Tuesday, November 27, 2007

 

In Daddy's Arms




By Ramone - November 25, 2007

This is how I felt (and how I saw it) as I relaxed with my son in the afternoon. He was falling asleep in my arms, and I was sleepy too, and we were listening to worship music. It was sweet. God is sweet. He is wonderful, He is lovely. He is love. And we are in His arms. Rest in His arms today.

*****

This picture ("In Daddy's Arms") came at the same time as this one, "Spirit, Soul and Body", almost back to back, one after the other!

Spirit, Soul and Body

The first picture ("Spirit, Soul & Body") describes how I was feeling one day, how my soul was in some strange 'funk'. But He calmed me by showing me my spirit's position inside -- who I really am at my deepest, and what I am doing there. It occurs to me now that this second picture ("In Daddy's Arms") is the same, and after all it did come at the same time. In my outer man (my soul) I felt unrest, but He calmed me to see that this (the second picture) is what is true, the way things really are, and that I am held in His arms.
But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, put your hope in the Lord
both now and forevermore.
- Psalm 131:2-3

The Lord your God is with you,
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.

- Zephaniah 3:17

 

Spirit, Soul and Body


"Spirit, Soul and Body"

By Ramone - November 25, 2007

In a recent picture I wrote about "heart art" and prayed that it would somehow help people release things inside and help them "discover the position of their spirit inside."

We are three-part beings. We have a body, we know that. We have a soul. We know that, too. But the spirit, this is the most mysterious and unknown part. Many Christians think that "spirit" and "soul" are the same, and if you ignore Hebrews 4:12, you might have a case. But there is a deep part of us that is not our soul. Our souls are our minds, emotions and wills. Our spirit is that part of us inside that is the deepest you, the real you. The part of you that is made a new creation and in which the Holy Spirit dwells. The Holy Spirit communicates to it -- Spirit to spirit.

The soul gets most of our attention, and because of that we often live there without being spirit-conscious. We live by our feelings or by our thoughts -- by our emotions or by our "rational" minds. But these go up and down like the waves or the wind. They are easily blown around, and if you only look there things can sometimes get dark. But Proverbs says that the spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord. The spirit inside of you needs to be on top. The body submits to the soul, and the soul must submit to the spirit. The spirit's desire is for the Spirit (God).

I got this picture when I was relaxing with my son who was falling to sleep in my arms. I felt oddly confused for a moment, not knowing how I should feel or what I should think. I felt a bit dark. Then somehow God stilled me and quieted me. I waited and saw the position of my spirit inside me -- that I didn't have to worry, but everything was fine. In fact, inside my spirit was praising God! That is what my spirit was doing, but my soul temporarily got in the way and I couldn't hear my innermost self. As I stilled my soul, I saw my spirit---the new creation of God---and I praised God. My soul and body came into line with the desire of my spirit and the desire of His Spirit. It was really cool.

I don't know if I'm writing this well, but ask God to help you know who you really are inside -- to know His Spirit and the spirit (your spirit) that He has created you as. You see who you really are by faith, and at times when things are dark, stand on His Word of who you are inside. And in His timing & His way, He will show you your spirit--your true self--deep inside. Blessings to you in Jesus' name, bless your spirit!

*****

This picture ("Spirit, Soul and Body") came at the same time as this one, "In Daddy's Arms", almost back to back, one after the other!

In Daddy's Arms

This first picture ("Spirit, Soul & Body") describes how I was feeling one day, how my soul was in some strange 'funk'. But He calmed me by showing me my spirit's position inside -- who I really am at my deepest, and what I am doing there. It occurs to me now that the second picture is the same, and after all it did come at the same time. In my outer man (my soul) I felt unrest, but He calmed me to see that this (the second picture) is what is true, the way things really are, and that I am held in His arms.
But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, put your hope in the Lord
both now and forevermore.
- Psalm 131:2-3

The Lord your God is with you,
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.

- Zephaniah 3:17
*****

See also: "Three-in-one" (at Heart For Adventists)

Sunday, November 25, 2007

 

He's Calling Us Out!




By Ramone - November 24, 2007

The invitation to paint during worship at Jesus Family Center remains open, and again I was blessed during worship and felt His heart and set down to paint it. This one took a little longer and is perhaps more skillful than the previous three. I must confess that this kind of watercoloring is new to me and I feel horribly inadequate in shapes, colors, methods, and making it look good. Haha. But the Lord is the Adequate One! And if His heart comes through, then praise God!

As we worshiped, we sang the Vineyard song, "Let Your Glory Fall" in Japanese, and I started to feel this big red arrow going out of the doors of the church (all churches), God's heart calling us outside to the people outside and far away. He's calling us out! Out to them!

As I worshiped I was holding my son who began to fall asleep in my arms, and if you have a son or daughter you know how wonderful and sweet that is, how your heart swells with love as they rest on you. I realized that He is calling us out to hold them that way -- to love and hold the people of the world.

Then we began to sing Hillsong's "Worthy is the Lamb" and thanking the Lord for His love, for His Son who poured out His life for us and gave us His body and blood (we took communion that night, too). As our hearts melted in tears because of His sacrifice, I realized another thing...

He is calling us out -- this is what His Son died for. Jesus died for the world. He died so that we could go out to them and share His love with them and let them know what He has done for them. He died so that we would leave our church buildings and that they would receive His love from us.

The sun is setting because the hour is late; night is coming and dark clouds, the harvest is almost over. It is time to go outside.

Lord, I don't know how to pray, how to react to this. Please put Your heart in us so strongly until we can no longer stay inside, but that our hearts will break if we don't go out. This is why You gave Your Son's heart, why His heart was broken for us, for all of us. Thank You, Lord. Show us how to go, where, and in Your timing. In Jesus' name, amen.

*****

(The picture is so small--and thumbnail so bad!--because I haven't properly photographed it yet... the picture is still at the church. (^_^)

*****

UPDATE: See this post: A Cloud Over Japan?


 

Womb




By Ramone - November 10, 2007

The week following Jesus Family Center's art show weekend, I wistfully mused that it would be nice if they could leave the art materials out every week so that anyone who received a picture from the Spirit or wanted to draw one could. And they did! So on the night of the 10th during worship this picture came. I believe we were singing "Shout to the Lord" (in Japanese, of course).

I saw the colors like this and felt like we were giving birth to nations here in our prayers and our praises. As I began to draw it I didn't realize what it was, but then it became clear... a womb! God is calling His people to volunteer themselves to Him as spiritual wombs through which He uses His Spirit and our prayers to give birth to His purposes in the earth -- salvation in people who don't yet know Him.

Yes, Lord, here we are! Give birth to them through our intercession and Your Spirit!

*****

(The picture is so small--and thumbnail so bad!--because I haven't properly photographed it yet... the picture is still at the church. (^_^)

 

Touch




By Ramone - November 4, 2007

This is my second painted-during-worship picture, painted during the second day of the "arts" weekend at Jesus Family Center. As they had done the night before, the pastors said that if anyone had a picture, please come up and paint it. This time it wasn't so much of a "prophetic" picture as the earlier one, but was instead how I felt during worship.

The worship leader (on guitar and sitting in his wheelchair) had just begun to sing a very "yasashii" song (nice, soft, kind) and I felt this, like we were reaching up and touching God's heart and He was touching ours, and we were praising Him and touching something soft above us. This is kind of what it looked like.

Wonderfully (to me), I wasn't the only one who painted! The night before it had just been me and the pastor's son, but this time it was as if all the kids came up to paint and draw, too! I wish I could put all their pictures online! They're so beautiful! I was honored to be painting my heart & His heart alongside their pure and beautiful hearts and His heart in them!

*****

(The picture is so small--and thumbnail so bad!--because I haven't properly photographed it yet... the picture is still at the church. (^_^)

 

His Hands (Laying on Love)


"His Hands (Laying on Love!)"

By Ramone - November 23, 2007

I felt this picture first on May 16, 2005. It's this warm feeling & blessing of being in prayer with brothers & sisters as they lay their hands on you or you lay your hands on them. In my old prayer group in California, we would pray for whoever needed or desired it, and that person would sit in the center and we would lay hands on him or her. You know, I can't remember how this started, but almost every time we prayed for someone, we laid hands on them. It was wonderful. I know some people are cautious about laying on of hands, but I don't think Paul was talking about regular prayer when he said that to Timothy (I think he was talking about commissioning elders). It's hard to describe the effect of this kind of prayer, but it is love, it is wonderful, and you know it is God's hands that are resting on you and loving you.

*****

See also: "My Hands For You" (at Heart For Adventists)

 

Somehow




By Ramone - November 23, 2007

This is the first of two pictures I felt one night when I was praying for my friend & spiritual-mom Hazel Holland, who had just lost her step-mother to a stroke. I didn't know how to pray, but I prayed that somehow God would bless her & touch her through the pain. It's how I felt as I prayed... stretching out, helpless, but appealing to God who can move, touch and comfort above and beyond what we can do.

I'm not sure if I'd call these two pictures "prophetic art"... instead they're something I'm starting to call "heart art". Maybe these are the first two "heart art" pictures I've really put out. It's something that comes from your spirit showing how you feel. Of course, it can also come from God (and/or both you and God! ...and I think it does!). I haven't fully understood this yet, but "heart art" is kind of like painting a Psalm on paper -- a crying out of your spirit or soul to God or in your situation.

I pray that in sharing these (with her permission) that this kind of art ("heart art") will be something that God can use to bless people someday and somehow, to help them release things inside and discover the position of their spirit inside...

 

Lifting Up




By Ramone - November 22, 2007

This is the second of two pictures I felt as I prayed for my dear friend & spiritual-mom Hazel Holland, who had just lost her dear step-mother and was grieving in pain. This is what came as I prayed and longed to lift her up in prayer to my Father who could comfort and lift her up.

I'm not sure if I'd call these two pictures "prophetic art"... instead they're something I'm starting to call "heart art". Maybe these are the first two "heart art" pictures I've really put out. It's something that comes from your spirit showing how you feel. Of course, it can also come from God (and/or both you and God! ...and I think it does!). I haven't fully understood this yet, but "heart art" is kind of like painting a Psalm on paper -- a crying out of your spirit or soul to God or in your situation.

I pray that in sharing these (with her permission) that this kind of art ("heart art") will be something that God can use to bless people someday and somehow, to help them release things inside and discover the position of their spirit inside...

Friday, November 23, 2007

 

The Sleeping Train


"The Sleeping Train"

By Ramone - November 20, 2007
Part I: "The Sleeping Train"

Part II: "Giving Light to the Sleepers"

Part III: "The Walk of Grace"

Part IV: "Grace Walk (1)"

Part V: "Grace Walk (2)"
Introduction

This came one day as Yoko, Timothy and I got on the train. It was a pretty freezing day outside, but in the train they had the heat cranked way up. Yoko's taught me not to rely on indoor heating, so she and I were both well-prepared for the cold outside. But when we got inside, WHAM! It was hot and stuffy.

We made our way down the aisle to the end of the car (because there wasn't enough space for the both of us to sit down together), and as we leaned back against the wall of the open 'handicapped' space, Yoko pointed out to me that everyone on the train seemed to either be asleep or fighting nodding off to sleep! It was quite a funny sight.

Then she made the comment:
"I don't know if I should say this, but it reminds me of church."
I told her not to feel bad about it -- it was honest and is very true, especially in many churches here in Japan. God began to impress on her it wasn't just sleep, but death. And then He showed her three pictures -- two of which I inked that day and the third recently.

Lord, use us to wake up Your sleeping people!

Bless you in Jesus!
Ramone

P.S. About the pictures:

Part 1 was put online a few days after being made, but Part 2 & Part 3 were somewhat left unfinished so I never got around to putting them up until recently, when I decided to do the color versions that I'd hoped to do last year but never got around to. Part 3 and Part 4 are basically the same picture, and Part 5 is the same picture but how He showed it differently. Sorry, that's all a little confusing! I might have to re-name these or re-organize how I present them! But the original three pictures He showed here were these: Part 2, Part 3, and Part 5.


*****

See also: "Resting In Being Abused" (at Weeping Jeremiahs)


 

A Prophetic Relationship


"A Prophetic Relationship"

By Ramone - November 15, 2007

God is calling each of us into a prophetic relationship with Him and with one another!

He wants our relationship with Him to take on a prophetic dimension, to come alive!

"Prophetic"—
- communication!!!
- a prophetic expectancy
- not normal! (and nothing is ever normal again!)
- living, alive
- supernatural
- with the living God! (who knows all & the future!)

"Prophetic" implies speaking to, speaking with, i.e., communication! Sharing one's heart with. Him sharing His heart with us, us with Him, us with each other, and each other with Him.

Not that we'll each be "prophets" (though I can't say it's impossible, ha!), but rather that we'll each know individually & together that we serve a prophetic God and He is prophetic in us & wants to be in our lives & among us!

*****

See also: "Called Out" (at Heart For Adventists)

 

In the Gap (2)




By Ramone - November 15, 2007

Monday, November 12, 2007

 

Balances












By Ramone - November 4 to 11, 2007

Saturday, November 10, 2007

 

Outside




By Ramone - November 3, 2007

This is us outside... the Harvest is here and the sun is setting... He is calling us outside to dance in His joy, in His faithfulness, in His lovingkindness -- to share & proclaim Him.

This picture came and was painted during worship at Jesus Family Center while singing in Japanese,

"I'm trading my sorrows
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
I'm trading my sickness
I'm trading my pain
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord."

The Scripture for this picture is Isaiah 61.


 

Responded!




By Ramone - November 9, 2007

Back on October 18th, I was working at the computer and Timothy was playing around by himself on the play-mats. He couldn't crawl yet (actually, he just started today!) but he could get on his knees and basically twist & roll wherever he wanted to. He wanted to go near these records we have, but I didn't want him to go there mainly because they're a bit dusty and moreover there are electrical wires behind them. I don't want him to play with electrical wires!

So I told him, "No!"

He kept going. I said it again, more forcefully.

He stopped and looked at me. Then he started to go towards the records again, and I said it more forcefully, "No!"

He stopped. He still wanted to go, and he was looking at me as if telling me he wanted to go, begging me to go. I said "No, Timothy" firmly and serious.

He began to cry! He did not move. He obeyed me, but he looked at me and cried! It was such a pitiful sight, and I can't express how much I was moved and touched! Oh what a loud cry, but oh how proud I was of him! He cried and was sad, but he obeyed! His love and respect for me poured out through his tears and obedience, and his tears let me know that he understood.

I just can't explain how much love instantly burst open inside of me when this happened. I was so moved, so touched, so proud. I love this boy! In my mind now I can still see that beautiful, pitiful crying face! And I am still moved with love as I remember it! I am still melted with love for him.

I think Father God must feel the same way about us. He tells us things for our own good, and it takes awhile for us to learn, so He disciplines us. At times it hurts and we cry -- and we don't have to hold back our tears. In fact, like David in the Psalms, we can cry out to the Lord and ask "Why?"

Little Timothy was sharing his heart with me. He recognized that I was his father and he should obey, but he poured out his grief to me about it, and something in me just burst out in torrents of love and pride for him.

I had to go pick him up, not merely to stop his crying, but to love him, tell him I loved him, and squeeze him with love. I think when we open our hearts to God and pour out our hearts to Him --whether in joyful praise or in questioning grief-- he feels like I did when Timothy's tears poured out because he understood my discipline. He loves us and wants us to know His love. He squeezes us with His love. Responding to His discipline (not by merely obeying, but by pouring out our heart to Him about it) makes our Daddy want to pour out His heart to us.

I love this promise. I love His heart, I love His promise to pour out His heart!
"If you had responded to My rebuke,
I would have poured out My heart to you
and made My thoughts known to you."

- Proverbs 1:23
This is the original sketch I made later that day because I wanted to remember. The sketch looks a bit better. Truthfully, my pictures of Timothy are pretty terrible, ha! I catch the impression, but not his cuteness or resemblance. So this semi-gesture style sketch is better in that respect:



While I was photographing the color picture, Timothy crawled over (he can crawl today!) and inserted his real self into the picture, hehe. Too cute.



Perhaps this is him giving his opinion of the picture? (^_^) Hehe.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

 

The Lord Who Sees and Comforts

"The Lord Sees and Will Comfort"

By Ramone - November 4, 2005

The Lord who sees.
The Lord who will comfort.


"Then the maidens will dance and be glad,
young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into gladness;
I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow."

- Jeremiah 31:13

Thursday, November 01, 2007

 

Art For Jesus


"Art For Jesus"

By Ramone - October 31, 2007

I sketched this on July 5th, probably at a cafe, and never intended to make a real picture out of it. It was kind of a reminder for me of what is important, of dropping everything I was doing and just worshiping Him. (This older picture has a similar note).

It's in His presence that any of this drawing (or anything) must be done, and it's all about Him. I had been looking at some things and re-arranging them, and it felt kind of fleshy or heavy, but then God reminded me that it was from Him. So I dropped it all and gave it back to Him. It was a wonderful reminder.

I decided to make this larger version and share it because it really shows what I've been trying to write about lately, about prophetic art and what it is.

It was such a simple picture that I didn't know what to name it, what to call it. It's kind of a picture of everything, of what it's all about. I smiled when I gave it the simple title. It was the only name I could give to it. (^_^)