Monday, October 18, 2004

Fall Youth Retreat (September 30, 2004)
by Barrett Vanlandingham

"Full Service" is the theme of our fall youth retreat scheduled for November 12-13 for 6th-12th graders. What started as plans for a little fall retreat has turned into eight congregations: Fort Gibson, Haskell, Tahlequah, Chandler Road, Collinsville, Stilwell, Henryetta, and as of this week Bristow is joining in. Praise God!
Kids will try their hand at bashing a car (no glass) with a sledge hammer (this ties in with the theme). Other Friday night stuff includes a concert & also praise and worship time led by a Nashville group called "Watershed Worship" which we saw at Soul Lift Saint Louis, Jumpstart in Neosho, and Crosswalk in Rogers. We will also play "capture the flag" again this year.
Our "Full Service" theme will focus on raising spiritual levels that have been zapped by pressures that go along with the school year. Our text for the weekend focuses on Luke 2:52, & what it means to grow in wisdom (intellectually) taught by Tyrel Hatfield of Tahlequah; in stature (physically) taught by Jim Lawson of Norman; in favor with God (spiritually) taught by yours truly; and in favor with man (socially) taught by Rodney Keeton of Chandler Road in Muskogee.
Special thanks to all the congregations, organizations, and individuals who are paying the cost of Watershed Worship to come. NSU Redmen for Christ is helping foot some of the cost and is setting up an information booth. If you would like to help, please let me know. Everyone is encouraged to come out for the concert. See the full itinerary at the Youth Booth.


Can I Get A Witness? (October 14, 2004)
by Barrett Vanlandingham

Don’t worry, I haven’t gone completely bonkers using words like "witness" even though I probably should. It is a biblical term, even though we in the churches of Christ do not use it very often. I am not even for sure how to use it in a sentence some of the time. But even though this is the case for a lot of us, it is much more important for us to BE a witness for Christ, than to just talk about it (and no, I am not suggesting that those who use this terminology only talk about it).
Scripture tells us that if we do not acknowledge (or confess) Jesus here on earth in front of mankind, Jesus will not acknowledge us before his father in heaven (Matt. 10:32-33). We should to tell others that Jesus is the Son of God; and for us to tell others what Jesus has done for us, in us, and through us.
The story doesn’t stop there. Scripture also teaches us to PRESENT our bodies as a living sacrifice, and BE transformed. These are verbs and require action on our part (Rom. 12:1-2); so we must also show others by the lives we live just what it means to have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us.
We are to let our lights shine to the world. After all, a city set on a hill cannot be hidden. (ref: Matt. 5:14-16) Where do you set your city, & are your lights turned on?
Too often, we think our relationship with God is only vertical; but it is also horizontal to include one chosen nation under God (the Church) existing in harmony with God’s will which also means in harmony with one another. This means BEING a witness 1) for Christ, 2) for our own good, 3) for the good of others.
Other References for Barrett’s Article
Luke 2:17, 38; 24:48; Acts 1:8; 10:39; 22:15; 23:11; 26:22; John 1:15; 3:26; John 15:27; 19:35; Acts 10:39-43; 1 John 1:1-5; Acts 1:22; 2:32; 3:15; 4:33; 5:32; 1 Cor. 15:3-8

Training a Child: When Does It End? (October 21, 2004)
by Barrett Vanlandingham

Titus 2 teaches that older women are to be reverent in the way they live so they can teach what is good to younger women. Paul also emphasizes that older men should be worthy of respect. By whom? Certainly those who are younger; those who scripture says also need to learn self-control.
My mom is a wonderful example of what it means to be a Christian woman; she is an elder’s wife which is a role she takes very seriously; and she still takes seriously her role as a mother even though all of her children are grown. Many of you can relate. I also find that the older I get, the smarter and more worthy of respect my dad has become; amazing how that works.
In a recent survey of 6th graders in our congregation, students indicated that they value greatly what their grandparents have to say. So parents, there’s a little tip for you if you are looking for ways to influence your child.
Proverbs 22:5-6 says, "5. In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them. 6. Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."
Brothers and sisters, we need to take seriously the ideas from Proverbs which in this case are carried over to the New Testament. We must do all we can as adults to help young people stay away from the thorns and snares of life; in other words, abstain from all appearance of evil (1 Thess. 5:22) and refrain from living life aimlessly as one who beats the air (1 Cor. 9:26) and thus wastes his time on things that are of no spiritual value.
Yes, the most memorable training may take place while a child is very young; but the Bible says that young men and women (not just kids), still have a need to be trained; and that means up until the time they are old.
So adults (young and old alike) and children, it looks like we are in this teaching and training thing together for life; and who knows, we may even learn something new in the process. God promises to bless each of us as we seek to do His will in all things.

Burnt Cabin Report
by Barrett Vanlandingham
(October 28, 2004)

Sometimes I feel funny about reporting numbers associated with Burnt Cabin Christian Camp. But those of us who were around 20 years ago when the camp was in financial ruins and the board was looking for a college to give the camp to understand why many of us like to keep up with the business side of things. By the way, none of the Christian colleges back then would even consider taking over and running a camp that was already 90-thousand dollars in debt.
At a Burnt Cabin Board meeting in Tahlequah October 12, caretaker Sam Yaws said 797 youth and 240 staff stayed at the camp over the summer. Year to date, the camp still has about $9000 in its operating fund, and another $4000 is expected by the end of the year in weekend retreat fees. That means there will not have to be any major fundraising for camp improvements.
Speaking of improvements, here is the list changes you will notice next summer: 1) A new sand volleyball court behind the pool, 2) The old concrete volleyball area will be made into a basketball court, 3) A bridge across the creek, 4) Resurfacing of the ballfield, a new backstop, and lighting behind the backstop to balance out the lights in the field, 5) A frisby golf course.
The Board is encouraging people who want to make donations to the camp to be sure to mark their checks for the operations fund to take care of expenses.
Of course, our congregation’s scholarship fund is always appreciative of donations that go directly to paying the cost of a week of camp at $125 per camper for those who cannot afford the cost.

Fort Gibson’s week of camp is confirmed for the 3rd full week of July. The dates are July 17-23. Please, let me know if you are interested in helping staff this week of camp either as a cook, counselor, or special class speaker. I am limited to a 6:1 camper to staff ratio without paying penalty fees.
There will also be a Teen Camp directed by Donnie Branscum that will take place May 29-June 4. Contact him at 396-3084 if you are interested. Donnie says he still has a few spots open for staffers.

Friday, October 01, 2004

You Can Make A Difference
by Barrett Vanlandingham (September 2, 2004)


In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul told the church,

“ 1. When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5. so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.”

We know that Paul had good schooling. However, many who have had good schooling still do not consider public speaking as one of their talents. Paul was apparently one of those people.
Maybe that’s why he wrote so many letters, in fact, at least 13 and maybe 14 (if you think he wrote Hebrews) were written by Paul; and those are just the ones that made it into the Bible. Besides First and Second Corinthians, the apostle Paul wrote at least one more letter to the church in Corinth. 1 Cor. 5:9 indicates the existence of a previous letter.
Nevertheless, Paul goes down in history as a great preacher, not because of his ability, but because of his message. If you are a Christian, you have been called to proclaim that same message. Remember, 2 Tim. 1:7 “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

Ancient Corinth (background for the above article: “You Can Make a Difference” from 1 Corinthians)
“A Little Like Us”
About a thousand miles northwest of Jerusalem across the Mediterranean Sea a little over half way to Rome is a place called Corinth. It’s a seaport in southern Greece about 50 miles or so from Athens where the 2004 Olympics were held, and in ancient times was a center of commerce, art, and luxury.
Most of Corinth was destroyed in 146 B.C. by the Roman consul Lucius Mummius. The site remained largely uninhabited for 102 years. Literary sources report the Greek male population had been killed and the women and children had been sold into slavery.
Corinth was rebuilt by Julius Caesar as a Roman Colony in 44 B.C. Nearly another hundred years passed before Paul came onto the scene to plant a church in about 50 A.D. on his second missionary journey just after he left Athens (Acts 18:1). Paul wrote to the Corinthian church in 53-56 A.D. probably while he was in Ephesus on his third missionary journey.
Greek mythology was only one problem Paul had to deal with in Corinth. This letter was written to the church which was riddled with big city problems, especially interpersonal relationships, divisions over leadership, incest, marital problems, lawsuits, and impropriety during the Lord’s Supper.
Does it sound like first century Christians had an easier time with their faith than 21st century Christians? We may not believe in the same false gods as they did back then. But Americans have managed to invent new twists on old idols; and yes, some of those false gods thatour society elevates can and do manage to find a place of importance in the lives of today’s Christians.

It’s All Connected
by Barrett Vanlandingham (September 9, 2004)

As the Eureka Springs and North Arkansas Railroad train clickity-clacked down the rails, the Train Conductor informed our group that the width of the rails was
determined 2000 years ago because of ruts left by
Roman chariots in England. He made the statement,
“It’s all connected.” He went on to say that the size of
the solid rocket boosters on the space shuttle is determined
by the size of the train tunnels near the place where the boosters are made. He said the tunnels are a little wider than the rails, which again were based on those ruts.
Spiritually speaking, if we were to examine closely the ruts where we live our lives, and even where we worship, where would we find our origins? Well, for those of us who are trying to follow the example of the NewTestament church (which should be all Christians), our ruts should also lead us back 2000 years to the first century.
Some might ask, why is it so important to follow the example of the first century church? The answer is simple: Jesus died for His bride... that’s us... the bride... the New Testament church. This great act of love on Christ’s part took place in the first century, 33 A.D. ; and during about the next 60 years, those who were closest to Jesus and first century miracles wrote the 27 books of the New Testament. Those writers were inspired by God, and were all great evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, James, and Jude.
Even before the New Testament was completed, Christians were already falling away from its instructions. The Book of Jude has only one chapter with 25 verses. It is worth reading in this regard.
The Apostles:
Can you list the original 12 chosen by Jesus?
Simon Peter
Andrew
James, the son of Zebedee
John (James’ brother)
Philip
Thomas
Matthew
James, the son of Alpheus
Thaddeaus
Simon
Judas Iscariot
Bartholomew
Matthias (chosen by the apostles to replace Judas)
Paul (chosen by God on the road to Damascus)

Question: Which of the New Testament writers were not apostles hand chosen by Jesus or God Himself?

Personal Holiness
by Barrett Vanlandingham (September 16, 2004)


In my research, I have found that the majority of the producers and directors of Hollywood movies and TV shows are people far outside of Christianity. We allow these total strangers free access to the minds of our spouses and children, among others. One survey among movie producers said they think it’s their responsibility to shape America’s value system. And music? Well, one can general surmise that the performers and writers of what we hear on Top 40 radio are not trying to lead us another step closer to heaven with their messages of sex, foul language, violence, and drug and alcohol use.
We would never allow an evil person to come into our homes and teach our children for even one day. However, we will allow them to desensitize the minds of our entire family through TV, and convince us with humor that it is okay to use unholy words in the name of comedy, or drink alcohol as long as it is to celebrate something special, like a meal. Even if I could justify watching a dirty movie, or drinking wine up until the time of drunkenness whenever that is, or listening to filthy lyrics just so I can be in touch with what is going on in culture, I cannot justify that it would be okay for someone, somewhere, to know I contribute to the manufacture of wine, dirty movies, filthy music, you get the idea. Besides, how does involving myself in these things make me a holy person? How does identifying myself with these things help me to avoid the very appearance of evil? It doesn’t!
To me, the phrase “...throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles...” in Heb. 12:1-2 closely parallels 1 Cor. 6:12 which says “Everything is permissable for me, but not everything is beneficial...”
Some things are categorized as “sin.” Some things fit into the “everything that hinders” category. So, even though the “everything” may not technically be sin, it could lead you into sin. To me, a willingness to flirt with the devil shows a spiritual heart problem. We would never consider letting our child walk as close to the edge of a cliff as possible simply because the ground they are walking on is solid. What if the wind blows? I think this is how God feels about His children, us. Remember, we are His children, and we are no longer in control of ourselves, God is, because it is no longer I, but Christ who lives in me (Gal. 2:20).
What if a friend were to come to your house for supper, and then while relaxing in the living room he/she began to say or act out each of the filthy words, scenes, and questionable phrases in front of your family that you normally watch in movies or hear in music? What if they said they were only trying to make you feel more relaxed and comfortable by saying those things which your family has become accustomed to hearing at home? Then, what if he/she proceeded to inform you that next Sunday, instead of having coffee and donuts between worship and class, we are going to have wine to loosen some of us up a bit, along with a little Top 40 dinner music, and comedy from the show you watched the night before. Throw in a little dance time, and a dose of immodest dress, and we are well on our way to_____? Of course, this will be done to the glory of____?
In looking at Paul’s emphasis on “personal holiness” in 1 Cor. 5-6, it is important to remind Christians that even when nobody else knows, God knows; and we usually aren’t fooling as many people as we think.

Age-Old Questions
Are there biblical answers?
by Barrett Vanlandingham (September 23, 2004)

Statement of the Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland issued at their Meeting, held in Maynooth, on 6 October, 1925: “It does not deserve the name of amusement among Christians. It is the sport of the evil spirit for those who have no true self-respect.”
Some things never change. The nagging question of “To dance, or not to dance?” This issue comes comes up at the beginning and end of every school year. In my research, I found the above statement; I also ran across a beautifully written sermon that hit all the current day issues associated with dancing. It was delivered to a German church in Pennsylvania. The year? 1846! I was more than a little surprised at the date. The age old question is still asked today, and is no more resolved by some of today’s Christians than it was 160 years ago. One thing that hasn’t changed is how God addresses such issues of which we constantly seek specific answers, but are rarely able to receive the black or white answer for which we were looking. The questions asked in our teen classes recently include, “Is it a sin to dance, or go to dances?” ; “Is it a sin to drink one beer?”; “Is it okay to gamble?” ; “Is it okay to say this or that word?”; “Is it okay to wear this or that?” Usually, people say, “The Bible doesn’t give specific commands on these matters, so it is okay, right?” To that, I must urge one to examine the scriptures regarding God’s rules for holy living. For even if one stays away from such worldly indulgences, mere abstinence does not make one holy.
Decision Making Principles for the Christian
Would Jesus do it? Gal. 2:20
Will it bring glory to God? 1 Cor. 10:31
Can it be done in the name of the Lord Jesus? Col. 3:17
Is your motive righteous? 1 Cor. 4:5, James 4:3, Rom. 12:1-2
Have I prayed about it? 1 Thes. 5:15, James 5:15-16
Is it a righteous use of my time?Eph. 5:16, John 9:4
Do I have any doubts about this? Rom. 14:19-23
Will this cause anyone to stumble? Rom. 14:20, 1 Cor. 10:32, Matt. 18:6
Will it promote Christian thoughts? Philippians 4:8
Does it “seem” evil? 1 Thes. 5:21-23
Will it cause you to have anything to do with evil things?
Eph. 5:11
Is it constructive and beneficial? 1 Cor. 10:23-24


You Are Now Entering The Mission Field
by Barrett Vanlandingham (September 30, 2004)

We sing “This little light of mine,” but it’s that next part that we sometimes have trouble with... me included. You know, the part that says, “I’m gonna let it shine.” I guess the question that has to be asked is, “When are we going to let it shine?”
The Stilwell Church of Christ has a sign just outside of the auditorium that says “Enter to Worship.” The exit sign says “Leave to Serve.” What a challenge! I heard of another congregation recently that posted signs along the driveway to be seen by those exiting that says “You are now entering the mission field.” How true!
Why is it that we generally can’t see the fact that our own community is a mission field? Is it that we are so comfortable in our worldly lifestyle, that we tend to focus on material things instead of the spiritual?
Groups travel to Mexico to build church buildings and call it a “mission trip.” We take part in a Spearfish, South Dakota church camp and call it a “mission trip.” Churches send people to other countries so they can become part of a community and spread the Gospel.
So, why is it that we can live in the same town, state, or country all our lives and not take advantage of the fact that we are insiders. Have we let Satan convince us that if we move to fast, we might scare somebody? Come on, let’s give God a little credit here and be willing to lift up Jesus’ name to our community, and just see if Jesus meant what He said, “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth will draw all men to myself.” Let us stop trying to keep Jesus on the cross, and start exalting His holy name.

LTC
Sign-Up Day
Sunday, October 10 at 6pm
How exciting it is to know that so many of our young people will know the book of Luke inside and out by the time we make it through another season of LTC.
The theme of Leadership Training for Christ this year is Lost and Found from the book of Luke.
In the last couple of years, our young people in grades 3-12 have studied the the book of Matthew with the theme: Go; also the life of Moses from the books of Exodus, Numbers, and Deutereonomy with the theme: Stand Firm.
Parents, we normally have between 40-50 young people sign-up for as few as 1-2 events, and as many as 20 events. I urge you to encourage and support your child in taking part in LTC thisyear. I would like to see each child take part in Bible Bowl or Bible Quiz. Those two events and Convention Bible Reading are the only Friday night events. Kids can sign up for 1 of those 3.
Everything else takes place Saturday. Those events include things like Songleading, Drama, Puppets, Speech, Signing, and Sermon Delivery. Pre-convention events include things like Service Challenge, Christian Art, Banner, Bulletin Board, Radio Minute, and Scrapbook. A practice schedule will be posted at the Youth Booth. The cost is $40 (that’s $15 entry fee, plus $25 to stay the night in Tulsa). Only those who have Friday and Saturday events will stay the night. Otherwise, parents will have to take their children to and from the convention.