love

Go And Bear Fruit

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Our actions speak louder than our words.  Our actions tell the truth about the condition of our heart.  The faith journey is a process that works from the inside out…we must begin with what is in our hearts and minds…we can be made new and be renewed by spending time with Jesus Christ.  As we learn more about what Jesus is teaching us, we can turn that learning in to actions that bear fruit.  May peace and patience be with you on your journey.  Amen.

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“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.”

John 15:16-17

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota)

Jesus Comforts Us

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When you read the red letters in the bible, the very words of Jesus, He often spoke in a way that was comforting to others.  Sometimes He needed to be firm and many times He had to repeat Himself, yet His overwhelming presence was comforting.  He knows what it is like to live as a human on earth…He has experienced childhood, teenage years and interactions of many kinds during His life…He knows about weddings, friendships, helping others, betrayal, frustrations, temptations, pain and suffering and death.  He knows what is happening in your life…today.  Turn towards Jesus Christ in prayer and you will find comfort.  Amen.

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“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”

John 14:1

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

Be Courageous

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Let your faith and trust in the Lord be greater than your fear.  This is easier said than done…but it is not impossible…there is not a quick fix or a shortcut for convenience…there is a Way.  I know from personal experience, it does not mean all your troubles will go away and your life will be easy…yet I have never known peace in struggle and difficult times until I finally stopped trying to do things my own way.  Be courageous, turn towards Jesus Christ in prayer, confess your sins and ask Him into your heart and life and continue that journey by reading God’s Word and you will see what the Lord has in store for you.  Seek Him, be persistent, be patient, listen and you will know peace.  Amen.

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“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 14 Do everything in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

(This photo was taken in April of 2019 at a park near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Gifts And Blessings

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As God’s creation, each of us has been blessed and have God-given gifts and abilities.  Our purpose in our lives is to love the Lord and to learn about and use the gifts He has given us to contribute to our communities.  What gifts has God given you?  What can you do or provide to others in your family, your neighborhood or your faith community?  If you are unsure, turn towards God in prayer and seek His will for you.  Amen.

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“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”

Romans 12:6-8

(This photo was taken in July of 2019 on a golf course in northwestern Wisconsin)

Start With Gratitude

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It’s an incredible thing…choosing to start with gratitude is a clear path to changing your perspective.  Ask yourself, ‘what am I thankful for?’ and it leads your thoughts and your mind to search for what is good, positive and optimistic.  If at first it is difficult and you find yourself quickly slipping into ‘what I don’t have’ or ‘the way things used to be’ consciously stop yourself and make a list of 2-3 things that you are grateful for.  The more we put this into practice the more our perspective will change.  If you struggle with this turn to Jesus Christ in prayer and ask Him to help you see the good that is all around you.  Trust in the Lord and give Him thanks for all that He has done for you.  Amen.

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“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2     Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100

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

An Encounter…

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Many of the Books in the New Testament are a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the people in the churches He started.  They are meant to teach, encourage and guide the people.  They are also His prayers for them.  Paul, formally known as Saul, had an encounter with the risen Lord on the road to Damascus and from that point forward everything single thing He did the rest of his life was about shining a light on Jesus Christ.  When we read his letters, we learn about Jesus and a new life that puts faith first.  Amen.

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“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Ephesians 3:16-19

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 near Garden of the Gods Park in southern Colorado)

God’s Love

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It is powerful…it has been sent to us in the form of His one and only Son…it can flow through us when we show love to one another…it has stood the test of time and it will endure forever.  Amen.

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“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”

1 John 4:9-12

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

 

His Word

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When we read His Word, we learn…when we read His Word, we are renewed…when we read His Word, we are encouraged…when we read His Word, we feel His love.  I recently came upon another way to enjoy God’s Word.  It is an app called the “Bible Lens”…when you download this app onto your phone it will look through your pictures and try to align a bible verse to your photos and create a new image with God’s Word on it.  As you can expect some have been “just ok” and others have been amazing.  Here is a photo from my phone regarding God’s Word…

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Make time and find ways to enjoy the Word of God in your daily life.  Peace be with you.  Amen.

“Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.”

Psalm 119:105

(This photo was taken in August of 2018 on a golf course in northwestern Wisconsin.  The bible verse creation is courtesy of the Bible Lens App)