August 18, 2002 journal, the feel good church, idolatry preached, exhibitors interested.

When so many exhibitors come and study your work, you know you have something of interest and in this case, I believe it will have everlasting positive effect upon the people. The Atlanta Journal newspaper was here but did not seem to be interested in Christian art.

Like all news conspiracies, they will not help spread the word if they can help themselves.

At the Cathedral of Chapel Hill this morning in Atlanta, Bishop Earl Palk preached on "Churchanity" instead of Christianity. "Idolatry churches are replacing the purpose of church with their own program. They are then holding church for the program and not for the purpose. We must get back to the true purpose of the church". Thank you Lord for this timely message coming from a major pulpit that is said to correspond with our painting of the idolatry. Beware of a feel good church without the true Bible message.

Continuing the description of the painting "Idolatry" Kox and Thompson having both emerged from the clutches of religious addiction, warned against the deceptions of false teachers. Kox came out of a Catholic background, Thompson from the Protestant. Both in identifying the false doctrines of the modern church, with Scripture based facts that identify false religious beliefs and the use of counterfeit images as their modern-day idol worship. The 1940's "head of Christ", by Warner Sallman, is targeted as a counterfeit Christ. The Greek word anti means "instead of", or "in place of”, as well as “opposed to". The Antichrist described in the Bible is an imitation capable of deceiving even the very elect (Matthew 24, 23-25, Mark 13:21-23). The elect spoken of are the followers of Christ. The Sallman image is being correlated to the “idol” shepherd in Zachariah 11:17, with the sword upon his right eye, symbolic of lack of truth. It also symbolizes the head of the beast Antichrist that had the wound by the sword but did live (Revelation 13:3). Scripture foretold people would create an icon of the Antichrist and worship it (Revelation 13:14-18. In this painting the 7 churches and 10 steeples symbolize this the 7 headed 10 horn beast of the revelatory visions of the apostle John. He sounds the warning, come out of her and be not partakers of her sins (mistakes). The New Testament word “church" comes from the Greek ekklesia, meaning “called out". The spiritual Church does not refer to a building, it refers to people who are called out of spiritual bondage into the freedom of truth. (principal, John 8:31-32). This painting also presents historical and etymological references to the name of Jesus being the result of a gradual progression in the English language, from the Biblical name of lesu (Yesu: yay-soo:) A change which took effect in the 18th century. The gist of the whole piece is to entice the viewer to question traditions and inherited beliefs while embarking on an active search for and investigation of truth. Look to the word of God, not the traditions of men. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit and search for truth in the Scriptures: "Seek and ye shall find". These two seasoned visionary artist hope that the revelations in this work will shake the world or at least a small part of it) from its complacency, to question traditions and inherited beliefs while embarking on and active search for and investigation of truth. They see the true path of spiritual enlightenment as an individual road which must be navigated with the utmost of care, to avoid the pitfalls and disasters associated with the herd mentality that leads the unsuspecting sheep hurdling headlong into the pit(grave)directly on the heels of their blind religious leaders. This painting should not be perceived as a threat to the true church. That which is true will not be harmed. When all the rotten bark is chipped away and the dead branches are broken off and cast into the fire, that which remains will be healthier”.