God’s faithfulness

Forever

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Give thanks to God for all that is good.  When we struggle or get frustrated, we can find hope in His love.  We tend to think we know what God’s plan is and we are surprised when things don’t go the way we were heading.  Spiritual growth comes from realizing we are not the leaders; we do not know better and if we are willing to listen and seek the will of the Lord, He will lead us to things we never thought possible.  Thanks be to God for His everlasting love.  Amen.

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“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.”

Psalm 136:1

(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

A Light

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When we become overwhelmed by sin due to anger, fear, frustrations, discouragement, loneliness, sadness or shame which are all tools of evil and darkness…the first place to look for a light is in God’s Word.  It is our light to find our way through anything life and this world throws at us.  It is knowledge, it is wisdom, it is comfort, it is strength…it encourages us and helps us to see better and most importantly it is the Truth.  We will not get all the answers and understanding until we pass on to be with the Lord…yet we will get all that we need while we are here.  May we all take time to read God’s Word and may the peace of the Lord be with you.  Amen.

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

Psalm 119:105

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

The Same Power

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If confess your sins and believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord then the same power that rose Jesus from the grave lives in you.  Before Jesus died, He spoke about a Counselor that will come once He ascends and that this Spirit will be our guide.  Take a look at the Gospel of John 14:15-21…we are not left alone to fend for ourselves.  The Lord is with us and we must learn to trust Him and turn to Him regarding every aspect of our lives.  Believe in the power of God, surrender your plans to God and seek His plan and trust in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord and you will find peace.  Amen.

Same Power by Jeremy Camp

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“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”

Romans 8:11

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

Be Courageous

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Faith takes courage, to believe in what we hope for and not what we see.  It takes courage to trust, even when we are unsure how things will turn out.  The world may call you foolish, in fact based on the bible, you should expect it.  It will take courage to stay on your faith journey when things get hard or don’t go the way you want…what you need to focus on is Jesus Christ and God’s Word.  God is with you…trust in Him, seek His will and be courageous.  Amen.

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“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

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

The Truth Is In God’s Word

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We can search the whole world over and never find the happiness that the human race is searching to discover…what we seek in not of this world.  True joy, love, peace and contentment can only be found with Jesus Christ.  The Bible has stood the ultimate test…the test of time.  It is based on truth and actual events in history…it is the unchanging Word of God.  It is given to us so that we can learn and live our lives centered on Christ and not ourselves or our personal agendas.  Read God’s Word daily and seek Him, for He is with you every step of the way.  Amen.

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“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God  may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17

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

Hope

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Our faith relies on hope and our hope is eternal because of Jesus and what He has done for us.  The events and circumstances of our lives are constantly trying to snuff out all hope…if we get distracted and put ourselves in the center of our lives instead of Christ, it becomes difficult to see any hope.  When we choose to live this way, focused on the self, we will be frustrated, disappointed and feel hopeless.  When we turn our attention to the Lord, when we read God’s Word and we pray we can find hope once again.  As it is written in Matthew 19:26 “…With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  May the hope that is found in Christ be with you this day.  Amen.

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“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13

(This photo was taken in July of 2017 at a lake place in northwestern Wisconson)

Love And Faithfulness

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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, so that is not a realistic goal and we are not to be the judge of others.  In the Gospel of John 13:34-35, Jesus gives us a new command of love, He is speaking about it at a time when one of His close disciples in going off to betray Him.  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.  Amen.

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“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

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 at sunrise on the island of Maui, Hawaii)

He Loves Us

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There is nothing in the world like God’s love for us…He sacrificed His one and only Son to save us…sin and suffering are the result of human behavior, all that is good comes from God.  Seek Him and His will for you.  Amen.

How He Loves by David Crowder Band

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“so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Ephesians 3:17-19

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

Questions

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God is infinite…humans are finite…we will not always understand ‘why’ something is happening…but we know we can always trust ‘who’ is in control for all aspects of our lives.

Give Me Jesus by Jeremy Camp

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“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

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

Ask, Seek, Knock

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God loves you…He is with…God cares for you…All that is good comes from God.

How Great Is Our God by Chris Tomlin

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

Matthew 7:7-8

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)