Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Refiner's Fire

Refiner's Fire

Refiner's Fire
When a goldsmith purifies metals, the process includes fire to heat the metal to a liquid state and then remove dross which is solid impurities floating on a molten metal. Scripture speaks of the same type of process God uses to purify His people through trials and hardships. Peter, the disciple and apostle of Jesus puts it this way: "In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:6-7


But who can endure the day of His coming? Who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a REFINER'S FIRE or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a REFINER and purifier of silver; He will purify the Levites and REFINE them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years.



"This third I will put into the FIRE;

I will REFINE them like silver

and test them like gold.

They will call on My Name

and I will answer them;

I will say, ‘They are My people,’

and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.” Zechariah 13:9

This painting went through a process of refinement as well including multiple paint layers, a covering, a dousing, and the final top layer of paint which is how the tie-dye effect was achieved on a 2'x4' canvas. Here's photographs of the creative process...





Refiner's Fire - Christine Nichols, 2009




Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:3-9



All my paintings begin with prayer. I ask for the Holy Spirit's guidance from beginning to end - from choosing the canvas and paint colors to the last brush stroke. I pray that the Lord's message would go forth through the art and that Father God would be glorified. 

I believe all prophetic art has a message, but what the Holy Spirit speaks to me about a specific piece of art, may be different than what the Spirit says to you. Seek Him for a personal interpretation.

You can find more Christian Abstract paintings that the Lord has given me on my Facebook page, Christine Nichols-Art, in a Photo Album called FOR HIS GLORY. If you've enjoyed the art, you're invited to LIKE and SHARE my art Facebook page: STEEN ART.

 

3 comments:

  1. got chills reaading the scriptures and choke back tears. enjoyed the song Refiners Fire. love mingling with you artists. I am thankful that God has help me find people who i can relate to , maybe not in talent but in the prescious and sometyimes painful heart of artist. (forgot about the joy...i still have yet to get that far) : ) thanks for sharing all of this. i enjoyed.

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  2. Being an artist is a satisfying but lonely job and folks rarely comment on one's work, so I welcome and enjoy your mingling! I know exactly what you mean about finding folks you can relate to. I'm grateful to God for that, too. The Lord didn't call me to paint until 2009 when I was 47, so I spent most of my life feeling out of place in the world. It's true, us artist-types experience deep emotions from the depths of sorrow to elated joy and every other feeling inbetween! It is not that we allow our emotions to rule our lives, that job belongs to Christ Jesus, our King, and He is the sturdy Rock on which we stand, but we our feelings run very deeply. When I read your comment about joy, I searched the psalms and the Holy Spirit chose this verse for you: "Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy!" Psalm 126:5

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  3. I want to share this artwork with you. I hope the link works...
    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=316555651814249&set=pb.100003794495898.-2207520000.1376831837.&type=3&theater

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