Summer vacations are a great time to grow closer to God
by Barrett Vanlandingham
June 6, 2012

            School has only been out for a couple of weeks or so, and people are already talking about what they did for summer vacation!  It is good to take a break once in a while to reset and re-evaluate your life and just have some plain ole’ fun before getting back to your daily routine. 

Solomon said in Ecclesiastes three that there is a time and a season for every activity under the sun. Vacation time definitely fits in there somewhere!  But there is one thing we must never take a break from, and that is our love, commitment, and praise of Jehovah God!  You see, when we team-up with God, He makes sure our load in life is never too heavy to bear.

 In the New Testament, Jesus is quoted as saying,

            “28  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30, ESV).”

            What a tremendous reassurance!  This passage causes the reader to think about two oxen working side by side with their heads or necks fastened together with a yoke.  Even if the pair gets along with each other, the strain of the yoke is a constant reminder to the animals that they are not free to roam on their own.  If you were an ox, you may not like that!

But Jesus points out that when a Christian is yoked together with him, that he bears the part of the load that would be impossible for us to bear on our own.  The hope and joy he provides for us makes being yoked to him a very good prospect because he is a humble teacher who only requires from us what we can handle (and in reality he even helps us with that).  In fact, if we were separated from Christ, our attempts to overcome sin and win even one spiritual battle would be fruitless. 

Satan is very skilled at tempting Christians to take a vacation from God when we take time off from our jobs and school.  The problem is that when our vacation time is up, we have allowed ourselves to become a little cozier with the devil.   This makes facing those spiritual battles in the real world even more difficult.

The fact is when our will is in line with God’s will, life becomes joyful even in spite of the challenges and temptations that are sure to come our way.  As Christians, we must remember to make it our commitment everyday (even while on vacation) when we wake up, to walk God’s righteous and narrow path that leads to heaven.  Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection has made this possible.  Will you walk with him today?   Have a great week!

Anytime is a great time to remember the price of freedom
by Barrett Vanlandingham
May 30, 2012 

            Memorial Day has come and gone for another year, but there are just some things we should never forget, and never forget to be thankful for.

            The United States of America was founded on Christian principles by great men with great vision for a life of freedom.  The older I get, the more I appreciate the continued sacrifices of the men and women who have shown tremendous loyalty and bravery in the face of danger.  They have stood at attention, ready to serve and defend our country, and even willingly fought to preserve quality of life we enjoy here in the USA.  What a gift!

            Memorial Day may be the designated day for Americans to pay honor to the fallen of our military, but considering their sacrifice and the cost to their families, we should all make an effort to be thankful every single day of the year.

            Jesus’ tour of duty here on earth, his official ministry, began at about age thirty and lasted about three years.  In John 10:10, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, assures us that we can not only find salvation through him, but have a joyful and abundant life.  “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (NIV)

            Jesus Christ left the comforts of his home in heaven, and even willingly separated himself from his Father so that he could experience the same spiritual battles that we face today.  The Hebrew writer points out that Jesus is uniquely qualified to understand the trials we face, because he went through them, too.  His experience on earth as a human being allows us to be able to approach God in prayer with confidence that He can truly empathize with our struggles (ref: Hebrews 4:14-16). 

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on a cross was both a tragedy and a blessing that we should remember and be thankful for, not just on Sundays, but everyday.  His selfless act gives hope and help to all as we face daily spiritual battles.

            In this day and time, there are still many Christians around the world who suffer persecution because of their beliefs in Jesus Christ.  Some are tortured and even killed. In the end, God will “wipe away every tear” (Revelation 7:17). 

Thankfully, we live in a country where we have the freedom to worship as we choose, without fear of persecution, torture, or death. Most of us will never actually have to fight on a battlefield.  But yet, we all get to experience a much better life because of the selflessness of those in our nation’s military who died while protecting our country.

To all those who have served in our nation’s military, to all those who are still serving, we say, “Thank you!”

Marijuana may be natural but not Biblical
By Barrett Vanlandingham
May 23, 2012


I saw an image on the Internet the other day that says “Marijuana Never Hurt Anyone.” I thought to myself, “You’ve got to be joking!”

After all, there’s got to be a reason it’s illegal in most countries. They couldn’t all be wrong.

In only a few minutes of research I found more data on the dangers of pot than I could print here.

Beyond that, a missionary friend of mine sent word just a few days ago of some very disturbing news that happened just across the U.S./Mexico border. Here is part of what he said: “23 people were killed yesterday (May 4) in Nuevo Laredo, just across the line from Laredo, Texas. Nine bodies were found hanging from a very busy bridge. 14 decapitated heads were delivered to city hall in coolers. The 14 bodies were found in a car left by one of the bridges to the states.”

Not only does marijuana lead to hurt, but killing!

Yes, I’ve heard all the reasons people have for wanting the government to legalize marijuana. But other than increased tax dollars, can you imagine the burden on society if illegal drugs were legalized?

You think the cost of health care is too high now? Just imagine trying to pay for the treatment of all those people who become hooked on drugs because of increased availability. And no, the fact that marijuana is “natural” is not a good reason to smoke it either. After all, poison ivy is also natural and most of us would not ingest it!

Remember Paul’s words from 1 Corinthians 3:16-17: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?

If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.”

Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.”

But how can anyone expect to fulfill these commands with a brain suffering from altered judgment, perception, short-term memory loss, and a host of other problems associated with long-term marijuana use? In addition, pot has 50 to 70 percent more cancer causing chemicals than cigarettes!

May God bless you with the desire to experience the real high that comes with being a committed Christian, and to soar on wings like eagles with all those whose strength is fueled by hope in the Lord (ref: Isaiah 40:31). Have a great week!

Reach Barrett Vanlandingham at the Fort Gibson Church of Christ at (918) 478-2222 or barrett@ftgcc.org.

God’s word has a lot to say about our choice of words
by Barrett Vanlandingham
May 16, 2012

            Recently, a young man informed me that a person’s morals are not determined by their choice to use foul language.  He said, “They’re just words.”

In cliché form, that would be, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.”  And while that is true in some cases, better wording might be “You shouldn’t judge a book only by its cover.” 

But to say, “They’re only words!?” and somehow think any of us, Christians or not, has a “green light” to spew curse words whenever and wherever, that is far from God’s truth! True, the First Amendment gives Americans the right to free speech. Thank God for that! But just because we have certain rights as citizens does not mean we should take every road available to us.

In First Corinthians 6:12 (ESV) Paul says, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything.”

This includes our speech.  Paul strongly encourages Christians to watch what they say.

 “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.”  (Colossians 3:8, NIV)

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:29, NIV)

“Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.” (Eph. 5:4, ESV)

There are other scriptures that make it even clearer the connection between the words we speak, to the person we are on the inside, and ultimately the condition of our soul.  Think about these two quotes from Jesus.

 “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”  (Luke 6:45,ESV)

 “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”  Matthew 12:36-37 (ESV)

Yes, God’s grace is a wonderful thing.  Our sins would send us straight to hell without it. But we must all remember these words of Paul. “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1-2)    Have a great week!

Future Success of Graduating Seniors Begins with God

by Barrett Vanlandingham
May 9, 2012

May 18th is almost here, and so is the next chapter in the lives of our Fort Gibson graduates. For graduating seniors, the month of May is all about crossing one of life’s major finish lines. It’s also about new found freedom, new challenges, and of course the receiving of all those graduation gifts!

The greatest gift we can give our children is a relationship with God. But obviously, that has to start long before time to order caps and gowns!

As parents already know, our children watch us closely from the time they are born. They know the difference between what we preach to them versus how we act in our own lives.

“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:16, ESV)

And boy do our children hear! They hear everything and they see everything. They may act as if they don’t know what’s going on sometimes just to avoid conflict for a time. But sooner or later, the truth always floats to the top in one way or another.

In Deuteronomy 6, Moses gives the Israelites a message from God on how to teach their children. And who better to give advice than our Creator?

4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (ESV)

Of course, a child’s success in education and extra-curricular activities can lead to opportunities in this life, but the gift of a relationship with God lasts forever. That’s actually my paraphrase of Paul’s words to Timothy.

“…train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:7-8, ESV)

Please take a moment this week to pray for all of Fort Gibson’s graduating seniors, that they may remember that all good things come from God. Have a great week!