Faithfulness

God’s Faithfulness

/ mcalcagno / 2 Comments

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

2 Peter 3:9 NIV

“God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

1 Corinthians 1:9 NIV

God is always with us…

Even when we don’t feel His presence or think He isn’t hearing us

We must remember His ways are better than our ways

We are sinful and distracted by the world, our flesh and Satan

He has made a way for salvation, for everyone

Put your faith in God, trust in Him for great is His faithfulness

DSC_0025 (2) publish

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV

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

To Know Him And To Make Him Known

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
    or the strong boast of their strength
    or the rich boast of their riches,
24 but let the one who boasts boast about this:
    that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
    justice and righteousness on earth,
    for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah 9:23-24 NIV

Our mission…to Know Him

Our ministry…to Make Him Known.

DSC_0894 publish

“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 28:19-20 NIV

(This photo was taken in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Give Thanks To The Lord

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Praise the Lord.[a]

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.”

Psalm 106:1 NIV

We are saved by grace

We cannot earn it nor do we deserve it

It is a gift from God

Let us give thanks to the Lord for all He has done for us

He is with us, He loves us and He will never leave us

Forever by Chris Tomlin

DSC_0597 publish

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2     Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100:1-5 NIV

(This photo was taken along Beartooth Pass in Montana)

Be Transformed

/ mcalcagno / 1 Comment

“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. 2 Do 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

Father God, make us more and more like You

We want You to know what is in our hearts, and we want You to change the way we think

Help us draw near to You and Your Word every day

We want every aspect of our lives to reflect Your glory, so please teach us how to pursue choices that lead to life

In Jesus name, Amen

DSC_0061 publish

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.“

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NIV

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

God’s Timing

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

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

Psalm 27:13-14 NIV

While I’m Waiting by John Waller

DSC_0142_1 publish

“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. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.“

2 Peter 3:8-9 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Wait For The Lord

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

Lamentations 3:22-24 NIV

The world preaches immediate gratification, seek more…quickly

Obedience to God is upside down according to the world

God is with you and working for your good and His glory

Keep seeking Him…Keep praying

Trust in the Lord and wait for Him to complete His work on His timeline

It may be you just haven’t seen it yet…

Haven’t Seen It Yet by Danny Gokey

DSC_0229 publish

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

Psalm 27:13-14 NIV

(This photo was taken at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountian National Park)

Waiting…

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

 “In Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was a good and godly man. He was waiting for God’s promise to Israel to come true. The Holy Spirit was with him. 26 The Spirit had told Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 The Spirit led him into the temple courtyard. Then Jesus’ parents brought the child in. They came to do for him what the Law required. 28 Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God. He said,

29 “Lord, you are the King over all.
    Now let me, your servant, go in peace.
    That is what you promised.
30 My eyes have seen your salvation.
31     You have prepared it in the sight of all nations.
32 It is a light to be given to the Gentiles.
    It will be the glory of your people Israel.”

Luke 2:25-32 NIRV

Oh, the waiting…our world is always sending out messages to hurry up…save time and literally “don’t wait” act now before…you get the point

Once again, the world pursues the exact opposite of what we hear from God’s Word

God wants us to walk with Him…not ahead of Him or on our own without Him

His timing is perfect because it is His plan

In Luke 2 we meet Simeon, who had been waiting his whole life to see God’s promise fulfilled in the Messiah…as he expected the promise was fulfilled just like every other promise God has made

The last promise to be fulfilled is when Christ returns…and so we are waiting for that day and while we wait let’s be like Simeon and be good, do-good things, be godly and be faithful to God’s Word

How are you doing while you wait?

While I’m Waiting by John Waller

DSC_0142_1 publish

“Dear friends, here is one thing you must not forget. With the Lord a day is like a thousand years. And a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow to keep his promise. He is not slow in the way some people understand it. Instead, he is patient with you. He doesn’t want anyone to be destroyed. Instead, he wants all people to turn away from their sins.”

2 Peter 3:8-9 NIRV

(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

God’s Faithfulness

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV

Good and Gracious God, thank You for Your never-ending faithfulness

No matter what we face You continue to guide, protect and strengthen us

Thank You for sending us Your Son and for our salvation

When unexpected things occur help us turn towards You first and put our hope and trust in You

In Jesus name, Amen

Nobody Loves Me Like You by Chris Tomlin

DSC_0975 publish

“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 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Love And Faithfulness

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
    toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.”

Psalm 25:10 NIV

When we are able to surrender ourselves to God and His plan and we follow Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we will grow and mature spiritually

We may believe we know a great deal about love and faithfulness and yet there is so much more God wants to show us

It will not be easy and we should take nothing for granted

Living in this world where sin and selfishness run wild, where temptations are lurking…we will never be perfect and we are not to be the judge of the ways of others

Love and faithfulness these are characteristics of the new creation God is making us to be

Seek the Lord and the life He has planned for you

IMG_20141015_061309527_HDR publish

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.  Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.”

Proverbs 3:3-4 NIV

(This photo was taken at sunrise on the island of Maui, Hawaii)

To Know Him And To Make Him Known

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
    or the strong boast of their strength
    or the rich boast of their riches,
24 but let the one who boasts boast about this:
    that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
    justice and righteousness on earth,
    for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah 9:23-24 NIV

Our mission…to Know Him

Our ministry…to Make Him Known.

DSC_0894 publish

“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 28:19-20 NIV

(This photo was taken in Glacier National Park in Montana)