Scripture Series: Serve Him in Truth Card---Join Us for Inspirational/Anything Goes Challenge at Word Aet Wednesday!

Hello everyone.  It's Christmas Eve and I would like to greet you all a VERY MERRY AND BLESSED CHRISTMAS!  This is quite a late post of this card I made for our Challenge at Word Art Wednesday (WAW) that is currently going on.  What can I say?  It's just a crazy busy December for me.  Head on over our WAW site to avail of the free Scripture Word Art that I used in my featured card here.  It comes from 1 Samuel 12:24 which says, “Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.”  I love what my Life Application Bible shared about this verse which says, "This is the second time in his farewell speech that Samuel reminded the people to take time to consider what great things God has done for them (1 Samuel 12:7).  Taking time for reflection allows us to focus our attention upon God's goodness and strengthens our faith.  Sometimes we are so progressed---and future oriented that we fail to take the time to recall all that God has already done.   Remember what God has done for you so that you may move ahead with gratitude. 

CHRISTMAS is truly my most happiest time of the year.  I have fond memories to look back to during this season.  It's not filled with parties and big celebrations but intimate moments with friends and family where we are all awake on Christmas eve, sharing the wonderful blessing that Christ's birth brings to us all.  Though I didn't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (Born-again, John 3:3) during my growing up years nor was I adept in His Word, something in me knew what a glorious day it was compared to many other celebrations.  After coming to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, now more than ever, I can fully rejoice in what His birth meant for me personally.  Next to the Resurrection,  I often celebrate this time with "tears of joy" knowing that two thousand years ago, He came to this earth to die for me and all of humankind.  He was and always will be the "greatest gift" that's available for anyone who chooses to receive Him.  It doesn't matter where you are and your status in life---He has the GIFT of Life---ETERNAL LIFE! But like any other gift that is given, IT CAN ONLY BE YOURS IF YOU CLAIM IT.  Recently,  I've seen a movie about a Pastor that preaches the truth of God's Word till deception entered his life that brought him to believe that Salvation included everyone even in the absence of receiving Christ as one's Lord and Savior. He strongly preaches against Hell and questions the judgment of God.  He has problems reconciling the truth that while God loves, He is also holy and could not tolerate Sin.  The question I have for him is this: For if Almighty God only operates in love, why must he sent Jesus, His One and Only Son,  to die on the Cross to redeem mankind? Why was there a need for redemption if God can do away with the consequences of Sin?  At the Cross, the heart of God is in full display.  Man's Sin needed to be paid by no less than a holy Man (non-existent) so He sent His One and Only Son (A Holy God), to be clothe in flesh as a Man.  This hundred percent God and hundred percent Man in the person of Jesus Christ bore the sins of mankind so that the judgment of God can be carried out and totally satisfied by a qualified/perfect Lamb.  In essence, God sent Himself to atone for His own wrath and judgment against mankind's Sin.  In His death and resurrection, the LOVE and JUST ways of God was fully satisfied! Nobody should promote God's love apart from His just ways like that Pastor did.  As I was watching, I was routing for him to repent but it never came.  Sadly to this day, he is still deceive and deceiving others with the heresy.  It just goes to say that it doesn't matter how long, successful and famous a preacher is, we should not depend on them to study God's Word on our behalf.  We should always check the validity of their teaching by studying God's Word ourselves. When I hear someone preach, I listen while chewing every doctrine presented to me.  If it's sound and in accordance to the Word, I let it settle in.  Those that are questionable, I take note and study and those that are false, I discard.  If I have the chance, I would bring my concern to the preacher and allow him to defend his position.  What I wish to convey here is that we need to know the genuine in order to spot the fake.  The Word of God is Truth and if we value and study it day and night and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us to His Truth, He is going to lead us to all Truth.  His Word transcends how we feel of even think.  So many times, we fall into the trap when we exalt our feelings above God's Word.  In short, we place God in our level of thinking instead of conforming to what God tells us in His Word.  Our human nature (self) is our own worst enemy.  Each day we have to contend with it and put it in check by subjecting it with the daily dose of God's Word.  The Word of God is our standard---accept nothing less!

On a side note, is it just me or some of you notice that more traditional Christmas music (that capitalizes on the birth of Christ) are playing as background music in stores this year?  People greets me back with a Merry Christmas in stores and restaurants too.  I love it! I am grateful to the Lord for giving us a leader in the White House that respects the Lord and our Judeo-Christian values.  Like all of us, President Trump is not perfect but he sure does love this country and our people.  And that folks is something to be thankful for.  

For this Card, I used an image from Art Impressions called "Bench Set" and colored it using my Kimberley watercolor pencils.  The base is white CS, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches square card.  The DP's are from Pebbles, the nail head gems is from Imaginisce and the glitters are from Stickles (Crystal).  I also used image from WPlus9 of the Doodlebuds Set.  Lastly, I stitched all over this card. 

SERVE HIM IN TRUTH CARD

SERVE HIM IN TRUTH CARD LAYERS

SERVE HIM IN TRUTH CARD INSIDE

SERVE HIM IN TRUTH CARD WITH AN ENVELOPE-BOX

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Createful Heart---ATG
Creative Sketchy Girls---ATG
Worldwide Open DT---ATG

I hope you'd take the time to join us at our WAW Challenge.  It's Anything Goes as long as it's family friendly with uplifting and inspirational messages, you can link up to 5 projects per week.  I can't wait to see your projects  and leave some encouragement on your Blogs.  Though the world is surrounded by darkness, let your faith in Jesus Christ shine like a beacon on a hill. Demonstrate the love of God to everyone you meet.  Spread the true meaning of this season saying MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL and a BLESSED NEW YEAR.

Scripture Series: Child of the Holy Ghost Card---Join Us for Inspirational/Anything Goes Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Hi there, everyone!  A few days ago, we started another Anything Goes/Inspirational Challenge at Word Art Wednesday (WAW) as we feature another great Scripture Word Art (free for you to download at the WAW site). It comes from Matthew 1:18 which says, "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost."

I read what my Life Application Bible shared regarding our highlighted verse and would like to share it with you first.  It says, "A Jewish marriage involved three basic steps.  First, the two families agreed to the union.  Second, a public announcement was made.  At this point, the couple was "pledged."  This was similar to engagement today except that their relationship could be broken only through death or divorce (even though sexual relations were not yet permitted).  Third, the couple was married and began living together.  Because Mary and Joseph were engaged, Mary's apparent unfaithfulness carried a severe social stigma.  According to Jewish civil law, Joseph had a right to divorce her, and the Jewish authorities could have had her stoned to death (Deuteronomy 22:23-24).  Why is the virgin birth important to the Christian faith?  Jesus Christ, God's Son, had to be free from the "Sinful Nature" passed on to all human beings by Adam.  Because Jesus was born of a woman, He was a human being; but as the Son of God, Jesus was born without a trace of human Sin.  Jesus is both fully human and fully divine.  Because Jesus lived as a man, we know that He fully understands our experiences and struggles (Hebrews 4:15-16).  Because He is God, He has the power and authority to deliver us from Sin (Colossians 2:13-15).  We can tell Jesus all our thoughts, feelings and needs.  He has been where we are now, and He has the ability to help.   

Throughout history, we can attest to how God Almighty fulfilled His promises.  These promises are contained in His written Word that people from one generation to another carefully studied, meditated and passed on.  We are blessed to live at this time where we have the entire revelation of the Scripture with the account of  the Gospel (death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ) and what it meant to the Body of Christ (Church) and His chosen people to guide us in our journey.  I love this illustration from my Pastor's teaching many weeks ago of how the Old Testament and New Testament relates to us as a whole in which he pointed,  "The New is in the Old contained and the Old is in the New explained.  The New in the Old concealed and the Old is in the New revealed." Jesus Christ is the central theme of the Bible and was prophesied in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament.  God announced the coming of Jesus to this world right after the Fall of Man (Adam's disobedience) as early as Genesis 3:15 in which God spoke to Satan/serpent. "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” From then on, Satan tried to prevent the prophesied Messiah from being born.  From corrupting the make up of humankind (Nephilim) in Genesis 6 which ushered the great flood  that wiped all the inhabitants of the earth except Noah and his family all the way to the time when Jesus was born when King Herod the Great commanded for all male children to be killed from the ages two and younger (Massacre of the Innocents), he tried his best to eliminate the "Seed of the woman." I don't know with you but I'm appalled by the audacity of Satan to think that he can outsmart God, his Creator!  Understanding that God is omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (all powerful) and omnipresent (present everywhere at the same time), God already laid out solutions before problems occur.  God had/has a plan and though He allowed/allows the twist and turn of events, His plan always prevailed/prevails.  

Mary was the chosen vessel to carry the Messiah---conceived NOT of mortal man stained by Adam's Sin but by the Holy Spirit which made Him pure and holy.  God did not discount the laws, customs and traditions of that time to safely bring Jesus to this world.  He sent His angels both to Mary and Joseph to give them a glimpse of His divine plan and they willingly gave themselves to the plan of God.  This just tells us that when God assigns us to do something for His purpose, He arranges our coming in and going out.  Sure, we would have difficulties, mixed emotions, times of fear and uncertainty but knowing that God would always come through for us should propel us to keep obeying.  From Nazareth where they lived, Joseph and the pregnant Mary had to travel to Bethlehem to fulfill what the government mandated them to do, that is for census/taxation purposes.  The Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus, whose purpose is to govern Roman territories didn't have a clue that his decree was instrumental in fulfilling the prophecy written about the Messiah being born in Bethlehem.  How cool is that?  This brings me to a greater understanding that as believers, we are to be active in every affairs of the world, our nation, our state and our community.  We are to be an integral part of our society for they truly affect our lives.  Let us not leave our government in the hands of the ungodly for they will hunt to destroy us the moment they take power.  Nevertheless, all authorities in this world are subjected to God.  So if were trapped in an oppressive leadership, we are to pray, keep the faith and act in accordance to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The separation of Church and State as liberals/progressives define it is a hoax.  We are called to be the head and not the tail (Deuteronomy 28:13).  We are called to righteous leadership so that we can live in a peace and order.  Beloved, the change must come from the Body of Christ (Church) first.  Don't ever say, there's nothing you can do?  Each of us has a sphere of influence, great or small, and we can start with what we have.  Be bold knowing that our labor birthed in obedience to God is never in vain.  Like Joseph and Mary, we are here for a purpose---that is to glorify that One who came to save us!

For this Card, I used an image from Saturated Canary named "May" and colored it using my ProMarker markers.  The base is a white CS, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches square card.  The DP is from DCWV and the nail head gems from Imaginisce.  The Scripture is computer generated and for the clouds, I used my own cloud stencil to create the background.  I added a bit of glitters (Stickles-Crystal) to the butterfly and stitched all over this creation.  Simply beautiful.

 CHILD OF THE HOLY GHOST CARD

 CHILD OF THE HOLY GHOST CARD LAYERS

 CHILD OF THE HOLY GHOST CARD INSIDE

CHILD OF THE HOLY GHOST CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Perfect Time to Craft---ATG
Ching-Chou Kuik---Christmas/Birthday
Classic DT---ATG
Crafts Galore---ATG
Craftyhazelnut's---Patterned Paper
DL Art---Christmas
Happy Craft---ATG/Christmas Flowers
LeAnn's World---ATG
Let's Craft and Create---ATG
Love to Craft---ATG
MLCCB---Christmas
Morgan's Artworld---ATG
Sognando---ATG
YSP---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 enter up to 5 times each week.  An adhesive package awaits our winner from our lovely sponsor for this Challenge---Stix 2 Anything.  So excited to see what you come up with.  Anyway, meditate on the goodness of the Lord and rely on His promises.  Expect only wonderful things from Him each day.  We are part of His plan in this world.

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CAS Series: Single Layer Birthday Note Cards---Join us for this month's Anything Goes Challenge at 613 Avenue Create!

Hi there, Crafty Peeps!  Nearly a week ago, we started our monthly Anything Goes Challenge at 613 Avenue Create with the optional theme of "Doodling or Zentangle Art."  I would like to show you the Birthday card that I  made for our Challenge below.

Wow, it's already December and for many (including me), it's the happiest time of the year.  In the midst of this busy season, one thing is constant and never changes and that is my understanding on why I celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.  I remember my Pastor quoted these words when he preached last Sunday that says, "All the babies in this world are born to live but only one was born to die." That truly touched my heart!  Jesus came to this world fully aware of the horrendous death awaiting Him in the hands of sinful mankind He purposed to save.  So, I am not going to be dogmatic about the exact day, month or year the Savior of the world came.  The  very reason for my celebration is because He actually came to give hope and life to mankind.  We're living in these days that seemed more and more hostile to God's Word in utter rejection of God and the Body of Christ (Church), it's easy to be swayed by the message of the world that centers on the demonic agenda of "do what thou wilt."  It disguises itself as "love" but in a perverted kind of way.  I say this because "true love" (Agape) is not self-centered, perfectly demonstrated to us by Jesus when He bore all our sin, nailed it at the Cross to redeem everyone who would believe and receive (Born-again, John 3:3) what He has done on our behalf.  Perverted love capitalizes on what the person receives rather than what he/she can give.  Think of this for a moment, each of us are condemned, vanished from the presence of God for all eternity because we all came from one man, Adam, and we inherited from him what he got from Satan after he disobeyed God---the Sin Nature!  From this vile nature comes all acts of sin which none of us in our own effort could ever break free from.  This was our situation, this was our fate---till the Lord Jesus came and provided us a way out.  Before the New Testament was ever written, the Old Testament prophets have been given a glimpse of the coming Messiah although they did not fully comprehend the blessed mystery (meaning) of what they were writing at that time. Isaiah 53:4-6 tells us about this coming Savior, "Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!  But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all."  I would like to share the exhortation my Life Application Bible shared about these verses.  It says, "How could an Old Testament person understand the idea of Christ dying for our sins (our transgressions and iniquities)---actually bearing the punishment that we deserved?  The sacrifices suggested this idea, but it is one thing to kill a lamb, and something quite different to think of God's chosen servant as that Lamb.  But God was pulling aside the curtain of time to let the people of Isaiah's day look ahead to the suffering of the future Messiah and the resulting forgiveness made available to all mankind.  Isaiah speaks of Israel straying from God and compared them to wandering sheep.  Yet God would send the Messiah to bring them back into the fold.  We have the hindsight to see and know the identity of the promised Messiah who has come and died for our sins.  But if we can see all that Jesus did and still reject Him, our sin is much greater than that of ancient Israelites who could not see what we have seen.  Have you given your life to Jesus Christ, the "Good Shepherd" (John 10:11-16) or are you still going your own way like a wandering sheep?"  Wow, what a powerful truth that we have to ponder on today.  From the beginning of time till it's end, Jesus was, is and still the hope of this world.  Every wonderful gift you receive this season will in no way compare to the true value of the gift of love and mercy given to us by God's One and Only Son.  He's the Gift that keeps on giving throughout eternity. 

For this 3 inches square Note Cards, I used 2 different stamp set namely "Birthday Brackets" and "Cupcake Numbers" from Stampendous Stamps.  I stamped them with different Memento Inks and added some washi tapes from Tape Works.  The mini card base is from Studio G that came with envelopes. The sentiment stamped on each envelope comes from Studio G as well.

 SINGLE LAYER BIRTHDAY NOTE CARDS

 SINGLE LAYER BIRTHDAY NOTE CARD 1

 SINGLE LAYER BIRTHDAY NOTE CARD 2

SINGLE LAYER BIRTHDAY NOTE CARD 3

This project is entered into the following Challenges:

Perfect Time to Craft---ATG
Ching-Chou Kuik---Christmas/Birthday
Classic DT---ATG
Crafts Galore---ATG
DL Art---ATG
Happy Craft---ATG/Christmas Flowers
LeAnn's World---ATG
Let's Craft and Create---ATG
Love to Craft---ATG
Morgan's Artworld---ATG
Sognando---ATG
YSP---ATG

There you have it, folks!  Don't miss the opportunity to join our Anything Goes Challenge at 613 Avenue Create.  Can't wait to see what fabulous projects you're going to link with us.  I hope you have a great week and know that through faith in what Jesus accomplished at the Cross, we have complete victory over the works and schemes of the enemy!  Let us share this hope to countless others in the world this Christmas season.

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