A new start requires effort, but it's worth it
by Barrett Vanlandingham
January 5, 2010
For the most part, 2010 is off to a great start for me. But just last week, about the time all of the snow and ice began to hit, my garage door opener stopped working. Lisa (my wife) said, “Isn’t that just about the way things happen?”
Seems just when you need something the most, you either can’t find it, or it breaks. In my case, I could hear the motor of the garage door opener running, but the gear that turns the chain was broken. And no matter how many times I pushed the button, and no matter which way I held my mouth, it still wouldn’t work. Sometimes you just need to start all over. In this case, it meant getting a new garage door opener. We got one and had it installed. It works great! Thank you, God.
In our Christian walk, a fresh start is something we can all benefit from. Good thing for us, Jesus offers us that fresh start everyday.
1 John 1:7 says, “But but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
Now just like that new garage door opener required some investment on my part, so does a good relationship with Jesus Christ. If we want to walk with Jesus, we must make the effort to get on his path, the lighted path. What a wonderful place to be! Look what he gives us in return. He gives us a lot more than the comfort of getting into a garage without getting out of the car. He actually purifies us from ALL sin through his blood that we are symbolically washed in when we are baptized (Romans 6:1-11).
Paul did just that in Acts 22:16. The entire 22nd chapter is very inspiring. You talk about a guy who received a new start in life! Paul definitely fits that description. Before he became a Christian, he used to persecute them!
I have talked to a lot of people over the years who felt that God would not forgive them or accept them back because they’d done too many bad things. Nothing could be further from the truth. If God forgave Paul of his wrongful actions and washed his sins away, he will do the same for us today.
The story of the prodigal son is a great example of that very thing. A loving father accepted his erring son back who repented (Luke 15:11-22, see also Luke 17:3-4 on repentance).
Have a happy New Year, and remember, “…Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:31).”
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.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The New Year provides a fresh start!
by Barrett Vanlandingham
December 29, 2009
You may have heard the old saying “Whoever you’re with on New Year’s Eve is who you’ll be with the rest of the year.”
For Christians, the answer to that should be the same every year no matter who you happen to be around. JESUS.
What a thrill it is to know that the Creator of heaven and earth, the One who sustains us, has cleared his calendar for 2010 of anything that would stand in the way of His relationship with us.
The apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “…the old has gone, the new has come!”
I can’t think of any New Testament verse that is any more appropriate for the beginning of a New Year than that. In context, Paul is saying that when you’re in Christ, you’re a new creation!
The great thing about that is the fact that Christ’ Holy Spirit dwells in Christians year ‘round. We don’t have to wait until a new year comes in order to start anew, keeping in step with the Spirit. In fact, we are supposed to live that way all the time (ref: Galatians 5:24-25).
Now as an aside, let me be clear on this. Being instilled with the Holy Spirit is NOT the same being distilled with alcoholic spirits! Some good advice for New Year’s Eve comes from Ephesians 5:18. “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (wicked living). Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” That entire chapter is devoted to teaching Christians how to make good use of the time we have on earth. Let’s face it, unless you think drinking gives you more Christian swagger than stagger, you may want to reconsider your stance on this line of the Christian walk.
For many, the holidays have become anything but holy-days. Yes, it may be extremely cliché to say that you’re going to make a New Year’s resolution. But hey! Why not? After all, anything that makes the devil shake in his boots must not be all that bad of a thing.
For Jewish people in Bible times, the “Year of Jubilee” was a new beginning of sorts, a time when prisoners were set free, debts were canceled, and families were re-united.
Symbolically speaking, Christians can celebrate the “Year of Jubilee” everyday with the freedoms we have in Christ.
Let this New Year’s Eve be nothing less than that, an opportunity to recommit to living Christ-like, and a great chance to celebrate with Jesus our canceled debt of sin in 2010. (end)
by Barrett Vanlandingham
December 29, 2009
You may have heard the old saying “Whoever you’re with on New Year’s Eve is who you’ll be with the rest of the year.”
For Christians, the answer to that should be the same every year no matter who you happen to be around. JESUS.
What a thrill it is to know that the Creator of heaven and earth, the One who sustains us, has cleared his calendar for 2010 of anything that would stand in the way of His relationship with us.
The apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “…the old has gone, the new has come!”
I can’t think of any New Testament verse that is any more appropriate for the beginning of a New Year than that. In context, Paul is saying that when you’re in Christ, you’re a new creation!
The great thing about that is the fact that Christ’ Holy Spirit dwells in Christians year ‘round. We don’t have to wait until a new year comes in order to start anew, keeping in step with the Spirit. In fact, we are supposed to live that way all the time (ref: Galatians 5:24-25).
Now as an aside, let me be clear on this. Being instilled with the Holy Spirit is NOT the same being distilled with alcoholic spirits! Some good advice for New Year’s Eve comes from Ephesians 5:18. “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (wicked living). Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” That entire chapter is devoted to teaching Christians how to make good use of the time we have on earth. Let’s face it, unless you think drinking gives you more Christian swagger than stagger, you may want to reconsider your stance on this line of the Christian walk.
For many, the holidays have become anything but holy-days. Yes, it may be extremely cliché to say that you’re going to make a New Year’s resolution. But hey! Why not? After all, anything that makes the devil shake in his boots must not be all that bad of a thing.
For Jewish people in Bible times, the “Year of Jubilee” was a new beginning of sorts, a time when prisoners were set free, debts were canceled, and families were re-united.
Symbolically speaking, Christians can celebrate the “Year of Jubilee” everyday with the freedoms we have in Christ.
Let this New Year’s Eve be nothing less than that, an opportunity to recommit to living Christ-like, and a great chance to celebrate with Jesus our canceled debt of sin in 2010. (end)
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
If only a manger could speak
by Barrett Vanlandingham
December 22, 2009
Simple pieces of wood nailed or tied together forming a feed trough had one simple task, to provide food for sheep, donkeys, or cattle. But for one manger two-thousand years ago we read about in Luke 2:7, that job was about to change. It could hardly be imagined that a smelly old manger that normally held hay or grain for animals would soon be cradling the Bread of Life (Jn. 6:35), the Son of Joseph and Mary, the Son of God, and Immanuel (meaning God with us) all wrapped up in one tiny, innocent baby Jesus. That night in Bethlehem an infant would be born who would forever change the world.
If the winds and the waves obeyed him (Matt. 8:27), and if the mountains and hills could burst into song, and if the trees could clap their hands (Isaiah 55:12), and if the heavens can praise his wonders (Ps. 89:5), and if every creature can praise his holy name (Ps. 145:21) all because of the Lord’s greatness, then certainly a manger could be overjoyed at the privilege of being among the first to hold the Messiah, God himself in the flesh.
A stall may have very well been where the best of the sheep and cattle were temporarily held until time for them to be taken to the temple altar. Imagine the flood of emotions Joseph and Mary must have felt, along with a host of angels as the Christ-child, our Savior, the perfect sacrifice for all of humanity, replaced the imperfect on this most holy night, and later permanently, as once again simple pieces of wood and nails were used to hold Jesus, but this time to a cross.
What does the fact that Jesus chose to be born in such humble circumstances say to us?
1) Jesus was willing to go to great lengths to understand us, and to save us. 2) If a smelly manger was good enough for the Son of God to be placed there at birth, then why would we doubt that God’s Spirit dwells in us the moment we are baptized (Acts 2:38)?
Just like the manger held Jesus, every Christian today also holds Jesus. For our bodies are a temple of God. We should therefore honor God with our bodies since we are no longer our own and we are bought with a price (ref:1 Cor. 6:19).
We will obviously never know what the manger was thinking when the baby Jesus was gently placed in its care. The more important question is for you today. What will you do with Jesus, the Savior who left the comforts of heaven, to give you hope and joy on earth, and who has now gone to prepare a place for you (Jn. 14:1-4)? God bless and Merry Christmas!
by Barrett Vanlandingham
December 22, 2009
Simple pieces of wood nailed or tied together forming a feed trough had one simple task, to provide food for sheep, donkeys, or cattle. But for one manger two-thousand years ago we read about in Luke 2:7, that job was about to change. It could hardly be imagined that a smelly old manger that normally held hay or grain for animals would soon be cradling the Bread of Life (Jn. 6:35), the Son of Joseph and Mary, the Son of God, and Immanuel (meaning God with us) all wrapped up in one tiny, innocent baby Jesus. That night in Bethlehem an infant would be born who would forever change the world.
If the winds and the waves obeyed him (Matt. 8:27), and if the mountains and hills could burst into song, and if the trees could clap their hands (Isaiah 55:12), and if the heavens can praise his wonders (Ps. 89:5), and if every creature can praise his holy name (Ps. 145:21) all because of the Lord’s greatness, then certainly a manger could be overjoyed at the privilege of being among the first to hold the Messiah, God himself in the flesh.
A stall may have very well been where the best of the sheep and cattle were temporarily held until time for them to be taken to the temple altar. Imagine the flood of emotions Joseph and Mary must have felt, along with a host of angels as the Christ-child, our Savior, the perfect sacrifice for all of humanity, replaced the imperfect on this most holy night, and later permanently, as once again simple pieces of wood and nails were used to hold Jesus, but this time to a cross.
What does the fact that Jesus chose to be born in such humble circumstances say to us?
1) Jesus was willing to go to great lengths to understand us, and to save us. 2) If a smelly manger was good enough for the Son of God to be placed there at birth, then why would we doubt that God’s Spirit dwells in us the moment we are baptized (Acts 2:38)?
Just like the manger held Jesus, every Christian today also holds Jesus. For our bodies are a temple of God. We should therefore honor God with our bodies since we are no longer our own and we are bought with a price (ref:1 Cor. 6:19).
We will obviously never know what the manger was thinking when the baby Jesus was gently placed in its care. The more important question is for you today. What will you do with Jesus, the Savior who left the comforts of heaven, to give you hope and joy on earth, and who has now gone to prepare a place for you (Jn. 14:1-4)? God bless and Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
The Bible warns of being cozy with the world
by Barrett Vanlandingham
December 15, 2009
When I went out to my car the other morning I could hardly believe what I was feeling. 17-degrees! My door was frozen shut. My teeth were chattering. The grass I walked across now had ice-crystal footprints on it. And everything around me just had that “quiet” feeling, the kind you can only experience in below freezing temperatures. So why was the extreme cold such a shock to me even though the weather forecast I watched the night before predicted it? Two things: 1) I had forgotten just how cold 17-degrees really feels. 2) I had gotten used to the comfort of a warm home.
The Bible is filled with great stories about what happened to God’s people when they chose to forget some very important things. These principles still apply to us today in regard to our relationship with God, his word, and the second coming of Christ.
In the Book of Genesis 6-8, we’re told of God’s grief at how wicked mankind had become. The message of Noah, a preacher of righteousness (2 Pet. 2:5), was evidently ignored by the masses despite the fact that it took Noah about 100 years to build the ark by God’s blueprints. In the end, only Noah and his family, eight in all, were saved in the ark when the floods came. You see, the people had forgotten the importance of having a good relationship with God. They had grown accustomed to living according to the world’s standards.
In the Book of Exodus, the Bible tells us how God delivered the Israelites from Egyptian slavery and the hands of Pharaoh by inflicting ten plagues. But soon, the people forgot who aided their successful escape. So, their loyalty to God began to waiver and drift. They began to marry non-Israelites and adopted their ways of worshiping false gods. This was the downfall of most of Israel’s kings such as Ahab (1 Kings 16:30-31) who married Jezebel (need I say more?).
Even Solomon’s heart turned towards pagan gods and was not fully devoted to the Lord, his God. As a result, God raised up enemies to defeat the Israelites time and time again. And Solomon’s kingdom was torn away from him.
Many of God’s people throughout Bible history forgot all about him because they had become partners with the world. Paul also warns against this in the New Testament (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1).
So what does this mean for you? Christ has done his part to save you. His message has been preached for about two-thousand years. If you’re already a Christian, do your actions show you have forgotten you are his child? Have you become too cozy with a world that has grown spiritually cold? If you are not a Christian, please don’t let the warmth of Jesus pass you by. Have a great day!
by Barrett Vanlandingham
December 15, 2009
When I went out to my car the other morning I could hardly believe what I was feeling. 17-degrees! My door was frozen shut. My teeth were chattering. The grass I walked across now had ice-crystal footprints on it. And everything around me just had that “quiet” feeling, the kind you can only experience in below freezing temperatures. So why was the extreme cold such a shock to me even though the weather forecast I watched the night before predicted it? Two things: 1) I had forgotten just how cold 17-degrees really feels. 2) I had gotten used to the comfort of a warm home.
The Bible is filled with great stories about what happened to God’s people when they chose to forget some very important things. These principles still apply to us today in regard to our relationship with God, his word, and the second coming of Christ.
In the Book of Genesis 6-8, we’re told of God’s grief at how wicked mankind had become. The message of Noah, a preacher of righteousness (2 Pet. 2:5), was evidently ignored by the masses despite the fact that it took Noah about 100 years to build the ark by God’s blueprints. In the end, only Noah and his family, eight in all, were saved in the ark when the floods came. You see, the people had forgotten the importance of having a good relationship with God. They had grown accustomed to living according to the world’s standards.
In the Book of Exodus, the Bible tells us how God delivered the Israelites from Egyptian slavery and the hands of Pharaoh by inflicting ten plagues. But soon, the people forgot who aided their successful escape. So, their loyalty to God began to waiver and drift. They began to marry non-Israelites and adopted their ways of worshiping false gods. This was the downfall of most of Israel’s kings such as Ahab (1 Kings 16:30-31) who married Jezebel (need I say more?).
Even Solomon’s heart turned towards pagan gods and was not fully devoted to the Lord, his God. As a result, God raised up enemies to defeat the Israelites time and time again. And Solomon’s kingdom was torn away from him.
Many of God’s people throughout Bible history forgot all about him because they had become partners with the world. Paul also warns against this in the New Testament (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1).
So what does this mean for you? Christ has done his part to save you. His message has been preached for about two-thousand years. If you’re already a Christian, do your actions show you have forgotten you are his child? Have you become too cozy with a world that has grown spiritually cold? If you are not a Christian, please don’t let the warmth of Jesus pass you by. Have a great day!
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Things you say and do really matter
by Barrett Vanlandingham
December 8, 2009
As a youth minister, there is nothing more exciting than watching young people put on Christ in baptism (Galatians 3:27).
The other day, Mike, a youth minister from the Broken Arrow sent me an e-mail that really touched my heart regarding our recent areawide fall retreat. He complimented all the teachers for a job well done, and said that a young lady in his youth group was baptized the day after because of things she learned and observed while there. That meant a lot to me because once again God has humbled me and reminded me that he continues his work even after my work is over.
Yes, I would have loved to see that young lady become a Christian (Acts 2:38). But then again, it’s not really my job to save’em. It’s my job to teach’em. It’s my job to sow seeds. It’s my job to help bring souls to Christ. Only God can do the harvesting. Only God can truly work on someone’s heart.
If you’ve ever experienced a spiritual high, you already know that the hardest part of living the Christian life takes place after the camps, youth rallies and special worship times are over. That’s when the devil has his best shot at stealing our souls. So many times I see young and old alike make commitments to Christ during a spiritual high, only to crash and burn the first time Satan comes knocking. The devil has a way of finding us when we’re at our most vulnerable. We often forget that God is always with us, not just during exciting or inspirational worship times, and not just when our Christian friends are around. However, the Bible points out many times that having Christians as your closest friends can make spiritual warfare much more manageable.
I don’t know that I even met the young lady who was baptized after the retreat. That’s not important. What is important is that she met Jesus Christ and made a commitment to serving him because of some very dedicated teachers and other young Christians who made a huge impact on her.
Christians have a very important and life-saving message to tell both verbally and in the way we live. When we profess to be Christians, make no mistake about it people are watching us. Some are hoping to catch us in a mess-up. Others are simply people who are amazed at how Jesus works in our lives in spite of our imperfections. In either case, Christians are teachers. Remember, tomorrow is a new day.
Everyday, you and I have opportunities to introduce people to Jesus Christ by the way we act and react. May God give you the strength and perseverance to make a difference in someone’s life. Let God do the rest. (end)
by Barrett Vanlandingham
December 8, 2009
As a youth minister, there is nothing more exciting than watching young people put on Christ in baptism (Galatians 3:27).
The other day, Mike, a youth minister from the Broken Arrow sent me an e-mail that really touched my heart regarding our recent areawide fall retreat. He complimented all the teachers for a job well done, and said that a young lady in his youth group was baptized the day after because of things she learned and observed while there. That meant a lot to me because once again God has humbled me and reminded me that he continues his work even after my work is over.
Yes, I would have loved to see that young lady become a Christian (Acts 2:38). But then again, it’s not really my job to save’em. It’s my job to teach’em. It’s my job to sow seeds. It’s my job to help bring souls to Christ. Only God can do the harvesting. Only God can truly work on someone’s heart.
If you’ve ever experienced a spiritual high, you already know that the hardest part of living the Christian life takes place after the camps, youth rallies and special worship times are over. That’s when the devil has his best shot at stealing our souls. So many times I see young and old alike make commitments to Christ during a spiritual high, only to crash and burn the first time Satan comes knocking. The devil has a way of finding us when we’re at our most vulnerable. We often forget that God is always with us, not just during exciting or inspirational worship times, and not just when our Christian friends are around. However, the Bible points out many times that having Christians as your closest friends can make spiritual warfare much more manageable.
I don’t know that I even met the young lady who was baptized after the retreat. That’s not important. What is important is that she met Jesus Christ and made a commitment to serving him because of some very dedicated teachers and other young Christians who made a huge impact on her.
Christians have a very important and life-saving message to tell both verbally and in the way we live. When we profess to be Christians, make no mistake about it people are watching us. Some are hoping to catch us in a mess-up. Others are simply people who are amazed at how Jesus works in our lives in spite of our imperfections. In either case, Christians are teachers. Remember, tomorrow is a new day.
Everyday, you and I have opportunities to introduce people to Jesus Christ by the way we act and react. May God give you the strength and perseverance to make a difference in someone’s life. Let God do the rest. (end)
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