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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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

Ezekiel Bible Sketch

An invitation to turn and live!

 

RSVP before the Last Day.

 

Only God the Father knows when.

 

Special events and party invitations may include a request to respond. Options to consider are: whether or not to plan to participate, plus, whether to reply or to ignore the RSVP. Acceptance requires a change of former plans and routine. Gratitude about the invitation, and the person who sent it, floods the soul. New actions and special efforts are made. When the day of the event arrives, plans have previously been carried out by the one who created the invitation. Trained people may have been called to help organize everything and prepare something to serve all who’ve replied with “Yes, I’m in, and thank you!”. Time together is shared and cherished as life is joyfully celebrated.

For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.” Ezekiel 18:32 ESV

 

The special event process described is similar to God’s free gift of faith in Christ as Savior.

The gift is for everyone! Our Creator wants us all to live freely and have the life He designed! He created us as children to love Him, not to control us like robots. Plus, God desires that we love each other like He loves us and that we not expect to to control each other like robots. People receive, decline or ignore God’s invitation.

Life is communion with God who is love. Instructions written on our heart and throughout Scripture enable us to know Him. We are accountable to our Creator to live virtuously.

All of us sin. We should not blame God and others for our own sins. God wants us to turn from rebellion against Him. When we turn our back to God, the only thing He will remember is our sins. Rather than falling into arrogance, God wants us to be honest, get up, turn around, and ask Him to have mercy and cleanse us.

“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.” Proverbs 28:13-14

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26

God doesn’t want anyone to die rejecting His Holy Spirit. Those who deny Him, are lost, misguided by Satan’s lies, evil in the world, and our own selfish nature… jealously, proudly, deceitfully enticing others to join in rebellion against the Word… fearlessly succumbing to temptations with no remorse or desire to give up or renounce a habit, way of life, false religion, or attitude of entitlement. 

God tells us to turn from sin and humbly ask for mercy in the Name of His Son so that we may have peace that when we leave this dark world, we will rest in the fulfillment of His promise to spare us from the destination of eternal suffering, apart from His glory. Almighty God knows all, is everywhere and has all authority as final judge.

Our loving God provides courage and tenacity for a life of repentance together with Him which He always prefers over death and separation from Him. In the grace-filled life we live right here and now, He offers opportunities to hear His Word. He gives saving faith in Christ. His Spirit leads to self-examination, confession of wrongs, and trust in perfect and gracious Jesus for mercy.

God won’t remember the sins of those who are turned toward Him. 

God wants us to participate where sinners gather to receive His gifts of forgiveness and strength at church. He doesn’t want us to push Him and others away. Jesus is the only Way to eternal life. He shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, He took our punishment. He died for us, rose from the dead and ascended to heaven so we may live. His gift of repentance fills us with His Holy Spirit so we can honor Him with our lives. By grace, I am in. I look forward to seeing faithful believers who’ve gone before me and hope to see you, soon, in the presence of Jesus in celebration of the Last Day!

Throughout the Bible, our loving God commands certain things for our own good and the good of others. He is our refuge and our help comes from Him. Ask, seek and knock are three imperatives for us to respond.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8

• About God
  
• Find a Church
• Find a School
• Find a University
• Find a Seminary 
• Listen to a discussion about  Ezekiel 18: The Soul Who Sins Shall Die
• Sing along to hymn In Adam We Have All Been One, LSB 569
• Introduction to Ezekiel
  
• Studies and Conversations about Ezekiel

“Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, You are a God who welcomes the weary. Thank you for giving your children the worship service: a place where we can come with our shaking hands and be steadied by Your certain Word. Thank you for Jesus, who poured Himself out for us, that we may have life in Him. Let His word be our strength and comfort when we are wounded and weary. Care for us, Lord, and make Your love for us overflow to others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.” Wounded Workers devotion