Poor movie, poor message


I would consider myself "more religious than average". I believe, and have a lot of doubts. Most doubts probably start with myself. I can hardly stomach these movies that seem to give the message as; accept Jesus, then pray for whatever you want and you will get it. Sorry, it doesn't work that way. God doesn't make it rain just because you planted the wrong crop. God doesn't give you a free pickup truck, just because you arer a nice football coach. I believe in faith, but I don't believe that being faithful means you will be given all the toys you want.

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Leshank,

I didn't get that message from this movie though I agree that faith isn't about getting all the toys we want. Sometimes we pray and don't get the answer we want and often we may suffer sickness or peril even though we are faithful. It is too bad that the faith message has been perverted by some or misunderstood by many.

However, this movie seemed to suggest to me, at least, that trusting God is a way of living...not to get what you want or even need, but like the potato, it is planted, watered, and hidden away until hopefully there is a harvest. A farmer understands this kind of faith because it is the nature of his livelihood. A way of living based upon trust in God is what I saw in this movie and in the real life biography of the main character.

By the way, I do not consider myself religious in any way, though I am certainly a believer and I have lived many years in times of plenty and in times of want and I will say that I have found God to be faithful and very real. While I never got a new pickup (as in Facing the Giants) or had it to rain right after I have prayed, I have seen my faith in God result in a strengthened relationship with Him and often my prayers resulting in answers that I never dreamed of or imagined. As you said, God doesn't make it rain because you planted the wrong crop but many times I have seen God turn my mistakes and poor decisions into blessings. That to me, isn't a result of my faith so much as it is His mercy.

Blessings brother!

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leshank-2, i really didn't take this movie like you did. It was very uplifting and encouraged me. We are bombarded so much all week long with the world and all its troubles we just need a movie that helps us out and give us a true life story of what God can do. No we don't just need to ask for a truck or something like that and expect it just because we are christians. I think maybe you read too much into this movie. Lighten up.

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I've been wondering whether I should see this movie.I was looking for something inspirational but the trailer seems to show one tragedy after another! Not sure I can deal with that at this time.

Maybe I'll Netflix "On a Clear Day."

Was you ever bit by a dead bee?

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I would highly recommend seeing the movie. It is not tragic, it is very uplifting. I wouldn't watch it with your kids though, since there is one tragic scene that could have been severely edited.
And to the OP: this movie is about a simple man of God who comes to Christ, and believes His Word, before "seasoned" believers like you talk him out of it because you didn't have the faith to press through and really trust God.

morons, your bus is leaving

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For one, I was surprised that I liked the movie as well as I did. The movies that you decribe, I like. We need to be encouraged, and sometimes it comes from a movie.
Faith like potatoes is based on real events. I haven't looked it up (I only saw the movie yesterday), so I do not know any of the actual details. I do fully believe that God answers prayer, and I believe that He can make it rain, or not rain: just look in the Old Testament, God stopped the rain. He also made a day last longer so that a battle could be won (answer to prayer: and some scientists are confirming about the longer day). Look in the New Testament: the lame walk, the blind see, and the dead raised. Those didn't stop when the Bible was written, it still happens.
Now, if you noticed, Angus went to church, and read the Bible. We all need to study The Word, and be in a church that is following The Bible. I said all of that to say that not every prayer is going to be answered the way we want it. That is preached in churches. In the Bible it says that "you have not because you ask not", it also says that "when you ask, you ask amiss". In other words, when you pray, pray for God's will to be done. If you are asking for a new car because you don't like the one you have, you may want to think about being thankful for the one you have. I have seen people pray for years for a new Cadillac and never got one. I've seen people pray for healing, and it happened.
!!!!SPOILERS!!!! If you noticed, Angus prayed for the girl who was stuck by lighting and she lived, but when prayed for his nephew, he did not live. God has a plan, and it doesn't always coincide with ours. He will answer some (like the girl, and the rain) to show His Glory and Power. He will also minister to people, like the father of the boy. I know, because I had a similar experince about my late wife.
If you hold to your faith, AND YOU ARE LINED UP IN GOD'S WORD, then your prayers can be answered, no matter what the world says.
Now, about the truck, I believe that they were saying that God goes beyond everything we may ask or think: that He will bless us above and beyond, if we follow Him. It would be dificult to show the Spiritual blessings you get by following God, so I believe they were showing things that people could understand.

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I didn't get that message from this movie. I firmly believe that if you trust God, and give him your whole life, as Angus did, God will fullfill all of your needs; As he did.
It wasn't all blue skys and sunshine. Take for example when Allistair died.

BTRESMIKE is a genius! :D

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My first reaction is usually the same as yours: "Being a Christian does NOT mean getting everything you want, just brcause you want it..."

But in this particular case (Angus'), I guess what the message they try to get accross is that: if you are doing GOD's will, He will personally make sure the doors are open for you.

If we stop to think about it, most people will come and go and make life-changing decisions without even "consulting" God, when they should actually be letting God tell them what to do.

When you are following God's will, obstacles may rise, but He will deliver you from all evil. MHO, anyway.

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In response to leshank, it is important to keep in mind that the film shows Agnus praying specifically to Christ-as-God rather than some more general understanding of "God". "Faith in God" is in this case specifically faith in Christ: when he prays for rain, he quotes Christ's words concerning asking God for anything in Christ's name. When he prays for the girl to be raised from the dead he specifically does so in Jesus' name. This is an important distinction.

As others have written, it isn't all peaches for him. The boy dies, and he has to invest years of difficult, backbreaking labor in order to make his farm successful.

The point of the movie is that Christ can bring breakthroughs into people's lives when they believe, and that sometimes Christ does not bring in the breakthrough. When this happens, people still ought to believe.

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This movie is, apparently, based on a true story. The characters' real life personae are displayed at film's end right alongside the actors who played them in the film. If the film is based on truth, it is not an apt criticism, then, to say life is not as portrayed in the film. Your life may not be like this; theirs was.

For the same rerason, one should not compare this movie to Facing the Giants. Giants is wholly fictional and certainly simplistic. This movie, again, is factual, not fictional, and simplistic it is not.

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As always, the answer can be found from the "Big Book". Matthew 17:14-21

When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

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