Be Strong And Courageous

October 5, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Meet with God daily. Pick a time and quiet place for you to be with God. He is our Creator…His Son is our Savior and He gives us the Holy Spirit as a guide for the darkness of this world. God is with you and He loves you and wants good things for you and your life…be strong and courageous…turn towards God, trust Him and live. Amen.

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“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

(This photo was taken in October of 2013 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Holy Living

October 4, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

As we learn about Jesus and we read God’s Word, we find that the life God wants for us is not all about money…that message comes from sin and the world, that message is about selfishness. To live a holy life doesn’t cost money, it is about who you are and how you treat others. If you spend all your time comparing yourself to others and worried about what you don’t have you are setting yourself up to be miserable. Trust God, listen to the words of Jesus and live as God’s Word has taught us to live. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.

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“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Colossians 3:12-14

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 while on a walk in northwestern Wisconsin)

What Matters Most

October 3, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Belief. In the Apostles’ Creed there are three statements that begin with ‘I believe…’ Those statements refer to God the Father, Jesus Christ His only Son and the Holy Spirit. Faith is a journey and one of the first and most important steps on this journey is to face the question…What do you believe? Your beliefs guide your values and your perspective and those will drive your words and your actions. Every day is a new opportunity to feed your mind information about what you believe…no matter what your past has been…start or continue today to read the Word of God and what Jesus Christ said about life, love, faith and hope. What matters most is what you believe. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.

We Believe by The Newsboys

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“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 10:9

(This photo was taken in June of 2018 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Believe It!

October 1, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The Creator of all things knows you. He loves you and wants to have a personal relationship with you. He is greater than anyone and anything you will encounter in this world. When we walk with Him, we can conquer anything in this life. You are loved…you are forgiven…you have been saved. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.

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“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Romans 8:31

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Trust Requires Patience

September 30, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

God is working for good things in our life…we must be willing to wait for Him. If we believe and know Jesus Christ is the Son of God and we confess our sins, and we know the sacrifice that Jesus made to save us…then we know how much God loves us and how far He will go to care for us. As it says in Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Trust in the Lord, wait for Him and good things will come. Amen.

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“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Psalms 27:13-14

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

Pray Faithfully

September 26, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

No matter what your circumstances are, make time to pray. If everything is going well and you are feeling good, say a prayer of thanks. If it feels like the world is crashing down around you, say a prayer for courage and strength. Prayer is our primary way of connecting with the Lord. It is about spending time with Him and walking with Him. Think about it this way…if God is like that person you pass in the hall at work or at school every day and you only exchange a hello or hi and never have a real conversation, how can you know God and His plan for you any better than you know this person? Invest time in your relationship with God, pray faithfully. Amen.

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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.”

Philippians 4:6

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

Stand Firm In The Faith

September 25, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Faith is most difficult when everything around us is telling us to doubt and have fear. The overwhelming message from the world is don’t believe…it takes courage to believe and to stand firm in your belief and if you have a solid relationship with the Lord, He will give you courage when it seems hopeless. If you are unsure of your relationship with God…begin a daily time for prayer and reading God’s Word and stick with it. There is no right way or wrong way to make time to be with God, the best way is to just start doing it. All things are possible with God. Amen.

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“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

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

Take Heart!

September 22, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

In the bible we are told over and over that in this world we will have trouble…there will be suffering. The prince of darkness and evil does not stop working to keep us away from God…and in some cases we make it very easy for him. And yet we are surprised that things go wrong or don’t work that way we want them to. The Word of God is clear and the words of Jesus are written in red ink for us in the bible…who is blessed, how to live, how to pray, ways to share and serve others…and it is all repeated for us from 4 different writers to be sure we get the message…pick up a bible and read what Jesus Christ had to say. God loves you; He is with you and He forgives you. Seek a relationship with His Son Jesus Christ and you will have peace. Amen.

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“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

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

Strength

September 19, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

All that we need is provided by God. It is easy to give up and believe that something is never going to change or get better and frankly the majority of people do exactly that…the strength to keep working for good comes from God. Reading God’s Word and spending time with Him in prayer renews your spirit and your mind. When we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and we see what He has done, we know that God is working for our good in all things…do not give up…whatever it is, whoever it is…don’t give up…bring it to the Cross of Christ. Amen.

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“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Philippians 4:13

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

This Is Love…

September 17, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Jesus came down from heaven…He came in human form as a baby…He taught the people how to live…He showed people kindness and compassion…He showed everybody love…He was treated terribly by others…He was beaten…He was tortured…He was crucified and died…and He did all of it for you and for me. God loves us so much that He sent His Son to save us. Thank you, Jesus…Amen.

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