Grace

Anything Is Possible

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

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

Matthew 19:26 NIV

Why do we doubt so much?  Why is it so hard for us to believe what may be possible with God?  When we are willing to surrender to His plan and His way in His time, there’s no telling what can happen.  Look at the stories in the bible…Abraham and Sarah had a child they had so longed for when Sarah was 90…the 5000 were fed when all that was available to eat was a few fish and some bread…Lazarus is raised from the dead after being gone for four days…and there are so many more examples.  When God is involved in a situation anything is possible.  We must turn to Him first with whatever we are facing and remember He is not a genie in a bottle who sometimes grants wishes…He is our creator, our savior and our guide who always has good things in store for us.  Trust in the Lord and watch to see what He has in store for you.  May the joy of the Lord be with you.  Amen

DSC_0699 publish

“For nothing is impossible with God.”

Luke 1:37 NIV

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

Amazing Grace

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Romans 3:22-24 NIV

Amazing Grace by Chris Tomlin

DSC_98 publish

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV

(This photo was taken in June of 2018 near the border of Minnesota and South Dakota)

To Know Him And To Make Him Known

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
    or the strong boast of their strength
    or the rich boast of their riches,
24 but let the one who boasts boast about this:
    that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
    justice and righteousness on earth,
    for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah 9:23-24 NIV

Our purpose, to Know Him…our ministry, to make Him Known.  Amen.

DSC_0894 publish

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20 NIV

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

God’s Grace

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

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

Romans 5:8 NIV

God’s grace is greater than all of our sins.  We know we are weak and we live in a fallen world…God knows us too.  He knew we needed a way of salvation and He provided it through Jesus Christ.  When temptation comes we need to turn towards God and His Word to strengthen us, the same way Jesus spoke the Scriptures when Satan tempted Him in the desert.  When you do make a mistake or fail to resist temptation call on God because His Grace is greater than our sin.  Amen.

DSC_0283 publish

“God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2022 at Jenny lake in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming)

Come Near To God

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.”

Psalm 145:18 NIV

Jesus Christ came down from heaven to live as one of us…throughout the Old Testament there is a back and forth between God and humans as they would come close to Him and then wander off into sin.  God would save them and they would come close again and then wander off again…and on and on it went.  Then God changed everything by sending His one and only Son into the world.  Jesus Christ is our Savior, our Redeemer, He has paid the price for our sins and reconciled us back to God, forever.  Come near to God and stay close to Him…no matter what comes your way.  Amen.

DSC_0462 publish

“Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

James 4:8 NIV

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 at Temperance State Park on Lake Superior)

Attitude

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”

Philippians 2:3-5 NLT

A way of thinking…a point of view…outlook…perspective…belief.  How would you define your attitude toward God?  What is His role?  How much time during a typical week are we thinking about God?  The Bible has many of examples of different people and their attitude towards God, it describes their beliefs and actions.  There is a lot for us to learn from those people.  From Genesis to Revelation, we read about those who put God at the center of their lives and those who did not.  The best example of an appropriate attitude towards God is that of Jesus Christ…He took time daily to walk with God and this is what He seeks from us as well.  Spend time with Jesus every day and pray about your attitude towards God.  Amen.

2012-07-28_06-10-38_909 (2) (640x361)

“He has showed you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Micah 6:8 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2012 on a walk in northwestern Wisconsin)

Grace

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV

“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.”

Isaiah 53:5 NIV

It is because of God’s grace that the battle has already been won…we are forgiven…we are healed…we are saved by Grace.  Nothing can separate us from Him who loves us.  Praise Him for Amazing Grace.  Amen.

Amazing Grace by Chris Tomlin

DSC07415 publish

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 in Rocky Mountian National Park)

Contentment

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”

1 Timothy 6:6-9 NIV

The worldly ways and worldly values say ‘get more’, ‘you need more’, ‘you are not enough’…this is evil working to keep us focused on ourselves and not on God.  The truth is we are not enough on our own and I am not talking about in the pursuit of worldly values…I am referring to our need for God and our relationship with Jesus Christ.  When we recognize that because of sin we will never be good enough on our own we can turn towards God who has saved us by sacrificing His Son and live content knowing we are saved by faith.

DSC_0081 publish

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Philippians 4:11-13 NIV

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

You Choose Each Day

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:15 NIV

God created us with free will…the ability to choose our actions and behaviors.  The reason is because a love worth having is love that is chosen, however, the risk is people will choose to reject God.  We were created out of love and as we live we can choose whom we will follow.  How do you choose to live this day?

DSC_0597 publish

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

Lamentations 3:22-24 NIV

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

His Sacrifice

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“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

God knows we are weak and unable to save ourselves from sin.  No matter how hard we try to do good things we slip and fall…we make mistakes even with good intentions.  God knows this and so He sent His Son to close the gap between Him and us.  Jesus has done what we are unable to do…we didn’t earn it and we don’t deserve it yet He took our punishment so that we can draw near to God.  Don’t take for granted what Jesus Christ has done and is doing in your life.  May God’s peace be with you.  Amen.

DSC_0005 (2) publish

“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.”

Isaiah 53:5 NIV

(This photo was taken in April of 2021 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)