Month: October 2018

October 31, 2018 at 03:18PM

Hebrews 13
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“Keep on”
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In Hebrews 13, we are in a lot of ways coming down the mountain. We still have a struggle ahead of us for sure, but we’ve passed the academic climax and the previous chapter’s spiritual affect has landed. We’re now left with the classic Christian question: what next? The author makes it clear, in their fortifying statements and gentle warnings, that we’re not supposed to sit at the foot of the mountain: we’re supposed to keep going. We’re supposed to take what we’ve learned, and take what beauty has been given to us, and share it with the world. Really, though this has a sense of finality to it, this is not the end; it’s only the beginning of a new and greater chapter.
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“Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
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#hebrews13 #go #keepon #perseverance #love #mountain #mountaintop #glory #awe #awesome #peak #faith #hope #trust #heritage #history #ancestors #family #lineart #inks #bw #blackandwhite #penandink #artistsoninstagram #drawdaily #jesusart #illustratedfaith #inktober

October 31, 2018 at 05:14AM

Hebrews 12
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“Therefore”
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Here we come to the peak, in more ways than one. Firstly, if you’ve been reading along with me, you’ve seen just how the author has built their arguments up along the way to crest finally at this point. “Therefore,” they shout, as everything their audience–and us–have learned all comes to a head in a revolutionary understanding of who Jesus is, and who we are in relation to him. In another sense, this chapter points to the uphill struggle that lies ahead–the pain of following Jesus, and the battles that we’re all bound to face. It will feel like climbing a mountain, but “run the race,” because we now know who waits at the end. And finally, we have this wonderful contrasting image of two actual mountains. One represents the old covenant–Mount Sinai, where Moses received the commandments, but where God’s glory was too much for the Israelites to handle–and one represents the new covenant–Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the home of God where we, through Jesus, are invited to come and be close to Him. This is what it’s all been building towards. This is what has been coming. This is what you’ve come to see.
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“You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”
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#hebrews12 #mountain #mountaintop #glory #awe #awesome #peak #faith #hope #trust #heritage #history #ancestors #family #lineart #inks #bw #blackandwhite #penandink #artistsoninstagram #drawdaily #jesusart #illustratedfaith #inktober

October 30, 2018 at 01:24AM

Hebrews 11
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“By faith”
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There’s a lot to unpack here, but I can see the Jews that this was being written to getting this message: faith flows in our veins. Of course, faith isn’t genetic, and it can’t really be passed from one person to another, except by the second’s conscious acceptance of it, but looking at the history of how God had worked in the lives of their direct ancestors would surely give these people hope for themselves. It was the same God after all.
Just like Hebrews’ audience, we can take the same message. In Christ, we are grafted onto God’s family tree; no matter where we come from, we are His. We can build our hope, and our faith, on a profound understanding of how the God who made the stars and told Abraham to count them now offers to count us among them. He’s the same God after all.
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#hebrews11 #halloffaith #stars #abraham #faith #hope #trust #heritage #history #ancestors #family #lineart #inks #bw #blackandwhite #penandink #artistsoninstagram #drawdaily #jesusart #illustratedfaith #inktober

October 29, 2018 at 12:23AM

Meditation: Reflecting Flakes (see John 13:34-35)
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“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
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Though it’s still a bit early for it, I have to admit that when I stepped out of work at around 10 last night, and saw the sky just full of tiny white specks, drifting in the breeze, I couldn’t help but smile. There’s still something about the first real snowfall of the year that brings out a sort of childhood wonder. As I was walking along the path to the subway, well lit by street lights, I thought about how the only reason I could see the snow so brilliantly was because it was reflecting the light from those same street lights. Conversely, the brilliancy of the glowing snow spoke to just how bright those lights are in the first place. I think we should try to learn from the snow. We should aim to shine brightly, but only in reflection, directing focus back to the source of our light. We should also realize that we are seen, and we see the world, only through that same light that lights us. It truly is in Him that we live and work and have our being, and I hope the light I reflect is at least a little bit as brilliant as that snow I saw, heralding the light and the breeze.
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#john13 #snow #light #reflection #beauty #love #lineart #inks #bw #blackandwhite #penandink #artistsoninstagram #drawdaily #jesusart #illustratedfaith #inktober

October 27, 2018 at 08:40PM

I’m working on a special Broken Mirrors project, so I didn’t have time to do a specific post for today, so here’s a recent illustration from my personal account titled “limelight”
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lineart #inks #bw #blackandwhite #penandink #artistsoninstagram #drawdaily #jesusart #illustratedfaith #inktober

October 27, 2018 at 03:00AM

Something Beautiful: Home video
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As a bit of context for this one, I saw Jonah Hill’s “Mid90s” tonight, and was struck by the way it told a beautiful, nuanced, human story that was so influenced by the democratization of home video recording technology. It really is such a gift to be able to capture and represent the world that God has given us, especially when it provides a chance to better understand those around us.
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That being said, what comes to mind when you look at this?
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#somethingbeautiful #film #video #homevideo #jonahhill #mid90s #lineart #inks #bw #blackandwhite #penandink #artistsoninstagram #drawdaily #jesusart #illustratedfaith #inktober

October 25, 2018 at 12:35AM

Hebrews 10
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“But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls”
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“Have the heart of a giant but know you’re a man”
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The argument of Hebrews comes to a head in this chapter: Jesus is better than anything that came before or anything that could come after, and because of the change He brought on the cross, anyone who believes in Him doesn’t need to fear anymore, forever. It’s a rallying cry, a careful warning to provide perspective, and a powerful and genuine display of the joy Jesus brings. Have confidence; He has overcome the world, He’s paid the price, and He’s calling you to follow Him. Will you pick up the torch and take the first step, knowing that no power in earth or heaven can ever put that light out?
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Roo Panes is back for this one too (the second quote) 😅. I just love the way his song “Little Giant” embodies the spirit of one who’s getting a grasp of this joy and confidence.
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#hebrews10 #confidence #fear #joy #trust #faith #love #roopanes #lineart #inks #bw #blackandwhite #penandink #artistsoninstagram #drawdaily #jesusart #illustratedfaith #inktober

October 24, 2018 at 02:52AM

Meditation: Honest (see Psalm 9)
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“I was not so long ago bound up in worry
But I cannot seem to stop smiling of late
And I always said to you that I’d be honest
So I say grace has gifted me this happy state”
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Following Jesus isn’t going to make you happy all the time; we’ve been promised trials and some days are just gonna suck. But on the days that don’t, when Jesus does make you happy, don’t keep quiet about it. When God wows you, share that with someone. When you’re awestruck by His beauty, show someone. When He’s got you fired up for justice, let people know who lit the spark and fans the flame. When His gentle whisper brings you peace beyond understanding, pass that on to someone else, and maybe you’ll understand a little better together. You won’t be making an argument, a speech, or a theological treatise; you’ll just be sharing what you love about the One you love the most with the people you love the most, and maybe that’s just what we need to hear.
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“I will tell of all your marvelous works”
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The lyrics that opened this reflection (and the inspiration for the reflection itself) come from the wonderful Roo Panes’ song, “Quiet Man.” (Of course, as usual, the interpretation is my own and may not reflect the original meaning.) I had the extreme pleasure of seeing Roo perform in Toronto today, and I would highly recommend his music to anyone with ears.
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#psalm9 #beauty #wonder #love #smile #roopanes #lineart #inks #bw #blackandwhite #penandink #artistsoninstagram #drawdaily #jesusart #illustratedfaith #inktober