God’s love

Saved By Grace

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We do not choose God, He chose us.  He is our Creator, He sent His Son to reconcile us with Him.  He continues to be involved in our everyday with the Holy Spirit.  We have not earned this love nor do we deserve it for our behavior in this world.  God gives to you freely out of His deep abiding love for you.  No matter where you are or what is going on in your daily life…God loves you unconditionally…that is Grace.  Turn to Him, seek Him and His Word.  He is waiting to hear from you.  May God’s love and peace be with you.

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“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9

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

God Is Love

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Everything comes back to this…God is love.  Why did God create the world, the animals and us…God is love.  How did people in the Bible who had committed hurtful sins, like David, Rahab, Saul and others get used by God for the good of others…God is love.  Why did Jesus come down from heaven to be born a man, to suffer, be tempted, get crucified for who He is and rise from the dead…God is love.  In all that we are and all that we encounter everyday, it is most important to remember that we humans brought sin into this world and we are broken, but we are forgiven and we are saved because…God is love.  May God’s love and peace be with you.

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“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.”

1 John 4:16

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

Patience

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One of the hardest characteristics to develop and grow in this world is patience.  All around us is convenience, time-saving, be first, get it done…hurry hurry, we want it now!  Whew…take a moment…breathe.  The “rat race” as it has been called consumes so many people.  Let’s stop and think about that phrase…’rat race’…it has origins of a mouse or hamster in a cage running on a spinning wheel.  Working so hard and going nowhere.  We need the courage and strength to step off the spinning wheel.  The goals of the rat race give us nothing but anxiety, stress and the desire to move the bar higher causing more of the same pain and suffering.  One of my favorite quotes from Albert Einstein…‘the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result,’ sounds like the rat race to me.  Time to start making a change in how we live and the only way we can change is with patience and persistence.  Take a least one step each day out of the rat race and get into the race of faith…for the reward in that race is eternal life through Jesus Christ.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“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 3:9

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 in White Sands National Monument in New Mexico)

The Story Continues Today

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The Bible is not a book that tells a story about past events and is not relevant to today.  It is the Word of God and how God made the world out of love.  The people of the world both back then and now have chosen to reject God, so the stories of the old testament and the new testament are about God’s pursuit of the people in creation.  It is about the things He was and is doing to bring people back to His love.  In the old testament it was battles, kings and prophets and in the new testament it is the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ His one and only Son.  These stories are about God’s pursuit of humanity and it continues today.  Pick up a Bible and see your place in God’s pursuit of you and people all over the world.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

Psalm 119:105

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 along Beartooth Pass near the Montana and Wyoming border)

Confidence

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The bible is filled with promises by God and He fulfills those promises, not according to our standard rather, according to His.  We are always trying to fit God into our view of how things should be instead of surrendering ourselves to His view.  Every promise God has made has been completed, except for one.  He promises that Jesus will come back again to take us home and based on the history of promises kept a believer should have every confidence that Jesus will return.  It is written, He will come down from heaven, check…He will heal the sick and help the poor, check…He will be crucified and die, check…He will be risen and ascend to the Father, check…He will come again, still pending…this promise will be fulfilled according to God’s standard not ours.  May God’s peace be with you.

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

Psalms 27:13-14

(This photo was taken in June of 2012 while traveling through northwestern Wisconsin)

A Walk With God

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How can we feed our faith?  Why does it feel like faith is separate from the rest of life?  Where can I see God at work in my life?  All these questions and many more can be answered…by doing one thing in our life.  Take a daily walk with God.  Choose a time and a place, make it a top priority…other things will come up against it but don’t give up.  It takes a willingness to commit and you can pray for the strength to stick to it.  There is nothing more valuable to me and my faith journey then my time with God each morning.  There isn’t only one way or one time to do this, just be sure to have a version of the Bible that is right for you.  God knows you, He knows about your life, He knows about your joy and He knows about your sorrow…He even knows the things that very few people on earth know about you.  Take time to be with Him because He loves you like nobody else can.  Spend some time and take a walk with God every day.  May God’s peace and love be with you.

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“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.  Do everything in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

Faith, Hope And Love

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It is shocking and sad to venture out into the media of this world…so much focus on anger, malice, sexual immorality, greed, idolatry and evil desires.  So many people choosing to ignore God and sure to push anything aside that may reference God…and yet when evil kills and destroys…people wonder where is God in all this?  God is right here with us, in the midst of everything…people want a human view of God…if we could just have free will for the good things in life and then God could step in and stop the bad things from happening…God is not an official in a sporting event, waiting to blow the whistle on anyone who commits a foul.  God is about a personal relationship, if we want to know where is God in all this we need to start asking ourselves where am I in my relationship with God?

When we come to God we come with Faith…What is Faith?

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” – Hebrews 11:1

We come to God looking for Hope…Where is Hope?

“…because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” – Romans 5:3-5

When we come to God we look for Love…How does he Love us?

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8

May you have faith in the hope God provides with His love.

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“And now these three remain:  faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 13:13

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 at the Nakalele Blowhole on the north shore of Maui)

Transformation

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A process of change or alteration…on our faith journey this is a core element in growing your faith.  We come with questions, doubts, fears and hesitation.  All the answers eventually end up at Jesus.  It takes a different amount of time for each person to process the questions and doubts and fears but we all end up at the cross.  That is not the end…Jesus and the cross are the answers and when we continue in our life and journey we take that knowledge and face many of the same questions, doubts, fears and hesitations only now we approach the things of this world with a new perspective because we have been transformed.  The faith journey continues with the Holy Spirit guiding us, we can’t stop at the cross and not go out again into this fallen world…the love of God will change our perspective and we are to share that with others.  May God’s love and peace be with you.

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

2 Corinthians 4:6

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 in Badlands National Park in South Dakota)

Persistence

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In a world that focuses on self-serving convenience, fast, time-saving rushing around and immediate gratification it takes persistence and patience to stay on your faith journey and to grow your spirit.  You have to be willing to be different from the crowd at times and have the courage and confidence that God is with you always.  We will all make mistakes and wonder off, I certainly have, and God is always able to guide me back when I take the time to be with Him.  You won’t have all the answers and may not know all the reasons why…it won’t be easy, however, in the end when our time on earth is up it will all be worth it.  If you don’t believe it…just ask God.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“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 6:8-10

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 near Salem, North Dakota)

What Is Love?

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Living our life in relationships with others and living in a self-giving, self-humbling manner that shows us and others that we are together in this journey of life and faith.  Who you are as a person reflects the love in your heart, even when and especially when it is the hardest to love because others have treated you poorly.  When we get to the most difficult moments and life has been beating us down…the strength to be renewed will come from the love of God.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“This is how God showed his love among us:  He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love:  not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

1 John 4:9-10

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 at the Nakalele Blowhole on the island of Maui)