Artist creative trading caRds prompts series 18/20

What’s the reason?

 

Who wants refreshment?

Do you rave about being right?

With our freedom to reason, we should strive to take responsibility for best results. Failures realized—our lack of being right, achieving what’s required, resisting what’s wrong—is the reason to reverently run to Jesus in every season. The Word’s wisdom reminds us resiliency is only in Christ who restrains the Father’s repulsion over the rebellion of humankind. Remorsefully responding to rebuke, reprimand and reproach we deserve—counsel for our own benefit and the good of others—we respectfully receive release to rebound and relax. 

Front artist trading card (ATC) 18-of-20 in series.

Messy copper brown and teal on white cover stock background has two layers of ribbon, orange stripes and sheer brown, beneath three transparent square shaped vinyl stickers. Attached to back from FreshRetroGallery is a Prompts for Artist Trading Card parchment style form.

 

Unreasonableness is reverse of honesty. 

Refusal to recognize and revoke personal error leads us to react with cold, rattled, robotic rage. With healthy resources of compassionate empathy removed, reactions are rigid and irrational. A potential step forward relapses to two back. Regressing repetitively, rigorous aim to regulate and rule others becomes unrelenting. Robust leadership is reduced to domineering control, ridiculous remote button-pushing, deaf and dumb to reason. Remember rotary dial phones? They spin only so far before they’re stopped. Ignoring reality puts rotation in a downward spiral that’s bound to hit bottom.

Thankfully for believers, God’s Word is always right and reliable. 

The Spirit reminds us that everything doesn’t revolve around any singular person or particular situation in this world. The Heavenly Father lovingly refocuses eyes. He disciplines each of His own dear children who respect their Creator. Truth’s reward is repentantly being rebuilt in Christ, constantly reflecting on rebirth by regeneration and renewal for rescue and refuge. Being renovated with reputation repaired, renewed and refreshed by routinely receiving gifts in worship, the warmth of God’s love radiates through all who live and rest in the completeness of Light.

Repent means turn to the Risen Christ for rest, repeatedly.

Rivers roar and ripple over rugged layers of shallowness, rock-hardheadedness, stubbornness and messy mud. Life is kept from dangers beneath and above transparent thin ice in this temporary time of grace. The Holy Spirit recommends being ready for now and what is to come by resolutely being rooted in Word regularly for the revealed Way, Truth and Life. The cleansing gift of repentance given by Word and water of baptism trusts the Giver. Remembering the body and blood of Jesus washes sin away to replace it with redemption brings relief by the faith received. Recalling the reason for our rough roads now and having certain hope for eternity, relieved believers respond joyfully in the Rock of our salvation! Jesus was born, died and rose to ruin the sting of death. Grace removes what’s repulsive; makes pure all who believe and live the faith offered to them. Christ made everything right before our Holy Father in heaven. Those properly receiving Him, taste/digest in bread/wine, are strengthened, made ready by Him for the resurrection and final reunion when all will bow as He gathers believers for eternity in paradise. Then, those—riddled by Satan’s lies—choosing to reject Jesus, will remain apart from Him in darkness to suffer eternally. 

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; Matthew 12:20

As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. Psalm 42:1

ATC back number 18-of-20 in series.

Title of the piece: Reunion • Media used: cover stock, enamel paint, ribbon, double-sided tape, scrapbook sticker on natural parchment style paper • Date created: 3.1.2024 • Artist name and signature: Elizabeth Knaus • Group or swap information: Creative Trading Cards • Artist contact info (website, email, etc.): freshretrogallery

 

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Visit FreshRetroGallery to shop Christmas cards, stationery, gift-worthy family tree charts, notebooks, scrolls, reunion favors, ATC papers, prompts and more.

18th in series using Prompts on natural parchment style paper for artist trading card Reunion, by FreshRetroGallery.

 

Prompts for ATC creative artist trading cards

Index for books of the Bible Sketches

Titus Bible Sketches

Is infinity imaginable?

 

How about immeasurable or inexhaustible?

 

It takes faith to look forward to everlasting eternal life.

Before the beginning, God promised perfection in an unending life! No lie. God’s plan is to save us according to His mercy.

Titus 1:2

in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began Titus 1:2

The devil messes with us in this world.

The goal of Satan and his minions is to attack the faith. The devil will impose whatever devious tricks he can, motived to distract us from Scripture and lead us astray so far as to forget or discard the faith. People who reject the Holy Spirit’s gifts by their own choice, separate themselves from God’s grace. Without mincing words, they’ll spend eternity in hell.

Here are a few samples of lies which tempt us to embrace what could end up dividing us from God’s grace. 

• By nature, humankind struggles by making and elevating our own lower-case-gods (self, other people, things, activities) to a higher position than worshiping our Creator. 
• Stumbling in dangerous, dark areas of sin, we’re capable to give in to inconsiderate malice, envy, judgement and hatred. 
• Muddling through a broken world, even though God’s good commands are written on our hearts, no one does all perfectly. What’s worse is refusal to admit wrongs, and instead, openly continue to purposely repeat the same sins without regret. 
• In false belief that God’s love must be earned, what outwardly appears to be good words and deeds, actually inwardly come from impure hearts and selfish motivation. God doesn’t need good works to supply salvation, nor does He notice anything done with a heart that lacks the faith in Christ.
  
• Some who say they know God, actually deny Him by adding rules which trouble families, implying that the finished work of Jesus is not enough. 
• Some pick-and-choose Scripture they like and discard parts they don’t want. 

 

Prayerfully let it go. God is in control.

If a self-righteous person refuses to cease and desist to stir up division after two warnings, those who are united in the true faith are advised by God’s Word to avoid warped distracting controversies about the law, so not to get bogged down by worthless quarreling regarding rigid attacks on the Gospel.

Titus 3:5

he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, Titus 3:5

Jesus crushed the evil one. 

Jesus suffered and bore sin, guilt and shame of all people, past/present/future. Our Father delights in all who are united as His children by the faith, through His Son’s sacrificial death and being risen to save us. Consoled in Christ’s care, On the Sufficiency of Scripture, the faith brings

• repentant living
• rescue from penalty
• healing from the effects of sin
• growing readiness for life
• present joy
• eternal blessings of certain hope in a new life

 

Credit belongs to our Creator for giving us freedom to focus on doing what’s good and acceptable. 

The faith guards us from those who insinuate doubt about the promises of God whose own Son empowers us with His mercy, grace and counsel. Our Savior brought goodness and loving kindness for us at the lowly birth of Jesus who was swaddled in a manger in Bethlehem. Before we were born, God planned work for us to do. The gift of faith equips us to hold onto the Truth as we devote ourselves to take up His opportunities for us to do good and treat everyone with dignity. When, by the faith, we gladly hear, read and learn God’s Word, He opens eyes to see Light shining grace for us. Christ, who has authority to judge, not only forgives those who fear Him, He also

• supplies confidence to fight natural rebellion
• encourages honesty
• makes gratitude meaningful
  
• serves us Himself in the bread and wine of Divine Worship
  
• provides zeal for carrying out what is healthy and helpful to others
• motivates respectful, gentle and courteous behavior toward all people
• creates joy which lifts the spirit
  
• establishes patience through suffering
  
• sustains the weary with rest and strength for each day
  
• assures proper trust 

Jesus loves you and wants to connect with you.

By the treasure of water included in God’s command to wash in/with the Word (the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit), Holy Baptism does what Jesus says it does. By the one true faith, Christ serves us forgiveness in the sight of our Father in heaven. We were conceived in sin and born sinful. The solution to our sin is God’s rich grace in Christ for us and for our children. This new birth of God is a gift to be received once for all its benefits of His salvation for us. As an adopted child of God in Baptism, we become an heir of eternal life. It’s not my promise to God; it’s His promise to me by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. God’s mercy is for each of us who practice freedom in our baptized holy life of faith in Christ Jesus who paid the same price for all people. Joy for each new day comes in remembering Baptism’s continuous on-going effects are for us who are covered in His grace!

We are blessed.

Nine months before Christmas, I’m posting this on a day observed in my church body as the time when the angel Gabriel visited the blessed Virgin Mary to announce that the eternal Son of God would take up human flesh in her womb!

• Learn more about The Annunciation of our Lord
• Listen to current worship services
• Find-a-church-near-you  
  

 

Praying in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit—One God with us now, always, and in the end will make all things new:

“I praise You, O God, for giving me grace and peace in Christ Jesus my Savior! Make me a sincere and faithful child in the communion of saints. • Jesus, purify me with Your righteousness so that I may lead my family and serve faithfully among your people. •  Jesus, adorn my life with works and confession worthy of the Gospel. • O God, Your Word and Sacraments sustain, guide, and nurture me in the one true faith. Guard me against all error. • Entrust me, dear Lord, with the opportunity to tell another person of Your redeeming love. Amen.” —from notes on Titus, The Lutheran Study Bible

Wait, there’s more! :)

• Intro
  
• Radio talk, study, preaching
• The Word Endures
• 30 Minutes 252, 253, 254
  
• Animated summary
• Holy Baptism: An Anthology (free pdf)