the gathering
presents Mike Lewis ...
The Jesus Painter
| Mike Lewis is a Cincinnati native who now calls Nashville his home. If you want more information on who he is, what he does and how to book him, please go to the site www.JesusPainter.com |
| This particular grouping of pictures is from a performance on November 9th of 2007 at the Miami University Middletown Campus sponsored by Messiah Lutheran Church. |
| Mike is an amazingly humble guy, and he truly has a heart for Christ. As an artist, myself, I can tell you that his performance and execution are the reflection of a legitimate spiritual gift. I would never attempt something this large or in a 20 minute time frame. Yet ... he does it all with the natural and casual approach of ... well ... Art Garfunkle standing in Central park, hands in pockets, delivering an angelic rendition of Bridge Over Troubled Water. |
| The drop cloth is a vital part of Mike's performance. Look at his clothing and you can see why. |
I caught Mike preparing ... lots of
tarping and duct tape spells an
exciting show.
tarping and duct tape spells an
exciting show.
| welcome back my friends to the show that never ends ... come inside, come inside ... |
| (above) tools of the trade (below and beside) Extreme Ministries band |
| dry brush portrait |
(ELP)
CHRIST EYES
CHRIST EYES
CHRIST EYES
CHRIST EYES
CHRIST EYES
Intimate Portrait
Intimate Portrait
Intimate Portrait
Intimate Portrait
Intimate Portrait
Empty, just like the tomb.
| Mike's work is charged with energy and yet presented in a humble way ... yes he's good, but he is self-effacing which allows for a balance to be struck. It is a Godly balance of service and strength. |
all
of my
sin
of my
sin
| personal awareness of our participation in Christ's crucifixion is necessary for repentance and salvation. Praise God from whom all blessing flow. |
| "It is finished." --John 19:29 |
| taken from the back of Johnston Hall at Miami University in Middletown, OH. This gives you a feel for the size, which isn't always represented well in the photos that are close to the action. |
| Proof to Thomas PROOF |
Thomas knew, but he couldn't believe without
physical evidence ... not so different from you & me.
physical evidence ... not so different from you & me.
| "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not see and yet believe." --John 20:29 |
path to
salvation
salvation
nailed 4U
nailed 4U
nailed 4U
nailed 4U
nailed 4U
| Below you will find a group of miscellaneous pics ... hope you have enjoyed. Remember, if you like what you see you can contact Mike at www.JesusPainter.com |
De-bunking our beliefs … yeah, right
As Christmas day wound down I watched more TV hoping to catch some info on the faith that would be interesting,
maybe even compelling … possibly some archaeological find (that was not a fake) or a commentary that was pro-
Jesus (imagine that).
I settled in for late viewing to watch a 48 Hours Mystery episode at ten o’clock, originally aired in 2005, and
hosted by Maureen Mahr. She began by assuring the viewer that she was going to make it an informative and
respectful look at the faith. Wrong on both counts! I was interested in the televised dialogue on conflicting
accounts concerning Christ’s birth because there is always something to be gleaned from another perspective.
However, what I found disturbing was the premise that Biblical information is presumed to be wrong at the onset
rather than proving or disproving based on the evidence. It would have done no harm to affirm the Canonical
Gospels as a recounting of fact, making the assumption that there was undoubtedly some backfill of chronological
information, to a greater or lesser degree, after Christ’s ministry was better understood in light of the
Resurrection. Journalism in the current era is no more factual, and is presumed to be factual unless proven
otherwise … and with much less corroborating information and fewer sources.
The formulaic approach was to make it appear that the Gospel writers had an agenda, distorting the truth for a
specific end by reverse engineering the Gospels to coincide with Old Testament Scripture, specifically the
prophecy of Isaiah. I find that to be an unusually tedious approach, and blatantly conspiratorial, if all of the NT
writers were collaborating to make their writings “fit” OT prophecy. The fact that it isn’t always a nice fit would, I
think, be evidence of a more authentic approach made by a wide variety of authors working over a lengthy period
of no less than 300 to 400 years. Of these assertions, the most critical blow was a suggestion that the author of
Matthew couldn’t find enough current information to support the virgin birth, and therefore thumbed back to Isaiah
for backdoor support that Christ might actually be an important messianic figure. None of the Gospel writers
conflict on the person or the nature of Christ. Neither do the extra-canonical sources like Josephus.
It is frustrating to see this approach rather than looking to Isaiah chapter 53:5-7 as evidence of a fulfilled prophecy
of the one true Messiah. As C.S. Lewis said … “Either Christ was a madman, a liar or exactly who he said He was.”
Since there is no evidence of lying or insanity, we must presume Him to be exactly who He said He was. There are
no historic records that speak to the contrary. The greatest fears of both the Romans and the Sanhedrin were
that He was exactly who He said He was, and that he might easily overturn the orthodox power structure. Luke’s
meticulous documentation demonstrated no evidence of conflicting traditions, oral or written. If anyone would have
found unsupported “facts” it would have been an individual like Luke looking for those facts in the heart of the
Christian community … one that was truly complex for its time.
What follows is Holy Scripture that supports the authenticity of the Bible … if you believe. Of course, if that’s not
the case, it changes everything, and you are treading on very different soil … my prayers are with you.
Proverbs 3:6 Trust in the Lord with all thine Heart; and lean not into thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. (3B;pg 831 KJV)
Luke 1:1-3 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those
things which are most surely believed among us, even as they delivered them unto us, which
from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the Word; it seemed good to me also,
having had a perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order,
most excellent Theophilus. (3B;pg 1274 KJV)
Isaiah 53:5-6 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we, like
sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on
Him the iniquity of us all. (3B;pg 934 KJV)
Fact about God: Trust in Him and He won't let you down. Why? Because he said so! Don't believe
me? Try it for yourself ... you be the judge, because you won't have that luxury later on.
Fact about Luke: He was a physician, and prone to be more objective and analytical. It is an historical
recount from eyewitnesses and ministers. What would be his reasons for lying? Surely other
believers would pick his work apart if it were not an accurate representation ... and Paul, for certain,
was not shy about calling out false leadership!
Fact about Isaiah: He was a prophet and what He prophesied came true, not the other way around.
What does Isaiah say that is untrue? Find a word or a phrase and let me know. Betcha can't!
Remember ... the world hated our Lord first, and He said we could expect the same. Don't be taken by surprise ...
be forewarned and put on the true armor of God. Read Ephesians chapter 6 for the details.
(written end of December 2007)
As Christmas day wound down I watched more TV hoping to catch some info on the faith that would be interesting,
maybe even compelling … possibly some archaeological find (that was not a fake) or a commentary that was pro-
Jesus (imagine that).
I settled in for late viewing to watch a 48 Hours Mystery episode at ten o’clock, originally aired in 2005, and
hosted by Maureen Mahr. She began by assuring the viewer that she was going to make it an informative and
respectful look at the faith. Wrong on both counts! I was interested in the televised dialogue on conflicting
accounts concerning Christ’s birth because there is always something to be gleaned from another perspective.
However, what I found disturbing was the premise that Biblical information is presumed to be wrong at the onset
rather than proving or disproving based on the evidence. It would have done no harm to affirm the Canonical
Gospels as a recounting of fact, making the assumption that there was undoubtedly some backfill of chronological
information, to a greater or lesser degree, after Christ’s ministry was better understood in light of the
Resurrection. Journalism in the current era is no more factual, and is presumed to be factual unless proven
otherwise … and with much less corroborating information and fewer sources.
The formulaic approach was to make it appear that the Gospel writers had an agenda, distorting the truth for a
specific end by reverse engineering the Gospels to coincide with Old Testament Scripture, specifically the
prophecy of Isaiah. I find that to be an unusually tedious approach, and blatantly conspiratorial, if all of the NT
writers were collaborating to make their writings “fit” OT prophecy. The fact that it isn’t always a nice fit would, I
think, be evidence of a more authentic approach made by a wide variety of authors working over a lengthy period
of no less than 300 to 400 years. Of these assertions, the most critical blow was a suggestion that the author of
Matthew couldn’t find enough current information to support the virgin birth, and therefore thumbed back to Isaiah
for backdoor support that Christ might actually be an important messianic figure. None of the Gospel writers
conflict on the person or the nature of Christ. Neither do the extra-canonical sources like Josephus.
It is frustrating to see this approach rather than looking to Isaiah chapter 53:5-7 as evidence of a fulfilled prophecy
of the one true Messiah. As C.S. Lewis said … “Either Christ was a madman, a liar or exactly who he said He was.”
Since there is no evidence of lying or insanity, we must presume Him to be exactly who He said He was. There are
no historic records that speak to the contrary. The greatest fears of both the Romans and the Sanhedrin were
that He was exactly who He said He was, and that he might easily overturn the orthodox power structure. Luke’s
meticulous documentation demonstrated no evidence of conflicting traditions, oral or written. If anyone would have
found unsupported “facts” it would have been an individual like Luke looking for those facts in the heart of the
Christian community … one that was truly complex for its time.
What follows is Holy Scripture that supports the authenticity of the Bible … if you believe. Of course, if that’s not
the case, it changes everything, and you are treading on very different soil … my prayers are with you.
Proverbs 3:6 Trust in the Lord with all thine Heart; and lean not into thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. (3B;pg 831 KJV)
Luke 1:1-3 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those
things which are most surely believed among us, even as they delivered them unto us, which
from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the Word; it seemed good to me also,
having had a perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order,
most excellent Theophilus. (3B;pg 1274 KJV)
Isaiah 53:5-6 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we, like
sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on
Him the iniquity of us all. (3B;pg 934 KJV)
Fact about God: Trust in Him and He won't let you down. Why? Because he said so! Don't believe
me? Try it for yourself ... you be the judge, because you won't have that luxury later on.
Fact about Luke: He was a physician, and prone to be more objective and analytical. It is an historical
recount from eyewitnesses and ministers. What would be his reasons for lying? Surely other
believers would pick his work apart if it were not an accurate representation ... and Paul, for certain,
was not shy about calling out false leadership!
Fact about Isaiah: He was a prophet and what He prophesied came true, not the other way around.
What does Isaiah say that is untrue? Find a word or a phrase and let me know. Betcha can't!
Remember ... the world hated our Lord first, and He said we could expect the same. Don't be taken by surprise ...
be forewarned and put on the true armor of God. Read Ephesians chapter 6 for the details.
(written end of December 2007)
His shed blood
is the key!
is the key!
Are Christians really being persecuted?
I suppose it is the perfect time of the year to address this issue because it is a distinct area of contention,
especially when faith appears to be in direct conflict with blatant commercialism. But, in all honesty it is much
more pervasive and occurs the other 364 days, as well. Generally the process is much more subtle, and cloaked
in political correctness or the “live and let live,” relative morality position we support in an effort not to offend.
What did Christ say about this, and what did Peter have to say, for that matter? …
“If you don’t take up your cross and follow Me you aren’t worthy.” (Matthew 10:38)
“Because of My name you will be hated.” (Mark 13:13)
“Those who are not helping Me gather are scattering.” (Luke 11:23)
“To be punished for sin is expected, but it brings favor in God’s eyes to be punished for His
sake.” (1 peter 2:20)
Note: Check the Scripture, as these are my paraphrases.
While it is unpleasant, and sacrifices are required, it is expected that we, as followers of the Way of Christ Jesus,
will find certain persecution unavoidable. That does not make it right, but it does take away the element of
surprise.
Now … look at it from this perspective … what if relatives didn’t come right out and say that they disapproved of
your choice of a mate, they simply behaved as though he or she didn’t exist. It is a powerful tool evidenced by the
subtle deterioration of relationships, values, and esteem. It is as progressive as a cancer. It is also the kind of
indifference that sends a clear message: what you have chosen has no intrinsic value … you and your choice
have been “de-valued” and robbed of any worth. Railing against your choice would at least suggest passion and
concern.
With that image in mind see what this author has to say about our current culture in passages extracted from an
interesting op ed piece in World magazine by Joel Belz entitled “Practical Atheism: Denials of God can be
so quiet that they are easy to miss.” (December 8, 2007; pg 4; vol 22, # 45 regarding a Time article
“What Makes Us Good/Evil,” December 3 issue 2007.)
“For the truest and most effective proponents of godlessness are almost never those who are most blatant
about their mission. They are instead those who purport to pick up any topic at all—and then leave God
out of that conversation.”
“But the author, you see, needs to elevate other species, even if he does so clumsily, in order to bring
humans down to a level where moral judgment is nothing more than anatomy and chemistry.”
“In more than 3000 words, the broad topic of “religion” is never discussed. There’s not a hint that
anybody has ever talked about something called the “Fall.” It’s breathtaking, in fact, that Time could take
on a cover story like “What makes us Good/Evil?” and leave out so much that seems basic.”
“It’s a way of thinking that has been picking up speed for a long time in our culture. Our society, for the
most part, decided long ago that it’s embarrassing and intrusive to try to drag God into a conversation
about education or politics or entertainment or family or economics or art.”
Joel goes on to say that it is arrogant and disingenuous to talk about morality while leaving out what has
historically been central to the discussion: God.
1.) Do you feel persecuted as a Christ follower? Why or why not?
2.) What are your feelings regarding the passages from the article? Do they resonate with you?
3.) Do you remember the fleeting moment after 9/11 when an emotional ironworker was
interviewed about the cross he found at “Ground Zero?”
4.) Do you often refrain from mentioning your faith because of pressure to keep “politics and
religion” out of conversations?
5.) How do you feel Satan figures into the fueling of this “practical atheism?”
I suppose it is the perfect time of the year to address this issue because it is a distinct area of contention,
especially when faith appears to be in direct conflict with blatant commercialism. But, in all honesty it is much
more pervasive and occurs the other 364 days, as well. Generally the process is much more subtle, and cloaked
in political correctness or the “live and let live,” relative morality position we support in an effort not to offend.
What did Christ say about this, and what did Peter have to say, for that matter? …
“If you don’t take up your cross and follow Me you aren’t worthy.” (Matthew 10:38)
“Because of My name you will be hated.” (Mark 13:13)
“Those who are not helping Me gather are scattering.” (Luke 11:23)
“To be punished for sin is expected, but it brings favor in God’s eyes to be punished for His
sake.” (1 peter 2:20)
Note: Check the Scripture, as these are my paraphrases.
While it is unpleasant, and sacrifices are required, it is expected that we, as followers of the Way of Christ Jesus,
will find certain persecution unavoidable. That does not make it right, but it does take away the element of
surprise.
Now … look at it from this perspective … what if relatives didn’t come right out and say that they disapproved of
your choice of a mate, they simply behaved as though he or she didn’t exist. It is a powerful tool evidenced by the
subtle deterioration of relationships, values, and esteem. It is as progressive as a cancer. It is also the kind of
indifference that sends a clear message: what you have chosen has no intrinsic value … you and your choice
have been “de-valued” and robbed of any worth. Railing against your choice would at least suggest passion and
concern.
With that image in mind see what this author has to say about our current culture in passages extracted from an
interesting op ed piece in World magazine by Joel Belz entitled “Practical Atheism: Denials of God can be
so quiet that they are easy to miss.” (December 8, 2007; pg 4; vol 22, # 45 regarding a Time article
“What Makes Us Good/Evil,” December 3 issue 2007.)
“For the truest and most effective proponents of godlessness are almost never those who are most blatant
about their mission. They are instead those who purport to pick up any topic at all—and then leave God
out of that conversation.”
“But the author, you see, needs to elevate other species, even if he does so clumsily, in order to bring
humans down to a level where moral judgment is nothing more than anatomy and chemistry.”
“In more than 3000 words, the broad topic of “religion” is never discussed. There’s not a hint that
anybody has ever talked about something called the “Fall.” It’s breathtaking, in fact, that Time could take
on a cover story like “What makes us Good/Evil?” and leave out so much that seems basic.”
“It’s a way of thinking that has been picking up speed for a long time in our culture. Our society, for the
most part, decided long ago that it’s embarrassing and intrusive to try to drag God into a conversation
about education or politics or entertainment or family or economics or art.”
Joel goes on to say that it is arrogant and disingenuous to talk about morality while leaving out what has
historically been central to the discussion: God.
1.) Do you feel persecuted as a Christ follower? Why or why not?
2.) What are your feelings regarding the passages from the article? Do they resonate with you?
3.) Do you remember the fleeting moment after 9/11 when an emotional ironworker was
interviewed about the cross he found at “Ground Zero?”
4.) Do you often refrain from mentioning your faith because of pressure to keep “politics and
religion” out of conversations?
5.) How do you feel Satan figures into the fueling of this “practical atheism?”
We are the Easter
people. Our song is
hallelujah.
-- Pope John Paul II
people. Our song is
hallelujah.
-- Pope John Paul II