Scripture Series: Christ in You, Hope of Glory Card---It's an Inspirational/Anything Goes Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday, everyone!  It's time for another Challenge at Word Art Wednesday (WAW) and we are highlighting another wonderful Scripture Word Art (you can download for free at the WAW site) from Colossians 1:27 which says, "To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."  You see, the Fall of Man is more than just a man rebelling against God.  It is profound because that one man, Adam, represented all of mankind. From him came every human being that ever lived.  His fall brought all of us and every creation under condemnation.  We became slaves to Satan that afflicted us with the "sin nature' (the very nature of the devil) which brought its evil twin--- the threefold nature of DEATH (spiritual, physical and eternal deaths).  Not one of us came to this world without sin and therefore would have suffered the full force of the "wrath of God" simply by being born in Adam.  God gave His laws to Moses and His people not for them to be justified by observing them but to make them realize that they are powerless and incapable of obeying them.   You break one, you are guilty of breaking them all  (James 2:10)!  No matter how good one lived his life on earth, the huge number of charities and helping others, the sad fact is, they will go to the same place where everyone who are born in Adam is going to go when they die---in Hell where they are eternally separated from God!  If that is so, what is the point of morality?  What is the point of dying for others?  Why not be selfish and just live for ourselves?  If God didn't care and didn't provide the Only Way to righteousness, we are all doomed whether we lived a meaningful or wasted life.  But the Gospel (Good News) bears it all!  John 3:16 tells us this profound Truth, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, was sent to earth to pay for EVERY SIN (past, present and future) made by man.  He was not born from the line of Adam for He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and carried by a woman.  He is the Holy God that left His heavenly throne to live as one of us.  He humbled Himself before His creation so that in due time, He can save them.  He is the Only One who can lead us back to the Father (John 14:6).  This is the message all of us who came to the saving knowledge of Christ is here to proclaim.  We have entrusted our lives to the Only God who died for us and in turn, He took us out of Adam's lineage and gave us brand new lives.  We are Born-Again (John 3:3) to His eternal Kingdom where death and sin could not enslave us anymore.  Although we live in this earth ruled by Satan (the god of this world), we are citizens of God's Kingdom.  We don't operate under the bondage of sin but comes under the ruler-ship of the One who gave His all to us---Jesus Christ!

Yesterday, I watched a couple of things on TV.  One was the struggles of soldiers that came home from war who suffered post-traumatic depression.  The other was about the life and death of Robin Williams who was a man of awesome talent when it comes to voices and comedy.  Among the movies he made that I kept watching over and over were Mrs. Doubtfire, Patch Adams and Bicentennial Man.  All of them made me laugh and cry.  But apart from the big screen, movie icons are human beings that live a story similar to many of us.  Amidst the money, glitz and glamor,  they live a fallen state.    They battle demonic forces that enslave their spirits, soul and body and the industry did an awesome contribution to fuel every kind of immoral and unhealthy lifestyles.  They use the influence of many talented people to sway everyone from seeking God and practically tells them to party all they can for tomorrow, they'll die.  God gave us talents to fulfill His purpose in our lives but sadly, many have ignored God's call and pursued their own ambitions.  I am sad that a man with huge talents as Robin Williams had to end his life because he didn't seek/or didn't respond to the new life Jesus offered.  Despite the fame and fortune, it wasn't really enough!  This once again proved that those material things that people clamor for in their lifetime were not what constitute a happy life.  Truthfully, good works and the numerous charities a person achieved could not buy a ticket to heaven.  Without a new life in Christ (full surrender, faith in the finished work of Christ), none will matter!  Each one of us has a free ticket to hell when we die, you don't have to do anything (other than just being born in this world) for it.  In fact, you are going to end up there whether you like it or not.  But God gave us a ticket which rendered those previous tickets invalid.  The ticket says, "Bought and paid for by Jesus and is good now and for all eternity." How amazing!  One of the soldiers in that other TV program with post-traumatic depression said that the battle that goes in his mind made him think and feel like he was trapped in a burning room with only two choices---to burn or jump off!  By this, he meant to suffer more or just take his own life to end it all.  Many people see death (physical) as an escape from this cruel world but what they didn't know is it's actually the start of eternal punishment in hell with the final destination as the "lake of fire" where Satan and all his cohorts will burn for all eternity (Revelation 20:11-15).  If any of you feel as if this world is a furnace ready to eat you alive, seek the One who can extinguish every fire---Jesus Christ!  In His arms, there's safety and answers to all life's questions.  Only God can take the life He gave us!  We really don't have a right to our own life (nor to take the life of others).  Don't make the mistake thinking that if you end it here, you'll have good life eternally.  Only with knowing Jesus do we have hope!  What was hidden many years ago is now open to anyone who would open their hearts and believe.  Truly, JESUS IN US (living inside the throne of our hearts) is the ONLY HOPE of GLORY.  I would like to leave these verses to people who tirelessly bring the Gospel (the finished work of Jesus Christ) to everyone.  We are called by God as WATCHMEN.  We are here to bring hope to the poor (weak in spirit and understanding) and to proclaim the message of hope that God wanted all people to hear.  Be encouraged even in times of persecution and hostility for great is the reward waiting for us when we come and meet out Maker. 

"The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’ “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved." (Ezekiel 33:1-9)

For this Card, I used an image from Make it Crafty called "Tap Dancer" which I have been wanting to use for quite sometime now but never had a chance.  I think it's perfect for the verse.  I colored it with my ProMarker/Prismacolor markers.  The base is a white CS, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches square card.  I embossed a panel using my Cuttlebug embossing folder and the DP's are from my large collection of scraps (I just don't have the heart to throw them away).  I cut several octagon shapes using my Nestabilities and did some inking using Distress Ink (Walnut Stain), added some nail head gems and run it through my sewing machine using regular and fancy stitches.  I love manly cards cause they don't take much to design.  Hope you like it too. 

CHRIST IN YOU, HOPE OF GLORY CARD:

 CHRIST IN YOU, HOPE OF GLORY CARD LAYERS:

 CHRIST IN YOU, HOPE OF GLORY CARD INSIDE:

CHRIST IN YOU, HOPE OF GLORY CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX:

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Fan-Tastic Tuesday---ATG
Sister Act---ATG
Papertake Weekly---Spots and Dots
TTCRD---ATG
Crafting from the Heart---ATG
Bearly-Mine---ATG
Cards Galore Encore---ATG
Mema's Crafts---ATG
Nutcrafters---ATG
Oddball---Coloring Skills
A Girl who Crafts---ATG
Crafty Hazelnut's---Use Patterned Paper
Sisters of Craft---ATG
Squirrel and the Fox---ATG
Seemacrafts---Summer
Creative Card Crew---Embossing
Crafty Calendar---ATG
Perfectly Rustics---Masculine Card
Creative Fingers---ATG 
Art by Miran---ATG 

Make sure you join us at WAW Challenge.  You can use the free Word Art in your creation and link it to our Challenge but is not a requirement.  As long as it's family-friendly, uplifting and inspirational, you can submit up to 5 entries.  Our wonderful sponsors for this week are Classy Cards and 'N Such and Your Next Stamp.  So excited to see what you come up with.  Anyway, cheer up and let the joy of the Lord overtake you today.  He truly loves and cares for you.