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Come You Who Are Blessed

The King will say to those on His right:   “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me….  I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me.” For a fuller explanation of these words of Jesus, read Matthew 25:31-46.   [eltdf_button size="huge-full-width" type="solid" text="Buy this item"...

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Lazarus

The tomb was dark and musty.  For four days, Lazarus's body lay motionless within its earthen walls.  Jesus commanded the men in the crowd to roll away the stone.  Once they had done so, He prayed.  With the many mourners observing, a tearful Jesus simply commanded, "Lazarus, come forth!"  As Lazarus came out of the tomb wrapped in strips of grave linens, the watching crowd knew they had just witnessed one of the greatest miracles ever performed.  A special artistic note is the manner in which Lazarus's hand touches on the vine outside of the tomb.  The vine represents life and Jesus, who called Himself the Vine, is the One who gave Lazarus new life and in whom we live...

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Miriam

Miriam played a pivotal role at the very beginnings of the nation of Israel.  As a young girl, her wisdom and quick thinking saved her baby brother's life.  That baby brother was Moses, whom God would use to free His people from slavery in Egypt. Moses would lead God's people spiritually, in governance, and physically to the border of the Promised Land.  God's sovereign hand was upon Moses's life, and Miriam was His instrument of protection for him.  Many years later, Miriam was an important figure in the life of the Israelite community as they left Egypt.  Once the people had made it safely through the Red Sea and observed the destruction of Egypt's army within it's collapsing waters, Miriam...

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The Book of Revelation

This painting celebrates the sovereignty and glory of Almighty God as described by the Apostle John in the book of Revelation.  The composition reads from the bottom to the top, leading the viewer through major themes and moments in the unfolding drama of Revelation.  We see the hand of Jesus holding seven stars, denoting the angels of the seven churches.  Those churches are depicted by seven archways at the base of the image, with pictorial elements that are drawn from Jesus' letter to each of the churches.  Also included are the throne of God, flashing with lightning, enveloped in an emerald rainbow, and encircled by thrones of elders.  A Lamb that was slain opened the scroll with seven seals.  Seven...

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Unity in Christ

"Unity in Christ" is the about the active work of Jesus Christ in bringing together a people that are His very own.  His church is made up of people from every tribe and tongue, every race and skin color.  While we may appear to have nothing in common on the outside and every reason to build up walls between us (as the human race has often done), Christ takes hold of our hands and shows us a new way of living together.  This manner of living is in keeping with the relational unity that the Godhead experiences as Father, Son, and Spirit.  As Ephesians 2:14-16 says, "He Himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has...

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Song of Songs

Tucked in the center of the Bible is a poem of passionate love and we call it the Song of Songs, or Song of Solomon. Two lovers rejoice in one another and celebrate God’s good gift of marital love within its pages. This painting contains selections of various images describing the love of the husband and wife. We see the gentle hands, speaking, “Come away with me.” We read that the lover’s lips are like a scarlet ribbon. He “browses among the lilies,” climbs his lover’s trunk and takes hold of her fruit, and delights in comparing her breasts to two fawns. Throughout the whole text, the intimacy of their love is hidden behind a veil of flowery words and...

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Samuel

Samuel was one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament, serving the Lord and the nation at a pivotal time.  This image shows two scenes of his life--one from his childhood and one in the latter years of his life.  When his mother's prayers for a child were answered, she determined to give her son to the Lord as a lifelong servant.  She sent him to live and train with Eli the priest and lovingly met his needs at regular intervals.  One night during his stay as an attendant to the aging Eli, Samuel heard his named being called.  Samuel reasoned that it was Eli calling him, so got up from his bed and went to help Eli.  However,...

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Friendship

Friendship is a beautiful evidence of the common grace of God toward humanity.  The Scriptures speak of its benefits.  In Ecclesiastes chapter 4, we read how being in community and relationship with others helps us:  our work efforts are multiplied, individuals are helped when they are struggling, and strength is found in the midst of friendships.  The book of Proverbs also speaks of the goodness of friendship.  In Proverbs 27, the advice of a friend is likened to the pleasantness of perfume and incense.  Proverbs 17 tells us that a friend loves at all times, whether good or bad.  In this image, elements of these passages are seen in the crocheters at work, the cord of three strands, the helping...

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Men of Valor

Fathers and sons have a special place in the fabric of God's Word.  The Scriptures contain narratives of fathers and their sons, such as Abraham and Isaac.  There are also father-figures, such as Paul was to Timothy.  In numerous examples, we read of fathers impacting the lives of their sons, whether for good or for bad, through their words, actions, teaching, and example.  We see the same God-directed dynamic happening in our world and in our families today: fathers train their sons for adulthood.  One ministry that has come alongside fathers and their sons in Men of Valor.  With Christ as their focus, their goal is to encourage fathers and their sons to "be watchful, stand firm in the faith,...

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Sowing in Tears, Reaping with Joy

Psalm 126 is a chronicle of the prayers, praises, hopes, and longings of the people of Israel as they returned from the Babylonian captivity.  The Psalm may seem to be hitched to a specific time in history, but once we read it today, it takes on new life and we see how the Word of the Lord is indeed living and active.  We can identify with their sorrows, for we have traveled through heart-breaking trials as well.  Our hearts resonate with theirs as we consider how God answered us in our time of need and replaced our mourning with laughter and singing.  We trust that those who know our struggles marvel at what God has done to help us as...

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