“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9 NIV
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Matthew 6:14-15 NIV
(This photo was taken in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)
“The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.”
Matthew 28:5-6 NIV
The truth about all of life…only God can bring us peace
And Jesus is the One who has proved it
Reflect today on how much God loves you
And rejoice in what the risen Savior Jesus has done, is doing and will do to show you this love
Happy Easter!
“But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.”
Mark 16:4-6 NIV
(This photo was taken on a lake in central Minnesota)
“…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:9 NIV
Today is Saturday…the day after the crucifixion and the day before the resurrection
Imagine how the disciples felt on Saturday
A struggle with doubt and fear, and feeling alone?
How often have you lived a day like this?
It is times like this that we are left with the question
What do you believe?
Does death and darkness prevail or is He who He said He is?
Our hope and our salvation depend on how we answer this question
For me the answer is in the lyrics of a song…We Believe by The Newsboys
So, let our faith be more than anthems
Greater than the songs we sing
And in our weakness and temptations
We believe, we believe!
We believe in God the Father!
We believe in Jesus Christ!
We believe in the Holy Spirit!
And He’s given us new life!
We believe in the crucifixion!
We believe that He conquered death!
We believe in the resurrection!
And He’s comin’ back again!
Let the lost be found and the dead be raised!
In the here and now, let love invade!
Let the church live loud, our God we’ll say
We believe, we believe!
And the gates of hell will not prevail!
For the power of God, has torn the veil!
Now we know Your love will never fail!
We believe, we believe!
We believe in God the Father
We believe in Jesus Christ
We believe in the Holy Spirit
And He’s given us new life!
We believe in the crucifixion!
We believe that He conquered death!
We believe in the resurrection!
And He’s comin’ back,
He’s comin’ back again!
He’s comin’ back again!
We believe!
We believe
“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
John 6:35 NIV
(This photo was taken at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)
“But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.”
Isaiah 53:5-6 NIV
From Genesis to Revelation the over-arching theme of the Bible points to Jesus and His love
This love is not a guarantee that life will be easy and always pleasant
Yet it is a love that is consistent, unchanging and comes to us directly in His birth, life, death and resurrection
Open your heart and mind to Jesus every day…everything He did was done for you
End Of The Beginning by David Phelps
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
John 3:16-17 NIV
(This photo was taken at a lake in central Minnesota)
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Ephesians 6:17 NIV
“You are my refuge and my shield;
I have put my hope in your word.”
Psalm 119:114 NIV
Keep God’s Word close to your heart
Read it, memorize it, use it to pray
Let it be in your heart
Let it be on your mind
It will lead and guide you in your daily life
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12 NIV
(This photo was taken along the North Shore of Lake Superior)
“For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.”
Ephesians 2:14 NLT
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:27 NIV
Peace comes from God and God alone…not from ourselves or the world
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
(This photo was taken at a lake in central Minnesota)
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14 NIV
The world tells us to pursue money, comfort and the easy life
To look out for ourselves and satisfy ourselves first and most often, this is the sinful nature and it has taken hold in many people
There is a way to be different and to live with purpose and it is based on your personal relationship with Jesus Christ
He loves you, He gave His life to save you and His way is the only way to God the Father
Spend time reading God’s Word and learn about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus
He came down from heaven and sacrificed His life to save us from our sinful desires
Think about what He has done, His Sacrifice as our Savior for our Salvation
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6 NIV
(This photo was taken on the shore of Lake Superior near Ashland, Wisconsin)
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
John 15:7 NIV
Father God, I want to seek You with all my heart
You are my everything…so let my thoughts and actions match my words
Help me draw closer to You
Guide my decisions and inspire me with new dreams
I want to honor You with all that I am and all that I do
In Jesus name, Amen
“You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in you.”
Isaiah 26:3 NIV
(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
James 4:1-3 NIV
Read Isaiah 53 to learn how Jesus would submit to God’s plan to save you and me
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
James 4:7-10 NIV
(This photo was taken at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Isaiah 6:8 NIV
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20 NIV
(This photo was taken at Big Sky Resort in Montana)
Take Your Faith With You 