"Deus Lo Vult Part II:
As this painting progress’s into the second week, it is beginning to look more defined in its composition and character. The outline for the Christian Crusader’s are now coming into focus and the young Martin Luther is almost completely blocked in with color. My goal for week three is to have all the line work completed and all the design elements added so the viewer will get a pretty good idea of what the finished artwork will look like.
In the first part of this series I briefly introduced my purpose for doing this painting. In the next few weeks I will better define my thoughts and the inspiration behind such a work as "Deus Lo Vult." Basically, It is my personal belief that religion is the darkest kingdom of a man’s soul when grace is replaced by a self righteous attitudes and actions. As I started in Part one;
"The message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the natural enemy of any religious thought or action. Jesus never came to start a revolution or a reformation in the way religion has dictated from the time of Abraham. His reformation was to begin in the individual heart of those who believe and His Kingdom is one of the conscience and right living."
Wrong religion is the harlot of self righteousness, hypocrisy and iniquity. Jesus Christ came with an "anti-religious" message of forgiveness, grace and mercy. In Matthew’s gospel when confronting arrogance and unrighteousness, Jesus words were very harsh and condemning. And those words were directed at the established ruling powers of His day. Religious intolerance and elitism was the source of all the strife and confrontation between Jesus and the Jewish religious authorities. Grace and forgiveness have always confronted the prejudice of self righteousness since the time of His cross on down through the ages.
The King Who would not Wear their Crown:
We are terribly mistaken when we think that Jesus Christ came to establish a new religion in what we label as Christianity. He didn’t come to invent something new, He came to eternally establish the fulfillment of the law and prophets and to make good on the promise to Abraham and his seed. Jesus Christ is the manifested Word of God that was the hope and promise of Israel in the form of her Messiah. So that all men could receive the good news of the gospel message and take part in that same hope one day soon. Israel had to be "born again" unto that promise that was made four hundred and thirty years before the law was ever given.
And this I say, [that] the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. Gal 3:17 (KJV)
From the very outset of His public ministry Jesus was making some bold claims about the Kingdom of heaven and calling on Israel’s repentance in accepting God’s plan for His chosen nation. Calling for repentance and asking them to accept the "good news" that flew in the face of their religious establishment.
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Mark 1:14-15 (KJV)
So once the religious authorities figured out Jesus Christ didn’t come as a conquering King to overcome their enemies and to establish an earthly kingdom, Jesus than became public enemy number one in their pious eye’s. The politic’s of His day had religious implications and visa versa. You can agree or disagree but doesn’t that sound familiar in our day also? Yes Jesus most certainly did come to start a revolution but it was a silent, non violent one of reconciliation between mankind and God.
Each generation has the potential to raise up its own Martin Luther and each generation suffers from religious crusaders of some sort. The message of Jesus Christ shook the first century religious establishment to the core. Jesus openly challenged all those who unrighteously thought of themselves as being "saved before God" without knowing Him or His message. Religion today has lured many of us asleep in believing that as long as we are good, decent moral people, we can judge other’s by these same standards of self righteousness. But without a relationship built upon Christ we make religion the same creature Jesus dealt with in His day. Raw, unrefined religion is mainly about fear and control. Mercy and unconditional love is anti-control and the best religion we can ever practice. If you want true religion without a label, there it is my friend.
In part three of "Deus Lo Vult" we will remember one of the darkest periods of our past and how the Christian Crusades helped shaped the world we live in today.
James Robert Kessler
Because of Him Art Ministry 2008
As this painting progress’s into the second week, it is beginning to look more defined in its composition and character. The outline for the Christian Crusader’s are now coming into focus and the young Martin Luther is almost completely blocked in with color. My goal for week three is to have all the line work completed and all the design elements added so the viewer will get a pretty good idea of what the finished artwork will look like.
In the first part of this series I briefly introduced my purpose for doing this painting. In the next few weeks I will better define my thoughts and the inspiration behind such a work as "Deus Lo Vult." Basically, It is my personal belief that religion is the darkest kingdom of a man’s soul when grace is replaced by a self righteous attitudes and actions. As I started in Part one;
"The message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the natural enemy of any religious thought or action. Jesus never came to start a revolution or a reformation in the way religion has dictated from the time of Abraham. His reformation was to begin in the individual heart of those who believe and His Kingdom is one of the conscience and right living."
Wrong religion is the harlot of self righteousness, hypocrisy and iniquity. Jesus Christ came with an "anti-religious" message of forgiveness, grace and mercy. In Matthew’s gospel when confronting arrogance and unrighteousness, Jesus words were very harsh and condemning. And those words were directed at the established ruling powers of His day. Religious intolerance and elitism was the source of all the strife and confrontation between Jesus and the Jewish religious authorities. Grace and forgiveness have always confronted the prejudice of self righteousness since the time of His cross on down through the ages.
The King Who would not Wear their Crown:
We are terribly mistaken when we think that Jesus Christ came to establish a new religion in what we label as Christianity. He didn’t come to invent something new, He came to eternally establish the fulfillment of the law and prophets and to make good on the promise to Abraham and his seed. Jesus Christ is the manifested Word of God that was the hope and promise of Israel in the form of her Messiah. So that all men could receive the good news of the gospel message and take part in that same hope one day soon. Israel had to be "born again" unto that promise that was made four hundred and thirty years before the law was ever given.
And this I say, [that] the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. Gal 3:17 (KJV)
From the very outset of His public ministry Jesus was making some bold claims about the Kingdom of heaven and calling on Israel’s repentance in accepting God’s plan for His chosen nation. Calling for repentance and asking them to accept the "good news" that flew in the face of their religious establishment.
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Mark 1:14-15 (KJV)
So once the religious authorities figured out Jesus Christ didn’t come as a conquering King to overcome their enemies and to establish an earthly kingdom, Jesus than became public enemy number one in their pious eye’s. The politic’s of His day had religious implications and visa versa. You can agree or disagree but doesn’t that sound familiar in our day also? Yes Jesus most certainly did come to start a revolution but it was a silent, non violent one of reconciliation between mankind and God.
Each generation has the potential to raise up its own Martin Luther and each generation suffers from religious crusaders of some sort. The message of Jesus Christ shook the first century religious establishment to the core. Jesus openly challenged all those who unrighteously thought of themselves as being "saved before God" without knowing Him or His message. Religion today has lured many of us asleep in believing that as long as we are good, decent moral people, we can judge other’s by these same standards of self righteousness. But without a relationship built upon Christ we make religion the same creature Jesus dealt with in His day. Raw, unrefined religion is mainly about fear and control. Mercy and unconditional love is anti-control and the best religion we can ever practice. If you want true religion without a label, there it is my friend.
In part three of "Deus Lo Vult" we will remember one of the darkest periods of our past and how the Christian Crusades helped shaped the world we live in today.
James Robert Kessler
Because of Him Art Ministry 2008
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