Waiting…

 “In Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was a good and godly man. He was waiting for God’s promise to Israel to come true. The Holy Spirit was with him. 26 The Spirit had told Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 The Spirit led him into the temple courtyard. Then Jesus’ parents brought the child in. They came to do for him what the Law required. 28 Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God. He said,

29 “Lord, you are the King over all.
    Now let me, your servant, go in peace.
    That is what you promised.
30 My eyes have seen your salvation.
31     You have prepared it in the sight of all nations.
32 It is a light to be given to the Gentiles.
    It will be the glory of your people Israel.”

Luke 2:25-32 NIRV

Oh, the waiting…our world is always sending out messages to hurry up…save time and literally “don’t wait” act now before…you get the point

Once again, the world pursues the exact opposite of what we hear from God’s Word

God wants us to walk with Him…not ahead of Him or on our own without Him

His timing is perfect because it is His plan

In Luke 2 we meet Simeon, who had been waiting his whole life to see God’s promise fulfilled in the Messiah…as he expected the promise was fulfilled just like every other promise God has made

The last promise to be fulfilled is when Christ returns…and so we are waiting for that day and while we wait let’s be like Simeon and be good, do-good things, be godly and be faithful to God’s Word

How are you doing while you wait?

While I’m Waiting by John Waller

DSC_0142_1 publish

Dear friends, here is one thing you must not forget. With the Lord a day is like a thousand years. And a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow to keep his promise. He is not slow in the way some people understand it. Instead, he is patient with you. He doesn’t want anyone to be destroyed. Instead, he wants all people to turn away from their sins.”

2 Peter 3:8-9 NIRV

(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Believe…Seek Him

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Matthew 6:33 NIV

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

James 4:7-8 NIV

Father God, thank You for sending Jesus to the world

Give us courage and strength to follow Him

Regardless of our trials or temptations, help us to seek Him

Give us wisdom and endurance to pursue Him above all else

In Jesus name, Amen

We Believe by Newsboys

DSC_0005 publish

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

John 3:16-17 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Worship And Praise

“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
    let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
    and extol him with music and song.

For the Lord is the great God,
    the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth,
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.

Come, let us bow down in worship,
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
for he is our God
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    the flock under his care.”

Psalm 95:1-7 NIV

King Of Kings by Hillsong Worship

DSC_0656 publish

“Praise the Lord.[a]

Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.”

Psalm 150:1-6 NIV

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

Our Refuge In The Storm

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
    for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
    for to you I entrust my life.”

Psalm 143:8 NIV

When danger is approaching, where should we go to seek cover?

Where can we be safe?  Who can help us in our time of need?

God is our rock and our refuge…He shields us and delivers us from the things that try to take hold of us

Our emotional reactions can quickly escalate and get out of control…God can help us with self-control

A relationship with Jesus Christ is a strong foundation that can withstand anything in this world

Seek the Lord in prayer and pick up a Bible…read God’s word and take refuge from the storm

Praise You In This Storm by Casting Crowns

DSC_29 publish

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

Psalm 18:2 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Praise Him

“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
    let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
    and extol him with music and song.

For the Lord is the great God,
    the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth,
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.

Come, let us bow down in worship,
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
for he is our God
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    the flock under his care.”

Psalm 95:1-7 NIV

King Of Kings by Hillsong Worship

DSC_0656 publish

“Praise the Lord.[a]

Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.”

Psalm 150 NIV

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

Give Thanks and Praise

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:6-8 NIV

It is wild how quickly we can become distracted

Today’s world is filled with so much information and so much misinformation that it is easy to get derailed or side tracked

We need to be able to be centered on something or someone to keep us level headed and not chasing every feeling and emotion

God knows everything about us

Try this brief exercise today…think about your last 24 hours

God knows about every single thing and every single thought you have experienced

Yes even that one thought

Now step back and think about the fact that this is true about every single thing and thought in your life

God knows and when we take a moment to realize that right now, knowing all those things that God knows…remember this

God forgives you and God loves you the same today as He did the day you were born

To show you how much He loves and cares for you He sent His Son to take the punishment that we all deserve so that we can still have a relationship with Him

Give thanks and praise to God our Father and Jesus Christ, His Son, our Savior and Lord

DSC_1292 publish

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

Philippians 4:4-7 NIV

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

The Lord Of My Everything?

In their hearts humans plan their course,
    but the Lord establishes their steps.”

Proverbs 16:9 NIV

Sometimes I struggle with my faith when it comes to opening up to the Lord for all things

Not only the parts of my life and my heart I think He wants to be involved in…that would be God on my terms

I have come to learn…it does not work like that

God is the God of everything and Jesus Christ is Lord of all

All of creation, all people in all nations since the beginning of time and His love is for everything and everyone

His grace and His mercy will endure forever

It can be so difficult for my finite mind to comprehend the totality of God and His love

He is more than the God of Sunday morning or Wednesday evening…He is more than the God of when I really need help or a crisis is happening…He is more than a beautiful sunrise or sunset when we do feel more of His presence

He is also the Lord of housework, the Lord of daily errands, the Lord of trips to Grandma and Grandpa’s house, He is the Lord of where you work and He is the Lord what you do…He is the Lord of everything

The best part of all? This means He is right there waiting to hear from you about all of it…everything

If He is your Lord and Savior that doesn’t mean everything will be easy and good…yet He is with you through all of it

May we know God’s presence, His love, His joy and His forgiveness in everything in our lives…everyday

DSC_1549 publish

“Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of the life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Psalm 23:6 NIV

(This photo was taken at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

Praise God For His Goodness

I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.”

Psalm 27:13-14 NIV

Father God, You are good!

No matter what goes on around us-You are good

You are worthy of praise because You are good

You provide for us, strengthen us, deliver us, and heal us

Even when we do not see you at work in our lives, that does not change the fact that You are working

There is no one like You

So regardless of what we face today, we will praise You

In Jesus name, Amen

DSC_0021 publish

“Praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord, O my soul.  I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.”

Psalm 146:1-2 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Do Your Best…Wherever You Are

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

Colossians 3:12-14 NIV

Live in the present today…what is the next right thing to do?

God is with you, right where you are

If we are always looking towards the past or the future we may miss who or what God is putting right in front of us…today

Do your best for God today, wherever you are and no matter who is around you

He will take care of the rest!

dsc_0836-publish

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let 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. 17 And 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 near Glacier National Park in Montana)

He Is Worthy

Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Revelation 5:1-5 NIV

Hello and welcome to another day of worship and praise to God

As we travel on the journey of faith, we will encounter questions and doubts along the way

That is natural and it is ok

We need to remember that the one simple truth of faith is that Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself to save us and reconcile us to God because He loves us

His love for us will conquer every battle in our lives

He is worthy of our thanks and praise

Thank you God, for your Son Jesus Christ!

Is He Worthy? by Chris Tomlin

DSC_0012 publish

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

John 3:16-17 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)