Kingdom Building Encouragement

From: Muriel Luedeman
mur620@gmail.com


Kingdom Building Encouragement

Dear, Friends,

Muriel Luedeman here. I have a wonderful experience to tell you.

As an artist, I have been involved in many creative endeavors. The beautiful, positive things I see happening in Independence in the past 10 months is nothing short of astounding. The people I am working with every day now are so highly creative, although most would not think of themselves as artists. But I see the things they do as works of art. The way Ramona Austin organized my art studio and rearranged it, was a work of art. Brother Dennis Cato “created” in the Initiative, a beautiful platform for community transformation. The way Billy and Cheri Tharp, and their team designed the sanctuary in the Unity Center is artistic and creative as they make the area inviting for the Holy Spirit and worshippers. Pastor Brian and Team Jesus create an atmosphere of love and home every time they provide hot meals and shower blessings for the Beloveds. The neighborhood cleanup days create order and beauty in every work assignment. What we all are doing is VERY artistic.

This past April, I met a woman by Divine Appointment at a conference on Community Spiritual Transformation. We got acquainted at the lunch break. When she learned I had worked for Hallmark, she said she is an artist, though she never thought of herself that way until she found a website called Thriving Christian Artists. It was founded by Matt Tommey, a basket maker from South Carolina. I looked him up and found a treasure of amazing, mobilizing information that not only inspired my artistic efforts, but also gave me so much wonderful Divine Inspiration on the Kingdom building process that is going on in the Independence/KC metro area. Matt Tommey was a self-sustained youth minister/worship leader for many years. He has the heart of a teacher and servant/leader. His talk is all about God calling and raising up an army of His sons and daughters to become artists and people of influence in building the Kingdom all over world. I was hooked from the first insight he shared online. It was right down my alley and what is happening in the Independence Is Alive and Well Initiative.

Recently, Tommey created a 5-part video series called Artist Rise Up. They encapsulate what he teaches in his online mentoring program. He had so much great information, I transcribed all 5 videos into WORD documents, thinking of all the Initiative members and other Kingdom minded friends who would benefit from reading them. It is vital for anyone who has a heart for the Kingdom to understand that God wants us to live the Kingdom and step into Kingdom building work with a daily focus. There is a Kingdom mindset and a knowledge to be had of how the Kingdom of God on earth works. Matt Tommey shares that as he talks about God raising up an army of artists for these special times. Though his focus is on artists and talks mostly about painters, poets, potters, song writers, dancers, actors, etc., please interject any other kind of work, skill and talent in place of “artist”. You may be a plumber, a nurse, a fry cook, or own a farm, and not think of yourself as an artist. But you are also involved in a very artistic and creative enterprise as you move into doing something to improve the quality of life for your community. The bottom line is that we are created in God’s image. God is creative, so therefore we all are creative, too. And the Kingdom is built through artistic creative vision, thinking, and then effort to bring it all into reality.

The videos are about 20 minutes long, the first one is four pages of print. I have attached Part 1. I will send the others as I finish them. I pray you will be tremendously blessed by these inspired, encouraging words. They were meant for this day, this place, and this people, as we align ourselves with God’s plan for this community.

I would love to hear if you like the series, and feedback after you read them. I thank and praise God for all of you, and all you are doing.

Muriel Luedeman
IIAW Communications Secretary
816-726-8425
mur620@gmail.com

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Artist Rise Up 5 Part Video Series

Transcribed by Muriel Luedeman September 2019

Well hey there, it’s Matt Tommey and I’m so glad you’re with me on this very first video of the Artist Rise Up Series, this 5-part series I hope is really going to be a big blessing in your life. As I was praying about this and trying to get the mind of the Lord for this series, I felt impressed by the Lord to go back to the beginnings of when God called as a father to artists, to raise up an army of artists. Because you know, I think it’s so important for all of us as creatives, to realize that we are all a part of something so much bigger than just our artwork. We are a part of a huge community all over the world of people who love Jesus, who are anointed with His creative nature, His creative DNA inside of us, and He’s positioned us in places uniquely in the earth, in this generation, at this time, in this place, to do a really unique work on His behalf, as His sons and daughters, and as His ambassadors.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes it’s very easy to lose track of that. It’s really easy to get into the weeds, of you will, of I have to make the art, sell the art. Oh, I can’t find my clients. What do I do? Nobody gets me at church! My family doesn’t understand me! All this kind of thing, and it’s east to disconnect from the larger story. I want to say this, you and I are a part of a much bigger story. We’re a part of a movement that God is raising up all over the world, to release His nature into the earth through His sons and daughters, those of us who are creatives. And of course, all over the Body of Christ. We’re just one part of this story, but it’s an incredible story to be a part of.
If you’ve been an artist for very long at all, you know that, especially for believers, there can be this real disconnect and misunderstanding between how thriving artistically, spiritually, in business, or ministry, how we are disconnected sometimes from our spiritual life, because a lot of times we’ve not seen a dynamic display of what it means to connect with how the Kingdom works, to thrive in building a business, to get our work out there to operate well in the marketplace.
I know for me, for many years, and so many artists I talk to in the mentoring program, they’re like, “Yeah, this is so refreshing because the only view I’ve had of life and of art has been an insulated view of the church, “inside the four walls of the church”. Should art be in the church? Absolutely! Should art bless the church, be in worship? Absolutely! I believe that you and I as artists, and out talent, the gifting that God has given us, can bless the church, but it (our art) is meant for the marketplace. And unless you and I learn to thrive and really function in the marketplace, or in business, or in ministry, by marketplace I mean culture, all right? Outside the four walls of the church. Unless you learn to get comfortable with that and operate in the fullness of who God’s called you to be, there can be this real struggle back and forth. And I see this all the time. Artists coming to me going, “Man, I can’t figure this out.” “I don’t know how this fits into my larger calling from the Lord.” “How is He going to use me?” “I don’t know anything about business.”
There is lots and lots of frustration. And that’s what this series is about. I want to begin to bring you come context, not only from God’s word, but also my experience in mentoring thousands of artists now, over the years, through my books, conferences that I host, through the Created to Thrive mentoring program. Seeing real fruit that’s happened not only in my life, enabling me to build a six-figure, art business, while learning to listen to the Lord, and be used by Him to release transformation in my circle of influence. And then taking those same methods, those same patterns that God has worked inside of me, and teaching those to other artists like you, who can take that and replicate that in your life. Again, nuance it in a way that works for you. Just like Paul said, “Follow me as I follow
Christ,” and that is what this series is all about. I want you to feel very comfortable by the end of this. You will. You will know exactly how to begin to step into your calling, creatively, artistically, spiritually, and in the marketplace or ministry, whatever God’s called you to, so, isn’t that exciting? It’s really going to be great.
I want to ask the Lord right now:
Father, in Jesus’ name, I pray You would use this, Lord. Open our hearts to You. God, I thank you that the things You’re going to speak through me during this series, are the fruit of the things You have done in my life, and in other people’s lives, through the truth, right out of Your word. And God, I pray that You connect us to the larger story of what you are doing in the earth and raising up this army of artists. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
I want to jump into a few details about the “Why”. I get a lot of questions, because when you think “art” and you think “army”, they don’t really go together. You say, “What is God doing with raising up and army of artists? What does that even look like?” And I think the first thing to realize is that when you look at God’s word, especially the Old Testament, it was always the creative ones, the worshippers that went first. Why? To prepare the way. You’re creative expression, my creative expression, whether it’s music, dance, painting, poetry. For me it’s basketry, and I lead worship. I do all of that as a creative expression. When we invite the Holy Spirit into that, it becomes a vehicle through which God can not only minster to you, but also use what you’re offering to Him to minister to others, and to release His nature. In fact, that’s how the Kingdom works.
A lot of people are confused about that. They think you’re just supposed to pray, and God does everything, but guess what? God’s already determined that He has chosen to use you and use me, His sons and daughters, as the vehicle through which He wants to move in the earth. And see that may be something that’s brand new to you. You say, “Wow, I’ve been waiting on God to move,” and guess what? He’s waiting on you! Not that you’ve got to have it all together, because he’s not looking for your perfection. He’s looking for your “YES”. He’s looking for you to be able to say, “Yes, Lord, the thing that You’ve put in me, the thing that I’ve been afraid to think was really important, the thing that I’ve loved all these years, but nobody ever had a context for it, and my church didn’t understand it, and I didn’t take it seriously, and it was a place of wounding, maybe, in your heart early on or whatever, and life got in the way, yeah that thing, that thing is the thing that God wants to use as a vehicle to release His glory, and to also, allow you to live the abundant life.
Did you know that you living the abundant life is tied to your willingness to lean into the design of God in your life? Listen, the more you become the you that God designed you to be, the more you’re going to be able to step into the fullness of who God has designed you to be, and do the things He’s called you to do. And, oh my gosh, it’s embarrassing, because life gets so good! Does is mean that everything goes right all the time and that everything’s coming up roses? No! But it means that there’s a solidness, a surety inside of you, a foundational core inside that says, “Yes. I am an artist. I am somebody that God has designed specifically for this purpose, and I’m not alone. I’m part of this army that God is raising up.”
I see it all the time, when artists begin to link arms with each other, when we begin to encourage each other, when we begin to get vision from each other and say, “Wow, if God did it in Matt’s life, or her life, maybe He could do in im my life,” and faith begins to rise, and we begin to become the army of God that He’s designed for us to be. Not an army of taking over, not an army of political power, but
an army of LOVE, an army of God’s nature, an army of creative expression that says, “Lord, everything I am, and everything You’ve given me, and everything I create, Lord, I offer back to You, as a way for You to use to release Your nature to the people that need it.” That is when real transformation starts happening in your life, and in the lives of people around you.
You know, the enemy know this, because he was a creative. In Heaven, many theologians believe Lucifer was the worship leader in Heaven. He was around the Throne of God. In fact, when the wind of God would blow in the throne room, the Bible says in Ezekiel, that Lucifer’s body, he didn’t just play an instrument, he was an instrument. That when the wind would move through him, suddenly holy, worthy, he would literally begin to resonate with the glory of God. Can you imagine an army of artists, musicians, creatives, worshippers, who would begin to resonate with the glory of God in everything they do? Not just as individuals, but as a movement? See, the enemy know that power of that, which is why there is an all-out assault on creative all over the world from the beginning of time? Why? Because the enemy knows the power of the creative nature of God flowing through His people, and he want to do everything he can to stop it.
Maybe, you’ve felt that. I’ve felt it in my own life. I know so many artists who have struggled with identity issues, with self-abasement, and self-doubt, anxiety, fear and self-sabotage, thinking they’re not worthy, they’re not good enough, that God could never use them, or their work is not important enough, or it’s not churchy enough, or religious enough, or not serious enough. And what does that do? All of that confuses the mind and keeps us focused and walking in a way that is away from our calling, instead of walking into the fullness of our calling.
This is not about you and I being talented, because God’s not raising up just more talented people for talent’s sake. He’s raising up sons and daughters, and I believe, as we step into our place in this army, this army of dry bones, if you will, that is being raised up by the breath of God, as we begin to stand up into that, I believe God is fighting on our behalf, to say, “Yes. That’s my son; that’s my daughter. I’, going to begin to open the doors in this generation, to release my nature through them, so that they can really be who I’ve called them to be, so that my nature can cover the earth like the waters cover the sea.”
My friend, that is incredibly powerful! And that’s the major reason why I believe at the forefront of this movement, ever since God called me in 2009, at the forefront of this movement has been healing of artists. As you and I can’t walk as sons and daughters, then we’re never going to be able to carry the full measure of what God wants to do in and through us.
Now, another thing I want to call your attention to is about why artists? Why now? Why this army of artists? What is it about this rising thriving artists that coming on to the scene right now? I believe that the creative process is actually a mirror process of how the Kingdom works in general.
The Lord showed me early on in my career as an artist, as I began to step into this whole realm, that the nature of the Kingdom is not to follow a bunch of rules and to be all caught up in this religious grid, mindset, and all this kind of thing, and locked up. No, the nature of the Kingdom is just like the creative process. What is that? To see and agree. You get an idea for a painting, a song, or whatever it is. You see it in your mind’s eye. God begins to impress that on your heart, and when you agree with that, you open the door and say, “Yeah, come on through; I want to release that; I want to bring that to life, into reality.” And suddenly, through the work of your hands, that thing begins to come into
incarnation. That thing that used to be just an idea, actually comes into the “flesh”, to the real, to the tangible. Well, that’s the same way the Kingdom works in all aspects.
In business, and government, and family, and in whatever. God shows His sons and daughters things and when we say, “Yes,” then we become a conduit through which God can work. And so I believe one of the big, big reasons God is raising up this army of artists all over the world is as they have always been, or we have always been, I should say, as forerunners. Not to celebrate us. Not to say, “Look at us, we’re the artists; we’re the special ones.” No, but for us to demonstrate to the rest of the Body of Christ, and yes, to the world, who doesn’t know Jesus, this is the Good News of the Kingdom, that there’s a Father who love you, who wants to flow in abundance and beauty through your life, and all he’s looking for is not you perfection, because Jesus perfected the work on the cross. All He’s looking for in your life is a “YES”.
When we begin to move like that, and an army of artists, demonstrating that process, as a normal party of what we do, not only in our artwork, but also in how we live our lives with others, we become ones, not only who create signs and wonders, who are creating work that God works through, but we become, our lives become the signs and wonders, and that is huge.
The other thing I really believe about life in the Kingdom, is that its’ made for the marketplace. Did Jesus go to the synagogue, to the temple? Yes, He went to the temple, but He spent most of His time where? Among the people in the marketplace. And listen, Christians have been so scared for so long to really learn how to function, naturally in the marketplace that when it come to having a business, or being in the marketplace as artists, and people who really love Jesus, people don’t know how to do it!
And this has been the most beautiful journey over these last 25 years for me, of learning to develop my identity in the Lord, and they step into the marketplace and see God bless the work of my hands, so that I’m not working some dead-end job that I hate, but I’m receiving my provision in line with my assignment, so that I can flow fully, at all time, in the thing that God’s called me in, and do so in the context of relationships. Why? Because the Kingdom’s always about relationship. It’s not about the things you and I create, it’s about the people and the relationships we impact, and God uses our art, or any product, or experience, as intersection points in order for you to build relationships and be that touch point for people. When we begin to do this as an army of artists, people will begin to see a demonstration of the Kingdom and the Glory of God like they’ve never, ever seen before.
“But Matt, this looks different. I’ve never heard of this before.” Yeah, welcome to the party. Welcome to the journey of the Kingdom. This is what God’s doing in this generation.
I love that quote I heard a pastor say one time, “If you would do the best with your life, fund out what God is doing in your generation, and fling yourself into it.” That’s what this video series is all about, an invitation to go all in, to say, “Yes. I want to fling myself, even though I’m scared, even though I don’t know what it’s going to look like, I’m going fling myself into this calling of being and artist, not because I’m perfect, not because I’ve got it all together, but because I’m just going to say, “Yes, and trust God in me, to perfect the work along the way.”
I’m glad you’re here with me on this journey. The next video is about the marks of a thriving artist. What does it look like to be a thriving artist? There are five things the Lord has shown me over the years that every thriving artist will begin to demonstrate in their live, and I’m going to walk you through those in detail, out of my experience, out of the Created to Thrive mentoring program
teachings. I’ll give you a little bit of that, as well as out of God’s word, to show you what it means to walk and live as a thriving artist.
Father, thank you for this time today. Lord, I pray as my friend is watching this, You would use this as a catalyst in their life to wake them up and connect them with what You’re doing in this generation, as you raise up an army of artists. In Jesus’ name. Amen.