Life of Jesus

Life With The Spirit

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We can be content knowing God is in control.  No matter what the world does to try and keep us away, God is always with us.  We do not need to live in worry and anxiety when we put our trust in the Lord and seek His Word.  The bible talks about becoming a new creation, choosing to live different from the way of the world and the sinful nature.  Ask God to help you open the eyes of your heart and to see with the eyes of Jesus.  Live with God at the center of your life and you will find peace.  Amen.

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“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:31-32

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 at a park near Bayfield, Wisconsin)

Believe

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You most likely know the information and the stories written about in the bible.  You know the names of most of the books of the bible and many of the names of the people.  There is one name that is above every other name, there is one who did the unthinkable for the undeserving.  Jesus.  You know about Him…the question is do you believe it?  Believe in the power of God…believe in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord, who died and was rasied to life and lives in you today…when you believe you can achieve anything.  Amen.

Give Me Jesus by Jeremy Camp

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“He replied, “Because you have so little faith.  I tell you the truth, 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.”

Matthew 17:20-21

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

 

Renew Your Mind

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A time for daily devotion and reading of God’s Word is critical to feeding your spiritual life.  It helps with perspective, attitude and gratitude, it can be a guide to living if we are willing to take time to know Him who saved us.  Jesus Christ is the center of our faith, He sacrificed everything to save us…we do not deserve God’s mercy and grace and yet He loves us so much that He offers it to us anyways.  We are sinful, but we are redeemed because of Jesus.  Renew your mind with God’s Word and a prayer of thanksgiving to Jesus Christ.  Amen.

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“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Romans 12:2

(This photo was taken in September of 2014 on a walk in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Jesus

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We are saved because of Him.  We are forgiven.  We can find joy, peace and contentment in life because of Him.  Even when we have turned away from God, maybe for long period of time because we are frustrated or mad at God or we have been over come with doubt and fear.  He calls to us, He cares for us and He is The Way back to a relationship with God.  The things of this world will come and go…time, money, people and friendships.  The one constant for us, the one thing we know we can rely upon no matter what is happening or where we are in life…we can always rely on the love of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Give Me Jesus by Jeremy Camp

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“…I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

John 10:10

(This photo was taken in August of 2012 while hiking on the North Shore of Lake Superior)

Our Faith And Our Actions

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These two things are linked and interwoven together.  If we focus on only one without the other we are not complete.  A faith journey can begin on the inside, molding and shaping our thoughts and our attitude, as we grow, we begin to show what we have learned in our actions and our behaviors towards others.  We have had the best example possible set for us in the life of Christ.  He not only spoke the Words of faith and taught others, he went out and lived it…He befriended the hurting, the sick, the lonely and the mistreated and came to bring healing to our broken world.  When we are able to join our faith and our actions they feed us, help us to grow and bring joy and peace.  Amen.

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“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.  My command is this:  Love each other as I have loved you.”

John 15:11-12

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

 

The Facts Of Faith

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Jesus Christ was born and lived life as a human being for 30+ years. He performed miracles that thousands of people witnessed and recorded. He was arrested, beaten, presented to the people as a criminal. He was innoccent and yet He was sentenced to death. He was flogged and finally He was crucified and died. His body was placed in a tomb and it was sealed…this is not the end of the story. Three days later Jesus Christ rose from the the dead, many came to the tomb but He was not there, His body was never found, after His resurrection He was seen several more times, the fact is Jesus Christ is alive and living with God our Father in heaven. “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6

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“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 15:57

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 near Colorado Springs, Colorado)

Be Humble

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When we take time to reflect and think about how we interact with others and what our relationships with others look like, what do we see?  Are we good listeners?  Do we seek feedback?  How do we handle missteps or miscommunications?  The triat of humility is lost on many in the world.  If we want to learn about it we should read about the ultimate example of humility in the bible, turn to the Gospel of John, chapter 13…that is a standard of humility all of us can learn from…may we all seek to find ways to be humble in this world.  Amen.

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“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.  Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.  I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

John 13:13-15

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)

To Know Him

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As it has been said, faith is a journey not a destination.  So what does that mean?  For me it is about making progress, every day.  We learn, we pray, we live, we give thanks, we cry for help, we forgive others and we learn some more.  We are human, we live in a broken and fallen world.  Nobody is perfect, even if their social media profiles try to project it.  We are not made to do this life alone.  We need to know Him, Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.  He gave His life to save us and to reconcile us to God.  Give faith a chance, spend time learning about Jesus Christ and His birth, His life, His teachings, His death and His resurrection.  Pickup God’s Word and seek Him daily, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.  Amen.

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“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Proverbs 9:10

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

Savior

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His mercy…His grace…His forgiveness…His sacrifice…His death…His resurrection and His love. All of this and more means Jesus Christ has fought the battle and won. He has saved us and we can be reconciled with God. Seek Him and the message of Good News in God’s Word. He gave His all to save you because He loves you just the way you are. May the love of Christ comfort you and encourage you this day. Amen.

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“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 on a lake in central Minnesota)

Gifts For Your Faith Journey

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Each one of us has been blessed with gifts, abilities, strengths.  God created us out of His love and our love for God can be expressed best by using the gifts He has given us for good things.  The hesitation or fear we sense when we are unsure about things can be very uncomfortable…we must be willing to take time and reflect on times when God has showed up and we were made aware of our gifts.  We also need to be sure to be in prayer and not take all our cues about who we are or what we can do from the world as evil and darkness wants us to do very little in relation to what God intended for us.  Our Faith is a journey and the best part is God packed our bag full of the right things for us to take on this journey…it is up to us to be sure we talk with Him about it often and use the things God has given us.  I pray we all have courage, confidence and trust in the Lord until the day we go home to be with Him.  Amen.

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“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share in your master’s happiness!”

Matthew 25:21

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