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   "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you."  Isaiah 43;2

In the book of Exodus, Moses recounts the story where God delivered his people out of 430 years of slavery in Egypt.

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the shortest route. They were to be tested many times on their journey to see if they would trust God.

After the Israelites had left Egypt, Pharaoh realized they had lost the services of the Israelites. Pharaoh then took over 600 chariots and his troops to bring them back to Egypt.

As Pharaoh’s large army approached the Israelites camped by the sea, God’s people became terrified and cried out to the Lord.                                                                                                              Ex. 14:15-29    

15. Then the Lord said to Moses, Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.

16.  Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through on dry ground.

God protected the Israelites from Pharaoh’s army as the people went.

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all night the Lord drove back the sea with a strong west wind and turned it into dry land.

The waters were divided,  22.and the Israelites went through on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

In verses 23 through 28 the Egyptians pursued them and followed them into the sea. Then the Lord commanded Moses again to stretch out his hand and the waters flowed back over the Egyptians and they were all drowned.

God loves us and everyone wants to be loved. There is no love in acts of the flesh, only destruction.  

                                                     Practices of the flesh

                                                         Galatians 5:13, 19-21

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh.”

“The acts of the flesh are: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;  jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, fractions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.”

Why does God warn us not to indulge in these things? Because God is holy and cannot tolerate sin, but also because these things will destroy us. They may feel good at the time or seem harmless, but in the end they cannot satisfy.

In my painting “Out Of Egypt” I show the Bride of Christ (Christians) crossing over on dry ground, with the waters being held back. In the waves of the sea are words representing mindsets and sins that keep people in bondage (slavery).

The bride is raising a banner (much like Moses staff) to keep the waters from overtaking her, as she pursues God and moves toward the light and a life with him for all eternity.

 10 “I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

 11 “For as the soil makes a sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness spring up before all nations.”                                                    Isaiah 61:11 (NIV)

“Bride Of Nations” was inspired by the many testimonies shared by missionaries around the world; not only their struggles but also what God is doing in the hearts of the people.

So many people in nations where the gospel of Jesus Christ has been suppressed feel unfulfilled and even hopeless, as they see no power or love of God in their religion. They are in bondage to false religions and many are seeking truth.

I guess we could use the term “Looking for Love in all the wrong places”, as the well known country song is titled.

We must listen and act according to our ability to carry out the great commission in Matthew 28:16-20, where God called every believer to share the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. If we cannot go, we must send others.

Scripture clearly states that God’s promises to the Jewish people are for all time. When we as gentiles receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we are grafted in and also receive the promise of life with God for all eternity.

God’s word does not change and he cannot go back on his word.

10 “Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you, declares the Lord.

11  Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.”  Zachariah 2 10-11 (NIV)

Please consider your responsibility and place of involvement in world missions. As Christians, each of us is called to help bring in the harvest of souls for God’s Kingdom.

  Christ Overcomes

     After that I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse (appeared)! The One Who was riding it is called Faithful and True, and He passes judgement and wages war in righteousness.

     His eyes (blaze) like a flame of fire, and on his head are many kingly crowns; and he has a title inscribed which He alone knows or can understand.

     He is dressed in a robe dyed by dipping in blood, and the title by which He is called is The Word of God.

     From His mouth goes forth a sharp sword with which He can smite the nations. He will rule with an iron scepter

     And on His garment (robe) and on His thigh He has a name, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Rev. 19:11-16  NIV

     This horseman is our savior, deliverer and the one who overcame death and the grave. He is Jesus Christ the victor over the Prince of darkness. He will defeat the darkness, because he is Love and Light.

     By putting our faith in Him and walking with Christ, we can overcome the grave and have eternal life with God.

     In Christ dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily. All things were created by Him and for Him. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He is our avenger, our place of refuge, the great High Priest, our personal Prophet and the King of Kings who reigns forever and ever.

     All literature, philosophy and doctrines of theology began with Him. His love is unlimited and was written on a wooden cross 2,000 years ago.

     He heals the sick; binds up the broken hearted; forgives all our sins. He is our strength, our protector, our rewarder. He brings justice by punishing the wicked

     He is all goodness and righteousness, His grace is sufficient and His mercy is everlasting. His Love never changes, His light is matchless and His Word is more than enough. He is indescribable.

Behold the Black Horse---

     And behold, a black horse, and in his hand a rider had a pair of scales. And I heard a voice saying, A quart of wheat for a denarius (day's wages); but do not harm the oil and the wine. Rev. 6:5  NIV

     As governments continue to debase currency and create money out of thin air, inflation rises. The money we earn buys less goods and services. Prices rise as a result of  inflation. Government entitlement programs require more money to pay for the programs for those who do not work and pay for goods and services given. Governments cannot afford to do this without taxing their people more or printing more money to cover these expenses.

      Famine can begin to set in and is often compounded by natural disaster or disease that destroys food supplies. Trade deficits between countries compound the problem. Many people will die.

 Sound familiar?

This is the third section of a large painting to be released on April 30, 20115. Each blog explains the symbolism in each section.

At that very moment the veil was torn---

Unveiled

Mathew 27

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          45  From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over the land. 

50  And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

51  At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split  52  and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.  53  They came out of tombs after Jesus' resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people

54  When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!  Matt. 27:45, 50-54 (NIV)

Until Christ's death upon the cross, a curtain (veil) in the temple separated the people from the Holy of Holies, in which only the high Priest of the land could enter into and offer prayers and sacrifice's unto God for the sins of the people. The veil represents separation from God's presence.

When the veil in the temple was ripped in two, I believe it showed us that we no longer needed an earthly priest to intercede for us for forgiveness of sin. We now can go to God, thru Christ with 0ur prayers. This is seen in Hebrews 10: 18-22. (NIV)

18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.

19  Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,  20  by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,  21  and since we have a great priest over the house of God,  22  let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Paul teaches in 2 Cor. 3:6, 17-18

6  he has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant- not of the letter but of the spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

17  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18  And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Heb.7:17-28 (NIV)

In this passage it is clearly evident that Jesus, a new priest arises who bears the likeness of Melchezedek, a priest who had no successor.

17  For it is declared:

               "You are a priest forever,

                   in the order of Melchizedek."

18  The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless  19  (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

20  And it was not without oath! Others became priests without any oath,

21  but he a priest with an oath when God said to him;

                "The Lord has sworn

                    and will not change his mind:

                    'You are a priest forever."

22 Because of this oath, Jesus became the guarantor of a better covenant.

23  Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office:  24  but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.  25  Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God thru him, because he lives to intercede for them.

26  Such a high priest truly meets our need- one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.  27  Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.  28  For the law appoints as high priests men in their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

In my painting "Unveiled" the Bride represents the Church who is made blameless before God, by the righteousness of Christ. Jesus as King lifts the veil (as with torn curtain) to indicate a way for us to personally enter into God's presence with our petitions and to have relationship with Him.

The Hebrew written behind the veil represents the 10 commandments or the Law, in which the obedience to it was to bring salvation. God knew that man could not always follow the Law, so His plan of salvation was for Jesus Christ to become the perfect (unblemished) sacrifice for our sin.

When we confess our sins, receive Jesus as our Savoir and Lord and continue to walk in His ways, we will spend eternity with God.