Evokeministries.org

PHASE ONE

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.