I was Meditating on Murder 🥒 🔪 🩸

You read that right… MURDER! As in, the 6th Commandment in Exodus 20:13 ESV “You shall not murder.” (Watch the teaching here)

The moment you heard that word you probably saw RED. In my case, I saw GREEN—and by “green” I mean Pickles:)

Are you DYING to hear the connection? Lol Wow, I think that was my first natural pun. This day just keeps getting better and better! (Today was the day I launched my website!)

Here’s the idea: A month before I was scheduled to paint I knew that I would be painting during this Commandment but what hadn’t happened yet was the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The moment he passed away my eyes and ears were glued to social media. I’ve been trying to break the DOOM-SCROLL habits but this event did not help. During election season I watched his videos endlessly. Along with many other Voices for Truth. So themes like Abortion, Racism, Human Trafficking, War, Politics, Drug Cartel, Gangs… all these were on my mind.

So here I am asking Holy Spirit what I need to paint. Charlie Kirk? Erika Kirk? Aborted baby? Etc. and instead I hear this quote, “Murder stems from False Self Defense.” AKA In many cases it is an act of SELF-PRESERVATION. (Paint a preservative 🥒)

Self-Preservation is an act of FEAR. Rather, we are called to lose ourselves for GOD’s sake and HE WILL PRESERVE OUR SOULS.

Matthew 16:25 ESV “ For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake, will find it.” In some translations it says “preserve it”. 🥒

Here’s what I heard next:

- Abortion: preserving your own body or life

- Hate: preserving your own opinion without forgiveness

- Racism: preserving your own race

- Abuser: preserving your control

- Toxic Relationship: preserving an idea of love inspite of the reality

- Gang Violence: preserving your tribe

- we kill authenticity to preserve our reputation

- we kill the opportunity to heal because we dont want to confess

- we kill friendships because we dont want to grow

- we cut off community because its too challenging

- we abort assignment out of fear of failing

- we abort obedience because we want to preserve our comfort

- we kill our opportunity to grow because we wont forgive

You get my drift. I found that the spirit of MURDER is more prevalent than we realized.

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” The spirit of MURDER is not only coming after our physical bodies but also our souls, our dreams and visions, our legacies, our community, our connection to others, our character, our minds, our family, our marriages, our businesses, etc. Every righteous and obedient act is a target.

Let us not be participants and accomplices in MURDER.

Evaluate your opinions, your stance, your plans, your “wisdom”… are you in self-preservation mode?

Faith alone pleases the LORD. (Paraphrase Hebrews 11:6)

#fulltimecreativemissionary #ArtThatHeals #yourartist #propheticword #propheticart #liveart #artworship #conceptualart #pickles #selfpreservation