Tag: crucifixion

By Pastor Andrew Farland

The Bible tells us that Bethlehem was a place of VERY little significance. There was nothing extraordinary about it. Bethlehem was the least of the ruling cities.

In modern terms, it would be the Detroit of the United States, or if I may….the Fresno of California.
But here is what I find fascinating. God could have chosen ANY PLACE for His Son to be born! So why did He choose Bethlehem? God ascribed value to Bethlehem causing it to not merely be a “fly-over state” but a destination, somewhere people would intentionally plan to go.

In the same way, many of us aren’t ascribed much value in the eyes of the world. We aren’t one of the all-stars. We’re more like a flyover state than a hot-spot destination. We get picked last on the elementary kickball team. We eat lunch by ourselves in the library.

Once again, we didn’t make it on the principal’s honor roll. Yet God in His love chose before the beginning of time to ascribe this gracious and precious value to you and me. He places inside each one of us something unique that the world needs. Want to take a stab at what that special thing is? It’s His son, Jesus.

Today I’m talking to you!
Maybe you haven’t viewed yourself as valuable, but your TRUE value doesn’t come from the world; it comes from what God has put inside you. He inhabits your heart with His Son, just like He inhabited Bethlehem! So stop listening to the hearsay of the haters. Stop believing the bad-mouthing of the immature. YOU are a masterpiece. YOU are loved. YOU are inhabited by the best gift of all, God himself! You are valuable because God made you valuable. No one can take away the dignity that God created for you.

I believe that what is said in Matthew 2:6 about Bethlehem, would be EXACTLY what God would tell YOU today about the value He has placed in you. You are “by no means the least.”

Micah 5:2
“And you, O Bethlehem . . . are NOT the least among the ruling cities…for a ruler will come FROM you!”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

How many times a day do you look at your smartphone, checking for messages?
Most people check their phones an average of 50 times a day. When you’re waiting for a text to come in, I’ll bet that number goes even higher. With technology being what it is, there’s plenty that could go wrong. Many things could cause you to wait for your message, including the carrier you’ve chosen, filters and restrictions, or even a mistyped number. Of course, you also have to make sure your phone is turned on!

God’s message for us, on the other hand, is always ready for delivery. The problem is that we might not always be ready to receive it. We turn off our receptors. Trying to hear God’s voice with a closed Bible is like trying to receive a text message with your phone turned off!

Action Step: Draw near to God by spending daily time in His Word and prayer! As you do, you will sense God’s peace, instruction, and direction for your life!

Do you want to hear God’s voice? Open your Bible and read it out loud!

James 4:8
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you . . . . ”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

Has this happened to you?
You’ve been super busy, and after a few hours, you notice you’re really thirsty. Your mouth feels like it’s full of sand, but that doesn’t matter because you’re too tired to care. Your head hurts, and you’d sit down and cry if you didn’t feel so empty.

These symptoms tell you that you’re physically dehydrated. It seems like there’s nothing left in you. Oftentimes, when you experience these symptoms and feel like you’re thirsty, you are already experiencing the signs of dehydration.
You must have water – and electrolytes – if you are to go on. The human body is about 60% water, and if that number drops even by 1.5%, you’ll notice it right away. Your body can’t continue unless you nourish it. You must provide it with the water necessary for life.

Your soul is the same way.
Without spiritual nourishment from the Holy Spirit, your soul will shrivel, never fulfilling its purpose, always trying to eke out an existence in a parched land that offers no relief. You’ll have no energy, and even your mood will suffer.
God doesn’t want you to live in a deprived environment. He has something better for you. He wants to nourish your spirit, lift you up and help you experience abundance with the water of life.

John 4:13-14 says,
“Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

If you will trust God, he will make sure that you are always nourished.

Isaiah 58:11
” The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

If your life was a story, what would it be called? What kind of impact do you think it would make on those around you?
That may depend on what you choose to focus on.

Joseph is an amazing figure in the Bible, and his life has had a huge impact on others.
How is that possible, considering that his eleven jealous brothers picked on him constantly, bullying him, threw him into an empty well, and sold him into slavery? They even pretended that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal.
But that wasn’t the end of Joseph’s story.

Joseph’s troubles grew worse when he was thrown into prison, but his dreams accurately predicted the future, and Pharaoh was able to save Egypt from famine. Joseph was even able to save his family from certain death.
Joseph never presented his life story as one about a boy who was betrayed by his family. He didn’t tell a tale of woefulness. Instead, He made his story about How God used him to preserve his family.

Along the journey, there were many times he could have thrown a pity party, but Joseph never once let his situation define his story. God used Joseph’s life to teach us today that while we may be going through tough situations, ones that don’t look like they will get any better, God is with us, showing us kindness and doing things behind the scenes to make everything end well!

As his plans for Joseph, God’s plan for your life is good and unshakeable. Nothing can come against what God has planned. If things aren’t good for you right now, then it’s not the end of your story.
Keep going!

Romans 8:28
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.