More on "Women of the Bible"

Those of you who follow my blog know that I've been working on a series of 11x14 paintings of the Women of the Bible.  Each time I completed a painting I shared it with my Sunday School class, because it started as the result of one of my classes.  One of the ladies of my class thought it would make beautiful cards and that she would surely buy some.  So, I thought ... "Why not?"  I have had all five of them printed into cards and have packaged them.  In each card I quoted a scripture which related to the lady in the painting.  I don't intend to make any real profit off these, but it was a project I wanted to do - I'm satisfied with it - and am glad I did it.  Who knows, it may result in something bigger than I expect.

Here's the cards:

4-1/4 x 5-1/2 notecards

The NikonSniper

I follow the blog of the Nikon Sniper. Other than being a fantastic photographer, he writes an amazing blog. He speaks boldly for Christ and in his latest blog he wrote the following. His latest post, which I've partially posted below, leads me to say "Shouldn't I want to tell you?" Check him out, it'll be well worth your time.

I also want to be clear with all whom I am fortunate enough to encounter in life’s remaining days. This includes you! Follow me here.

If I truly believe, AND I DO, that Jesus is the only way to get to heaven (John 14:6, Acts 4:12), shouldn’t I want to tell you? I mean, if I say I care about you, AND I DO, and I truly believe you might have missed the most important decision in life, … Shouldn’t I say something?

If I truly believe that a wrong choice for your eternal salvation would lead you to a horrible eternity, … Shouldn’t I say something? Not according to the world! The world wants me to shut up. I know that!

The world says, “Just tell people you care about them, even help them with a little cash when they are struggling (if ya have to), … but don’t try to tell them anything that will assist them in finding the source of real love and eternal treasure.”

You can call me a hypocrite! I fall on my face all the time. I’m not perfect. But I know the King of Kings. I know the Lord of Lords. I know the author of life. I know the deliverer of lost sheep. I know the One who lifts the broken-hearted. I know the ONLY way, the truth and the life. And one day He will make me cease to stumble. And Jesus can deliver you from whatever life’s trials are and grant you eternal life in His presence.

And if I don’t tell you about Jesus … I should be considered an even bigger hypocrite! If a “believer in Christ” ISN’T telling you about Him, you should be asking them, “Why”?

That is what is important to me in my remaining days here. I must declare to you that I can’t throw a football … but I know Jesus! I am not speaking to you today of fuzzy feelings. I am talking about the Lord who died for your sins, If only you will accept it and allow Him into your life.

No one will care in eternity that I could throw a football when I was young. The only thing that will matter there is what I did here with God’s Son, Jesus Christ. These are the most loving and caring words I can urge you to hear. The world insists I am not politically correct! But Jesus is ALIVE! Something happened 2000 years ago that shook up the world … and He is still ALIVE and coming again. I hope you will seek Him today.

Your friend,
Nikonsniper Steve

A Man of Sorrows

I awoke one morning about a month ago with a feeling of urgency…maybe that’s not the word I want…maybe more “feeling impressed upon” to do a specific painting. I made a sketch, showed it to my son and explained to him my thoughts on the painting. The first thing he said in response was…”a man of constant sorrow.” Isaiah 53:3 says “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” Let me show you by posting my latest “practice” work.

A MAN OF SORROWS
16x20 oil on stretched canvas

Detail...Christ's tears

As I mentioned above, this is a practice piece. I wanted to make sure that what I had in mind; I would be able to create before doing a large canvas. I am told that an artist should leave the interpretation of an artwork to the viewer, but I want no mistaking what I’m saying here…or is it really what the Lord is saying??

The background is the Orion cosmos. For your interest, the constellation Orion, which by the way is the largest and brightest constellation in the universe, depicts… the Glorious One, He Who Triumphs, coming forth as light. Something I learned in my Sunday school class after I did the painting. Isn’t that interesting? (The Greeks call Orion The Hunter). Christ is shown in His ascended glory looking down on earth; His left hand clutching at His heart in grief, while lifting His right hand off the earth in a gesture of both blessing and allowance (allowing man to make his choices, good or bad). He is crying because He is saddened at what He sees as man’s rejection of the Word of God.

Through the art forums I belong to, I have received suggestions on how I can make this piece even better and I appreciate that help very much. I am intimidated by doing a larger canvas, so I am not quite ready to tackle that yet, but I will when it feels right.

Mahalo and thank you for visiting.

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