A group of artists came together to participate in a very unusual art project. Phase one, the artists were tasked with creating their best “Crown of Thorns” piece. Phase two, which was kept secret, became a very unusual, powerful experience for all those involved. The paintings themselves were done on a 2′x2′ piece of plywood in the medium and style of the artists choice.

Every good and perfect gift is from our father, but lets not make idols of them. Remember the golden calf? The gold was plunder from Egypt which the Lord gave them, yet they crafted idols from God’s gifts & blessings.

We are reconcilers, reformers, co-laborers, ambassadors for Christ that means we are re-presenting Christ and His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.

Our time, talent and affections are to be his, and is agenda is knowing Him and making Him known; seeking and saving that which is lost.

Above: Artist Susan Gromala Crary

Above: Artist Jim McMahel

Above: Artist Jerryl Kain

Above: Artist Jeanne Smith

Above: Artist Antonio Santos

Above: Artist Keelan

Above: Artist Scott Howe

Above: Artist Cody Duncan

Above: Artist Neysa Millan Santiago

PHASE TWO

After presenting their finished paintings to the group, the artists are challenged to their surprise, to offer on the altar as a sacrifice, the very paintings they just created, as a representation of giving Jesus Christ full lordship of their creative abilities.

God promises Abraham a son, (Gen 17:15-21) and  that nations and Kings will come through him. After Isaac is born, God tests Abraham (Gen 22:1-18, asking him to surrender Isaac back to Him, by sacrificing him on the altar. God asks Abraham to release back to him the very thing he has blessed him with; that which he holds most dear, that for which he has hopes & dreams and even a word from the Lord! We believe God is asking us to place ultimate trust into His hands; to release what we hold most dear and personal, our creative ability, for His purposes alone – to make His name known in the earth not our own.

Pastor Larry Ramirez was the one-man wrecking crew who volunteered to smash the paintings. As he starts the dirty work he begins sharing about the sacrifice of Jesus and the atoning work that took place on the cross of Calvary. Almost immediately we feel the breath & presence of God. We began to get just a slight understanding of God’s love and the cost of Christ’s blood to buy us back.

Almost all of us are moved to tears as we experience God’s love for us, the sacrifice of His son and the ongoing furious pursuit for the souls of all men and women.

We gathered together on the altar and offered ourselves as LIVING SACRIFICES to our Lord and King. Our creativity, our hopes and dreams, our very lives offered to Him for His purposes!

Something significant happened in our lives that day. Something shifted in our perspective that will drive us in a greater way to do all things for the glory of God and no longer to the glory of ourselves.

The people of Israel had completely lost sight of the Lord’s supernatural hand in delivering them from the bondage of Egypt. They instead gave credit to Moses and once he had disappeared for a little while they resorted to their own darkened counsel to move forward. When we lose sight of God’s hand in our lives and look more to the shifting tides of men leadership and wisdom, we are more apt to become nervous, fearful and insecure.

We read in Leviticus 22:31-33 God’s perspective. “I am the LORD, who made you holy and who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD.”

Although God uses men and women to carry out His divine assignments, if we do not look past the human to the divine and see His sovereign hand, we will always be looking to men to meet our needs. If we are continually looking to our loving heavenly father, who gives good gifts (Mat 7:11) and supplies all our needs according to His riches and glory (Phil 4:19) we will find it much easier to be at peace. Understanding that Jesus Christ himself has been sustaining you, not your employer is a completely different perspective. Understanding that HE is your peace, not things or experiences will keep you grounded.

Remembering that God never changes, in Him there is no shadow of turning (James 1:17), His steadfast love endures forever (Psalm 100:5), and he knows what we need before we even ask (Mat 6:8), we can be confident to, “Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mat 6:33) knowing “These things will be given to you”.

Trust Him today!

Evoke Ministries and Resound Mission Base (www.Resound247.com) are partnering together again. Scott Howe, Director of Evoke, will be teaching the first semester of 2011 at the missions base. The class is entitled Creativity, The Christian & The Commission. If you are a creative person that has a flare to design, dance, sing, draw, write poetry, photography, make films or just want to creatively engage this generation, these messages are for you. Your creativity is God-given, and desperately needed in the body of Christ. Scott teaches how God used creatives throughout the bible and what role these creative talents play today in the purposes of God for engaging this culture and reaching a generation with the love-message of the gospel.

The classes are every Thursday, starting January 20th thru March 10th from 11am-12pm and are absolutely FREE! We encourage you to come early and join the Resound Team for worship and prayer from 9am-11am.

Exodus 31
1 Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts- 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship. 6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you: 7 the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent- 8 the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, 9 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand- 10 and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, 11 and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place.

Not only does God choose and appoint artists, but he fills them with the Holy Spirit and equips them with skill, ability and knowledge. You who are creative, you can be sure of your call as an artist. BUT, recognize that the call is for the purposes of God Almighty.

See more on this in our resource page: http://www.evokeministries.org/art-for-gods-sake/