For some reason I, and I believe many Christians, are aware less of God’s just nature than any of His other characteristics. We seem to forget that His justice is just as powerful and important as His love, grace, mercy, and absolute control and power. This is evident in our preaching. We seem to try to strip the message of the cross from God’s justice, anger, vengeance, and hatred towards sin. I believe the consequence of this is the absence of godly repentance, and false hope in salvation. Somehow in our minds the Lamb of God, the Savior of the world, is not quite as present as the Lion of Judah, the Lord of Lords. May be we are scared to think about God’s justice because we don’t like to think about the day when we will stand in front of Him and give account for our actions. Or may… read more
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In this this tutorial, we will create a cinematic aerial scene in Photoshop. The idea behind this was to create a dramatic scene that looked like it was from a movie. By using free stock photos and some simple techniques and graphic design rules such as perspective, lighting and overlapping, I accomplished the task. I hope you enjoy the tutorial and try it with your own stock imagery. Inspiration: This image was inspired by: 1 Peter 2:11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Final Image Resource Canyon from Stock.xchng Lake Powell Sunset from Stock.xchng Aircraft6 from Stock.xchng Fighter planes at airshow 4 from Stock.xchng Tornado Jet from Stock.xchng F-15 Strike Eagle from Stock.xchng Eagle fighter Jet at Air Show from Stock.xchng Sun Flare from Wikipedia Commons Step 1 Open the… read more
I have been thinking lately, isn’t it weird that so many celebrities and people who win the lottery end up in such a mess? They have everything that life can offer, the best of everything we are chasing, yet they end up in rehab or simply just losing it. Mel Gibson, Lindsay Lohan, Elvis, Tiger Woods, the list goes on and on. All of these celebrities have been at the top of the world at some point but all of them have ended up worse off in the end. I almost think it’s a blessing that us “normal†people can’t ever end up rich enough to acquire all of our desires. It’s weird that this is what happens to our role models yet we keep striving to be like them. How can I show you that there is something far better out there? How can I explain the true… read more
Historical Accuracy of the Bible Revealed Historical Accuracy of the Bible Revealed – To be divinely inspired, a book must be historically accurate. Â For if its credibility cannot be established on the basis of known events, it certainly cannot be relied upon as an adequate guide in matters beyond our ability to check. Â On the other hand, if we can demonstrate that such a book is correct in historical matters, to an extent unknown among human writings, then we have strong evidence that the authors were inspired by God. Â In this lesson we shall learn that this is true of the Bible. The Bible is it’s own best defense – John McArthur Down through the centuries, enemies of the Bible have attacked its historical accuracy. Â Time after time, the Scriptures have been thus questioned, only later to be shown correct by archaeology. Â Archaeology is a study of relics, monuments, tombs,… read more
Today we feature the art of Bryan Clark. Bryan is an animator from Oklahoma City and does some amazing spots as senior graphic designer at LifeChurch.tv. Bryan does not work for LifeChurch.tv anymore but you can still download some of his work from LifeChurch.tv OPEN, a free resource with thousands of files geared towards Church Marketing. Check out more of Byran’s amazing artistry at bryanclark.wordpress.com. [sam id=3 codes=’false’]
There are billboards, bumper stickers, park bench ads, bus wrap ads etc., all over America, announcing that Judgement Day will occur on May 21, 2011. Most of these announcements are accompanied by the notice that, ‘The Bible Guarantees It.’ The man behind these bold and frightening proclamations is Harold Camping, leader of an Oakland-based “Christian Ministry” called, Family Radio Worldwide. Mr. Camping recently told the Associated Press that the Bible acts as a calendar, by which the dates of the prophesies can be calculated. Mr. Camping apparently has done the necessary calculations, and he has determined that the Day of Judgement will take place on the 21st of May. Unfortunately, Mr. Camping is not the first to brainwash people into these false teachings, here is a list of so called dates predicting Jesus’ return. “Perhaps the most notorious date-setters have been the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The group has been forced by… read more
The subject of hell, most times, is taken to two extremes by Christians, either we strongly condemn people to the fiery depths or we refuse to talk about it at all, fearing that people may condemn us. Everyone believes in death, because we see death all around us and it is now fully a part of the human condition, but the majority do not believe in hell. We cannot see hell until, and if it is revealed to us and we truly cannot identify with it. In the garden of Eden mankind could not identify with death, because we were not created with death in mind, but it was promised by God to Adam and Eve that, if they disobeyed Him by eating of the tree of knowledge, their punishment would be… death! “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely… read more
We all know God loves us, we are told this from the time we are very young, at least I know I was, and I am so glad that I know this, yet how many of us not only have a head knowledge of the love of God, but really understand and bank off of this fantastic and most glorious truth? God loves you. What does this mean? Well to start, we have to know what it means for God to love, what God’s definition of love is. Take a look at Romans 5:6-11, read it through again. God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. That’s the love of God, he didn’t die because he had something to get from us, but because He loved us and wanted to be made much of. We were worthless worms, fighting against God,… read more
Photoshop CS5 Brushes Demonstration: This tutorial demonstrates the Photoshop CS5 Bristle and Mixer Brushes. The new Photoshop CS5 Mixer Brush lets you define multiple colors on a single tip to paint with subtle color blends, or you can use a dry brush to blend a photo’s colors to create a beautiful painting. New Photoshop CS5 Bristle Tips enable you to easily paint with lifelike, naturally textured brush strokes using defined bristle properties like shape, length, and stiffness. I talk about the features and how to set them up, then I do a demonstration to show how they can be used. Lets take a look! Tools used: Wacom Intuos4 Photoshop CS5 [sociallocker] Digital Painting – Still Life Demo part 2/2 [/sociallocker]
It is easy to spot if we show favoritism towards certain people, and more than likely we do, because the environments we grow up in usually program our brains to hold prejudgements in regard to many aspects of life including people. Ask yourself simple questions such as: Which country has the most talented people? Which group of people are our friends and which are our enemies? Which group of people are more likely to believe in Jesus Christ? Which group of people have more potential to follow God? If your answers are anything other than “no oneâ€, then more than likely you do show favoritism. I know this first hand because growing up as a Christian in a Muslim country meant that I was an outsider. I was considered “dirty†(unclean), and an “infidel†(in Arabic the word is: Kafir), and sometimes simply called “Christian†just because I am Christian…. read more
I feel utterly inadequate and unworthy to share any Biblical truth with anyone, because how can a law breaker like me promote the same law he breaks? I am no less of a hypocrite than anyone else ever lived. But if every Christian stops sharing Biblical truths because he or she is not perfect then the gospel will not be preached anymore. Joseph Reassures His Brothers – Genesis 50:15-21 And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the… read more
April was choc full of some amazing Photoshop tutorials. In this month’s roundup we have chosen some great high quality selections with a wide range of topics, such as abstract typography, surreal Illustrations, Manga Effects, etc. Please take a moment to check them out, have fun learning!! [sociallocker] Design a Conceptual Album Cover in Photoshop In this tutorial you will learn the step-by-step process of creating a conceptual album cover in Photoshop….. Design Abstract Human Manipulation with Milk/Liquid Texture in Photoshop Learn the steps it took to design this Abstract Human Manipulation with Milk Texture and Custom Brushes in Photoshop..… Design a Shattered, Scrappy Metal Text Effect in Photoshop In this tutorial, you will learn the steps it took to Design a Shattered, Scrappy Metal Text Effect in Photoshop….. Design a Surreal Style Desert Human Stone Statue Manipulation in Photoshop In this tutorial, you will learn the steps it took to Design a… read more
When I first came to Canada at the age of 17, I was put in an ESL class (English as a Second Language) and so, one day I was sitting with an Iraqi classmate who was drawing a Swastika, and our teacher (who was a Jew) saw his drawing and got upset with him. I didn’t understand why she got upset, and so, I told her, “Ms., he is just drawing, what is the big deal?!†I think my comment made her even more upset, because in lunch time as I was sitting in the library another English teacher who knows me came looking for me. He talked to me for a couple of moments about why Jews hate Swastikas. I had known that Hitler was a “bad guy†and all of that, but I had no idea he targeted Jews specifically. You see, in the Middle East a lot… read more
About a year ago every time I went to pray I felt uneasy, like something was missing. I think I knew what it was but I ignored it thinking, “Is this really from God?†But after few weeks I decided that’s it: I was going to do something about it! The problem was that I didn’t take very good of the environment, and that bothered me a lot. Mind you, I never throw garbage in public places; since my childhood my mom had taught me to carry my garbage with me until I come across a garbage bin or even take it all the way home. I always turn off the lights and electronics when I don’t need them. But I felt that there is much more to do. So I bought one of those recycle bins from Wal-Mart and I’ve been recycling my papers and soft drinks cans ever… read more
As we study the story surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection, we may be led to believe things that are not supported by the Bible. Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. The Gospels speaks of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. Christians celebrate this resurrection on Easter Day or Easter Sunday (Resurrection Day or Resurrection Sunday), two days after Good Friday and three days after Maundy Thursday. Rev. Clinton Chisholm. clears up a few of the myths surrounding this much celebrated historical event. The words ‘crucifixion’ and ‘excruciating’ are derived from the Latin crux = cross. Crucifixion is primarily an extreme method of torture/punishment and is not necessarily synonymous with death. Death normally resulted from crucifixion, but in history there are cases where a crucified man survived on the cross for a few days. The nails in Jesus’ ‘hands’ were… read more
“Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to… read more
After the Romans crucified Jesus, he was buried in a new tomb but he rose from the dead and appeared to the disciples and 500 people (1 Corinthians 15:6) over a span of forty days before his return to heaven. Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, the Sunday after Good Friday which marks his crucifixion. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is a triumphant victory over death and the event is the most important event following the crucifixion. Without the resurrection our faith would be meaningless, because we would not have the hope of being raised from the dead and we would still be under the condemnation of sin. But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not… read more
The Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is truly the wonder of all wonders. It seems that the more we know our God the more we realize there is so much more we don’t know. Yesterday as I moved to the back of the streetcar I smelled this terribly disgusting smell of someone who really needed to take a shower. The smell was so strong almost all the streetcar smelled bad except the very front of it. I immediately moved back to the front and sat there, but even there the smell was so overwhelming I was considering getting off of the streetcar, that’s when I realized how terribly disgusting I—a sinful person—must be to our Holy God. I mean, the difference between two human beings is finite no matter how much of a physical cleaning one of them needs. But the huge gap between a completely vile creature and… read more
Death by crucifixion was an especially cruel and agonizing way to die. The Romans employed this form of execution primarily for slaves, although it was also used for foreigners, traitors and the most despicable of criminals. It was generally regarded as too degrading to be utilized for Roman citizens.1 Christ’s death on the cross is God’s ultimate act of love for mankind, The cross reminds us of Jesus’ victory over death, through His death and resurrection, we have the assurance of victory over sin and the promise of eternal life. As we look at these images, lets reflect on God’s love and sacrifice, take every opportunity to share the Gospel with others. Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. Romans 5:18 [ilink url=”http://www.christinyou.net/pages/crosschrst.html”] Cross of Christ : A study of the meaning of… read more
In Part 1 of this study we looked at the book of Romans (12:1-2) and determined that there are three lessons that we can learn from the passage. We focused on the first lesson, Present your bodies as living sacrifices, it’s an easy thing to say but so hard to live out. How does our life say to God that He’s the most important thing? Take a look at the world and the things they are sacrificing themselves for, then take a look at your life and see if you are patterning it after the world or after the things of God. If we are not patterned after God, then we should be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Do not be conformed to this world, Be transformed by the renewal of your mind The first thing I see by reading through this is that by default we… read more
In my last tutorial we learned how to make our very own custom brush in Photoshop. This time around we will learn how to create one using a photo and the magic wand tool. Photoshop has a lot of great default brushes that you can customize, but its way more fun and interesting to create our own. Since the types of brushes we can create in Photoshop are limited only by our imagination, we will design a very simple brush here from a photograph, just to see how easy the whole process is. Lets get started! Tools used: Wacom Intuos4 Photoshop CS5 [sociallocker] Digital Painting – Still Life Demo part 1/2 [/sociallocker]
Today we will be studying Romans 12:1-2 and discovering some vital truths that every Christian should know to be effective in our walk with Christ. Let’s take this one step at a time, because the passage has some hard sayings which are so easy to pass over, but so desperately needs to be taken to heart if we are to be serious in our pursuit of righteousness. First of all, lets read the verses then break them down and see what God is asking of us. I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect…. read more
Create A Planetary Star Field in Photoshop: In this tutorial we’ll learn how to create a Planetary Star Field using masks and a few star brushes. Photoshop brushes are very powerful, they can simulate real life objects, like trees, birds and in our case, a Planetary Star Field. You can find many free brushes online at places like Brusheezy and Deviant Art. While this is a fairly simple process to achieve, there are a few tips and tricks that can be applied to any project to increase productivity and enhance the realism of your scene. Lets get started! Inspiration This tutorial was inspired by Tyler van der Hoeven’s Image called Star Field. Thanks to Tyler for graciously allowing me to use his high-resolution photo in the process of recreating the image. The image reminded me of Psalm 19:1-4 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work… read more
The wisdom of God is so far above man, it is on a different level altogether. Our intelligence, even at its best, is so small. God compares it to the distance of the earth from the heavens, such a vast span, it cannot be measured. We think that science in all its Glory can solve all the problems we have in the world, but we do not understand that man’s biggest problem is not physical, but it is one that is spiritual. What is man’s spiritual problem? We have broken the law of God and in turn, we are separated from Him and now we want to become God. We look at science as something to replace God, we even start to question the existence of God. We ask, if there is a good God out there, why are so many problems in the world, why are people dying, starving… read more