Sacrifice

God Of All Comfort

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

Hebrews 2:18 NIV

If we seek God first and not the things that the world values we will find comfort with Him.  God has done and continues to do more than anyone else for us.  He loves us…He cares for us…He wants good things for us.  Trust the God of all comfort.  Amen.

“May your unfailing love be my comfort,
    according to your promise to your servant.”

Psalm 119:76 NIV

DSC_0993 publish

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV

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

Believe In Your Heart

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“…The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7 NIV

Are we fully committed to putting Christ first in life?  Our actions will always speak louder than our words.  We know we can never be good enough on our own, yet we seem to keep trying to go our own way.  Thank you, God, for your mercy and your grace…because of His great love for us we can return to Him and confess our sins because we believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was crucified, died and has risen.  I know I struggle often when I reflect on my own actions…the things I have done and the things I have left undone.  It is at these moments that I imagine with my mind’s eye, kneeling at the foot of the Cross, laying down my sins and thanking Jesus Christ for His sacrifice.  God is with you and me, He loves us and only He can lead us through the events in our lives.  Amen.

DSC07416 publish

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

Romans 10:9-10 NIV

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)

Jesus

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“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

Immanuel…Light of the World…King of Kings…Lord of Lords…The Good Shepard…Bread of Life…Living Water…Prince of Peace…Wonderful Counselor…Lamb of God…The Truth…The Way…The Savior of the World.  Amen.

Give Me Jesus by Jeremy Camp

DSC_0158 publish

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14 NIV

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Jesus Christ

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14 NIV

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me.”

John 14:1 NIV

Our Savior and Lord of life…it is up to us…To Know Him and To Make Him Known.

DSC_0130 publish

“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.”

1 Timothy 6:11-16 NIV

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

The Way

/ 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

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

Hebrews 11:6 NIV

The way to get through times of difficulty and struggle is only found with Jesus Christ.  The current times show clearly that what the world values is finite and can vanish instantly without warning…leaving us lost and our minds wandering with questions about our choices.  It is never too late to turn towards Jesus Christ your Savior and tell Him you believe in Him…confess your sins and let the Holy Spirit be your guide.  Start there and see what God has in store for you.  Amen.

DSC_0166 publish

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6 NIV

(This photo was takne in June of 2016 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

God’s Grace

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV

We can’t earn it…we don’t deserve it and yet God offers it to us.  God is holy and God is love.  Because He is holy our sin separates us from Him…because of His love He sent His one and only Son to take the punishment we deserve so that we can be reconciled with Him.  Choose to believe…confess your sins…give thanks to God for His grace.  Amen.

DSC_0044 publish

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2020 at sunrise by a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

His Love For You

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“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. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

John 15:9-13 NIV

God loves you.  No matter where you are, no matter what you have done or left undone…He loves you.  There is no love in this world as great as God’s love for you.  We don’t earn His love and we don’t deserve it…we can’t get more of it because we are good and He doesn’t withhold it when we sin.  He knows everything about you and your life and guess what…He loves you all the same.  The proof is found at the Cross.  Invite Jesus Christ into your heart and give Him thanks for His love for you.

DSC06483 publish

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:6-8 NIV

(This photo was taken in March of 2013 at the Botanical Garden in the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada)

Surrender…Be Transformed

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

Luke 9:23-24 NIV

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20 NIV

DSC_0361 publish

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.“

Romans 12:1-2 NIV

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 at the High Falls in Tettegouche State Park in northern Minnesota)

Our Refuge

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.”

Psalm 46:1 NIV

The Good News is that Jesus Christ came down from heaven and sacrificed Himself to death to save us and reconcile us with God.  He did it because He loves you.  He has risen! He is with you.  He will guide you.  Turn towards Jesus for everything…anything.  He is our refuge.  Amen.

IMG_20180713_210531 publish

“Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.”

Isaiah 40:28-31 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 at a park near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Worry And Anxiety

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Our failures in the past…our current worries…and our anxiety about the future.  Through all of this Jesus offers to walk with us…if we are willing to believe and trust in Him.  It is right there in Scripture…

Our past failures:

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[a] sin.”

1 John 1:7 NIV

Our current worries:

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

Our anxiety about the future:

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Matthew 6:33-34 NIV

These are just a few of the assurances and promises the Lord has made…the Bible is filled with the very words of Jesus Christ telling us how much He cares for us and how far He is willing to go to show us His love.  Trust in the Lord, read God’s Word and pray to our heavenly Father.  Amen.

DSC_0664 publish

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)