May Theme: “I Am”

This month I will be studying the “I am…” based on the Gospel of John, but illustrating supporting scriptures from other verses.

In John 8:58, Jesus says before Abraham ‘I am’… It sounds awkward in the present tense. Any grammar nazi would correct that to ‘I was.’ I believe He phrased it so that they would recall God’s name in Exodus.

Where will you find ‘I AM’ this month?

Exodus 3:1-14 NIV 
Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘WHAT is HIS NAME?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “ I AM who I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘ I AM has sent me to you.’ 

Week 17

Picture this: a fearful father, noisy throngs, delay and urgent expectations, a bad report, weeping women, mockery and a dead girl. I would consider that a climate of confusion and death. But Jesus never seems to bat an eye at current climates. Instead he just keeps moving forward, leaking out resurrection power at every step. He sees through storms as if they are mere curtains to be pulled back on a sunny day. 

And he trusts only 3 friends to join Him. Not so that they could pray, but so they could witness the simplicity of His resurrection power. Don’t be afraid, just believe. And then simply, “Get up” and a hand up. 

Understand the power of His resurrection working in you and life will happen. Resurrection looks for dead things.

Mark 5:35-42 NIV & Ephesians 5:14

While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?” Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” ). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 

 (To study at some point: 12 tribes, 12 disciples, issue of blood 12 years, Talitha is 12 years old.)

  Week 16
Read Ezekiel 37:1-14 (see below)

Whose bones are dry, scattered across a desolate valley?

How many times does God tell Ezekiel to speak God’s very own words to the dry bones? 

What words were spoken? 

What does it means to be dry?

Today there are many places we call dry. Let’s hope the Church isn’t one of them. 

Dry bones can’t move, bring light or life; they lie at the mercy of the current climate. We are called as resurrected followers to speak whatever the Resurrection currently speaks. His words are not influenced by the climate, but in spite of it. We are always called to prophesy Life. 

Life is not complete without the breath. If Ezekiel had stopped speaking after he saw flesh reappear, he would have had a zombie army. Instead he continued to listen to the Spirit of the Lord and spoke to the breath. The breath, the ruwach, the Spirit of God, floods in as a mighty rushing wind, awakening, resurrecting a vast army of God’s broken people. God puts His Holy Spirit in them and they live again.

Why?

So they will know the Lord has done it, that His Word is alive and powerful, that He alone is the Lord.
So I speak right now to God’s people, the ones who have lost hope and feel dry, the ones who have been “burned” and have died in the searing pain of disappointment, those despairing because the atmosphere is dark.  I speak right now to you, this is what the Lord says, “Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! I WILL MAKE BREATH ENTER you, and you will COME to LIFE. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I WILL PUT BREATH IN you, and you will COME to LIFE. THEN you will know that I am the Lord.” 

I prophesy to your breath, “COME, BREATH, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live. As Jesus breathed on his disciples, He breathes His Holy Spirit upon you and you live and are part of a vast army in the service of the LORD.” Selah and amen.
(Btw you can’t just read the words, speak means to utter sounds, so it must be vocalized.)
Ezekiel 37:1-14 NIV

The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, CAN THESE BONES LIVE?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and SAY to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I WILL MAKE BREATH ENTER you, and you will COME to LIFE. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I WILL PUT BREATH IN you, and you will COME to LIFE. THEN you will know that I am the Lord.’ ” So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, BUT there was NO BREATH in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and SAY to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: COME, BREATH, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ ” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and BREATH ENTERED them; they came to LIFE and stood up on their feet—a VAST ARMY. Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and SAY to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my SPIRIT IN YOU and you will LIVE, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’ 

Resurrection Life  

 Jn 11:17-44 esp 25

25…I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?

Do I?

In light of the last two months, while watching family members fall into a sort of death, my perspective on resurrection life has been turned in a different direction than I originally intended. My father, suddenly wheel-chair bound, moved into my home and one month later had a massive stroke. My daughter, a college student, struggled with medication changes for chronic migraines leaving her with weeks of insomnia and a mental downward spiral leading to her hospitalization, and some life changes. In essence two very dear loved ones “died” directly after Resurrection Sunday. 

And, initially, in the shock of each tragic event, I died too. 

But God… This year I sought to really know Him, to abide in His presence and to allow His indwelling light to shine out of me, and, just as I chose to study Resurrection Life… I experienced death. But you can’t go after the Lord’s presence and stay in the grave. The indwelling force of His Love pulls you up by its very nature. My previous commitment was all I needed during the most difficult weeks of my life. Resurrection just happened. I didn’t pull myself up by my bootstraps, I didn’t keep chanting positive confessions, I just kept my eyes on Him whom I’ve been chasing this year. 

And suddenly… I was standing, able to do what needed to be done, pray how I needed to pray and do it with the joy of the Lord. I did not work to be in peace during these storms. The peace just came, and I can’t explain how in any other way than to say seek Him (not it) and you WILL find Him. 

I don’t know exactly how the stories will turn out, but I do believe in and know the One who is resurrection life, and He’s all I need to know.

Behold, the tabernacle of God is with me, and He will dwell with me, and I shall be His. God Himself will be with me and be my God. And God will wipe away every tear from our eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then God says “Behold, I make all things new.” Revelation 21:3-5 NKJV

Week 14

Ephesians 1:18-23; 2:1-7 

Paul prayed a special prayer for believers and these are some of my favorite verses. But this time I focused on the words “power” and “raised”; I realized the word power is not dunamis as I assumed. Dunamis is like dynamite power, but this word means force. So this mighty force that raised Christ from the dead, also raises us and then is strong enough to overcome death, sin and gravity (the grave) to seat us with Jesus in heavenly places. What is powerful enough to awaken me from the death that sin brings? Chapter 2 tells me God’s Love is the power that makes me alive. And in that resurrection comes an ascension into the heavenly realm. Just as Jesus is risen, I am risen; just as Jesus is seated, I am seated. Knowing that should give me a different perspective of the earthly and the power to live a spiritual life.
   I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the HOPE to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably GREAT POWER for us who believe. That POWER is the SAME as the MIGHTY STRENGTH he exerted when HE RAISED CHRIST from the DEAD and SEATED HIM at his right hand in the heavenly realms, FAR ABOVE all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

NIV VERSION

  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the HOPE to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably GREAT POWER for us who believe. That POWER is the SAME as the MIGHTY STRENGTH he exerted when HE RAISED CHRIST from the DEAD and SEATED HIM at his right hand in the heavenly realms, FAR ABOVE all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

  As for you, you were DEAD in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his GREAT LOVE for us, GOD, who is rich in mercy, MADE US ALIVE WITH CHRIST even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And GOD RAISED US UP WITH CHRIST and SEATED US with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Luke 24:1-8 NIV On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.

 Week 13 and the April Theme
The past month and a half have been crazy around here, lots of struggles and tears. But I am so thankful that God invited me on a journey at the start of 2016. I started by seeking Him and finding Him in surprising places, then dwelling in Him. In my dwelling I realized His light filled me and poured out of me even when I couldn’t see it myself.
Now, after experiencing a sort of death in so many areas, I stand at the door and feel resurrection power, in the midst of a tomb.

I will be sharing the whole testimony at some point, but I mostly want everyone to realize that this journey is leading to more peace than I ever could have dreamed, and it’s so worth it to invest in seeking and abiding in the light.

Today and everyday, we have an opportunity to stand in resurrection power. HE IS RISEN! He is risen indeed.

The theme for the month of April is ‘Resurrection Power.’

I encourage you to look through the weekly scriptures on this site and take the challenge to journey with Him. The next time a trial comes your way, you’ll meet it as one with the Lord.

  
During this season of trials, both personal and global, when even our country seems to have slipped down into the confusing darkness, we have this promise:
Arise, shine, for YOUR light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon YOU. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon YOU and his glory appears over YOU. Nations will come to YOUR light, and kings to the brightness of YOUR dawn. Isaiah 60:1-3 NIV 

Yes, for a season of despair you have laid upon your bed of languishing, 

                                     Cursing the darkness. 

                                       But God calls out:       

                                Arise! Wake up o’ Sleeper! 

His Glory rises like the dawn, rays reach out and unlock your slumbering heart. 

                    Though choking darkness smothers the earth, 

                                           He speaks,

                                        A spark ignites.

Holy breath fans the tinder of your parched heart into a flaming torch. 

                                 Yes, your own heart, 

                                       Light Bearer, 

                       Illuminates the fearful blackness. 

Awake o’ sleepers, arise from the the dead, and break your earthen jars.

                                     Let your lights shine

                                  And the signal fires blaze;

                                  Drive darkness into despair.                                 

And the people walking in darkness will see the great light

                                  As the Light Bearers unite.

                        On the land of deep darkness dwellers

                                    The light has dawned.

Interestingly, the day after I wrote this I read Lana Vawser’s prophecy, which you can read for yourself. http://www.elijahlist.com/words/html/textonly-032116-Vawser.html

  The past couple weeks could have been pretty dark around here, between young adult children, husband and an aging father: A few car accidents, totaled car, speeding ticket, hay fever, long night in an emergency room, bringing my aging dad home, lost debit cards, expensive MRI, major migraines. Every day we had some new challenge to overcome.
But at the same time I had peace in the storms, financial provision, finally a diagnosis (accidentally) of what causes my daughter’s migraines, health answers for another daughter, praying for others in the ER, countless others acknowledging God’s light in me.

I share all this to say that I did not feel strong in myself at all. I felt more like a cracked pot, unable to carry the days without leaking, pouring out my heart to my Lord. But, I DID keep my eyes on Jesus, and His Glory could be seen in this earthen vessel BECAUSE of the cracks and unblocked openings. 

As I read 2 Corinthians 4:4-7, I couldn’t stop, I read the whole chapter, over and over. There could not be a more appropriate chapter for this week. Verses 8-9 defined my life, praise God for the ‘buts!’ 

As in verse 13, “I believed, therefore I spoke.” I began to realize through all this that this world is about God’s Kingdom advancing. All these hard things are mere momentary afflictions in the light of His Glory. So I do not lose heart, I am going after an eternal glory that changes this world and ushers in His kingdom. 

For Him I seek the unseen purposes, for Him I fight the good fight, for Him I allow myself to be renewed day by day, for Him I live in His Grace that reaches more and more people so they too can overflow with thanksgiving to God. Selah.

2 Corinthians 4:4-18 NIV:

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Col 1:27 & 1 Co 6:19

*** I applied 2 coats of Dina Wakely clear gesso, using a heat tool to dry in between applications. I lightly outlined out the pottery vessel with brown Inktense pencil and used my masking fluid pen for the cracks and light beams. Finished out the pot and shadows with Inktense, dried and the used watercolor for the light. I carefully peeled up the masking, et voila! 

Week 10
YOU are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let YOUR light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16 NIV

Jesus said He is a the light of the world, but here He calls ME the light of the world. When you look at them side by side it seems almost blasphemous. If He is, then how can we be? That’s what abiding does, it allows everything He is to be who we are. It is Christ in me, the hope of Glory, which is most often seen or associated with light.

About the artwork:  A light bulb cannot produce light unless it is hooked up to an energy source. And inside that bulb a thin weak filament carries the power and lights the darkness. So we are really more of the filament in the bulb connected to Him, the power source. And what a shame if, in this world where people are stumbling in the darkness, we use our weakness as an excuse not to abide in His power and light people’s way.

*** I prepped the top corner of the page with Art Basics clear gesso. After drying with a heat tool, I used black Ranger Archival ink on a lightbulb stamp. This ink is waterproof and smudge proof when dried. I colored the page with Gelatos. I tried using my microns for the lettering, but the Gelatos are too creamy. I ended up using a felt tip marker instead. Simple illustration but I will not forget about my role as a light in this world.