Life

The Way Home

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We all have choices and decisions to make in life and each one leads us either closer to or further away from God.  God provides all that we need, an instruction manual for life…the Bible…He has provided the One who can lead us…Jesus Christ.  Meet with Jesus regarding the path you are on and follow Him…He is the only Way home.  Amen.

Home by Chris Tomlin

“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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“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[a] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Revelation 21:4

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

Who Is It?

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Who is knocking on the door of your heart and mind?  If it is Jesus, go to the door and open it and invite Him in…do not be afraid.  If it is something else…if it is the sinful nature and the way of darkness, do not open that door…seek your relationship with Jesus Christ and He will go to that door for you…because that is what He did when He died on the Cross to save you.  Who is knocking at the door of your heart and mind?  Amen.

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“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”

Revelation 3:20

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 while standing on one of the covered bridges near Winterset, Iowa)

The Price Of Salvation

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Today is the third day since Resurrection Sunday and we must caution against taking our salvation for granted.  For most people by now they are focused solely on the tasks of work or daily tasks at home and the glory of Christ sacrifice for us is in the rear-view mirror.  The faith journey and spiritual growth is about so much more than checking in on Sunday and checking out the rest of the week.  Seek your relationship with Jesus Christ every day, spend time with Him and in God’s Word.  May the peace of the Lord be with you.  Amen.

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“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8

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

The Lord Is Near

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He is closer than you think…He knows what is on your mind.  Take your thoughts, your gratitude and your worries and your burdens to God in prayer.  Be patient and persistent…pay attention to His responses in the many ways He speaks to us.  Trust in the Lord.  Amen.

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“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:4-7

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

Praise The Lord

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Thanks be to God and Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord.  We are forgiven and we are renewed…our purpose now is to love the Lord with all that we are and share the Good News of the Gospel with others.  We are to praise the Lord.  Amen.

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.”

Psalm 150:6

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“I love you, Lord, my strength.

2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield[b] and the horn[c] of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Psalm 18:1-2

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

He Has Risen!

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He has risen, indeed!  Hallelujah!  Jesus Christ has defeated Satan and He has defeated death.  Trust in Him for everything, every day…He lives in you.  Amen.

The Same Jesus by Matt Redman

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“They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.”

Luke 24:2-8

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a park in Winterset, Iowa)

The End Of The Beginning…

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Just when we think all is lost and we are struggling to know what to do…imagine how His disciples felt the day after He was crucified and before the resurrection…we must remember that with God all things are possible and if we wait and trust in Him, He will do good things, things we never thought were possible in our lives.  Amen.

End of the Beginning by David Phelps

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“Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. 54 It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.”

Luke 23:50-54

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Arches National Park in Utah)

A Sacrifice

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Jesus gave up so much and suffered so much for you and me.  In choosing a life led by faith we are gaining so much more than what the world and darkness is offering.  The worlds standard of values and success are empty and fragile…the current pandemic shows us that more than anything.  Just like Jesus said to Matthew who was sitting at a tax collector booth, He also says to you, “…Follow me” – Matthew 9:9  Amen.

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“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”

Matthew 16:24-26

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

A Solid Foundation

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When we stand on the foundation of faith and a personal relationship with God, we can trust that where we stand is firm ground and even though all around us is uncertainty, fear and anxiety we are held by God’s love and we will be guided through the troubling times if we stay close to Jesus and God’s word.  The only solid foundation we will find in this life is with God.  May His peace be with you.  Amen.

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“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

John 15:9-12

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