The Savior Of The World

December 6, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Take time during this Advent season to reflect on what Jesus Christ has done for you and for me. He came into this world as a baby, born in a stable…He came in peace, to teach us, to help those who are suffering and to reconcile the lost souls of the world to God. He was rejected by many…He was beaten, crucified and just before He died He asked Father God to forgive us. He has done and is continuing to do everything He can for you and for me, for our good…because He loves us. This Christmas give thanks to Jesus Christ…Our Savior of the World. Amen.

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“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2:10-11

(This photo was taken in December of 2017 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Our Beautiful Savior

November 24, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When you think about it…when you look around your life and the world and see the things that the most attention is focused on…you may begin to see something of a trend or common theme. We are all living in a lost and broken world, where anger, hate, suffering, hunger and homelessness are everywhere, the primary focus and attention of many people is on me, myself and I. On the journey of faith I realize the only times I get worried or upset or feel like chaos is everywhere is when I have put my expectations or my plans or my wants and desires ahead of everything else. The self is very powerful and very stubborn and will lead us to destructive thoughts and behaviors. This is when we need to be renewed, to put our focus back on Jesus Christ and the Word of God. Our beautiful Savior who came down from heaven to save us from self-destruction. Come to the Cross and be renewed by Jesus Christ our one and only beautiful Savior. Amen.

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“The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?”

Psalm 27:1

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

Peace In Our Hearts

November 11, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Where can we find peace? We look around at the world and the actions and behaviors of so many people and wonder, where can peace be found? So much anger, hatred, rage and darkness…people choosing to follow the evil desires of greed, lust and the sinful nature. It is written that the peace of God is found only one way…that is to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. It has been the way of peace ever since that baby was born in a manger over 2,000 years ago. We can have peace through Christ because of the grace of God and only by the grace of God is peace possible. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14) If we believe and accept that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord we will find peace and we will be prepared to share the peace of Christ with others. I pray we all turn toward Jesus to seek peace that is provided to us by the grace of God. Amen.

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“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

Colossians 3:15

(This photo was taken in February of 2013 in a neighborhood near Plymouth , Minnesota)

Freedom Found In Forgiveness

November 3, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Learning to forgive someone for something that occurred in the past…this is a tough thing for many of us. It is not in our human nature to forgive. We usually struggle because we are waiting for the other person to earn our forgiveness, however, as we read in the Scriptures, our forgiveness for our sins was not nor will it ever be earned. If God was going to wait for us to show we deserved to be forgiven for our sinful ways…well just look around you at the world and the behavior of people…sin rules this world as much or more now than it ever has. We do not deserve to saved from our sins and yet God sent His Son to suffer and die for us, to pay the penalty for our sins so that we are forgiven and our relationship is reconciled. We can learn to forgive and break free from the anger, the hatred, the finger pointing that keeps us stuck in a cycle of violence and hurting each other. Forgiveness means we are not going to let the hurts of the past control our future behavior…that is exactly what God has done for you and for me. I pray we can each pick one relationship that we know needs our attention and seek to forgive, so that we can be free from the hurts of the past. Amen.

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“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:32

(This photo was taken in April of 2016 on a lake in central Minnesota)

The Love Of Christ

November 1, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We can search our entire life for something to comfort us, to depend on and to know that it is always watching over us…and yet there is only one thing that can be all of this and more for everyone…that is the love of Jesus Christ. Nothing in this world is as powerful as the love of Christ. No event or circumstances can compare with the death and resurrection of Jesus and the fact that He endured it all for you and for me because of love. It is the greatest gift we will ever receive and the most important thing we can share with others. I pray we all seek ways to shine a light on the love of Christ in our lives. Amen.

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“…And I pray that you, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ…”

Ephesians 3:17-18

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 at Devils Island in the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior)

Redeemed

October 25, 2018 / mcalcagno / 1 Comment

Saved…recovered…reclaimed…restored…changed…forgiven…set free. The price has been paid for our sins. Jesus came down from heaven and suffered to save us from the defeat of death in sin. We are loved by God and that love conquers all things in this world. We are reconciled with God and can pursue His will for our lives. Sharing a song by the group Big Daddy Weave entitled “Redeemed”

I pray for God’s love to wash over the burdens in our lives and strengthen us in kindness, goodness, compassion and forgiveness. Amen.

Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave

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“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at City Park in Winterset, Iowa)

A Sacrifice…Our Salvation

September 18, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When you feel you are not sure where God is in your daily life…stop and take a moment to remember what God has done for you. God is love. He is our Creator and our Redeemer. We are broken, all of us. Me, you and everyone you know is broken in some way, even if it is unclear to you how someone else is broken or fighting a battle it is still going on. God knows this, He knows our worries, our fears and He is doing good things. It is all a matter of perspective. If we reflect on what has been done already it will help restore our perspective and our knowledge that God is love and He loves us more than we can ever imagine…the proof? The Cross. May you know the love of God in your daily life.

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“This is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

1 John 4:10

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 at sunrise on the island of Maui, Hawaii)

He Carries Us Through…

September 11, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Struggle…conflict…suffering…darkness…pain…difficulties…uncomfortable. We all encounter these moments in our life. There is no way to avoid them and if we spend our time trying to avoid them we are mostly likely hurting ourselves and others. The one true source of peace, courage, strength and perseverance is Jesus Christ. He is strength in the struggle, He is calm in the conflict, He is peace in the suffering, He is light in the darkness, He is healing for the pain, He is answers to the difficult times and He is our comfort when we are uncomfortable. Nothing is impossible for our God. Seek Him and His Word and you will find rest for your soul. May you see and sense the presence of the Lord in your life.

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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

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)

A New Creation

August 31, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Ok, I accept that Jesus Christ died to save me from my sins. I believe that he is my Lord and Savior…now what? Faith is a journey, not a destination. Coming to the point that has you turning towards God is just the first step on a new road. If you go about your daily activities and schedule with no change of thought or actions then you aren’t really turning towards God and following…it is more like you stopped what you are doing took a longer than usual look at a new road and then kept going on the one you were on. To be engaged in your faith journey means a new way of doing things, it means looking at the same things with a new perspective, it means commenting on situations with a new attitude…to be a new creation. It will mean being different from the crowd, it most likely will mean meeting a new crowd, it will mean putting on a new self. God is with you, He will guide you and keep you safe…He loves you and He is waiting to hear from you. May the peace and joy of the Lord be with you.

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“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

2 Corinthians 5:17

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 while traveling through Nebraska)

Commitment

August 10, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Not giving up…to honor…responsibility…respect for…trust. The way of truth means doing what you said you would do. Our true character shows through to others when they see our commitment to something. The greatest example of commitment to completing something that was more difficult than anything we will face in our lives was the example Jesus set when He honored a commitment to saving us from our sins. He endured physical and mental suffering for something He didn’t do. He is innocent, He has no sin…and yet He took on the sin of all of us and paid the price so that we could be reconciled to God. He is our Savior and our Salvation will only come from a relationship with Him. May God’s love and faithfulness be with you.

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