A MAGAZINE OF REVELATION AND RENAISSANCE
Issue #1:
Interview with Akiane Kramarik
I am a Co-Creator
LETTER
FROM
We are very excited to introduce you to our new monthly culture changing effort, the Expression58 online E-magazine or Ezine. What can you expect from our staff and writers? This is going to be an exciting year where we get to fill you full of a wide variety of articles, prophetic words, art, interviews, and poetry all to inspire you to go to the deepest of the deep places in your relationship with God. The body of Christ has never been in such a wilderness period where God is redefining the identity of the church, the identity of Christianity, and how to live based on the virtue of His great love. What does that mean? There is a minister named Mike Bickle in Kansas City, MO who leads the International House of Prayer. He had an encounter with God early in his life and God spoke to him audibly. Not like the still small voice in your head that only you can hear, but a loud voice that was external. What did God’s voice say? One of the most important and relevant messages to us right now! He said: “I am going to change the face of Christianity in one generation.” Last year God gave our team the phrase “Expression58” and I knew that He wanted us to be an expression of His heart that is laid out in Isaiah 58. I then heard Him say: “I am going to release a revolution and a renaissance and I want you to raise up voices who will prepare the way for these to come.”
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EDITOR
God desires a great change in Christianity and it is not just to reform religion, but he wants to bring a new culture that affects all of society. We take this quite literally and believe it has already started. You may not see it on TV or hear it on the radio, but don’t think that means its not happening. As a matter of fact this radical Jesus culture is about to break out everywhere and anywhere there are people who are hungry for reality. So here is our first effort to be a voice in the wilderness of the church, the world, the arts, the music industry, the entertainment industry, we want to bring together a collection of materials each month in this Ezine that will speak to where you are. Change happens! Its time to get contemporary voices speaking into this grass roots movement that is already on the verge of erupting. This is our bite-sized piece that we are taking off as a team, and we hope you enjoy it; even more are fed by it. It’s time for revolution and renaissance. Its time for a new expression of Christianity to go out everywhere that Jesus can glorify Himself. So here we are in our first issue of LOVE REVOLUTION. Welcome aboard! Shawn Bolz Chief
For magazine info: LRMAG@expression58.org No reprinting of articles without express permission from Expression58 ©2007 Love Revolution Magazine a ministry of Expression58
CONTRIBUTORS Issue #1
Shawn Bolz Shawn’s passion is to influence Christians to take on their journey of intimacy with God wholeheartedly. He has used his prophetic ministry and his fresh Biblical perspective in his teaching ministry to help people come into a relational approach with God that is both organic and revelatory. In October 2006 he founded Expression58, a mission’s base focused on training and equipping, the creative arts, the poor, and loving people in the entertainment industry. The base is currently mobile but will be planting in Los Angeles California in the Summer of 2007.
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Paula Benne Paula Benne’s life is an amazing journey of fatih and radical adventures with God. In her earlier years Paula was known for her athletic abilities. She trained for a spot on the Olympic volloeyball team. Shortly afterward’s (epilepsy) struck her life but God’s power touched her body. She was completely healed and delivered for His name sake and His glory. Paula is a conference speaker and teaches out of her deep personal encounter’s with God. She has appeared on several t.v. talk show’s sharing her powerful testimony. Paula is now a founding member of the Expression 58 team as well as co-host with Shawn Bolz on an exciting new show that will premier in 2007 called “The Shawn and Paula Show”
Jennifer Toledo Jonatan and Jennifer are the directors of Global Children’s Movement, a ministry birthed out of compassion for children at risk around the world. They are also associate directors of Expression58. Their vision is to equip and release children into the fullness of the kingdom. They have ministered extensively throughout many different nations, seeing transformation come to communities as they embrace generational unity. Their passion is to see a whole generation truly fall in love with Jesus and be released to partner with heaven . They long to see the simple undiluted gospel restored in the church, and for the kingdom of heaven to manifest on behalf of the poor.
? m i H r a e H e W n Ca B
rian Johnson has an incredible song out with lyrics that say, “Where you go I’ll go, what you say I’ll say, and what you pray I’ll pray.” This song puts into words the very longing of my heart—and even more so, the desire of the father that we walk with him in continual communion. I’m always challenged when I hear the song because although it’s my desire to only be about my Father’s business, it’s not always my reality. Being about the Father’s Business The Lord is bringing us into a greater understanding of what his business really is. I think oftentimes we get so occupied with our good intentions, good ideas, and even godly principles that it’s hard to know where the Father really is and what exactly he is doing. The spirit realm is so charged with energy around us, and we are living closer to eternity than any other generation that has gone before. The Kingdom of God is so magnificently real and tangible it’s the greatest hour yet to be about the Father’s business.
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There is an incredible plan stored up in heaven for this time, and as the earth is groaning for the sons of God to be revealed, the Father is also yearning for mature sons who will partner with him—a bride who would be willing to get on the dance floor with him. Heaven’s Invitation It’s as though there has been an invitation released from heaven, heaven is calling a royal ball, and the heavenly multitudes are all standing at the edge of the dance floor—leaning, peering, waiting in expectation. I can hear them saying, “Who will come? Who will step forward? Who will dance with him?” For so long the cry of the church has been to move with him, to be near, so why do we hesitate? It’s because the bride is being forced to count the cost. We can no longer dance to our own rhythm, we can no longer only do the steps we are comfortable with. The stakes have suddenly got higher. If we’re going to dance, we have to be willing to do it his way.
There is another shaking, sifting that is taking place in the spirit and if we are to have him—we will have him on his terms—he wants to dance but are we willing to pay the price? Can we hear Him? Matthew 25: 31 - 45 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then 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. Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ They will also answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’” I’ll never forget the very first time I ever read this passage in scripture. As a young girl I sat in my room and wept with my little precious moments bible and told Jesus that I desperately wanted to be a sheep and not a goat.
What’s interesting is that Matthew chapter 25 records Jesus’ last teaching before going to the cross. His last chance to tell us about the kingdom, and he lays out three intensely challenging stories—The parable of the ten virgins, which warns us to be wise and invest in the oil that keeps our lights burning; The parable of the Talents, which challenges us to not live in fear but be faithful to invest what God has given us; and then the Sheep and the Goats—which like the others is about investing, investing our love, our time, our resources, where he is. Jesus’ last teaching coupled with his last prayer in John 17 that is all about us coming into union with him give us a beautiful glimpse into the longing of heaven. If we want to be sheep, we have to be willing to go where the shepherd leads. Something that has always amazed me about this passage is that Jesus—King of all, identifies himself with the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, and prisoner. He says, “What you do to them, you do to me” Why? Why would he align himself, the Holy and perfect God, with the broken, the sinner, the hurting, and the needy? It all goes back to the garden. The very reason we were created was for relationship, we were created to be his family. Father God is a Father who longs for his kids. Jesus is a bridegroom who longs for his bride. Our whole existence was for family, relationship. When man fell away from God because of our sin, the heartbeat of heaven was consumed with restoration—restoring the children to their father. Imagine as a parent, if your child that you love so much was lost in another country—they didn’t know how to get home, they didn’t know who they were, they were hurting, starving, broken, and dying. As a parent your every thought would be consumed with your child. If someone came along and took your child in, loved on them, fed them, and helped them find their way home—that is the best gift you could ever give a parent. That is why God says whatever we do to the least of these, we have done to him. He is a real father with real emotion who is desperately longing for his children. He aligns himself with the poor, the lonely, the hurting, he looks at us through their eyes, he calls to us from their voices—the question is, can we hear him? The reality is, if we are truly in step with the father—we will find ourselves with the broken, the poor, the hurting, because he chooses to be there.
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Love is costly John 15:12-14 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” Jesus just goes ahead and sets the bar way up there! “Love people the way I love you”. In other words, love them even when they’re annoying, rude, and selfish. Love them extravagantly, give everything for them, invite them into your own family, believe the best in them even when they don’t deserve it, make a way for them, and even be willing to lay your own life down for them. When you step onto the dance floor, it is inevitable, you will find yourself confronted with the poor and the hurting, but at the same time you will be invited into something so glorious called greater love. And it is the greater love that will quench the thirst of the church and release the anointing that will draw the broken back home. It is greater love that will be the vessel of revival in this last hour. It is greater love that will mark the bride and give her the authority to rule with Christ.
Galatians 5:6 “…The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” All the things that we spend our time, money, thoughts, and energy on and yet, the only thing that counts is faith expressed through love. Love, it really is about love—loving God and loving people. Jesus, before going to the cross in his mercy towards us, paints us a picture of what love looks like. Love looks like feeding the hungry. Love looks like bringing a stranger into your home. Love looks like giving your clothes to the needy. Love looks like caring for the sick. Love looks like visiting someone in prison. Love finds Jesus in all those places. We are left to ask ourselves, what does my love look like? Let the dance begin There is a beautiful song being released from heaven and the time for the bride to dance has come. The fruit of the dance is transformation, and all of heaven is longing to see the kingdom come to the earth. There is a breath-taking authority for the one who will dance, the bride with greater love. He’s calling us from the broken. Can we hear him? •
Featured Artist Issue #1
Justin has a passion for people. He served in leadership in several churches starting early in his youth group, then leading into his young adulthood where he again took on a role of leadership amongst his peers. At the same time he was a leader in Men of Vision ministry in a Vineyard church in the Los Angeles area. Justin loves the homeless and the poor, whether on Justin Stumvoll the streets of LA or abroad. He has a heart to see a mighty army arise from the streets. He also loves inter generational ministry, wanting to see children move out in their fullness. He graduated from the Art Institute of California in Santa Monica in 2005. He is currently working as Shawn’s assistant and helping to develop the Expression58 base.
Left Behind But Not Forgotten The dew lightly frosting the mornings ground reflects ripples of the rocks thrown the night before. The tainted touch of the past slowly fades to its grave. Twinkling stars stand as a sign of the day to come. Pockets of long forgotten signs spring sporadically forth only to welt and wither away. Roots of pain have no gain, removed and tossed to the sea. The ears that heard then lied, lived then died, now awaken and rise, only to hear again. Birds fly their dance and fish swim their song. The faith believes what the foolish can’t see, but the foolish sees what the faith won’t believe. Plant the heart, bleed the rain, birth the love, harvest the fruit, feed of the sorrows, drink of the life, celebrate the now. - Justin Stumvoll
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ecently I was asked to speak at a conference. The Lord had not yet given me the message. During worship I was focusing on Jesus, engaging my heart with his, and to my surprise the Lord dropped down a vision before me. The picture he gave me was of a pregnant woman who was going into labor. In the vision I watched as the pregnant lady was being wheeled into the delivery room. Her husband was standing right by her side. Her contractions were getting closer and closer together. Her husband was holding her hand, coaching her and helping her. On the wall there was a specified place where the woman was encouraged to look, to focus her attention. Her husband was
by Paula Benne helping her to keep her eyes on it. Then when it was time to push, the woman would push. Between each contraction, I watched as she would rest and catch her breath. Finally the baby was born and the vision ended. I immediately asked the Lord “Father what is this? Why have you shown me this picture?” Then the Lord impressed this answer upon my heart. “Many of my children are pregnant with prophetic promises. Many are carrying Isaacs in the Spirit.” Then I heard him say, “The time of birthing has come”. For those of you who have carried promises for years… take heart. The time of birthing has come! Then the Lord dropped this Scripture into my heart:
Isaiah 66:9 “Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?” says the Lord. “Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?” says your God.” There is one promise I have carried and pondered in my heart for more than 24 years. So I understand the journey of waiting and how stretching it can be. For me to be trumpeting the message “IT’S TIME” is only possible because of God’s grace. For years, different ones would say to me, “It’s time!”, but it never really was. With the passing of years came the emotional rollercoaster that caused hope deferred to set in. I would never want to give false hope, but I am truly convinced that this really
is the time for God’s promises to be birthed. Many prophetic people have been declaring that we are now in a season of change, shift, transition and moving. The time of repositioning is here. In a natural pregnancy, when the baby’s head drops down it is a sign that the baby is ready to be born. The vision the Lord gave me is a true picture of what is happening in many of our lives in the spirit. The Lord showed me those who have promises are being wheeled into a divine delivery room. And you and I have the Holy Spirit beside us to comfort, to coach, to help and to bring this baby safely to birth (as in the vision where the woman had her husband by her side). The Holy Spirit helps us to keep our focus straight ahead, to keep our eyes on Jesus rather than on our circumstances (similar to how the woman in the vision kept her focus). Many of us have been in a time of intensity. Circumstances have been challenging. Continuing with the birthing analogy, it’s as if the labor pains have grown stronger and closer together. What I felt the Lord showing me is that the season we are in is like having contractions. In between each contraction, there is a pause where the woman in labor would rest and breathe. This is a time for us to also rest in God’s peace. A time to breathe in his presence – breathe in his peace – breathe in his grace. Then the time comes to push. Push means going forward. Push means to simply obey. We aren’t to think or lean on our own understanding. Simply trust and obey. For example, what the push can look like in your life or mine is this. The Holy Spirit may say something like ‘its time to relocate”.
For some of you, he may call you to make a geographical move, or maybe change jobs. Someone might be asked to close one business to bring forth a new one. God does this because he has another divine door for you to walk through. He wants to close one door so that he can open a new one for us. This time of transition will look different for each one of us. Many of us don’t have any idea what these babies will look like until they are born. Some of you have gotten glimpses, visions of what your promise fulfilled may look like. Some of you have seen the head crown and you’re beginning to see the face. I believe we’re in an hour where he is releasing understanding, revealing secrets your heart has longed to know. It’s a time I call “connecting the dots”. It reminds me of the childhood game many of us used to play, where we would draw lines between dots and would see a hidden picture emerge. In our lives God himself is connecting the dots, so that our life becomes a picture in his hands. So we won’t fully know what our baby will look like until it’s born. The baby often looks very different from what we imagined it would look like. Many of you in the body are pregnant with promises, and you are longing, waiting for the true Isaacs to be birthed. You are choosing to believe that what God has promised, He will do. Like many of you, I have been waiting for God to fulfill several specific promises in my life. One of the promises I’ve carried involves doing a new type of Christian television show. After eleven years of waiting for God’s timing, doors have now been opened and this promise is
becoming a reality. Several shows have already been taped. In the past I faced temptations to make things happen in my own strength. Had I done this I would have produced an Ishmael. Abraham’s wife, Sarah, was tempted to do the same thing and her son Ishmael was born. Our goal is to work with the Holy Spirit to birth the true promises of God. The real. The pure. Many of us have experienced an Ishmael or a premature baby. God is now bringing forth the Isaacs. An Isaac is a promise that is birthed by God’s spirit and not by our own flesh. Years ago, during one of my faith trips, I clearly heard the Lord say, “Paula, big babies are birthed through small openings.” This statement pierced my heart. Its truth spoke volumes to me. Some of you have carried promises that look like they will never come to pass. They look impossible in man’s eyes, but with God all things are possible. Nothing is impossible for our heavenly Father. What God has promised you, He will do. Many of you have been in a womb-like place called preparation. It’s been a place of wilderness, or a hidden place where you have been set apart and protected. In this womb the Lord has been creating within you eyes to see by his spirit, ears to hear his voice above all other voices, a mouth to speak his living truth, and a heart that receives his love. You and I are coming through the birth canal, into our callings, into our destinies and into our promised lands. There has been a shift in our lives. We’re coming out of the wilderness, out of the womb of hiddenness, out of hope deferred, and now we are being birthed forth. Be encouraged. The time of birthing has come. •
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Paula: It’s so good to be with you here Akiane: Thank you! Shawn: Tell us about what you are working on and what it is like painting these amazing pictures. Akiane: When I start painting God is working through me, its just such an amazing feeling and new ideas come every minute, so I try to capture as many as I can on the canvas. Shawn: How you get your paintings most of the time is that you have a vision like a movie playing before you and during the vision one single frame that you are supposed to paint comes to the front and you paint it. Then you have visions that show you how to paint it, and when the visions begin to decrease you know you are almost done, is that how it works? Akiane: Yes. Paula: Do you remember the whole vision or just parts? Akiane: Some of the things he shows me in the first vision I do remember but I am not allowed to tell. It is a secret between me and him, but probably later in life I’ll tell. Paula: Can you tell us the first encounter you had with Jesus? Akiane: Of course! It all started when I was four years old and my mother was an atheist. In my home we didn’t do anything with God or the church. Then one day I had a vision of God where He started telling me about my life, my future events, and my family. I didn’t know who he was but I knew he was special. When I started talking to him he was so full of love and kindness.
When I told my parents about it (the encounters) they were confused, but I started to tell them future events and then when they happened slowly by slowly they began to believe in me. He gave me an extreme gift of painting. At that time I started drawing faces, and then I drew my angel, then my mother. Then they started encouraging me (about the encounters and painting) and here I am today! Shawn: How much time was it from the first time you were having visions to the first time your parents believed you? Akiane: A few months before they got into it and began) believing me. At six I started using pastels and then oil and acrylics. I drew on walls, coffee cups, all over the place. My mom said “Stop it I will give you paper!” Shawn: At the same time God gave you art He gave you poetry as well. You are recognized internationally as binary genius in Art and Poetry. When I read the poetry my mind went ‘tilt’ like a pinball machine and I had to read it over and over. Akiane: Yes, some of the poetry goes with my painting like an inscription so people can understand them. Some poems I can’t understand yet. They are so big, such big meaning, I have to look up the words he gives me in the dictionary. Shawn: So you are getting revelation for poems that even you don’t always understand yet? Akiane: Yes, sometimes it takes a while. Sometimes it takes a day, sometimes a month, it just comes to me when God wants to talk to me.
Shawn: Is it same for the meaning of some of your paintings too? Akiane: [giggles] yes Paula: When we were in your art gallery with you and I stood in front of one your pictures, it was like layers of the anointing hit me. There was one painting that I just could have gone into and just get lost in so to speak. Can you tell us a heavenly encounter or one of your favorite encounters? Akiane: All I can say is heaven is soooooo beautiful. It’s so huge and there are many different colors there. There is so much nature, so many flowers, animals, it’s so beautiful. Shawn: So there are animals in heaven? Akiane: OF COURSE! Shawn: Like our pets? Akiane: OF COURSE! Why do you think he gave them to you in the first place! They are part of your family! Paula: At first you just so wanted to spend time with Jesus. What time would you wake up because you hardly slept right? Akiane: Each time I go up to heaven it feels like an eternity there but it’s only a few hours down here. One story when I was around five years old I was literally missing, no one could find me. I was physically taken up to heaven. In Rolla Missouri the police were looking everywhere for me. I was there for around six hours. Then I appeared right in the middle of the room where they were with my family. Shawn: You appeared in the room?
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Akiane: Yes. The feeling that God took me up was so beautiful and so enormous. When I came down on earth and started talking to my parents about it that’s when they started to believe more and more. Paula: Is that the time that Jesus and you first talked? Akiane: Yes, we talked about my life and my future, you know just talk. Shawn: Your mom said that she believes God had that dramatic of an experience because he wanted them as parents to know that He loves you and He are in control. She said that it was like laying Isaac on the alter. It was so dramatic talking to her about this experience! Onto another subject, these encounters have given you such a heart for the poor, tell us about that! Akiane: One day I picked up a national geographic magazine and I saw these children and I asked my mom “What’s going on here?” Because I thought everyone was living in peace and love. She started to tell me about what is happening. Then I had a heart to help them. Now my paintings and books have a lot of proceeds that go to children around the world. Shawn: That is so powerful. You told us that now many of your visions and encounters are about the poor and abandoned children. Paula: Didn’t you give a picture recently for orphans? Akiane: Yeah it is called Hope. Its a little girl on the hill of hope surrounded by cherry blossoms. I donated to Christy’s auction and that money goes to 200 charities around the world.
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Paula: A child feeding children. This is so beautiful! Akiane: Thank you [smiles] Shawn: Tell us about your new book! It’s a book of poetry from what ages of your life? Akiane: Seven to eleven years old, I didn’t get that far yet. I am publishing my third book actually but this is the newest one. Shawn: It has your self portrait on it and you called it “My dream is bigger than I.” Akiane: This is my book to put all my poems together, without it my poems would be all over my room and all over my house (looks and Shawn and Paula) you know how I am! I just decided to put it all in one book. The first time I wrote poetry started was I was assigned poetry for home schooling. It started out taking me like a week to do one sentence but now it takes just like three minutes to do like two pages. It comes effortlessly without me even trying. When I look back on it I say “Wow did I write that? God is really working through me now!” [laugh] Paula: Tell us about your self portrait on the cover. I love this! (Paula looks at the cover).
The Eternal Terms
Shawn: This is one of the most meaningful paintings for me that you have done. You know me, I love all your paintings especially the space ones and creation ones. But I loved the theme that we don’t just help God create but we get to be co creators. You opened something up that not many people even think about.
While clocks ignore eternity tumbled by stones we tighten up zeros— Impatient endurance is not growth If we want to judge the world— every thought and message needs to be heard
Akiane: Thank you. Shawn: I love that you love the Bible and have read it many times. What is your favorite scripture right now?
Each light wave contains an unopened life with a choice— between today’s reality or eternity
Akiane: All of them because there is too many that mean something to me right now.
Let us not tamper with eternity by ruining the only sample of life given for our happiness
Shawn: Almost every morning you spend hours with God until around nine AM and it has nothing to do with art or poetry. Tell us about that?
Eons of knowledge remember our each breath for the soul is the priceless treasure
Akiane: Yes, each time feels like twenty years in just an hour or two. That’s what I love about it it makes me want to spend more time down there.
We do not live for death But neither does an eternity live just for us— The eternal terms never waiver
Paula: How often does he take you up to heaven?
Maybe the only reason and the only way for us to know God’s mind is time
Akiane: I can’t count it Paula: Is it more then once a week?
Akiane: This is a self portrait of me and I blended myself in the universe and am painting and co creating with God. This is how I envision me and God creating together. Like when he creates a star, I take the color from that star and we work together. You can see the pallet is in the background. I am creating with God.
- Akiane Kramarik © 2006 Akiane Kramarik
Akiane: A lot, almost every day. Shawn and Paula: [gasp]
Akiane Kramarik
Paula: Our time is up, we don’t ever want to end this interview, but we thank you for this gift of time you’ve given us. We loved it!
An internationally recognized 12-year-old prodigy, considered the only known child binary genius, in both realist painting and poetry. She is the author of two books “Akiane: Her Life, Her Art, Her Poetry” and the newly published “My Dream is Bigger than I - Memories of Tomorrow” a collection of her poetry.
Akiane: Thank you! [They all hug]•
www.artakiane com
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We are again entering into a time of creative combustion.
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by Shawn Bolz
here is a creative wind blowing all across this earth right now. It’s not a normal wind, nor is it producing common creativity. This is a wind that is stirring up the type of creative power that God has desired to come forth from the time Adam and Eve were in the garden. There is a renaissance coming to the nations that will have an even greater impact then the great Renaissance that began in the fifteenth century. During that creative renaissance artists were often commissioned to translate the imagery of the Bible so that the average person could not only hear the word, but also see it with their very eyes. There had never been such a great awakening to the visualization of Biblical themes as during that period. It was the first generation outside of those living in Biblical times to really see the Word. This unlocked a door for a whole generation of people to enter into a spiritual reality that they had never before experienced. A trumpet was sounded through the arts and hearts were made alive in their spiritual understanding and inspiration. Although artists were still considered eccentric, this was one of the first periods in which the creative artist was considered a productive member of society. Up until this point the common religious opinion was that most art was just sensual and worldly, but all of a sudden the religious community began to understand the usefulness of the creative arts and of those who create. Now they were using their gifts in cooperation with heavenly themes. We are again entering into a time of creative combustion. God wants to use film, theatre, Internet media, television, jewelry making, fashion design, perfume making, and more to release the next installment of the Revelation of Jesus. This is not just a small stirring, but it is going to have global impact. Right now, God is commissioning Kingdom projects – projects that will once again cause a great spiritual awakening all over the world. The Weeds are in Full Bloom You can’t look at the weeds (the developed darkness) in creative arts without understanding that God is also growing His harvest at the same time the enemy is, and that
God’s harvest is equally mature. Many Christians see the arts as a void of endless darkness with no redeemable value, but some look into that darkness and can’t help but be excited about how bright the marvelous light of Jesus will shine there. For those who have eyes to see, God is already beginning a powerful move to resource His purposes there. He is beginning to commission and empower the people He has chosen to infiltrate and overcome the powers that be in the creative realm, so that He can broadcast His Kingdom powerfully through the creative arts. God Doesn’t Just Use Christians One of the principles that the religious community has always erred in is that God will only anoint Christians to fulfill His purposes. The reality is that too often Christians are so bound by traditionalism and religious mindsets that they are the last to discover an anointing that God is releasing. God has mandated inventions, creations, expressions, that must come forth on the earth to reveal His nature. He will use anyone He loves to do this, whether they love Him or not, although He is glorified when we cooperate with Him. As a matter of fact the end time picture woven through the Word of God reveals a victorious people who know how to fully participate with the desires
of Heaven. When God wants something done He doesn’t only invite those who call Him friend, He broadcasts the invitation. His call is like the wedding feast parable: when His friends didn’t come to the party He told His servants to go invite the poor and wretched in to eat. This is exactly what has happened in many industries and marketplaces. God is allowing people to occupy what He can easily overtake with the partnership of YOU. He wants to add His Nature to us so that we will shine In 2 Peter 1:4, Peter describes our unique ability to participate with the nature of Christ in real and tangible ways, and that by doing so we escape any participation with darkness. This also means that we shine brightly under the glory of His nature. We get to be co-creators with heaven because we have the very nature of Jesus at work within us. That means what you bring forth in creative projects has an eternal quality, because there are ingredients added that only heaven can produce. So as you participate with Him, amazing things are going to come through you that not only inspire people but have the DNA to change the very culture and society of nations. It’s a time of Renaissance… are you ready? •
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