prayer

Listen

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There is so much noise. So much useless information. So many false words and lack of integrity all around us. It becomes overwhelming and often the best thing to do is to turn…it…off. One of my favorite bible verses for bringing calm is Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God…” The society of the world and its desires are not interested in giving you peace. We must claim our time for quiet, we must prioritze sitting and listening for God’s voice above all others. It is the only source of true peace and real joy. God is with us, seek Him and listen. 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 them, and they with me.”

Revelation 3:20

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

The Power Of Prayer

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We are children of God.  He wants to hear from us.  We may think, well He is God if He knows everything and life is supposed to go according to His plan why do I need to talk to Him?  Think about your relationship with your parents or if you are a parent think about your relationship with your children.  In both circumstances the relationship is always enhanced or stronger when we have good cmmunication.  The same is true with Father God.  Believe in the power of prayer.  Amen.

“When We Pray” by Tauren Wells

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“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Philippians 4:6

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

Pray

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Communicate…petition…give thanks…ask..seek…listen, do all of it with an open heart and an open mind.  Prayer is not about the words you use rather it is about sincerity, belief and a willingness to trust.  Prayer is about our relationship with Jesus.  Because of Jesus we have the gift and ability to develop a deep and strong bond with God.  As with any relationship in our lives the best ones take a significant investment of time.  May we all take our greatest worries and biggest triumphs and share them with God in prayer.  Amen.

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“pray continually”

1 Thessalonians 5:17

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on the shore of Lake Superior near Ashland, Wisconsin)

Praise And Worship

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Tune your spirit to align with God.  When you find yourself in that moment you will know it.  There is nothing like it.  I have very few words to share with you this morning as my faith is best expressed through song.  May the love and joy of the Lord wash over you and bring you peace.  Amen.

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 118:24

How Great Is Our God – Chris Tomlin

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“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spriritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”

Colossians 3:16

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

What’s Different?

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How has your faith shown up in your daily life?  When you reflect on your attitude, your perspective and your daily living and compare it to a previous point in time, what do you notice has changed?  Some of our old ways have faded, some are taking longer to adjust…this is the process of spiritual growth.  Not everyone will encounter a burning shrub in the desert like Moses or directly encounter Christ on the road like Saul who became Paul.  Our journey will be different, yet our God who is with all of us is the same.  Be aware of who you are, the people in your life and what you can offer someone in need right where you are and pray.  Pray for wisdom and courage, pay attention to what God is up to in your daily life.  That alone will be different than the way we were before.  Amen.

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“For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.  Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.”

1 Thessalonians 4:7-8

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 along Beartooth Pass in Montana)

True Hope

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People are constantly seeking answers to difficult questions in life from a worldly point of view.  Approaching situations with this perspective and mentality leads to phrases like…’I don’t know what else to do’…’It will never get better’…’I have tried everything’…’I give up.’  We were not made to do things alone.  We are created out of love and that love is from God.  He wants a relationship with us, all that is good in our lives is from God.  Darkness and evil, the bad things in life, are rooted in sin which is the way of this world.  Our hope, our peace comes from God and our time spent in our relationship with Jesus Christ, His Son, our Lord and Savior.  Be renewed by the hope that we have in Jesus.  Amen.

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“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed.”

2 Corinthians 4:7-8

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on the shore of Madeline Island in Lake Superior)

His Sacrifice = Grace

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We can have a personal relationship with our Creator.  We are redeemed.  We have been saved from wrath.  The punishment we all deserve has been delivered onto Jesus Christ.  We are forgiven.  All of this has been completed because of the grace of God and His love for us.  Jesus gave up everything and suffered the worst things this world can deliver…to save us.  Let us give thanks to Jesus for His incredible sacrifice and let us live our lives in pursuit of the Fruits of the Spirit in our thoughts, our words and our actions.  Amen.

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“For is is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9

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

 

Perseverance

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Don’t quit…don’t give up…get up…keep going…keep seeking…keep trying…believe.  Here we are back to talking about attitude and perspective.  Attitude is formed over a period of time by experience and observation.  The things we chose to take in with our senses have significant impact on the formation of our attitudes.  Things we chose to read, what we chose to listen to, etc.  What is interesting here are the words…we chose, what we decide to spend our time on plays into our attitude.  We can develop the courage to persevere in difficulties and tough times or we can be stagnant and let those times defeat us.  To be clear none of this occurs in 140 characters or less…it takes time!  My personal definition of perseverance is be patient and be persistent and believe good things will come.  If you are unsure what to do about this, may I suggest a book?  Start with the bible and a sincere prayer to God and as the song says, let Jesus take the wheel.  Amen.

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“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”

James 1:2

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

How We Treat Each Other

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The changing of the year signifies a milestone, a break point, a natural point in time to reflect and to begin again or renew or start over…we say things like ‘this year is going to be a good year’ or ‘I hope the next year is better than last year.’  We never truly know what the next year or even the next day will be like or if we even will be given the gift of life to live tomorrow, or next year.  We so easily slip into taking the days and life in general for granted…until something happens and you lose someone.  When 2018 started I had no idea we would lose 3 relatives this year…I did not know that the last time I said good-bye to my Dad on a Sunday in early August that he would not live to September.  In fact on August 30th, 2018 none of us knew, including my Dad, that Sunday August 31st was the day he was going home to the Lord.  Life is a gift…people and relationships are far more valuable than anything else this world offers you.  We are created out of God’s love to bear good fruit to others in the world and to be loved.  Life is a gift, let’s do our best not to take it for granted…every day we are allowed to wake up we should be thankful to God and treat others the way we would like to be treated.  Amen.

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“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 7:12

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

Measuring Success

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The measure of success we have in our life depends on which race we have chosen to run.  Have we decided to pursue the race of the world, chasing money and possessions, constantly consuming and comparing our standing or our place in the world with others on social media?  Or have we been working on pursuing the race marked out for us by God’s will?  Making faith more important than things, focusing on our relationships, how we treat others and seeking to grow in our spiritual life.  God has given us the gift of free will and so we have the ability and the responsibility to choose which race we will run.  No matter where we are today, God is with us and we can trust in Him by turning to Christ in prayer and listening to the Holy Spirit to guide our path.  Best of luck to you and to everyone in your race today.  Amen.

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“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Hebrews 12:1

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)