Teaching the Bible: A Worthy Calling
Are you willing?
by Barrett Vanlandingham (April 26, 2007)

The following are words to a song I wrote that express thankfulness to all of those who dedicate their lives to teaching children… and yes, those who taught us when we were children.
What a privilege it is to even have the same title as those teachers I remember from my childhood. Each of us owes a debt of gratitude to those who were the first to teach us about creation, and the great stories of Noah, Ruth, Jonah, Esther, Gideon, Moses, Elijah, and Abraham… just to name a few characters from the 39 books of the Old Testament.
And what would our lives be like if someone hadn’t taught us stories from the 27 New Testament books… stories about people like the twelve ordinary men Jesus chose to be His apostles, stories about Jesus’ life as a young boy all the way through to the beginning of His ministry, stories of His agonizing journey to the cross, and the greatest story of all… when Jesus overcame death, and returned to His Father to prepare us a place in heaven to live for eternity.
The will of God revealed in His word, delivered by teachers is something to be thankful for, and something that should inspire others to want to teach children, too.
Romans 10:15b “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.”
The song begins by looking into the eyes of children.

A Teacher’s Song (BV, April 1996)

You look into their eyes and see His wondrous creation.
They’re looking to you for what they need, but only He can give. (to chorus)

They call it the Great Commission, to “go into all the world.”
It starts here at home, teaching the little ones, to grow up strong. (to chorus)

A teacher's job is never done. There's always more to do.
You finish one task, then starts another one. It seems it's all on you. (to chorus)

Those same little children, you taught long ago, are grown up and teaching too.
Though years have flown by, it feels good inside, to know God worked in you.(to chorus)

So, thank you teachers, for what you do, for showing us the way.
For teaching God’s word, week after week, in what you do and say. (to chorus)

(chorus) So Lord, please speak through me, and do what is Your will.
For those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled.

Listening to God’s Voice
What would Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego say today?
by Barrett Vanlandingham (March 29, 2007)

Fort Gibson is a wonderful place to live and raise a family, but even here, there's probably not a sin under the sun that hasn't been committed. In a lost and broken world where the prince of this world (aka: the prince of darkness) thrives on alcohol abuse, gambling addictions, marital unfaithfulness, dishonesty, the love of money, cultural peer pressure, or maybe spending too much time with our hobbies and not enough time with our families and with God, it is more important than ever for us to pay close attention to what God is trying to tell us. Most of us have faced or currently face spiritual challenges and temptations that seem larger than life. The question of “Who do we listen to?” during those times plays an important role in our quality of life here on earth, as well as our eternal destiny.

Setting the Stage
The Bible text: Daniel 3. It was about 607 B.C. King Nebuchadnezzar set up an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide.
The Order?
Everyone in Babylon must worship the great image everytime the king’s royal music was played throughout the land. The king expected everyone, including Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who had been taken captive from Jerusalem to serve in the king’s palace, to bow down to the golden image.
The Consequences?
For those who didn’t bow down, they would immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.
The Problem? (at least for the king)
…is that those three young men being held captive for service to the king, were dedicated to God, and would not bow down to the golden image when they heard the sounds of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other music.

The Outcome?
As is always the case, God’s people won! Yes, the three were thrown into the fire, but God saved them.

What would Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego say today?
The application is simply that no matter what our culture is telling us, we must listen to God, and serve Him only. Did the three young men get cold chills when they heard the music? If they were human, I’m sure they did. Who would not get at least a few butterflies? They certainly knew how they would stick out when they just went about their business when the music was played, while everyone else was bowing to the statue. I think the young men would remind us today that like every good habit, serving God takes practice. They had already proven that by eating a simple diet of vegetables instead of the king’s royal food, they would look healthier and better nourished than others who were also captured for service to the king. I think the three would also tell us to stand firm in God’s word no matter how the world turns up the heat on us. People may make fun of Christians and their beliefs, but in the end, the Bible points out that the reward is much greater than the persecution. May we all renew our commitments to God daily as we continue to face challenges in this life.