20 5×7 Note Cards with Envelopes Two Shall Become One by Jack E. Dawson For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.Ephesians 5:31 Two paths coming from different directions, backgrounds and families bring this couple together. Two rivers merge into one to flow under the bridge. In marriage there will be times of turbulence and times of tranquility just as in a river there may be rapids and gentle streams. A beautiful heart is formed by two trees joining above and gently encircling the couple, connecting under the bridge to become complete. These two trees represent the wondrous experience of growing in oneness together. It would be a miracle for two trees to actually grow into one. It is no less a powerful work of God to enable two persons to become one flesh. The cross reflected in the water reminds us to cross our hearts and hope to die: Cross our hearts with the cross of Christ and hope to die to our selfish ways. That is how two shall become one. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33 The tiny dove rests quietly ln her nest despite the crashing waterfall and the thundering storm around her. We are not promised a life without storms. Evil is always present in this world, represented by the beastly image; but the cross of Christ covers it all and is victorious. Notice the suggestion of Christ in the boulder, facing the storms with confidence. We too can find a hiding place as we trust in the One who has power over the storms. We can confidently say, “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) He is our strong rock and refuge. Only in Christ who triumphed over death, leaving an empty tomb and offering life beyond death, can we have peace in the midst of the storm. When I was painting “Peace in the Midst of the Storm,” I remembered a story I heard years ago in a revival about a competition among artists trying to paint “peace.” The winning picture involved a bird, protected and secure in a storm. That story challenged me to create a message of contrast; a stormy, foreboding painting that reminded me of the storms of pain, suffering and death we face in life; but that also reflected God’s blessings of faith, hope and love…the BITTER and yet the SWEET. I noticed an iconic profile of a face in the cliff that reminded me of Christ. This Rock was facing stormy winds and lightning and a crushing waterfall-turmoil-vs. the calm peace of the dove on its nest, secure in the cleft of the rock. The verse John 16:33 came to my mind where Jesus says, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Come Unto Me by Jack E. Dawson For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 At the center of this painting—and all of history—is the outstretched hand of Jesus Christ. We can come to God because of His sacrificial death on the cross. Walk through His story revealed in the history of His chosen people. On the left, we see the Tabernacle, which was given to Moses and the children of Israel in the wilderness. It is a beautiful picture of Jesus Christ. The shedding of blood on Old Testament altars was God’s requirement for the forgiveness of sin. Spend a moment with the prophet, looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. Notice the innocent lamb, ready to be slain as a sacrifice for the sins of the people. But in its place on the altar waits the manger that represents Christ, the Lamb of God slain for our sin. Step past the altar and follow the Via Dolorosa (the stone road Christ walked on His way to Calvary) to the empty cross, symbol of His sacrifice. His death completely paid once for all the penalty for our sin, and just past the cross the empty tomb testifies that He is risen! Death has been conquered and through Him we have everlasting life. A dove hovers above, representing new life in Jesus and the filling of the Holy Spirit, so pause to rejoice with the Apostle John as he looks back to that pivotal moment when God became man, providing the way of salvation. It will be there, as he points us forward to Christ’s return, that we catch a glimpse of the New Heaven and New Earth and begin to imagine the glorious future in store for faithful believers. Wait and See by Jack E. Dawson They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles Isaiah 40:31 As the eagle uses turbulent winds to soar higher, God uses the storms in our lives to lift us up. The creator of the universe has provided the beauty of nature to declare His power and presence in the midst of storms. Can you see His command to wait on the Lord written on the hillside? If we look to Him and His cross (as seen in the sky) for the strength we need, He will pierce the dark clouds with the light of His truth and provide a quiet place like the ledge at the bottom left of the painting where we can expectantly wait and see.
