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.