Category: Mindful Bible Reads

Define The Relationship

By pastor Andrew Farland

At the end of the Bible, there are seven letters written by God to seven different churches. Each church was full of people, not unlike you and I, going through their own set of challenges and overcoming their own obstacles. And, the amazing thing about God, that we learn from these letters, is that He always meets people where they are and speaks truth into their specific situation.

Over the last couple of days, you and I have explored God’s words to churches in Ephesus and Smyrna. Today, we’re going to take a look at His letter to the church at Pergamum.

The Christians who lived in Pergamum were similar to an armored car. They had endured serious persecution during which one of their closest friends was killed. They had experienced the strongest of temptations, from Satan himself, to leave their faith. And though they had every reason to give up, the Bible says that the armored car of a church withstood the fight, staying “true to God’s name and did not renounce Him.” In His letter to the church at Pergamum, God encouraged Christians to stay the course.

Is God telling you the same thing today?

How strong is your faith in God? If you went through the same trials as the Christians in Pergamum, would you be able to stay true to your first love? Maybe you’ve never thought about it before. Are there voices that are louder than the voice of your heavenly father? Are you beginning to put more stock in the so-called truth of the culture around you? If so, today is good day to reevaluate your faith.

It’s time for the DTR. Define the Relationship.

In the same letter to the Christians at Pergamum, God described Himself as a “double-edged sword.” In other words, He loves to encourage and build His people up, but He simultaneously is passionate about people who abandon the faith and choose to walk a different path.

What does this mean for you? Spend time today deciding how you can build up your armor of faith so that when temptations and struggles come your way, you will withstand the attacks and lean into God for help and protection. Define your relationship with Him.

Matthew 6:13
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

Look To Serve Not For Fame

I have a confession.

For me, in the past few years of doing ministry and following God, I’ve sought recognition.
I wanted people to say, “Hey, Good job Andrew! You done such an amazing job, and you’re really changing the world.”

But the more I spend time with God and grow, the more I realize it’s not about notoriety and recognition. It’s not even about the pats on the back.

It’s about serving with a peaceful heart.

Let me tell you about Shanti. He’s a guy from India, a member of the lowest caste in his country. He’s also one of the best tabla players, EVER. He’s so talented at playing this Indian drum that Bollywood tried to hire him to play music for all of their films.

Now think about this. This opportunity would allow Shanti to experience a new life full of wealth and recognition. Bollywood would fly him to Dubai and London; he would become a worldwide sensation. He’d also make tens of thousands of dollars a month.

Shanti felt uneasy about the offer, wondering what good, honestly, would this work do?

You see, Shanti had recently given his life to Christ. The Bollywood offer made him feel uneasy. He said, “I’m sorry, but I will only use my talent for playing the drums to worship God. It doesn’t make sense to go to Bollywood, make tons of money, but waste my life.”

Shanti realized losing his soul wasn’t worth fame and fortune.

There’s no place he’d rather be than with the poorest of the poor in India. There’s nothing he’d rather be doing than using his gift to glorify God.

You might not know that Shanti started Peace Music Ministries. He has created something beautiful with his talents for leadership and music. He holds monthly meetings. Sometimes he raises enough money to do the events and sometimes he doesn’t. It doesn’t matter. God always provides for Shanti.

Shanti’s job isn’t to be famous or even rich. It’s to serve.

Shanti is my role model and inspiration. I want to be more like Shanti every day, but the world is loud and noisy, clamoring for my attention. It wants your attention, too.

God promotes the servant’s heart, but the world promotes pride. God lifts up the humble in spirit; the world does the opposite. The world validates the rich, but God blesses the poor in spirit.

Serve God and do things the right way.

Turn away from the world.

Turn to God.

Don’t look for fame, money, and recognition. These are the things with which the world wants to congratulate you. They will not last.

Seek the things of God first, and He will make sure you have everything you need.

You will not be alone if you turn to this new path. Others, like Shanti, have turned away from the ways of the world. You will find him and others like him, on your journey to God and peace.

Maybe you’ve noticed that the new money, the new success, is peace.

One of the hottest trends on Instagram is having a quiet, joyful, and happy heart. People realize that wealth and recognition do not create peace. Peace comes from being willing to serve others.

In Mark 9:35,
Jesus said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” How can you put yourself second to serve someone else and put God’s kingdom first?

What road are you on?
Are you on God’s path or the wide path everybody is going down?

I hope to see you on God’s path. It’s narrow and less traveled, but there’s room for us all.

Mark 8:35
“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

God’s Capacity To Love

One of the things I love most about God, as I was sitting here reflecting, is His capacity to love.
It seems like, as a human and a person, I’m set up for failure.

I literally fail over and over. Whether it’s been an addiction that I’ve gone through, I’ve lost my temper, or I’ve been unfaithful in my commitments, I’ve always been able to go back to God, to that place of grace.

During this quiet time, I ask, “What is it, God, that you love so much about me? How is it that you’re able to love me at all?”

It’s so simple.

Every time I go back to God, I have a safe place to land. No matter what I’ve done, He is constant.

His love is constant.

He’s like, “I love you because I love you because I love you.”

God is love. That’s the only thing He’s about. His arms are your safe place.

I want to tell you today that no matter what you’ve been through – maybe you’ve done something that you can’t forgive yourself for or someone has done something really horrible to you – you can harness the power of God’s love today.

Whether you need to receive God’s love for things you have done wrong or you need to give love for the wrongs committed against you, you can harness His love like this:

Disconnect.

Unplug from the world.

Get into a quiet place that refreshes you.

Right now, I’m sitting on a mountaintop. Every week or two, I drive 90 minutes to this destination to unplug from the world and listen to God.

For just a little while, unplug from your responsibilities. Shrug off the weights you might have taken on yourself.

Receive God’s love.

The best place to receive His love is in quiet. It’s a place with no agenda, where you can ask God questions, listen, and ponder. Sit in awe of His creation.

I like to watch huge trees and listen to the wind rush through their branches and boughs like a rushing river. As I sit under the massive trees in awe of God, I listen to the birds, and I look at how big the world around me is. It reminds me of how small I am. It makes me remember that everything going on in me is nothing, really.

Place your focus on God.

Take time today to harness His love, whether for you or somebody else. I guarantee you’ll tap into His capacity.

If you fail at the day-to-day parts of your life, if you’re addicted to something if you keep making the same mistakes, remember that God is there. He’s waiting to receive you with open arms.

He loves you unconditionally.

Zephaniah 3:17
“The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor ANDREW FARLAND

CHANGE THE INSIDE TO CHANGE THE OUTSIDE

Some people find that they feel better and have more energy when they eat the right balance of healthy foods. After all, “You are what you eat.” Your health and well-being, however, goes far beyond the fuel you put in your body.

You’re also what you think. The Bible reminds us , “As a man thinketh, so is he.”

Your internal thoughts influence what you think, do and say. They drive your actions. The reality is that whatever is happening on the outside of us is happening on the inside too. And of course, whatever happens on the inside shows up on the outside. When it does, you may decide you need to change something.

The easiest way to make a change isn’t through action. Instead, it comes from changing our perspective on the inside. To effect change on the outside, we must change the way we see God and how we relate to him.

If it’s been a while since you connected with God, then reconnect with Him and abide with Him. The flower and the fruit are possible only because the branch takes its nourishment from the vine.

God is the vine and you are the branch. As long as you’re connected, you’ll bear good fruit in your life.

Don’t start a plan for doing great things without changing the inside and focusing on what really matters.

Change your inside, fix your perspective. Increase your gratitude. Connect with God. In just a couple of moments of silence Listen and receive God’s word to be moved and changed. Start on the inside and your actions will produce positive results because you worked first on your perspective.

If you change only what’s on your outside, you’ll be like the Pharisees in the Bible.

They were “whitewashed tombs:” clean on the outside but full of dead matter on the inside. Similarly, many modern Christians think changing their actions will make them right with God.

Your actions are not enough. You must have the Holy Spirit inside you.

The Old Testament says that a true Jew is a Jew on the inside. Today we could say that a true Christian is a Christian on the inside — pure and right. If you are a Christian on the inside, you will manifest Christian thoughts and actions on the outside.

Pure motives produce pure actions. Change the thoughts inside you to change your actions the outside.

You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Matthew 12:34

Be encouraged today because God is with you.