The ROCK

In GOD is my salvation and my glory; the ROCK of my strength, and my refuge, is in GOD. (Psalm 62:7)

Be my strong refuge, to which i may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, for You are my ROCK and my Fortress. (Psalm 71:3)

He shall cry to Me, You are my Father, my GOD, and the ROCK of my salvation. (Psalm 89:26)
He is my ROCK, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. (Psalm 92:15b)

But the LORD has been my defense, and my GOD the ROCK of my refuge. (Psalm 94:22)

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the ROCK of our salvation. (Psalm 95:1)

Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the ROCK: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the ROCK. (Matthew 7:24-25)

And all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual ROCK that followed them, and that ROCK was CHRIST. (I Corinthians 10:4)

Ad for GOD -- One Tshirt at a Time

GRACE...

GOD's overflowing favor
Remains ever constant and
Abundant to those who believe and
Call on the name of JESUS...
Now and forever!
(rln)

Love one another as I have loved you.

(John 15:12)

Don't be troubled.

You trust GOD, now trust in Me.

There are many rooms in My Father's home, and I Am going to prepare a place for you.

If this were not so, I would tell you plainly.

When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I Am.

(John 14:1-3)

Bless the LORD, O my soul!

(Psalm 103:1)

You, O LORD, are a GOD full of compassion, and gracious,

Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.

(Psalm 86:15)

Know, Grow, Give, GO!

The mission of Midway Church is to produce fully devoted followers of JESUS CHRIST. Midway's strategy is four-fold:

KNOW GOD and His salvation.

How can a "baby" CHRISTian go from infancy to maturity? By immersing him- or herself in the Word of GOD -- our Savior's life instruction manual and His personal "love letter" to each born again believer. By fully trusting that GOD's Word is alive, active, amazing and awesome Truth. By "feeding" on the Word -- the True Bread -- which nourishes the new spirit within and changes the soul from its carnal persuasion to a GODly disposition.

By actively listening and obeying His still, quiet Voice -- the Holy SPIRIT, Who indwells each redeemed sinner at the moment of salvation. By praying, as best as he or she knows how...by talking to Him as one would talk to a friend. By asking GOD daily to be filled with His SPIRIT so that he is enabled by the almighty power and infinite wisdom of the indwelling SPIRIT -- to obey GOD, to be able to discern His voice, to live out the gift of new life, which is the abundant Life of JESUS.

GROW in CHRIST and in fellowship with believers.

How does the fruit of the SPIRIT in Galatians 5:22 (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control) grow in the new CHRISTian? Through surrender. Obedience. Denying oneself. By following the example of JESUS. By doing the Word (i.e., Romans 12), not merely reading it as "head" knowledge. By fellowship with other believers through church attendance, Bible studies, involvement in ministries, or personal sharing in small groups. By learning to see GOD's hand in all things, even the hard times...by trusting that He is indeed in control of all Creation, including all the details of our lives...and that He causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him. (Romans 8:28)

GIVE of time, talents and treasure.

How does a CHRISTian, new or mature, let go of his (or her) natural desire to keep these things for himself? Here's the "secret" -- the indwelling Holy SPIRIT teaches the believer right desires -- the kind aligned with GOD's will and righteous in His eyes. He changes his heart so that he may love as CHRIST loved us...He re-forms his mind so that he will no longer conform himself to this world. When a sinner says Yes! to JESUS as Lord and CHRIST of his life, he is baptized and sealed by His SPIRIT, so that each CHRISTian receives the heart and mind of CHRIST, through the indwelling Holy SPIRIT.

How does this partnership happen? The Holy SPIRIT does the work of sanctification -- the life-long process of conforming us to the likeness of CHRIST -- BUT we have to cooperate and surrender to His directives. GOD gives us His best allways through the orchestration of His SPIRIT, but in order to receive the best that GOD has designed for us -- we must obey...in reverence and love for CHRIST.

Obedience is the key which sustains unbroken communion with GOD.

GO in GOD's power to all nations.

How do we do the go of it? By making a commitment to stand firm in the CHRISTian faith. By joining other CHRISTians, past and present, in fulfilling JESUS' Great Commission -- whether within our family circle, our immediate neighborhood, or farther afield. Wherever we are, right now, is where GOD has chosen to place us -- for His use...to witness to the Truth Who is alive, the Risen Savior...to share the Good News Himself, JESUS CHRIST.

So to be a fully devoted follower of JESUS CHRIST, one must not only believe unto salvation -- that is but the first step -- one has to work out the salvation that GOD has worked in. Knowing GOD becomes mere "head" knowledge unless we allow GOD full control of our lives so that we may not be a hindrance to His loving will -- for it is His desire than none perish, but that all may be saved -- saved by the hearing of the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST.

These were His instructions to them: "The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest, and ask Him to send out more workers for His fields." (Luke 10:2)

Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)

(The above doorway is located inside the youth tent at Midway Church, San Diego.)

Delight Yourself Also in the LORD

Trust in the LORD, and do good;

Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

Delight yourself also in the LORD,

And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

(Psalm 37: 3-4)

i delight to do Your will, O my GOD,

And Your law is within my heart.

(Psalm 40:8)

Have mercy upon me, O GOD,

According to Your lovingkindness,

According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,

Blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

And cleanse me from my sin.

For i acknowledge my transgressions,

And my sin is always before me.

Against You, You only, have i sinned,

And done this evil in Your sight...

Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

Purge me...Wash me...Make me hear joy and gladness...

Create in me a clean heart, O GOD,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me...

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

And uphold me by Your generous SPIRIT.

For You do not desire sacrifice, or else i would give it;

You do not delight in burnt offering.

The sacrifices of GOD are a broken spirit,

A broken and a contrite heart --

These, O GOD, You will not despise.

(Psalm 51: 1-4, 6, 7-10, 12, 16-17)

Where's the Ad?

Sometimes i do art which doesn't seem to have any messages -- hidden or obvious.

Sometimes when i paint what others have commissioned, i would covertly add my own two cents worth for GOD somewhere in the design.

Sometimes i would paint just for the fun of it, just to see what comes out. And i would have a casual conversation with GOD as i paint, in my head, or at times, even aloud -- "Okay, Lord, surprise me!" -- and He would delight me, each and every time.This sulu (or sarong) is the outcome of a design of stripes intended for May Goulding of Todranisiga, but a childlike spirit scotched those straight lines and just painted a willy-nilly stripes of sorts, which ended up as a curtain for my daughter's window.To me, it's always okay to be joyfully childlike, no matter if we're edging closer and closer to 60 or 80 or 100. Life is indeed short -- so i'm learning that being a follower of CHRIST is a serious commitment to living for GOD, but that He approves of my unrestrained joy and laughter, childlike trust and obedience, and living life to the fullest In CHRIST, for in Him, and Him alone, my cup overflows.

Cozette's Cozy Restroom

GOD has a sense of humor, y'know? Of course, He's got a funny bone!
i've had this blog entry, GOD's Rest, ready for write-up for a few days now, but didn't yet have the photos to use for illustration. So today, after completing the artwork for Cozette's bathroom, i was given the go-ahead/insight to use her bathroom to decorate this entry. i thought it funny: GOD's Rest illustrated with Cozette's restroom!If you ever get to sit on Cozette's "throne," look for the butterfly with the Mickey Mouse ears. It's like playing Where's Waldo as you await nature's call.
Below is the other wall of Cozette's cozy restroom, a la rln Art.Cozette was very gracious in commissioning me to do her bathroom. The work was started with a heartfelt prayer the night before, petitioning for my Father's help -- that He would do the real work by granting me the necessary skill to paint the scene that would make Cozette happy enough so that she wouldn't have to roll her eyes up to a blank ceiling. (hahaha) After all, she would be the one sitting and meditating day in, day out, staring at whatever painting was staring back at her.

She had a look at The Wall done at Midway, which she liked, but minus the surfer kids and surfboards. Being a woman and a keen stylist, her color preferences matched her towels. Cozette had a vision of something beachy and sandy, with flowers and seashells. The finished work was an interesting mix of what she had in mind and my own very simple creative skills. My talent is this: i keep putting on the paint 'til it looks right! And when i'm artistically challenged, i just whisper, "O GOD, please help me!" And He always does.

There were no hidden messages or Bible verses in this work, and none of my work can ever illustrate Psalm 19's The heavens declare the glory of GOD, for i am not equipped to capture the amazing artistry of GOD's brushstrokes when He spoke Creation into being. There are gifted artists past and present who can copy a limited version of GOD's handiwork, but they are all but poor imitation of the real thing, for no one can ever re-create what GOD has already perfected. Who but the Perfect and Holy One is able to create perfection?

Heart Two Heart

The LORD is my Shepherd, i shall not lack. (Psalm 23:1)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

GOD is love...JESUS is The Way...i can do all things through CHRIST. (Truths i live by.)

Two intertwining hearts is how i sign my finished art. When that t-shirt, sulu/sarong, pants, door, or wall is done, and i sign off with the two connected hearts, i'm symbolizing that that person and i are connected too.

And with the above Heart Two Heart design, it can serve as a reminder to that person wearing the t-shirt that his/her heart and GOD's heart are connected In CHRIST. The Bible verses are powerful reminders of who that person is when born again into GOD's family...s/he is forever in the bosom of GOD Himself.