CREATIVES… The Newest Church Fad? Or Is God Up to Something?

Within the last 5 years or so, there has been an influx of “CREATIVES” groups sprouting up within the church.  Has anyone else noticed that?  At first, I was annoyed by them as they seemed to be the newest church fad that puffed up some people while excluded others.  To me these groups seemed to suggest that certain gifted people in the Arts were more important than others.  Perhaps it was the first creative group I became aware of that produced these negative connotations in my mind. 

Or perhaps it’s that these groups overused the word “Creatives” that bugged me so much.  My personal belief is that since we’re all created in God’s image, and His first introduction to us is as Creator; therefore, we all have a certain amount of creativity to use in our daily lives, in our professions, in our worship, etc. 

And this is absolutely true!

However, a year or so ago, my viewpoint regarding these groups began to deviate from my initial disapproval.  The Holy Spirit reminded me of and began to consistently put before me specific scriptures that speak directly to God’s anointing on artisans and craftsmen (aka ‘creatives’). 

Steadily and prayerfully, my perspective began to change quite significantly regarding these groups as something more than just the newest church trend. I started to wonder if God was up to something in the spirit realm.

Things that happen in the spirit realm always manifest in the natural. Always! This means that God prepares the natural to be able to carry/hold/receive the supernatural. 

God anoints and appoints artisans and craftsmen…

There are three times in scripture in which God clearly anointed and appointed artisans and craftsmen.  The first was when God gave Moses explicit directions for building the Tabernacle (aka the Tent of the Meeting or Portable Temple)(Exodus 31:1-11).  The second was the building of King Solomon’s Temple (1 Chron 22).  The third was the rebuilding of the first Temple (eventually named Herod’s Temple) financed by the Persian government and overseen by the Jewish priests and Levites (Ezra 3:8-11). 

These three places had one obvious and primary thing in common that served several purposes. They were orchestrated and designed by God to be His dwelling place.

• The place where sacrifices and offerings were to be made and received
• The place where God would give His children direction
• The place where atonement for sin was to be made
• And the place where God’s people would gather for the prophetic yearly Holy Days and feasts

As such, God was very particular with His instructions.  This place was where God related to His children and where His children related to Him. This was where God promised to meet with them (Exodus 25:22; Numbers 9:15-23).

On His terms!!!

God was extremely elaborate in the details of all three Holy constructions, and He expected His instructions to be followed precisely (Exodus 25:8). Put it this way… the initial directives took up seven chapters of the Bible (Exodus 25-31). From the Ark of the Covenant >>to the table >>to the lamp stand >>to the curtains >>to the frames >>to each of the entryways >>to the artwork >>to the altar >>to the Mercy Seat >>to the candlesticks >>to the embroidery of the Priests’ clothes >>etc… Details included exact measurements, specific types of wood, precise colors of materials, various kinds of stones, gems and precious metals, and the perfect position for everything including the temple itself. 

God was equally thorough in the delivery and reception of the sacrifices and offerings. He was unmistakably meticulous regarding the worship, the fire, the incense.  So much so, that Aaron’s two oldest sons died for offering foreign fire when God’s glory came down (Leviticus 10:1-2).  In other words, they weren’t careful to follow God’s directives of how to worship Him.

At this point, you might wonder what these Old Testament scenarios have to do with the creative cohorts of today. I believe the Biblical anointing of the artisans and craftsmen serve the same purpose for these inspired groups of today… To usher in the Presence of God.  

Let’s dive deeper, shall we…

Today’s Temple…

Jeshua (Jesus) fulfills absolutely every prophesy regarding the Jewish Messiah.  Not only did He become our High Priest, but He fulfilled the requirements of the firstborn Passover Lamb of God found to be without spot or blemish.  He then became the final sacrifice as He willingly offered up His body as atonement for all of our sins once and for all.  He truly is quite literally our EVERYTHING!!  Praise God!!! 

But that’s not all that His life, death and resurrection did!  The veil was torn from top to bottom of God’s dwelling place, thus signifying direct access to Father God through Christ.  All of this made a way for what the Father had always desired …intimate one-on-one relationship with His children.  Jesus made that possible! This means that, through Him, we now have access to the Spirit of the Living God.  Jesus’s sacrifice made a way for our bodies to become the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19).  We can now go directly to the Father with no middleman or building (Heb 7:23-28)!!  Jesus is that middleman and we are that building!

Personally, I believe this is perhaps the greatest gift that His beautiful sacrifice gave us.  Think about it… the Creator of the universe now dwells inside of us.  We now have the ability to carry the same Power that raised Jesus from the dead (Rom 8:11; Eph 1:19-20).  Realizing the depth of all that Christ did on that cross makes me want to leap for joy.  If you take just a moment to truly ruminate on this, I believe you will feel likewise.  God is so very good to us! 

Seriously… take a moment to consider and rejoice.

Shekinah Glory – visible manifestation of God’s Presence on earth…

Though the Old Testament Tabernacle and Temple were where God dwelt and related to His children via detailed rituals; the actual recorded physical Presence of God (His Shekinah) only manifested a few times in scripture.  

This word (Shekinah) describes the visible manifestation of God on the earth, whose divine presence was portrayed through a natural occurrence.  God’s glory manifested as a cloud that surrounded and covered Mount Sinai as He gave Moses the Ten Commandments (the Law).  A similar manifestation came after the building of, both, the Tabernacle (Exodus 40:34) and Solomon’s Temple (2 Chron 7:1).  Remember that all of these were where God dwelt and promised to meet and speak to His people (Exodus 25:22).

Interestingly, after the destruction of Solomon’s Temple, sacrifices and offerings ceased until the rebuilding of Herod’s Temple.  This means that God’s divine presence ceased as well.  In fact, there is no record of God’s Shekinah ever filling the rebuilt temple or anything after.

That is… until Jesus. 

Jesus is Shekinah –the visible manifestation of God’s dwelling with us…

We see God’s glory residing upon Mary while she was pregnant with Jesus (Zechariah 2:5 & Luke 1:35).  We also see it when the angels revealed His birth to the shepherds (Luke 2:9), His baptism (Matt 3:16) and His ascension to heaven (Acts 1:9). Jesus is the New Testament manifestation of God dwelling with us (Matt 1:23).

Continue to keep in mind that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Those of us who unite our soul and spirit with Jesus literally house the Glory of God.  God dwells in us!

Even still, just as with the Old Testament structural dwelling places of God (the Tabernacle and Temple), there have been few instances where Shekinah Glory completely consumed the New Testament Temple (collaboratively, our united bodies). I would venture to say that most of us have never fully experienced His Shekinah.  And even those who believe they have (myself included), likely only experienced small doses… sort of like the children of Israel at the bottom of the mountain who heard God’s voice and witnessed the cloud, but their hearts were unable to fully receive all that Moses had experienced (Exodus 20:18-21).  I believe the complete manifestation of that glory cloud is on its way.

It is my heart’s desire to experience ALL of it.  I want to know ALL OF IT!  And I believe I will! We will!!  Soon and very soon, we are going to see the King in ALL of His Glory! 

Anointed and appointed for such a time as this…

Not only is God preparing the hearts of His people to be able to fully receive His Shekinah, but I believe He is (and has been) anointing and appointing Creatives in this very hour for such a time as this.

Check it out…

As with Solomon’s Temple, everything ceased with the destruction of Herod’s Temple shortly after Christ’s death and resurrection – just as Jesus had prophesied (Matthew 24:1-2; Mark 13:1-2; Luke 21:5-6).   That’s because Jesus fulfilled every prophesy surrounding the temple… the sacrifice, the mercy, the direction, the atonement, the Holy Days, etc.  Every. Single. Prophecy.

The Third Temple…

Would it surprise you to know that a physical Third Temple was prophesied and is currently underway in Jerusalem?  This is where Messiah (Jesus) will be ushered in and seated upon the Throne (Rev 21).  As with everything surrounding Israel and Biblical prophesies, they tend to take on both literal and figurative manifestations as they are fulfilled.

This leads me to the main point of this article…

Preparation for God’s Shekinah began with the artisans (the Creatives) in the Old Testament; and, likewise, I believe it begins with them today.  At the risk of being redundant… God is anointing ‘creatives’ for something HUGE that’s about to take place supernaturally!! 

I believe we are about to know God’s Shekinah in a new and mighty way.  In the temple.  Above the temple. Around the temple.  Throughout the temple.  WE ARE THE TEMPLE! 

Praise God!  Are you excited yet?

GOD’S SHEKINAH is being ushered in; and FULL BLOWN REVIVAL IS ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE WHERE I BELIEVE WE WILL GET TO EXPERIENCE ALL OF IT!!

Selah…

This is wonderful! But I also believe that like the OT Creatives, it is especially important to pay attention to His Way of doing things.  So how do we do that?

‘Talented’ doesn’t necessarily equate with ‘anointed’…

At this point, something important to reflect on is that there have always been gifted and skilled artists outside of these special times of anointing.  In fact, during the very same moment that God was revealing those He had anointed and appointed to build the Tabernacle, the Israelites were skillfully crafting and erecting a beautiful golden calf and offering sacrifices to it in the name of Yehovah (the LORD)(Exodus 32:1-6). 

In other words, they were tired of waiting on Moses (and on God, for that matter), so they concocted a ‘god’ they could more easily control.  On their terms!  They molded and shaped what seemed good to them. 

Ironically, out of cultural peer pressure, Aaron (who was appointed by God alongside Moses to co-lead Israel out of Egypt) fell right in line with the Israelites and even led the charge.  Does this scenario sound a little familiar with many of today’s appointed leaders? Three things should be carefully considered…

1. Your talent doesn’t automatically mean God’s anointing is upon you.
2. It is always man’s choice how to use the gifts God has given him.
3. Even the anointed (Aaron) can fall out of line with God’s will…especially when fear (under the guise of conformity) of man takes over.

The difference between the two types of creative groups… 

It is clear that both groups were talented! 

The self-appointed creatives at the bottom of the mountain used their natural gifts to worship an image of the LORD as they saw fit; as their Egyptian culture had previously dictated.  They thoughtlessly followed the traditions of men of their day and intertwined a little paganism with their corporate worship of God.  In the process, they angered God so much that He almost completely destroyed them all right then and there.

Whereas the anointed creatives were chosen by a living God to create a prophetic place and atmosphere of worship (Deut 12:4, 13-14).  They followed and obeyed God’s incredibly detailed directives rather than their own cultural understanding of that which seemed right in their own eyes (Proverbs 16:2; 21:2).  This resulted in God’s manifest Presence ushered in as His glory filled the temple.

Caution for creatives and/or churches with creatives groups…

Be cognitive of the temptation to build your own proverbial golden calf!  Take care to examine whether or not you are creating what you think is right and holy in your own eyes.  Remember that God is (and always has been) amazingly detailed and meticulous in His directives.

This includes your projects, your crafts, your talents, etc.

The best way to ensure you are discerning His desire over following your own compass is to spend daily intimate time with Him. Seek His will and specific guidelines for what and how to create every step of the way. Regardless of how accomplished you become in your craft, make a conscious effort to consistently partner with Him and ask Him questions like…

• Should I write that book? What is the title?
• What image should I paint?  Should I use oil, acrylic or water color? 
• Would oak or pine be best for this piece of furniture? 
• Which jewels should I use for this necklace? 
• What rhythm, stanza, etc., is best for this poem or spoken word? 
• How should the next verse in the song go?  What about the chorus?
• Which colors would You like to see in these garments?
• Etc…

Search me and know me…

Check yourself ‘periodically’ to make sure you aren’t idolizing your talent or your creation. The most reliable way to know your heart motive is to ask the Holy Spirit to search you and know you (Psalm 139:23). Checking in with Him will always reveal our heart motive. Our ways almost always seem good in our own eyes (Proverbs 16:2; 21:2). You may think your creation is good, but the Holy Spirit might show you something else. Hint… He usually looks at the heart motive. You must be willing to receive Truth from the Him, and be flexible enough to change plans. A few helpful questions to reflect upon regarding the heart motive behind your creation are as follows…

• Is the motive to bring glory to God?  Or is it to bring glory to myself? 
• Do my thoughts tend to revolve around how to get man’s recognition and approval (ie…, how many people are following me and how many likes will this creation get on social media)? 
• Does my motive imitate/mirror worldview ideologies and secular relevance over Biblical values and righteousness?

The reason I highlighted ‘periodically’ above is because we can often start out with right heart motives, but then slowly gravitate toward self-centered, man-pleasing, or culturally-provoked intentions.  It is very easy to fall into the trap of taking credit or seeking acknowledgement for the work God has done in and through us.

Finally…

Creatives, as you move forward in preparing for God’s Shekinah Glory, be thoughtful, diligent, obedient, and expectant.  For you were anointed and appointed for such a time as this!