Come Near To God

November 25, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

He is with you…He knows everything about you and your life…He knows the struggles, the sorrows, the celebrations, the grief and mourning, the joyful gatherings, He knows the desires of your heart. To draw near to God is to seek Him daily, to turn away from sin and our sinful behaviors and to trust in Him…this is not a slick, quick, fast-food process…it is a journey, a journey filled with questions, doubts, sacrifice, repentance, surrender, peace, joy and love. And if you wonder why…the answer is found in His love. Amen.

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“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Come near to God and he will come near to you…”

James 4:7-8

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

Faith Over Fear

November 24, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When facing struggles and suffering, we have a choice to act based on our faith or on our fears. Choose faith. Fear is a weapon of evil and a powerful one. When given the opportunity, faith can conquer fear. As with most things there is a certain amount of fear that is healthy, protective instinct and we all need that level for personal safety. An unhealthy level of fear is destructive and paralyzing and keeps us from the life God intends for us. Bring your fears to the Lord and let your faith be greater than your fear. Amen.

Fear Is A Liar by Zach Williams

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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. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in southern New Mexico)

Spiritual Renewal

November 23, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Our spiritual life, our souls rely on being fed and nourished just like our physical bodies. If we take time to feed our faith, ask questions, seek to learn and grow through many activities, we are encouraged and our faith can grow stronger. If we set aside our faith and seek only self-satisfying activity our faith will be weak, withered and unable to stand up against sin and destructive behaviors. This is not about fitting time with God into our lives, rather it is surrendering and having God lead us and guide us to the people and activities that need us. Spend time with the Lord each day and be renewed by His presence. Amen.

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“One thing I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple.”

Psalm 27:4

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

A Prayer

November 22, 2019 / mcalcagno / 1 Comment

There are many people written about in God’s word. They were people with lives on earth and time after time we read about the things they did in their life…they did some really bad things…lived sinful lives and hurt themselves and each other…scroll through your social media feed…turn on the a news channel…how are we any different today? We all have the same human sickness…sin and sinful behaviors. One person in the Old Testament, David, is described in Acts 13:22 as ‘a man after God’s heart’ this same man committed terrible sins when it came to a woman named Bathsheba. When confronted about his sin David wrote the words of Psalm 51 as a prayer for forgiveness of his sins. I find verses 10-12 of this Psalm powerful verses to memorize as a prayer when you are tempted by sin. May God’s grace and peace be with you. Amen.

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“Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.
¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

Psalm 51:10-12

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)

Prioritize

November 21, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Put first things first…when you don’t know what to do…when a decision is lingering and you are procrastinating…turn towards God’s word and pray. The more we put our relationship with Jesus first, the better we will be able to function in our daily lives. Too often, we want to keep God in a box off to the side with a sign that states ‘In Case of Emergency Break Glass.’ God wants more of a relationship with you every day, for every part of your life. Assess your relationship with the Lord and make spending time with Him top priority. May the peace and joy of the Lord be with you. Amen.

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“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Matthew 6:31-34

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 on a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

An Invitation

November 19, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Jesus invites us to follow Him. God’s love gives us the opportunity to choose to follow Christ and to live eternally in heaven and God’s gift of free will means we have a responsibility to own our choices. God wants a relationship with each one of us and a relationship is a two-way connection. He wants to be in relationship so much that He sacrificed His one and only Son to provide The Way. Take a look at Luke 5:27-28, Mark 10:17-31 as examples of Jesus extending an invitation to follow Him. No matter where you are or what your life circumstances are, you are invited to follow Jesus Christ. How will you choose to respond to His invitation? Amen.

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“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Matthew 7:13-14

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 in Badlands National Park in South Dakota)

He Will Come Back

November 17, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Jesus Christ will come again. We read about this is several places in the bible. It is His final promise and He has kept every single promise He ever made. Trust in God and trust in His Son, Jesus Christ who died to save you…who is the risen Lord and who is coming back to take us to be with Him, forever. Amen.

Give Me Jesus by Jeremy Camp

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“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

John 14:1-3

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

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.

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“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)

Gratitude

November 15, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Where do you see God today? If you think for a moment where did you see Him at work yesterday? When was the last time you recognized what God has done for you and you took time to give Him thanks? An attitude of gratitude starts by taking time to acknowledge what needs have been met by God in your life and offering thanks to God for those blessings. It is easy to slip into a mode where we take things or people for granted. A decision to be grateful is a change in perspective that can put to rest the worries and anxiety about what we don’t have and redirect us back to giving thanks to the Lord. Thanks be to God for His love, mercy and grace. Amen.

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“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalms 118:24

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

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.

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