EASTER 2014: Important new open discussion on this blog:
Heaven is for Real, the Akiane Prince of Peace, the ISA Mosaic and the Shroud of Turin
Also see:
- Akiane’s Jesus, Heaven is for Real and the Man in the Turin Shroud
- More on Akiane’s Jesus, Heaven is for Real and the Man in the Shroud
Alice Miller writes:
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To say that Akiane Kramarik is a religious visionary is certainly proper if you believe it. That she is also a gifted artist and a child prodigy goes without question. Given that her “Prince of Peace” looks so much like shroud-inspired pictures of Jesus in a sort of “it’s the same person” sense and given that little Colton Burpo in “Heaven is for Real” identified Akiane’s “Prince of Peace” as the person he saw in heaven warns us to be careful with what we really mean. For instance, how graphically valid is a religious vision? An article in Christianity Today is very telling:
From article:
“It wasn’t just art that was happening. Simultaneous with art was a spiritual awakening,” says Akiane’s mother, Forelli Kramarik. “It all began to happen when she started to share her dreams and visions.”Prior to that time, Forelli had been raised as an unbeliever, in an atheistic family from Lithuania.”And my husband was a former Catholic and did not share in the family beliefs. We didn’t pray together, there was no discussion about God, and we didn’t go to church. Then all of a sudden, Akiane was starting to talk about God.”
Forelli’s young daughter was homeschooled, she had no babysitters, and the family watched no television.”We were with the kids all the time, and so these words from Akiane about God didn’t come from the outside — we knew that. But there suddenly were intense conversations about God’s love, His place [in our lives], and she would describe everything in detail.”
In the beginning, Akiane drew pictures of family members and pets, but her interests eventually shifted to the creation of faces. She started “scribbling” more and more faces. She tries to recreate visions that she says God gives her in her dreams.
“I wake up after I have had many dreams. I wake up and I pray, and then I see visions and I explain all those to my mom, and I say, ‘This is what I want to paint.’ And my mom says, ‘I’ll give you a canvass so you can paint it.'”From her dreams Akiane began to compose what she calls the “Jesus” paintings, which took her more than 75 hours to complete. She has so far painted two oils of Jesus. She calls the first one “The Prince of Peace,” and the second is titled “Forgive Them, Father.”
“I always think about Jesus and talk about Him,” she says. “I was looking for a [Jesus] model for a long, long time, and when I couldn’t find anyone, one day I suggested to my family to pray all day for this model so God would send the right one.” The day that they prayed, a very tall carpenter — yes, a carpenter — came to their door looking for work. When he showed up, Akiane nearly fainted. “I told my mother that that was him. I want him to be my model,” she recalls.
The carpenter agreed to it at first, but he called a week later to back out.
“He said that he wasn’t worthy to represent his Master,” Akiane says. “He’s a Christian, and he’s a humble person. But I prayed that God would change his mind and that he would call back.” And the mysterious carpenter, who wished to remain anonymous, did call Akiane back, saying that God wanted him to pose for the painting, although he felt it was unusual.
Akiane took pictures, studied his face, made sketches, used her imagination and photo references, and the result was the “Prince of Peace.”
Akiane’s day is a little different from other children her age who are homeschooled. When she wakes each morning she has a drink of water, exercises, prays, and then she paints.
“And after I paint, I write poetry,” Akiane adds. “And I write Russian, and then I write and read Lithuanian, after which I read the Bible.”
When asked how she knows that it’s God who is speaking to her, she replies, “Because I can hear His voice. His voice is quiet and beautiful.” Although she was 3 at the time, she’ll always remember God’s first message to her. “He said, ‘You have to do this, and I’ll help you.’ He said, ‘Now you can help people.’ I said, ‘Yes, I will.’ But I said it in different words in my mind. I speak through my mind to Him.”
Akiane also has another dream that she believes God has given her — only this one is one that she dreams during her waking hours.”I really want to help needy people in Africa and other places,” she says. “Especially the Lithuanian people — the ‘garbage children’ is what they are called. They live in the garbage, and 2- and 3-year-olds are being killed for the first place in the food line,” she says. “Lithuania has the highest suicide rate in the world. They need help with food and medicine, and a free hospital. I really want to build a free hospital for them.”
Akiane hopes to fund such projects with the sale of her paintings and poetry. According to her agent, Akiane soon will embark on a world tour to raise money for the African AIDS crisis.
“We don’t have an answer as to why this is happening. We don’t have a clue,” Forelli Kramarik says about her daughter’s unfolding ministry. “We’re just thankful to God.”
But Akiane does seem to have an answer. When her mother asks her why she thinks she received her gift, the 10-year-old replies: “I have been blessed by God. And if I’m blessed, there is one reason and one reason only, and that is to help others.”
I don’t know what to think at this time.
i have never heard god in my head or jesus but i know they our with me everyday. many things in my past has lead me to believe this. i had what many people would say was a terrible childhood but that is what made me the person i am today, and god gave me a beautiful wife ,two wonderful [grown] children, and four amazing grandchildren. i don’t have alot of money,big house or fancy cars but i wouldn’t trade my life as it is for any of that. i have all i need! if this little girl believes she saw jesus, good for her, and colton burpo. more people should believe in jesus, i do and i know he is coming back [ THE JOURNEY OF MY LIFE HAS LEAD ME TO ME AND I AM THE MAN I CHOSE TO BE ] CHARLES SIMPSON
I wish we all heard Jesus as clearly as this young girl. Wonderful story.
I have (for as long as I can remember) a running conversation with God in my head. It wasn’t until recently that I realized that other people didn’t pray this way too. Alex Malarkey, another boy who has seen heaven, told his dad that his lips were for talking to people but there was a different part of his brain that was for talking to God. There is nothing great or particularly special about my life…but I know without the peace and strength I get through this kind of prayer and relationship with God, I would never have survived the death of my husband (& best friend) to cancer at age 41. The Bible says “Pray without ceasing…” and I believe that this is how you do just that. It just starts by pouring out your heart and talking time to listen to the voice within that answers. It feels almost imagined because society says it is…but the answers are seldom ones that I would have chosen. If I listen, I find peace (note: God did never promised us happiness or an easy life).
I know and believe, everytime I see these paintings my heart and spirit is overwhelmed with exsightment and love for our savior the Lord Jesus Christ.
I loved the book “Heaven IS For Real.” It reminded me how when my son was only 21 months old, he told me that Jesus was in the van, and he was sitting in the passenger seat and he had brown hair and white clothes on. I also was blessed to see 3 visions on my wall continue to flash in sepia coloring with a gold shimmery glowing frame like a slide show. One was Jesus’ profile, one was Mother Mary holding her baby and the other was of a few people kneeling looking up to the glowing cross.
I believe these people, children all to be what I call God sensitive, we all have it to to some degree but children are much more sensitive to it, praise the Lord in the highest, may He show you and us all grace and peace!
Akiane is God’s gift to our world , her painting is
indescribably beautiful
As a Christian and artist myself, I can relate to Akiane’s passion and determination to capture what God has given her to share with and help others. That is what gifts are for. It’s what gives them meaning. Her paintings are inspiring and beautiful. They touch the heart profoundly. I see a story in each one. Some are warnings, some are hope reaching out and some are examples of love, beauty and grace. I pray God will keep her on the straight path and continue to bless her with more gifts to share through his Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I believe the same ,we are His hands ,without us He can’t reach people and help them .I myself have seen Jesus three times. Yes, he is amazing . I can still remember His smile .He still speak to me and ask me to do things for Him.Lot of time I don’t wait for Him . May God help each one of us to be yielded vessels.
“……Blessings on Akiane Kramarik and Colton Burpo; the Two Doorposts of the New Door; the Three Children of Mary of Fatima represent the Three Heights of the Door of the Ark of Noah; and the Lintel over this Door is where I shall be seen as that little one of whom the Three Children are now One as the Image of the Lamb, as of the Kingdom of heaven the Lamb, as that Holy Thing represents……I am the Angel of the Ukraine; the Herald of the Three Mary’s who are the three leavens by which Wisdom leavened her Loaf of The Bread of God…Bethlehem means ‘the House of Bread’….the City of David”
Salvation Rose
Today I saw the painting Akiane made of Jesus and knew it was Him because I have seen His eyes…and those are His eyes.