I pray that today’s Faith Art Friday lifts your spirit and renews your faith!

Faith art created by Linda Lucas.

Her statement:

We have had many a conversation in our house about having a right heart – it is something we strive after and can only ever achieve it for fleeting moments – so it seems!  God’s word is very clear that He looks on the heart – what a complex thing – the heart of a man! I personally endeavor to ‘love my neighbor’ and treat people as I would like to be treated, desiring to make a difference in people’s lives – all of this is done with great intent of the heart, people that know me would say I had a ‘good heart’ and this is always pleasing to the ear  – but the real truth is that God is not looking for just a ‘good heart’ but for a RIGHT HEART!

What is the difference we ask – well, they both love, give and beat with others in mind, but the defining factor is that a right heart is just that, ‘right before God.’  We can live our lives as good people, loving our fellowman and being law abiding, but what goes on beneath the surface is what defines the ’state of our heart’ – my heart can be good and my actions loving, but if my heart isn’t right before God  (note I am not saying if I am not perfect), but if underneath the ‘doing good’  I have ‘attitude’ and unforgiveness, if I have resentment towards anyone, then I am having myself on – my heart is anything but right!!  I am so challenged by this – as for me – I just want a lovely heart for God to live in!!

{{{hugs}}}

Today for Faith Art Friday Linda Lucas has created a beautiful work of art from her gallery to share with us. . .

1John 2:17

‘The world and its desires pass away,

But the man who does the will of God

Lives forever!’

May God’s words be honey to your mouth today,

Anytime spent in God’s presence will refresh your heart and renew your soul (Acts 3:19). That’s why the psalmist says, “As for me, it is good to be near God” (Psalm 73:28).  If our art ministry is the product of our relationship with Christ, then we need to nurture that relationship. For what would it profit an artist to have the world by the tail and lose his/her soul because the person wasn’t living in a relationship with God (Luke 9:25)?

"Time With God" Angel painted and stamped by Laura

Knowing God is even more important that being an artist. In Jeremiah 9:23-24 we are encouraged to not boast (about our art), but boast about knowing and understanding who the Lord is, for God delights in people doing this. God is the one drawing us to Himself. Go and sit with Him, spend time in His presence. Give your soul a moment of rest in a busy world, during a busy time of the year. You’ll be putting yourself in a position to hear something personal from Him – something meant just for you. Remember Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship.

"He Provides For Me" by Linda Lucas

Card by Linda Lucas

“For He himself is our peace …” Ephesians 2:14

“…as you hold out the word of life…” Philippians 2: 16

Feed on the Word of Christ

“Words of life and beauty, Teach me faith and duty;

All so freely given, Wooing us to heaven;

Jesus, only Savior, Sancitfy forever;

Beautiful words, wonderful words, Wonderful words of Life;

Life.”

"Sanctified" by Linda Lucas

Sanctified
by MercyMe

Let there be no condemnation for all who are fully known in Christ.
Unspeakable grace for all the nations, by way of holy sacrifice.
We worship with the sound
of broken shackles falling to the ground.

[chorus] Sanctified i have been set free, grace divine has swept me off my feet.

No greater love has ever been known,
than He who came to find the lost.
No greater sacrifice has been shown,
than He who laid upon the cross.
Let all creation sing,
for He has come and He’s changed everything.

[chorus] Sanctified i have been set free, grace divine has swept me off my feet.

And i know that i will never be the same.

[chorus] Sanctified i have been set free, grace divine has swept me off my feet.

This is my second Faith Art Friday. A day of the week set aside to ponder the connection between The Creator, and us as artists who create. And a day to create art just for the purpose of glorifying God.

But Friday, only five minutes away as I write this, is after a long two days of joyous cooking and family times during the Thanksgiving holiday. So here I am, it’s late and I promised I would share, but my creations have been eaten tonight and I’m overdue for sleep. How fitting then that God should point me to this excerpt to share with you right now…

With God’s help set realistic expectations. God deserves our best efforts, but does God expect us to perform perfectly? Of course not. Can God use something or someone that is imperfect? Can He use a song that is sung or played imperfectly? Of course He can. The major source of frustration in my life stems from me walking into situations with expectations that are unreasonable and too high. Psalm 62:5 tells us, “My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from him” (KJV). Our expectations need to come from God. We need to give our expectations over to Him and exchange them for what He expects, not what we expect. While we might be expecting artistic perfection, that might be the furthest thing from God’s mind. Try to keep the big picture in mind. God cares about all the details of our artistic endeavors, but He’s also in the business of saving souls. What’s more important? That our efforts come off perfectly or that God’s name be praised and that lost people come to know Him through our ministry? Try to keep things in His perspective.

If God doesn’t demand perfection, what does He expect? He expects us to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with Him (Mic. 6:8). God expects us to grow spiritually. The end result is His responsibility. Our job is to cooperate with the process. We put so much pressure on ourselves to be perfect (the end product), when God is more concerned with the process (that we walk humbly with Him).

So what’s realistic to expect when we minister for God? Every time we use our gifts for Him, we need to go into it wanting to do the best we can but trusting God’s will to be done, not our self-centered, lofty expectations to be met. People look at the outside and expect the appearance of perfection, but God looks at our hearts (1Sam. 16:7). He looks at the inside, at our motives and intentions. We can control our motives and how prepared we are to minister with our talents. We simply have to do our best and trust God for the result He wants.

From , “The Heart of the Artist” , by Rory Noland

My hope is that your Thanksgiving was special and continues to be throughout this holiday weekend! May you give it all to God and praise Him for all He’s given you!

As a believer and an artist…

I used to seek out other like-minded people to learn about sharing my Christian faith through my art. For years I didn’t find anyone who shared my interest and so I prayed often, asking God to point me in the right direction and to assist me in learning more about how I could worship Him with the talents He gave me. Then one art project at a time God showed my heart and hands how to express my faith through my art. And one new friendship at a time He encouraged me and showed me that I’m not alone. So, on Friday’s I’ll be posting here about my passion for sharing faith through artwork in hopes that I can encourage and inspire you while glorifying God with the gifts He’s given me.

“In Christ I am a New Creation” Created with II Corinthians 5:17 on my heart.
By Laura Kirste Campbell

The following are excerpts…

God is the original Creator and He made us in His image. As artists we have a special place in God’s heart. The bible itself is a work of art. And it mentions many artists, even by name. There are musicians, writers and visual artists all adding beauty and joy to people’s lives. Scripture shows us how the arts can be extremely powerful. They can awaken us to truth and can change lives (1 Samuel 10:6), especially when produced with the anointing power of the Holy Spirit (1 cor. 2:4). We Christian artists can’t do what we do apart from the One who gifted us.

The arts move people because the arts speak to the heart. They excel at identifying with people’s pain and ministering the truth of God’s Word with sensitivity. Through our art we can encourage others with God’s word (Psalm 119:103). Art history confirms that paintings and sculptures have evangelistic powers of reaching hearts with visual stories of biblical history. As people long for God, we as artists can help point seekers to Him. Psalm 40:3 says that when we worship, it causes many others to turn to Christ. If we use our talent to create art to worship God instead of aiming to raise up ourselves, our art is glorifying God and pleasing to Him.

Our art can be more than an expression of celebration about Christmas, Easter, baptism, birthdays, and anniversaries. It can also celebrate God’s faithfulness, our loving relationship with Him, and answer to prayer (Phil. 4: 4-9). What better way to celebrate than to let the arts run free with creativity aimed at honoring God! Express what’s in your heart about God with your artful gifts.

We need to strive to become all that God sees in us, be all that He wants us to be. We must be as passionate about our godly character as we are about our craft or our art. (1 Tim 1:5) As church artists, godly character, our walk with Christ, our spiritual growth are all a vital part of creating the kind of ministry experience in which God releases the power of His Holy Spirit. We need to be known not only for our talent, but for our walk with Christ. We’re not just artists, we’re ministers too.

“Look at the Birds” Inspired by Matthew 6:26. By Linda Lucas

We’re in a golden era in church history when God is calling thousands of artists to use their gifts for Him as never before! God is raising up a global community of Christian artists who are fully devoted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in their lives. If that desire is in your heart, follow Him. What an honor and privilege to glorify God with our art and our lives!

(I give credit for the above ideas and excerpts to Rory Noland and his book, The Heart of the Artist, published by Zondervan, 1999.)

Next time you begin to work with your craft, take a moment to pray with heartfelt sincerity asking God to move through your mind and use your hands to create art that glorifies Him. Read your bible then create art with a passion and desire to express your loving relationship with Jesus Christ. Come share how God is showing up in your art! May all the praises and glory go to Him, Our Creator!

Your Creative Sister in Christ,