“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
John 14:26 NIV
Holy Spirit by Francesca Battistelli
Our Guide…our Advocate…our Counselor…the very presence of God. Amen.
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but one of power, love, and self-discipline.[a]”
2 Timothy 1:7 NIV
(This photo was taken in April of 2016 at a lake in central Minnesota)
“May your unfailing love be my comfort,
according to your promise to your servant.”
Psalm 119:76 NIV
There is only one source of true comfort…it is with the Lord. Everyone is struggling with something, everyone. No matter what you can see or what they say, there is a battle within each one of us. God provided the way to have a relationship with Him through the death and resurrection of His Son…it is up to us to trust Him in order to be comforted by Him. Amen.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV
(This photo was taken in May of 2014 at a lake in central Minnesota)
“I love you, Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield[b] and the horn[c] of my salvation, my stronghold.”
Psalm 18:1-2 NIV
“Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Nehemiah 8:10 NIV
(This photo was taken in May of 2020 at Cascade State Park in northern Minnesota)
“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
John 4:24 NIV
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:26-27 NIV
Holy Spirit By Francesca Battistelli
“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 NIV
(This photo was taken in July of 2018 while on a walk in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)
“When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” [21] [a]
Matthew 17:14-21 NIV
Believe in Jesus, confess your sins and seek to grow your relationship with Him. He loves you; He is with you and He is for you. Seek Him first every day and you will find joy and peace. Amen.
“Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 20:29 NIV
(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at Arches National Park in Utah)
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14-16 NIV
When we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died and was resurrected to save us from our sins and we confess our sins to God…the Holy Spirit will come into us. It is not a feeling and not an emotional state of mind it is the presence of God living in us and working through us. When we surrender our old way of thinking and we live with the Holy Spirit pouring through our hearts and minds the results will be the Fruit of the Spirit flowing through us in our thoughts, words and our actions. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Philippians 4:6 NIV
“Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
When you don’t know what to do…Pray. Cry out to God for help. Tell God about your worries and fears. He is with you. He is for you. He sent His Son to die on the Cross to save you…there isn’t anything He can’t do. Surrender your ways and look and listen for His ways.
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Luke 11:9 NIV
(This photo was taken in May of 2014 at a lake in central Minnesota)
“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 NIV
The world is broken. We all have sinned yet because of Jesus and what He has done for us we can have Hope no matter what is happening. God gives us hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He has shown us that even after the most tragic circumstances have occurred, He can bring about good. Look at nature as an example…in winter the trees look dead, lifeless…then spring comes and there is new life…the warmth and lush green of summer is joyful and then the colorful beauty of fall creates scenic views only the Creator could design. Trust is the Lord, do good things to help others and live with Hope from God. Amen.
“Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.”
Psalm 23:6 NIV
(This photo was taken in February of 2013 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)
“The Holy Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And the person who hears should say, “Come!” Anyone who is thirsty should come. Anyone who wants to take the free gift of the water of life should do so.”
Revelation 22:17 NIRV
The water of life comes only from Jesus Christ. Just like our bodies must be fed and hydrated, we must feed and nourish our faith for it to be strong and to grow. It is so easy to become too busy and to drift away from God with everyday life and events. Our source of strength and hope is the living water that comes from Christ. Amen.
“Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
John 4:13-14 NIV
(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)
“For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”[a] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”
2 Corinthians 4:5-6 NIV
Our purpose is to learn about and believe in Him who loves us and sacrificed Himself for us… and then to shine a light on God’s love, God’s mercy and God’s grace for others to see not for ourselves but for God. We can show God to others by who we are in how we treat others and by our actions and behaviors. Shine a light in this dark world and trust in the Lord. Amen.
“No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. 18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.“
Luke 8:16-18 NIV
(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)
Take Your Faith With You 