Playing on God’s team is even more exciting than football season
by Barrett Vanlandingham
September 8, 2009

There is just something about the coming of the fall season. School has begun, there’s renewed hope in the air of having a great school year, there’s a whole new class of young drivers on the road to watch out for, there’s homecoming floats to get ready, there’s the sound of the band practicing early in the morning, and there’s FOOTBALL. I played linebacker at Tahlequah High School in the early eighties. Go Tigers! So, I know a little about the excitement of football season.
All of those things seemed tremendously important at the time. But as we all know, the years go by and a little perspective tends to put life’s events in the proper order.
The apostle Paul, who was growing older, told young Timothy these important words to live by: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (1 Tim. 4:8)
I get the idea that Paul must have watched his share of sporting events. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, he makes spiritual applications of running a race to get the prize. He talks about those who compete in the games going into strict training, and he talks about a fighter who only beats the air. Of course, in each of these Paul is really talking about the game of life and where it leads.
The writer of Hebrews (possibly Paul) talks about running the race with perseverance (Heb. 12:1-2). Which race? The writer says “…the race marked out for us.” He goes on to say that Jesus endured the cross because of the joy set before him. His goal was that of saving our souls through his life, crucifixion and resurrection. That was the “joy set before him.” He did it for us. Amazing thought, isn’t it? Just how far would you go to save someone’s soul?
Jesus then victoriously sat at the right hand of God in order to encourage us and give us a goal that we can attain. We can make it to heaven by following Christ’s example of living a life dedicated to serving and loving God, and serving and loving others. It’s only by God’s grace that he gives us such a plan to follow.
If you want a real challenge with a real reward, living for God in an increasingly immoral world is the toughest challenge any of us will ever face. But it is also the only challenge that comes with a reward of eternal life in heaven where there are no worries, no pain, no death, only joy and praise of God the Father who makes it all possible. Real victory comes for those who have the choice to live life however they want, but choose to live it for God who in turn gives the richest blessings of all, peace and joy, now and later.
Being on God’s team can feel lonely, especially when we look at the world’s team which has so many members. But when it’s time for God’s team to march victoriously into the end zone of heaven, many on the opposing team will want to switch sides. But for them it will be too late. Please pray today that God gives us the wisdom and perseverance to suit up and play for him everyday until the clock on life’s scoreboard runs out. (end)

Things we can learn from a 2500 year old prayer
by Barrett Vanlandingham
August 25, 2009

In Daniel 9, we find an amazing prayer recorded for us over 2500 years ago. The reason it’s so incredible is not necessarily the wording of the prayer, but instead Daniel’s attitude while addressing God.
Daniel had been reading the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. (Daniel 9:2) Evidently, Daniel, an exiled Jew in Babylon who was an old man by then, knew that Jerusalem’s tough times should be nearing an end. Although, he could still see no sign of hope for the Jewish people being allowed to return to Jerusalem.
At that point, Daniel did something we can all learn from today. The very next verse says that Daniel “…turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.” (9:3)
In simple terms, Daniel humbled himself to the greatest extent he knew how, and then addressed God. He acknowledged his own sin and guilt, as well as that of the Israelites who were God’s chosen people. He also pled for mercy. With Daniel’s life of dedication and faithfulness to God, we have no reason to think God did not hear his prayer. After all, “The Lord is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.” (Proverbs 15:29) In fact, Daniel 9:21 says that while he was still praying, the angel Gabriel came to deliver God’s answer to his prayer.
So what does this mean to us? God hears and answers the prayers of those who have a relationship with him. It’s not good enough to simply call yourself a Christian or just believe that God is real. After all, God made a covenant of love with the Israelites. They knew who God was, but they chose to not have an obedient relationship with him. That’s why God allowed their city to be overtaken. This should cause people in our society today to wake up and come to one very important realization. Just because you believe in God and wear the name Christian doesn’t mean you are in a secure relationship with him.
By worldly standards, most would say that if anyone had a right to brag about being righteous, it would be the one who survived being thrown into the lion’s den. But Daniel walked humbly before the Lord in all things, and continued to pray to God in spite of the world’s opinion of how he should live his life. He was rewarded for his dedication.
May God bless you as you walk humbly before him. (end)

Christians gain strength between the lions
by Barrett Vanlandingham
August 18, 2009

Daniel in the Old Testament is known as a teenager who was dedicated and faithful to God. But make no mistake about it; Daniel should also be known just as much as an inspiration to mature adults, a “golden ager” dedicated to the Almighty, even when faced with possible death from the bone crushing jaws of lions.
For the last few weeks, my articles have come from the book of Daniel. And although he, along with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were probably about 15 years old when Babylon’s king Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and took them into custody to train them for service in the Babylonian court, by chapter six Daniel is not a young man. He’s probably about 85 years old, and has continued all those years serving in the Babylonian palace while also continuing to be devoted to the God of heaven instead of the Babylonian gods. That’s where this story takes up.
Darius the Mede is now king. This is the third of four kings Daniel will serve under. Darius had planned to set Daniel over the whole kingdom because of his exceptional qualities (Daniel 6:3). But jealousy on the part of the other palace administrators entered the picture. They decided to appeal to the king’s ego and have him issue a ruling that anyone who prays to any god or man besides the king during the next 30 days should be thrown into the lion’s den. This was a clever trick since the laws of the Medes and Persians forbade kings to change a ruling after it was made.
Daniel heard about the edict, but continued to pray three times a day in his upstairs room “…where the windows opened toward Jerusalem.” (6:10) Long story short? Daniel was found out, and then thrown into the lion’s den. But as you might suspect, the Lord closed the mouth of the lions. Daniel was released the next day without a scratch! Relieved, Darius had Daniel’s accusers along with their families thrown into the lion’s den. Let’s just say the outcome for them was quite different. (6:24)
Darius then issued a decree that every person in the kingdom must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.
This story should be of great comfort to Christians who are getting up in years. The God who was faithful to a teenage Daniel was also faithful as he became an elderly man. Likewise, that same God will be faithful to me and you as we age and continue to put our faith and dedication in God. There are many distractions and temptations that can cause us to doubt the power of God, but the story of Daniel in the lion’s den is one that should give us more confidence with each passing year. (end)

God’s graffiti is too important to ignore
by Barrett Vanlandingham
August 11, 2009

Have you ever seen a hand writing on a wall without the rest of the body attached? Now that would definitely get my attention, and I would probably react the same as Babylon’s King Belshazzar did in about 539 B.C. His face turned pale, his knees literally knocked together, and his legs gave way (Daniel 5:6). The last time my knees knocked was 20 years ago when I saw my bride coming down the aisle to marry me. Not because I was scared like Belshazzar was, but because of her stunning radiance, just to clarify.
The handwriting on Belshazzar’s palace wall happened as he was giving a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles he was trying to impress. Mission accomplished! He had just given orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that his father, Nebuchadnezzar, had raided from the temple in Jerusalem. Belshazzar, along with his wives and concubines, and his guests drank wine from the goblets as “…they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone.” (Daniel 5:4)
“Suddenly, fingers from a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote.” (v.5)
The letters spelled “MENE MENE TEKEL UPARSIN.” But none of the king’s wise men in all of Babylon could tell what these words meant. So Belshazzar eventually called in Daniel, the Hebrew prophet who had interpreted dreams for his father for so many years.
Not that ignorance is bliss would have worked for Belshazzar anyway, but the King could have probably done just fine without the handwriting and the subsequent interpretation that turned out to mean that the king was on the verge of losing his kingdom. In fact, he died that very night, his kingdom was divided between the Medes and the Persians, and the king was replaced by Darius. The reason for Belzhazzar’s downfall was because he failed to learn the lessons of his father, Nebuchadnezzar, who learned to humble himself before God. Belshazzar not only knew about his father’s journey from arrogance to humility, but he chose to set himself up against the Lord of heaven and worship many gods instead of the one true God (5:22-23).
So what does all of this mean to me and you? Well, those of us who have already heard the Gospel story of Jesus really have no excuse to not be ready on judgment day. On the day God returns to take his faithful home to heaven, those who have humbled themselves before the Lord, choosing his ways and not their own will experience the greatest joy ever known to mankind.
Who can you tell about Jesus before it’s too late? Have a great day! (end)