He came to save you and me…He took the punishment we all deserve…How many others have done that for us? Sharing one of my favorite songs this time of year. May the peace of the Savior be with you. Amen.
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12
(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while traveling through North Dakota)
This time of year can be joyful and it can be painful…depending on your journey and the road you have traveled to get here. The message of Christmas is the same today as it was thousands of years ago back in that manger. Jesus Christ was born; the Savior has come to save us all from all of our sins. He came to save all of us no matter who we are or where we came from, He came to save us no matter what we have done or what we have left undone…it is never too late to turn towards Jesus Christ, accept Him as your Savior and Lord and confess your sins. He knows you; He loves you and He is waiting to hear from you. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.
“The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.”
Proverbs 18:10
(This photo was taken in August of 2016 while exploring Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)
Emmanuel.
“For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14
(This photo was taken in June of 2013 at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota)
What have you been praying for but have not yet seen? Is it for you or someone else? Peace? Patience? Joy? A changed heart? For me, the hardest part of faith is surrender, trying to do my part for God’s plan and not trying to do too much to attempt to control the timing or the outcome of circumstances. Today’s verse below speaks directly to these times when we may feel frustrated and impatient. Trust the Lord and do good things…He has only good things planned for you. Amen.
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Romans 12:12
(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on the shore of Lake Superior near Ashland, Wisconsin)
God knows you…He knows what is happening in your life…He cares for you…He knows the pain, He knows the struggle, He knows about the battle you think nobody else knows about…He knows because Jesus Christ lived as a man on earth and experienced pain and suffering and temptation and He died…but then something wonderful happened…God raised Him from death to life and claimed victory over evil. Trouble will come to all of us and we have a Savior who is Christ the Lord who can lead us and guide through the difficult times in our lives. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
(This photo was taken in June of 2018 near the border of Minnesota and South Dakota)
Our guide…Our conscience…Comforter…Presence of God…Spirit of truth…Helper. When we believe in our hearts that Jesus is the Son of God and we confess our sins, God gives us the gift of His Holy Spirit to lead and guide us in our daily lives. Open your heart and mind to God’s Holy Spirit, seek His wisdom and you will find strength and peace. Amen.
Holy Spirit by Francesca Battistelli
“The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.”
1 John 3:24
(This photo was taken in March of 2018 while traveling in southern New Mexico)
In the Gospel of John chapter 10 we are given an answer to a question. Many of us haven’t even asked the question because we haven’t gotten very far in our faith journey, yet God knows there will be a time when we will want to know. That’s the thing about the bible, it really does have all the answers, that doesn’t mean we are going to like all the answers or that the answers are going to always be what we want them to be…still they are in there and it is up to us to choose to learn them. From my perspsective God’s formula is this (You + A relationship with Jesus = A full life) It’s simple but nobody ever said it was going to be easy. Peace be with you. Amen.
“…I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:10
(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)
No matter what has happened in the past, no matter what you are facing today and no matter what you are worried about for tomorrow…you can find rest for your soul when you put your hope in God. He alone knows what you are going through and He will never leave you or abandon you. Trust in God and trust in His Son Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Find Rest by Francesca Battistelli
“Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.”
Psalm 42:11
(This photo was taken in March of 2018 while traveling in southern New Mexico)
He is with you…He knows everything about you and your life…He knows the struggles, the sorrows, the celebrations, the grief and mourning, the joyful gatherings, He knows the desires of your heart. To draw near to God is to seek Him daily, to turn away from sin and our sinful behaviors and to trust in Him…this is not a slick, quick, fast-food process…it is a journey, a journey filled with questions, doubts, sacrifice, repentance, surrender, peace, joy and love. And if you wonder why…the answer is found in His love. Amen.
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you…”
James 4:7-8
(This photo was taken in June of 2013 at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota)
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.
“Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore 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)
Take Your Faith With You 