Transformation

February 12, 2020 / mcalcagno / 1 Comment

The journey of faith and our relationship with Jesus Christ does not end with us coming to the Cross. We all must come to the Cross, confess our sins and ask Christ into our hearts and minds to help turn us away from sinful desires. After that transformation can begin…you see the journey continues as we must go back out into the world with a new attitude and a renewed mind and live the life God intended for us. As referenced yesterday, when Saul became Paul that was just the beginning of his transformation that led to the spread of Christianity across the world. Turn towards Jesus Christ and be transformed. Amen.

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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

(This photo was taken in February of 2013 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Give Forgiveness

January 23, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We are forgiven…Jesus Christ died on the Cross to save us from our sins. He has paved the Way for us to be forgiven. It is up to us to respond with the thoughts, words and actions of our daily lives. Who do you need to forgive? Yourself? Someone who has hurt you? Forgiveness is not a free pass…it is a willingness to let go of the anger and bitterness that eats at our souls. Make a choice to give forgiveness and you will find peace. Amen.

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“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³²Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:31-32

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at a park near Dillon, Colorado)

Repentance

December 31, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Acknowledge…admit…regret…sorrow…to turn away from wrong doing…to change. The prayer I have prayed the most in 2019 is Psalm 51…it was written by David after he had committed terrible sins…we are all broken, every person since the beginning of time, the sooner we can acknowledge where we are wrong the more we can grow in faith…come near to God and He will come near to you. May God’s forgiveness and love flow through you in the new year. Amen.

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“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

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

Forgiveness And For Goodness

December 23, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

These are the presents we receive from God, not only at Christmas, we receive these every day of our lives. It is up to us to accept these gifts and to trust in the Lord. We are forgiven because of Jesus Christ and we receive goodness from God’s Holy Spirit within us. All throughout the bible the miracles performed included Jesus involving someone else in completing the miracle. An example would be the little boy who had the fish and bread, that was to be multiplied for all to eat. God wants us to accept the gift of forgiveness from Jesus and to open our hearts and minds to the goodness of the Holy Spirit and God wants each of us to participate in the story. God loves you; God forgives you and He is ready to lead you to good things. Accept these gifts from God. Amen.

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“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

James 1:17

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

A Different Way Of Living

December 4, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Because God has given us free will, we can choose how we want to live. It is not up to others, no matter how much we tend to blame them, we are responsible for how we respond to everything in our lives each and every day. In the bible, John the Baptist is an excellent example of the characteristics of holy living. You can read more about him in the Gospel of John. John the Baptist makes a statement that truly shows his humility, in referring to Jesus he states…“He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:30) We can’t control what others will think, say or do, yet we do control how we choose to respond. Choose a different way of living, choose to follow Jesus Christ. Amen.

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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.”

Colossians 3:12-14

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 while traveling in southern New Mexico)

A Giving Mindset

November 29, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The holiday season is a time to remind us to be grateful and to share with others where and when we are able. The challenge is to maintain a level of a giving mindset throughout the whole year. It is easy to slip into a self-oriented mindset for numerous reasons…the ability to stand firm and to change your perspective is possible by building and growing your relationship with Jesus Christ, every day. He knows what it means to sacrifice for others, He knows how to have compassion and to be humble even when, especially when we don’t deserve it. Ask God to help you find and maintain a giving mindset throughout the holiday season and beyond. May we all find moments of peace and joy and opportunities to help those in need. Amen.

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“Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

Romans 12:13

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

A Prayer

November 22, 2019 / mcalcagno / 1 Comment

There are many people written about in God’s word. They were people with lives on earth and time after time we read about the things they did in their life…they did some really bad things…lived sinful lives and hurt themselves and each other…scroll through your social media feed…turn on the a news channel…how are we any different today? We all have the same human sickness…sin and sinful behaviors. One person in the Old Testament, David, is described in Acts 13:22 as ‘a man after God’s heart’ this same man committed terrible sins when it came to a woman named Bathsheba. When confronted about his sin David wrote the words of Psalm 51 as a prayer for forgiveness of his sins. I find verses 10-12 of this Psalm powerful verses to memorize as a prayer when you are tempted by sin. May God’s grace and peace be with you. Amen.

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“Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.
¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

Psalm 51:10-12

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

Character

November 7, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Living life by faith is about who we are more than what we do. Our behaviors, how we treat others and our interactions with others say more about us than our job or career path. The world honors worldly things like wealth, awards, job titles and other self-oriented pursuits…these things are not considered to be wrong or bad…the issue is these things have become more important than God. When self-satisfaction is more important than our relationship with God, we are going off course…to be clear we are all guilty of this sin, it is human nature in a fallen world. The first step in repentance is awareness of the behavior and the next step is confessing to God and seeking to turn away from our sins, with God’s help. As humans we all suffer from the same types of trouble…how we choose to respond is up to us. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.

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“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Romans 5:3-5

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

You Get What You Give

November 5, 2019 / mcalcagno / 1 Comment

This is pretty simple, yet we often forget it. In my reading this morning it was pointed out that when you read about the life of Jesus in God’s word, He was never offended by a sinful person…yet those who were filled with self-righteousness and set themselves apart from others in their own eyes, like the Pharisees, He would warn them of the judgement to come. Whatever our thoughts, words and actions are that we put out in the world are bound to be what comes back to us. Learn about the life of Jesus and treat others the way you want to be treated. Amen.

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“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Luke 6:37-38

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 near Pike’s Peak in southern Colorado)

Forgive

November 2, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Forgive others as you have been forgiven. We are redeemed by Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. No matter how far off we have wandered or how long it has been you can return to Christ through faith and that is also true for all others. So, whether or not you are concerned about the path you are on or the path another is on you should pray and seek wisdom from the Holy Spirit to guide you and/or your support for one another. May the grace and peace of the Lord wash over you. Amen.

Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave

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