A painting that really is fresh ‘manna’ as it is the first painting I have created in quite some time. Being inspired by the creative worship flow that was Shalom Music Festival in Murrayvilley this piece was made.
I painted this with two words from the Lord. The first was to take the one with the lions. A canvas that I had not touched for years, but it depicted a lion walking through the fires of the Lord and actually was painted during a live painting experience at a RAW artist event in Adelaide.
I remember God word was in that time was PURIFY and my prayer in that painting was that his holy fires would consume the darkness in that room.
Fast forward to the Shalom festival and at 3 am on Sunday Lord shows me 1 lion had turned into 5 and that's what I was going to paint. So fully prepared to paint that I went into the ‘war room’ which was the chapel space at the venue and was ready to recreate my sketch.
The second word is to paint this on your knees in front of the fire that was in the room. I entered the room and people were well and truly into singing and God said set up near the fire.
I then went to my knees in an atmosphere of worship and got my colours mixed up. I had briefly done a quick paint over revealing a white figure in the fire which I thought was the basis of which the lions were to be created.
As I began to build a rhythm with the canvas I just found myself painting the fire as I was kneeling in front of a hot fire and bringing detail into the flames. In this moment God revealed the picture and all of sudden my mind saw Hebrew characters floating in the flames.
I then painted the characters into the flames and it revealed the word, Shalom. I also painted a strange symbol above the white figure that was I believed was the tongues of fire. I was taken into a trance like an experience and felt joy consume my spirit.
Keep painting
It was at this point that the meeting finished and God said to keep painting. The last part of my painting was centred on the figure and where I believe the true message of this piece became clear. I knew that it was Christ resurrected and that the detail of his features was that of Revelation Chapter 1.
to finish off the painting God took me deeper and revealed the cross of light as being the centre of the Jesus figure and with that God spoke the message to me so clearly.
It was reminiscent of Paul’s reminder to the Philippians that it's about Christ being crucified and resurrected. As Paul pulled our focus in that letter back to the Gospel so did God whisper to me as I painted that cross.
He said the Church is so caught chasing after the signs and wonders and all the bells and whistles of the Holy Spirit. Especially the charismatic churches which have lost focus on the cross at the expense of trying to be powerful. He followed up this message in my heart with the following words.
“If you want to access my power, my beautiful Holy Spirit you need to go back to me Yeshua and look at the centre of my ministry which was to reconcile you, my brothers and sisters, back into my Father’s heart. How did this happen my Son he said? My cross Son, My cross.
I will let you meditate and pray on this piece and allow the purifying fires to consume you to the place that the Father is calling you into deep deep wells of His life-giving water.
Check all my art at https://www.instagram.com/jrfaithcreations/
Married to the amazing Liana Monaghan for 13 years, a fellow creative that is just trying to release a little bit of heaven this side of eternity. How do I do that? I draw, paint, love people and surf my way through the streets and beaches of South Australia.