Savior

He Carries Us Through…

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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

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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)

Truth

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On our faith journey there is so much conflict with what the world is telling us and what our readings and spiritual life teach us about how to to live.  This is the result of the spiritual battle going on all around us.  We are created by God and He loves us and longs to have a relationship with us.  And the forces of darkness and evil are doing everything they can to keep our attention on other things, any other thing than God.  There is peace, and it can be found in a daily connection with Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.  The simplicity of doing good things and helping others where you can is the path towards hope.  Take refuge in God and you will have your peace.  May God’s joy be with you.

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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 July of 2016 on Beartooth Pass in Montana)

Commitment

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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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“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”

Proverbs 16:3

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

Gratitude

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I am thankful for God’s amazing grace.  I am grateful for His love.  Each morning when I get up I look forward to time with Jesus, my morning readings and bible verses.  I have a devotional bible that provides a writing from the perspective of a follower of Jesus and it provides bible verses as a reference for each day.  I began this practice over 8 years ago and every year I learn new things about myself and my relationships.  As long as we are here God is still working on us and when He believes we are ready He will call us home.  No one knows when that will be for anyone and everyone is working through some kind of battle or struggle.  Just because we don’t see it in them does not mean they aren’t struggling or fighting through something.  Give thanks to God for your life and seek His will for how to best use your gifts.  May God’s mercy and love be with you.

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“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”

Psalm 143:10

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

Transformation

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A change…conversion…overhaul…renew…remake.  When something or someone is transformed they appear new again.  The change from what of how they used to be to a new way.  A transformation in the spiritual life means recognizing who and what we are and admitting that we need to be made new again.  We must be willing to admit we are broken, stubborn and chasing after the sinful nature…once we see and know the conviction of sin we have the opportunity to be renewed, restored and redeemed.  A relationship with Jesus Christ is vital to finding redemption.  May God’s mercy and grace be with you.

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“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them;  I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”

Ezekiel 11:19

(This photo was taken last week in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Reflect And Recharge

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When our hope is in the Lord, we will see goodness and blessings.  When our focus is on living our life through our faith in Jesus Christ, we tend to be able to see with new eyes on old or familiar situations.  When we walk daily with the Lord our perspective improves from worldly to heavenly.  In the New Testament is states…“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”  (2 Corinthians 5:17)  With the Lord we have hope, we can trust in goodness and righteousness and we can have faith that we will be able to see our way through anything.  May God’s love, joy and peace be with you.

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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 everything, 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

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

Trials And Trouble

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Have you ever thought…’why does this have to be so difficult?’ or ‘it seems like every direction I turn things go wrong!’  When dealing with such thoughts I am trying to learn how to step back, to stop doing the repeat cycle that builds up frustration.  As we review situations we should try to asses, ‘am I trying to control too many things?’, ‘am I trying to get things to line up for the outcome I prefer?’ and the most difficult thought, ‘where is God in this situation?’  We may be struggling because we have had an opportunity to learn from the past and as slow learner we need to see the lesson again in a different way to get it through our heads.  Unexpected things are going to happen to us, things will not go as we have planned, the key to growth and development is how you choose to respond to situations and learning along the way.  There is no place in the bible that it says, “have no fear life will be easy.”  We will face difficult times and situations and how we choose to respond will have a lasting impact on us and others.  May God’s peace and joy be with you.

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“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

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

The Good Shepherd

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The Shepherd, of all the roles on earth, we can read in several places in the bible that Jesus is the Good Shepherd (Psalm 23, Isaiah 40:11, John 10:11-18).  In today’s world a shepherd seems like a character in a story of a very different world, not an actual role in a society.  To understand more about why is Jesus the Good Shepherd we look more closely at Psalm 23.  Some of David’s words and descriptions of the Shepherd are as follows:  He leads me; He restores my soul; He guides me; I will fear no evil; they comfort me; my cup overflows.  A shepherd provides everything the sheep will ever need.  Leadership, a restoration hope, guidance, protection, comfort and blessings…love.  Most importantly for the sheep a shepherd will lay down his life for the sheep to keep them safe from evil.  Jesus Christ has done all things possible for you to have life, turn or return to Him as He is our Good Shepherd.  May God’s love and mercy be with you.

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“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

John 10:14-15

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 near the Minnesota and South Dakota border)

His Love Endures Forever

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Look around the world and the things happening today, when you stop and think about all the darkness and evil present in this world and then think about that even though He knew we are broken God still sent His Son to save us.  Jesus took on all the sin for all the people in the world, He himself was innocent, yet Jesus took our punishment so that we could be reconciled with God and why did He do it?  Because of love.  When you are feeling the pain and suffering of life, when you don’t know where to turn or what to do, turn to Jesus Christ and invite Him into your heart and life.  He knows you and He loves you and He will always be there for you.  May you sense the goodness of the Lord today.

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“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100

(This photo was taken in June of 2018 near the Minnesota and South Dakota border)