Living Hope

December 7, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, ⁵who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

1 Peter 1:3-9

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“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

John 8:36

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

Prepare The Way For The Lord

December 6, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

God’s story and God’s plan is greater than our self-oriented desires…we are a part of His story, not the other way around. We all have been given certain gifts to use while we are here…our job is to recognize the gifts we have been given and to use them to help others. We are to do our part to Prepare the Way for the coming of the Lord when He returns. Amen.

“…as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way”^[a]—
³“a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”^[b]

Mark 1:2-3

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“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”

John 3:36

(This photo was taken in October 0f 2014 at sunrise on the island of Maui, Hawaii)

All Who Call On Him

December 5, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
¹⁸The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.”

Psalm 145:17-18

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

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

Psalm 145:8-9

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 along the North Shore of Lake Superior)

All Who Are Thirsty

December 4, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Come, all you who are thirsty,
    come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without cost.
²Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
    and you will delight in the richest of fare.”

Isaiah 55:1-2

“On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”^[a]

John 7:37-38

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“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

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

Jesus

December 3, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

⁹The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹²Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

¹⁴The 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 1:6-14

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“He must become greater; I must become less.”^[a^]

John 3:30

(This photo was taken in April of 2016 at sunrise at a lake in central Minnesota)

Recognize God’s Way

December 2, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”

1 Corinthians 1:25

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“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹so that no one may boast before him. ³⁰It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. ³¹Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”^[a]

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

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

All Things New

December 1, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:^[a] The old has gone, the new is here!”

2 Corinthians 5:16-17

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; ²³to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Ephesians 4:22-24

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 along the North Shore of Lake Superior)

Listen And Be Encouraged

November 30, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. ²¹Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

James 1:19-21

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“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³²Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:29-32

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

A Savior Is Born

November 29, 2020 / 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

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12

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