The Way Of The Lord

January 8, 2021 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“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

“Teach me your way, Lord;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.”

Psalm 27:11

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“I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
¹⁴Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.”

Psalm 27:13-14

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 in White Sands National Park in New Mexico)

He Knows My Heart

January 5, 2021 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Psalm 139:23-24

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“You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.”

Psalm 139:1

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

His Sacrifice, Our Salvation

January 4, 2021 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Nobody loves us as much as God loves us…Jesus gave up heaven with the Father to come down to earth as one of us…from the glory of the angels singing to a manger as a baby on earth, because there was no room for Him. Make room for Him in your heart, seek Him and trust in God. He loves you and wants good things for you. Amen.

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Romans 8:31

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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 April of 2020 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

All Over My Life

January 3, 2021 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[a] have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28

Evidence by Josh Baldwin

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“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Colossians 3:12-14

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

Always With Us…Always

January 2, 2021 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“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

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“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:37-39

(This photo was taken in June of 2018 while traveling through South Dakota)

A Personal Relationship With The Savior

December 22, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

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

John 14:6

“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. ¹⁰For 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. ¹¹As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”^[a]

Romans 10:9-11

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“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ²¹But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”

John 3:18-21

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

Surrender, Be Made New

December 20, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“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. ²Do 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

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. ²⁶I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

Ezekiel 36:25-27

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 at Palisade Head along the North Shore of Lake Superior)

Carry Your Cross

December 19, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The bible does not say, if you follow Jesus, your life will be easy and worry free. One of the most difficult elements of faith is commitment…no matter what is happening, no matter where we are, no matter how difficult life can become…we must remain committed to Jesus Christ and our faith. The Good News is we don’t have to do any of this alone…

“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

“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

Jesus Christ knows what it is like to suffer in this world…He has carried His Cross and because He did, we are saved. We cannot choose the things that will happen to us…yet we are 100% responsible for how we choose to respond. Follow the example of Jesus our Savior…carry your cross. Amen.

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

Galatians 2:20

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

Quiet Time

December 12, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It is so easy to fill all our time with this and that, going here and there especially at this time of the year…even during a pandemic. We can be so busy that we hardly spend any time in the moment during this season. The bible has several reminders that we need to spend time alone with God in peaceful quietness. Jesus often went off alone to pray…give yourself time to renew your mind, body and spirit. Spend time alone with God and you will find peace. Amen.

“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.
²⁹He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
³¹but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength. “