THE BLESSINGS OF CREATIVITY...

I thank the LORD JESUS for each day that is given me to create wonderful projects...As always, I give Him all the glory.


Thursday, July 2, 2015

Scripture Series: Fear Not, O Land Card---It's Time for Another Family Friendly/Anything Goes Challenge at Word Art Wednesday!

Hello everyone!  I'm a day late in posting this but I know that it is God's perfect time.  It is with a heavy heart that I am writing this post after the recent events that had taken place here in America.  Yet in my grief for my country for its continuous mockery of the God of this nation who established in His Word the very fabric of our Constitution, and the tyranny of our government to ignore the voice of the majority in its effort to make everyone bow down to an alternate and ungodly culture, I am standing strong along with many true believers of Christ in relying on the victory that was already won by Jesus Christ more than 2000 years ago.  Did the U.S Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage surprised me?  Not at all!  Every Word in the Scripture shall come to pass...2 Timothy 3:1-5 gives us one of the accounts in the Scripture of the signs that we are living in the last days (end times) and it says, "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people."  You can read more about signs of the End Times HERE.  Isn't this a picture of the world we're living in today?  Man regards himself as his own god declaring he can do whatever he please.  Truly, he embodies the identity of his father, the Devil, in pride and arrogance.  They are shaking their fists against God and mocking him like they own their tomorrows.  SUCH BLINDNESS--HUGE DECEPTION! I like how the Amplified Version of God's Word in one of the prominent verses about Sodomy (Homosexuality) is  written by God through Apostle Paul.  Let's see what is says:

"For God’s [holy] wrath and indignation are revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickedness repress and hinder the truth and make it inoperative.
For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their inner consciousness, because God [Himself] has shown it to them. For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiwork). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification],  Because when they knew and recognized Him as God, they did not honor and glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. But instead they became futile and godless in their thinking [with vain imaginings, foolish reasoning, and stupid speculations] and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools [professing to be smart, they made simpletons of themselves]. And by them the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God were exchanged for and represented by images, resembling mortal man and birds and beasts and reptiles. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their [own] hearts to sexual impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves [abandoning them to the degrading power of sin],
Because they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever! Amen (so be it). For this reason God gave them over and abandoned them to vile affections and degrading passions. For their women exchanged their natural function for an unnatural and abnormal one, And the men also turned from natural relations with women and were set ablaze (burning out, consumed) with lust for one another—men committing shameful acts with men and suffering in their own bodies and personalities the inevitable consequences and penalty of their wrong-doing and going astray, which was [their] fitting retribution.
And so, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or approve of Him or consider Him worth the knowing, God gave them over to a base and condemned mind to do things not proper or decent but loathsome, Until they were filled (permeated and saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, iniquity, grasping and covetous greed, and malice. [They were] full of envy and jealousy, murder, strife, deceit and treachery, ill will and cruel ways. [They were] secret backbiters and gossipers, Slanderers, hateful to and hating God, full of insolence, arrogance, [and] boasting; inventors of new forms of evil, disobedient and undutiful to parents. [They were] without understanding, conscienceless and faithless, heartless and loveless [and] merciless. Though they are fully aware of God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them themselves but approve and applaud others who practice them." (Romans 1:18-32)

If what the Word of God says in the aforementioned verses is unacceptable for somebody, it's because those that supports and practice this alternative and sinful lifestyle have regarded themselves greater than their Creator and that their lovers/partners/sons/daughters are their "idols" (they consider more important than God).  I say it before and I say it again.  Homosexuality like any other sins can be forgiven and with God's leading and one's obedience, can be eradicated/destroyed from one's life.   But it all begins with repentance and acknowledgement of their transgression against  the Most Holy God and the surrender of their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ!  Beyond that, there is no other hope.  Those who ignore the call for mercy and repentance, before they die or before the Rapture (Catching Away) of the Church takes place, will suffer God's Wrath.  Beyond God's perfect love and mercy shown by the Life and the Cross of Jesus Christ, only God's Wrath is waiting.  The God of Love is also the God of Justice!  The very best of God's love was given and made available for us for more than 2000 years now and if anyone is looking for something else---like "MERCY" in the midst of your constant mockery and denial/disobedience of God and His Christ all the way to your death---HOW DARE YOU THINK OF GOD AS A FOOL!  Not to mention the very lives of all the people you led to the same pit!  Believe me, I know what I am talking about.  I was not a righteous person...I was once a sinner like everyone else.  But I said, "ONCE A SINNER" because I didn't allow myself to die in my sin---I acknowledge them all in the presence of God and I took advantage of the salvation that Jesus won for me at the Cross!  The Word of God declares me righteous in His sight not of my own works/doings but solely based on what Christ has done for me.  Because Christ won against sin, I also won!  If am speaking boldly/passionately of the Truth today is because I've experienced the God of Truth and I AM A GRATEFUL RECIPIENT OF GOD'S GRACE and with a heart of love for perishing souls, I am imploring that you examine your ways  and humble yourself before God's mighty hand at your soonest.  He can deliver you from EVERY SIN like He did to many of us.  He has done the same thing to the countless others who were in bondage to Homosexuality when they placed their trust in the finished work of Christ (His death, burial and resurrection).

For everyone who loves the Lord, let us pray for our nation and don't allow fear to overtake us.  We have a lot of things to do as we implore everyone to take action and shine the light of God in our spheres of influence.  These are dark times in our history but remember that God's light shines the brightest in the most difficult situations.   God is not done with our nation!  The only entity standing between God and the destruction of our country is the CHURCH (Ekklesia---the "Called-out" ones).  Every Born-again believer (John 3:3) represents God's light that will break the bondage of darkness.  If we unite the little lights we have inside of us---what an INCREDIBLE LIGHT that will be.  That time is upon us, whether we are ready or not!  Are you going to be a part of God's Light to this world or will you hide yours  in a bushel?  I pray and hope NOT!  Like today's featured Scripture Word Art (you can download for free) at Word Art Wednesday (WAW) from Joel 2:21 which says, "Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things.", we are to anticipate the wonderful works of God amidst our dire situations.  We must cast every fear aside as we humble before Him, acknowledging that only He can deliver our nation and the world.  Though fear may try to creep in and hinder us from proclaiming the Truth, ask for the Holy Spirit to empower you.  Though it's difficult to find something to rejoice about,  keep in mind that our victory has been SET, the story of the saints has a HAPPY ENDING (My, don't we love happy endings...LOL) and that we have VICTORY at all counts!  Hang on to the Word of Truth in this awful, dirty and bumpy ride till we get to our ETERNAL DESTINATION---Face to face with JESUS, OUR SAVIOR, in the perfect place where everything good dwells and where time, sin and death are non-existent!  Hallelujah!

For this Card, I used an image I got for free from Broken Box Stock called "Stacked Houses" and Shery K Designs for the "Flower." I colored both with my ProMarker/Prismacolor markers and then fussy cut and layered them.  I added a white brad, glitters (Stickles Yellow and Crystal) to the image and incorporated some washi tape from Paper Studio.  I kept it simple when it comes to background so as to give more emphasis to the sentiment we feature today which I can say is very timely to the situation our country faces right now.  God is faithful to those whose trust is planted in Him.  He will see us through the evil of our days to the joy of His presence. 


FEAR NOT, O LAND CARD:


FEAR NOT, O LAND CARD LAYERS:

FEAR NOT, O LAND CARD INSIDE:


FEAR NOT, O LAND CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX:


This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

Love to Scrap---No Rulz Blog Hop
Crafty Sentiments---Summer
Deep Ocean---Two Stamped Images
Sweet Stamps---Bright Colors
TTCRD---ATG
Artistic Inspiration---ATG/Twist of Odd
Aurora Wings---Sprite Delight
Crafting from the Heart---ATG
Craft Your Passion---ATG
Get Creative---Add Flower/s
Melonheadz Friends---Summer Fun
Not Just Cards---ATG
Simon Says---Summer
Pink Elephant---ATG
Use Your Stuff---ATG
Whoopsi Daisy---Summer Fun
Addicted to Stamps---ATG
Crafter's Cafe---Summer Fun
Crafting by Designs---ATG
Crafting for all Seasons---Cute and Summery
Creative Moments---ATG/Wet or Dry Embossing
I Love ProMarkers---Summer
Inspiration Destination---ATG
Penny's Paper-Crafty---ATG
Wonderful Wednesday---ATG
Crafting with Attitude---ATG
ATW---ATG
Lacy Sunshine---ATG
Come and Get it---Cute Cards
Dragonfly Journeys---You are my Sunshine
Fairytale Stampers---ATG
Glitter n Sparkle---Sentimental
Scribble and Scrap---ATG
That Craft Place---Lots of Layers
Corrosive---Leave a Little Sparkle


Don't forget to join us at the WAW Challenge.  You can use the free Word Art this week to make a project and link it to our Challenge although it's not mandatory.  You can also link other projects (up to 5) as long as it has uplifting/inspirational messages.  Our sponsors this week are Pretty Little Studio ($20 GC) and Deedee's Digis (Digi images).  Have a blessed day and remember to fight the good fight of faith as hold on to the promises of God in your life no matter what.  Let the Holy Spirit comfort you with God's Word and empower you daily.  As a Bonus, please click on the link below for a very powerful and eye-opening message from an Ex-terrorist/jihadist who now serves the Lord Jesus Christ---KAMAL SALEEM!  His uncovering of how our nation is being devoured by the leaders we thought would protect us are truly seeking to destroy us.  He came and spoke at my Church a few days ago and  IT'S A MUST SEE!

http://subsplash.com/faithoutreach/v/962e008

18 comments:

  1. Fab card, love the design and colours. Thanks for joining our challenge at Whoopsi Daisy and good luck in the draw. Jennifer DT member xx

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  2. Just lovely! Glad you could join us at Get Creative Challenges.

    Camille - DT

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  3. Your card is so bright and colorful - it makes me smile. Thank you for joining us in the Through The Craft Room Door challenge this week.

    Hugz,
    Linda

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  4. Oh Jo Ann - I hear you!! Our nation too is headed down a sewer, head first ... but I take courage and pray according to 2 Chronicles 7:14.
    Love your card and the wonderful colours and dimension you have there.
    Blessings
    Maxine

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  5. Hi Jo Ann! Thanks so much for joining in my challenge this week. This is just beautiful in so many ways, from the coloring of the images to the sentiment, it's just perfect!

    Jeannie T.
    Dragonfly Journeys

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  6. Lovely card thank you for joining us at Whoopsi Daisy Challenge Hugs Sue DT xx

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  7. Hi this is a gorgeous card i love the design. Thank you for joining us at the last Scribble and Scrap Challenge. Hugs Jackie DT

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  8. Colorful card, inside and out - and an uplifting message. Thank you for your entry into our Love To Scrap blog hop.

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  9. Love your brightly colored houses. Thanks for joining us at ATSM.

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  10. This is a brilliant and creative creation!
    Thank-you for joining us at Color Your World!

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  11. Beautiful! Thank you for sharing at Penny's.
    Amy-DT

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  12. A lovely creation. Thanks for sharing with us at Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges.
    Mags
    x

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  13. Such a beautiful card. Great image. Thank you so much for sharing with us at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. :)

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  14. What a brilliant card! Just love the houses and the scene you created. And your colouring skills are incredible! So very glad you joined us at ATSM this week!

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  15. Oh, your card is just too cute! I'll have to come back later and read when I've more time. Thanks for sharing and joining us at Inspiration Destination. Hope to see you again and good luck!
    Ema
    IDCB Owner

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  16. Love the layering of the elements and the bright colours.Super card.Thanks for joining us at Crafty Sentiments.Hope to see you again next week.
    Lisa x GDT

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  17. Lovely colourful card- my word that's a lot of challenges!!!
    Good luck

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  18. Fun and fabulous! Thanks for playing along with us at The Corrosive Challenge Blog! Hugs!

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