Freedom

This painting was begun at Love and Care Ministries fifteenth annual Tent Revival and was completed at the First United Methodist Church on Sunday, November 7, 2010. Rev. Mark Hewitt serves as the pastor of Love and Care Ministries which reaches out through God's empowering love to the homeless community in Abilene. Mark and a force of volunteers serve up food, hope and love and daily exhibit the "go of the gospel."

As people were responding to the gift of salvation, I finished the reds and yellows declaring freedom for the captives. The evening's royal guests lined up waiting for their bar-b-cue dinner and as they passed I experienced their extraordinary openness and willingness to connect over the painting. Thus, I was able to share the power of my testimony, "I have been in bondage and walked in freedom; freedom is better!"

I finished the blues and purples at FUMC on Sunday as we lined up for another meal. As I finished the bread and the wine, I heard "take another cup." As I lifted the second cup, I envisioned dipping a specific paint brush into the cup, so I walked over picked up the brush and lowered the bristles into the fruit of the vine. As I did, I received direction, instructing me to lift the brush to the top right of the canvas, I did and suddenly it began to drip and run. Pausing, I wondered if I should wipe up the dipping. I heard, "no, keep going." I did. The direction for the exact brush placement came so quickly that I just followed the Holy Spirit's leading as if in a quick step dance. Back and forth across the painting He highlighted my next move, I dabbed and dabbed and the wine ran and suddenly I was done. I stepped back and saw before me that the "Blood of Christ" had run down through the golden yellow letters in a regular stripe pattern that resembled prison bars and I heard,

"By His stripes, we are healed!"

* Color tones may shift depending on your monitor settings.

This product has been donated from Latimer Bowen and all proceeds benefit the ministry of Project 7 Billion.