God’s Promises

His Sacrifice, Our Salvation

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“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Romans 8:31 NIV

Nobody loves us as much as God loves us…Jesus gave up heaven with the Father to come down to earth as one of us…from the glory of the angels singing to a manger as a baby on earth, to save us, yet there was no room for Him.  Make room for Him in your heart, seek Him and trust in God.  He loves you and wants good things for you.  Amen.

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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

(This photo was taken in April of 2020 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Learn And Share God’s Word

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“The law of the Lord is perfect,

    refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
    giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
    giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
    enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.

10 They are more precious than gold,
    than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
    than honey from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.”

Psalm 19:7-11 NIV

Consistent, daily study of God’s Word is essential for spiritual growth.  Any relationship needs time spent together to grow…spend time with God and with God’s Word.  Amen.

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“Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.“

Psalm 1:1-3 NIV

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

The Promised One

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“Therefore the Lord himself will give you[a] a sign: The virgin[b] will conceive and give birth to a son, and[c] will call him Immanuel.”[d]

Isaiah 7:14 NIV

“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 NIV

God promised to send us a Savior, He kept that promise when He sent His one and only Son.  Jesus can do everything, anything.  We are not meant to be alone…we are made for relationship and God sent His promised One to earth to save us and be with us.  We have a Savior who sacrificed Himself for us and He is wating to hear from you…His name is Jesus.

What A Beautiful Name by Hillsong Worship

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“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 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 1:9-14 NIV

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

God’s Promises

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“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

2 Peter 1:2-4 NIV

God’s promises are many and they are throughout the Bible.  He promises salvation, to give you rest, to strengthen you, to provide for your needs, to protect you, to never leave you and so many more.  The key is do you believe Him and do you trust Him?  Consider what God has done, what He is doing and what He has promised will come.

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“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
    Cush[a] and Seba in your stead.
4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
    and because I love you,…”

Isaiah 43:1-4 NIV

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

He Makes All Things New

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“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!”

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

Anything is possible with God.  No matter what you have been through or what you are going through…God can make all things new.  Not on our timeline or when we want it…yet according to His plan.  His plan and His way is better.  God is with you and God is for you…He has shown you how much He loves you by sending His Son to the Cross to die for you and through the resurrection He has made your relationship with Him new.  Choose God’s way and His plan…He makes all things new!

All Things New by Steven Curtis Chapman

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“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2020 at sunrise by a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

Pray

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“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

One of the most powerful things we can do is pray.  Not according to the worlds standard of doing something…this statement is based purely on what God has instructed us to do.

When We Pray by Tauren Wells

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“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

Ephesians 6:18 NIV

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

Sharing God’s Love

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“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 13:34-35 NIV

Everything we do should come from love for God and love for one another…we can trust in Him; He will provide for our needs.  For some of us the hardest part about faith is believing that God wants good things for us.  Either because of shame or guilt we know we don’t measure up to God’s standard…yet God knows all of this and that is why He sent Jesus Christ to save us.  Don’t wait until you’ve turned your life around to say you are ready to come to God.  Go now…go to your Savior and Lord and confess your sins and He will lead you and guide you so that you can share His love with others.

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“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

Romans 12:9-13 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2021 at Bear Lake in Yellowstone National Park)

Joy In God’s Promises

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“Therefore the Lord himself will give you[c] a sign: The virgin[d] will conceive and give birth to a son, and[e] will call him Immanuel.”[f] 

Isaiah 7:14 NIV

“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.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.”

Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV

The promises of God are throughout the Bible.  God has kept every promise He made…the last promise that will be fulfilled is when Jesus returns.  One of the greatest promises God made and fulfilled is the promise of Jesus.  The Book of Isaiah spoke about the coming Savior 700 years before it was fulfilled…700 years.  Think about that…in the world today that is over 7 generations of a family.  That strikes me with awe and wonder about how our lives are only a moment in God’s amazing story.  It helps me reset my perspective…God is in control not me…His will, not mine.  He is the Creator and what is so incredible about that is He loves us and wants a relationship with us so much that He sent and sacrificed His Son to reconcile us to Him.  During this Christmas season, make time to think about the birth of Christ and the Joy we can have because of God’s promises. Amen.

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“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”

Luke 2:8-11 NIV

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

The Good News Will Cause Great Joy

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“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.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.”

Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV

O Holy Night by Point Of Grace

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“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”

Luke 2:10-11 NIV

(This photo was taken in December of 2018 on Paradise Island in the Bahamas)

Joy Because Of Who God Is

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“Shout for joy, you heavens;
    rejoice, you earth;
    burst into song, you mountains!
For the Lord comforts his people
    and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.”

Isaiah 49:13 NIV

We can have Joy because God is who He says He is…God’s character, His love, His grace, His mercy, His compassion and the comfort of His presence.  These things and many more things about God is why we can have Joy when we choose to believe in Him and have a personal relationship with Him.  Seek the Lord and you will know Joy.

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

9 The Lord is good to all;
    he has compassion on all he has made.”

Psalm 145:8-9 NIV

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