If You Are Willing

“let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead–by this name this man stands here before you in good health. “He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone.
“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

ACTS 4:10-12

And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said,
“Lord if you are willing, You can make me clean.”
Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed.”
And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Matthew 8:2,3

Dr. Thompson in his famous work, “The Land and the Book,” speaks of lepers in the East and says, “The hair falls from the head and eyebrows; the nails loosen, decay and drop off; joint after joint of the fingers and toes shrink up and slowly fall away. The gums are absorbed, and the teeth disappear. The nose, the eyes, the tongue and the palate are slowly consumed.” The disease turns a man into a mass of loathsomeness. Leprosy is nothing better than a horrible and lingering death.”

The man had as much poison in him as one poor body could contain; and yet he believed that Jesus of Nazareth could make him clean. If you are full of sin, if your propensities and habits have become untamable, I pray the Holy Spirit to give you the faith enough to believe that the Son of God can forgive you and renew you. Jesus can turn your death into life, your corruption into beauty.

Faith must be fixed on Jesus alone, for there is “no other name given among men whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Jesus is God’s ultimatum of salvation: the unique hope of guilty men and women both as to pardon and as to renewal.

Yet, there are some that even love their leprosy – men and women who do not wish to be saved from doing evil. They would like to go to heaven, but they must have their drunken frolics, their fornications and adulteries, their greed and worldly lusts. They would like to be saved but not from the sin that is the cause of it.

None of us can imagine that this leper meant that the Lord Jesus could make him comfortable in remaining a leper. Some came to fancy that Jesus came to let us go on in our sins with a quiet conscience. His salvation is cleansing from sin, and if we love sin, we are not saved from it.

We cannot have justification without sanctification. There must be a radical change, a change of heart, or else we are not saved. Just as this leper needed a thorough physical change, so do you need an entire renewal of your spiritual nature so as to become a new creature in Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is the Living God who can be moved to compassion for those who are forlorn and lost, full of evil and self-condemned, those who are leprous with sin. Not you who are self-righteous! You yield Him no space to display His miraculous force. You who are whole have no need of a physician (Matthew 9:12).

Be hopeful then, those laden with guilt and conscious of their depravity, you furnish the empty vessels into which His grace maybe poured, the sick souls upon whom He may display His matchless power to bless and to save. This leper shall be a picture – I hope a mirror – in whom you will see yourself. May God grant you the faith to fall on your knees, and cry to Him, “Lord if you are willing, You can make me clean.”

(Excerpted from “The Lord and the Leper” by Charles Haddon Spurgeon)

IF YOU ARE WILLING
24” X 36” ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
LYNDEUTSCH2008
ORIGINAL PAINTING AVAILABLE FOR SALE
PRICE: US1200
email: lyndeutsch@gmail.com

HE LEADETH ME

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
-Isaiah 41:10

HE LEADETH ME
By Joseph H. Gilmore and William B. Bradbury
Painting by Lyn Deutsch 2008
16″ x 16″ Coffee, acrylics, mixed media
Original Painting is sold.

In 1993, I was a newborn Christian, when we moved to Baguio City. God led us to Guiding Light Christian Ministries pastored by a very anointed man of God and one of the best preachers I know, Pastor Robbie Casas.

The church was recruiting members to join the choir. To feel part of this new church, I volunteered. Most remarks goes like this, “I think they ran out of members who can sing, so they got you…” LOL!

So I practiced with the choir, and I practiced alone in the house, and this song became my lullaby for my then 3-year-old daughter, Vanya.

As I came to be familiar with the tune and the wonderful words of this hymn, it moved my soul and spirit and has always brought me to a state of worship and praise for my God, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

When we have Jesus in our hearts, even if by nature we are not inclined to be singers, God puts a melody that rises up in our voice to sing with joy and adoration for the One who is worthy.

Up to this time, this hymn is my daughter’s favorite and have asked me time and again to sing with her. These are times I thank God for, hymns that bind me and my family to worship God.

“Lord I would clasp Thy hand in mine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine,
Content whatever lot I see.
Since ’tis my God that leadeth Me!”

For this God is our God forever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end. -Psalm 48:1

I AM NOT ASHAMED

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,”
Romans 1:16

I’m so blessed with this video and I would like to share it with you.

Amazing video of how God used a missionary in Iran to save his executioners!

“It is in the quiet crucible of your personal private sufferings that your noblest dreams are born and God’s greatest gifts are given..” Wintley Phipps

IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL
By Horatio G. Spafford and Philip P. Bliss

Painting by Lyn Deutsch 2008
16″ x 16″ coffee, acrylics, mixed media on board

I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. Psalm 31:7

HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW

Yea, the sparrow hath found her a house, And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, Even thine altars, O Jehovah of hosts, My King, and my God.

Psalm 84:3

Lyrics and Musical score by Civilla D. Martin and Charles H. Gabriel

HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW
16″ X 16″ COFFEE, ACRYLICS, MIXED MEDIA
Lyn Deutsch 2008
Original Painting is sold.

There was a time when the kids were young, I was washing the dishes, and my kitchen was empty – no rice, no vegetables, no fish, no bread – nothing. My kids will be coming home from school, hungry and I have nothing to serve. My heart ached as I think ahead.

But then there was this chicken that was knocking with its beak on the window near the sink – reminding me that even the birds He feed how much more us! Jesus did not die for the birds, He died for you and me!

Somehow from my innermost being, I seem to hear a soft melody of this song, “His Eye is on the Sparrow”. It made me smile through tears, and I started to sing and praise and thank God! The kids came, I still didn’t have anything…

The boys asked me, “Mama are you not cooking?” I said, “No, God knows I really could not cook and besides there’s nothing to cook. Why don’t we pray and thank God that we are safe and together and we have a home?”

We just finished praying when there came a knock at the door. It was our landlady. “Lyn, my mother-in-law invited us for dinner but the maid already cooked all these, if you don’t mind, can I give them to you?” Need I say more?

“The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time” (Psalm 145:14-16).

“Cast all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.” (1Peter 5:7) Jesus never fails!

Canvas Prints and Greeting Cards of this painting is available:

I SURRENDER ALL

I SURRENDER ALL
By Judson W. Van DeVenter and Winfield S. Weeden

I SURRENDER ALL
16′ x 16″ coffee, acrylics, mixed media
Lyn Deutsch 2008
Original painting is sold.

STAND AND WATCH

Do not be afraid. Just stand where you are and watch, And you will see the wonderful way the Lord will rescue you today.”
Exodus 14:13

Abba Father, awesome God, mighty in power I worship and adore you! Today as it unfolds, some of us are facing a red sea in our lives. I pray that you will remind us that what is impossible for men, is possible with God. You are always faithful, never to leave us nor to forsake us. For those who do not know you in a personal way, I pray, that as this message goes out, Your Holy Spirit will move in their hearts to bring hope and realization of your saving grace and partake of your goodness. In Christ name, my Lord and Savior…Amen!

STAND AND WATCH

24”X24” enamel on polyglass

Lyn Deutsch 2009

Original painting is sold.

For canvas prints and greeting cards of my paintings please click link below:
http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/lyn-deutsch.html

BROKEN

When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
—-Luke 7:37-38

Life on the streets of Nain was hard. As a prostitute, the lifestyle she once embraced as a source of freedom and pleasure, a way to demonstrate her independence, had become bondage and bitterness. Her life was empty and futile, and the future seemed to hold nothing more than a heartache and cynical hatred. Even though she was familiar with acts of love, her heart had never known a love that captivated her with its purity.

Along with her general hopelessness, a gnawing awareness of the futility of her life was growing within her. She was beginning to understand that the choices she had made were not merely wrong because someone disapproved of them; they were wrong because they were sinful. She discovered that the things that used to bring her pleasure – power over men, the pride of being different from other women, and the reassuring jangle of coins in her purse – now seemed so foolish, so meaningless. From deep within her she sensed a mysterious change in her heart. She detected a longing to love and know the God she had heard about all her life, the God of Israel.

As she gazed out over the plain of Carmel to the hills of Nazareth in the distance, she recalled stories she had heard about a certain Nazarene, Jesus. It was He who had raised the grieving widow’s son to life and said, “Do not weep” (Luke7:13). Do not weep. Would He speak these words to her also? Could He change her life too? Was it too late for forgiveness?

As she watched His interaction with the common people from the shadows, she saw that He welcomed them and taught them with loving wisdom. As she saw Him with the religious leaders, she knew He wasn’t like them. It was true that He loved and obeyed the law’ yet He was humble and gentle. He seemed so different from all the other men she had ever known. The desire to get to know Him began to captivate her. Some said that He was the Messiah. She had seen Him befriend and eat with sinners. It seemed as though He loved them. Would He receive her? What would He say to a woman who had been so proud of her sin?

This compelling desire to know and love Him became like a addiction in her heart. How can I get near Him? She felt that it would be wrong to go to Him empty-handed, so she took her most precious possession, an alabaster vial of perfume, and went to seek Him. On the day that she chose to go to Him, she discovered that He was having dinner at Simon’s house. This Pharisee despised and condemned her. In spite of that, she still had to see Him. She had to find a way to show the love she had come to have for the One who said, “Do not weep.” In spite of her fear and shame, in desperation she imposed herself on Him.

The woman brought a heart filled with tears of love and repentance to pour on His feet. Rather than telling her not to weep, Jesus graced her with the ability to weep righteously, to mourn over sin, to love Him. He gave her a warm heart of flesh – one that could receive and embrace His person, His law. He gave her the ability to kiss holiness, to humble herself before a pure man, to use her perfume in worship of the perfect Man who is God.

She who had been so lost in immorality was now lost in sorrow and joy for sins recognized and forgiven. It no longer mattered what anyone else thought. She loved the Lord and humbled herself before Him. Jesus knew that her actions were motivated by love – a love that could ignore disapproval and disdain – a love that was willing to praise Him at the cost of all she had. Jesus recognized this love and said, “Her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much” (Luke 7:47).

Like her, when our eyes are opened to His worth our hearts overflow with worship. As we grow in seeing His love in forgiveness, everything else will fade in value. This woman poured out her perfume because Jesus had given her a new treasure: a cleansed heart and life and a relationship with Him. Once she wept in bitterness for her earthly sorrows; now she wept for her sins. Did she know that God was saving up these cherished tears in an alabaster vial in Heaven? (see Psalm 56:8).

BROKEN
24″ X 36″ OIL ON CANVAS
LYNDEUTSCH2007
ORIGINAL PAINTING IS AVAILABLE FOR SALE
PRICE: US$1500
Buy canvas prints and greeting cards of this painting at:
http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/lyn-deutsch.html

STREAMS OF GRACE

He split the rocks in the wilderness
And gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths.
He brought forth streams also from the rock
And caused waters to run down like rivers.
Yet they still continued to sin against Him,
To rebel against the Most High in the desert.
Psalm 78:15-17

“Yet “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Oh, for an angel’s tongue to tell of the wondrous mystery! My poor pen is quite unequal to the trememdous task.

How does one attempt to describe the grace that flashed so favorably from those languid eyes; the grace that fell in cleansing drops from those opened veins; the grace that poured in torrents from the pierced side; the grace that heaved and tossed and struggled convulsively in those tortured limbs; the grace that fought and wrestled and at last conquered in that anguished spirit; the grace that even began interceding for the transgressors as Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34); the grace that cried with a mighty voice, “It is finished” (John 19:30), before the Savior bowed His head and gave up His spirit; the grace that ascended out up on high, leading captivity captive and giving gifts unto men (Ephesians 4:8). Of this grace I dare not write upon further.

May it be your happy lot to sail upon the sea of grace, for fathom it you never can! May you drink from that fountain of grace, for you shall never be able to drink it dry! May God give you the bliss of knowing in your own experience how much grace abounds through the atoning sacrifice of Christ upon the cross!”
(From Grace Abounding by Charles Haddon Spurgeon,p52, Grace Abounding in a Believers Life compiled by Robert Hall copyright 1994, Lance C. Wubbels, published by Emerald Books).

STREAMS OF GRACE
30″ X 40″ ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
LYNDEUTSCH2011
(painted with permission from Vince Paala’s photo of Karekare Stream, NZ)
ORIGINAL PAINTING IS AVAILABLE FOR SALE
PRICE: US$600

A TIME TO GIVE BIRTH, AND A TIME TO DIE

A TIME TO GIVE BIRTH, AND A TIME TO DIE
Ecclesiastes 3:2a
12″ x 12″ MIXED MEDIA
LYNDEUTSCH2006
ORIGINAL PAINTING IS SOLD