.jpg)
Here is my desk this morning,
after I finished my painting.
Hmm, nothing much of interest here,
Except maybe my little
Confiture Bonne Maman empty bottle.
I bought this in Seoul when we were there
last month. It reminded me of our buffet breakfast
on our trip to Paris in 2009.
Whenever I see that little bottle
(not available here in Manila, I've looked!)
I feel so happy!
.jpg)
"You must also be prepared, be ready,
for the Son of Man comes at an hour you do not expect..."
Luke 12:40
When you see a sign on the bus,
"The end is near", or hear
some man preaching about "the end of the world is at hand",
what is your reaction?
Do you scoff and say, "What a loony?"
I have to confess I get excited! I do!
I get excited that I'll see my mom again.
I get relieved that I won't have to think about
all the horrible things happening in
the world today that I can't do much about.
People lonely and dying of ebola,
hungering for the touch of a hand,
or even to see a face, because the people
that treat them are all wrapped up in protective gear.
People being beheaded, kidnapped, made into slaves.
Corruption in the city hall I have to deal with.
A greedy presidential candidate who is not contented
with a rich city's coffers but wants to devour
the whole country's treasure chest!
The thing is we don't have to wait for the world to end.
Our world will end. One day. That's inevitable.
Is it possible to be ready, to be prepared,
every day for God's coming?
We don't have to be prepared for the Second Coming.
God comes into our life every day!
In the form of a little child. A beggar.
Someone who is sick. Someone who is depressed.
How do we respond?
Jesus said in Matthew 25:45, "Truly I say to you,
to the extent that you did not do it
to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me."
"For He Himself is our peace,
who made both groups into one
and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
by abolishing in His flesh the enmity,
which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances,
so that in Himself He might make the two
into one new man, thus establishing peace,…"
Ephesians 2:14-15
This verse is not that easy to understand.
This verse is not that easy to understand.
I see that Jesus broke down the barrier between Jew and Gentile.
Why? The answer perhaps lies in John 17:21,
when Jesus prayed that we will all be one,
just as the Father and He Himself were one.
The 2nd part is harder to comprehend.
The 2nd part is harder to comprehend.
Did not Jesus say in Matthew 5:17 that
He came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it?
And yet here, Paul tells the people of Ephesus
that Jesus abolished the law!
In the New American Standard version, we read,
In the New American Standard version, we read,
"By abolishing in His flesh the enmity,
which is the law of commandments contained in ordinances..."
From listening to some sermons,
I think that Jesus came to fulfill the law
but abolished a subset of laws, the 'holiness code'
which kept Jew and Gentile apart.
This included the dietary restrictions,
and all the detailed laws about sickness,
mildew, eating blood and pork, how far to travel, etc.
Yes, Jesus is our peace, and He gave up His life
Yes, Jesus is our peace, and He gave up His life
that we might have peace that transcends all understanding.
Thank you Lord for making us all one in You!
Joining the lovely Julia Dunnit for a
peek at desks and projects!
I find a lot of inspiration
visiting my friends here:
Blessings!
Patsy
Your paintings are wonderful and love all those touches of Pinks and reds you've used in these hugs Nikki C no # yet
ReplyDeleteYour paintings are beautiful. I especially like the "Be Prepared." I was saddened to read about the ATC that I have obviously still not received. You KNOW if I had received a rocking horse, it would be front and center on my desk. But thanks for trying, anyway. Happy WOYWW from # 2, who knows you don't need the number since you've been here already.
ReplyDeleteStunning paintings as always.
ReplyDeleteSandra de @15
Wonderful art work, as always, Patsy. I agree with your last para, that He came to get rid of all the laws that we put in place, thinking they will get us closer to God. If we concentrate on those Jesus highlighted, loving God and our neighbour as ourselves, then that covers about everything. Humans just love to over-complicate things, I reckon. Have a great week. Hugs, Chris # 3
ReplyDeleteI love your painting. You are a very talented lady. The 'be prepared' is lovely.
ReplyDeleteOh I get excited about end times. I try to live my life being prepared ready for Christ.
I do agree with you on that difficult passage in Ephesians. When I don't understand something, I often look in The Message to see how Eugene Peterson interpretes it. Here is the passage in The Message: "
14-15 The Messiah has made things up between us so that we’re now together on this, both non-Jewish outsiders and Jewish insiders. He tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance. He repealed the law code that had become so clogged with fine print and footnotes that it hindered more than it helped. Then he started over. Instead of continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody."
Thank you for letting me have a peep of your workspace. Have a good week
Lisca#32
Lovely pages, Patsy! Lots of textures going on in them! Keep on creating! zsuzsa @ InkyDinkyDoodle #45
ReplyDeleteYour paintings are gorgeous. Love the scriptures and the colors. #1
ReplyDeleteI think you are so creative and then you write the most wonderful blog posts. Thank you for posting your beautiful art with us this week during our 155th challenge at Word Art Wednesday. I’m praying for sweet sunshiny days and I’m sending happy hugs to all. Carole, Encouragement Coordinator
ReplyDeleteHappy WOYWW, your paintings are beautiful. Can't work out if the bottle is the pink one, or if I am missing it.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very deep post!
Cazzy x #66
I've been praying that the Lord will return soon, and yes I am ready. But there are so many souls who are not ready, and who do not believe they need to be ready for Him. How sad. I keep praying that He will come quickly, but there is much work to be done.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing with us in our challenge this week, and have a blessed week Patsy.
Karen
Word Art Wednesday
Oh Patsy, what a challenging and comforting post! You have the balance just right. We need to behave as if every day is our last, but also recognise there is work to be done until that Day eventually comes. It is so easy these days to be overcome by fear of what is going on in the world but if we keep looking up and lifting up our eyes and remembering that all these things point to the fact that the Day of our redemption draws near, we can draw strength, and look always unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful art work as always, and so beautifully interpreting the words.
I love bringing back little souvenirs from holiday, things you can't get at home! Such a little thing, but so full of memories and its own story.
Happy belated WOYWW,
Shoshi #42
Your drawings are lovely. Someday, with practice, I'll be able to draw something :-) Creative Blessings! Kelly #61
ReplyDeleteI cannot help but believe the day of the Lord's coming is very near, but you are right, we must continue the work the Lord gives us until that trumpet sounds...what a glorious sound that will be! I get excited when I think about it too. When I take my eyes off that the awful things going on in the world can be frightening. Just have to keep looking up and treating everyone me meet with love and kindness so they will wonder about the hope that we have. Thank you for sharing at What We Accomplished Wednesdays. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Deborah