This is from a music school called Harvest Sound that has some great instructors. I think this sums up what God is doing in these days and in in the near future. It's a long post but also very encouraging.
Change
is coming; great change and reform are coming to the church and to the
world. Part of that change is the rebirth that is coming to the arts.
Creativity will be a powerful vehicle for reaching our culture and the
world with the message of Jesus Christ.
Looking
back historically to the time known as the Renaissance in the 14th and
15th centuries, this was an era emerging from a thousand-year period of
stagnancy called "the Dark Ages."
The
Renaissance was a time of great renewal, revival of creativity,
enlightened thinking and literature--all motivated by a "pursuit of
eloquence." The Greek and Roman classics became a model for eloquence in
all areas of life. From these ancient cultures the Renaissance scholars
found new inspiration and instruction, and many positive changes
occurred which we still benefit from today. This "happy century" greatly
transformed government, education and Christian theology, and conceived
some of the highest forms of art and music that man has ever known.
While
the focus of the Renaissance was on restoring culture, humanity itself
became the center of attention. If we took all that the first
Renaissance produced and boiled it down into one word, it would be
"humanism," which is ultimately self-centeredness. Humanism today has
flooded much of our modern culture and has gone on to deny the relevance
or even the existence of God.
The
Lord began to speak to me saying, "I Am the Creator, the Originator of
all things, and I am going to use My creativity to proclaim My holy
message to the whole earth." He said that the Renaissance which is
coming this time will not be inspired out of a "pursuit of eloquence"
but out of a "pursuit of obedience" to Him. It will not produce
self-centeredness, but God-centeredness. The new Renaissance will not
bring glory to man, but to God. "For the earth will be filled with the
knowledge of the glory of the LORD" (Hab. 2:14).
The Wave
As
I was praying about this soon-coming Renaissance, I began to see a
tremendous vision in the spirit that charged me with great excitement
and fear. I saw a massive tidal wave on the rise. As it moved to shore,
it built quickly in size and momentum. I knew instantly that this tidal
wave spoke of a mighty movement of God. It looked both dangerous and
exciting. It was much larger than anything I had ever seen or imagined,
and I knew there has never been anything like it before. I was sure that
when this wave hit the shore nothing would remain the same--everything
would be changed.
I
asked the Lord what this was and what it meant, and He said, "This is
the moving of my Spirit that is coming upon the whole earth."
"Men
will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they
will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the
breath of the LORD drives along" (Isa. 59:19). The breath of the Lord
speaks of His Spirit, which move like a mighty flood.
"And
afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and
daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams; your young men
will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour
out my Spirit in those days before the coming of the great and dreadful
day of the LORD" (Joel 2:28,29,31).
Obedience Required
I
then saw people in the water with surfboards. Some were wading in
shallow waters and others were standing on the beach, but I knew only
those who were in the deep waters would be able to catch this wave. The
waters spoke of the Holy Spirit. Then I saw that the surfboards of those
who were waiting in the deep waters had the word "obedience" written on
them in bright red. Many people did not have boards. I knew that they
would certainly be overcome by what was approaching. Some were waiting
in the waters with all different kinds of surfboards, but they did not
have "obedience" written on them. I knew that their hopes of riding this
wave would also be futile. It would take great faith to ride this wave,
because at first glance many would want to run in fear for cover. One
would have to be willing to risk it all (have true faith) to ride this
wave. In reality, those who shrink back in fear are in much greater
danger, for the safest place would be in riding the powerful crest of
the wave.
True Worship, Humility and Brokenness
Just
as no surfer would dream of going into the rugged waters of the surf
with his hands full, neither can anyone hope to ride this wave with
idols in hand. Only true worshipers of God will be able to keep their
balance and stay on top of what is coming. We must have no idols before
Him! The Lord God must have first place and first love in our lives. A
Webster definition of worship is "extreme devotion and intense love." To
worship the Lord means to love Him! Jesus said in John 14:15, "If you
love me, you will obey what I command." Our obedience is the evidence of
true love and devotion (our worship) to God.
I
knew when this wave started to break it would be all about positioning.
If we were in the right position we would catch the ride of our lives,
and if we were not, the wave would be devastating. I asked the Lord
where we must be when the wave hits. He said that we must be in a
position of "humility and brokenness." I knew then that to be in the
water (the Spirit), even with our board of obedience, would still not be
enough to catch the ride. It would only produce self-righteousness (the
worst form of pride) if we were not found in the position of true
humility and brokenness, for God only exalts the humble. In order to
catch and not be crushed by the power of what is coming, we must be
broken of our will and ways, be humble in heart, and committed to
radical obedience to the Lord.
"For
the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD,
as the waters cover the sea" (Hab. 2:14). This wave will flood the earth
with the Lord's glory and the knowledge of Himself. It will be a
wake-up call first to the church, which is the Lord's mercy. This will
not be the final judgment; even though many self-built houses will
collapse, this is the Lord's mercy giving people time to repent and
rebuild--His way. Jesus said, "Therefore everyone who hears these words
of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his
house on the rock" (Matt. 7:24). This wave of the Spirit will test the
quality of each man's work. Some houses will collapse; some will stand.
Whatever is left standing after the impact, God will use to flood the
earth with His glory.
God
is going to use divine creativity to spread His holy message, the
gospel. This will be poured out through His purified vessels, His
people. There is a tremendous anointing that is coming, not only on
music, but also on all forms of art. From Genesis to Revelation we see
God moving in creative ways. Creativity is what He ordained and what He
enjoys--just as when Solomon was building the temple for the Lord, and
it was adorned with the most beautiful visual arts. "Send me, therefore,
a man skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, and in
purple, crimson and blue yarn, and experienced in the art of engraving,
to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled craftsmen" (2 Chr. 2:7).
Divine Creativity Is Coming!
After
enduring a stagnant "dark age" of creativity where the best creative
work we have done has mostly been cheap imitation of the world, divine
creativity is coming back into the Lord's temple, His people. Music and
art are primary ways of communicating with our culture. This is the
"sound and sight" generation, and art is a language of symbols, sounds
and images which can transcend the limitations of the intellect and
reach to the heart. Modern thinking can be rigid with opinions and can
cause division and factions and suppress the truth. A verbal or even
written message can be rejected or dismissed quickly because of our
reasoning or prejudice. But art is not so quickly dismissed. One song or
painting can mean a myriad of different things to different people.
Music
and art speak as a "language of the spirit" that can penetrate where
other forms of communication cannot. A creative expression takes time to
be absorbed into any intellectual conclusion, and before the head has
time to figure it out the heart can already be moved. I personally have
seen the Spirit use music to melt the hardest of hearts--in prisons,
clubs, the inner city, and in churches. It allows us to "feel" God's
love and presence. We can taste and see that God is good. Many times,
before the listeners fully understand or even know what to believe, they
have experienced a touch from the Lord. The anointed arts are truly one
of the most powerful evangelism tools the Lord has given us. Creativity
that is born of the Spirit will give birth to spirit. Jesus said in
John 3:6, "Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to
spirit."
The
music, dance and creativity of God's people will carry the message of
the gospel and the very presence of God to the ends of the earth, for
the Lord "inhabits the praises of his people." The Lord loves music. He
has chosen it as our way to approach Him. He didn't say to come into His
presence with teaching or preaching but to "Shout for joy to the LORD,
all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with
joyful songs...Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with
praise; give thanks to him and praise his name" (Ps. 100). We are told
many times in His Word to "praise his name with dancing and make music
to him with tambourine and harp" (Ps. 149:3). In Psalm 32:7 we see that
the Lord Himself even sings over His people: "You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of
deliverance."
We
are told that the Lord goes into battle and inflicts punishment on the
nations to the sound of music. "The voice of the LORD will shatter
Assyria; with his scepter he will strike them down. Every stroke the
LORD lays on them with his punishing rod will be to the music of
tambourines and harps, as he fights them in battle with the blows of his
arm" (Isa. 30:31,32).
In
Isaiah 42:10,13 we see the Lord Himself will rise to make war and
triumph over His enemies at the sound of praise song that reaches to the
ends of earth! "Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the ends
of the earth...The LORD will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior
he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and
will triumph over his enemies."
The Counterattack
Satan
has constantly used music, media and arts to bombard our world with an
onslaught of his hideously polluted messages. We have seen the moral
fabric of our nation be eroded away mostly by messages and ideas that
have been first introduced and ushered in by the creative arts. It is
now time for a mighty counterattack!
The
creative worshipers are the first army that will be sent out for this
last battle. Even now a massive army throughout the world is being
purified and prepared and is about to be released into the highways and
byways of our cultures. They will be sent forth not in the ways of the
world, but in the humility and brokenness of Christ. The Lord will soon
ignite and inhabit all forms of creativity. His people will begin to
prophesy through song and dance, to evangelize through film and video,
to teach and proclaim the truth through drama and painting, sculptures,
multimedia, literature, etc. It will come as a tidal wave like we have
never seen before. But this time it will not be celebration of the arts,
eloquence, or of mankind, but of Jesus--our exalted Lord and eternal
King. For those who are committed to the "pursuit of obedience," and who
above all things will make it their "goal to please Him" (2 Cor. 5:9),
they are truly in for the ride of their lives!
The
rebirth, renewal and revival of the arts is on its way--inspired this
time not by ancient culture, but by the God of all the ages and the God
of all creativity.
The Renaissance is coming! Let's catch this wave for His glory!
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Warm up Sketch
Here's a quick warm-up sketch with charcoal I did before painting. I didn't spend too much time on detail and I'm starting to work a little bigger in my sketching.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
The Artistic Renaissance Spirit is Being Released
I believe we are on the verge of an cultural Renaissance where true christianity will become relevant for a season. One that will truly glorify God and effect culture in a way that has not been seen before. Here is an article by Shawn Bolz written several years ago which I believe shows Gods heart for the years ahead. Imagine paintings that release healing to the admirer or art that releases a supernatural experience to the onlooker that reveals the Kingdom. The possibilities are endless. I hope to be a true "Renaissance Man" and paint anointed scenes like this someday!
The Artistic Renaissance Spirit is Being Released
The Renaissance Spirit Is Being Released In the great renaissance period of the Middle Ages God used creativity, art, music, and science to bring society out of a dark age. He wanted to bring people into a higher way of thinking and advance the world for His purposes. He used the creative arts to forerun culture. Music and science not only imparted culture faster then the church or politics could, they also developed areas of society that were previously completely overlooked.
Great Art Brought Great Perspective It was the first time people's eyes were open to SEE the word. Great artists were commissioned for the first time in history to paint a living picture of Biblical truth. They defined to the world for the first time what heaven, angels, biblical stories, and even Jesus Himself might look like. It birthed in all of Western society a deep personal connection to the truth of God. They were no longer limited to just the readings of the church, services, and their own imaginations. A great example is Michael Angelo's Sistine Chapel, which granted a walk through of the entire Bible for the most common men to see. There were now projects that inspired hope and devotion, like never before, that imparted kingdom culture.
The Scientific Boom Many modern scientists began to define true science that helped progress the minds to grasp the deeper meaning of life for the first time. Technologies were invented by men and women who were given the grace to become great progressive thinkers. Some of these Renaissance men and women probably felt as though they were born very much outside their time. They thought years beyond the time they lived in and were able to see the world through a much more mature, progressed lens than the average man. Many faced horrible persecution for believing truths that seemed basic to them, but were revolutionary to the world.
The Modern Renaissance Men and Woman are being released Again there is a renaissance being released that is going to bring society out of a dark age. The whole world is about to progress further into maturity and advancement. The forerunners of this great change will once again be in the music, art, and scientific arenas, which God has consistently used throughout history to prepare hearts for social transformation. He uses these areas to preach and impart justice, love, and an ability to be willing to adapt to the ever-changing world around us.
There are many people being released right now into the entertainment industry, who have invitations to become great inventors, musicians, and artisans that will shift, what we call, the secular venues. I went into a vision and saw God looking down at the earth. He wasn't looking at the church and then the secular world as though they were divided. He was looking at His Kingdom and everywhere it was affecting the earth. Sometimes this was clearly within church structures, but equally important, the influence was in secular areas and industries. I realized through this that many people are being invited to think past the calling of the church structure alone and that the great commission is to preach the good news to the entire world. God is releasing the Spirit of Heaven to come down to earth and be the Spirit of Renaissance upon men and women.
Imparting Culture He is releasing renaissance men and women who are going to help forerun the transforming of society through bringing a release of a new culture, a higher Kingdom culture onto the earth.
The whole world is searching for what mature love looks like. What does a thirty-year old marriage look like? What does a healthy father to a son or daughter look like? What is brand new love supposed to look like? God is raising people up in the music and the entertainment industry to tell parables through music, television, and movies that answer these moral and social dilemmas in the nations. Everywhere from Hollywood to Bollywood, God is beginning to anoint the efforts of Christians telling true stories.
Many of those being released to tell the stories are not using the gospel message directly, but instead they are preaching Christ, sometimes using words. To put it another way, they are Christians doing kingdom minded projects that can affect society, not Christians doing church projects. This is important to understand because Jesus told many parables that imparted a new way to think and a new understanding of kingdom. Those stories also imparted a culture and way to live. He didn't always explain these stories to everyone, sometimes the interpretation or preaching only came to the disciples, but the stories stood for themselves as powerful tools.
God Wants to Speak through the Entertainment Industry
What would happen if the greatest love songs of all time on VH1, MTV, and the radio came from Christians, who were in love, which painted a picture of what true love looks like? What would happen if we showed the value of the life of an unborn baby through showing real stories in epic movie formats about the life of a child and the struggle of the parents over that unborn life? What if you made a beautiful, but tragically real movie about abortion that could be seen in movie theaters around the world that wasn't meant to be edutainment, but a true parable? How much more would it preach the message of life than many of the other outlets the pro-life movement has tried to use?
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words As I saw this, I looked in the Spirit and I was in an art gallery looking at a masterpiece. I knew it was a picture that had not yet been created yet. I could feel that God longs to partner to artists on the earth to bring forth new masterpieces that will once again bring enlightenment. The picture I looked at was absolutely amazing; as I stared it spoke to me on many levels. I heard the Lord say that old phrase "A picture is worth a thousand words, and these pictures will be worth a thousand sermons.
The Store House of Heaven and the Creative Power of God! I had an encounter again in a place that I call the storehouse of heaven. It is the parabolic place that I have seen before where everything has already been prepared and provided that would be needed here on earth to give Jesus the fullness of His glory. The place I went into was the room of creative miracles. In this place I was looking at aisles and aisles of body parts all destined to creatively grow on someone who was missing them here on earth!
In this same area of creative miracles though, I could see that the same power that would create a limb or internal organ is also the same power that will release creative art projects, new sounds, scientific breakthroughs, and inventions! This is amazing that it takes the same virtue and power to heal as it does to be creative; furthermore, we have the same access to bring forth renaissance projects as we do to bring forth healings!
Co Creators with Christ God wants to add His nature (2 Peter 1:4) to our abilities to release Kingdom projects that will impart culture. He wants this culture to prepare us for societal transformation. People in every industry are going to be gripped by amazing projects that will not only show the reality of God to impact peoples lives, but will leave lasting impressions of that reality by the activation of new technologies, sound, art, and entertainment, that will move society into a new and higher place.
I pray that God makes you one who will be filled with His virtue in your gifting and talents, that you could forerun this great move of God by imparting a higher culture. I pray that your eyes will be opened by the Spirit of Revelation on how to access that great store house of heaven and become one who not only prays for heaven to come, but participates with the process! May you become a Renaissance Man (or woman)!
Written by Shawn Bolz
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Quick Sketch
Monday, May 13, 2013
Third Oil
Here is one of my favorites. I think it was my third oil. I started out doing portraits but have been trying other things as well.
My First Oil Painting
In November 2012 I heard the Holy Spirit whisper to me to express myself and try painting. I can truly say the thought of painting had never occurred to me before. But what the hay, I thought I would give it a try. First I tried watercolors, and then acrylics, and finally oil painting. This is the one I like the best. So, for someone who has shown no real talent for art, I was a bit shocked and blessed to learn that I would enjoy it.
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