Come Near To God

November 25, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

He is with you…He knows everything about you and your life…He knows the struggles, the sorrows, the celebrations, the grief and mourning, the joyful gatherings, He knows the desires of your heart. To draw near to God is to seek Him daily, to turn away from sin and our sinful behaviors and to trust in Him…this is not a slick, quick, fast-food process…it is a journey, a journey filled with questions, doubts, sacrifice, repentance, surrender, peace, joy and love. And if you wonder why…the answer is found in His love. Amen.

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“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Come near to God and he will come near to you…”

James 4:7-8

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota)

Faith

October 31, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

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)

Doubt

October 26, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Everyone has doubt. We all experience moments when we question…’where is God in all of this?’ or ‘Why is this happening?’ This has happened to people throughout history. Even the disciples, who lived during the life of Jesus on earth had doubts. Having doubt and questions is natural and it is a starting point to explore and learn, so what do you do to find answers to your questions and your doubts? God wants us to have questions and to ask Him…having doubt and questions is ok…what you do with those doubts and questions is key to your faith journey. Amen.

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“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Matthew 14:28-31

(This photo was taken in July in 2016 at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota)

Timing

October 15, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We spend so much effort trying to line things up, make things happen just the way we want, just when we want…as if we are in complete control…when will we learn? The timing of events in life are not up to us! God is in control…we would do well to acknowledge Him and wait patiently for His timing. Put your hope in God and trust He is doing good things in your life. Amen.

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“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

Lamentations 3:25-26

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota)

Trust Requires Patience

September 30, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

God is working for good things in our life…we must be willing to wait for Him. If we believe and know Jesus Christ is the Son of God and we confess our sins, and we know the sacrifice that Jesus made to save us…then we know how much God loves us and how far He will go to care for us. As it says in Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Trust in the Lord, wait for Him and good things will come. Amen.

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“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Psalms 27:13-14

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

Pray Faithfully

September 26, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

No matter what your circumstances are, make time to pray. If everything is going well and you are feeling good, say a prayer of thanks. If it feels like the world is crashing down around you, say a prayer for courage and strength. Prayer is our primary way of connecting with the Lord. It is about spending time with Him and walking with Him. Think about it this way…if God is like that person you pass in the hall at work or at school every day and you only exchange a hello or hi and never have a real conversation, how can you know God and His plan for you any better than you know this person? Invest time in your relationship with God, pray faithfully. Amen.

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“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Philippians 4:6

(This photo was taken in September of 2016 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

Stand Firm In The Faith

September 25, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Faith is most difficult when everything around us is telling us to doubt and have fear. The overwhelming message from the world is don’t believe…it takes courage to believe and to stand firm in your belief and if you have a solid relationship with the Lord, He will give you courage when it seems hopeless. If you are unsure of your relationship with God…begin a daily time for prayer and reading God’s Word and stick with it. There is no right way or wrong way to make time to be with God, the best way is to just start doing it. All things are possible with God. Amen.

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“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)

Listen

September 24, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Prayer doesn’t always have to be about you talking…listening is just as important to your relationship with God. If we are always the one speaking how can we be open to hearing what God is trying to tell us? This is an especially hard thing to do if we lack patience. The world keeps giving us the messages of faster, now, immediate gratification and savings! Yet God does not exist on our time table. Whatever is weighing you down, whatever is troubling you or has you worried Today…surrender it to Jesus Christ, ask Him to guide you with it, don’t pick it up again, leave it at the foot of the Cross then wait and listen for God. Amen.

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“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”

Revelation 3:20

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while traveling on Beartooth Pass in Montana)

Trust In The Lord

September 23, 2019September 23, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When you are facing trouble in this world…when it seems like everything you try or do is failing…when you don’t know what to do next…pray and trust in the Lord. Do something good and wait patiently for God and His will. Trust is hard, especially when we have put our trust in things that have let us down in the past…you can trust in the Lord, He keeps His promises and He is always with you. Amen.

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“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:3-4

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while traveling through North Dakota)

Take Heart!

September 22, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

In the bible we are told over and over that in this world we will have trouble…there will be suffering. The prince of darkness and evil does not stop working to keep us away from God…and in some cases we make it very easy for him. And yet we are surprised that things go wrong or don’t work that way we want them to. The Word of God is clear and the words of Jesus are written in red ink for us in the bible…who is blessed, how to live, how to pray, ways to share and serve others…and it is all repeated for us from 4 different writers to be sure we get the message…pick up a bible and read what Jesus Christ had to say. God loves you; He is with you and He forgives you. Seek a relationship with His Son Jesus Christ and you will have peace. Amen.

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