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.

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.

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.