God’s love

Give Thanks To The Lord

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“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 can not 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.  Amen.

Forever by Chris Tomlin

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“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 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 along Beartooth Pass in Montana)

He Did It All For You

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“But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.”

Isaiah 53:5-6 NIV

From Genesis to Revelation the over-arching theme of the Bible is God’s love…this love is not a guarantee that life will be easy and always pleasant…yet it is a love that is consistent, based on facts and comes to us directly in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Open your heart and mind to Jesus every day…everything He did was done for you.  Amen.

End Of The Beginning by David Phelps

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“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 April of 2016 at a lake in central Minnesota)

Is He Worthy?

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“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.  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

As we travel on the journey of faith, we will encounter questions and doubts along the way…that is natural and it is ok.  We need to remember that the one simple truth of faith is that Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself to save us and reconcile us to God because He loves us.  His love for us will conquer every battle in our lives.  He is worthy of our thanks and praise.  Thank you God, for your Son Jesus Christ…Amen.

Is He Worthy? by Chris Tomlin

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“In a loud voice they were saying:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
    to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
    and honor and glory and praise!”

Revelation 5:12 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Christ-Centered Humility

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“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

Ephesians 2:4-5 NIV

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

John 14:6 NIV

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“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20 NIV

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a park in Winterset, Iowa)

His Love Endures Forever

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“The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
    slow to anger and rich in love.”

Psalm 145:8 NIV

Trouble will come…we will experience suffering and loss in this world…yet we do not need to have fear and we do not need to be afraid.  We are loved by God with a love that is greater than anything we face.  Pursue a personal relationship with Jesus Christ our Savior and our Lord, meet with Him every day…He sacrificed everything to save you because He loves you and His love will endure forever.  Amen.

Forever by Michael W Smith

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

Psalm 136:1 NIV

(This photo was taken in May of 2014 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

His Sacrifice For Our Salvation

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“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 NIV

 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:45 NIV

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“He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
    and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
    nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

4 Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.”

Isaiah 53:2-6 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2012 on a walk near Plymouth, Minnesota)

There Is No Rock Like Our God

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“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield[a] and the horn[b] of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Psalm 18:2 NIV

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“There is no one holy like the Lord;
    there is no one besides you;
    there is no Rock like our God.”

1 Samuel 2:2 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2015 at Red Rocks Park near Morrison, Colorado)

Taste And See

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“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

Psalm 34:8 NIV

If ever there was a time to explore faith…to grab a bible, sit down and ask God the questions you want to ask…if ever there was a time to be able to step away from the busyness and read what God has said in the bible.  As with everything, the current days  are all about your perspective…you can choose to complain about what you can’t do or where you aren’t able to go…and focus on why a self-serving life is not satisfying…or you can take the opportunity to learn more about God your creator and to seek a relationship with Jesus Christ…take time to taste and see what faith is all about.  Amen.

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“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

1 Peter 2:1-3 NIV

(This photo was taken in December of 2018 while visiting the Bahamas)

Trust In The Lord

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“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV

A vital element to any relationship is trust.  If there is a lack of trust everything else that comes after that will be filled with negativity and the relationship will erode and break apart.  Trust takes effort, commitment and humility.  Trust works like a bank account…you build it over time making deposits and it can disappear quickly with big withdrawals.  The most important relationship for each of us is our relationship with Jesus Christ.  We can trust in Him because of who He is and what He has done for us…to learn more read about Him, His birth, His life, His death and His resurrection and know that He did it for you…because He loves you.  Amen.

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“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

(This photo was taken in August of 2012 while hiking on the North Shore of Lake Superior)

With God, Anything Is Possible

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“For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Luke 1:37 NIV

“But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Matthew 19:26 NIV

Spend time in your relationship with God…remember the things He teaches us.  Keep doing good things and doing your best according to His Word.  Keep praying, keep believing…keep moving towards God.  The next moment might be the best moment…a breakthrough is coming if you are willing to be persistent and patient.  Anything is possible with God…God is working even when you can’t see it.  Praise be to God.

Haven’t Seen It Yet by Danny Gokey

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“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Ephesians 4:1-6 NIV

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