Swimming through life is easier with a Heavenly Partner
by Barrett Vanlandingham
May 3, 2009
My 10-year old son told me a few weeks ago just how much he hated swim class. He said, “The water is too cold and it’s just too far to swim to the other end of the pool.” The water was actually 80-degrees. But because the kids take a nice hot shower before they jump in the pool, of course, the water feels cold. As for the distance? Well, 25 meters is 25 meters hot or cold. I told him, “Son, you are going to swim to the other end of the pool if I have to jump in the pool and swim with you!” I showed up to his next swim class with my swimsuit on (under my clothes) just in case I had to make good on my threat. It was amazing to see such quick improvement. I guess the thought of your dad jumping into the pool during fourth grade swim class was a pretty good motivator. Luckily, just my presence was enough to persuade him to try harder. The next week I showed up again at swim class, and then the next day I came to his swim meet. Each time he swam much better.
Spiritually speaking, our journey in this life often seems uncomfortable. Sometimes our walk seems long and tiresome. Our Heavenly Father knows this and so does his Son. That’s why he sent his Holy Spirit to dwell inside every Christian (Acts 2:38) after we are immersed (baptized) into Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:26-27). We are never told that living the Christian life will be easy. In fact, we are told just the opposite (John 15:18-21). James 1:2 tells us trials must come so that we may grow to maturity in our faith. But make no mistake about it, the Holy Spirit is with us every step of the way, so it should be no surprise that he can show us how to escape temptations (1 Cor. 10:13). He will also show us the way to heaven unless we prevent him from doing his job by quenching the Spirit’s fire (1 Thes. 5:19).
When it comes down to it, Paul said it just right. “38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).” That’s great news!
But still, you must follow the steps of Jesus to get to the finish line. The fact is, the only one who can steal your salvation is you by letting go of the Holy Spirit’s hand, so to speak. You are the one who can put out the Spirit’s fire. You are also the one who can turn your back on the Lord and follow the road that leads to spiritual death (James 1:13 and Hebrews 10:26).
Yes, swimming through life can be tough. But choosing to keep God’s Spirit with you all the way will most certainly put you on the path to eternal victory. (end)
Welcome to my bulletin article site. What I do is minister to young Christians, their families, their friends, and others in the Fort Gibson, OK area. So check-in every now and then, and I'll try to have an encouraging word for you.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
The Lord Loves the Taste of Righteousness
by Barrett Vanlandingham
April 28, 2009
David was known for his tasteful acts of righteousness, at least until after he became King of Israel. And even then, he found his way back to God.
This is the fifth and final part of my series on Psalm 34 which centers around verse eight: “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” We will take a look at the proof that being righteous really did make a difference for David and others.
Psalm 34:15-22 says, “15. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; 16. the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. 18. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 19. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; 20. he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. 21. Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. 22. The Lord redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.”
Up until this point, David had taken care of sheep, slain lions and bears, killed a giant, won many victories for King Saul and God’s people, and had endured much jealousy from his brothers. And now, with Saul still trying to kill David who was best friends with Saul’s son Jonathan, David knows without a doubt that God’s eyes and ears are paying attention to his needs, and that God sees him as a righteous man.
Time after time, David had seen the Lord turn his face away from those who practiced evil ways. This resulted in evil people making bad decisions that only hurt themselves even more.
David is writing to assure the downcast and brokenhearted that God will not ignore those who take refuge in him.
During some of my darkest moments in life, I have come to realize that maybe I shouldn’t be so focused on how to change a situation I have no control over. I have often found that difficulties provide wonderful opportunities for me to drawer nearer to God and let him be in charge of areas in my life that I previously wanted to control. The burden lifted. Hebrews 4:15 assures us that Jesus understands our struggles.
May we all carry out the Lord’s will as we are given opportunity, and let God handle the outcome. He will make a difference in you and those around you. (end)
by Barrett Vanlandingham
April 28, 2009
David was known for his tasteful acts of righteousness, at least until after he became King of Israel. And even then, he found his way back to God.
This is the fifth and final part of my series on Psalm 34 which centers around verse eight: “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” We will take a look at the proof that being righteous really did make a difference for David and others.
Psalm 34:15-22 says, “15. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; 16. the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. 18. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 19. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; 20. he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. 21. Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. 22. The Lord redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.”
Up until this point, David had taken care of sheep, slain lions and bears, killed a giant, won many victories for King Saul and God’s people, and had endured much jealousy from his brothers. And now, with Saul still trying to kill David who was best friends with Saul’s son Jonathan, David knows without a doubt that God’s eyes and ears are paying attention to his needs, and that God sees him as a righteous man.
Time after time, David had seen the Lord turn his face away from those who practiced evil ways. This resulted in evil people making bad decisions that only hurt themselves even more.
David is writing to assure the downcast and brokenhearted that God will not ignore those who take refuge in him.
During some of my darkest moments in life, I have come to realize that maybe I shouldn’t be so focused on how to change a situation I have no control over. I have often found that difficulties provide wonderful opportunities for me to drawer nearer to God and let him be in charge of areas in my life that I previously wanted to control. The burden lifted. Hebrews 4:15 assures us that Jesus understands our struggles.
May we all carry out the Lord’s will as we are given opportunity, and let God handle the outcome. He will make a difference in you and those around you. (end)
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Pass the Peace, Please
by Barrett Vanlandingham
April 21, 2009
David knew the taste of a peaceful life even when times were tough.
The most recognizable part of David’s Psalm 34 is verse 8. “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” But since I focused on it earlier, I’m moving on to verses 11-14 for part four of this five part series. Let’s read David’s words and look for his recipe for avoiding evil.
“11. Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, 13. keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. 14. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”
By this point in David’s life, which you can read about in 1 Samuel chapters 16-21, he had learned a lot about the advantages of serving the Lord. So, when he says, “Listen to me,” it’s not because he just likes hearing himself talk. He actually wants to tell us something we need to hear. He knew firsthand of life’s distractions. That’s why he said, “Come, my children” which implies action or urgency. Remember when David “ran” to the battle line to fight Goliath? David now wants us pay attention to an important lesson.
David knew whatever words he spoke, he would have to defend them to his family, to King Saul, to his best friend Jonathan, and most importantly to God. He loved life and learned through experience what it took to see “many good days.” Pure speech was at the top of his list of advice for enjoying a good quality of life. Look where threats against God’s people landed Goliath. Dead! Look at the predicament David wound up in because of lusting for Bathsheba and then the deception that followed. Lives lost! About a thousand years later in the New Testament, Jesus said, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken (Matthew 12:36).” That should give each of us reason to think before we speak. Most of us wouldn’t have near as many “I wish I hadn’t said that” moments if we were to remember those very important words of Jesus that not only lead to peace for those around us, but peace for ourselves.
David ends his thoughts in verse 14 by giving us two extremes, one to avoid, and one to pursue. The prize of turning from evil and doing good is obtained through seeking peace. It is once again no surprise that the pursuit of another “fruit of the Spirit” (ref: Galatians 5:22-23) is the answer to life’s problems. In fact, the best spiritual meals can be had only when you’re in a right relationship with God. We must make it a point to be at His supper table everyday and say, “Pass the peace, please!” It’s part of a spiritual food group that we must have in order to exercise our Christianity to the fullest. In other words, how can we possibly win souls for Christ if we ourselves are in spiritual turmoil. Have a blessed and peaceful week! (end)
by Barrett Vanlandingham
April 21, 2009
David knew the taste of a peaceful life even when times were tough.
The most recognizable part of David’s Psalm 34 is verse 8. “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” But since I focused on it earlier, I’m moving on to verses 11-14 for part four of this five part series. Let’s read David’s words and look for his recipe for avoiding evil.
“11. Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, 13. keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. 14. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”
By this point in David’s life, which you can read about in 1 Samuel chapters 16-21, he had learned a lot about the advantages of serving the Lord. So, when he says, “Listen to me,” it’s not because he just likes hearing himself talk. He actually wants to tell us something we need to hear. He knew firsthand of life’s distractions. That’s why he said, “Come, my children” which implies action or urgency. Remember when David “ran” to the battle line to fight Goliath? David now wants us pay attention to an important lesson.
David knew whatever words he spoke, he would have to defend them to his family, to King Saul, to his best friend Jonathan, and most importantly to God. He loved life and learned through experience what it took to see “many good days.” Pure speech was at the top of his list of advice for enjoying a good quality of life. Look where threats against God’s people landed Goliath. Dead! Look at the predicament David wound up in because of lusting for Bathsheba and then the deception that followed. Lives lost! About a thousand years later in the New Testament, Jesus said, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken (Matthew 12:36).” That should give each of us reason to think before we speak. Most of us wouldn’t have near as many “I wish I hadn’t said that” moments if we were to remember those very important words of Jesus that not only lead to peace for those around us, but peace for ourselves.
David ends his thoughts in verse 14 by giving us two extremes, one to avoid, and one to pursue. The prize of turning from evil and doing good is obtained through seeking peace. It is once again no surprise that the pursuit of another “fruit of the Spirit” (ref: Galatians 5:22-23) is the answer to life’s problems. In fact, the best spiritual meals can be had only when you’re in a right relationship with God. We must make it a point to be at His supper table everyday and say, “Pass the peace, please!” It’s part of a spiritual food group that we must have in order to exercise our Christianity to the fullest. In other words, how can we possibly win souls for Christ if we ourselves are in spiritual turmoil. Have a blessed and peaceful week! (end)
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
The ancient recipe for victory is still tasty today
by Barrett Vanlandingham
April 14, 2009
I pray that you are enjoying my series titled “Taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8).” For me, it’s been very exciting and encouraging to look back three-thousand years at the life of David before he became King of Israel.
Last week, we looked at how incredible it was that David praised God continually during such a difficult and stressful period of his life. The pressure was on from King Saul. He had it out for David and wanted him dead, mainly because Saul was jealous of David’s many victories. Everytime David turned around, Saul was trying to pin him to the wall with a spear! Kind of makes the idea of being on “pins and needles” a little more inviting, strangely enough.
This week, let’s pick out four actions in David’s life that led to so many victories.
Let’s read Psalm 34:4-7. “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.”
Did you catch those? David did these four things: 1. Sought the Lord. 2. Looked to God. 3. Called out to God 4. Feared God.
Those four things resulted in an unbeatable recipe for David. For every action of David, there was a reaction from God. 1. Seeking the Lord led to an answer of being delivered from his fears. 2. Looking to God made David radiant and without shame. 3. Despite just how poor of a situation he was in, he called to God who heard and saved David from his troubles. 4. David respected or feared the Lord which resulted in God drawing close to David and delivering him.
This theme was carried into the New Testament in a number of places. James 4:2-3 comes to mind. The writer says, “…You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” We’re also told in Matthew 6:33 that if we seek God first and his righteousness, he will provide us with everything we need.
God knew David’s heart and blessed him greatly because of it. David humbled himself before the Lord and acknowledged God’s power as the reason for his success. God also knows our heart. The fact is, none of us would even have air to breathe if it weren’t for God having created it. Everything and everyone had to have been created at some point. David knew the origin of his strength and his victories, and he wasn’t too proud to let everyone know about his God. May we all be drawn closer to God as the taste of the Lord becomes sweeter and sweeter with each spiritual victory. (end)
by Barrett Vanlandingham
April 14, 2009
I pray that you are enjoying my series titled “Taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8).” For me, it’s been very exciting and encouraging to look back three-thousand years at the life of David before he became King of Israel.
Last week, we looked at how incredible it was that David praised God continually during such a difficult and stressful period of his life. The pressure was on from King Saul. He had it out for David and wanted him dead, mainly because Saul was jealous of David’s many victories. Everytime David turned around, Saul was trying to pin him to the wall with a spear! Kind of makes the idea of being on “pins and needles” a little more inviting, strangely enough.
This week, let’s pick out four actions in David’s life that led to so many victories.
Let’s read Psalm 34:4-7. “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.”
Did you catch those? David did these four things: 1. Sought the Lord. 2. Looked to God. 3. Called out to God 4. Feared God.
Those four things resulted in an unbeatable recipe for David. For every action of David, there was a reaction from God. 1. Seeking the Lord led to an answer of being delivered from his fears. 2. Looking to God made David radiant and without shame. 3. Despite just how poor of a situation he was in, he called to God who heard and saved David from his troubles. 4. David respected or feared the Lord which resulted in God drawing close to David and delivering him.
This theme was carried into the New Testament in a number of places. James 4:2-3 comes to mind. The writer says, “…You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” We’re also told in Matthew 6:33 that if we seek God first and his righteousness, he will provide us with everything we need.
God knew David’s heart and blessed him greatly because of it. David humbled himself before the Lord and acknowledged God’s power as the reason for his success. God also knows our heart. The fact is, none of us would even have air to breathe if it weren’t for God having created it. Everything and everyone had to have been created at some point. David knew the origin of his strength and his victories, and he wasn’t too proud to let everyone know about his God. May we all be drawn closer to God as the taste of the Lord becomes sweeter and sweeter with each spiritual victory. (end)
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