Congratulations to Mark Montoya, our winner! Go to the Tapestry page to read the interview. Thank you to our other participants. You can see their work on the Creativity Page under recent posts.

Tonight is the last night of the Festival of Lights/Dedication. Thanks for joining me for this series on the cleansing of our temple (heart and mind) and becoming a living offering through prayer.
 
 
 
John 5:1-8 and Numbers 7:1
 
The mikveh, or submersion in water, is practiced for spiritual cleansing. It is where baptism came from. The primary purpose of the act is to receive a status change. One man, like all of us at some point, desperately needed one but had to get his toes wet first:
 
The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. (John 5:7)
 
When my status is changed by my Father, I sometimes go back to sitting by the pool on my mat of doubt thinking, What if it didn't take? What if I'm not ready? I need better directions. I've tried this before and failed. It's been a while now...are You still there? It probably won't work.
 
My Father is supernaturally patient with me.
 
Instead, I want to jump to my feet, roll up my doubt, and walk...no, run away from that pool with a new status: completely healed of my doubt! I want to dash across the way with abandon, zealously sprint into the outer court, slow as I approach the inner sanctuary, and confidently proceed right into His Holy of Holies...
through creativity,
through prayer,
through worship,
through relationships,
with my whole life.
 
Here in the Inner Chamber, I can hear Him best. I am the offering and He is the High Priest. The sweet aroma of my best intentions rises to Him. He knows how to burn off the inpurities; He already atoned for them. Here we meet, face to face, and I am unashamed about my past as I step into the pool of my future. I am cleansed and consecrated for His use.
 
Now it came to pass, when Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle, that he anointed it and consecrated it and all its furnishings, and the altar and all its utensils; so he anointed them and consecrated them. (Numbers 7:1 NKJV)
 
He assembles my past, present, and future into His perfection. He removes the rough edges, all the mistakes, the worthless, and fits my experiences together to form a masterpiece of Sovereignty.
 
 
Sol, a fifty-five piece cast polyurethane tessellation, approx. 30" diameter
by Mark Montoya
 
Happy Chanukah from SBE!
 
 
 

My Daddy's the Biggest
Obadiah 1:1-21
 
Did your father, close relative, or friend ever come to your defense? Was there someone there to pick you up, dust you off, and wrap you in a protective embrace?
 
When my eyes looked over this passage in the Word, an image of my Heavenly Father in front of me on a playground popped into my head. His Presence towered over the monkey bars, and with one imposing step forward, the mean kids shot off in all directions! Then He turned back to me, picked me up off the ground, dusted my knees off, and cradled me gently.
 
When we do all we can to walk this walk and take a tumble anyway, it is good to know that He will make it right.
 
Verse seventeen reads, “But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, And there shall be holiness;...”
 
You've got this one, Dad...
 
in my heart, my "temple", my world, and in the world arena.
 
Can I hold Your hand all the way home?
 
 
 

Genesis 34 and 35
 
Have you been violated emotionally? Perhaps physically or intellectually? Did the violation happen to someone you love? How did you respond?
 
Dinah was violated. Her brothers were rightfully angry then took manners into their own hands. This placed Jacob's whole family in danger. God faithfully intervened, and Jacob responded with obedience which led to deliverance.
 
Easy to read but tough to do in the face of great offense.
 
Is bitterness or a lack of forgiveness polluting your temple? Can you trust Him to deliver you? There are residual offenses from years past which keep trying to scurry into my temple through the shadows. I have to smash them with a broom and sweep them out again with a Word from my King's Constitution. To prevent re-entry, my discernment must be vigilant, or they multiply faster than dust bunnies in Colorado.
 
And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone.” (Genesis 35:2-3 NKJV)
 
Ouch. Whether I want to admit it or not, there are also little magnetic idols which try to operate in my life. They have never answered me in my distress, only He has. Only He has been with me in the way which I have gone, and never forsaken me.
 
It's time to get rid of the grudges and the idols, purify my temple, and change my garments. It's time to put on the garment of praise and decorate my soul with thoughts of His faithfulness. He gave me the Handbook for that.
 

 
Artwork by Menorah Orah
 

Scripture Section: Genesis 32:24-31
 

 
Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there.

 
 
I've really wrestled in prayer about God's call for my life during the last two and a half years. He touched my life and put it all out of joint, which hurt and confused me, then put in back in a different order altogether, which led to better health in all areas. My mind is still spongeing up all this new teaching, and my walk gets stronger day by day, yet things make much more sense than before. My perspective, mindset, and motivation have completely changed. Like Israel, He met with me and changed my name. He continues to teach me who I am, about His larger plan, and about my call in it. At times, it feels like I'm still wrapping my arms around this ever-wriggling, contorting, yet unchanging Truth.
 
The sweat and tears are real when I can't understand His Name (which to me means His character), when there are struggles with Him and man, yet He blesses me outrageously. There will be a greater blessing if I
don't...
let...
go.
 
 
 
 

  

Second Place
Artwork by Menorah Orah
 
Our pastor is teaching about what it means to be a living offering through prayer. The Feast of Dedication starts the night of December 20^th and my King stirred my heart to learn more from His Word on the topic. I thought back to what the Feast commemorates (please see last year's posts starting with Got Oil?), and remembered it is easy to draw parallels between the temple which was desecrated, destroyed then rebuilt, and us as described in 1 Corinthians 3. For the last two years, He has been tearing down my misunderstanding about His character and plan. He is cleansing my mind of erroneous thoughts and continues to purify my temple for His use. He lovingly builds me up in my new identity each day- and every day is a new Day of Dedication. Join me for this journey and see how He ties in selections of Scripture with the theme.
 
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
 
I Corinthians 3:16-17 NKJV
 
 

The original creative Source:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:1-5 NKJV
 
 

Spiral Galaxy 960, 960 piece cast polyurethane tessellation suspended in copper frame, approx. 30" diameter
by Mark Montoya
 
How does His light shine through your creativity?

 
Potential Pentecost

 
Uncontainable.
A lava-like burning, electric impulse...pent-up.
Hold back.
Uncontrollable.
 
Sparks of creative heat under pressure
known only to Him.
He, in me, a force - overwhelms and enraptures,
ready to ignite.
Now only released as fragments of potential,
manageable to others.
 
In my inner world it becomes restless, rises up.
It snorts and stomps at the gate - it won't wait much longer.
Pressure makes diamonds.
Steam must escape.
Fire consumes, purifies.
 
Potential- the word doesn't define it. It can't contain it.
A wave rises, towers, rushes to crash into the world.
For Him,
His Kingdom,
Eternity.
 
 
Formidable.
Undeniable.
Irrevocable.
 
Available.
 
 
 
...for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Romans 11:29 (NKJV)
 
Copyright 2011 Selah Cohen
 
 
 

The heavens declare the glory of Elohim...

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-05/time-lapse-video-very-l...