The Reality of My Revelation

A. NAME: Maddie Dearman

B. TITLE OF SERIES OF WORK: “The Reality of My Revelation”

C. QUOTES FROM KEY INFLUENCES:
“BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes (nations) of the earth will mourn over Him [realizing their sin and guilt, and anticipating the coming wrath]. So it is to be. Amen.” (Revelation Chapter 1: Verse 7, The Amplified Bible)

“For indeed I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a [direct] revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:12, The Amplified Bible)

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” ( Joshua 1:9, The Amplified Bible)

“I will bless the LORD at all times; and His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the LORD; the humble and downtrodden will hear it and rejoice.” (Psalms 34:1-2, The Amplified Bible)

D. THEMES OF WORK + E. CONNECTION OF BODY OF WORK TO COMMUNITY
My first theme, evangelism, was inspired by my family’s faith and foundation in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This quarter, I decided to finally accept my calling to devote my life and art abilities as my greatest praise to the Lord for all He has done, is doing, and all that He will do.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is at the heart of each of my works due to the love and spiritual insight I have gained from seeking Him. The true wisdom of the Resurrection, my second theme, overwhelmed me personally because our God gave (Himself in the form of ) His son so we may see and know what He did for us when He defeated death; for on that day Jesus was the atoning sacrifice for all the sins of man defeating the very face of death and every evil spirit of this world. By Jesus of Nazareth’s ministry, death, and resurrection, now I see and know we are personally loved beyond our understanding by the Lord our God. Now that the Lord has made evident to me the truth of His resurrection (the greatest love story of all time), He calls me to speak this to our community and to my viewers with bold and courageous speech which is founded upon His Word ( Joshua 1:9, AMP).

My third theme, The Holy Spirit, is the driving workforce behind the inspiration, creation, presentation, and growth of my art and life. The Holy Spirit is the personal presence of God, in which Jesus poured out of His Spirit in His last breath ( John 20:21-22, AMP). The Holy Spirit is our Helper who empowers His children to spread the good news of the Gospel. For me personally, “The Fort” project was the first day I truly believed in the reality and power of the Lord through His Spirit, using me as His hands and feet in order to reach each person in our class. I do this by using my art as a platform to love others, to serve our community, and to tell all who will listen about Jesus and the great miracle of my own personal testimony.

Humility, my fourth theme, is not thinking less of yourself; but instead: true humility is thinking of yourself less. This idea (theme) changed everything I thought I knew about myself, others, and God. Humility is the climax, or breaking point of my personal revelation in Jesus Christ because that is when I admitted and realized I needed the help of our Eternal Father. I physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually broke after trying to live for myself for over a decade. After I realized what my Father had done for me, and what He asks of me each day- to give my life and service (inspired by humility) to love others as He loves us. This can be physically observed upon viewing my work with the inclusion of various child-like materials, bold and vibrant colors, antiqued or inherited objects of symbolic or ancestral importance to me. But most importantly, humility and faithfulness (theme five) may be physically observed by the critical thought and verbal proclamation of my concepts on a visual and linguistic level through my art, as well as through conversations before, during, and after my critiques with people from all walks of life. Humility and vulnerability are vital in life and in art because they resonate in the hearts of all viewers, because all humans deeply crave and seek to know the meaning of life, have wondered about miracles, and the mystery of the Gospel (Ephesians 6:19, AMP).

My art is my personal and physical testimony (as proof ) to the revelation of my life through a personal relationship with our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. I have chosen to give thanks to God for what He did for me and all of mankind, by devoting the rest of my life and all of my heart to proclaim but one simple message to all: JESUS IS ALIVE! He reveals Himself to those who believe in Him and those who seek Him.
Possible viewers of my work include those who believe in Him. These people may be clearly described as (but are not limited to): any person who will admit they are a sinner and acknowledges the need of our Savior, and also all of the people who wonder of the curiosities and great miracles of the unknown and beyond and who seek Godly wisdom. Above all, believers are most simply: those who step courageously in humility and faith in Him, trusting He will not fail.

F. RELATED ARTISTS
GOD: the ultimate Master and Artist of every living thing, including the heavens and the earth. He did this because He loves us, because He wants to know us and for us to know Him, and because He openly invites us to live in His kingdom for all of eternity, if that is what we so choose.

G. BIBLIOGRAPHY
“GALATIANS 1, The Amplified Bible (AMP) | The Bible App”. Bible.com, 2019, https://www.bible. com/bible/1588/GAL.1.AMP. Accessed 19 May 2019.

“EPHESIANS 6, The Amplified Bible (AMP) | The Bible App”. Bible.com, 2019, https://www. bible.com/bible/1588/EPH.6.AMP. Accessed 19 May 2019.

“JOHN 20, The Amplified Bible (AMP) | The Bible App”. Bible.com, 2019, https://www.bible. com/bible/1588/JHN.20.AMP. Accessed 19 May 2019.

“JOSHUA 1, The Amplified Bible (AMP) | The Bible App”. Bible.com, 2019, https://www.bible. com/bible/1588/JOS.1.AMP. Accessed 19 May 2019.

“PSALMS 34, The Amplified Bible (AMP) | The Bible App”. Bible.com, 2019, https://www.bible. com/bible/1588/PSA.34.AMP. Accessed 19 May 2019.

“REVELATION 1, The Amplified Bible (AMP) | The Bible App”. Bible.com, 2019, https://www. bible.com/bible/1588/REV.1.AMP. Accessed 19 May 2019.