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Jeshua Story

Words are inadequate to capture the power of any picture, and especially this one. Whenever I try to describe this painting, I am humbled by the directness and simplicity of the way Jeshua looks into my eyes. And, yes, the eyes do follow the viewer. This rendition is every bit as holographic as “The Lamb and The Lion.”

It has the same constant love with ever changing expressions, which absorb

and reflect whatever one brings to it.

This is Jeshua as I have known him through the years as my friend, comforter, healer, and teacher. I believe this is the way he appeared to his followers and Apostles as they walked along the roads together and shared the precious moments of his time on earth. Through his guidance and instruction, it was painted in front of the cliffs of Qumran, where he visited many times and taught those so beloved to him 2000 years ago. Ironically, these cliffs look like some of the rock formations in Sedona, where I have enjoyed and been inspired by his company.
His portrayal in humble clothing of the day, displaying such casual warmth, and endearing love, portray a Brother of deepest dedication. I feel that the few extra years and deeper maturity in this rendition, compared to “The Lamb and The Lion,” show the culminating transcendence of his life, where Divinity and Humanity are clearly one. I hope that you will be deeply touched by the compassion and wisdom he brings to you through this painting, and feel the presence of The One who has been with you for so long as a friend, teacher, and counselor.

There is other great news which is indelibly part of the painting’s creation. If there

is a story to be told, perhaps, it is the greater one of what is happening with Jeshua’s messages to me and how they brought this painting into being. Yes, Jeshua asked for the painting, and appeared for it. But first, let me explain how and why. For years we have been stacking up requests to translate “Love Without End” into other languages. In fact, it is already published in German and French. The German publication is, however, the only one that is really faithful to the book, and even it took a lot of my time and a highly experienced translator working daily with me to produce it. The French translation has not done justice to the message, and many reports of inaccuracies have come back to me. We have been working for almost five years to translate the book into Spanish, and although we have made some really fine progress, thanks to the skill of at least one dedicated translator, there are still some nuances that stimulate disagreements with different readers in Spanish. Therefore, I have been reluctant to take on any more translation projects, although they certainly need to be done. Due to the sophistication of the ideas in “Love Without End”, and the complexity of the writing, no translation could be easy, and I would not tolerate any skewing of the message. That has happened too much already with the historical teachings of Jeshua.

I did not even feel comfortable with changing any of Jeshua’s words myself, although in several earlier editions I did add some embellishments and explanations in the parts written in my voice. The fact that the messages came from notes taken during my personal conversations with Jeshua limited them primarily to my interests, inquiries, and level of understanding. Although this intimate quality provided authenticity and charm, as with the Diary of Anne Frank, the notes came through the lens of my unique orientation to life. At that time I had not been commissioned by him to give any messages to the world, so the notes were strictly for my private remembrance. One of the reasons “Conversations With Jesus” is so endearing to many of you is that it is still in that very personal mode of expression. I was quite vulnerable and direct in the way I gave those lectures. I did so only because he asked me to share the experience.

By popular demand, I next turned the lectures into the book “Love Without End, Jesus Speaks”. Although Jeshua consented, and provided his sustaining strength and presence during the whole process of writing the book, we did not have

“new” conversations specifically for the book. It was all a recapitulation of the conversations that had occurred in 1992. In writing the book I used the words

and sentence structure that was typical of our personal interchanges. In many cases these were long run-on sentences, because we talked, and talked, and talked! In many cases he used metaphors and examples that came from my personal background; from my work as an artist; or my intellectual orientation, because he was teaching these concepts to me. I just passed them on as a

gesture of sharing.

Last spring, in my most recent frustration with translating the book, I realized

that what was needed was to have the same message content, but given to

THE WORLD, and written in sentence structure and concepts that would be simpler, more universal, and more suitable for introduction into other languages and cultures. At that moment, once again, he stepped through the spiritual ethers into visible form and said, “Let’s do it!” We have been working together for almost six months. And, the Expanded World Edition of “Love Without End” is almost complete. It will have a new preface, with a very exciting and wonderful presentation of Jeshua’s continuing work in the world for the last 2000 years... the rest of the story! Those who have sampled the new revision have said it seemed as though they were reading the book for the first time, except that now it felt more for them.

Even though it covers the same ideas and concepts, for them it penetrated more deeply than ever.

Last June, as we were working on the new edition, I reminisced about the pleasure he and I had in creating the “Lamb and The Lion.” He replied, “Let’s create another painting while we’re putting together this new edition. Just as you have learned to see me as a friend and teacher, who shares life with you and touches your life well beyond any religious context, this is what others are looking for also.” So, we began.

What you see before you is the finished result. The Expanded World Edition of

“Love Without End, Jesus Speaks” will be released in November in time for your Christmas inspiration. It is my pleasure and privilege to present both of these creations which celebrate THE LOVE THAT WE ARE.