off from Him, our experience becomes very dark and frightening.  We start looking at the darkness in the world and at the enemies, and we feel threatened.  Instead, we should get closer to God, and His light then fills our mind and changes our experience.  Suddenly, the enemies are of no consequence.

There is only one active enemy visible in the picture, and that is the snake (an emerald tree boa), which represents Satan, the accuser.  He is hiding in the shadows, waiting for a chance to devour.  But the only chance he has is for us to stand still and give him permission and access into our minds.  He constricts by telling lies, which we don't have to listen to or believe.  Basically, he has no power over us except to tempt or confuse, and if we're focused on Christ and His Word, he is easily overcome.  And if you look carefully, a tip of lightening is touching him, as if the finger of God were reminding Satan of his doom.  For the truth is, Jesus already overcame the devil.  Thinking of this reminds me of Jesus in the wilderness after He was baptized.  The Spirit led Him there to be tempted of the devil.  He overcame Satan with the Word of God!  That is the same thing we are to do when we find ourself in that situation, say "It is written":

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" Matthew 4:1-4 NKJV
 
When Jesus came out from the wilderness, he began his ministry in power.
 

I chose the background picture of the stones in an ancient celtic circle to represent other spiritual forces, either demonic or human, that are not submitted to God but are not directly trying to attack the viewer.  I am not thoroughly familiar with the meaning and usages of these stone circles, except to know they were part of pagan worship.  I do know that they are still held as sacred by some people, and are popular imagery these days in spiritualistic or occult belief systems.  The demonic spirits behind this type of worship are territorial.  They don't mess with me, but I have become an enemy to them, and have aggressively camped on what they call their ground.  The people's minds who are held captive to false religions are what is being fought for.  This is the ground, the territory where the battle is.  My purpose is to call these people out of darkness and into God's glorious light. 

There are so many people who are interested, on a fascination level, with anything spiritual.  For some, it's an escape.  But people are really looking for answers these days, and are looking to spiritual things.  I think some people are more drawn to light than others, and if they will come near the light, that is good.  Maybe they will accept the true Light and be saved.  But how many realize that just because something is spiritual doesn't mean it's good, even though it might look it?  That snake looks very pretty sometimes (he can appear as an "angel of light"  2 Cor 11:14 ) and can sound very pleasing, but if you put up with him, he's deadly.

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.  For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face. 2 Corinthians 11: 13-15, 20 NKJV)

This artwork shows a battlefield-- a very personal one for me.  Having been saved from the occult myself, by Christ Jesus, I can only do what is right and try to shine His light out into the world, perhaps to draw others to Him, who is the only  way to God.  I am aware of the danger of battling for a mountain that Satan holds at present.  I know I am not beyond temptation or deception.  As I step out of my "cave" where I feel safe from the world, I take the risk of being stumbled by something in it.  And yet I can do no good by hiding my light.  Therefore, I must partake of the feast of the Lord "in the presence of my enemies," since now they know where I am.  And though I am not afraid of them, they do try to hinder me.  I thank the Lord for His constant presence and protection, and that He will defend me as I remain in Him.

The images I used for this composite were licensed from Dreamstime.com
Castlerigg stone circle © Boguslaw Kupisinski
Round Antique Table 3d © Vadim Andrushchenko
Old goblet © Ole Jakob Ihlebæk 
Ornate Table Lamp Chandelier © Margojh
Red grapes isolated © Cs333 
Emerald Tree Boa © Eric Isselée
Challah bread isolated on white © Kgfoto
Wicker Bottle © Fabrizio Troiani 
Olive II © Pjgon71 
Cheese isolated on white © Yana Gulyanovska 
Grunge texture © Draganea 
Tattered Scroll Collection © Cajoer 
The beginning of the tornado © Victor Zastol`skiy
Sheep with lamb © John Butterfield
Celtic flower design © Patrick Guenette
Fencing © Galina Afanasyeva

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.

Entrance

I started this composite last year, I think, and once I got the images pieced together, it was mind-bogglingly tedious work getting it all blended. I am now glad that my work on it was temporarily suspended as I gathered my resolve to finish it. Right after I did, my pastor began teaching on some things that gave me more insight into this image.

As I had already chosen to call it "Entrance", I had realized I was depicting an entrance into the Kingdom of God. The circular doorway represents eternity. The woman standing there is symbolic of the Church of believers, and the lion on the top left stands for Christ, the Lion of Judah. To me it seems the woman is curtsying to Him, or greeting Him in a loving and worshipful manner. She has on a veil, since she is His Bride, but she is not dressed in white linen yet, as the works she is to do are empowered from the Kingdom, which she has not yet entered.

On this side of the wall, we see a rather watery garden, representing the Earth. At this point, the woman is still facing the Earth, or her earthly life. There are three "waters" here: the sea (humanity), the fountain which is old and toppling over into the sea (religion), and the stream of Life, which is flowing out from the Kingdom. The Tree has roots going down into the sea, showing that Jesus has roots in the Earth because He was the Son of Man. But the Tree is on top of the wall, and if we use our imaginations we can see there are roots going down the other side of the wall into the heavenly Kingdom, because Jesus is also the Son of God. The stream represents "the Way", which is full of difficulties, but leads straight to the Kingdom. The stream also is Jesus, as He is the Way. He is also the Entrance.* Above the circular door are the Greek letters alpha and omega, which represent the beginning and the end, and this is a name used for Jesus in the Bible. Jesus, the King, is overseeing the earthly garden as well as the heavenly Kingdom and the gateway into it. He glows with His own light.

On the other side of the entrance, we see a vista of glowing mountains, clouds and heavenly lights representing a spiritual and perfect realm we've rarely or never seen with our eyes. There is a sunrise/sunset because the sun is setting on one era and rising on another. There is outer space and galaxies because the Kingdom is much greater than anything we can grasp or imagine. It encompasses all of creation. The huge mountain represents the Kingdom of God as is depicted in Daniel's dream: a mountain that is covering the whole world (Daniel 2:35,44). Until the Bride enters the Kingdom, the government of God does not cover the earth. But when she submits to her Lord, she becomes part of the Entrance, and the Kingdom of God will enter the earthly garden through her, creating the situation needed for the King to return to Earth in person.

Although the earthly garden reflects some of the heavenly realm, and one can see some of it if one lifts the eyes upward or gets close to the Entrance, it is still difficult to see from the vantage point shown in this artwork. This is where my pastor's teaching offers some insight.

He began with this scripture, where Jesus says:

"If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" John 3:12

At church, we discussed how the earthly things were those things revealed by scripture, especially things Jesus said and did, that pertain to life here. This includes repentance and forgiveness, all kinds of healing and deliverance, and learning how to walk in Spirit and Truth. Most scripture has to do with earthly things, things we need now. Since Jesus is the door into Life, and the Way to God, we must accept Him as Savior in order to see the Kingdom.*

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3

After we've followed Him for a while we begin to see what the Kingdom of God is all about. We start out thinking it's just about after we die we get to go to heaven. But as we mature, we realize there is much more, and that it is for now as well as later.

". . . as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 3-11 NKJV

Notice that he says that if we lack these things we are shortsighted, or blind, meaning that we can't see the Kingdom! But if we are diligent about obtaining them, we will be supplied an entrance into that Kingdom.

After Jesus' initial statement to Nicodemus about being born again, he said something else:

Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' John 3:5-7

Nicodemus didn't get it, and this is where Jesus said "If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" Being born again is an earthly thing! How do we get born again? By believing the Word and receiving it/Him. The Word is Truth and Jesus is Truth. First our minds our renewed by hearing the Word; we begin to change and grow by acting on it in faith. But we also need to receive it into our hearts: this is being born again in the Spirit. The Word grows in our hearts until He is all in all~ of full stature. This is when we gain an entrance into the Kingdom. But first we must see it, or we won't keep on the difficult Way to Life.

Jesus' prayer to the Father, before he was crucified and resurrected, was that we would be one with Him, the Father, and one another (John 17). This is accomplished in the Spirit as we lay down the things that hinder us and we allow God to rule us. We are "seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 1:20), but we have to learn to walk in that reality. He has already purchased it for us, and He is in us and we are in Him if we are born again. But how many of us participate in that? It is His desire that we not only see the Kingdom from afar and hope to enter it after we die, but that we see it as right near us, that we press on to enter it, and that we regularly take what we gain there and demonstrate it in the earthly realm. This is my spiritual quest.

'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked-- I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Revelation 3:14- 22 NKJV

Flowers:
In Victorian lore, as far as I can find, wisteria represents "youth and poetry". If I take it in a spiritual sense, to me it represents humility, teachability and prophetic revelation. It also has an appearance like grapes, so it also says fruitfulness to me. And I have to say, it partly just needed to be there as a visual balance. The irises are quite significant, I found out after I put them there. It's not a biblical meaning, but a traditional, Victorian one (I think the Lord can still use our understood languages as a means of communication). It means "I have a message for you", and also stands for faith, wisdom, promise in love, hope and valor. All these are found in the 2 Peter passage.

I hope this stirs you to pursue what has been offered us through Christ. I am seeking to see much more of the Kingdom, so that I can help others enter in.


*To the sides of this picture there are two other openings in the wall. These are not "other ways to God". The fact is that God is a triune being, and He's the only door into His own Kingdom. The reality that Jesus is the Way to Life and God is not my idea: it is not a product of personal prejudice or intolerance. It's God's own statement: He chose to give Christ "all authority in heaven and on earth". If it were up to me, I'd make it easy. But it's not up to me. If you don't believe my testimony and that of the Bible, then ask God to show you the truth of it, and if you really want to know, He will show you. Then you'll know I'm not making it up. You can have an internal witness that is unassailable.

Credits for this artwork:

Many images went into making this~ my thanks to all the photographers:
http://www.dreamstime.com/cascading-mountain-stream-rimage5820508-resi122770
http://www.dreamstime.com/circular-port-in-chinese-garden-rimage4432113-resi122770http://www.dreamstime.com/himalayan-mountain-rimage4791266-resi122770http://www.dreamstime.com/italian-renaissance-dress-rimage3246760-resi122770www.dreamstime.com/roots-rimage632696-resi122770www.dreamstime.com/water-fountain-rimage120017-resi122770www.dreamstime.com/lion-rimage2097236-resi122770http://www.dreamstime.com/purple-flowers-wisteria-rimage705712-resi122770http://www.dreamstime.com/rocks-rapids-along-a-stream-rimage2393809-resi122770www.dreamstime.com/the-old-barn-rimage5454492-resi122770 [irises]
[tree image no longer available]
My own sunset and ocean photos were used, along with a public domain space photo. The image inside the circular entrance is also a composite of my own photos.

Blessings

This is a quick one~ I just wanted to bring out the different ways I see this, maybe to give it more depth for you.

This is both a heavenly place and an earthly place. It can be the throne room of Heaven, with the Lamb of God on the throne receiving worship. There is music in the air! The woman in white could be seen as an angel, but I mostly see her as the Bride worshipping in adoration before the throne. She is dressed in white, "the righteous acts of the saints", with which she makes herself ready for the Beloved.

I particularly see this as a simultaneously earthly place, because of the appearance of the room, which looks like it's nighttime. The lamb represents to me not only the Lamb of God, but God's little lambs. All children have angels for protection, and these ministers are always in the presence of God. All children, both natural children and spiritual children, need nurture and protection. Mothers and caretakers, pastors, counselors, teachers, etc., are all messengers and are responsible to impart the love and character of the Father to their charges. We should all keep in mind that these little ones belong to Him. He is the Good Shepherd, and as stewards, we must be found faithful. I also think of "whatever you do to the least of these, you've done it unto Me." When we serve the little ones as unto Him, the Lamb receives it as worship, and receives it with joy. The setting also reminds me of the Passover lamb that was taken into the home and loved as a pet before it was offered as a sacrifice, which holds much deep prophetic meaning about the Christ.

Scripturally, I don't see the heavenly angels as women, it doesn't refer to them as such, but sometimes says "a young man in a white robe". Other references to angels, such as seraphim, depict them as much more brilliant, powerful and multidimensional in ways that I have not been able to express artistically at this time. Whether you see this figure as an individual, the collective Bride, an angel, or even a fairy perhaps, the meaning is the same: a spiritual messenger from the throne room of God with blessings from Him. If we are born again, we are also spiritual beings with messages of love and truth from Him, and therefore the term "angels" can be properly applied to us as well, as that is what the word means: "messenger".

So be encouraged~ if you faithfully minister to His lambs, the Lamb of God receives your service. And in order to minister faithfully to His lambs, it is essential to minister to the Lamb Himself and to absorb His Presence through worship, intercession and careful listening to His voice.

Rev 7:17
for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Mat 18:10
"Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

Mat 25:40
And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did [it] to one of the least of these My brethren, you did [it] to Me.'

Luk 9:48
and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great."

Mat 22:30
For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. [it says "are like", not are]

Shelter

This composite began with a photo of a window! In my mind’s eye, I began to picture a place that was a shelter from the harsh winter. It is a surreal place. To me, "surreal" is exactly what the word itself implies "above real". Surrealism is a way for me to express spiritual and psychological things artistically . So this place is more than just a physical shelter, it is a place of warmth, safety and provision for the person who trusts in God. It is a "place" found only in the Kingdom of God: it is under His dominion and therefore receives all His benefits.

"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Matthew 6:33

Scriptures show a picture of the Lord Himself being the shelter for His people:

"For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy." Psalm 61:3

"I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah" Psalm 61:4

"And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain." Isaiah 4:6

"For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock." Psalms 91: 1-2

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. . .Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways."

Psalm 91: 8-11

Staying in the shelter means being obedient:

"Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine." Proverbs 3: 3-10

Whenever I put a woman, princess or bride in a picture, it represents the "Bride of Christ". This is one Biblical representation of the Church, and because it is the last hour, the Bride should be busy "making herself ready". The model I chose for this picture had the look I wanted, but I was concerned about her pose for some time, and did attempt to change it. But after a while, the Spirit got through to me that this was just right.

***

Why is she looking in a mirror? Doesn’t this seem vain? While there’s much to be said about the Bride making herself ready, let’s just stick to what is expressed in the picture, and I’ll eventually get to the significance of the mirror.

In a prophetic picture of the Bride in Revelation, she is seen completely ready for her Lord:

"Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." Revelation 19:7-8

In this artwork, the Bride is still getting used to trusting the Lord to keep her safe from the current conditions in the world, here represented as the dead of winter. She is still focusing somewhat on herself and her identity, not too concerned with anything outside her home. In her place of trust, she is safe, provided for and even full of joy.

My rooms also represent the inner being, here, that of the Bride in a state of "dwelling in the Lord". There are varying symbols of her bounty in the room: she’s warm, and she even has a different attitude than the world outside, full of life and the fragrance of the Lord (represented by the vines and the roses). Out there amid the snowy trees (knowledge) is an owl, which blends in with them (subtle): it is the wisdom of the world that has been shut out. She has light, however, and the three candles represent the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There is a jug for wine (Spirit) and a jug for water (Word).

*

There are apples in the shelter, which represent a fruitful life, a rich harvest, health, and desire– as Solomon put it: "Sustain me with cakes of raisins, Refresh me with apples, For I am lovesick." Songs 2:5. This lovesickness is a recurring theme in my pictures of the Bride, for she longs to be united with her Beloved. She still rejoices in Him though, being reminded of His will by the Spirit (the dove) who dwells with her and gives her peace.

*

She praises Him with music, represented by the violin. Because it’s a difficult instrument to play, she has to put in lots of practice! And she’s got loads of books! This is a little of my own preference here, for if I was to be "holed up", I’d want lots to read. But it stands for the Word of God, and how she’s getting instruction in His wisdom so she can rule and reign with Him.

I do occasionally use personal symbols (as occur in our dreams and we automatically know what they mean), and I sometimes use cultural symbols when they are generally known. The bluebird often signifies "happiness", and I use it to mean a true joy of heart and contentment. And to me, a hummingbird represents a passionate pursuit of God’s presence. The fuzzy cat is there to let us feel the comfort, and as a companion, for the Lord never leaves us or forsakes us, and He is the comforter.

There is also the element of waiting and preparedness, as shown in the Song of Solomon:

"A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse, A spring shut up, A fountain sealed. A fountain of gardens, A well of living waters, And streams from Lebanon. [The Shulamite] Awake, O north wind And come, O south! Blow upon my garden, That its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come to his garden And eat its pleasant fruits." Songs 4: 12, 15-16

Part of the preparation is self-examination, thus the mirror. This doesn't mean we are to be sin-conscious or legalistic, just honest and open to the Holy Spirit's conviction. Most of the time we know what we are doing wrong, but often we ignore it, going into a state of denial:

"Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified." II Corinthians 13:5

"But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another." Galatians 6:4

But it’s not just self-examination that does the job, the Lord Himself examines us and purifies that which is faulty:

"Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart." Psalm 26:2

Faithfulness to the Word and responsiveness to the Holy Spirit are absolutely essential to the preparation of the Bride:

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." James 1:22-25

In this, she participates in the preparation of the work of her Beloved:

". . .that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." Ephesians 5: 26-27

As the Bride hears His voice and obeys Him, she sees Him more and more clearly, and eventually will know Him as completely as He knows her:

"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." I Corinthians 13:12

"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord..." II Corinthians 3:18

"Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." I John 3:2

The Lord Jesus is drawing all His children closer to Him, preparing them with wisdom, knowledge and understanding so that we may live victoriously in this present age as shining witnesses for His glory. His desire is that we partake of all that He bought for us on the cross. He is our risen, compassionate High Priest in heaven, interceding for us at all times.

*

Jesus is our Beloved who desires a deeper relationship with each of us. He is revealing more of Himself in these times, if we would take the time to look. His purpose is to draw all believers into the unity of the faith and Spirit, so that together we can reach our highest destiny: to rule and reign with Him forever.

". . . 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 1:8

"To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1:27

*******

All the images used to make this digital "collage" painting are from Dreamstime.com (except for the bright pink roses). The list of credits and links can be found on my Flickr photostream, along with a larger view of this artwork: http://www.flickr.com/photos/artezoe/3311492419/

"Shelter" is a photocomposite artwork by Karen Gladys Henry ©2009. All Rights Reserved.

Come Further In

This composite image was inspired by C.S. Lewis's "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". If you've read it, you'll be reminded of the lamppost, the 100-year-winter brought about by the illegitimate "reign" of the White Witch, and Aslan's coming, which brought about a quick reversal of it all. Here I have depicted the breakthrough of Spring. We are standing at the lamppost, just at the edge of Narnia, as if we had just walked through the wardrobe and entered another world! Aslan is calling us to come further in, as the Beavers called the Pevensies, before they had met Aslan.

*

I love compositing (although I get very impatient sometimes with the finishing off of all the edges! if I do a picture the way I want, it has soooo many edges to clean up. It's good for my character.). This media gives me a full range of expression in a surrealistic genre, which allows me to express the spiritual reality I am trying to convey. I am only limited to my vision/imagination and the images I can find. For a list of credits, please see the Flickr post: http://flickr.com/photos/9014943@N06/3095793249/

*

My use of lion imagery in my artwork is limited to one meaning: Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah. I don't use the other biblical identification, that is, the devil prowling around as a roaring lion. I was happy to find a lion photo so perfect for this "painting", as he seems to be smiling, and not threatening. C.S. Lewis, as well, used the lion imagery to create a character in Aslan that is so expressive of the character of Christ that I seek to emulate him. It is quite evident to me that he knew the Lord personally.

*

Controversial it may be, but C.S. Lewis's use of "magic" and beings from classical mythology in his fictional works conveys spiritual things in a way that can be understood by anyone. He speaks into the imaginative capacity and the longing for spiritual things which typify so much of what we see in fantasy genres today. Yet his motives remain completely different and pure. He also employs the archetypal teaching methods of the ancient fairytales, an understanding that has mostly been lost. It is still a viable teaching and training tool.

*

I hope to be worthy to wear the mantle that Lewis left behind for those who would carry a message of Kingdom reality to those who seek to know the truth, especially the young. This generation is hungry for spiritual things, with a need for a strong identity and a desire for power to deal with the evil they see. Satan is working overtime to give them what they desire, but they don't know they're being trapped into the evil they wish to combat. It is up to the citizens of the Kingdom of God to reach the young with the truth of the good news, and it's going to take great imagination and power-packed expression to do so. It's a visual generation, and so I want to use visual imagery, along with writing, to speak to the heart.

*

So, what am I saying with this artwork? That Aslan, although a fictional character, stands for Jesus Christ the true King of all Who is calling us to know Him personally, and to follow Him into His Kingdom. Narnia stands for the true realm of the spirit and godly imagination, where we can discover who we are and what we are meant to do. Here is a place where we can picture the purposes of Heaven being worked out in the physical world. It is a place where Heaven and Earth connect, and the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve are taught to reign. We learn to fight the enemies of God with truth and to take down the evil works of such enemies, in our own minds as well as in the world around us, for the good of others. We learn to serve one another and be obedient to the voice of the Spirit, and to step out in faith. In this story, the coldness of the heart is being melted and the heart renewed by real encounters with the King.

*

In this artwork, the lamppost also signifies those who are called to be "lightbearers", to guide others along the Way, into the Kingdom of God. As the lamppost was planted in Narnia, and its light was a perpetual one, so our light will be if we are rooted in the Word of God and stay in our appointed places. Staying filled with the oil of the Spirit is a concern as we pour out what we have been given, but if we're connected into the Vine, we will always be alive and full of oil.

*

The blossoming branches I have placed here are almond trees. This has a great deal of significance. First, it's a prophetic picture of Christ's anointing and authority in Aaron's rod that budded (Numbers 17:8-10; Hebrews 9:4). It also reminds of the golden lampstand in the Mosaic temple, which was shaped like a blossoming almond tree (Exodus 25:33), giving us the spiritual picture of one who lives in the presence of God and stays lit. There is also a verse in Jeremiah: Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Jeremiah, what do you see?" And I said, "I see a branch of an almond tree." Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word." (Jeremiah 1:12-13 NKJV). The almond tree is the first to blossom in Spring. This speaks to me of the need for us to be hearing from the Lord about the times and seasons and to be ready to speak and demonstrate these things in an early and timely fashion, for "concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you." (I Thess. 5:1 NKJV), meaning it was considered normal to know what's going on. Jesus promised that we could know things in advance: "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. "(John 16:13 NKJV)

*

I may "paint" in parables, but this blog is for those who desire to know the meanings in them. Jesus told the meanings of His parables to His disciples. If you're reading this, Jesus words pertain to you: And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that 'Seeing they may not see, And hearing they may not understand.'(Luke 8:10 NKJV) If you're His disciple, He will guide you into all truth.