Through Him…

September 5, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

All things are possible. When we can’t find the way forward or we don’t know what to do…we will find our way through Him. There is absolutely nothing in this world greater or more powerful than God’s love. Believe it…trust it. Our hope is not found in what we can see…life in this world can be dark and seem hopeless…our hope is found in Christ and through Him we are saved. Amen.

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“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Romans 8:37

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

The Promise Fulfilled

September 4, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The birth of Jesus Christ fulfills the promises made in the Old Testament. In Genesis 3 and Isaiah 7 as well as Isaiah 53 and in other verses the Lord makes known the coming of the Savoir…a new covenant…One who will be a Light for Israel as well as the Gentiles. Jesus came down from heaven to reconcile us with God…He sacrificed everything He had and His life as a man for you and me. God fulfills His promises…trust in Him for every area of your life. Amen.

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“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

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

In Christ Alone

September 2, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The answer to all our worries, all our fears and all our burdens is found only in Christ alone. There is no love greater than Christ’s love…there is no sacrifice that anyone can do for us that surpasses His sacrifice. All of our hope and strength can be found in Christ alone. Amen.

In Christ Alone by Brian Littrell

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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

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

The Past…Redeemed

August 23, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

What has happened in the past is done and can’t be changed…we can learn from it…we can change today. Don’t let what has happened be chains around you that are dragged with you everywhere you go…Jesus Christ has paid the price for our sins and He is our Redeemer…bring your past, your shame and your guilt to the Lord and He will set you free. Amen.

Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave

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“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.“

John 3:16

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a park near Winterset, Iowa)

With Prayer…

August 20, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Bring your worries, your concerns, your questions and your thankfulness to the Lord with prayer. As with any relationship your personal relationship with Jesus will grow and become stronger the more you spend time with Him. Think about the people in your life, your closest relationships…most of the time, these are the people you are interacting with the most in your daily life or you have spent a significant amount of time with them in the past. The best investment of your time is to learn more about Jesus and you can do it at any time…He is waiting to hear from you. Amen.

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“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 every situation, by 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

(Thsi photo was taken in May of 2014 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

Turbulence

August 12, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We are quick to conform to the world view of life and the world perspective. Many of us believe it is bad when something unexpected happens and the world tells us this a bad thing. This perspective has largely chosen to ignore God and His Word. The foundation of our faith is Jesus Christ and His life, death and resurrection. This is from God…the human race cannot conceive and complete what God’s plan is without God. When we encounter turbulence in life and things are getting bumpy…that is the time to focus on God and pray. Seek Him, seek wisdom and most importantly trust in Him to get you through all the moments of trouble you will encounter in your daily living. Amen.

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“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 12:2

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 while traveling in southern Colorado)

Jesus

August 1, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

He is all we need. He is the way to God for us. He took the punishment we deserve. The words He spoke when He was here are written in red in the bible. If you want to learn more about Him, pick up a bible and read the Gospel of John. Believe in Him, He is the Son of God, our Savior and our Lord. No matter what you are going through, no matter where you are and no matter what you have done, turn towards Jesus…He is waiting to hear from you. Amen.

Give Me Jesus by Danny Gokey

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“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

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

Gratitude

July 26, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

There was only one way for sin to be properly punished and for the human race to have the opportunity for salvation. When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane with His disciples, He hit a very low point as a human…He knew what was about to happen worse yet He knew it was the only way to salvation for the world. Jesus knows what it is like to struggle and suffer in this world and He prayed that God would remove Him from the situation…yet then He prayed something very few of us have ever prayed…He said, …“My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” (Matthew 26:42) He offered Himself to God and God’s plan, for that we can have nothing but gratitude for Jesus Christ and His willingness to die for us. Amen.

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“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8

(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

It Was Love…

July 24, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we look around the world today and we look at how people treat each other, what do we see? Quite often we see selfishness, hatred, anger, a lack of respect for human life, an unrepentant and unforgiving society. As a human race we have free will and this is how we have chosen to live? This isn’t new, as you can read in the Old Testament the exact same behaviors were happening in a different time…so what could we possibly do to change this? What can we do to try to make things different? Better? We can look to the One who was tortured in every way possible and follow His example…the man who did no wrong and was sentenced to die on a Cross…and after He was flogged, beaten, He had thorns pushed into His head and after He was hung on that Cross to die in a horrible way…He asked God His Father to forgive them? How in the world could He do that? It was love…Amen.

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“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Luke 23:34

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

Wisdom

July 20, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Intelligence…understanding…insight…perception…discernment. Wisdom is developed through experience and learning. Intelligence without common sense is not wisdom. When we can see beyond the current moment and not have ourselves as the center of everything then we are wise. True wisdom takes humility and a willingness to learn from others, above all else we should remember that any wisdom we have can’t be compared to God’s wisdom and God’s plan. It is up to us to seek Him and His Word to truly learn and grow throughout our lives. We will never know all the answers while we are here and that can be frustrating…but we have every opportunity to seek and to know the One who is and always will be the answer…Jesus. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.

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