An empty grave gives hope to humanity!
by Barrett Vanlandingham
April 4, 2012

            Can you even imagine the amount of attention that would have been given to the burial of someone who claimed to be the son of God?

            Jesus was put through a mock trial, tortured, crucified, and then buried in a tomb.  All eyes would have certainly stayed on the tomb afterwards.  Why?  Even before his death, Jesus had said he would be “…three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:40).”  In speaking of his body, Jesus told the Jews, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days (John 2:19).”  His resurrection was also foretold by David in Psalm 16:10. 

Matthew 27:62-66 says that while Jesus was still in the tomb, the chief priests and the Pharisees got permission from Pilate to secure the stone covering the entrance to the tomb because they remembered that Jesus had said, “After three days I will rise again.”  So they put a seal on the stone and posted Roman guards there (Matt. 28:4).

            But guess what?  Jesus rose from the dead on the third day just like he said he would!  His body wasn’t stolen while the guards were asleep even though they were paid to say that (Matt. 28:15).  Jesus didn’t just simply wake up in the cool of the tomb from a deep trance (swoon theory) caused by the crucifixion and then somehow have the energy to roll the stone away and escape.  And no, everyone didn’t simply forget which tomb he was buried in!  And no, his followers didn’t somehow overpower the Roman guards who were trained killing machines, and then take the body.  

If anyone wanted the body to stay in the tomb more than the Jews, I don’t know who it would have been. The Jews wanted the body to stay right where it was because this would prove that Jesus was just a man, and not the Messiah capable of a miraculous resurrection.  But their schemes were no match for the son of God.

Jesus did, in fact, appear again after his burial.  But he certainly wasn’t dead!  Scripture says he gave many convincing proofs to his apostles that he was alive. “He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:1-3).”   Paul says that Jesus appeared to more than 500 followers (1 Corinthians 15:6), and that most of them were still alive at the time Paul was writing First Corinthians. 

So, if the face to face visits with Jesus after his resurrection were only lies, why didn’t anyone in the first century successfully dispute the New Testament letters that were being circulated?  It’s because the statements were true!  At least the people who lived back then thought so enough that they were willing to become Christians, and even suffer because of their belief in Jesus as God’s son.  Jesus, the perfect sacrifice, overcame the grave, conquering death to give the assurance of heaven to all who believe in him and obey his will.  Have a great week!

Take the name of Jesus  with you, everywhere
by Barrett Vanlandingham
March 28, 2012

If you’ve been a Christian for very long, you have probably heard somebody ask someone else, “How is your spiritual life?”

            Of course, we all know what that person meant.  But wouldn’t it be nice if we all got to the point where we could just ask the question, “How are you?”  And we would automatically understand what the person was really asking was, “How are you doing spiritually?”

            You see, for Christians the only life we have is the Christian life.  “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).”

            That means every activity we’re involved in, every job, every conversation, every hobby, and every close friend needs to be seen by Christians as something or someone vital to our walk (our Christian walk).  Yes, that may sound a little extreme at first.  But what is our alternative?  The only other option is to trap God inside a box and only let him out when it’s time to “go to church” or when it’s convenient for us.

            However, that is not how God intended for us to experience life.  He wants to be a part of EVERY part of our lives.  It is only then that we can live a truly abundant life (John 10:10).

            The problem is that Christians have forgotten the dangers of accepting the world’s way of thinking.  In other words, sectioning off areas of our lives where we will or will not allow God to enter or be a part of.  We would do well to remember what Paul said in Romans 12:2.

            “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

            The pattern of this world has been set by the prince of this world, Satan.  Jesus himself even referred to the devil by that name in John 12:31 and John 14:30.  The apostle Paul also referred to the devil as the god of this age (world) in 2 Corinthians 4:4.  Paul also calls the devil “the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient (Ephesians 2:2).”

            Yes, we all have to live in this broken world.  But we do not have to conform to it.  Our lives, no matter what “section” we’re living in at the time, should still be Spirit-led to the point that others may see the love of Christ in us.  There are souls to be saved, and it is the job of the Christian to show them the light of Christ.  Have a blessed week!

Spiritual spring-cleaning starts with finding good help!

by Barrett Vanlandingham
March 21, 2012

First, it was an old stack of papers, next a boxful of outdated pamphlets, then several other items that at one time seemed so important. One by one, I threw each of them into the trashcan and then proceeded to dust the shelves in my office. Amazing how a little spring-cleaning changed the whole feel of my work environment!

Spiritual spring-cleaning is much the same. Throw a little of this and a little of that out, then dust here and there, and re-organize the shelves of our life. With God’s help, a little effort our part can make a huge difference in what we are able to accomplish everyday for the sake of Christ. Remember, God can do a LOT with a little.

The psalmist David said, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10).”

Mankind has always been dependant on God for help. Yes, he obviously wants us to do our best to be a light in this dark world. But for thousands of years now God has also been very clear that he will help us in every way if we will honor him with our lives.

God is the only one who can take our dirty, hopeless lives and make us clean and full of hope. Our job as his creation is to let him to take our filthy dust rags and make us presentable.

Here are a few things to remember during your spiritual spring-cleaning:

1) Make time to take an honest look at yourself. Take inventory of those things that are clearly standing in the way of your relationship with God. Is it gambling, jealousy, guilt, sexual sins, alcohol, gossip, foul language or other sins of the mouth? Is there a person or a hobby that you value more than God? Pinpoint one or two things that are dragging you down spiritually.

2) Pray. I mean PRAY. Not just a little canned prayer. I mean for you to get real with God and even talk outloud or get on your knees if you have to. Beg or petition his help in cleaning temptations and sin out of your life.

3) Be realistic. God has already told us that as long as we live on earth we will fall short of the glory of God. So do not be discouraged. “Unintentional” sin happens everyday even for the most dedicated Christians. But what really bugs the devil is when we commit to defeating “willful” sin by holding tightly to God’s hand. He makes all the difference.

4) Live joyfully! “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song (Psalm 28:7, NIV).”

A walk with God begins with believing and confessing that Jesus is God’s son, deciding to follow God’s way, and then being buried with Christ in baptism so you can live a new life in him (Romans 6:1-11).  What a way to begin the spring season.  Have a great week!

Be careful who you trust when asking for direction
by Barrett Vanlandingham
March 14, 2012

            As I was trying to meet a fellow youth minister for lunch a few days ago, I discovered that my handy dandy GPS didn’t know the difference between the place I wanted to go, versus a place with a similar name.

            I programmed the gadget on my dash to guide me to the Panda Express in Broken Arrow. It guided me to a restaurant alright, just not the right one.  The GPS called it by the right name, and it was even in the right neighborhood.  But when I arrived at my final destination (according to the GPS), it was not the right restaurant at all.  I had to call a trusted friend who knows the area to give me directions to where I wanted to go.

            Wouldn’t you agree that there are a lot of similarities in this little story when compared to our spiritual journey?  I had put my trust in a man-made gadget to get me to the right place.  And even though most of the time it is accurate, it was WAY off in this case.

            The Bible directs us to heaven. We just have to be willing to let God’s word have the final say on maneuvering life’s winding roads and intersections instead of putting our trust in worldly wisdom.

It is so nice to have Godly friends we can trust.  But ultimately we all should compare the advice we receive even from trusted friends with the advice that comes from our most trusted friend, God.

When I teach teenagers, I often tell them that I try to accurately convey the Bible’s message. I also try to live the kind of life that makes me a credible and trustworthy mentor.   But ultimately, they need to compare what I teach them with what the Bible says is truth.

Bookstore shelves are packed with thousands of opinions of what scripture teaches and how we should respond.  But the wise student needs to understand that there really is no substitute for Bible study. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (ESV).”

Following false directions from a GPS is an inconvenience.  But obeying the direction of false teachers could have eternal and undesirable consequences.  Let us remember Solomon’s inspired words, “Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. (Proverbs 4:27, ESV).”  Have a blessed week!

The Bible has great advice for stopping arguments before they start.

by Barrett Vanlandingham
March 6, 2012

The quickest way for me to start a fight with Lisa is to give her a tip on the easiest way to clean the dried chocolate residue from her coffee cup that I found on the counter top.

You see, even if I try to use my “helpful quiet tone”, there are just some things better left unsaid. This is true especially for those of us, like me, who are far from perfect when it comes to leaving things sitting around. Besides, the argument could have been avoided altogether if I had simply cleaned the mug myself just like Lisa quietly picks up the slack for me when I’m forgetful or a little overloaded.

My goal about stating opinions is simply “don’t” unless someone is in danger physically or spiritually, which they were not in this case. Fail! In fact, stating an opinion when silence would have been the better choice is more likely to have negative consequences.

Interpersonal relationship building takes a lot of effort whether in the workplace, socially, or at home. The old saying “anything worth having is worth working for” became an old saying because it is so true. If you want a good friendship with someone, you must work at it. You must treat that person extra special, the way you want to be treated.

Jesus said it two-thousand years ago in his famous Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew 5-7. "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12) This concept goes back even thousands of years before Jesus said it. In fact, Jesus points to the Old Testament (the Law and the Prophets) as the source of his summary on how to treat others.

So why is it so difficult to keep from criticizing or even throwing stones at others when we all in fact live in glass houses? Obviously, there are many answers and excuses for that one. And none of us has a perfect record at holding our tongue while fixing our own problems.

In that same sermon, Jesus addressed the problem of people who are quick to point out everyone else’s faults without paying attention to their own first.

“ 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” (Matt 7:3-5, ESV)

May God bless us all as we include Him in every thought BEFORE it comes out of our mouth. Have a great week!