Loneliness is a Lie

This painting represents God’s pillar of fire that traveled with the Israelites through their wilderness wanderings. If you've ever felt alone or know someone who has, you'll want to read more about this painting's meaning at wingabouts.com

A Peculiar Sight

The fire in this painting illustrates the burning bush that Moses saw in Exodus chapter 3. As Christians, the fire of the Holy Spirit is to burn within us....Read the complete story or purchase an art print by visiting wingabouts.com

Follow Me

 

Follow Me

by Barbara Eccleston

These two watercolor fish paintings remind me that we are all called to be fishers of men by the Lord Jesus. These were the first fish He and I caught together – they are my son and daughter, both baptized into Christ soon after accepting Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Yet I know these sin-stained hands have no part in redeeming anyone. It was the Father’s work, all by His grace, that called these two young fish into His boat. There’s no monster fish too tough to be reeled in by my Father’s hands. There’s also no fish so small that He’ll say, “Why bother?”

Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19). What a wonderfully exciting promise this is, fishing to win the souls of men! But follow how? Here in the United States, many church-goers have been taught to befriend people and gain their approval before witnessing to them. But that is not what Jesus did, nor any of the Apostles. The Bible calls us to be peculiar, to be separate, and to be holy. Paul asks in II Corinthians 6:14, “What fellowship has light with darkness?”

It is our difference, our Christ-like aroma that will draw men to the Lord. If we do succeed in fitting in, there’s nothing appealing left in us to draw others to Christ. Unfortunately, this also means we don’t truly believe in the power of the Holy Spirit to convict and call a man to Christ. We feel we are the one who is winning these people over – that it is somehow up to us, with our wonderful smile and smooth talk! However, our part is to live holy lives and speak truth. God’s Spirit does the rest.

So let me say again, Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” But follow how? He is my example. He was compassionate towards all people, yet never cowered from speaking the truth they needed to hear. He told lowly strangers, as well as prominent persons, of their sin and challenged them to repent. It is only as I closely follow His example, that I can claim this promise and become a fisher of men’s souls.

Life Without

Life Without

by Barbara Eccleston

“Life Without” is a prison term for people who are given a life sentence without the possibility of parole. My husband worked at a maximum security prison before he died. He used to come home and tell me how empty and hopeless most of those inmates’ lives were. The term seems fitting here because this painting is of a life lived without God – there is no yellow glow coming from time spent with the Lord, there are no heavenly blue thoughts or priestly purple deeds.

This ugly horse is imprisoned by his sins; black bars keep freedom out of reach. Everything surrounding this horse is worldly green; his thoughts, his time, and his treasures are all spent on earth-bound pursuits. The orange represents anger, bitterness and resentment – hurtful words drip out of his mouth and hang in the air around him like a destructive wake. The red represents sins of every sort, each one being an affront to the holiness of the Lord.

The black thing in this heart, whatever it is, is simple idolatry. All sin is just that easy to explain. If we wanted Him, we wouldn’t want “that” – whether it is pride, power, passion, prosperity, or privilege. It all comes down to a life without the Lord Jesus Christ and something black is sitting on the throne of this heart instead of Him.

Choosing a life without Jesus is choosing a life without the possibility of parole. Sin reigns relentlessly and the consequence is eternal. However, unlike those prison inmates my husband spoke of, the prison bars that hold this horse have but one key: the cross of Calvary. The Lord Jesus is always ready and always willing to pardon and to save.

The Color of Time

The Color of Time

by Barbara Eccleston

This painting uses color to portray the importance of my daily time with the Lord. The yellow is me as I come away from a face-to-Face encounter with the Almighty; just like Moses, my face is glowing!  I move through my day and I do things that are priestly and purple. I do and think things that are heavenly blue. The more time that passes, the more the green earthly things begin to creep in. Before long, bitterness, envy, strife, and other orange uglies are present. Then bam! Blatant red sins intrude from every angle.

I’ve not moved to a place away from God’s presence, for no such place exists. However, I have moved to a place where I’ve become unconscious of His presence, where my sinful thoughts and behavior speak of my forgetfulness and Satan’s powerful deception. The only solution is to return to the Source, to once again meet with my Lord Jesus, one-to-One, basking in the light of His love, and letting His glow overtake me once more.