by Matt Philleo | Oct 25, 2016 | Christianity & Culture, Personal Inspiring Stories
On my way to band practice at church last Thursday, I saw a vehicle with its flashers on.
Instinctively, I pulled over and asked if the motorist needed help. Apparently the clutch went out on his car, and to top it off, his cellphone didn’t work! So I let him use mine. He wasn’t able to get a hold of someone to help, and since he was on his way to work, he asked if it wasn’t too much trouble if I could drop him off.
“Absolutely,” I said.
During our brief drive I got acquainted with him a little more. He was effusively thankful that I took him to work, even though I was supposed to be at band practice. He apologized that he caused me to miss my appointment.
“You are more important than that,” I shared. “God has been good to me. And so I just want to show that love to other people.”
As I chatted with this man, I discovered he was a Muslim. I briefly shared with him how I came to know Jesus (Isa is what Muslims call Him) and why I know I’m going to heaven not based on anything good I have done, but because of what He did for me.
We did not argue theologically at all. He just listened to me share, and then he shared a bit about his beliefs, and about his job. And by that time, I dropped him off at his workplace and he thanked me again.
“I want to let you know I love you, and may God bless you.” I added, as I shook his hand. “Call me if you need any more help.”
“Allah bless you, my new friend said, “and may he repay your kindness to me.”
This man did not have three heads. He did not cry “Allahu Akbar” and try to chop off my head. And yes, as a Christian, I do not agree with the teachings of Islam, since they do not acknowledge the deity and salvation of Jesus Christ. True, there may be a day–following the current trend–when America could become a Muslim nation. I’m not clueless about that. And of course we as American citizens should be able to protect ourselves at the moment where our loved ones lives may be in danger.
But how will I see these people today?
Middle Eastern man walking, public domain photo
Will I see people different from me as a group first to fear and then to hate, or will I see them as people just like me…people who need the Lord?
Many Muslims are born into their religion, not knowing anything different. They want to have some assurance of heaven or paradise, like most people do, and they are taught that the only way they can possibly get that is through a lifetime of good works, or instantly through a martyr’s death. By contrast, Christians depend on the certainty of righteousness, given as a gift through faith in Jesus Christ, by His completed work on the cross.
The truth is, Muslims, like the rest of the lost world, are in the dark and need the light shined on them.
Recently, a guy I was chatting with mentioned how he was listening to a talk show that was talking about Muslims taking over our country, and he is prepared to get a gun and start taking them down.
Really?
You have to be careful what you listen to.
American Flag, public domain photo
As a Christian, I am not in the business of trying to save America. I’m trying to save–or rather let Christ in me–save people who live in America.
If America as we know it goes down, it is not the end of the world.
In the Bible, you don’t read Paul admonishing the Christians in Rome to rebel against the tyranny of Caesar, to look up to Rome as a shining city on a hill, or to keep the Empire from being overrun by pagan barbarians. No, he said pay your taxes, fear God, honor the king. Christians can lose their purpose and weary themselves out in trying to prop up a decaying system and culture. The culture will always be threatened by outside forces, often beyond our control. But regardless of the culture, people can always be reached.
All I know is I loved this man. Moments before, I was listening to a sermon on the radio, where the preacher said you don’t have to necessarily feel love. You can just intentionally choose to love. I asked God to help me with that. A moment later, He gave me an opportunity. And I believe, by faith, Jesus loved him through me.
He is not one of “them.”
He is a human being, created in the image of God, and should have every opportunity to be saved, just as I am, by God’s grace. He should be the recipient of mercy and love, just as all of us are.
And who can say that God hasn’t allowed Muslims to live in this country, even the large influx of recent refugees, so that the Christians in this land would reach out to them and share who Jesus is?
Please pray for this man to come to know Jesus. From what I understood in our brief conversation, there are others reaching out to him as well.
“Passing Through,” 15″ x 30″, Acrylic on Hardboard, by Matt Philleo
In the end, America is not my home. I’m on my way to a better country.
That’s what this painting, “Passing Through,” illustrates. I created this back in 2004, depicting a man who is obviously out of place, riding on a camel through a Midwestern town. If you are a Christian, you are just passing through this world as a traveler, on your way to your permanent residence in heaven!
I thank God for all the blessings I have in this country, but if every one were stripped away, I would still have my relationship with Christ, and that would be more than enough. And I want to others to enjoy that relationship with him too, whether they be called Catholic, Protestant, Jew, atheist, Buddhist or Muslim.
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by Matt Philleo | Jul 30, 2016 | Christianity & Culture, Encouraging Thoughts, New Artwork
Will we get to see our lost loved ones again after we die?
This is a question that has both haunted and comforted humanity for thousands of years. The answers people have given to this question have caused the rise and fall of empires from ancient Egypt to the schism in the Catholic Church during the Reformation.
No book discusses this issue more plainly than the Bible. In its pages, you can find the meaning of life today and discover amazing hope for the next life as well. The Bible teaches clearly that all who believe in Jesus for salvation will get to see their lost loved ones, who have also believed, after death. It will be a glorious, happy reunion, where God promises to wipe every tear.
Here is what Jesus said about it in the book of John 11, verse 25:
“I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.”
Custom commissioned pencil portrait sketch, a memoriam, by artist Matt Philleo, 16 x 20, completed in July 2016.
Earlier in the month, I finished this commissioned 16″ x 20″ drawing for a lady named Karla I met on Facebook through a mutual friend from church. She went through the unfortunate, tragic event of her husband disappearing almost four years ago and being declared dead. Then her son, who had special needs and health problems, died several months ago.
What incredible suffering and loss to have to go through! I could scarcely imagine it.
She asked me if I could draw a portrait of what their reunion might have been like in heaven.
I was thrilled to be able to draw this for her, to capture that special moment when her son, in the presence of Jesus, completely healed, jumped off his wheelchair and ran to see his daddy.
Here is what she wrote when I sent her the proof:
“I have not been able to stop crying….you captured something I cannot even explain! I have never seen Jacob standing like that, so that REALLY got me and the look on Dave’s face is SOOOO spot on. I can honestly picture this as what happened. The joy for both of them must have been unreal. Thank you so much!!! I have time on Wed. all day if we could meet. Otherwise, just let me know what would work!”
Karla
And then after she received the actual drawing, she wrote this to share:
“My husband Dave went missing on 9/22/12 and to date, his body has not been found. We all feel however that his soul has reached heaven. My son Jacob, who had severe disabilities, suffered greatly when his daddy went missing. It was hard enough for us to understand, nonetheless Jacob.
“On November 20, 2015, Jacob suffered a severe brain injury and was pronounced brain dead. As he took his last breaths, I told him when he saw Daddy to run as fast as he could. With tears in his eyes, he took his last breath.
Commissioned pencil portrait by artist Matt Philleo, 2016, detail
“This moment was one I could visualize and so deeply wanted it captured in art. Expectations of what I would see and what I actually received, were far exceeded. The joy that is shown on Jacob’s face is contagious. Many commented that they felt they could hear Jacob giggle just looking at his face.
“Tears filled my eyes as I saw my son standing for the first time in his life.”
“I can feel the anticipation of leaving his chair behind to run to his beloved dad.
“Dave was in an amazing father, especially to Jacob. It took my breath away when I saw the look on Dave’s face. He had a way of holding his mouth and cheeks when he was so happy, he was ready to cry. I had not provided any pictures to Matt that showed this expression. All I can say is that Matt was led by Jesus to capture that which was SO important to me….the look I knew Dave would have when he saw his son again.
Pencil portrait artist Matt Philleo’s client, Karla S., holding a drawing he did of her late son and husband in July 2016.
“I cannot even begin to say how healing it was to have this portrait done. The loss of not only my husband but also my son, has been so painful. The peace I felt is beyond understanding. It felt wonderful to “see” them again. Thanks again, so much for your amazing gift!”
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by Matt Philleo | Mar 31, 2016 | Bible Devotionals, Christianity & Culture
Although this post is getting out a little late, seeing that Easter is already passed, I’d like to finish up on this series about the mural my friend Dave Mattison and I did. I saved the best part for last.
In the previous post, I showed you the image of the cross of Christ, and people stained by sin, desperately climbing out of the mire to be cleansed by the blood of Christ. All of us are in that predicament, and if all of us seek after God, we will find forgiveness flowing out from Calvary.
If we trust in the finished work of Christ–that He alone can save and wash away our sins by His blood, His death being the payment that makes us right before God, we are forgiven. The debt has been paid.
But God doesn’t stop there.
Why?
Because Jesus didn’t stop there. He died, but He didn’t stay dead in the tomb. He rose again. The stone was rolled away and the bones are not in the grave.
By the way, the historicity of Jesus resurrection is vital to the Christian faith. Jesus said He would rise again. His resurrection proved the claim that He is the Messiah who came not only to deliver the Jewish people but the Gentiles (most of us) as well.
Bethel Mural: “The Gospel from Genesis to Revelation” by artists Dave Mattison and Matt Philleo, 4′ x 28″, acrylic on panel, Panel 4 and 5
Like the Paul the apostle said, “And if Christ is not raised, your faith is futile. You are still in your sins.” (I Corinthians 15:17)
Fortunately, proof of Jesus resurrection, although denied by some groups today, can be backed up by many accounts in the Bible, as well as a few outside the Bible, and by applying simple logic. I’m not going to go into depth on that in this post. If you want to read more on that subject, check out “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel.
I want to write about the fact that Jesus’ resurrection gives us power to live a life free from the control of sin. Notice I did not say a life free from sin. I do not believe in sinless perfectionism. Some believe that once you become a Christian, it is possible to never sin again. If you are one of those people, tell me your secret! I haven’t found a person like this yet.
But if we are Christians, born again and bought by the blood of Christ, we are new creatures–alive from the dead, just like Christ is alive from the dead. We don’t live the way we used to.
As Christians, we live a life free from the control of sin.
I still have an old Zenith CRT television set in the living room–with the big glass front–you know, the “old school” TV that you often see sitting next to people’s garbage by the curb. My wife says I can’t get rid of it until it dies. I’ve had this thing since I moved out of my parents’ house in 1998! Unfortunately, it just keeps on going.
My Zenith behemoth of a TV.
Fortunately, I do have a newer Vizio high-definition LCD in my upstairs room that I can use to watch the Packer games. Now imagine if I use the remote control for my old Zenith on that new Vizio. It’s not going to work. It’s not compatible with that TV. Even if I tried to program it to work for the Vizio, it still wouldn’t work, because the old remote doesn’t have the code for a new Vizio TV.
In the same way, as Christians, the old remote control of sin just isn’t compatible with who we are. Neither do the features of the old compare to the new.
We’re a completely different model.
I used to work at Sears as an electronics sales associate just when the new high definition flat screen TVs were hitting the market. The difference between the old and new technology is like night and day.
Sure, I can take my old analog Zenith, and hook up a converter box to it so I can still watch digital broadcasts, but it’s just not the same. The picture is downgraded and fuzzy. (I can’t even make out the scoreboard in a Packer game!) It’s not even close to the clarity you get watching a high-definition broadcast on a high definition TV.
To get the full picture, to get the benefits of being a Christian–peace, joy, a life free from the control of sin–I’ve got to be living like I’m a new person.
And if I am born again, I am a new person, a new creation in Christ and I have those benefits available to me. Why would I want to enjoy the show (live my life) on the old set when I’ve got the new?
But becoming and living as a Christian is more than just a choice that we make. It is a work of God, transforming us from something dead into something alive. And no, this is not like Frankenstein’s monster, who was an hideous amalgamation of body parts stitched together from various corpses, animated by a massive spark of electricity. We are beautiful, a unique masterpiece created by God!
As an artist, I can appreciate that. I tell you what, in the middle of doing a painting, sometimes it looks pretty sketchy. My wife has peeked in on me while I’m working on a portrait, and said, “Matt, it doesn’t look like them. I’m not sure if you can pull this one off.”
Um, thanks.
Well, she knows I can take it! It’s a work in progress. With God’s help, sooner or later, I almost always “pull it off.”
Before and After: Portrait of Pastor and Mrs. Palser, acrylic on canvas
Now think about God–the master artist. How much more is He going to be able to “pull it off?” I tell you, He’s going to be able to finish the work He started in you, every time. Just don’t be a canvas that runs away out of the studio! Let the Master do His thing.
“And He died for all, that those who live, should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” (2 Corinthians 5:15)
Are you a part of “all”? Then this applies to you too. When we are trust in Jesus, have faith in Him, and are born again, because of the work God has done in us, we won’t even want to live for ourselves. Our natural response will be to live for the one who gave us life, out of gratitude, not out of begrudging duty. God gives us His Holy Spirit to help us to follow Him too. In the mural, that is symbolized by the dove. The Holy Spirit is gentle and yet very powerful. Jesus gave Him to us as a gift.
Bethel Mural: “The Gospel from Genesis to Revelation” by artists Dave Mattison and Matt Philleo, 4′ x 28″, acrylic on panel, Panel 4, detail
If you’ve been a Christian for a while like me (15 years now) you can lose the spark you once had as you begin to think you have to do certain things to keep yourself saved or acceptable before God. You may find reading your Bible, praying, going to church, talking to others about Jesus is not exciting or even interesting like it once was.
There is only one thing that will truly motivate you to live a life pleasing to God. Remember what Jesus did for you on the cross, and thank Him.
“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13-14)
When your world is falling apart, remember that Jesus has risen. Out of the darkness and despair of of the crucifixion, Jesus arose, emerging out of the tomb, like a conqueror, with his foot on the neck of Death. He will enter into your life if you let Him, and light will arise in the darkness!
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by Matt Philleo | Mar 25, 2016 | Bible Devotionals, Christianity & Culture
Last week, I wrote about the 4′ x 28′ mural my friend Dave Mattison and I did for our church, illustrating the Gospel message from Genesis to Revelation. In that post, I showed some images of creation, the fall with the sin Adam and Eve committed in the Garden of Eden, the flood with Noah’s ark, and then the Ten Commandments.
The Ten Commandments reveal to us, like a mirror showing any dirt on our face, how we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Being that it’s Good Friday, I want to share the middle section of the mural, what it’s about and what it means to me, and how I think it can speak to all of us.
Before I do that, though, I’ll share the panel before it.
“Bethel Mural: The Gospel from Genesis to Revelation,” 4′ x 28′, acrylic on hardboard, by David Mattison and Matt Philleo, 2013, panel 3.
There’s not a lot here, except a lot of darkness. This is how it is for all of us before God reveals to us the awesomeness of His Son Jesus Christ. The river flowing below is black with the venom of sin. Death, destruction, and devastation covers the earth.
Above however, we do see the rainbow, symbolizing the promise of God that He would never again the flood the whole earth as He did in Noah’s day. I think it’s also a symbol of God’s mercy being extended to us.
In the middle panel, we have the cross of Christ. Notice Jesus is not on the cross.
Why?
Because He is up in heaven right, seated at His Father’s right hand.
“Bethel Mural: The Gospel from Genesis to Revelation,” 4′ x 28′, acrylic on hardboard, by David Mattison and Matt Philleo, 2013, panel 4, detail
There are churches depicting Jesus as being on the cross, and although I think they do it that way to help us to remember His passion, we have to remember that He died once for us. He was sacrificed once for us. He does not go perpetually, and is not offered up repeatedly on an altar for us. That happened once in history almost 2,000 years ago, but His blood keeps on cleansing from our sin.
In the last post, I mentioned how our sin is missing the mark of God’s perfection. In order to appreciate what Jesus has done for us, we have to recognize the seriousness of our sin, and that God must punish our sins to accord with His own sense of justice.
A little child can understand why sin has to be punished.
When my daughter was about 3 or 4, we were reading through the book of Romans in the Bible one night, and she asked me about how people can go to hell and if that’s fair for God to send people there?
I motioned toward the window, and asked her “What would you think if there was a police officer sitting in his car in the parking lot, and a guy came up to an old lady and beat her and took her purse, but the police officer saw it but did nothing to help her?”
Police officer standing by (public domain image)
“That would be bad,” she replied. “He should have helped the lady!”
I would go further and say that the police officer would be as bad as the criminal!
Here’s another example, borrowed from a preacher…
Imagine that you return home one night to find your family brutally murdered, you catch the criminal red handed, manage somehow to wrestle him to the ground, and tie him up. You call the police and they take him away.
Later, at the trial, with every shred of evidence clearly convicting the criminal of murder, the judge says, “I know you are guilty. But I’m a good judge, and today it’s your lucky day. I’m going to let you go free!”
What would you do?
I think you would call and write everyone you knew–the newspapers, the governor, saying that there is a judge on the bench more wicked that the criminal he just acquitted!
If we expect a judge to be just and do his duty, how can we expect the Judge of all the earth to not do His?
God cannot just let us off the hook. Sin must be punished.
God, knowing beforehand what needed to be done, did something about it! He sent His Son Jesus, who is both completely God and completely Man, to live a perfect life on this earth, and take our place on the cross, being punished for our sins.
Although we have sinned in many ways–lying, stealing, gossip, slander, lust, etc–Jesus never sinned even once. He always did what God the Father wanted Him to do.
Justice demands a payment. If you break the law, and get fined, you either have to pay or go to jail. But if you are broke, (which we all are, spiritually speaking) and someone offers to pay your fine, the debt is satisfied, and you can go free.
The Bible says, “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness for sin.” Life is in the blood. God demands that blood must be shed to pay the price for sin.
“Bethel Mural: The Gospel from Genesis to Revelation,” 4′ x 28′, acrylic on hardboard, by David Mattison and Matt Philleo, 2013, panel 4, detail
Sin brings death, but the righteous blood of Jesus cleanses our sin, and brings us life.
Jesus was whipped, beaten and bruised, after His own people rejected Him and sentenced Him to be crucified. He was mocked and spit at. On the cross, Jesus experienced what it was like to be separated from God the Father, as he felt God’s wrath for all our sins fall upon Him.
During crucifixion day, there were about three hours of darkness that fell over the land. I believe it was during this particular time that Jesus experienced this unimaginable torment of God’s hatred of sin, focused like the sun’s rays through a magnifying glass, upon the Man who always did everything right His whole life. Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34)
The Bible says “All we like sheep have gone astray and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6)
He made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Jesus literally became accursed for us, while on the cross, so that we would be free of the curse of death! When it was all done, He gave up His life, breathed His last and said, “It is finished.” (John 19:30)
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:23)
When we trust in what Jesus did for us on the cross, his blood shed, his death on our behalf, we are justified. Justifed–that is a legal term meaning although we are not inherently righteous through our own behavior, we are declared righteous by God and treated as if we are! God gives His righteousness to us as a gift.
Amazing! To think that God would do that for us–while we were rebellious towards God, He made a way for us to be restored to Him. And He did this because of His great love for us. “Not that we loved God, but that God loved us and sent His Son as atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“Bethel Mural: The Gospel from Genesis to Revelation,” 4′ x 28′, acrylic on hardboard, by David Mattison and Matt Philleo, 2013, panel 4, detail
Here we see in this detail image, the blood cleanses the black venom of sin, restoring it to a river of life flowing out our lives. Remember the words of the famous hymn? “Oh, precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” You can see the joy written on the older lady’s face as she experiences the wonder of sins forgiven!
That’s great news, that we don’t have to try to make ourselves perfect to come to God. We can “approach the throne of grace to find mercy and help in our time of need.” We can come with our fears, disappointments, hurts, and failures and bring them to the cross.
As we head into Easter, let’s think again about all the Jesus suffered for us. Let’s keep going back to the cross, remembering that there is a God who loves us, will forgive us, and continue to cleanse us of our sins if we trust in His Son.
Here is Part 3 of the story…
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by Matt Philleo | Mar 19, 2016 | Bible Devotionals, Christianity & Culture, Encouraging Thoughts
Easter is just a little over a week away and I want to share a mural I created and tell you what it’s about. I think this mural correlates well with the upcoming season.
First of all, this mural was a collaborative project between my friend Dave Mattison and I, who God gave an art talent to as a middle-aged adult, when a co-worker asked him to draw a picture of a deer. His co-worker wanted to give the drawing to another guy at the factory who was goofing off and then caught like a deer in the headlights by the supervisor.
Dave said, “You know I can’t draw very well, just doodles.”
“It doesn’t have to be that good,” the coworker replied.
Later on, Dave held the pencil in his hand, ready to draw. Wanting to come up with a halfway-decent drawing, Dave thought for a moment and prayed, “Lord, you know I can’t draw, but if I hold this pencil, you could draw the deer through me!”
And that’s just what he did. The deer was very well done. I had just gotten to know Dave around this time when he told me the story. He had never really drawn anything well up until that point, but then the Lord gave him a talent to draw, just like that, out of the blue.
Seeing the way God blessed him, I wanted Dave to be a part of this mural project, and he agreed to help me with it.
Dave Mattison, left, and Matt Philleo, members of Bethel Church in Eau Claire, created a seven-panel mural depicting significant events in Christian history, including Christ’s Crucifixion. In mid-December, the artists both of Eau Claire hung the mural in the church. The two posed on March 27, 2013, with the painting. Leader Telegram photo by Dan Reiland. Used with permission.
The mural Dave and I did is 28′ wide by 4′ high, consisting of a series of 4′ x 4′ hardboard panels, and it spans nearly the entire width of our church’s foyer. (You can see this mural in person at Bethel Church in Eau Claire, WI, by the way.) It is an illustration of the gospel message, that is, the Good News of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross, from Genesis to Revelation. Isn’t that what Easter is about, anyway?
Before we can get to the good part, we have to set the stage.
There always has to be darkness before light can be appreciated.
Check it out in the Bible.
Genesis 1:1-3: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
In the first panel of this mural, we see that God created everything out of nothing, and it was good. You can see the beautiful, lush garden of Eden. Vegetation and flowers adorn the hills, the clouds are perfect pearls of white set in the deep blue sky; everything is just as it should be.
“Bethel Mural: The Gospel from Genesis to Revelation”, by Dave Mattison and Matt Philleo, 2013, panel 1
But then we notice Adam and Eve leaving the garden in sorrow. They were cast out because they disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit. This is where darkness, sin and suffering entered the world. Compressing the events of several years into one image, we show them grieving not only because they are kicked out of the house, so to speak, but because their son lies dead on the ground. Their firstborn son, Cain was jealous of the younger son Abel and killed him.
In the foreground, do you notice the venom of the snake (the Devil) coming from the forbidden fruit and leaking into the stream?
This is symbolic of how sin entered the world through the temptation the Devil brought to Eve and then Adam, as they gave in and disobeyed the clear command of God. Sin is simply disobeying the commands of God. The once clear stream of human existence and consciousness has gotten muddied. People’s consciences, once clean and pure, became foggy, and eventually after years of giving into sin, downright evil. We can learn from the Bible that…
As society seems to be advancing in knowledge, the world is actually getting worse. However, God knows, and He has a plan.
In the next panel, actually even before we get to the next panel, we notice stormy clouds brewing in the background.
“Bethel Mural: The Gospel from Genesis to Revelation,” by artists Dave Mattison and Matt Philleo, 2013, Panel 2
Then, you will notice in this second panel, Noah’s ark resting upon a mountaintop. Do you remember the story of Noah’s Ark from your childhood? The colorful picture books of lions, elephants and zebras, poking their heads out of a cartoonish, rounded boat that couldn’t even fit a few animals from your local petting zoo does nothing to help us imagine what the real ark would have looked like. On a side note, the real ark was 1 1/2 football fields long and 1 1/2 semi-truck trailers wide–plenty of room to fit young, not yet fully grown animals from every species.
The ark was needed to save the human race and animal kingdom from destruction. God sent a flood to cover the whole earth, to wipe out every living thing, except for those in the ark: Noah, his family, and pairs of each animal.
The great flood was actually an act of mercy as well as judgment.
The sons and daughters of Adam and eve–the people that lived at this time got so evil, that all their thoughts were only evil all the time. Think of skid row or the darkest corners of prison cells when no guards are watching and imagine this is what happened all over the place. God was grieved by all this sin–people forgetting Him, and hurting and destroying each other, and so judgment and cleansing came. He started things over again, fresh and brand new with the survivors in the ark.
“Bethel Mural: The Gospel from Genesis to Revelation,”by artists Dave Mattison and Matt Philleo, panel 2, detail of ark
However, the focal point of this panel is the two tablets of stone, coming towards you, with the Mount Sinai in the background. This may call to mind the famous “The Ten Commandments” movie with Charlson Heston. God gave Moses the law–his perfect rules and commandments to live by–to pass on to his chosen people, the nation of Israel.
“Bethel Mural: The Gospel from Genesis to Revelation”, by artists Dave Mattison and Matt Philleo, 2013, panel 2, detail
Not again…
Several years later, the descendants of Noah still missed the mark, and the world was full of sin as it was before. God promised He would never again wipe out the world with a flood, and instead chose Abraham and his children–the nation of Israel–to be a special group of people that would learn His ways and follow Him. They did okay at first, but eventually they lived sinful lives like their predecessors.
These commandments are not just for Israel by the way–they are for all of us. They prescribe His perfect way of living. A way where we will love God, show respect to Him as we ought to above all other things, and also love our fellow man sincerely. The law of God is good.
There is just one problem.
No one has ever been able to obey all the commandments. If you have ever lied–even once, you’ve sinned. You’ve blown it. If you have ever stolen anything, regardless of the value, you are a thief. If you have ever wanted something that belongs to another person, you missed the mark, and have been covetous. You are a lawbreaker, and so am I.
The law has one purpose, really: to show us that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
“Bethel Mural: The Gospel from Genesis to Revelation,” by artists Dave Mattison and Matt Philleo, panel 1, detail
You must be perfect to get to heaven. That’s where God is, and He is perfect. You can’t have a glass of pure water with one drop of cyanide and call it fit to drink. My friend Dave, the one who created this mural with me, works at a baby formula manufacturer. In some departments, the environment is locked down and has to be so clean that everyone must wear protective suits to ensure the batches of formula don’t get infected by a foreign object, even dust from the outside.
In the same way, one speck of sin would contaminate heaven. The Bible says that God’s eyes are “too pure too look upon evil.” In other words, our sin and rebellion just can’t be tolerated in His holy presence. Heaven is clean and must stay clean to be heaven.
You don’t have to be as bad as Hitler to be thrown into hell. (In fact, as bad as Hitler was–with every single murder he committed in the most heinous ways possible, he could have been forgiven through the Savior God provided.) All of us have sinned. All of us deserve the death sentence for our crimes. “The wages of sin is death.” God, in His mercy, has restrained us through governments, laws, and a prosperous country to keep us from being as evil as we could be, if given the chance to do everything we want to do.
None of us, even on our best day, can hope to make it to heaven based on our good deeds.
God says all of our righteous deeds, when they are done to earn acceptance with Him, are like filthy rags. I’m a tall guy, but there’s no way I can jump and touch a 12 foot tall ceiling. Likewise, heaven is out of reach for me by my own efforts.
The good news is, God made a way for us to be restored to Him. He made a way for us to be perfect in His sight, and to live with Him in happiness forever! I’ll share more about that, and the other panels of this mural, in the next post. In the meantime, now is the perfect time as we head into Palm Sunday and the week before Easter, to think about our problem of sin, and how God, in His love, has provided the remedy!
Here is Part 2 of this Story…
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by Matt Philleo | Dec 3, 2015 | Bible Devotionals, Christianity & Culture, Encouraging Thoughts, New Artwork
It’s amazing how fast the year went by. The dusting of snow on the ground, the crisp weather, the lights on the trees, the hustle and bustle in the shopping areas all indicate the Christmas season is here!
I love Christmas, but it’s always a bittersweet season for me.
Having grown up in a legalistic church/ cult, my family and I didn’t celebrate Christmas until I was 12 years old, after we left that place. We were taught from the time we were little kids that Christmas was pagan and evil.
For that reason, Christmas doesn’t quite have the “magic” for me–you, know, that nostalgic feeling that finds it root in childhood–since I missed those special moments: the awe and wonder of the decorations, the preparation, the suspense, and of course, the gifts.
Christmas also signals to me the the year is almost over. It makes me think of how quickly the time went by, and some things that I wanted to accomplish, but wasn’t able to get done. And I’m not a fan of winter!
But I definitely don’t want to be a Grinch. So, now I’m going to look at the positive side…
For Jesus, Christmas is a time of birth. For us, it’s a time of rebirth.
The year is winding down, and a fresh new year is ahead, with new opportunities arising: opportunities for business, and opportunities for relationships too. I’m glad my children can celebrate Christmas and enjoy the true meaning of the season. As they are getting old enough to appreciate it, my wife and I are doing special advent devotions with them. My wife actually has created her own Advent devotional for our family–complete with thought provoking questions to encourage us to focus on the Savior and thank Him for what He has done for us.
I’ve really been enjoying it this year.
I think the kids are too: at the close of the devotion, the kids get to blow out a candle. (It’s amazing how they will sit still through the devotional just to get to blow out a candle!)
We brought our candleabra to church, so here is the makeshift one my wife made. Egg cartons: useful things!
Homemade Egg carton Advent Candlebra–MattPhilleo.com
So in the midst of all the craziness, this is the perfect time to slow down a little, snuggle up to those we love, and spend quality time with them. Even better, open up the Bible together and discover again the joy of the coming King! These verses come to my mind as I write:
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 4:4-7)
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-7)
That is the mystery of Christmas. We don’t know for sure when Jesus was born, but maybe it’s good that we celebrate His birth in the winter, when, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s cold and dark.
In the darkness, we can appreciate the light so much more.
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; for those living in a land of deep darkness, a light has shined upon them.” (Isaiah 9:2)
When you string those twinkling lights up on your tree, take a moment and think about the Star of David–the Light of the World, God in human flesh that broke into our world of chaos, to bring order; into our world of angst to bring peace.
In this painting I just finished,
“Enjoying the Light of the World,” you can see the family sitting together by the warm fire, reading together the wonderful story of God’s love and grace to us in the Bible. When we seek the Lord during this special time of year, peace, joy and love will flood into our homes as a result. (By the way, I have turned this painting into a
free Christmas card that you can download and print)
Christmas is coming. So go ahead, break out the sticks and logs, get a good crackling fire going, open up that Bible, and gather your family around to share the comforting words of our Lord Jesus Christ: “…I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
May God richly bless your Christmas season!
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If you have any comments or questions about this post, please leave me your feedback below! I will personally get back to you. Can you help me spread the word? Please share this post with your family and friends by using the social media links on the left side or below. Thank you!
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