Truth in Art

I remember an encounter that I had about an art gallery in heaven.  This was an amazing place.  I had never been in such a room in my life.  There were two stories and it looked like something you would see in Europe but only more heavenly.  Since then, I have been in amazing building in France and Italy, but this place was more exceptional than these.

I was looking up at the ceiling and it looked like a sky that opened and went to heaven.  There were cherubim angels like statues in the corner of the rooms.  I could feel the presence of God in most wonderful way.

I walked through that gallery looking at paintings that were on the wall.  I came up to one that was a painting of a glorious yellow wave.  It looked like a living painting.  I could see the movement through the layers of paint.  It was like the painting was speaking directly to me.  When I saw this, it took my breath away and like a prayer I said to God, “Will I ever paint something like this?”

Without even an interruption I heard a voice say, “If you tell the truth.”

This reply was not something I expected to hear and even though it has been many years since I had this encounter, I still wonder what the meaning of the dream is all about.  There are layers to all understanding.

As I am writing I am reminded of another dream that I had when I first came to salvation in Jesus.  The Lord told me to stand before the people and speak with authority.  In the dream I saw myself begin to declare the word of the Lord to those who once were my peers.  I was uncomfortable at first but then an anointing came giving me confidence to speak.  Another dream came around the same time, and I saw myself naked before the people.  The Lord said to me this is how I want you to be when you talk.  It wasn’t about nudity but about being real with the things that I wrestled with.  He was calling me to tell the truth about my life.  He wanted me to be real.  He didn’t want me to pretend to the people that I had it all together.  I knew that by being real with my struggles people would somehow also be strengthened in their struggles.

In art, as in life, we wrestle with telling the truth.  As we paint our vulnerabilities and anxieties come forth.  Painting is not so much about perfection as it is about introspection.  In my endeavor to be real I let my interior being loose to create what comes naturally from within.  I don’t want to overthink what I do.  I just want to free that which is inside me.  I paint what I have seen whether people understand it or not.

I remember I was ministering in South Korea in 2017.  It was a wonderful week for me.  When I travel for ministry I paint.  I put the paintings in front of the people and tell them they are for sale.  The money I raise goes toward my ability to travel to other nations to speak and for the work of ministry around the world.

I was having an incredible week.  In 10 days I painted over 100 paintings.  The Koreans could not get enough of the art that I was producing.  As soon as I painted something and put it down it was sold.  There was a feeling of liberty that came as I did this. 

One of the leaders came to me just as I was taking a painting off of my easel.  He said, “This one is sold. “ 

I was confused.  I said, “But they have not even seen it.” 

He said, “Regardless, it has sold!”

I thought to myself, “Well, if people do not care what I paint and they will buy it, then I am painting the truth as I see it in the spirit.”  Within 15 minutes I released three more paintings.  I painted an encounter that I had with an angel.  It just kept coming out of me.  It was the most liberating painting experience I ever had.  I was free to paint what I wanted to paint, and people would accept it.

I have now painted close to four thousand paintings.  I have loved my art journey.  My art has changed over and over.  I am better now than I was before, but what I did before was also interesting and good.

I want to paint thousands of more paintings if I am given the health to do so.  I want to leave a story to the world.  I want them to hear about the truth as I saw it.  A truth defined by a Christian life and in relationship with the divine.  I want to paint my encounters with truth and wisdom.

I pray you today asking the Lord to liberate your spirit in Christ.  This may be a new thought to you.  Maybe you never thought of Jesus as a liberating force.  But I must tell you the freedom that I feel in my heart is great.  Creativity from the place of the Holy Spirit is infinite.  There is no end to it.  I declare you will witness this in your own lives.