Untrained artist sculpts Jesus from a repeated dream

[~candice~]

As one who has recently been drawing the visions the Lord has given me during worship services, I'm not going to argue this.

Believe or reject me as you wish.

Well Neb I don't doubt that what you describe could happen, and so long as it's not in contradiction to the Word then I have no reason to discount it. God bless sis.

That's what it's all about.

Far too many people misinterpret good intentions as good fruit.

And far too many also misinterpret good fruit for bad intentions

That works both ways Fez . Those who chose to keep these things at arms distance until it has been vetted against scripture are also having their good intentions and good fruits called something else. Being called hard hearted for obeying scriptural commands to test all things? Good grief!

I know you didn't make that accusation personally Fez, but come on people. We are all adults who love the Lord. Let's discuss without offense.

While we are on that topic, I've had a thought on these threads for the last few days. I think these threads are threatening to some people. After all, if we have the ability to judge someone's experience and call it into question, we can do that to their (and my) experience as well. No one likes having their experience with God called fake. It's a personal thing for us all, we want to protect our experience of God and how we interact with Him on a personal level.

Try to keep that in mind when in threads where someone's vision or dream etc is been criticised, held up against the Word and determined by some to not be genuine.

[~candice~]

my heart is a stone.

Finally we agree on something. I've been there and done that. My heart was a stone. Paul's heart was a stone. Pretty much all reborn christians start out with hearts of stone. And we all used arguements similiar to yours. Fault finding and negative towards anything that didn't line up with what we thought the bible said. Pretty much everything I thought or said...I was wrong...after I was reborn.

To be truthful it is easy to find fault and be critical...in this world.....especially with the Holy Bible. It is kind of the easy way out. Try finding good or love in all people or situations, that is the real challenge and can be difficult but achieved.

I was severely rebuked by Jesus Christ himself...for always focusing on the negative and finding faults even with my loved ones let alone strangers. Never again for this boy. I'm telling you whether you believe it or not...your heading down the wrong path and if you are like me...it will take a severe rebuking...which will either make your more bitter...or turn u to a path of love

You quoted out of context so badly there, PF. Let's be a little more thoughtful before carefully selecting phrases on their own to craft into statements that are actually contrary to what the poster means and intended. Man does not have a heart of stone, he is merely taking a different view to you on this topic.

[nebula]

Now that I've had time to contemplate this -

The conflict is over what a "graven image" is.

To me, a "graven image" is something created for the purpose of worshiping it as "god" or a representation of "god". I do not see this as the purpose and function of the sculpture.

To me, the sculpture is "art". The purposes of art in our Western culture are:

commemoration of an important event

propaganda or social commentary

recording of visual data

creating beauty

storytelling

convey intense emotion

interpret the subject matter at hand

Source

I perceive this sculpture as something of the above - a commemoration, a story-telling, a conveyor of emotion, an interpretation of the subject matter.

Now if people enshrined the sculpture and offered sacrifices to it - as the Israelites did with the bronze serpent, then I would surely be against it. But if it stirs hearts to reflect on Jesus and His sacrifice, if they see the love in His eyes as this woman made the effort to portray and this pierces their own hearts, if it provokes people to worship the Lord deeper - then God is given glory and the sculpture is nothing more than a springboard or catapult or a hand-up, and thus not a "graven image."

[Guest man]

my heart is a stone.

Finally we agree on something. I've been there and done that. My heart was a stone. Paul's heart was a stone. Pretty much all reborn christians start out with hearts of stone. And we all used arguements similiar to yours. Fault finding and negative towards anything that didn't line up with what we thought the bible said. Pretty much everything I thought or said...I was wrong...after I was reborn.

To be truthful it is easy to find fault and be critical...in this world.....especially with the Holy Bible. It is kind of the easy way out. Try finding good or love in all people or situations, that is the real challenge and can be difficult but achieved.

I was severely rebuked by Jesus Christ himself...for always focusing on the negative and finding faults even with my loved ones let alone strangers. Never again for this boy. I'm telling you whether you believe it or not...your heading down the wrong path and if you are like me...it will take a severe rebuking...which will either make your more bitter...or turn u to a path of love

Why must you make everything personal? You talk about love but do nothing but attack. You're constantly contradicting yourself.

I don't state what I think the bible says, I actually put the words out there for everyone to see. Something I've asked you to do many times and all I get is silence. Why is that?

And you're right, I do find fault in this world. A lot of it. Especially when I measure it up against the Word of God.

I'm not you and you're not me. If you were a bitter convert, then that's you. Not everyone travels the same road. Yes, the desired destination is the same, but how we get there is not. You need to understand that.

Lead with the Word, not your emotions.

[nebula]

I know you didn't make that accusation personally Fez, but come on people. We are all adults who love the Lord. Let's discuss without offense.

While we are on that topic, I've had a thought on these threads for the last few days. I think these threads are threatening to some people. After all, if we have the ability to judge someone's experience and call it into question, we can do that to their (and my) experience as well. No one likes having their experience with God called fake. It's a personal thing for us all, we want to protect our experience of God and how we interact with Him on a personal level.

Try to keep that in mind when in threads where someone's vision or dream etc is been criticised, held up against the Word and determined by some to not be genuine.

Good word!