“Come, Follow Me”

November 21, 2013 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It is written, Jesus said “Come, Follow Me”…and Levi got up and followed him. Just like that…nothing further is written about this encounter specifically. The message that can come out of such a simple interaction is strong. Another interaction written in the bible…A rich young man ran up to Jesus and asked “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus instructed him to “sell all of your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” There it is again…

It is simply three words; come, follow me. As they say, that is easier said than done! Everything around us in the world is telling us to do this and get here and do that…very few times do we get the opportunity to sit and think about what it would mean to follow him. Here is what I have learned…the bible has all the instructions. It is clear about how God wants us to choose to live. Both of the above interactions are written about in the Gospel of Mark. The Levi encounter is in Mark 2 and the rich young man encounter is in Mark 10. Then in Mark 12 there is writing about The Greatest Commandment…

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no greater commandment than these.”

Mark 12:30-31

Thus we have the instructions…Love God and Love your neighbor. Do not do things just to serve you. Pray daily to grow in your relationship with God. Be humble and try to live with an attitude of gratitude. Next week is the Thanksgiving holiday…start thinking now how you can show the important people in your life how much you appreciate them, maybe give food or clothing or whatever you can to the needy…whatever that looks like is up to you and God.

If you are not sure where to start sit down for a quiet moment and ask him…he is waiting to hear from you. Then watch carefully for his guidance.

Peace to you and yours.

Actions Mean More than Words

November 7, 2013 / mcalcagno / 2 Comments

Have you ever been having a discussion with someone and you told them “I am listening” and yet as they begin or continue to speak your mind begins to wander? Once they have finished they are looking at you for a response or a reaction…in that moment your actions will truly determine if your statement of “I am listening” was really true.

It is this belief about actions being more important than words that really gets me confused about the explosion of social media…words, words and more words. Do you notice the items on social media that get the most attention or go “viral” (now there is an action) are the ones with a photo or a video? Why? Because they show actions not only words. This is not to say that words and what you say is not important but words are less important if you don’t have actions to back them up.

There is a song by Rich Mullins entitled Screen Door and that song states “Faith without works is like a song you can’t sing
It’s about as useless as a screen door on a submarine”

Actions can be so much more powerful than words that sometimes just doing something for someone means more than anything you could say. The bible has many words and usually they are words that are describing the actions of people in the past…so reading it is good to gain understanding of what God wants us to DO. Then we need to go do it!

Always remember the greatest action in human history is this…

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth”.

John 1:14

That is action…he came into the world to save us……I am off to go pray that God can use me to help someone who needs it today.

If you are interested in learning more about Rich Mullins here is a video from one of his last concerts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZNYtYRbH6aI

Spiritual Growth

November 2, 2013 / mcalcagno / 1 Comment

Often times people put little value on the things that they can do to help another, yet others believe it is the simplest gesture that can make the biggest difference in their day. This is something I was reminded of earlier this year while on a mission trip with senior high youth…

Do whatever you can

For whoever can

Whenever you can

Wherever you are

Because whatever you can do it will be something that someone else needs and never forget your actions DO make a difference in this world.

“Be very careful, then, how you live- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

Ephesians 5:15-17

Even those who lived during the time of Jesus’s life on earth had doubts about Faith in life…one of his disciples was walking on water towards Jesus and once the wind kicked up he doubted he could really do it so he began to sink and Jesus was standing right there. We all will have moments of doubt and that is Ok, just don’t quit trying.

Even the easiest thing like holding a door open for someone can contribute to the spiritual growth of you and the other person. But do not do things expecting the “proper” reaction from another…we must remember we can’t control what another person thinks, says or does. Our spiritual growth will come from doing what God is asking us to do, not from what the world thinks we should do or how the world reacts to the things we do.

In short, we are blessed to be a blessing…we all have been given something to share…don’t immediately think about money. There are far greater things in life than financial riches…ask God to help you find what you can share with others and…

Do whatever you can

For whoever can

Whenever you can

Wherever you are…

Peace.

Be a Light in the Darkness

October 31, 2013 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Today is a day some people express the greatest fears of darkness they have in the form of costumes and decorations. Some are playful…some are of a dark nature. In this world we will encounter people and events that are surrounded by darkness. Do not be afraid…God gives us the Light. When God was sending his Son into the world he put one bright light in the sky to show the way. On this Halloween you certainly can celebrate in whatever way suits you and your family especially because we already know that darkness does not win in the end. The Light of the world comes from God and his Son and they have already had victory over darkness.

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light and knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

2 Corinthians 4:6

Show others his Light today.

Peace.

Life by the Spirit…Self-Control

October 26, 2013 / mcalcagno / 6 Comments

It does not surprise me that this is the last thing listed in the Galatians 5:22-23 writing about the Fruit of the Spirit…why? Because as with all aspects of faith it all comes back to us…our attitude, our perspective and most of all our choices. We are blessed with free will, free to choose how we will act in this world.

Free to choose Love or hate

Free to choose Joy or sadness

Free to choose Peace or fighting

Free to choose Patience or hurriedness

Free to choose Kindness or be mean

Free to choose Goodness or cruelty

Free to choose Faithfulness or distraction

Free to choose Gentleness or be unbalanced

Free to choose to use the Fruits of the Spirit using Self-Control

Our guide for all of this is Jesus. God sent him so that reconciliation with God is always available. He loves us and wants us to choose to love him. Self-Control is not easy, I know from experience and I struggle with it as much as anyone.

Getting better at Self-Control is a choice in itself…it is choosing to live a healthy life style. Start by doing devotions in the morning and/or at night every day. Make those 5-10 minutes a priority and be quiet and calm with the Word every day. Given time it will help…then look at how you are physically caring for yourself…be sure you are eating regularly, getting rest and sleep and take a walk for exercise. When you feel things are out of control stop and pray. All of this is possible for anyone; it does not take a large financial investment just commitment. I know how the world we live in will try to distract and dissuade you from continuing…don’t quit. Even when you fall down and feel like you are failing, God is still right there saying “I understand, my own Son experienced frustration and temptation in the world. You are forgiven.”

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

Galatians 5:22-26

I pray we all we seek to live using the Fruits of the Spirit in all we do every day.

Take a look at the picture above one more time…choose to see what is on the other side through that opening…

May God’s Peace be with you

Life by the Spirit…Gentleness

October 25, 2013 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Having Gentleness in life is all about finding a balance. Most of the world is about being tough, determined and pushing your way through this or that. You must be strong to achieve…while all of these traits have value and can definitely be beneficial there are also times in life when tenderness and Gentleness are needed and very helpful. They are typically more difficult times and these traits are not as common for some people. The goal should be to have a balance of all of these traits…most of us are stronger in one type of trait or another and we feel more comfortable expressing and using that dominant trait, however, this does not mean we are incapable of learning and growing into the ability to possess a less dominant trait.

Learning and growing are hard and we need help often to recognize when to be Gentle and when to be tough. The amazing part of a relationship with Jesus is that he can help us with whatever we need…if we let him!

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love”.

Ephesians 4:1-2

This message is much different than the one we receive from our world. In order to find the balance we strive for we need to have the messages in the Bible to offset the powerful messages we receive in everyday life.

Don’t go it alone today…seek out a relationship with Jesus…you can start by finding a quiet moment in your day and let him know you want to accept him into your heart today and pray for strength to speak to him again tomorrow and when you don’t know what to say to him…let him know you are listening for him to speak to you.

Tomorrow I will discuss the last of the Fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23…Self-Control.

Peace.

Life by the Spirit…Faithfulness

October 24, 2013 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

So what does this look like or how can we practice Faithfulness? If you were to look up the definition one of the choices to define it would be “complete trust” and another would be “loyalty”. For me Faithfulness has two elements. First is stating or committing to the fact that you Faithfully follow or believe in something. The second element of Faithfulness is the actions that you perform that show your Faithfulness.

I think there is a popular phrase to describe this…”that is easier said, than done”. It is always easier to say I am a Faithful to this or that than to do things that show your Faithfulness. Because of this many of us are very particular in stating what we are Faithful too. Look at relationships in life… Who would you say is Faithful to you? Who would you say you are Faithful to?

Faithfulness is critical in having a close relationship with others. It means they can depend on you no matter what the circumstances. You are available to spend time with them, you can be trusted and you are consistent in your interactions and when you have a close relationship with another person they give you the same Faithfulness. This type of close relationship opens us up and makes us vulnerable, so if we are ever betrayed by someone it makes it even more difficult to be Faithful again. There is only one relationship that you can rely on to be consistently Faithful and never let you down…that is your relationship with Jesus Christ.

You can trust him, you can believe he will do what is best for you and he will never ever leave you. The key is learning to be Faithful to him. Start with prayer…pray Faithfully…be consistent. Do it everyday, give him thanks, praise him, ask him for help and sit quietly and listen.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality”.

Romans 12:12-13

Start and end each day Faithfully talking to God and practice turning to him first for challenges and problems or thanking him first for joyful moments.

Tomorrow we will discuss Gentleness.

Peace.

Life by the Spirit…Goodness

October 23, 2013 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

So in striving to live a Life by the Spirit what does Goodness do for us? That is what we are typically interested in…what will it do for “us or me”. For starters, that perspective usually leads us away from Goodness because of the self-focus. As with all the Fruits of the Spirit, we need to focus on our interactions with others and our relationship with God. Some would argue that Goodness and Kindness are the same thing…for me the difference is Kindness usually involves some sort of self-sacrifice, giving up something of value for another and Goodness is choosing between doing Good versus doing bad things or doing nothing at all.

Choosing to do Good in this world can begin to feel frustrating as you are striving to contribute in a positive way and it seems others keep pushing you back or pushing you down. Do not quit, often times when we do something Good we may not get to see the impact it had on someone and we need to be Ok with that…we need to have faith that whether we see the results or not it is better to do Good for others and for God. The apostle Paul writes in the Book of Galatians…

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Galatians 6:7-10

Choose to sow some Goodness to your part of the world today and it will grow.

Tomorrow I will be back to discuss Faithfulness.

Peace.

Life by the Spirit…Kindness

October 22, 2013 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

This is something we are sure we know it when we see it…Kindness. It feels like the right thing to do, expressing it may not give the result or ending to something we expected or were planning. Often in this world it shows up as something unique and different because it happens so rarely. In fact, when acts of kindness randomly happen they end up going ‘viral’ as they say. It gives me joy to know that Kindness is still something people recognize and they just have to be confident when they make the choice to be Kind it will be worth it.

A recent example is a high school runner who had performed well in an earlier race and was expected to do well in a longer race at an important state meet…nearing the end, as she ran, she passed a younger less experienced runner who had just collapsed and instead of continuing to run past her she stopped to help the competitor to her feet and carried her to the finish line even ensuring the competitor finished ahead of her…Kindness. Helping others get to the finish line with us.

God wants us to do just that…help others to get to know him. Share what we have learned about faith and a relationship with God. Show others the light that shines within us before the Day of Judgment because we have the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

The day of the coming of the Lord will happen and right now God in his Kindness is patiently waiting for everyone to turn to him before that time…

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

2 Peter 3:8-9

Share some Kindness with someone today, it may be the only light that shines in their life this day.

Tomorrow I will discuss Goodness.

Peace.

Life by the Spirit…Patience

October 21, 2013 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

What does it mean to be Patient? Often this word makes people roll their eyes and give a sigh…we all struggle to find Patience in this world. As I have stated, the world keeps telling us to hurry up, get here, get there, buy this…save time by doing this or buying that…enough! I think it’s time to get out of the rat race that encourages us always to look for more or something better…time to find contentment with what we have received and where we are in the world. Am I saying give up? Absolutely not…my point is more about surrendering your life to Christ instead of surrendering your life to this world.

Patience is all about slowing down the pace of life. Those who trust in God know who is in control of their life…everyone still makes decisions and lives life each day, there is just a greater sense of calm because they start and/or end everyday committing all they do to God. They strive to be more positive and look for the good in what has happened…does that mean everything is happy, happy, joy, joy? No not at all…no matter what you choose to believe in this world we all have to face the same negative forces and evil that affects everyone because the human race has free will. In the Bible Psalm 27 is a great resource for Patience and waiting for the Lord…

“I am 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”

Psalm 27:13-14

May we all find Patience starting this new week and change our perspective on facing our daily challenges.

Tomorrow I will discuss Kindness.

Peace.