Power In The Name Of Jesus

November 6, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.”

Philippians 2:9-11 NIV

When life is difficult and frustrating, where do we get the ability to move forward? What could possibly renew us? What makes some people so resilient? It has been my experience that there is only one thing powerful enough to lift us up out of any tragedy or trial…and His name is Jesus.

A relationship with Jesus Christ in the way to strength in the battle and rest when we are weary. To experience His presence, we must do our part and be willing to spend time in devotions and prayer building our relationship with Him. God made a promise, He will never leave you nor forsake you and He always keeps His promises. Invite Jesus into your heart and into your life daily and you will be renewed each day. May God’s peace be with you. Amen.

There Is Power by Lincoln Brewster

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“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2022 at Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming)

Walking With God

November 4, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.”

Psalm 119:105 NIV

A faith journey. It begins with belief, confession and prayer. It grows as we read the Scriptures, as we spend time in devotions, as we engage in our communities and serve others…it transforms us with a new attitude centered on God and His will for us.

Trust in God, spend time on your relationship with Jesus Christ and pray about everything, every day. He is with you, He is for you. It is up to you to seek Him. Amen.

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“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly^[a] with your God.”

Micah 6:8 NIV

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

Wait For The Lord

October 2, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
²⁶it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.”

Lamentations 3:25-26 NIV

Hurry and impatience are causing more bad things to happen to us than we are willing to admit. Why are we rushing around? This is not how God created us to be. Look at how Jesus lived on earth. He took time sit quietly alone with God and to pray. Filling our life with busyness is a sickness and will cause damage to our bodies and our relationships with others over time. If you are often tired and weary take a moment to slow down…pick up God’s Word and pray to the Lord. Remember God’s promises and wait for Him to guide you and lead you.

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“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!”

Isaiah 30:18 NIV

(This photo was taken in May of 2023 alomg the North Shore of Lake Superior)

Listen…Be Transformed

September 5, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”

Romans 10:17 NIV

Draw near to God…stay close to Him. Do not allow the world with its values and temptations entice you to drift away from Jesus. It is easy to start a new habit of connecting with God every day and it is also easy to let it slip away. Try to attach your new habit to something you are already doing every day. Start small and it will build naturally as you stick to it.

If you are a ‘I need coffee in the morning’ person…make it a point to spend your first cup reading or listening to scripture. If you are a ‘I like to read at night person’ give a few minutes to a daily devotional book each night. Maybe mid-day would work best for you…no matter when or what the important thing is to do it and trust that God will use that time to transform you.

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“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ²Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.“

Romans 12:1-2 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2020 at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

Daily Living…Seek First His Kingdom

September 3, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Romans 12:1-2 NIV

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“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

¹⁵Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Colossians 3:12-17 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2015 while on a mission trip in Denver, Colorado)

Growing In Faith

August 30, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
⁸They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV

Our faith can grow and get stronger only if we feed it and exercise it just like our bodies…if we don’t eat food or exercise our muscles our bodies become frail and weak. The same is true for our spiritual lives and our faith muscles, we need to feed on the Word of God and exercise our faith by how we live and interact with others in order for our faith to grow like a tree planted by a stream of water.

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“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”

Psalm 1:1-3 NIV

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

He Gives Us Strength

August 20, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9 NIV

When we feel weak and tired…when frustrations seem overwhelming…when the way forward is difficult or unknown. God the Father, Jesus Christ His one and only Son and the Holy Spirit lift us up and renew us. Everything and anything in life is going to be better when God is at the center of our lives. Spending time in devotions and prayer, reading God’s Word these are ways to build your relationship with Jesus. The more our relationship grows the more we begin to sense His presence in our lives which can lead us to courage and strength at times when we need it most. We were never promised a life of faith would be easy…the promise is “…he will never leave you nor forsake you.” –Deuteronomy 31:6 The Lord is good and He is the provider of all we need. I pray we seek the will of the Lord and trust in Him. Amen.

Shout To The Lord by Darlene Zschech

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“I can do all things through him who gives me strength.”

Philippians 4:13 NIV

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)

Seek First His Kingdom

August 18, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Matthew 7:7-8 NIV

Living a life with faith first…it sounds so simple, yet living in this fallen world it is often hard to do. The bible is a great guide for life…the world will tell you it is not…there are those who believe it is an outdated book filled with stories that are more like fairy tales…people say the world is so different now than when it was written that it is not applicable to life today. That is exactly what Satan wants us to think. The fact is the bible is the truth, based on actual events and it is the Word of God…take time to read it every day and it will change your life.

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“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.“

Matthew 6:31-34 NIV

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 while driving in northern Colorado)

Be Faithful

July 10, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

2 Timothy 1:7 NIV

Draw near to God…stay close to Him. Do not allow the world with its values and temptations entice you to drift away from Jesus. Once you start a new habit of connecting with God every day, it is easy to let it slip away. Try to attach your new habit to something you are already doing every day. Start small and it will build naturally as you stick to it. If you are a ‘I need coffee in the morning’ person…make it a point to spend your first cup reading or listening to scripture. If you are a ‘I like to read at night person’ give a few minutes to a daily devotional book each night. Maybe mid-day would work best for you…no matter when or what or where, the important thing to remember is to do it and trust that God will use that time to transform you.

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23 ESV

(This photo was taken in September of 2020 at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

A Strong Foundation

May 1, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Matthew 7:24-27 NIV

The best things are built by starting out with the development of a strong foundation. A solid foundation helps to support missteps, mistakes and accidents along the way. If we try to build something without developing the foundation the endeavor will eventually fail and end up as a pile of rubble. The foundation of our faith is our relationship and daily interaction with Jesus Christ and the Word of God. These are the elements that will help us build and grow our spiritual life and sustain us through the most difficult things the world will throw at us. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.

Build My Life by Pat Barrett (ft. Cory Asbury)

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