Tag: understanding God

By Pastor Andrew Farland

In the movie Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner hears a voice that says, “If you build it (a baseball field), he will come”. In the movie, Kevin Costner believes the person who will come is Shoeless Joe, a famous baseball player. He thinks the reward of His work will end in fame, being recognized, seeing what HE wants to come to pass.

At one point, Shoeless Joe asks Kevin’s friend to come into the field, and Kevin becomes disappointed and feels rejected. He built the field for these baseball players to come, they use his field, and they don’t even invite Kevin to play! Only his friend is invited to join them!
Knowing Kevin Costner’s frustration, Shoeless Joe says:
“Is that why you did this, why you built this field, for you?

If you dream only for yourself, your dream will end in disappointment.
Dreams are for communities of people. Dreams are selfless. Dreams are for God’s glory.

In the end, Kevin Costner realizes his focus was off. But even though he hadn’t focused on the right purpose, he was rewarded because he stepped into faith. What was the reward at the end of the movie for Kevin Costner? He got to play catch with HIS FATHER.

Living with Jesus is the same way. We have an opportunity, an open door to make a difference. To bless others with what we were given. To enter the uncertainty of the future, daring to dream beyond our limitations.
We have to come to a place where GOD ALONE IS OUR REWARD.

Our only goal at the end of this journey is to finish thankfully and to play catch with our Father. Our goal is to enter in unbroken communion with the One who gave us all we had in the first place.

Genesis 15:1
“After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

Pharaoh, the leader of Egypt, was afraid that the Israelites in his lands were growing too powerful. They were a direct threat to his control! So in his fear, he decided to make an executive decision that the Israelites would become Egypt’s slaves. Not only that, He weighed them down with ruthless and unreasonable demands as they were making bricks for Egypt’s buildings and land. Ultimately he took it a step further and ordered all the newborn baby boys to be killed. Religious persecution, slavery, and infanticide were the norm in Egypt.

Does this sound similar to how the devil works today?
In over 2,000 years very little has changed in the enemy’s eyes. He is still using the same tactics on us today!
If the devil can’t keep control over you, he will try to tire you out through persecution. He will sow lies in the soil of your heart to believe that you are powerless, leading you to give up altogether. If the devil can’t keep control over you, he will try to enslave you. He will tempt you with fame and fortune. With addiction, drugs, and sexual promiscuity.

If the devil can’t keep control over you, he will try to kill you. He will implant the lie in an entire culture’s mind that abortion and the killing of innocent babies are okay.
But here is the good news for you today:
Nothing can curse what God has blessed, and nothing can stop God’s plans from coming to pass . . . nothing! If God commanded mankind to multiply, the enemy can’t destroy all of mankind. What God declares, stands!

If you’ll stay close to God, you will see his deliverance from the devil, the evil one.

Whenever you are tempted, you can turn to God and command the enemy to flee and he will leave you. Don’t buy into his lies and tactics. He’s intimidated by the power you have from Christ inside of you. Use it!

James 4:7
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

God had a perfect plan for Mose’s life, but as a baby, Moses might not have recognized it. For all, he knew he was an Israelite boy who was the outcast of his Egyptian family. Not only that, Moses was raised in Pharaoh’s house, only to be chased out by the only father figure he knew – the Pharaoh himself.

Moses ended up marrying and settling down. His new job was to take care of the flocks his father-in-law owned. It was here in the middle of an ordinary moment that God supernaturally showed up and changed Mose’s life forever.
God himself had chosen to use Moses in an extraordinary way, but at the time, Moses had no idea. Moses never had a plan to lead a whole nation to freedom from slavery, but God did!

Today you might be feeling insignificant, asking yourself, “does my life REALLY matter?”
“Has God forgotten about me?”
Things might be extremely difficult for you today like they once were for Moses. Even worse, you also might be feeling rejected by your own family. But let me remind you of this:

At just the right moment, THERE in your ordinary life, God can show up and change everything as He did for Moses with the burning bush! With God…every moment is pregnant with promise.

Moses had no idea of a ‘promised land;” all he knew was “pasture land.” But I know that the same God I serve took Moses from pasture to promise, and He will also demonstrate His faithfulness in your life if you’ll remain in faith!

Exodus 3:2a
“There, the angel of the Lord appeared to him (Moses) in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

Some days are so difficult that you barely have enough strength to keep going, even you feel like you’re standing at the edge of a precarious cliff. It’s hard not to quit. You get down on yourself. No one else could possibly have it as bad as you right now, you think. You even compare your horrible situation to everyone else’s “highlight reel.”

But what I want to tell you is this:
Simply enduring the trial/suffering you are going through, glorifies Jesus. It’s okay to not be okay. We all face challenges. We all have bad days.

But today, I want to remind you not to quit. At just the right time, God will lift you up. He’s done it for me when I was at rock-bottom. There have been times in my life where I didn’t think I’d make it. When I thought my depression and anxiety would overtake me, but they didn’t. I’m still here and so are you.

Today it is enough to endure what you are going through. Take it easy on yourself and come to Jesus with the weight of what you are experiencing. When you do this, He promises to give you peace and bring you back from the cliff’s edge! Let God surround you with His love as you ask for His presence to come. You are loved. You will make it through this!

Isaiah 41:10
“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.”

2 Chronicles 15:7
“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.