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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