All Things Through Christ

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13  

ODBD Shining the Light Challenge #106 ~ DIYDP

This week the Challenge Team at Our Daily Bread Designs wants to see your re-creations using your own backgrounds, embossing, or just plain card stock, that's right Do It Yourself Designer Paper or no designer paper at all!

To make the challenge even more fun, we will be giving out a prize, a $15 gift certificate to be used toward stamps at the Our Daily Bread Designs store!! Entries for the prize must be submitted by Friday, Friday, May 4  at 8 a.m. EST. One random winner will be chosen and announced next Saturday.

And, if you use Our Daily Bread Designs images and sentiments on your projects, you have the opportunity to be specially recognized with our Shining the Light Award.
For complete details visit the ODBD blog.

To see some very clever interpretations of this challenge, please take a bit of time to visit  my fellow challenge team members blogs, you'll be blessed!

Sabrina Jackson  * Debi Southard
Lori Ulrich * Chris Olsen

Rosemary Dennis  * Jan Keen * Kathy Roney

All Things Through Christ. . .

Isn't this a most encouraging scripture? Those who are trusting in Christ are able to do what God requires and what is pleasing to Him. And you will see from the scripture, that this is not in our own strength, but through our Savior who has given us His Spirit! I love what bible commentator Matthew Henry says about this passage in context: 

We have here an account of Paul’s learning, not that which he got at the feet of Gamaliel, but that which he got at the feet of Christ. He had learnt to be content; and that was the lesson he had as much need to learn as most men, considering the hardships and sufferings with which he was exercised. He was in bonds, and imprisonments, and necessities, often; but in all he had learnt to be content, that is, to bring his mind to his condition, and make the best of it.—I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound, Phil. 4:12.

This is a special act of grace, to accommodate ourselves to every condition of life, and carry an equal temper of mind through all the varieties of our state.

1.  To accommodate ourselves to an afflicted condition—to know how to be abased, how to be hungry, how to suffer want, so as not to be overcome by the temptations of it, either to lose our comfort in God or distrust his providence, or to take any indirect course for our own supply.
2. To a prosperous condition—to know how to abound, how to be full, so as not to be proud, or secure, or luxurious. And this is as hard a lesson as the other; for the temptations of fulness and prosperity are not less than those of affliction and want.

But how must we learn it? I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, Phil. 4:13. We have need of strength from Christ, to enable us to perform not only those duties which are purely Christian, but even those which are the fruit of moral virtue.

We need his strength to teach us to be content in every condition. The apostle had seemed to boast of himself, and of his own strength: I know how to be abased (Phil. 4:12); but here he transfers all the praise to Christ. “What do I talk of knowing how to be abased, and how to abound? It is only through Christ who strengthens me that I can do it, not in my own strength.”

So we are required to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might (Eph. 6:10), and to be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 2:1); and we are strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man, Eph. 3:16. The word in the original is a participle of the present tense, and denotes a present and continued act; as if he had said, “Through Christ, who is strengthening me, and does continually strengthen me; it is by his constant and renewed strength I am enabled to act in every thing; I wholly depend upon him for all my spiritual power.” 

Bible Commentator Matthew Henry

Project Details

Stamps: ODBD Butterfly Grunge Background, Scripture Collection 8

Paper:  Stampin Up Baja Breeze, Early Espresso, Naturals Ivory and Kodak glossy photo paper

Ink: SU Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Baja Breeze, Versa Mark

Accessories: Vintage Seam Binding, Rick Rack, Spellbinders Romantic Ovals, Recollections Roses, ATC glitter mist, sponge daubers.

Technique: Versamark Resist

Keywords:  ODBDSLC106, ODBD, ODBDDT, Our Daily Bread Designs, ODBD Butterfly Grunge Background, Scripture Collection 8

Challenges:

• ODBD Shining the Light Challenge #106 
• Stampin' Sisters in Christ ~ Challenge 136 Psalm 119:105
• Sugar Creek Hollow
• Word Art Wednesday ~ Challenge 25
• Little Birdie Blessings' Scripture Thursday 
• Simon Says Stamp and Show Your Favorite Word  -- The Word: Christ
• In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. . .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. John 1:2-3,14

Blessings! jme ~ SDG