Celebrate!

Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! Psalm 147:1 (NIV Bible)


This design is named after the song by Rita Baloche, "I Will Celebrate." I did the design while recovering from dental surgery and a root canal and had considered naming it “pain and agony.” My wife looked at it and said, "that looks like a celebration." Then I realized it was indeed a celebration of recovery and health, all blessed by the Lord. The design appears to have “fireworks” exploding and the design is full of motion, much like any celebration you would see on a holiday! I find it makes me think of fun and good times and our Great God!

I really enjoy contemporary worship services. I really enjoy the music and singing. I really enjoy the new worship songs. And, I really enjoy the praise bands with guitars, keyboards, drums, and any other instrument they want to use! And I really enjoy “doing church!” In her song, Celebrate, Rita Baloche’s lyrics are so meaningful; “sing to the Lord a new song...with my heart rejoicing within..with my mind focused on Him...with my hands raised to the heavens..I am worshipping Him! Wow! Think for a moment about your most recent worship experience. What was it like? How did you feel? What did you do? And, did you join in the singing? If you sang along, did you think about the words you were singing? What was the pastor’s message? How did the words apply to your life? Who did you see? Who did you speak to? Who did you hug? Did you rush out the door at the end or did you take time to fellowship with others?

In my opinion, worship is a celebration and as Christians we have a whole lot to celebrate! (You can start with the gift of grace and eternal life with Christ and go on and make your list...) As we, as Christians, go out into the marketplace, it is imperative that we share the good news. A smile, a word of encouragement, helping others, caring for others, all show people in the marketplace what a follower of Jesus is like! It makes them think about a Christian life and makes them open to hearing about Jesus. What have you done recently to demonstrate a life as a Christian to others?

A Child's Joy

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Matthew 19:14 (NIV)

Children are truly a blessing. When I completed this design, it reminded me of good times as a child. It has movement, bright colors, and the motion of a child’s swing. Jesus loves children. When I read about abortion, I wonder how those who support it will react when they come face to face with Jesus. How do they justify killing babies? Or, those who abuse children how will they face Jesus? Children are truly a blessing. Like many of you, I will always remember the birth of my two children and the joy I felt in my heart. And then, it was duplicated with the birth of my grandchildren! God is good!

In Isaiah 44:24 it is written, “This is what the Lord says - your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb; I am the Lord, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself.” And in Isaiah 49:16 it is written, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.” I find it so humbling as a human to be part of God’s creation. I find it so comforting that he formed me in the womb and has me engraved on the palms of his hands. It makes me want to stand and shout out with joy to my God and King. And in the world in which we live today, we all need to stop and say, thank you, Lord for being with us. To me it seems like the world has become all about control and power. In the world we seem to go about our daily lives without praising our Creator. We look to the government to do everything for us instead of keeping our focus on the Lord. We are changing church doctrine to fit society in an age of “don’t offend” anyone. Oh, how foolish we are. We must do as Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 4:16; “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

Unlike some people, I like the Book of James. Eugene Peterson, in the Message, wrote James Chapter 2, verse 17, this way, Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? And then he wrote verse 22 this way, Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove. That is a powerful message for us. As we go about our daily lives, the way in which we conduct ourselves reflects our faith. We must do all we can to be like Jesus. We must love and take care of the children. There is no option!

Majesty!

The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved....Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty. Psalm 93:1 and 4 (NIV)

As I drew this design I felt strong. I felt the strength of the Lord flowing through me and guiding my hands. It was a great feeling. I wanted this design to be bold, colorful, moving, and most of all I wanted it to portray the power of the Lord. In this design the Lord is robed in majesty, mighty, and armed with strength.

What images do you have of God? Different artists over the years have portrayed the Lord in a variety of ways. And in the same way, many artists have created portraits of Jesus. Does it really matter all that much? Remember what Jesus said to Thomas in John 20:29; “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Are you familiar with the song written by Jack Hayford, Majesty? This design reminds me so much of the words in that song, which in part are: “Majesty; Unto Jesus be all glory, honor and praise! So exalt, lift up on high the name of Jesus. Magnify, come glorify Christ Jesus the King.” I don’t know about you, but that is all the visual I need!

In my book, In The Beginning...The Art of Bob Spence, I recalled a time when I left the office frustrated and angry. My anxiety was at an extremely high level. I obviously was not thinking about Paul’s advice in his letter to the Philippians. I got into the car, started the engine, and like a teenager, “put the pedal to the metal” and accelerated down the road. I reached out and pushed the button for my CD player and the first words out of the speaker were, “God is in control.” I took my foot off the accelerator, pushed in the clutch, and down shifted. The words touched my heart and I came back to my senses. My God is indeed robed in majesty and is armed with strength. He is in control. As marketplace Christians it is imperative that we share the majesty of God with our associates so that they can come to know Him, love Him and serve Him. Let us magnify and glorify Jesus!

Our River of Relationships

Adonai Art Designs, LLC, represents the Christian abstract art work of Ohio artist, Bob Spence. In stating his testimony, Bob said, “My designs are spirit inspired and spirit driven. I am God’s vehicle to express these feelings in abstract art designs. Without Him, I can do nothing. I have followed the Lord’s direction, believing as written in Proverbs 16:9, ‘in his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.’ I am doing my best to be a good steward, glorify the Father and introduce people to Jesus.”

In introducing people to Jesus, Bob has developed and made available a variety of products and services. All of the products and services are based on his designs with Scriptural references. The current products and services are:

Art Book: In The Beginning...The Art of Bob Spence
Powerpoint Presentation: One Man’s Faith Walk - Happy In the Lord!
Original Art Work
Giclee Prints
Blank Note Cards
Greeting Cards
Postcards
Bob’s Doodles
T-Shirts

We are seeking relationships that help us use this work and these products and services to introduce people to Jesus and to help believers in their personal faith walk. Jesus told the disciples he would make them fishers of men. In order for us to have a successful fishing trip, we need strong relationships and many tributaries to enable us to have a river of revenue to give us the capital needed to continue this work for the Lord.

These relationships, coupled with a specific plan that identifies the who, what, and how, will enable us to meet our goals. As Paul wrote: Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But, one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV) Like Paul we must continue to strive for the Lord. We must keep our eyes focused on the Cross of Christ as we do His work here on earth.
Since the founding and beginnings of Adonai Art Designs, LLC, in 2008, we have had a lot of positive feedback, but very limited positive revenue results. We have had many people write to us and share how much our work has impacted their lives. For this we praise the Lord and are thankful. However, if we are to be good stewards it is imperative that we purposefully build rivers of revenue to support our work for the Lord. To do this, we need your help in connecting us with the right people.


Presentation Opportunities

If you know of any groups that want to have a Biblical presentation, Bob’s program “One Man’s Faith Walk - Happy In the Lord,” please provide us with the contact information. Bob’s presentation is a planned 45 minutes, but can be adjusted to meet the needs of the group. There is no charge for not-for-profit organizations unless the group is outside of Ohio and then travel reimbursement is requested. We also ask for permission to have products for sale at the event, but this is not required.

Book Signings

With only one book, and without national fame, we have had a lot of difficulty getting book signings in area bookstores. If you know someone who is connected with a retail bookstore, an introduction would be greatly appreciated.

Product Licensing Opportunities

We have tried several times to license our greeting cards and blank note cards. So far we have a drawer of rejections - all of which loved the art work and called it highly creative, but did not see the fit with their programs. If you know anyone in the licensing world, an introduction would be great!

In-Home Presentations

If you know of small groups in your church that want to have a “speaker” and an evening of art appreciation with a Scriptural connection, please tell them about Adonai Art Designs. The typical program is an evening event with the host family providing the space, participants, and refreshments. The host family receives a framed giclee print.


Publicist/Commission Only Sales Position

If you know of anyone who would like to promote/sell our products and services, please have them contact us. This is not a salaried position and is commission only.

The Victory

But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow. Psalm 60:4 (NIV Bible)


As a former athlete and coach, I know the joy of winning and the feelings when you lose. All of my teams had a flag, or if you will, a banner. Now, these banners did not protect us in any way. However, we valued those banners and saw them as representing us as a team. This design represents the banner described in the Psalm. The banner is deflecting the arrows of the evil one, and protecting God’s people from harm.

As a small child I can remember being afraid during one of those typical violent Ohio thunderstorms. I was sitting on my Grandmother Gowitzka’s lap and she was reading to me from the Bible. She sensed my fear and comforted me and said, “Bobby, do not fear. Jesus told us that he will always be with us and protect us from harm.” Those words from Grandma have stayed with me all my life. No matter what happens in this life, Jesus guards our souls. As a Christian, I know that I am not of this world, but only am in it for a short time. And as it is written in Matthew 28:20, Jesus said, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Now, that’s what I call a great insurance policy!

My father’s mother, Lola Spence, had kept a journal. I did not know of its existence until more than twenty years after her passing. In one of her entries, Grandma wrote, “My prayer has been for a stronger faith, a clearer understanding and a love that passes all understanding, and I am getting it now. All the experiences I have passed through in this life have given me a deeper understanding of human nature. If you want true happiness, take Christ as your personal savior and put Him first above all other things and your life will be transformed. All worry and fear were replaced with faith and love when I made the important decision and took a definite stand for Christ.” In today’s world we hear the politicians talking about transforming our lives. I reject their claims! I reject their social justice! I reject their collective salvation! Instead, I commit my life to Jesus and the true transformation of lives! And like Grandma, I have made the decision and taken a stand for Christ, because He has secured the victory for us! AMEN!