God’s Presence

August 27, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
²When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.
³For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;”

Isaiah 43:1-3 NIV

His Presence restores and renews us, it comforts us. It provides for us even when we are not paying attention to Him. He meets all our basic needs…our role is to believe in Him and obey His Word. His Word is not a burden or a bunch of rules…His Word and His Presence give life, comfort, peace and hope.

Think about circumstances and events in your life that have occurred in the last few days, weeks, months and years…God was with you…so where did you see Him? Trust in the Lord and remember He provides for you with His Presence. Amen.

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“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10 NIV

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

Come Near

August 25, 2023 / 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.

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“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)

God Is Greater Than…

August 24, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

1 John 4:4 NIV

No matter what you are facing, no matter what the circumstances are, no matter how bad the tragedy or trauma that has occurred…God is bigger than that…God is greater than anything you will encounter in this life. Believe it and put your faith, your hope and your trust in Jesus Christ.

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

²⁵The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
²⁶it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.”

Lamentations 3:22-26 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2022 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Commit Your Way

August 23, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.”

Psalm 37:5 NIV

Stand firm in faith. Trust God and His plan for you. We will not always see the way or understand His plan, yet we know that all good things come from God. Amen.

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“…But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:15 NIV

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

Contentment…Gratitude

August 22, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”^[a]

⁶So we say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?”^[b]

Hebrews 13:5-6 NIV

God is always with us…if God feels distant, it is because we have wandered off and away from Him. Believe in Jesus, confess your sin and invite Him into your life daily. He will be with you and He will lead and guide you forever. Thanks be to God.

Forever by Michael W. Smith

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“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.”

Psalm 136:1 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

We Have This Hope

August 21, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[i] have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28 NIV

Why should we have hope? Because the God of the universe, our Creator, loves us and He wants good things for us. How do we know? Because He sent His Son as a sacrifice to do for us that which we cannot do on our own…save us from our sinful ways. From the greatest tragedy, Jesus Christ death on the Cross, God brought about the greatest triumph, the resurrection of our Savior. No matter what has happened, no matter where you are…whatever you have done or left undone…there is hope because of God’s love for you and because He wants good things for you. Turn towards the Lord and bring everything to him. Amen.

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^“Let us hold firmly to the hope we claim to have. The God who promised is faithful. ²⁴Let us consider how we can stir up one another to love. Let us help one another to do good works. ²⁵And let us not give up meeting together. Some are in the habit of doing this. Instead, let us encourage one another with words of hope. Let us do this even more as you see Christ’s return approaching.”

Hebrews 10:23-25 NIRV

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

What Does Worry Do For You?

August 19, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?”

Matthew 6:25-27 NIV

It can consume us if we allow it to…worry. What does it do for us? Nothing.

We have a choice; we can sit and worry and stew about things or we can make use of the time we have by meeting with God about our worries and concerns. We can trust in Him to guide us and lead us. Do not worry, spend time with the Lord and you will find peace. Amen.

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“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Matthew 6:33-34 NIV

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

Attitudes And Behaviors

August 17, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Colossians 3:12-14 NIV

Attitude

by Charles Swindoll

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change that people will act a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you…we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

Different by Micah Tyler

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“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.“

Colossians 3:15-17 NIV

(This photo was taken in May of 2014 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

Believe

August 16, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“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. ¹⁶I 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.” ¹⁸Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

¹⁹Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁰He 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

We Believe by Eagle Brook Music

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“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)

Courage

August 15, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“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 NIV

God has promised to be with you wherever you go…still when we look around at the world or at our own worries, fears and frustrations…it’s easier to shrink back than to be bold and courageous, to play it safe rather than to go forward trusting in God. That is how living by faith is different than living the way the world promotes life. We are inundated with messages of self-center living and behaviors and it takes courage to strive to be different. Put your hope and your trust in God and His promises…follow the example of Jesus Christ. Be courageous.

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