Purpose for the Painting – Staying ‘On Track’ PROVISION Part II

So hopefully you have read Part I of my story and have seen the sketch of the vision I received from God for the painting to be done for my friend Matthew.

So here we are at the starting line, and now I find myself staring at this pencil sketch I did in obedience to the Holy Spirit, and musing in my head, “this is pretty good, I’ll just give it to Matthew as is”. The Holy Spirit speaks inside my heart and says, “No, it’s not done. You must paint it with colors. You can do it.”

So, being encouraged to press onward I began research on fish, water, coin use for 2 drachma tax, etc. Having all kinds of photos to choose from really didn’t do much for me except make me realize two things: water is not easy to paint …and painting a fish looking right at you is harder!

I have painted enough artwork on canvas to know that you must get the ball rolling by just starting to put paint on it! I began with the background first, the water. Blue right? Maybe a little white, and green, a little turquoise maybe? After trying all kinds of different looks and reflections and colors, and a couple days invested, I realized that I had forgotten something I always do before I begin my daily work. Pray!

I put the brushes down, and went to my Father in heaven and asked Him to help me to do excellent work in Jesus name. And then I started back up again.

And guess what happened? Nothing… or at least nothing apparent or immediate. I struggled with the water for about another week. Then I moved onto the fish staring at me. The basics came easily at first. But 2 weeks later the details were wearing me out! I must have painted that fish 6 or 7 times. Not really pleased with any of them. But the Holy Spirit kept moving me onward. “You can do this”

I must pause in the story here for a moment and give thanks to my wonderful wife Susan. She encouraged me along through times of discouragement and frustration that come along with artist temperaments. She is a true gem!

The hands, however, started quickly and on to how to mask out the word PROVISION and paint over the top of masking. Then how to place color value on the numbers I saw in the vision. If they were dark and bold colors they would distract from the central focus of the coin in fish’s mouth, etc., etc. Agh!

I put the brushes down, and left the painting alone, I walked away. Weeks passed, and now months are going by. Little, if any, inspiration for the piece remained. Only dabbling from time to time.

Doubts arose in my head, and many questions: could I even do this type of painting? I don’t like the way the fish looks! Did I bite off more than I could chew? Those hands look like a cartoon! All the while I had already told my friend Matthew that the work had started and was well under way. I must finish it!

Getting back in the saddle (so to speak) is work when you’re not inspired to do something artistic. I struggled along the way, Susan encouraging me with little questions like “How’s that fish painting coming along?” to try and keep me moving forward.

I guess I had become discouraged. Why did God asked me to do something that I could not achieve to the level that pleased me? After all, it was about me, right? How I would be thought of when folks saw this grand vision that I received from God.

Wait a minute! Wrong attitude, wrong focus! It’s not about me; it’s for Matthew. Once again prayer time! I asked God to help focus on the purpose for the painting. And guess what happened.

He did! After now months having passed. I sat back down at the painting and focused on completing one thing,…the hands. And wow! I did it! And what about the fish? Well, the Holy Spirit said to me “make it splash water around”. And I did! It worked the splashing water solved my fish problem! Hallelujah!

Now how to deal with the mysterious numbers and words I had seen in the vision. 3, vi and four along with riddle, allegory and parable. How do they fit in with color now? It’s easy on a sketch because everything has the same color value, its all just pencil! But now that the fish and hands look great I don’t want to blow it!

I tried several approaches with them. First I made them a purple/periwinkle tone. This made them jump out at you, and that was a visual distraction from the fish and hands, the main message is PROVISION and that needed to remain clear.

Next I tried to make the numbers appear like chrome, not easy I might add. This was better, however still distracting me. Now I am questioning do I even need to put them there at all? As I meditated on it, seeking the Holy Spirit guidance I sensed that yes they should be there, they are part of the vision.

The challenge was to have them there but not detract from the central message. Then it came to me! Blend them into the water! Use the same colors as the water. That’s it, perfect! I was able to blend the numbers and words into the painting without distracting from the main central view of the hands finding the coin in the fish’s mouth.

Still this part of the revelation is a mystery to me. How do they play into the theme? I thought well maybe the numbers are about music, a progression using the number system. My friend Matthew is a excellent musician and maybe they would have particular insight for him? I’m still not sure.

And what do the words mean? Riddle, allegory and parable? They all are similar in their meaning, and usage in literature, and yet distinct on their own. I’m scratching my head now saying “but this is a painting!”

I would like to ask you, the reader, to think about these numbers and words. See whether they have any particular meaning to you. Pray and seek God and let’s see what happens.

Is God at work in the supernatural? Yes, He is! It started in my case with care and concern for my friend around Thanksgiving 2010. I had faith that God would show me the way. God gave me a clear vision for the painting in a sketch. Then I started on research and painting. I lost my focus about my friend, and started focusing on me. This led to me becoming discouraged. After months I recognized it and praying, asking God to help me. I was then once again filled inspiration, hearing again from the Holy Spirit. And finally, signing it at 1:23 A.M. on the first day of Spring 3-20-2011.

Please read Part I to see my original sketch of the vision and story that began this trip!

The photo below is the finished painting PROVISION for my friend Matthew. The Holy Spirit took me on a journey with this because I listened and obeyed. I encourage all of you to step out for others, have faith, and return to the Inspirer if you loose your way. Let’s see what great He will do in you!

Watch the video at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvQzE0PYYhY

Receiving and Acting on a Vision from the Holy Spirit - PROVISION Part I

I am writing this article to share a supernatural experience I had, and the fascinating twists and turns that happened as I acted on it. I want to encourage readers in their own spiritual walk, especially in the area of receiving visions and dreams and seeking help from the Lord in interpretation of them, and moving forward in obedience in response to them. This has been an exciting process for me!

I have known a man for some 27 years. Let me call him Matthew. It’s not his real name, but you will see from this article why I adopt this name for him!

Over the years, we have had many a dinner together, participated in each other’s wedding ceremonies and sat outside on the patio by the chimney and pondered life’s mysteries, shared hearty laughter, tears, and a glass of wine or two.

In recent times Matthew has been struggling financially and emotionally, seeking answers from God, and having difficulty finding them. He has had some physical challenges, as well as family pressures and estrangements.

My family and I were helping Matthew, and praying to God for his needs and provision. We would call him every day to stay in touch, and have had him over as much as possible, for fellowship and dinner. Hoping that having a date on the calendar  for dinner with us would be something he could look forward to, and keep his spirit up.

It was during this time—late Fall 2010-- that Matthew asked me if I would paint a picture for him! I have done some artistic creations in the past, but I really have never considered my skills at painting much of anything but a personal distraction. However, I agreed happily, as I consider him my life-long friend. And I saw that it pleased him very much.

Throughout these many years I have seen God provide for him in many ways and during different circumstances. My faith was that “Jehovah Jireh,” God his provider, would indeed answer. Matthew has always looked to the God of his faith as the means by which he would be sustained. And I have seen God provide for him time and time again.

I sought advice from the Holy Spirit about what type of painting I should do for Matthew. I certainly wanted it to be something that would inspire him and refresh his memory of God’s faithfulness to him. This was an important time in our friendship, and I needed God to inspire me.

A couple of days later I had a vision from the Holy Spirit! At this point, things started to get very interesting!

It happened in the morning one day. I was awake, and in a reasonably relaxed mental state. I’m not exactly sure whether it was an open vision or a pictorial impression in my mind, but it was as clear as day.

It was an image of two hands in the water. One hand held a fish by the gills, and the other was taking a coin out of the fish’s mouth!  Immediately, I remembered the passage in Matthew 17:24-27, when Jesus told Peter to go fishing, something Peter did for a living, and that the first fish Peter would catch would have a coin in its mouth. That coin would be the provision needed to pay the tax required of both of them!

OK, you now see why I used the name “Matthew” for my friend!

I do not paint on canvas often. Painting artistically does not come easily for me. If I can see images in my head, “maybe” I can paint them. If I can’t see them, then I don’t paint.

Fascinated by all this, I sought direction from the Holy Spirit on what to do about the vision! I began to sketch it out in pencil on a canvas. Hours passed, and little by little I saw and heard in my spirit what it was that I should paint.

The images for the painting came in this order:

1. Two hands, one taking coin from mouth of fish.

2. The condition of the water, rippling out from the fish.

3. The word PROVISION up the left side of canvas

4. Another smaller fish at the top of the painting in a side view, with musical symbols coming out its                     mouth like bubbles. (Matthew is a gifted musician.)

5. The actual coin Peter found in fish’s mouth. The tetradrachm

6. The numbers 3, 6 and 4, arranged in a triangle around the main portion of fish and hands.

7. The verse, “Blessed be the name of the Lord,” scrolled around the left hand.

I mean, this was pretty interesting, right? It was like an out-of-body experience. My drawing hand was being seemingly guided by an unseen force. I believe I know what the force was!

Time passed -- maybe an hour or so. Then something else strange happened: a word from the Lord came to me again, and this time He said “Will it thrive?-  Ezekiel 17”. Well, I looked it up and sure enough there was that phrase several times in that chapter!

8. Will it thrive?

9. The words allegory and parable

10. The bible verse Matthew 17:27 as the main inspiration

11. Then I was inspired to put motion to the tetradrachm, and penciled spiral lines going out from the coin in all directions.

This was the first step in obedience to the Holy Spirit, believing that the inspiration I was receiving was real and that I was to act upon it. My love for my friend Matthew, and my awareness of his circumstances, encouraged me to believe that God would provide for me also, in the vision I needed to paint for him.

The sketch of my vision appears below. But this is just the beginning of the story. The matter then becomes, how does this turn into a painting? I hope to share that with you in a second installment.

So you want to plant a garden?

            It always delights me to hear people say, “I would like to plant a garden”. Having plant and cared for many gardens in my day, I know the amount of care it takes and the joys it brings. Fresh herbs, peppers, tomatoes and the like! Delicious! I always encourage folks to plant seeds and watch them grow.

Just like the seeds we sew in the natural, are the seeds we sew with our actions and deeds for family and friends. We must be a gardener of them. We must water them, by speaking encouragement. We need to pluck out weeds around them, lend a helping hand. We also need to chase off animals/insects that would destroy them, pray over them.

            Adam was a gardener; God’s first created human being formed in God’s likeness with an eternal spirit inside him. What a wonderful harvest of huge delicious crops he must have enjoyed back then. Imagine it!

            I also like what the prophet Isaiah 58 says…"If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, 10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. 11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

            If we follow The Word of the Lord from Isaiah 58, God will tend to us, as His garden!

We must watch over our testimony

            So many times it’s easy to let worry and doubt slip into our words that we speak. But I truly believe that we must watch over our words in these times, making sure they are filled with Rejoicing, Praise and Gratitude!.

            I like what King David had to say in Psalms 19:14…”May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer.” How true! Amen.

            We must encourage one another to speak like our Father in heaven, words of intent and calling and destiny. Has there ever been any words of the prophetic spoken over you? Remember them, speak them out loud. Remind God your Father of them.

            I have a challenge for you. For one day, today, watch over what your testimony is, and speak only words of blessing and promise over your life. Tell someone else about this.

            If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all! (another pearl from mom!)