Gifts

 

Hebrews 2:4, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 & 14:1-5

There are many gifts that the Lord has given us through the Holy Spirit as named in the above verses. The key to these gifts is stated in 1 Corinthians 14:1, pursue Love. The second thing to remember is that they are gifts. Just like the gift of eternal life they are not earned, cannot be purchased or coerced from the Holy Spirit but are given according to the Grace of God. You may not even know you are using a gift at times. It is important to know that you can pray for the gifts and it is equally important to remember that it is by the grace of God that they are given. Each of us is a child of the living God. He sent His spirit to live in us and by that Spirit we shall know Him. This does not entitle us to any of the gifts. They are gifts that are given according to His grace through the Holy Spirit.

The promise of things to come with the holy spirit are still with us today. (John 14:12) There are miracles happening even today. They may not be advertised the way the news media sensationalizes the events of the day but they are happening. The blind still see, the lame walk, the deaf hear and the mute speak. Don't forget the miracle of the birth of a young child. There are even reports of people being reported as having died that upon the coroners table have come to life. You just don't hear of these things because they are not spectacular enough to draw the attention of the news media like war and mass shootings. Many miracles are personal to us. The crazy thing is we are often not even aware of them at the time. Hinde sight often reveals them to us. God is not dead. The Holy Spirit is still at work in our lives. Miracles still happen. Jesus is still coming. Until that day the promises of God and Jesus through the Holy Spirit are very much alive and well. What are your miracles? everyone has them. 

This week I am sharing another Moontear image. There are only a few of them left (5) and I have not had much time to do the Highlander images of late. 

    

The Copic used colors are:

The pen in the lower left is a gold Marvy pen.

That is it for this week. May the good Lord bless you and keep you safe. Remember to "Always Love The Details."

friendship

 

The friends who will answer the phone at this time of the morning or earlier are true friends indeed. They are a treasure to be kept close to one's heart. When they are gone it is a heavy loss that may never be replaced. This hit home for me since those that I could call anytime of the day or night and know it would not be a problem are gone. They are home with the Lord now and we are still here awaiting the call to come home.

This week is a special image from the Irishman coloring book. This is my favorite by far to this point. It took the better part of three days to do. I printed the image on photo paper and was pleased to see it really does look like a photo of a real person.

The Copic colors used are;

The four pens are all Multi Red, Blue, Black and Cool Gray. I did some research on this image because I knew the attire was formal. I did the best I could to make sure it was as accurate as I could make it.

That is it for the week. May the good Lord bless and keep you safe. Remember to "Always Love The Details."

Imperfect

Failure ©

                                           What is failure as defined by man?

                                                Is it omission, inability, lack or deficiency   

                                                Of a vital or not so vital function?

                                                Who is guilty of failure if not all?

                                                Who can judge if all are alike?

                                                Dare I judge myself or another when

                                                I have failed by sin or lack of talent?

                                                Where is the failure if the lesson it

                                                Teaches is one of positive results?

                                                Why can't failure be constructive

                                                Instead of destructive in nature?

                                                If all things were created for good

                                                Then failure is victory in disguise.

                                                If this is true, then what we call failure       

                                                Is not failure but the teaching of wisdom.

©This is copyrighted material from my book that never was.

Christ died for us even though we live in sin. We are in a world that is rife with sin. We are unable to win our way into heaven sinless. We are doomed to fail on a regular basis in this world. Try as we may, we will not become sinless. That said, it is not a green light to go ahead and commit sin after sin until we die. It isn't a free pass to do whatever we like thinking we are forgiven no matter what we do. It's not a get out of jail card making you free to commit crimes against others. Failure is the means by which we are taught humility and courage. It is the means by which we learn that we are all vulnerable. It is the means by which we learn that we are all very much alike in many ways. It is the means by which we are tested and guided in what is good for us and bad for us. Failure is many things. It is never the end of the line unless it is where you give up and stop trying. 

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     Reflections on God are important for personal growth but

should be to the good of all mankind. A truth about a

reflection on God has no worth if the beneficiary is strictly

ones own self. The true test of its value is in its ability to

touch and bring light and peace into a dark corner of the life

of others. Truly, it is then a reflection of God who is a

solid foundation of life. 

© From my book that never was.

       

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This week I am sharing another image from the Highland Dreams coloring book. 

The Copics used are;

That will be it for this week. May the good Lord bless and keep you safe. Remember to "Always Love The Details."

The foe

 

Just about everyone knows that Satan was the master in charge of sheol (hell). Did you know that he was not the most powerful of God's foes? He controlled what happens to the dead. The supernatural beings that were assigned to the disinherited humanity when God created the nations after Babylon were of the council of God and were greater than Satan. When we consider who we should remember as foes they are paramount. They are still alive and well. They are still in rebellion of God. The quote above is a reminder that not only does the sunbeam dispel the shadows but it also reveals shadows. In the light of Jesus Christ no shadows exist except those of God's opposition. They are the rulers, authorities, powers and lords that were and are still opposing God.  The light of Christ reveals what hides in the invisible shadows and it is not always Satan or demons. Christ knew the hearts of men (the Shadows) and the truth and the lies that dwell within. He drove out the darkness from the shadows and brought true shadow free light into those hiding places. True healing and freedom is the result. 
This week I am sharing an image completed several months ago from Dreams Coloring Art. I thought it might make you long for the cooler weather.

The Copic colors used are:

Next week I will return to the Men and women of the Irish/Scottish series. For now, may the good Lord bless and keep you safe. Remember to "Always Love The Details."