How "Relevent" Are Christian Artists?

Here is a little article I wrote a month ago. I've learned alot about being an artist since then. You have to follow your heart and passion. If you grapple with the questions long enough, you will see the way.

How "Relevent" Are Christian Artists?
by Enrique Crosby

In the song Mr. Jones, Adam Duritz, lead singer of Counting Crows sings, "We all wanna be big big stars, yeah, but we got different reasons for that." How important is fame, and is fame an important and valid motivation and goal for Christian artists to pursue? In an article entitled, "Religion and rock: not a mixture for success", Jess Brooke of the Colorado State University newspaper The Rocky Mountain Collegian writes about how bands that start off overtly Christian in style usually have to lose their overt references to Jesus and Christianity before they become popular in main stream culture.

This artlicle resonates with questions I have in my heart being a visual artist. Questions like: Who is my audience? Is popularity an important platform that I need with my art? Will God be served more if I keep a smaller audience with art that keeps a clear Christian witness, or will he be served more if I make my art more palatable to the masses and make it more ambiguous?

I have heard references in other articles and blogs about the difference between a Christian artist and an artist who is a Christian. (Artist being: visual, music, writers) One produces works that discuss Christian issues, the other creates works on various topics yet the artist retains in his heart that he/she is a Christian.

A story in Scripture I think relates to this topic is that of Daniel, a young devout Jewish man who grows up in a predominantly pagan culture to become one of the great old testament prophets. In his lifetime, Daniel must find the balance between strong commited devotion to the LORD, and humble and devout service to the empire he lives in that at many times opposes his religious beliefs.

Daniel has an amazing ability to serve with great faithfulness the kingdom he lives in , yet at times is commited to standing without apology against the same kingdom in certain situations. Through out his life, Daniel is honored and dishonored repeatedly for his diligent hard work and his uncompomising devoution to the God of Israel.

In Daniel, I find a man to be contemplated. For in Daniel I find a man that has to grapple with many questions that Christians in modern America are facing.

He did not become an antisocial recluse in his society, but instead served his society with zeal. On the other hand, he also retained a lack of interest in fame, promotion or riches even though these often came to him inadvertently. What poise and balance.

Even though Daniel worked more in the realm of politics and religion, artist and musicians will find important themes to consider by studying his life.

e-church Community is Changing the Expression of Christianity

I recently stumbled upon a website called e-church. I was a little skeptical but after I posted a comment and made a post of my own, I found it to be a community experience quite different from that of me posting on my own blog.

e-church is somewhat of a shared posting page that places different user's posts on the same page. They become a community blog in a way. I enjoyed it. If you have time, check it out.

Simply Apocalyptic yet Free

I sit in the Library, a study room on floor 6. I pace and pray. I am being inspired. Listening to these, and praying through these (apostolic prayers) for my university, city, church, friends, and fellow bloggers.

It's not often the wise that are called. And it's not articulate words that reveal Christ, but only the simplicity of devotion acticulating words, actions and prayers of love empowered by the Spirit.

I just got out of my Art History classes, and I'm thinking about my paintings. I paint these wild crazy paintings, and they're fun, but I really want to make some simple images, I don't care if they don't look profound. I want them to be simple, like a head of brocolli in the midst of mouths chewing on empty calories.

The most powerful passage of Scripture I think about that relates to arts is actually when Paul discusses tongues.

(Quote)
⁶Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? ⁷Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? ⁸Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? ⁹So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. ¹⁰Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. ¹¹If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me. ¹²So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.

¹³For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. ¹⁴For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. ¹⁵So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. ¹⁶If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand^[e] say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? ¹⁷You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.

¹⁸I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. ¹⁹But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.(End Quote from 1Cor14)

I associate tongues with abstraction and "in the mind" with literal art. They both have a place, but man, I want to sound a clear trumpet to get people ready. Sure we could all be partying and grooving to some great music, but that's no good if the enemie's in our camp. "God loves you, now get ready battle!"

There is a place for abstract, jazz, and and rave music and art, I love it. Yet, its place is not being an alarm during a fire drill or invasion. For those times we need clear meaningful distinct messages/songs/images that speak, so we won't be dancing or crying when we need to be running.

I know I'm all choppy in my talking. I'm working through my thoughts.

So when I dance, I love it funky. When I'm trying to rescue a drowning person, I like it simple clear and uncomplicated. I sometimes feel this way about art.

I think Heiromymous Bosch balanced both wacky imagination and literal clear trumpet blasts.


I love this guy's style. Intense apocalytic, yet playful and free, that's how I wanna be.

Heck Yes...They're writing about us...

Blogs personalize faith
Online journals attract devoted following (New Leader 9-29-05)

They're writing about us...

Also, here's the Global Voices site they mention.

I Saw "Emily Rose" Tonight

Ok, I confess, I went out with my friend and saw the movie. It was sorta scary, but man, did it pack a message. I think Christians should be grateful for director's like this who make films that engage and challenge belief systems in Modern America. It has a pro-kingdom message. If you don't mind feeling scared a bit, it's worth seeing an American artist create a piece of work that is relevent and engaging. Just go pray alot afterwards.

Purple Space

This is a picture I made today and placed in my cyber-sketchbook. I called it Purple Space. I made it using an open source program called Gimp.

GOD told her to Draw...

Here is the site of a woman who heard God tell her to do black and white drawings for one year. She made 152.

Artist's Statement

While living on the Front Range in Colorado, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart on the last night of 1999. I was to produce fine arts drawings in the new year. They were to be black-and-white, of high drama and inspired by the Holy Bible. Work began on the first day of 2000, and continued until the last day of the year. Then I put my pen down for the last time.

Whew..

I have been working like nuts on this blog stuff. I update my Paintings and began a Cyber Sketchbook...Ooo....

I'm gonna go paint now. I think I might watch a movie tonight. Happy Birthday Casey.

RSS Feeds- Live Bookmarks

If you're using the Firefox browser, this extension allows you to quickly view RSS Feeds by adding a folder into your toolbar. It's very handy. Live Bookmarks.

Rally Call, Bob's Blog and other Ministries

A great guy named Bob Long who lives in San Marcos has pioneered in the Spirit a ministry that trains in apostolic and prophetic. He is a treasure to have living here. Check out his ministry website and his blog.
Rally Call
Bob's Blog

Also, for those of you who don't know, Thomas Cogdell and other servants are spearheading the Austin House of Prayer. Click on their site to see prayer times, conferences and training times.
Austin House of Prayer

Also, OneThing is a powerful ministry that is pouring out passion for Jesus on this generation. It is headed up by Dwayne Roberts, a great speaker and powerful intercessor. The OneThing Austin conference will be Nov. 4-5.
Onething Austin Nov. 4-5

Central Texas is stirring things up.

San Marcos Bloggers

I'm encouraging Christians in San Marcos to start blogging as a way of growing in relationship, keeping in touch with what God is doing in other people, cities, and nations, and and sharing our faith with others. I put together the San Marcos Christian Blog Directory. I was inspired by what Winnipeg Centre Vineyard did.

Anyhow, I hope to link up Christian bloggers in this city and area. So if you don't blog, consider beginning. If you already do, and live in the San Marcos (central Texas) area, and would like to be in the directory let me know.

I have a History of Photography quiz tomorrow that I have to memorize 26 slides for. I better get to work.

Quote

"I believe that this is the generation who will usher in the Son of Man as we intercede from our highest identity as a Bride crying out, " Come!" unsatisfied with anything less than Him. As Eternity breaks in we will awaken the Dawn with a song and the Morning Star will rise to have His inheritance on this planet! This is all I care about."

Misty Edwards

Another Hurricane is Brewing

Today in worship, I felt this stirring:

There is another "hurricane" coming. It's stirring and brewing. Rita was like a picture of God's shaking coming. We responded quickly. Rita was a physical hurricane, but there is a Global shaking coming, and it's time to respond quickly.

The shaking will include earthquakes, wars against wicked coalitions, outbreaks of old and new diseases, financial instability.

Was the Church in Germany prepared to face a wicked Leader during WWII? Will the Church be prepared to face the Global shaking that God in his mercy is asking us to prepare for? He is raising up voices in the earth saying, "Blow the trumpet in Zion, call the sacred assembly..." It's time to seek him with fasting, weeping and mourning".

Plus, very important, we must understand this God of love that allows and uses judgement to awaken his people. We must understand his great desire and jealousy for his wife. He wants her heart and will not share it with another. We must develop intimacy before the judgment so that when the shaking comes we will not be confused and begin accusing God of injustice. This will be a great test for humanity...This will be a test for the Church. Will we accuse God of injustice, or will we cooperate with him and understand his motive of mercy, compassion and longing for his people's hearts?

Please read Joel, the whole book especially chapters 2,3.
Then read Zechariah Chapters 9-12.
(These two books offer so much insight into the language of the book of Revelation)

We must be ready, strong in intimacy with God and strong in love. It's time to intercede on behalf of Israel and the earth.

I kept feeling Joel 2 and 3 during church worship today.
Rita was a picture of how we must respond to the message that God is brewing a great shaking for the earth...Will we resond?

We have a choice Church?

When judgment hits, we the Church can either look like New Orleans, or like Houston...The shaking will come, we will feel it regardless. Will we respond by steady pray and head his direction, or will we be slow to respond and be hit unprepared?

We cannot afford to not hear his voice in this season of time.

Wow Church...

Just got out of church and had to get online fast. Wow...The Lord was moving in me...Revelations swirls...Like Coffee and Cream...

I'm at a coffee shop now...

I'm starting a blogger group for our church were we each get blogs. I was inspired by the Winnipeg Vineyard's blog groups.

Wow, I talked to Ben and Gene about end-time cataclysmic events too.

It's time to build the networks.

Fellow Blogger

I found a blog called Wild Olive Branch. The blogger is on staff at Atlanta House of Prayer. He' got some cool links to the Virginia Tech House of Prayer and some other cool stuff.

That's alot of linkage.

Great Resource

This link to the Virginia Tech House of Prayer has great DOWNLOADABLE teachings, and music from Mike Bickle and Misty Edwards. There is a very rare teaching BY Misty Edwards you can hear too. Downloads...I've been wanting the Studies in the Book of Joel and ha, ha...here it is....so please burn copies and give em to your friends. Pass on this link...put it into your blogs...yes all youze guys. Click on the headphone icon, then click on the down arrow to download.

House of Prayer Blues

Man I long for a House of Prayer in San Marcos. I will be in prayer about this. Sometimes I get frustrated because I don't know what to do with this passion and vision. I feel stupid sometimes when I want to talk to our churches pastor about holding a prayer/discussion meeting about a house of prayer. I almost scheduled a meeting tonight over email. Am I doing this alone? Do I need to wait for God to organically grow it? I tire of waiting.

Please Lord, direct our steps. I do believe it's your heart to capture the heart of a generation. Release messengers and captivate hearts. Raise up a generation of lovesick worshippers flowing in a prophetic spirit.

Amen

Hurricane Rita

So life goes on around here. I can't even notice the hurricane appoaching except for all the traffic on the way to work. The highway lines are endless. Highways and roads that are usually sparse with traffic are packed. Truck stops at I-10 intersections are like campgrounds. It's truly amazing. It reminds me of a scene out an apocalyptic thriller or something, like Deep Impact, or Independence Day. Thousands of schedules, lives, routines have been disrupted. I know how hard it is to break routine. Whole regions of this state have left all the mundane behind for an aventure/misadventure. Will Texas/America ever be quite the same? Our routines aren't as binding as we sometimes believe. Wow...

I'm going to the store to see if I can find some candles, matches, flashlights, water, etc. I have a family from Houston that may stay with me tonight. I have told my family that lives at a lower elevation in San Marcos that they can some up here if the water get too high.

I tell you what I see in the next week.

House of Prayer- JERUSALEM

HOUSE OF PRAYER IN JERUSALEM 24 hour, 7 days a week corporate worship and intercession patterned after the Tabernacle of David, and within walking distance of its original location in Jerusalem. We currently have worship and intercession watches in English, Hebrew, Spanish, German and French.

Also, I just finished my Asian Art History exam. whew!

IHOP INTERNS

I found all these Ihop-KC intern blogs. Most of them I have linked on "blogs I am reading". Check out Joel's Blog and his links. I think he's from Winnepeg and so are many of his friends. Lots of them are currently interning at Ihop. So read their blogs and encourage them. They have some great posts about the Spiritual Warfare Conference.

For a good laugh read this guys post about his conference experience. It's funnier if you've been around Misty Edwards.

Also, every church should start a blog directory like this.

During Hurricane Rita- Seek God and Pray

During Hurricane Rita, let's stay in intercession and prayer. God can turn the tide.

¹² "Even now," declares the LORD,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning."

¹³ Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.

¹⁴ Who knows? He may turn and have pity
and leave behind a blessing—

Jonah's Message

On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." ⁵ The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

⁶ When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. ⁷ Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh:
"By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. ⁸ But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. ⁹ Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish."

¹⁰ When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

God in the Storm

As Hurricane Rita moves towards Houston, a refuge for those struck by hurricane Katrina, it reminds me of the story of Jonah running from God. God followed him with a storm until he obeyed God and did what God had been asking him to do all along.

We are shaking...

Joel 2,
Matthew 24
Revelation 6

Things on Earth are going to get shaky.

Hurricane Rita is up to a category 4. I think we are in the first stages of a God-Orchestrated wake up call. God never promised to leave America alone to do whatever we liked.

¹² "Even now," declares the LORD,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning."

¹³ Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.

¹⁴ Who knows? He may turn and have pity
and leave behind a blessing—
grain offerings and drink offerings
for the LORD your God.

¹⁵ Blow the trumpet in Zion,
declare a holy fast,
call a sacred assembly.

¹⁶ Gather the people,
consecrate the assembly;
bring together the elders,
gather the children,
those nursing at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room
and the bride her chamber.

¹⁷ Let the priests, who minister before the LORD,
weep between the temple porch and the altar.
Let them say, "Spare your people, O LORD.
Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,
a byword among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
'Where is their God?' "

What will be next, economic crashes, rampant diseases? Just prayer, turn to the Lord. The only thing that can stop judgment is repentance and intercession.

HeartRock Rocks!

Check out HeartRock, TV Inc.'s site. I really admire them. Jerusalem based Messianic ministy. They reach out to the youth and have a coffee shop, live bands, skatepark, thrift store, youth-run TV station, it's just great. Donate if you can.

Wedding Bells

I just found out my friend Shannon is getting married!!!! Cool.

She asked if I could do weddings. My brother has asked me the same thing so, I looked up online ordination. This website was sincere and valid. I believe its overall goal too. So if you know you're saved and want to be ordained as an independent minister (you can legally marry and start an independent ministry) Check out this site. There are other sites, but this one was simple and sweet.

Testing

I'm having trouble getting to my blog.

The sky IS going to fall...

Ok, another hurricane. Rita is on her way to Texas.

The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony ¹¹and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.

From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.
(Taken from visions a man named John had about 90AD)

When a nations turns away from God and does things explicitly prohibited in the Scriptures...judgment is inevitable.

This is just the beginnings of the terrible things that are coming...we are going to see crazy earthquakes, diseases, food shortages, economic crashes, and contaminated water. Also keep you eyes on the celestial bodies. They are going to start behaving in strange ways.

God's heart cries "Return to me."
His people say,"We don't even know who you are anymore."
Like spankings to a child, but the child will not stop fighting...

Please world, do not be so deaf as in the vision quoted above. When disaster comes, do not stay away from God, do not curse him.

Like a child who will not return to his father.

Please...


I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, ¹³and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

But the Bible is just a story right? There is no God, devil, demons right?

Oh, America, why have you left your foundation. Each school child used to read the Bible as text. Now my University colleege doesn't even know who Joseph (Mary's husband) is. We call it progress, but it is destroying us.

Abortion, homosexuality, prayer and God's name being taken to the Supreme Court of the land. Why? What wrong has God done to you?

Test on Thursday

So I've been getting into blogging alot lately. I'm stumbling through HTML and CSS. You can see some of my experiments by my title up on top. I've played some with Blender3d. Anyhow, I've spent alot of time doing this. Yesterday morning I posted about 4 times in the morning, mostly about Israel or dancing worship glory stuff. I'm using www.technorati.com to do blog searches. Currently, if you type in Mike Bickle and search, my blog comes up. It displays blog entries by most recent, so I'm the most recest person to blog Mike Bickles name. So if I write "Pickles" then anyone searching for blogs about pickles will see my name come up first until I get overshadowed by more recent pickle bloggers.

I have my Asian Art History test on Thursday. I have to know about the neolithic Asian art, Shang dynasty, Zhou dynasty, and other stuff. It's mostly bronze containers and sculpture.

I miss my family tremendously.

Hey, I think all my friends should start blogging so we can keep up with each other more. Today I found myself praying for people I'd never met, simply because I had read their blogs and knew about things they were going through. A girl blogger from somewhere on the west coast had just seen the Emily Rose movie and was only slightly wondering if God and demons could be just maybe real. I sent her some links about the scary real facts behind the movie and also a story of Jesus casting out the legion. I wanted to show her who the scary demons are scared of.

I skate to school on my board. I met a local boarder named Gabriel. He's cool and skates oldschool. We talked about old decks, the old: Tony Hawk, Mike McGill, Caballero, Ray Barbee, Vision Psycho, Powell Peralta Skull and Sword, Corey O'brien, and oh yeah Garbage Pail Kids. We talked about our highschool/junior high culture.

San Marcos is getting a skate park and has been having recent skate competitions.

I found my brothers MySpace today. He probably would hate it if I put a link to his sight. Oh, Well.

I found this website of a church in Canada that is doing a great job of innovating and making use of technology to keep in touch. The church has a community blog directory.
Note: Every Church should consider this....!!! Talk about keeping in touch and getting to know about one another.

My friend Tom Chaeffer is outspoken and passionate about Israel.

I'm going to load some prophetic-pro-Israel links.

Ya,ll take care and drop me a line.

My First Blender3d Rendering

It's actually the first I've saved. I started playing with Blender a week ago.

Art Class and the Big Picture

Just finished class. After class was over, my instructor turned my painting on it's side and commented on looking at the big picture. He said, "It's like life, look at the big picture." This is important and true, but come on, life is a tension between the big picture and the details. We die in either extreme, right?

Faith without Church?! Hmm.

This is an interesting site. I do believe modern Christianity is out of touch with its original, house to house, underground grassroots style.

The Exocism of Emily Rose

I found this link to the facts behind the movie.

This article is about the director, a Christian.

ANGELIC VISITATION - SEPT 8

Taken from The Night Watch Worldwide Prayer Network

Dude, it's time for judgement. Please pray. It's at the door. Three hurricanes this month. War...A divided country. We must prepare...listen to ihop teaching...encountering jesus for a further clue about what is hitting planet earth.

At 2 AM on September 8, Mike Bickle had an angelic visitation; only the third time in his life he has seen an angel. It came to his room and was standing before his bed, and in front of the angel, standing on the floor was a tall trumpet. The angel raised the trumpet to his lips as if to blow but then lowered the trumpet down without blowing it, and then disappeared. Mike hit himself a couple of times to check and see if this was really happening. The angel appeared a second time, with the trumpet again, again raised it to his lips to blow but did not blow the trumpet and then disappeared again. Then the same exact thing happened a third time and the angel disappeared. The “download” of the meaning of it came into Mike and here is what it was. There were three specific scriptures that must be looked at in keeping with the meaning: Zeph. 2:2-3; Ezek.9:4-6; and Ezek. 22:30. Please read the scriptures after you read this, if you will.

The Zephaniah scriptures essentially say: Before God’s anger burns against the land, and before the decree takes effect, seek the Lord all you humble of the earth. Seek righteousness, seek humility, perhaps you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.

The Ezekiel 9 scripture; God says to a destroying angel (essentially)…”mark the foreheads of those who cry out and sigh for the sins of the nation. Slay everyone in the land except those on whom is the mark.

Mike said that that seemed to mean to him that there will be cities of refuge where intercessors and the praying church is repenting before God for the sins of our country, and that the intercessors need to invite into the refuge places, lost people and others who God will cover and protect.

Mike said that the three trumpet scenario meant that it is like God has typed out His email; (the releasing of judgment on the US) but has not hit send yet. We now have time to cry out for mercy and time to repent. Perhaps we will be hidden. Mike also sensed strongly that California will receive God’s judgment; that they are standing up in pride with their same sex marriage issues and that judgment will come upon them; unless there is a bona fide repentance that comes to their hearts. Mike said we (the US) are in God’s judgment now, but we have an opportunity for maximum mercy to be shown by God as He selects the judgments. We need to pray.

Gary Wiens ~ Burning Heart Ministries

END TIMES WORSHIP - ISAIAH 30

OK Dig.

This is one of the end-time tabernacle of DAvid. Prophecies that kind of obscure...follow..

Isaiah 30

<--end time shaking, crazy turmoil, God will test all, begins here--->
²⁷ See, the Name of the LORD comes from afar,
with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke;
his lips are full of wrath,
and his tongue is a consuming fire.

²⁸ His breath is like a rushing torrent,
rising up to the neck.
He shakes the nations in the sieve of destruction;
he places in the jaws of the peoples
a bit that leads them astray.

<--that bit you just read about is the deception of antichrist...the world wants him...they can have him...and he will lead your soul astray like the devil-->

<--side note from 2 Thessalonians.... ⁹The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, ¹⁰and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. ¹¹For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie ¹²and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.-->

²⁹ And you will sing
as on the night you celebrate a holy festival;
your hearts will rejoice
as when people go up with flutes
to the mountain of the LORD,
to the Rock of Israel.

⁶ May the praise of God be in their mouths
and a double-edged sword in their hands,

⁷ to inflict vengeance on the nations
and punishment on the peoples,

⁸ to bind their kings with fetters,
their nobles with shackles of iron,

⁹ to carry out the sentence written against them.
This is the glory of all his saints.
Praise the LORD.---psalm 149----->

³⁰ The LORD will cause men to hear his majestic voice
and will make them see his arm coming down
with raging anger and consuming fire,
with cloudburst, thunderstorm and hail.

³¹ The voice of the LORD will shatter Assyria;
with his scepter he will strike them down.

³² Every stroke the LORD lays on them
with his punishing rod
will be to the music of tambourines and harps,
as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm.

<no way dude, did Scripture just say that...God's judgments will have a soundtrack....yes way....it will be the above godly ones worshipping as on the night they celebrate a festival...talk about night raves...>

³³ Topheth has long been prepared;
it has been made ready for the king.
Its fire pit has been made deep and wide,
with an abundance of fire and wood;
the breath of the LORD,
like a stream of burning sulfur,
sets it ablaze.

<--sidenote...¹⁰And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. rev.20-->

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT FOLKS...end times Scriptural proof in one passage of scripture of end times worship leading to end time judgments, deliverance and the destruction of antichrist.

ROCK ON you worshippers. OUT there... Shout outs to you IHOPPERS keeping it lit....Shout outs to AlL you boiler rooms...churning out steam for us slow poke engines...PRAY FOR US... We need it...

PRAY LIKE HELL

Let me tell you something...

Man I love to dance. I wished the whole world would go crazy and dance all night. It would probably bring world peace or something. Anyhow...

I used to dance in church...Yeah... It sounds kind of strange right. A place where men where collared garments and do incense ritual. You know, sometimes I don't like the way so called Church looks...so I join the crowd, right?

One thing I don't like, is that Charismatics(at least the ones I've seen and I am one), don't know how to seperate fun from serious. Sometimes it's like we're trying to throw a really good rave, while we stand in rows and try to be in a Supreme Court hearing all at the same time. I say we divide it up and know when to let our hair down, and then know when to get serious and stop and listen.

My schpeal if that is how you spell it, is about worship and dance. Man, God loves this *stuff*, he's the source of infinite creativiy and variation. The times I have felt the closest to him was one time I was dancing. It felt like Jesus was inside of me moving and we were one and we were so loving the Church. I was so full of joy I was unhuman.

For you fools out there, think about this. Some of you won't have a clue what I'm talking about, but who cares. Do you remember the first time you raised your hands in church? The first time you sang out loud in church? The first time you prayed out loud or shared a word in church? Or spoke in tongues?

Ok LISTEN. Dance is like lifting your hands, giving a prophetic word, falling on your knees, speaking in tongues all at the same time but with your WHOLE body soul and spirit.

David, for you brotha Jews out there, my man KING David. He rocks, and what about his brotha man Samuel....They get down right.

1 Samuel 10,19 talk about one of the great mysteries in Bible. I see a rave with crazy spirit manifestation going on. Isn't that the throne room of heaven...a rave...music, movement, song, crazy light shows, noises, images that freak your mind. It's a rave, so lets bring in the sounds, colors, and freaky things that technology has to offer up to God. Dance....oy..ok..

⁵ "After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying. ⁶ The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. ⁷ Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.
(1Samuel chalpter 10 verses 5-6)

This rocks my world. These cats were rocking along for God. They were so rocking away that God was rocking along with them, and then this poor fool named Saul enters their God jam session and poof. He's a gonner. He was TRANSFORMED by the swirling glory of God residing in these prophet rock stars. You see God loves to rock. If we rock into a God worship. He'll show up and lead the jam session. Then all these Saul will be touched by God....WHHHOOOO...Tabernacle of David Baby....That's what it is....

Samuel started it right...These are his prophets that he's training. Samuel is like David's papa. So when david first gets his bank as king. He sets up his kingdom rock-a-thon. 24/7. Bam, God's glory gives Israel crazy victories in war. People actually KNOW what God is saying. (Unlike so many churches) WE NEED THESE 24/7 GOD rock-a-thons.

If you can hang with me...

¹⁸ When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. ¹⁹ Word came to Saul: "David is in Naioth at Ramah"; ²⁰ so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came upon Saul's men and they also prophesied. ²¹ Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. ²² Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Secu. And he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?"
"Over in Naioth at Ramah," they said.

²³ So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even upon him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. ²⁴ He stripped off his robes and also prophesied in Samuel's presence. He lay that way all that day and night. This is why people say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

Get this, another perfect example of God loving to rock. Here are these prophets lost in worhip thowing out the words of God because God in flowing with them...you hear...

night and day worship is awesome....

It will save us from the enemy...Look at above passage. It forms a shield of Glory, God's enemies wither in in.

⁴ The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit ^[a] of judgment and a spirit ^[b] of fire. ⁵ Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy. ⁶ It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.

This is the GLORY COVERING IN JERUSALEM AFTER WORSHIP HAS FILLED THE CITY.


Worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, worship, and do it some more....

PEOPLE, WE MUST ESTABLISH THE HOUSE OF PRAYER/TABERNACLE OF DAVID....PLEASE.... YOU MUST, ALL YOU'Z. THE SHAKINGS ARE COMING!!!!

It's not about the warm fuzzies. It's not even about Jesus healing people...YOU FOOLS...HE PROMISED TO SHAKE HEAVEN AND EARTH...EVERYTHING YOU TRUST IN BESIDES GOD WILL BE TESTED....money, food, health...

God's word declares that massive wars are coming, then deaths, then famines, then crazy religious persecution...so you CHRISTIAN who were planning to chill out and retire nice. Don't plan on it...

Don't just pray for nice dinner blessings...DUDE, the Sky really is going to fall.

The media serves it's place...but DUDE they suck at preparing the world for the second coming.

Isaiah 34:4 NIV
All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.

Matthew 24:29 NIV
"Immediately after the distress of those days " 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' [ Isaiah 13:10; 34:4]

Mark 13:25 NIV
the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' [ Isaiah 13:10; 34:4]

God's Special Love for Israel

I had just written a passionate post about Israel, but it got erased as my browser crashed.

It was about this:

Replacement Theology is Wrong and Bad--

Replacement Theology goes something like this:
Because Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, Israel no longer has a special place in God's heart. He has given all his promises to the anyone who follows Jesus. Jews are just like any other people.

This is false and was a great tool in Hitler's arsenal. This belief will be useful in the reign of Antichrist as he assault the Jewish race as well.

God has made literal promises and given literal prophecies to the ethnic Jewish race, and a real remnant will fullfil them. Yes, God's promises to Israel can be applied to the church, but they are first and foremost about the Jew.

It bothers me when Christians assume that God has simply left Jews and given all the Jewish promises to the non-Jewish Christian Church. God is not done with Israel.

We are simply living in a window of time when non-Jewish followers of Jesus can be grafted into the Jewish heritage, promises and destiny, but the day is approaching when this window of time will finish and a Jewish remnant will accept Jesus.

"If Jews rejecting Christ means salvation for Gentiles, what will their acceptance of him be but LIFE FROM THE DEAD."

The church has yet to see the Great Glory and blessing that will come when Jews step into place as a kindom of priests.

Those "old-testament" promises to Israel can be applied to the gentile church but they WILL be fulfilled by a Real Ethnically Jewish remnant, in a Real Nation of Israel, in A real Zion, in a Real Jerusalem.

We are the generation that is watching the real Jewish people return to a real Israel...please remember to pray for the Jews when we use those Jewish promises and apply them to our churches.

For More insights, listen this teaching series,

ISRAEL MANDATE
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

A must-read for all Christians and Pastors:
















Your People Shall Be My People

Anne Rice and Jesus

Anne Rice's New Book- Christ the Lord. Wow. It was her book Memnock the Devil of the Vampire Chronicles that got me interested in going back to church after a long prodigal season. Now she's writing a book about Jesus.

Pop Culture and Jesus

This is definately a fun link. It's about American Pop Culture: movies, music, hollywood and interesting sightings of faith, and Jesus. I'm going to revisit this site alot.
http://www.thunderstruck.org/ I'm adding a link to this on the side bar. I found this site through Greg Burnett's blog.

Ihop-kc Prophetic History

If you haven't heard the ihop-kc prophetic history you are missing out. I've included a link to the encountering jesus series by Mike Bickle. This is a 12 cd audio series chronicling the 20 year prophetic history of the international house of prayer.

Painting Gallery

Now the painting gallery link works...

Great Teachings Site

For great resources to get you all stirred up to seek God check out this site. It's mostly Mike Bickle/IHOP teaching stuff, but it's free. Man, normally you would have to buy this stuff. But, go, go, go...Bookmark it and then when you have time listen to a teaching.

3rd World War

I was listening to the Encountering Jesus series by Mike Bickle tonight while driving home from work. I recommend this cd series to all. In cd1 he we discussed a vision given to Bob Jones about a 3rd world war. Later Mike tells of a powerfully confirmed dream given to Paul Cain about an evil empire that will arise out of Europe that will be horendously evil...it will mix the spirt of communism with the spirit of Islam. This empire will trouble the whole earth, and be part of world war 3. Mike brought up the topic of George Washington's vision at valley forge in which our 1st president saw three wars: 1. the American Revolution, 2. a war having to do with Africa (civil war), and a third in which Europe, Africa and Asia unite and attach on US soil.

Mike Bickle also states that most Christians are living as though there is no war coming. It's hard to imaging a terrible war arising, but think about all the unprepared Christians living in Europe right before WWII. Would they have believed if a prophet had told them that in the next few years, 60 million people will die on your soil? Anyhow, he urges us to pray and be prepared.

Taken from G. Washingtons vision, this is about the third war he saw on American Soil:

"And again I heard the mysterious voice saying, 'Son of the Republic, look and learn,' At this the dark, shadowy angel placed a trumpet to his mouth, and blew three distinct blasts; and taking water from the ocean, he sprinkled it upon Europe, Asia and Africa. Then my eyes beheld a fearful scene; from each of these countries arose thick, black clouds that were soon joined into one. And throughout this mass there gleamed a dark red light by which I saw hordes of armed men, who, moving with the cloud, marched by land and sailed by sea to America, which country was enveloped in the volume of cloud. And I dimly saw these vast armies devastate the whole country and burn the villages, towns and cities that I beheld springing up. As my ears listened to the thundering cannon, clashing of swords, and the shouts and cries of millions in mortal combat, I again heard the mysterious voice saying, 'Son of the Republic, look and learn.' When the voice had ceased, the dark shadowy angel placed his trumpet once more to his mouth, and blew a long and fearful blast.

Church Thought about Nehemiah in Current Events

A thought from church today:

The books of Nehemiah, Daniel, Ezra, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi are of special concern to us today because of current events. These books are associated with Jews returning to their home land to rebuild their lives, society and culture.

In the church today lots of times we allegorize there books into stories about how we are building our lives, our churches, against personal obstacles. This is valid and good.

Yet the literal and real importance lies in the fact that these very books are physically being relived in our lifetime. Jews are right now after 2000 years of being exiled, are returning to their land to rebuild it. We as the church need to see the importance of this and support it with prayer, giving, and wisdom. It was foretold long ago that Jews would regather again. Also, Jews are God's timeclock for the rest of the world.

The apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Romans in chapter 11, that God has hardened the Jewish heart for a season only until the "fullness of the Gentiles" comes into the faith. That means until all the people who will believe in Jesu and are not Jewish is completed. After this, Jewish eyes will begin to see Jesus or Yeshua as the Messiah.

We are living in the fullfillment of prophecy. Jews are returning to Israel and are believing in Jesus in unprecedented numbers.

As the returning of Jesus draws nearer. We need to remember that the books of Nehemiah, Ezra, Daniel, Hagggai, Zechariah, and Malachi are literally being re-enacted as I write. May our prayers and hearts be towards Israel. As the books of Nehemiah and Ezra tell, Israel has many enemies and stuggles to overcome. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Has God rejected Israel, "by no means" Paul writes. "My heart and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved."

The End

The Painting I'm Currently Killing...Will it be reborn?

On the way home last night, at 1:30AM. I stopped at the University to look for a way into the painting classroom so I could work. I found the scultupe class doors open and made my way up the building to the 4th floor. I had the class room to myself. I listened to my limited edition ihop-cd and looked at my painting.

It a picture about God as our father, yet it appears like a picture about a teenager and his father. San Marcos is personified as a son, God as a father. The son turns his back in frustration. The father stands silouetted in the door frame with a table prepared beyond him. The son stays in a darkend room.

It looks to simple, to plain. It doesn't come across like I want it to. So last night, with the music playing, I killed it and it was reborn. It seems now that other worlds are creeping in. Images and fancy colors are loitering around the edges and in the shadows. Faces are oozing out lights and colors, and yet underlying it all is a father and son. They are now existing in their drama, surrounded by colorful places, hazy like a memory, otherworldly like the picture that came to me that was not mine from somewhere else. Tension between simple meaning, and thrilling mysterious unknown.

My response right now...Oh my God...I killed it...I like it...I'm scared...but I like where it's going. It expresses my struggle with painting, the world, and the church. Simplicity and creative mystery...powerful meaning and sublime obscurity...seeing yet knowing we see so little.

Intercession for our Country

Prayer for the Supreme Court


Picture taken off greg burnett's blog
writing from Charlotte, NC.

Painting Gallery

I just created a quick painting gallery. You can view it at http://enriquecrosby.blogspot.com. or Click here.

Art/Prophecy Theories...Ha,ha

I'm going to my painting class this morning. Man, sometimes I get so tripped up on stupid things. I start wondering if my art is good, why does it look this way? Should it look that way? and on and on. This morning I think God was saying...chill out...

I've been thinking about painting like prophetic words. We studied the art of giving prophetic words while in Ihop-kc and in some books too. There are about 4 steps. Revelation..(receiving), Interpretation(what does this mean), Application(What am I suppose to do with this?), Delivery..(If I'm suppose to share this...How?When?What style?..serious/humor/public/private)

Anyhow, more about that later...

Most people, including me, get nervous upon sharing a word. We think, could I be wrong? Is this stupid? Will anyone laugh or think I'm nuts? And the answer is ...yes....but who cares, you do it anyway...and most of the time you were right...and sometimes you get looks that say, "What are you talking about?" But you keep at it.

So the purpose of me painting or just plain being alive and giving words...is to enjoy God and encourage people...I can't get caught up on my "word" or "painting" they come and go...bless yourself, God and people...Share what you get...and let it go.

So, I'll be working on this today.

Updated

Hey it's me. I'm living alone for a while. The rest of my family took at trip to see my inlaws. I've been surfing the web and studying webmaster stuff. Still in my painting class. I would love to get some pics of school on here.