Believe

Work In Progress

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Each day we live means God is still working on us.  He knows the number of our days and He is with us for each and every one of them.  It is up to us to seek Him…to acknowledge Him and His Presence…we have the task of learning, growing and sharing as we go…it doesn’t have to be perfect and it never will be.  God tells us we are His work in progress and if we live our lives trusting and believing and spending time with Him good things will come.  Amen.

God’s Not Done With You by Tauren Wells

“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 1:4-6

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“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

 

He Is With You

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No matter what, no…matter…what!  No matter where you have been, no matter what you have done, no matter how long you have strayed or how long it takes you to learn…God is with you and waiting to hear from you.  Profess your faith, confess you sins and trust in the one who stays with you through all things.  Amen.

The God Who Stays by Matthew West

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“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake in Plymouth, Minnesota)

Don’t Stop Praying

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As I awake this morning there are 2 songs that I can’t stop hearing in my mind that are constant reminders to not give up…we must learn to be patient and persistent.  No matter how long you have been praying about something and you haven’t seen a change…don’t quit…keep praying…believe…many people fall away from God because He does not work on our time line.  Remember He is God and He knows what is best for us even if we can’t see it.  Trust Him in everything.  Amen.

Haven’t Seen It Yet by Danny Gokey

Blessing I Can’t See by Building 429

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“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Galatians 6:9

“For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Luke 1:37

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a lake in Plymouth, Minnesota)

Pray With Confidence

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Our prayers are how we communicate with God.  He knows whether or not we truly believe what we are saying or asking for…that’s the biggest difference between talking with God and talking with people.  People may or may not know the truth about what we say…God knows, He knows everything, there is no use in trying to ‘sell’ Him on your wants, desires or ideas, it is fruitless to try and hide your fears…when we turn towards God in prayer we should be prepared to be honest, open and vulnerable and we can be assured that God is working for good things for all of us.  Pray with confidence to God and be open to His ways rather than your ways.  Amen.

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“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 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 4:4-7

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

Light In The Darkness

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When we believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord and we confess our sins, we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit…which is a light, the light that shines within us and enables us to walk in darkness.  We do not have all the answers, yet we have confidence in God for this life and the life to come.  Amen.

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“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”[a] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

2 Corinthians 4:6

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

I Will Rise

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In this world we will have trouble.  We will get knocked down, turned away, rejected and discouraged because we live in a fallen world, filled with our sin.  Do not be defeated…turn towards God in prayer, be encouraged and strengthened by His love, proclaim your faith in Jesus Christ, believe and He will help you rise.  Amen.

I Will Rise by Chris Tomlin

What Faith Can Do by Kutless

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“Do not gloat over me, my enemy!
    Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness,
    the Lord will be my light.”

Micah 7:8

(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Believe

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Believe in the power of God…He is our Creator…He is our Savior…He will guide us with the Holy Spirit.  God can and will rescue you.  Don’t give up hope…don’t keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.  Believe in God’s saving grace, believe in God’s love for you.  Trust in the Lord and He will rescue you.  Amen.

Rescue by Lauren Daigle

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“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

Psalm 91:14-16

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 along Beartooth Pass near the Montana and Wyoming border)

Faith

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Trust…belief…confidence.  Faith is not about the quantity of it that you have…it is more focused on do you have it or not?  We sometimes think, ‘if I just had more faith’ or ‘if I just prayed the right way,’ things would have gone the way I wanted them to…as if we are somehow in control of the outcomes in life.  God, our Creator and Father of all, gave us the gift of free will to choose how we will live and what we will believe…He loves us and wants a personal relationship with each one of us.  The facts of faith are in the bible and the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are events that happened here on earth…so as you think about your life, your relationships and your circumstances ask yourself…’what do I believe?’  As for me, my response is the words of the Apostles Creed.  May the peace of the Lord be with you.  Amen.

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“Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.  If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Matthew 21:21-22

(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Believe In Your Heart

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Are we fully committed to putting Christ first in life?  Our actions will always speak louder than our words.  We know we can never be good enough on our own, yet we seem to keep trying to go our own way.  Thank you, God, for your mercy and your grace…because of His great love for us we can return to Him and confess our sins because we believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was crucified, died and has risen.  I know I struggle often when I reflect on my own actions…the things I have done and the things I have left undone.  It is at these moments that I imagine with my mind’s eye, kneeling at the foot of the Cross, laying down my sins and thanking Jesus Christ for His sacrifice.  God is with you and me, He loves us and only He can see us through the event in our lives.  Amen.

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“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

Romans 10:9-10

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)