A Hectic Life Is No Match for the God of

Comfort

by Barrett Vanlandingham
August 30, 2011

            Did you ever have one of those weeks that just wouldn’t seem to end?  We’ve all been there.  For me, it came last week.  I love doing full-time youth ministry more than just about anything, and I love the fact that our church hosted a four day relationships conference, and I loved the three day youth rally in Missouri that I went to with 53 kids and eight adult chaperons.  But at some point in my unusually long 84-plus hour work schedule of things I love to do, I was thinking, “This is way too much of a good thing!”  In fact, it’s the things that we enjoy doing the most that can easily lead to an unbalanced life.

            Even so, it quickly donned on me that things could always be worse!  A lot of you know what I am talking about.  So, even in the middle of writing this article I paused to pray for strength, peace, hope and healing, not just for myself, but for all of you who have grueling weeks year round, not just occasionally like me.
            We should pray for those who are dealing with loved ones in the hospitals and nursing homes, for those who are caretakers at home, for those who have stressful marriages or other family issues, for those who have difficult jobs, dead end jobs, or no jobs, for those who are struggling with health issues, for those who have family members in the military, for parents trying to raise God-fearing children in a culture that doesn’t care enough about God, for those whose lives are too busy, and for those who are not busy enough.
        The wisest man who ever lived was Solomon.  In Ecclesiastes 3:1 he wrote “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.”
        So, we know from Solomon’s writings that life will not always be a bed of roses. But he also says that God “has made everything beautiful in its time.”  And that includes all of us!
        The silver lining to any of our struggles is that we serve a God who can carry us through all of life’s messes and challenges.  We serve a God who loves each one of us, and has prepared a place for us in heaven.  We serve a God who “rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
         Good and bad times are just a part of life on earth. But with God, Christians can be joyful even when the circumstances are not happy ones. In discussing difficult situations with his disciples, Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27)     Have a great week!

God is with our children, even when they leave home
by Barrett Vanlandingham
August 23, 2011

            As Lisa and I send our daughter, Ashton, off to Oklahoma Christian University to begin her freshman year, all kinds of thoughts rush through my mind. But the most comforting thought of all is the fact that God is going with her.

            I would be naïve to think she won’t occasionally stumble along the way and make a mistakes, hopefully not as many as I did.  But Ashton knows that she not only has parents who love her unconditionally, but more importantly, she has a Heavenly Father who loves her more than any of us can possibly imagine.

            Many of you who are reading this feel the same way about your children or grandchildren. God bless you. Isn’t it just amazing to think that the very Spirit of God makes His home inside every Christian?  It is more than the mind can comprehend, and yet, it’s true! The same Spirit who was there 6000 years ago when the Earth was created wells with us 24/7.

            In 1 Corinthians 6:19 Paul says, Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,” (ESV)

            Even so, it is possible for any of us to make mistakes.  Athletes often become overconfident and lose to a lesser opponent because of arrogance getting in the way of good judgment or concentration.  For Christians, this is also true, especially during those times when we think we are at our strongest spiritually.

            Paul also says, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Cor. 10:12, NIV)

            Lisa and I have raised Ashton to be a Godly woman. We even loosened the reigns a little as she edged closer to leaving home so she could sharpen her decision-making skills while still living under our roof.  I know a lot of you have done the same.  But as we all know, there’s nothing that teaches life lessons any better than the kick in the gut we’ve all gone through in one way or another (aka: natural consequences).

            Please, let’s all take a moment and pray for all of our children, the ones still in the nest, and the ones taking flight, that they will hold onto God’s hand, so the lessons learned won’t be more of a burden than they can handle (ref: 1 Cor. 10:13).   Have a blessed week!

God is in control
by Barrett Vanlandingham
August 16, 2011

The rain we’ve received lately is an answer to many prayers. So, why did God make us wait so long? After all, many crops failed during the drought, cattlemen have had to pay premium prices for hay if they could even find any to buy, towns everywhere have had to ration water, and of course, there’s the heat-related illnesses and deaths. The question of “why” things like this happen is not new. People have asked questions like that for thousands of years.
The fact is, God works in His own time for His own reasons that we sometimes do not understand. But since we no longer live in the Garden of Eden, and since we haven’t reached the pearly gates of Heaven, why would we even expect things here on Earth to be perfect?
God formed us. He gives us what we need. It rains on the just and the unjust. He gives us beautiful days with perfect weather that we didn’t ask for or deserve. He gives us the fruit of the Spirit that makes our lives so much more complete. Imagine what our lives would be like without “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” As with the apostle Paul, God’s grace is sufficient for us. We all have an affliction or a thorn in the flesh we’d like to get rid of. But if everything in our lives was perfect, we would not need a relationship with God, and we would not need the hope provided through His son, Jesus.
When Joseph’s jealous brothers tossed him down a well and sold him into slavery, he probably never thought this would be the route God was taking to make him the Governor of Egypt. And he probably couldn’t have imagined that he would be the one to save the known world from famine by saving up huge quantities of grain during times of abundance.
In Isaiah 43:19, The Lord told Jacob, “I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” God was reminding the nation of Israel of His mercy in spite of the fact they continued to disobey him, resulting in serious consequences.
There is a lot we could learn from the plagues and misfortune the Israelites brought on themselves because of their stubbornness and disobedience towards God.
So what does all this mean for us today? We will always have to deal with the consequences of our sin and the sin of others as long as we live here. But for Christians, God has indeed provided a “way in the wilderness” of life and “streams in the wasteland” of a corrupt culture. And for those who choose to follow God’s righteous path, a blessing of Heaven awaits!

Give God the chance to be amazing this school year

by Barrett Vanlandingham

August 2, 2011

            Most of the time my Fort Faith column is a devotional thought on one topic or another.  But this week I am going to tell you how I was blessed this summer in the normal course of doing youth ministry at Fort Gibson Church of Christ.  Of course, when you tag along with God it seems nothing is ever really normal.

Let me just say that the 100-plus degree temperatures we’ve been dealing with were no match for the Spirit’s fire at church camp this summer.  I sincerely hope many of you had similar experiences.  If so, I would love to hear about it.  The theme for my weeks of church camp at Burnt Cabin was titled “Knee Mail”.  Yes, we studied all about prayer. It was awesome!

But going into it, I was embarrassingly worried that things would not go well.  So once I figured out the obvious answer, I prayed, and cast my anxiety on Him. Then I asked many others to pray.  God listened.  And God responded with more blessings than I could count.

By week’s end, six teenagers had put on Christ in baptism (Romans 6:1-11 and Acts 2:38), and seventy more had requested prayer for either themselves or someone close to them.

It was so inspiring to receive tearful hugs from young people who are faced with so many temptations.  It was truly a mountaintop experience to hear one young person say, “I am finished with my old life of sin, I am not going back there again, I want to stay on track with the Lord.”

Another teen made a similar statement, “I’ve been struggling to live the Christian life and I need your prayers.”

In just a matter of days our children will be headed back to school.  The unity of youth groups everywhere will be tested as routine school schedules and activities begin to take up our kids’ time, and pull them in many different directions.  Satan will be there front and center, making sure to hurl as many stumbling blocks as possible to throw our young people off track.  But instead of mourning the trials and temptations to come, let’s all trust God to give us an amazing school year.  Let’s all remember to thank Him for each victory everyday.

As a Christian man, a parent, and a youth minister, I am going to try harder than ever this year to be a support for young people in our community, and look for opportunities to help them with their spiritual growth.  Fort Gibson is blessed to have a lot of Godly men and women who will be doing the same.  What a blessing!  May God give each of us the desire, energy, knowledge and ability to lift the name of Jesus high, honoring Him in all we do.  Have a great day!

A branch not connected to the vine is dead

by Barrett Vanlandingham

July 26, 2011

            So what’s the big deal with church attendance?  Well, for starters let’s take a look at the Gospel of John chapter 15.  Jesus says, “I am the Vine, and my Father is the Gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful (Jn 15:1-2).”

            Yes it is true that sitting in a church building doesn’t make you a Christian any more than sticking a boot in the oven makes it a biscuit!  However, the body of Christ is the church. Christians are part of that body. Christ did not die for a church building.  He died for His church, the people. So it only makes sense that we as Christians need to assemble with other members of the Lord’s body in order to stay connected to the Vine, and therefore stay alive.

            A dead branch cannot bear fruit and cannot stay connected to the vine any more than darkness can be in Christ’s presence.  That is why dead limbs are separated from the vine much like Christians who are no longer sustained by the bread of life become separated from the Lord and from their Christian brothers and sisters.

            If it sounds to you like our God is a jealous God, that’s true!  He stated that himself in Exodus 20:5 in the listing of the Ten Commandments.  But it is important to know that God’s jealousy is not a destructive quality in our relationship with Him.

In fact, it is just the opposite. God sets boundaries that come with consequences because he loves us with a love that humans cannot even begin to comprehend.  He wants us to choose him and obey him so we can experience the blessings of being in him, that our joy may be complete (ref: Jn 15:11)

He proved his love when he became flesh and took a beating and was crucified and was raised to give us hope of eternal life. If he hadn’t gone through all of that, mankind would have a very hard time understanding what gives God the right to trim dead limbs from the Vine, and even prune fruit-producing limbs.

The fact is, God knows and understands us better than anyone (Hebrews 4:14-16).  And even with all of our flaws, he opens his arms wide to every person in the world, no matter what they’ve done, in hopes that all will repent, accept His grace, and get connected to Christ the true Vine.  Have a blessed day!

There is always hope for those who turn to the Lord

by Barrett Vanlandingham

July 19, 2011 

            Scripture is very clear on the fact that Christians can turn away from the Lord.  This is not a good thing, but it has happened, does happen and will continue to happen as long as we are human.  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).”

            In writing to Christians in Rome, Paul clearly stated a message that the world back then and the world today would rather not believe, that hell (spiritual death) awaits those who follow the ways of the world instead of God’s ways.  Paul says, “For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die, but if by the Spirit you will put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God (Romans 8:13-14).”

That is why scripture places so much importance on repentance, or a continual turning away from the world in favor of walking with God.

One of the most intriguing passages I have read lately comes from the book of Ezekiel 38:24-30. God gave a message to the prophet Ezekiel to give to God’s chosen people, the Israelites, who for hundreds of years rebelled against God’s degrees and paid the price for it over and over again through military defeats, slavery and other misfortunes.

The message was one of love, hope and peace to the children of Israel who God loved deeply and wanted them to walk in His righteous path.  The Lord said, “For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit in you…”

Today, God offers Christians the same opportunity He gave to the Israelites 2600 years ago, the chance to walk with Him, and the assurance of heaven when this life is over.

Galatians 3:26-27 says, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

Scripture not only tells us that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus (ref: Romans 8:37-39), but it also reminds us that we can be our own worst enemy in this regard because of our own evil desires that can lead to spiritual death (ref: James 1:13-15).     May God bless your days as you seek His face in all things. (end)

Keep on the lookout for spiritual road hazards

by Barrett Vanlandingham

July 12, 2011

            In my previous life as a TV journalist, I wrote about potholes many times, but hardly ever about manholes.  But after my experience last week in Honduras with the Fort Gibson Church of Christ mission team, I definitely have a new well of stories to dig from.  And yes, it includes uncovered, unmarked manholes that I had to dodge while driving white-knuckled and wide-eyed in a rented 15 passenger Toyota van.

            There were no warning signs, no florescent paint around them, no orange cones, and no barricades, just several very deep manholes about three feet in diameter.  Hondurans call serious road hazards such as these “baches” (like gotcha).

Driving in Honduras was kind of like playing a video game, only this was for real.  In fact, as I was driving, I noticed an uncovered manhole in the oncoming lane of traffic and sitting next to it was a tire, a front bumper and a radiator that had just fallen victim to this unforgiving bache.

            In living the Christian life, there are spiritual baches along life’s highways.  Some result in permanent physical consequences, and some you can recover from, kind of like driving over an annoying speed bump versus hitting a deep bache that stops you dead in your tracks and causes the immediate destruction of your car.

            The main difference between earthly baches and spiritual ones is that no one likes road hazards.  On the other hand, the devil is very deceptive and is a master at creating temptations that can be very appealing to our senses (James 1:13-15).  These spiritual baches can lure even the strongest Christian into a trap. This means we need to be careful to stay alert (1 Thessalonians 5:6) and remember  the consequences or rewards that will come at the end of our spiritual journey.

            In Paul’s final instructions to the church in Thessalonica he says, “Abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thes. 5:22, ESV)

            This means we cannot pick and choose which sins we will allow ourselves to participate in. God’s inspired word makes it very clear that we are to not be involved in sin, in any form, even when it appears to be cute, funny, off color, entertaining, or even socially acceptable.

            Scripture says that not only we to stay away from sin, but that we should not approve of the sinful actions of others (ref: Romans 1:32).

            May God bless us all with the wisdom we need to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15) to help keep our friends and loved ones in a right relationship with God, and ourselves, too.   Have a great day!

A joyful life begins with prayer

by Barrett Vanlandingham

July 5, 2011

            The apostle Paul had some great advice about prayer:  “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”

(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

            If there’s anyone who earned the right to say these words, it’s Paul! 

Let’s just say he went through enough of life to have a sour attitude if it hadn’t been for the change he experienced because of Jesus Christ.  You want examples?  To begin with, there were people in every town Paul went to preach the Gospel in who tried to kill him.  Can you imagine living like that?  Even with encouraging friends along for the journey, Paul found himself the target of hatred from Jews who didn’t believe that Jesus was the son of God.

Even after healing a crippled man in the town of Lystra who had never been able to stand and walk before, an angry mob stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city thinking he was dead.  Beyond that, Paul was flogged, beaten with rods, shipwrecked, and felt daily concern for all the issues being faced by the Lord’s church during the first century.   And as you might expect, there were many Christians who were skeptical of Paul because of the way he used to persecute Christians before turning his life around.

            Prayer was a way Paul could continually stay connected with the very One who makes it possible for Christians to live a joyful life today in spite of difficulties.  It is no accident that Paul connects joy, praying continually, and giving thanks in all circumstances.  The three are intertwined for those who have clothed themselves in Christ.

            Can you imagine what life on earth would be like if we were not allowed to speak to God, and if God never answered prayers?  But God does answer prayers everyday!  The problem is, much of the time we mark it off as coincidence, or something God would have done anyway.  We are often quick to ask for a favor from God, but not nearly as quick to thank and praise Him for all the ways He provides for us on a daily basis. 

            A Prayerful Attitude:  1) Strengthens our relationship with God, which strengthens our faith in Him.  2)  Helps us overcome temptations. 3) Make an average day filled with excitement over what God is going to do next!

            James says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”  (James 5:16)

            May God bless you with a renewed commitment to a joyful life of prayer. (end)

There are reasons why God doesn’t always give us what we ask for
by Barrett Vanlandingham
June 28, 2011

            The other night I found myself watching a new show called “Toddlers and Tiaras.”  The show was basically following two little girls through a beauty pageant.  If you appreciate a good show to roll your eyes at, just tune in to some of this show’s behind the scenes temper tantrums, back-talking, and on-stage pint-size modeling followed by uncontrollable crying when the contestants find out they didn’t win it all.  As the judges were tallying their scores, one very dramatic six year old shut her eyes in full concentration as she said, “Please God, Please God, Please God!”  Well, she did win second overall, but not the grand prize which was a double-size pink poster bed.  When she finally figured out she hadn’t won the top spot, she threw a queen-size FIT.

            At some point in our lives, we all find ourselves not knowing what to pray for, or we know what we want but we don’t know if we’re supposed to ask for wants.  Sometimes we simply get discouraged with our prayer life because we ask over and over for something that just doesn’t seem “meant to be.”

            Each one of the following Bible passages could be an article on its own.  But I encourage you to go ahead and look-up these verses which shed light on why we don’t always feel like God answers our prayers, at least the way we wanted. 

1. We don’t believe that God can answer prayer.  (James 1:6-8 & Matthew 21:22)

2. Wrong motives. (James 4:3)

3. Unconfessed sin separates us from God, so that He cannot hear.  (Isaiah 59:1-2).

4. We set up idols in our hearts that come between us and God.  (Ezekiel 14:3).

5. We don't answer those who cry to us for help.   (Proverbs 21:13).

6. We don't remain in God and his word is not in us.  (John 15:7). 

            Beyond these reasons, God’s wisdom is simply greater than ours. He sees the overall picture of what we need.  Just like a parent gives a child what is needed, God knows what’s best for us.  Having said that, we must remember we live in a broken world. Even in 2011, we are still dealing with the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin that happened in the Garden of Eden shortly after creation some 6000 years ago.  The silver lining is that for Christians, life on earth is just the beginning of our relationship with God.  May God bless your week with plenty to be thankful for as we await that final day and the promised reward.  (end)

There are reasons why God doesn’t always give us what we ask for
by Barrett Vanlandingham
June 28, 2011

The other night I found myself watching a new show called “Toddlers and Tiaras.” The show was basically following two little girls through a beauty pageant. If you appreciate a good show to roll your eyes at, just tune in to some of this show’s behind the scenes temper tantrums, back-talking, and on-stage pint-size modeling followed by uncontrollable crying when the contestants find out they didn’t win it all. As the judges were tallying their scores, one very dramatic six year old shut her eyes in full concentration as she said, “Please God, Please God, Please God!” Well, she did win second overall, but not the grand prize which was a double-size pink poster bed. When she finally figured out she hadn’t won the top spot, she threw a queen-size FIT.
At some point in our lives, we all find ourselves not knowing what to pray for, or we know what we want but we don’t know if we’re supposed to ask for wants. Sometimes we simply get discouraged with our prayer life because we ask over and over for something that just doesn’t seem “meant to be.”
Each one of the following Bible passages could be an article on its own. But I encourage you to go ahead and look-up these verses which shed light on why we don’t always feel like God answers our prayers, at least the way we wanted.
1. We don’t believe that God can answer prayer. (James 1:6-8 & Matthew 21:22)
2. Wrong motives. (James 4:3)
3. Unconfessed sin separates us from God, so that He cannot hear. (Isaiah 59:1-2).
4. We set up idols in our hearts that come between us and God. (Ezekiel 14:3).
5. We don't answer those who cry to us for help. (Proverbs 21:13).
6. We don't remain in God and his word is not in us. (John 15:7).
Beyond these reasons, God’s wisdom is simply greater than ours. He sees the overall picture of what we need. Just like a parent gives a child what is needed, God knows what’s best for us. Having said that, we must remember we live in a broken world. Even in 2011, we are still dealing with the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin that happened in the Garden of Eden shortly after creation some 6000 years ago. The silver lining is that for Christians, life on earth is just the beginning of our relationship with God. May God bless your week with plenty to be thankful for as we await that final day and the promised reward. (end)