Showing Grace

"Grace and peace to you from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ."
(Phil. 1:2)

Hello, sweet friends.

Have you seen the news?  Have you been hearing?  Can you see and believe all the damage that happens when a life has ended abruptly, suddenly, without warning, without understanding?

We hear of tragedy and displacement of people who may or may not have known the Lord.  We encounter people one day, sometimes to find out such an encounter was the last.  And...

Suddenly, we feel it.  

Small.

Fragile. 

Temporary.

Vulnerable.

Mortal.

"Famous" and "non-famous" alike, lives around us fall; we lose the presence of someone who impacted us, or possibly had no bearing on our lives at all until the moment we found out they passed…
Not a big fan of basketball myself, I was still struck with sorrow upon hearing about Kobi Bryant.  That's how much a death can impact someone.  

When life seems to take us on an unexpected and unwanted journey of loss and sorrow, an element of time comes to play.  Questions of how we're using our time - what our time goes to; how we allocate and divvy it up between tasks and checklists, vacations and sabbaths, investments and relationships - launch themselves forward from what used to be a less conscientious platform.  

We may even realize that though we make plans and stake plans, something bigger and more powerful than our strongest efforts is truly in control; a Higher Up is moving; Someone else's plans are unfolding.  To this, the Bible helps us:

"A person's heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps." (Proverbs 16:9)

 Things that happen around us shape us, change us, cause our trajectory to shift - and so it should!  The reality of our finite-ness should turn our trivial pursuits into deep searches for something more; something bigger; something permanent and less fleeting!

 Jesus.

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matt. 5:14-16)

To be clear, being light in a dark place is not to the exclusion of the event of death or disaster.  Being the unhidden lampstand is something that is commanded of us because we have received the Light, who is Jesus.  Our mission is to become like the Light, that others may see the Light and turn from their darkened paths. 

Certainly, however, the power of these forces typically lend themselves as potential catalysts for the proclamation of God, His love, and His truths, namely:

God is holy.

God is kind.

God is good.

God is not partial - He does not respect one person over another (Acts 10:34-38), and as such desires that all would turn and receive His grace (2 Pet. 3:9).   All.  Which is why there are still outreaches and ministries aimed at the "lost."  Groups of people all over the world sacrifice much to bring the Holiness of God to unreached and unsaved.  By God's grace, He tarries that more would find Him.

This is also why I continue to make and share cards of this nature, that by some chance - in some way far beyond my scope of understanding - they may be used to bring others to know and/or love the Lord our God more and better.

It's why this project is called, "Showing grace."

God's grace.

God's favor to mankind. 

So, what is God's grace about? 

Well, I've heard it explained many different ways.  One way being "grace" defined as the ideal of co-existing with all people, the condoning of all lifestyles and beliefs, the extinguishing of moral absolutes, and the relenting of personal standards that all may live in "harmony."  As though all of us may have our own "way" and none of us must submit to any certain grouping of precepts and statutes.
Sadly, this is the direction our culture has traveled.  The true grace of God has been diminished by our desire to "keep the peace."  Our disinterest in confrontation, in defense of God's holiness and love, has faded under a non-eternal view of relationships, for the here and now.

Oh, my friends.  Let's not tarnish the power of the cross in the name of tolerance.  Let's not continue in thinking that your way and my way is "ok," lest Jesus conquering death and hell mean nothing to you or to me! Here's a number of verses talking about that very thing: https://www.openbible.info/topics/jesus_conquering_death_and_hell
 

We are SAVED by the grace of God, to live victoriously by the grace of God, out from under the power of sin and death, not to live enslaved to the flesh. 

The Bible (in the letter of Paul to the Romans) says, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?  By no means!" (Rom. 6:1-2b)  

Grace - God's UNDESERVED, UNEARNED favor - is given us in abundance that we may better live the life He's given to us in Jesus.  The time we have is to live in prophecy and testimony of the One who has come and made all things new; the One who became the first among many to raise from the dead; the One who conquered death and sin on our behalf that our lives may reflect His life and glory!

"The word 'grace' in biblical parlance can, like forgiveness, repentance, regeneration, and salvation, mean something as broad as describing the whole of God's activity toward man, or as narrow as describing one segment of that activity. An accurate, common definition describes grace as the unmerited favor of God toward man…
"While all of this is in the context of the grace of God as a gift versus the Law of God as a work, nevertheless grace is viewed as reigning even as we live the life we are supposed to live in Christ." (biblestudytools.com/dictionary/grace)

Grace is not God's favor moving among man at the expense of His holiness; grace is God's favor toward man that man may become holy.  Set apart.  Like Jesus.  

The grace (both broad and narrow) that the Lord shows us, and subsequently the grace that we ought to show each other, is founded and administered in truth - His Word.  

My sweet friends, I love you.  I love you so much, and this is one of the hardest things for me to talk about.  Mainly, I have close friends and relatives who refuse the grace of God to live in sin; to live in lies; to live in unrepentance and hardness of heart.  It hurts me, and I know it hurts the Lord...

God is love, and God is truth. 

Who do you know that needs to hear of God,

who needs to know they have a Savior,

who needs to understand better the power of the Holy Spirit unto salvation and holiness, that, if you only had this time to tell them, would be able to understand and receive the grace that draws them to the Father?

Do you know how much time you have to tell them?

Is next week guaranteed?

What about tomorrow?

We are not saved, save it be for God's grace toward us.

For the sake of God's glory and holiness, share Christ, though it may be through confrontation.

For the sake of their eternity, show grace, though it may cause "disharmony."

For the sake of the Gospel, "speak the truth in love," that perhaps by God's grace, one may hear and turn from death to Life.

"Grace and peace to you from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Phil.1:2)

Deeds

IG: @mercies_journaled
Please DM me with any questions!

Stamp sets used: Grace So Amazing, Scribble Flowers, What a Savior
Find them all in the Sweet n Sassy Stamps store!

PS - the full process video for this project is here, on my Youtube Channel!  Thank you again for using my Sweet n Sassy Stamps affiliate link to do your shopping!

Strength in Weakness...

Hi friends,

We live in a world that values power and strength, and looks down on weakness as a negative thing. I personally don't like the notion of being weak. I don't know about you, but I look for ways to become stronger or to hide my weaknesses. But in the kingdom of God, things are upside down from the way the world operates.

Paul, who could boast in his pedigree and many accomplishments (see Philippians 3), chose instead to boast in his weakness, because he knew that when he was weak, the power of Christ was strong in him. You see, when we have nothing to offer in ourselves, we can only rely on and point to Christ in us, and that is a reason to rejoice.

This is how Paul could be content in hardship, weakness, even calamities, because he knew that when he was weak in these situations, he was actually strong because Christ's power was at work in him. So too with us. Instead of running from weakness or pain, perhaps we need to learn to rest in the strength of Christ in us, knowing that in the 'upside down' kingdom of God, weakness is actually strength in submission and reliance on Jesus.

I used one of the verses from the new Grace so Amazing set released this month, along with the adorable deer image from Fur-ever Friends and the flowers from Birds & Blooms. The images were stamped with Versamagic and watercoloured using Art Philosophy watercolours. Here are the sets I used:

I pray that we would learn to rely on the strength of Christ in us when we feel weak, for when we are weak he is strong.

Be blessed...

x Amy x

Amazing Grace

"But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord." 

Romans 5:20-21

𝆕"Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch; like me!

I once was lost, but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears relieved;

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed!

The Lord hath promised good to me,

His word my hope secures;

He will my shield and portion be

As long as life endures.

When we've been there ten thousand years,

Bright shining as the sun,

We've no less days to sing God's praise

Than when we first begun."𝆕

-John Newton

Today's blog post is simple, but full of truth. God's grace is so amazing. Instead of abounding in anger or judgement, God abounds in grace and love. You can't out-sin the grace of God, for where sin is, God's grace abounds even more. 

I used the stamps, watercolors, vellum paper, and embossing powder to create this little entry in my Illustrating Bible. I first stamped flowers from the Itty Bitty Blossoms stamp set in the general area I knew I wanted my phrase to go, then messy colored them with watercolors and splattered a few of the colors over the page. I was originally planning on embossing the Grace so Amazing stamp directly on the page, but then remembered I had vellum paper and thought it would be a great overlay with the flowers in the background so went with it. 🎕 I love how it turned out! This page only took me about 20 minutes to do (the longest part being the embossing because I'm still learning that technique), but gave me time to think on the amazingness of God's grace in my life. ♡

Have a blessed week in the Lord!

Janelle

@journalingjoy

 

Protected By God's Grace

Hey guys! Stephanie here, sharing one of our new stamp sets called Grace So Amazing. 

"The will of God will never take you where the grace of God cannot protect you." I'm sure you've probably heard that statement a time or two. Is it a verse in the bible? No. I think some people think it is, but it's actually not. 

It is however, very true and a general concept repeated throughout the bible.  

2 Corinthians 12:9

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

1 Corinthians 10:13

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."

And he also reassures us all throughout the bible that no matter where we may be, not matter what we may be facing, he is always with us and will never forsake us! 

Deuteronomy 31:6

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you, he will never leave nor forsake you."

Joshua 1:5

"No one will be able to stand against you, all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you, I will never leave nor forsake you."

1 Chronicles 28:20

"David also said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished."

When I think about this concept, I envision being sent somewhere away from home and away from anything that makes you comfortable. Like being out in the wilderness at night. A feeling of being scared and alone. But, looking up at the night sky you would see all the wonder that God created and know that you are NOT alone after all. Now, this is obviously a bit dramatic. You don't have to be in the middle of the woods at night to apply this concept. You could simply be wondering: is this new job opportunity for me, even though it seems out of my reach? Traveling to a different country to do missionary work is really scary!  So many different times in life where you can wonder if everything will be ok. But trust in God. He has only good things planned for you when you follow his will. It will be ok if you trust in Him!

xoxo,

Stephanie Gammon

@faith.and.creativity

Grace So Amazing 

Scene Silhouettes Trees

Landscape Silhouettes

Grace, More Than Abundant

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:12-14

Hi Friends!
Grace, what an amazing gift it is. Grace can be defined as God's love in action towards men who merited the opposite of love. (Packer, J.I. Knowing God) This is exactly what Paul was talking about in these verses. Before Paul had his encounter with Jesus, when he was known as Saul, he did everything in his strength to oppose Jesus. He was highly educated and a self-righteous member of the Pharisees. Saul was so zealous for God that he persecuted the church. 

And then he met Jesus. And Jesus changed his life. Jesus showered him with grace that was more than abundant to bring him to salvation. It didn't matter what Saul had done. What mattered was what His Savior had done. Jesus loved him, met him where he was, forgave him, and covered him with His grace and righteousness. And Paul was never the same. So I stamped a quote on the page from Anne Lamott, "Grace meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us." So true for Paul. So true for us. Yes, the good news is...Jesus does the same for us that He did for Paul. Yes, you and me!

Sweet friend, it matters not what you have done. Jesus loves you. He pursues you. He wants to cover you with His grace and righteousness. Not because you deserve it (nor do I), but because of who He is. Turn to Him. Repent, and ask His forgiveness. Put your faith and love in Him, and you will be covered in His grace which is more than abundant. More than abundant, rest in that sweet truth.

Page Details:
This simple page was stamped with the followings sets from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps: Grace So Amazing and Shake It Off Caps. I used pigment ink pads as they tend not to bleed through Bible pages.

Jesus' grace is there for you. Take it. Have a blessed week. Andrea

Leaving and Camping...

Hi friends,

Have you ever read a list in the Bible that repeats similar information over and over again and just skipped to the end? I know I have, but I need to be reminded that all these details are in Scripture for a reason.

In Numbers 33 there is a record of all the places the Israelites left and camped on their journey from Egypt to the edge of the Promised Land, and while all these names of places may seem irrelevant to us today, the repeated refrain of 'they left... and they camped...' got me thinking about a couple of important things.

Firstly, the Israelites went where God let them. They were willing to pack up and leave when God moved them on. I think the camping imagery is great here, as there is a constant element of being in transistion, not settling down, but always being ready to move. Secondly, the presence of God went with them to all these places, protecting them and providing for them. It is a good reminder that no matter where the will of God may take us, the grace and protection of God will always be upon us.

This page and message is one that means a lot to me personally at the moment as we contemplate a potential move away from all that is comfortable and known, but very much feeling that God is leading us in it. Whenever I think about the difficulties surrounding the move, I have to remind myself that God who calls us is faithful to protect and provide for us, and that our responsibility is simple obedience.

I used the new With Love Alpha set on this page for the words 'left' and 'camped' and used Bitty Minnie Alpha for the other words, then stamped the text from the new Grace so Amazing underneath (the perfect message for this page!). I stamped the cute caravan from Happy Camper and coloured with watercolours and sponged some yellow ink in the sky to create a sun effect. Here are the sets I used:

I hope you are encouraged to step out and go wherever God may be leading you (even if it isn't a move of physical location, sometimes it's another move of obedience that God is requiring). And remember: wherever God guides, he provides.

Be blessed...

x Amy x

Grace Upon Grace

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth... And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace." - John 1:14-16

This Advent season, I read "The Dawning of Indestructible Joy" devotional book by John Piper. Boy, was it good! The reading for December 25th, Christmas Day, was titled Grace: The Dominant Note of Christmas and it went along so perfectly with the brand new Grace So Amazing January stamp set, I just knew I needed to journal it. Isn't God good like that?! 

Grace is the dominant theme of Christmas. The barn, the manger, the angels, the shepherds, the wise men -- it all comes down to one thing: grace. While the gospel of John does not contain the traditional Christmas story found in the other gospels, the story and purpose of Christmas is weaved throughout the book. After quoting John 1:14-16, John Piper has this to say:

"So the eternal Word of God took on human flesh, and in that way the divine Son of God - who never had an origin, and never came into being, and was God, but was also with God - became man. and in doing this, he made the glory of God visible in a wholly new way. And this divine glory, uniquely manifest in the Son of God, was full of grace and truth. And from that fullness we receive grace upon grace.

That is the meaning of Christmas in John's Gospel. God the Son, who is God, and who is with God, came to reveal God in a way he had never been revealed before. And in that revelation, the dominant note struck is race: from the fullness of that revelation of divine glory, we receive grace upon grace."

Christmas is the human embodiment of grace to a fallen world. Christmas is for salvation. Salvation for you and for me. The birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus provides an inexhaustible supply of grace and truth to the whole world. It never runs out. It's grace upon grace upon grace upon grace - forever. 

  

I used the Grace So Amazing, With Love Alpha, and Folk Art Snowflakes stamp sets to create this page and coordinating journaling card. Just stamps and ink, that's it! Easy peasy, but full of great content and reminders to embrace the grace that has been given to me by the Joy of Christmas. 💙 

  

I pray you cling to the grace that has been provided to you every day this week. 

With love in Christ, 

Janelle

@journalingjoy