Do Not Be Afraid

November 16, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

God is with you…wherever you are…whatever your circumstances…no matter what you have done or left undone…God promised He would never leave you or abandon you. If you can’t see Him…look at things differently than you have been. Pick up God’s word and learn about Him so that you can see. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.

DSC08489 publish

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:8

(This photo was taken in December of 2013 on a walk in northwestern Wisconsin)

This Is Love

November 14, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Sacrifice…Savior…Salvation. The actions of God through Jesus Christ were done to save us. We don’t deserve it, we can’t earn it by doing good things, it is given to us. We can accept it; we can stay close to Him by meeting with Him daily and we can do good things to help others to learn and know about Him. May the love of God comfort us today. Amen.

DSC06483 publish

“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 4:10

(This photo was taken in March of 2013 at the Botanical Gardens in the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada)

Be Transformed

October 25, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

To change…modify…reshape…rebuild…reconstruct…renew. A transformation is the creation of a new way, a new way of thinking, a new approach. For something or someone to be transformed the old ways and old thoughts must be broken down so that the new way can be created. Transformation is personal and it is not easy…we should be careful that we do not assume that one person’s transformation will be the same as another person. The greatest power we have in the transformation process is prayer. Take time to be with God in prayer and be transformed. Amen.

DSC_0091 publish

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:1-2

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

Seek God’s Will

October 24, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we pray the Lord’s prayer, which is written in the Gospel of Matthew 6:9-13, verse 10 states…“your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Take a moment to think about that…we are asking for the will of God to be done on earth every time we pray this prayer. So, after we speak the words, what’s next? God’s will is done by people willing to seek Him and His will rather than their own wants and desires. But then we think, ‘then I won’t get what I think is right for me.’ The thing is what we do receive is so much more than we ever imagined possible on our own with our own plan. We need to learn to trust in the Lord and seek His will. Amen.

DSC_0664 publish

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God…”

Colossians 1:9-10

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

He Lives In You

October 22, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The Spirit of God resides in the heart of every believer. You may ask, how do I know? We know it not because we can see the Holy Spirit but rather, we can see what the Holy Spirit can do. He comforts us during difficult times, He gives us courage and guides us when we don’t know what to do next and He gives us peace at the most unexpected times. Trust in the Lord and listen for the Holy Spirit. Amen.

DSC_0274 publish

“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

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

Timing

October 15, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We spend so much effort trying to line things up, make things happen just the way we want, just when we want…as if we are in complete control…when will we learn? The timing of events in life are not up to us! God is in control…we would do well to acknowledge Him and wait patiently for His timing. Put your hope in God and trust He is doing good things in your life. Amen.

DSC06842 publish

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

Lamentations 3:25-26

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota)

Listen

September 24, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Prayer doesn’t always have to be about you talking…listening is just as important to your relationship with God. If we are always the one speaking how can we be open to hearing what God is trying to tell us? This is an especially hard thing to do if we lack patience. The world keeps giving us the messages of faster, now, immediate gratification and savings! Yet God does not exist on our time table. Whatever is weighing you down, whatever is troubling you or has you worried Today…surrender it to Jesus Christ, ask Him to guide you with it, don’t pick it up again, leave it at the foot of the Cross then wait and listen for God. Amen.

DSC_0604 publish

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”

Revelation 3:20

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while traveling on Beartooth Pass in Montana)

Living Hope

September 18, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Hope in this world mostly gets aligned with wishful thinking in general conversations. This hope is not sure, not firm and is not based on belief. The hope talked about in the Bible is hope that believes and knows God’s promises for good things. This hope is supported by our actions and behaviors. The hope we receive from Christ is a hope that knows that God is for us and working for our good, even when, especially when the visible evidence is against it. The hope from God’s Word tells us to not give up or surrender to sin and doubt, rather know that God is with you and you can trust in Him…not for the things you believe you should have but for the things God knows that you need. May the God of all hope be present in your daily walk. Amen.

DSC_1601 publish

“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 September of 2016 on a lake in central Minnesota)

The Promise Fulfilled

September 4, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The birth of Jesus Christ fulfills the promises made in the Old Testament. In Genesis 3 and Isaiah 7 as well as Isaiah 53 and in other verses the Lord makes known the coming of the Savoir…a new covenant…One who will be a Light for Israel as well as the Gentiles. Jesus came down from heaven to reconcile us with God…He sacrificed everything He had and His life as a man for you and me. God fulfills His promises…trust in Him for every area of your life. Amen.

DSC_0664 publish

“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 July of 2016 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Get Back To God

August 29, 2019 / mcalcagno / 1 Comment

When we wander off in the world and go our own way, as opposed to staying connected to God, we eventually will get weary or bored and frustrated. When what we are pursuing in life is not tied to God’s plan or God’s will for us it will become drudgery. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ helps our spiritual awareness, we can learn to know when something is not right for us and we will have the courage to speak honestly about it. Today’s verse below does not say ‘I can do anything I want…’, it is speaking about doing the things that God wants us to do even when we are unsure that we can do them. Get back to God’s plan and His will and you will have peace. Amen.

DSC_0150 publish