"What is a Christian?" From gotquestions.org

Answer: A dictionary definition of a Christian would be something similar to “a person professing belief in Jesus as the Christ or in the religion based on the teachings of Jesus.” While this is a good starting point, like many dictionary definitions, it falls somewhat short of really communicating the biblical truth of what it means to be a Christian. The word “Christian” is used three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). Followers of Jesus Christ were first called “Christians” in Antioch (Acts 11:26) because their behavior, activity, and speech were like Christ. The word “Christian” literally means, “belonging to the party of Christ” or a “follower of Christ.”

Unfortunately over time, the word “Christian” has lost a great deal of its significance and is often used of someone who is religious or has high moral values but who may or may not be a true follower of Jesus Christ. Many people who do not believe and trust in Jesus Christ consider themselves Christians simply because they go to church or they live in a “Christian” nation. But going to church, serving those less fortunate than you, or being a good person does not make you a Christian. Going to church does not make you a Christian anymore than going to a garage makes you an automobile. Being a member of a church, attending services regularly, and giving to the work of the church does not make you a Christian.

The Bible teaches that the good works we do cannot make us acceptable to God. Titus 3:5 says, “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” So, a Christian is someone who has been born again by God (John 3:3; John 3:7; 1 Peter 1:23) and has put faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8 tells us that it is “…by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

A true Christian is a person who has put faith and trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ, including His death on the cross as payment for sins and His resurrection on the third day. John 1:12 tells us, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” The mark of a true Christian is love for others and obedience to God’s Word (1 John 2:4, 10). A true Christian is indeed a child of God, a part of God’s true family, and one who has been given new life in Jesus Christ.

Have you made a decision for Christ because of what you have read here? If so, please click on the "I have accepted Christ today" button below.
 

What Must I Do To Be Saved? From areyousaved.com

There are many important questions in life. When we’re younger, we ask: What am I going to study in college or university? Where am I going to work? Who will I marry? And what about a family? These are all very important questions and the results will change what we do for the rest of our life. However, I want to ask you the most important question: Are you Saved? This question is so important, because it not only changes how you will live the rest of this life, but it determines your destiny for eternity. The question is simple. The answer is simple as well. If you were to ask yourself the question right now, what would the answer be: yes or no?

Why Do I need to be Saved?

It is important to understand that this is not something that mortal man has declared. The Bible tells us that “we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Why do we need to be saved? The Bible states the “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). The Word of God also likens each one of us to sheep that have gone astray, and we have gone our own way. Every single day, we choose to sin. If we continue in life as we are, we must be punished for our sin. God is righteous and holy and must punish sin and if we don’t do anything about all the sins we have committed, we will have to be punished for them in Hell. Therefore, we need to be rescued, or delivered, or saved from our sin so that we can be Heaven.

Who Can Save Me?

It might seem that we have painted a very gloomy picture. We are all sinners, that continue to sin everyday. If I need to be without sin in order to be in God’s heaven, how is it ever possible? Thankfully, the Bible provides the answer to that question as well. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1Tim 1:15). That was the entire reason the Lord Jesus came into this world – so that he could save us! The Lord Jesus Christ was born into this world in Bethlehem, died on a cruel Roman Cross at Calvary in order to pay the punishment for the sins that we deserved. Jesus was without sin. He was the Son of God and as God, He could not sin. However, God loved sinners, such as ourselves, so much that he punished His Son in order to pay the price for our sin. Isaiah 53 and verse 5 says, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (NIV). The Lord Jesus Christ is the One who is able to save you today!

What Must I do to be Saved?

This is a very important question has well. This is the exact question that a jailor asked in a true story that is recorded in the Bible (Acts Chapter 16). The jailor was a man who knew that he was a sinner and realized that he needed the Lord Jesus Christ to save him and he asked the Apostle Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). The Apostle Paul responded by saying, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” (Acts 16:31). What a marvel that sinners such as ourselves can be made right with God. Through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work at the Cross of Calvary, a lost sinner is saved. The jailor was saved that night when he asked that question. And I can say that I am saved. I have a specific time and place that I can look back to in my life experience when I was saved. I was a boy of nine years old and realized that I was a sinner. I recognized the fact that God would be right in sending me to Hell because of all the sins that I had committed. But it was at that time that a verse from Romans chapter 5 and verse 6 came to me this way, “Christ died for me the ungodly one!” And now I can say that I am saved! Are you saved?

What’s my story and how did I  become a Christian?

Coming soon...

My Blog... Also coming soon!

What is a Giclee?

The Definition : Giclee, pronounced (zhee-klay) comes from the French word "giclée" which is a feminine noun that means to spray or to spirt a liquid. The word may have been derived from the French verb "gicler" meaning "to squirt".

The Term : The term "giclee print" connotes an elevation in printmaking technology. Images are generated from high resolution digital scans or digital photographs and printed with archival quality inks onto various substrates including canvas, fine art, and photo-base paper.

The Process : Giclee prints are created typically using professional 8-Color to 12-Color ink-jet printers. Among the manufacturers of these printers are vanguards such as Epson, MacDermid Colorspan, Canon & Hewlett-Packard. These modern technology printers are capable of producing incredibly detailed prints for both the fine art and photographic markets.

The Advantages : Giclee prints are advantageous because it allows for the art to be printed as needed or on-demand. Once an image is digitally archived, additional reproductions can be made with minimal effort and reasonable cost. The prohibitive up-front cost of mass production for an edition is eliminated. Archived files will not deteriorate in quality as negatives and film inherently do. Another tremendous advantage of giclee printing is that digital images can be reproduced to almost any size and onto various media, giving the artist the ability to customize prints for a specific client.

The Quality : The quality of the giclee print rivals traditional silver-halide and gelatin printing processes and is commonly found in museums, art galleries, and photographic galleries. The giclee printing process also provides better color accuracy than other means of reproduction.

The Market : Numerous examples of giclee prints can be found in New York City at the Metropolitan Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Chelsea Galleries. Recent auctions of giclee prints have fetched $10,800 for Annie Leibovitz, $9,600 for Chuck Close, and $22,800 for Wolfgang Tillmans (April 23/24 2004, Photographs, New York, Phillips de Pury & Company.)

Limited edition Vs. Open Edition

This refers to the number of prints that can be printed of a particular image, where limited edition means that there are a limited number of prints that can be made of a particular image. For instance if a giclee has a limited edition of 225 then only 225 prints of that image at the specified size can be printed. Limited edition prints are more highly valued and are numbered to show which number the print is in the edition size (i.e. 3/225) where an open edition means that an unlimited amount of prints can be made from that image and are often unnumbered and unsigned but are more affordable.

Hand Embellished

Sometimes you may hear the term hand-embellished when referring to prints or giclee reproductions and this means that the artist (in this case, Jennifer) actually adds to the giclee by painting over key elements in the art, adding value as well as more of an original look as you can see brushstrokes, texture, and enhanced color.

Signed and Numbered

This term is often used when referring to reproductions of artwork. This means that Jennifer signs the print just as she would an original and gives it a number to show which number it is in the edition. For example if the edition size is 225 and it is the 3rd one printed Jennifer will write 3/225 next to where she signed the print. Especially on a limited edition print you will want to be sure it is signed and numbered.

Gallery Wrapped

Gallery wrap is a method of stretching an artist's canvas so that the canvas wraps around the sides of the stretcher bars and is secured to the back of the wooden frame. The frame is usually 1.25"-1.5” thick. The result is the hardware and staples used for securing the canvas is not visible on the sides. The sides of the canvas are painted and primed in the same manner as the front of the artwork, which may then be painted a solid color or painted to continue the image appearing on the front. This method of stretching and preparing a canvas allows for a frameless presentation of the finished painting.

In canvas printing, the term gallery wrap refers to an image that appears on the sides of the frame as well as the front. The image on the sides is either a continuation or a reflection of the main image.

Certificate of Authenticity

A valid COA for an artwork will include specific details about the artwork like when and how it was produced, the names of the artist, the work's title, the dimensions of the art, the edition size and the number of the print in the edition, the value, etc. The COA also states the qualifications and full contact information of the individual or entity that authored the certificate with his or her complete and current contact information. If your purchase includes a certificate of authenticity it will come personally signed and guaranteed by Jennifer herself.