Advent Day 14 ~ Salvation

Today's word is salvation.

"How beautiful on the mountains
    are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
    who bring good tidings,
    who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
    “Your God reigns!”
Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices;
    together they shout for joy.
When the Lord returns to Zion,
    they will see it with their own eyes.
Burst into songs of joy together,
    you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people,
    he has redeemed Jerusalem." 
Isaiah 52:7-9

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:21

"And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation
    through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
Luke 1:76-79

Today reflect on the words of the Scriptures in these passages and enjoy more art from some of the talented and creative people who have joined me in this Advent art challenge.

My journal pages for today:

Art from the group:

Bernice Hopper is doing her art on fabric covered paper. See more at her blog: Newly Creative.

Rafaela De Queiroz Oliveira is posting her digital art pages on Instagram. See more at IG @rafaeladequeiroz.

Jessica Clevenger is using her painted papers and doing this challenge with her mom ZudaGay Pease, her art is below.

Crystal Becker is doing the challenge with her 9 year old son, Barret.

Sharon Peart Altered a photo she took for this page. Sharon is sharing about her pages on her blog www.eternalpeacechild.wordpress.com

Isabelle Salce has made a journal for her challenge in beautiful traditional Christmas colors. You can see more of Isabelle's pages on Instagram @giverney_27.

Kathy Shaull is filling an altered book art journal she made for her pages. You can see more of Kathy's pages on Instagram @13prayers

Theresa Poole made a wonderful scrapbook album for her Advent pages.

Kim Beldowski is adding drawings to her journaling.

 If you have been a follower of my blog for long, you know I love birds. These next two ladies both used birds on their Peace art pages:

Diane Kundrat collaged a variety of images on her page. You can see more of Diane's pages on Instagram @dianeybugs.

Leigh Ann Lukens collaged in her signature cut painted paper style. You can see more of Leigh Ann's pages on Instagram @leighannlukens.

I have provided ways for you to see more of each person's art for those whom I have Instagram or blog information. Enjoy the great talent and creativity from this group. More to come next Saturday!

Last week I think I failed to add Instagram id's or blogs for the art I posted, so here is the list:

Shawna Rash @artfromthespirit

Jane Lydia Henderson @janelydialoves

Tracy Woodsford @sojournertracy

Distinctly daisy www.distinctlydaisy.blogspot.com

Sherry Fukuda Cartwright @wondramous

Ellen Etzler @ellenetzler

Cindy Mayfield @yappingcatstudio

Lindsey Van Niekerk @lindseyfoj

Olga Lucia Orozco @olgaluorozco

The Advent Words 2017 prompts and Scripture reading calendar can be found in this post or in the Facebook group.

Advent Day 13 ~ Gift

Today's word is gift.

In this season full of gift giving, it's good to pause and remember the gifts that God has given us. His most amazing gift, His grace, comes to us through Jesus Christ, in the gift of our salvation, along with every good gift we receive from His hand. James tells us, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

Our gracious and loving Heavenly Father does not change. He loves to shower us, His undeserving children, with goodness. We see His good and perfect gifts in our lives in so many ways. In the people He surrounds us with, in the wisdom He provides, in His daily provision for our needs, in His loving-kindness to us. So, as we shop and wrap gifts to give others at Christmas, pause and think on the wondrous gifts you have received from God, the Father of heavenly lights.

My journal pages for today:

The Advent Words 2017 prompts and Scripture reading calendar can be found in this post or in the Facebook group.

Advent Day 12 ~ Rejoice

Today's word is rejoice.

"In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid,Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” 

Luke 1:26-33

Mary's story in the Bible is the Christmas story. Yet is is also an example of a woman who rejoices in the Lord. We get the impression that, even before an angel of the Lord appears to tell her she will give birth to the Messiah, that Mary's was a faith-full life of rejoicing in the Lord. The angel's first words to her are that she is highly favored by God. She is chosen for this great task because of her highly favored status. To receive such a great compliment and responsibility, she must have had a great faith. We see this great faith displayed in Mary's response to the angel:

"I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said."

Out of her great faith in God, the great favor He has expressed to her, and this great privilege and responsibility He has bestowed on her, Mary rejoices. Her song expresses that rejoice:

“My soul glorifies the Lord

    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has been mindful

    of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

    for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

    holy is his name.

His mercy extends to those who fear him,

    from generation to generation."

Luke 1:46-50

As we draw closer to the celebration of the Messiah's birth, may we follow Mary's example and live a life of rejoicing the Lord.

My journal pages for today:

The Advent Words 2017 prompts and Scripture reading calendar can be found in this post or in the Facebook group.

Advent Day 11 ~ Believe

Today's word is believe.

"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of which I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life."
1 Timothy 15-17

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all may be one. Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." 
John 17:20-21

Have you ever noticed the subtleties in the Bible? Have you noticed that what we receive, while for our benefit, is often for a greater purpose? Notice Paul's words in the 1 Timothy passage. He talks about how God sent Jesus into the world to save sinners, calling himself the worst of them. But look at the reason that he says he was shown mercy: so that this incredible mercy - Christ's unlimited patience - might display, serve as an example, to others who then would believe and receive eternal life. 

Now, look at Jesus' words in his prayer in John's gospel. He prays that those who would believe in the future as a result of the Apostles message (this is us - the church!), would have the same type of unity as the Father and the Son have. Why? So that we are happy and live a wonderful life? No, so that the world would believe through witnessing our unity, that God sent the Son into the world for their redemption and salvation.

We believe in Jesus Christ and we receive so much - we have His great and precious promises, the exceeding greatness of His power, His love, forgiveness of our sins, eternal life, and on and on. We are blessed. But we are not to just sit and be happy in that alone. We are blessed to be a blessings, so that others might believe.

During this Advent season how might we help the world believe that God sent His Son, the incarnate One, into the world , that they might believe and receive eternal life?

My journal pages for today:

The Advent Words 2017 prompts and Scripture reading calendar can be found in this post or in the Facebook group.

Advent Day 10 ~ Grace

Today's word is grace.

"But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

Romans 3:21-24

 This passage is the gospel of grace in just three brief sentences. It contrasts the law and grace. What the law could not do, God did for those who will believe in Jesus Christ. Everyone has sinned, but God offers us a gift that we can freely receive by His grace "through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ."

"From the fullness of his grace we have all received  one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known."

John 1:16-18

In the Incarnation, Jesus made God visible to us. In the Incarnation, God made grace available to us.

" Because of the grace of Jesus we have been enriched in every way. The experience of knowing Jesus fulfills our hearts and lives completely. In Him, we lack nothing. In this season of want, as we await His coming, we remember that our lives are rich with grace because of Christ, who did come, who lived among the people, who lives among us still. He makes His home in the hearts of those who love Him, however imperfectly we may live that out. We lack nothing because in Christ we have everything. His truth and glory revealed to us not only in Advent, but in thee very day moments of our lives, remind us that it is He who sustains us as we wait for His return." 

~Kris Camealy, Come, Lord Jesus.

My journal pages for today:

The Advent Words 2017 prompts and Scripture reading calendar can be found in this post or in the Facebook group.