Tag: transfiguration

By Pastor Andrew Farland

Would you hug a cactus?
Of course not!

There are times, though, when that’s exactly what we seem to be doing. We embrace difficulty, fear and negativity, thorny stickers and all. The last thing we want to do when hard times come our way is to welcome their arrival with open arms.

We despise pain and suffering. We can’t see a way out. It feels like the walls are all caving in, and we ask God to take it all away. But the Bible teaches us that we can welcome these trials with joy because with God every trial has a purpose and a promise. The purpose of trials as stated in James 1:2-4 is the growing our endurance and for our maturity.

The promise of trials as stated in James 5:10-11 is that if we patiently endure God will be kind to us full of tenderness and mercy and will help us see it.

Today if you are going through a trial I want you to know this:

If God allows you to go through it, He promises to get you through it. When you come out on the other side you’ll also be upgraded. If you are a Christian, trials aren’t happening to you; they are happening for you!

Once Job endured his 15 months of suffering, he lived another 140 years, and God paid him back double for the trouble He had been in. Remember today that your trials won’t last forever. Hold this thought:

This trial is here to grow me, and God will bless me if I continue to endure it!

James 1:2-5
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

It’s so easy in difficult times to focus on what isn’t happening and what God isn’t doing! That’s because negativity and fear can distort the way we see things, just like wearing a dark pair of glasses will do for our sight.

It’s important when we go through difficult times, we challenge that fear because if we don’t push back against it, it’ll want to push us over.

But here is the good news: God has given us a great tool to combat fear and lies: Thankfulness!

So here’s what I want you to do the next time you feel fear and discouragement rising in your heart:

Instead of being busy asking, “How is this going to get any better?”

Ask this: “What has God done that I can be thankful for today?”
Focusing on what God isn’t doing will lead to unbelief, doubt, worry, and fear. But being thankful for what you have will lead to fulfillment, contentment, life, and peace.

So today, focus on what it is that God is doing. Focus on what He has given you. As you do this you, will feel the grip of fear loosen and God’s arms of love embrace you.

Philippians 4:6-7
“Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking Him with a thankful heart. And God’s peace which is far beyond human understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

Have you ever paused what you’re doing, and looked up because you thought someone was there, only to discover that no one is there? So you go on about your business, doing whatever it is that you want to do.

It’s sure happened to me!

The truth is that you are never really alone when you’re making decisions about what to do next. You have an Advisor with you always, but do you listen to the advice you receive?

Sometimes we can really feel the Holy Spirit leading us in a certain direction — but we refuse to go the way He leads. It’s important to trust Him and walk with Him step by step, especially in times of difficulty and transition. Take time each day in quiet to surrender your life to His leading. Be open to it as the day unfolds! It’s great having a personal guide for life that’s always leading us into truth and onto the right paths.

It’s the reason Jesus himself said, “it’s better that I go” or else the counselor won’t come!

The Holy Spirit we have is the same one Jesus has.

John 16:13
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

God will do anything to get us free! But the road to freedom isn’t always an easy one, nor is the journey short.

In the book of Exodus, we hear about the Israelites traveling an arduous 40 years to get to the promised land (their land of freedom). Along the journey, many of them grew tired, and they even wanted to turn back around, going back in the direction they came from, to again be slaves in Egypt. The truth was the Israelites were given two options. Freedom by choice, or freedom through struggle. The Israelites could have gotten to the promised land in 11 days, but because they were stubborn, it took 40 years. They complained and didn’t surrender to God’s plan.

In the same way, many of us want freedom, but we don’t want to do things God’s way. We are afraid of surrendering to God’s will, and because of it, we end up suffering the consequences of our decisions. We end up taking the long way to get there.

There are two ways to freedom:

Voluntarily through surrender, or Involuntarily through brokenness.

Both will bring us to God, and both will help us to become all God wants us to be. It’s just that one takes longer and involves more suffering.

God loves us. He will tear apart anything that gets in the way of our relationship with Him. It’s tough love, but God knows it’s what’s most important.

So today you have to choose. Will you do things God’s way and surrender to His plan for your life? Or will you put up a fight?
The sooner we learn to live in obedience to God the quicker we will get free.

Romans 12:1
“Because of God’s great mercy to us, I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as living sacrifices to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.