3 Days...The Power of a Brushstroke

Acrylics are a marvelous medium to work with as an artist. It is a sturdy paint - unlike oil paints or water colors - it holds its place and dry quickly. Often an artist will have several dollops of color around a palette to quickly take small bits of different colors to blend the exact right color; moving in brisk brushstrokes in the center of the palatte or on a canvas to achieve the desired affect.

Acrylic paints can be touching - sitting side by side - and they will not "run" into the other; only an outside force - the painter and the brush - can force two colors to blend together to make a new one. 

A skilled artist can take two colors and blend them to make a more beautiful color, but if the proportions are wrong - the color is ruined. The artist cannot take the two colors and separate them again. One color will overtake the other.

Something similar happens to us when we allow the world to creep into our lives.

The divide between the spiritual and the worldly can at times become blurred. In our efforts to be tolerant and to love all of God's people "where they are at", we can allow ourselves to become influenced or swayed by the things of the world. A blending begins to occur.

By tolerating behaviors and choices that are sinful, we at times accept actions which are not acceptable to God. In an effort to love unconditionally, we have begun to accept all things unconditionally - blending the godly with the ungodly. The struggle between accepting a person and disapproving what the person does is not an easy battle to face; even as I write these words I am having an internal struggle with whether this message will be "politically correct" or whether I might hurt some one's feelings. We all want to be accepted, but it is more important to live our lives for God and His will.

Our goal should be to be like the paint dollops - sitting side by side with those who are struggling with sin. Supporting them and loving them - but not allowing their sinful behavior to be blended into our lives. And just as we need to support our brothers and sisters who are struggling with worldly things, we must also support our family in Christ and allow God to mix their colors with ours.

 Ultimately, God's brushstrokes, blending colors together, are the ones on which we need to be focused.  This world will try and blend it's colors into you in simple and in complex ways, but you must be aware - keeping your eye on the Master Artist and what color He desires for you to be.

Scripture...click on the link below:

Jude 1:16-25

Fun Fact...Top Ten GUMY Memory...

#3 Worshiping in 5 Senses...

The second session for GUMY prep was in the Fall of 2008 and we had a lesson focused on worshiping God with our 5 senses (if you are in GUMY prep now - - you just might see this in the future!). We discussed how we worship with our eyes by what we see and where we worship; with our ears by the music we hear; with our sense of smell by the aroma of candles; with our sense of taste through taking communion; but it was the sense of touch which revealed the presence of God to me in a powerful way. Pastor Jim Meredith came to give us communion as part of our devotional time, but when we came to the part of the lesson on worshiping through our sense of touch we talked about how we can lay hands on each other in prayer and ask for healing. And just like that a group of six fourth & fifth graders surrounded Pastor Jim and prayed for healing with his Parkinson's. These 4th & 5th graders prayed out loud and allowed the Holy Spirit to work through them in a way most adults wouldn't be open to. I was truly moved by the presence of the Holy Spirit and the faith of some quite remarkable pre-teens.

Question of the Day

Do you dream in color or black & white?

(I know it is random...but this was a heavy devotion - we need to lighten it up a bit!)

Please share your comments below ... if you are having trouble click on the "Name/URL" link in the drop down box and add your first name to the name....