Hope, Joy And Peace

September 4, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

“You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

Psalm 16:11 NIV

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

John 14:27 NIV

We have hope because Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and He is alive. We can have joy when we learn to understand that nothing in this life is too big for God to help us overcome. All of this provides us peace knowing that God loves us, provides for us and will never leave us or abandon us. Know this hope, be filled with this joy and you will have peace that surpasses understanding. Amen.

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“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13 NIV

(This photo was taken in 2021 at a Fish Sunflowers Field in Buffalo, Minnesota)

When You Pray…

September 2, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Matthew 6:5-8 NIV

Amazing things can happen that only God can do, when you pray. It is not about the right words or the proper position…it is about what you believe! Prayer is for all circumstances and is meant to be communication with God…not only speaking but listening and reading His Word so it can be planted in your heart.

Look at Jesus…when the devil tempted Him He responded with Scripture and when He was struggling to follow through on God’s plan He prayed…He prayed so hard that He was sweating blood. When you do not know what to do, pray…when things are going well, pray…when you need help or to calm down, pray. God is with you and He is within you…He is also waiting to hear from you. So pray.

When We Pray by Tauren Wells

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“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Mark 11:24 NIV

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

Love And Faithfulness

September 1, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.”

Proverbs 3:3 NIV

God has given human beings free will and His Word gives us instructions on how we should choose to live…unfortunately too many of us have turned our backs on God and put worldly ways and worldly values before Him in our lives.

This choice by human beings of rejecting God is what invites evil into the world and evil comes to cause pain and suffering as described in John 10:10…“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…” We need to seek the Lord with all our heart and choose to live in a way that honors God.

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.”^[a]

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2021 at a park near Sioux Falls, South Dakota)

Growing In Faith

August 30, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
⁸They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV

Our faith can grow and get stronger only if we feed it and exercise it just like our bodies…if we don’t eat food or exercise our muscles our bodies become frail and weak. The same is true for our spiritual lives and our faith muscles, we need to feed on the Word of God and exercise our faith by how we live and interact with others in order for our faith to grow like a tree planted by a stream of water.

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“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”

Psalm 1:1-3 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while driving on Beartooth Pass in Montana)

An Encounter

August 29, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Hebrews 11:1 NIV

Faith is about trust and belief because we have experienced the Presence of God in our lives. Has it happened to you? It can be hard to put into words…unexplainable…one experience in my life was when I was putting together and delivering the eulogy at my father’s funeral. This is not something I ever could have done on my own…when I think about that time my words to describe it are few, yet some that come to mind are comfort, unusual peace, clear thinking. The process of putting together the words came naturally by talking with people from all parts of Dad’s life and God had prepared me to speak in front of others in several experiences in my past both in work and at church. It was an incredible experience. An encounter with the Presence of God is unlike anything else you will experience in life.

An example of an encounter with God from the bible is found in the book of Exodus…Moses was up on the mountain for 40 days with God without food or water, yet it does not say he felt any hunger or thirst. Moses had all that he needed because he was with God. Faith is about your personal relationship with God. Where has God shown up in your life? Think about it…give thanks and know that He has been with you. Amen.

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“The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Exodus 33:14 NIV

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

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)

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)

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)

Seek First His Kingdom

August 18, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Matthew 7:7-8 NIV

Living a life with faith first…it sounds so simple, yet living in this fallen world it is often hard to do. The bible is a great guide for life…the world will tell you it is not…there are those who believe it is an outdated book filled with stories that are more like fairy tales…people say the world is so different now than when it was written that it is not applicable to life today. That is exactly what Satan wants us to think. The fact is the bible is the truth, based on actual events and it is the Word of God…take time to read it every day and it will change your life.

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“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But 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 6:31-34 NIV

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 while driving in northern Colorado)

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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