Creativity and Spiritual Warfare

One day, God told the prophet Jeremiah to take a little trip down to the house of a local potter, saying, "I'll give you a message there." Upon his arrival, Jeremiah watched as the potter's clay started to fall apart on the wheel. So the potter took that same clay and formed a new pot. That's when God spoke to Jeremiah about what He was about to do for the nation of Israel (Jeremiah 18).

It struck me how God used the process of creativity to speak prophetically. It wasn't the finished product that had prophetic significance; it was the process. As you engage in the creative process--no matter your medium--listen for the Lord to speak to you!

Then there was the prophet Ezekiel. Take a look at what God had him do:

Ezekiel 4:1-3—"Now, son of man, take a clay tablet, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. Then lay siege to it: Erect siege works against it, build a ramp up to it, set up camps against it and put battering rams around it. Then take an iron pan, place it as an iron wall between you and the city and turn your face toward it. It will be under siege, and you shall besiege it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel" (NIV).

In Ezekiel's case, God gave him specific instructions about what to draw; and then he was instructed to build a model around the tablet to demonstrate what would happen to Israel.

So now we've got two different cases. With Jeremiah, he was observing the process of creativity, not knowing what it was that the Lord wanted to speak. And in Ezekiel's case, he heard the word of the Lord first, and carried out obedient creativity as a prophetic act. In each case, God used design and media to bring a prophetic word to His people.

Why should we think that God is any different today? Especially in an era where creativity is so valued, why wouldn't we expect God to speak prophetically through creativity? I am convinced that God wants to use His people in creative ways to advance His kingdom; and prophetic revelation is just one of those ways.

Looking back on my life, I remembered a case when God used me in a similar way. I don't share this to boast in my own works, but to bring glory to God and give an example of what is possible today.

About seven years ago, the Holy Spirit led me to pray for an older woman in my church and specified that her husband was an alcoholic. During my time of prayer, the Holy Spirit showed me a specific shape, sort of like an "L." As I drew the shape on a piece of paper, He started to prompt me of several places to put "X's," which I did. Then I felt like the Lord was saying to draw circles surrounding the shape to represent the angels He was sending to change the situation (not knowing how many to draw, I actually started with a ring of circles and then thought, Why not fill up the rest of the paper!). I did everything as instructed, and continued to pray for this woman and her husband.

The next Sunday at church, the woman came up to me while I was playing piano after the sermon. We didn't even really know each other at the time, but she said, "I felt like the Holy Spirit was leading me to have you pray for my family."

"Alcoholism," I said calmly.

Stunned, she asked, "How did you know?"

I shared with her how the Lord had already been leading me to pray for her. I flipped over some sheet music and drew the shape just like before. "Does this shape mean anything to you?"

The woman looked quizzically at it, and didn't recognize it at all. I was about to dismiss it as having been my imagination, but then she called her daughter over to the piano and asked her if the shape meant anything to her.

"Yeah," said the daughter, "That's Dad's room in the basement."

Then I started drawing the X's. "What's here?" I asked with each X. First was his bed, then his television, then the refrigerator where he kept his liquor. Then I put three X's in a small cluster, just as I had in the first drawing, and asked, "What's here?"

"That," she answered, "is the chair where Dad drinks all the time."

To make a long story short, a team of us went over to this family's house to pray while the husband wasn't home. Within a matter of a couple weeks, the woman's husband decided to give up his years of drunkenness and leave the basement to sleep once again in the room with his wife. The last I heard, his family is still praying for his salvation; but they're all in a lot better shape because of God's intervention so far!

God can use your creativity as a means of conveying a prophetic message! I wouldn't try to rank myself alongside Jeremiah and Ezekiel; but if I'm any indication, it's not out of the question for God to speak to and through people with media today! In Jeremiah's case, the prophetic word came as he observed the process of creativity that was carried out by someone else (someone who, I might add, probably didn't have a clue that God was speaking through them!). In Ezekiel's case, God gave him specific instructions about what to do and what it would mean prophetically. And in my case, I just had a hunch that the shape I kept seeing in my imagination might mean something, so I drew it and God revealed more with time.

As you pray and seek the Lord in the coming days, don't shrug off images that might pop into your mind. Instead, ask the Lord if they might mean anything. If you feel a confirmation in your heart that the image does mean something, ask Him what you're supposed to do in response. Maybe He's just guiding your prayer. Maybe He'll want you to write it down for later. Maybe He'll give you a specific interpretation right away. And maybe He'll have you exercise your creativity. You might build a model like Ezekiel, draw a picture like me, write a song, carve a sculpture, play an instrument, write a letter, or even develop a web site. After all, that's how this web site came into being!

Let's expect God to speak prophetically to you and through you as you carry out the creativity that He has placed within you!

Labels: creativity, drawing, God's voice, graphic design, obedience, pottery, prophecy, prophetic revelation, spiritual warfare, visions and dreams, web design

# posted by Art Thomas @ 5:01 PM 2 Comments

All throughout the Bible—particularly the Old Testament—we see creativity and craftsmanship going hand-in-hand with warfare. The same is true for us today when it comes to spiritual warfare!

God used the creativity and craftsmanship of men and women to win many battles for His people; and He can still win mighty victories through you! But before I show you where you fit in, let's take a look at the biblical examples.

First we have conventional warfare. In these battles, Israel fought using weapons and armor. But think about it: where would all those swords, spears, shields, and armor pieces come from if it weren't for the blacksmiths and leatherworkers who creatively and skillfully made those items? Today, we don't really think about this stuff in terms of creativity; but back then, it was an art form!

Then we have unconventional warfare. These are the cases where God used unexpected methods to win victories for His people. Sometimes it involved worshippers leading the way. Sometimes it involved shouting. Sometimes it involved smashing clay pots.

Consider, for instance, the battle of Jericho. The Israelites marched around that walled city for seven days in silence, following the ark of the covenant (a gold and wood box that represented the presence of God and became a meeting place for Moses and God to meet face to face). On the seventh day, when they had finished marching around the wall, a loud trumpet blast was sounded on "shofars" (made from ram's horns). Then the Israelites let out a loud shout! The wall crumbled, and they took the city!

Or how about Gideon?  He and only 300 men took the entire camp of the Midianites when they blew their trumpets, smashed clay pots on the ground, raised their torches, and shouted!  God brought such confusion on the enemy that they turned their swords on each other!

Have you ever thought about how much of these stories couldn't have happened apart from the creativity and craftsmanship of ordinary people like you and me? First we have the ark of the covenant (which was part of the Tabernacle explained on the Home Page of this site). And what about the shofars? Those all had to be cleaned out and have mouth pieces shaped. Then there are the torches, which each had to be crafted by hand. Or how about the pots? Did you ever think about the fact that someone had to physically sit down at a pottery wheel and shape every one of those pots? They also had to be baked correctly or else they wouldn't make any sound as they made contact with the sandy ground.

But there's one common thread through every story, and this is the key to powerful creativity! Whether in conventional or unconventional warfare, the success of the Israelites was based on their obedience to the voice of God! The same is especially true when it comes to spiritual warfare. God can use your creativity to bring confusion to the enemy's camp and advance His Kingdom! The only necessary component is your obedience to His voice. Creativity coupled with disobedience is devious and leads to discipline; but creativity coupled with obedience brings supernatural victory!

It's God alone who brings the victory—not our craftsmanship! Rather, our craftsmanship becomes the tool or vehicle through which God brings His victory!

What is your craft? Graphic design? Music? Web development? Videography? Painting? Photography? Cooking? Public speaking? Illustration? What is it? Where is your talent? You may feel like it has nothing to do with spiritual warfare; but when coupled with obedience to the voice of the Lord, it will be powerful! If you want your creativity and craftsmanship to be used by God in effective spiritual warfare to bring victories according to His will, then seek His voice so that you can respond in obedience. He's ready to win the victory through your Christ-centered creativity!

Labels: blacksmithing, craftsmanship, creativity, God's voice, leatherwork, obedience, pottery, spiritual warfare

# posted by Art Thomas @ 12:07 AM 0 Comments

Once upon a time, Christians had a lot of success handing out pamphlets that explained the Gospel message. Today that success has waned; but I'm convinced that it's because God has new ways to impact our rapidly changing culture! In today's blog post--the first of many--I'll show you how God can use various media in supernatural ways through Christians like you and me.

Many cultural analysts these days agree that we're in a "postmodern" era. Few of them agree on how to define that word; but the basic gist is this:

• People tend to value dialogue more than lecture.
• People want relationships more than isolation.
• In the midst of these relationships, people still value individualism.
• This individualism is often expressed in creative and artistic ways.
• Thus, art and creativity are often associated with human individuality.

In light of all this, the most meaningful artwork tends to be the kind that has depth, symbolism, dialogue, and individuality attached to it. In other words, it's not enough to paint a pretty picture. What does it mean? How were you feeling the day you painted it? What is the symbolic value of the picture? Have you caught yet how world transformation can be tied into this?

People are often curious about the life behind the media. They want to know what makes the artist tick. Media, then, can become a launch pad for dialogue; and since dialogue is so treasured by this generation, people will actually listen to what you have to say and engage in conversation. It's through this process that ideas are challenged and convictions are formed. So when the topic becomes Jesus Christ and the active presence of His Holy Spirit, you've now opened the door for personal transformation in the life of someone else! And personal transformation can ultimately lead to world transformation!

Finally, here's the application. If you want your artwork and design to impact this postmodern generation, then you need to remember three things:

1. Let your individuality shine through! Don't be generic. Make sure your work has meaning.
2. Don't be afraid to use symbolism that doesn't make sense at first glance. Depth of symbolism makes people curious and gets them to ask questions.
3. Remember that as a Christian, your identity is in Christ. So when we're talking about "individuality" remember that this word is intimately interwoven into your faith. They're inseparable. Make sure the symbolism you're conveying reveals Christ in you rather than just you.

No matter your medium of choice, now is the time to let the Holy Spirit breath creativity into your soul! Get ready to take your talent to the next level as you incorporate testimony into your design and engage our postmodern generation!

Labels: creativity, evangelism, postmodernism, testimony

# posted by Art Thomas @ 8:47 PM 0 Comments