Our Rock
April 29, 2016For their rock is not as our Rock; our enemies are by themselves. Deuteronomy 32:31
kit: The Great Outdoors - Hike & Bike Add On by Kristmess Designs
Preserve Me, O God
April 28, 2016Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. Psalm 16:1
Guard my soul and deliver me; Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You. Psalm 25:20
Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; Make haste, O Lord, to help me. Psalm 40:13
In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame! Psalm 71:1
kit: June Daze by Kristmess Designs
Godly Sorrow
April 27, 2016I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. 2 Corinthians 7:8-10
kit: June Daze, including stacked papers by Kristmess Designs
From Death to Life
April 26, 2016
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. John 5:24
kit: June Daze by Kristmess Designs, photo by me
Holy Temple in the Lord
April 25, 2016So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Ephesians 2:19-22
Christianity is not like a parking meter, as if so long as we put a few coins in we can stay in that spot. Our "spot" was paid for permanently by Jesus. Going "to church" now and then or even every day does not make anyone a Christian. Christianity is not something we DO, it's who we ARE. We gather to worship because love our Lord. Why did I put "to church" in quotations? Because the Church is not an institution or a building. We believers ARE the Church. Our bodies are temples of the Lord. So when we leave the building we worship in, we are leaving the local Church, which is the people we worshiped with. The letters to the Churches in Revelation were sent to congregations, not man-made buildings. The Body of Christ is made up of believers throughout the world, assembled and set apart by God Himself. (1 Peter 2:4-5) We are scattered like salt to prevent decay in this fallen, sinful world. (Matt. 5:13) Our lives need to reflect our knowledge of this fact. Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12, 9:5, 12:46) and we are illuminated by His light. (Eph. 5:13) We are supposed to reflect His light on this dark, deceived, decaying planet. (Matt. 5:14-16, Phil. 4:8, Gal. 6:7-10)
This reality needs to sink deeply into our hearts. We carry around the death of Jesus with us (Rom. 6, 2 Cor. 4:8-10, Gal. 2:20, 5:16-26, 6:14). We realize what our salvation cost Him--that we were bought with the price of His suffering and blood, and are no longer our own. (1 Cor. 6:19-20) When He said to count the cost of following Him (Luke 14:26-34), He didn't mean "feeding the meter" just enough to get by. He made it VERY clear that He expects us to give ALL, not a bit of our lives and ourselves here and there. If we really understand that He sees everything we do and even knows our thoughts, would that change anything about the way we live "our" lives? There are those quotation marks again! That's because He IS our life. (Col. 3) He is our Redeemer (Titus 2), which means He paid the price to ransom us from eternal punishment in hell (1 Tim. 2:5-6) and give us eternal LIFE instead. (John 3:16-18, John 5:24, ) We belong to Him. (1 Cor. 7:23) Our purpose is to glorify and honor Him. (1 Thes. 4:3-8) We were adopted into God's family when His Spirit came to dwell within us. (Galatians 4:4-7) Jesus is going to come back for us to take us to be with Him. (John 14:1-3, 1 Thes. 4:16-17) Throughout eternity, we will be loving, serving, honoring, obeying, worshiping, praising and thanking Him and exalting His holy name. I can't wait, can you? What a privilege to be called His! Wow. It makes me want to start NOW to do what I'll be doing forever. How about you?
papers by 2am Designs, photo extracted from web
Become Your Enemy?
April 24, 2016So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? Galatians 4:16
kit: Dutch Meadow by Kristmess Designs
Clothe Yourselves with Humility
April 23, 2016All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 1 Peter 5:5b
kit: Peacocks on Parade, including Stacked Borders by Kristmess Designs
Able to Humble
April 22, 2016Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble. Daniel 4:37
kit: Peacocks on Parade, including Stacked Borders by Kristmess Designs
Ascribe to the Lord
April 21, 2016Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering and come before Him! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth; yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. 1 Chronicles 16:28-30
kit: Peacocks on Parade, including Stacked Papers by Kristmess Designs
Tradition of Men
April 20, 2016You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men. "And He said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!" Mark 7:8-9
kit: Peacocks on Parade Stacked Papers by Kristmess Designs
Worthless Idols
April 19, 2016For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and He is to be feared above all gods.
For all the 'gods' of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before Him;
strength and joy are in His place.
1 Chronicles 16:25-27
kit: Peacocks on Parade Stacked Papers by Kristmess Designs
King of All the Earth
April 18, 2016God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.
Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the King of all the earth;
sing to him a psalm of praise.
God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.
The nobles of the nations assemble
as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings of the earth belong to God;
he is greatly exalted.
Psalm 47:5-9
kit: Peacocks on Parade Stacked Papers by Kristmess Designs
Walk in Fear of God
April 17, 2016So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?" Nehemiah 5:9
kit: Peacocks on Parade by Kristmess Designs, template by Eudora Designs
No Creature Hidden
April 16, 2016And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:13
kit: Peacocks on Parade by Kristmess Designs, template by Eudora Designs
Greed & Corruption
April 15, 2016
You cannot serve God and money. Matthew 6:24b
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. 1 Timothy 6:10a
1934 Congressional Address by House Representative Louis T. McFadden:
"Mr. Chairman, we have in this Country one of the most corrupt institutions the world has ever known. I refer to the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Banks, hereinafter called the Fed. The Fed has cheated the Government of these United States and the people of the United States out of enough money to pay the Nation's debt. The depredations and iniquities of the Fed has cost enough money to pay the National debt several times over."
"Some people who think that the Federal Reserve Banks are United States Government institutions. They are private monopolies which prey upon the people of these United States for the benefit of themselves and their foreign customers; foreign and domestic speculators and swindlers; and rich and predatory money lenders."
Digital scrapbooking kits by Marta van Eck
Hand of the Lord
April 14, 2016And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. Acts 10:21
kit: Peacocks on Parade, including Stacked Borders by Kristmess Designs; page border by BekahE Designs
My Joy and Crown
April 13, 2016Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. Philippians 4:1
kit: May Daze, including Stacked Papers by Kristmess Designs
Put on Love
April 12, 2016And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:14
kit: May Daze, including Stacked Papers by Kristmess Designs
Built Up & Multiplied
April 11, 2016So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied. Acts 9:31
kit: May Daze by Kristmess Designs
Let the Heavens Be Glad!
April 10, 2016Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!" Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD, for He comes to judge the earth. 1 Chronicles 16:31-33
kit: March Daze, including Stacked Papers by Kristmess Designs
There is No Other
April 09, 2016I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides Me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know Me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides Me; I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things. Isaiah 45:5-7
kit: March Daze by Kristmess Designs, template by Scrapping with Liz
Of Your Own
April 08, 2016"But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from You, and of Your own have we given You. For we are strangers before You and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building You a house for Your holy name comes from Your hand and is all Your own." 1 Chronicles 29:14-16
kit: March Daze Stacked Papers by Kristmess Designs
Wicked Act Wickedly
April 07, 2016Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. Daniel 12:10
kit: Regal Elegance by Kristmess Designs
Holy Still Be Holy
April 06, 2016"Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy." Revelation 22:11
kit: Regal Elegance by Kristmess Designs
Persecuted
April 05, 2016Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 2 Timothy 3:12-13
kit: April Daze by Kristmess Designs
Seeks Him
April 04, 2016The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. Lamentations 3:25-26
kit: August Daze by Kristmess Designs
Rejoiced Greatly
April 03, 2016Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly. 1 Chronicles 29:9
kit: August Daze by Kristmess Designs
Early in the Morning
April 02, 2016And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed. Mark 1:35
kit: April Daze and Extra Bits, Stacked Papers by Kristmess Designs
Not Condemned
April 01, 2016For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:17-18
paper by Holliewood Studios, dove by Marta van Eck, multiple textures by me