The devil can be a bit like the weather
by Barrett Vanlandingham
May 1, 2013

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, spring flowers have been blooming for over a month and a half now in Fort Gibson and elsewhere. During that time, we’ve experienced sunshine, snow, hail, high winds, clouds, and temperatures in the 80’s! 

Probably half the people on my block are either having their roof replaced, or need to because of the pounding we taken this spring.  For those of us who grew up in Oklahoma like I did, we know this is normal.  Others are no doubt quickly learning. We don’t always like this kind of normality, but hey, we just try to stay on top of things best we can and be prepared for the unexpected.

It’s a lot like doing battle with the devil, isn’t it? We never know exactly how he will tempt us, but we know without a doubt that he will strike and constantly changes strategies.

As Christians, we just have to stay ready for whatever is thrown our way. It has been this way since Adam and Eve were banned from the Garden of Eden when the only thing they had to worry about was staying away from the fruit of one particular tree.  You have to wonder how long it would have taken any of us to fall for the same lie Satan told them. 

After all, we too know there are certain things we need to stay away from.  But just like Adam and Eve listened to the devil’s twisted version of God’s instructions, we also can fall for the schemes of darkness if we get too close to the enemy.  That is why God uses the term “flee from” (not flirt with) when instructing us on how to deal with temptations and sin.

Today, preparedness for spiritual disaster begins with the Holy Spirit. He is our insurance policy.  He guides and comforts us.  He provides opportunities for us to grow in the Godly qualities of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).  Scripture tells us that as Christians, we need to not only take on these kinds of qualities, but grow in them to avoid becoming ineffective (2 Peter 1:7).

Keeping our hearts in tune with Jesus not only helps us grow spiritually, but also helps us explain to others about the hope we have because of Christ (1 Peter 3:15).  The Bible encourages Christians to boldly go about the work of the Lord (2 Timothy 1:7-14 and Romans 1:16).  When we use God’s word and his Holy Spirit as our guide, we should never be afraid of the uncertainties of life, or of being inadequate to talk with others about joys of living for Jesus.  It is truly an honor to serve the King.  Have a great week!

Jesus Christ brings light to a dark world

by Barrett Vanlandingham
April 24, 2013

So what are we supposed to think and how are we supposed to feel about the last several days? Acts of terrorism at the Boston Marathon and an unrelated massive and deadly explosion at a fertilizer plant in Waco have left an entire nation emotionally numb. And those are just a couple of things (yet very significant) that have captured our attention.

Those two examples do not even include things that happen every day in the lives of people everywhere, things that are not aired in the news, but may be just as devastating. One thing we do know is that Jesus knows exactly how we feel because he was tempted in every way that we are (Hebrews 4:15). One comforting thought is that our time here on earth is very short in comparison with the eternal life in heaven that we should be preparing for.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7-8).”

As Christians, we must not only keep our eyes focused on God, but also remember to encourage those around us to do the same. To do otherwise puts us at odds with the very one who loves us the most and gives us real hope. Being at odds with the Creator will not work for us today any better than it did for the Israelites in the Old Testament times who rejected Him and abandoned His commands in exchange for false gods. (1 Kings 18:18).

King Ahab of Israel was known as one who did more evil in the eyes of God than any other king before him. His reaction to God’s prophet Elijah is a prime example of how people have always reacted when they suffer the consequences of their own rebellion towards God. Ahab blamed Elijah for Israel’s troubles such as a three-year drought that had stricken the land.

Even today, people who distance themselves from God while embracing evil practices of the world often look for someone to blame besides themselves. Sometimes, unbelievers even blame Christians for their problems, especially when we try to bring the love of Christ and the light of God’s word into situations dominated by darkness. How much more calamity must our world endure before humanity chooses to acknowledge Jesus Christ as the son of God, and obey the will of God. That would not wipe out all problems. But it would cause people to understand the concept of true joy and hope in spite of very temporary trials.

Peter says, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).” James says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

God bless you as you bring honor to him. Have a great week!

Temptations are real even if invisible

by Barrett Vanlandingham
April 17, 2013

The day after I wrote last week’s article about the challenges of starting a spiritual fire with wet wood, God dropped another campfire-related lesson in my lap. Actually, unbeknownst to me, it floated in through my back window screen.

The Saturday night I built the campfire, I forgot to shut the back window I had opened earlier that evening for some fresh air. So, the night went on with smoke from the fire-pit slowly wafting its way past the window screen throughout the house. But because it happened little by little, my sense of smell didn’t pick up on it.

The next morning my family got ready for Sunday worship just like normal. But when we returned home for dinner, the entire house smelled like smoke! We couldn’t see any smoke, but it was obvious that smoke (and I mean a lot of it) had found its way into our house even though it was no longer visible.

At first, I asked myself, “Why didn’t any of us smell anything this morning? Was the smell not there?” But it dawned on me that the smell of smoke had actually been there since the night before. The only thing that changed was that we left the house and breathed regular air for a few hours before coming back home to the invisible surprise.

This whole scenario reminds me of how the Satan works. Typically, a temptation doesn’t hit you head-on. It most often finds a way to attack your blindside, or maybe sneaks in when you are busy or stressed and off your spiritual game for some reason.

The temptation I hate the most is the one that takes place when my guard is down. Sometimes I feel spiritually comfortable and confident that the devil couldn’t get to me even if he tried. That should probably be my first clue that I need to watch out!

The apostle Paul said, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10:12. ESV).”

Many good Christians have fallen for that very reason. Little by little, pride (the bad kind) enters in to the picture. We may not even notice because it first appeared while we were doing a great job serving the Lord. We can put ourselves in danger if we think we are too strong and have too good of a relationship with God to fall for any schemes from the dark side. We can also allow ourselves to become too cozy with sin until we no longer sense it.

May you never get so used to the smell that you forget to shut your window. Have a great week!

Re-kindling a spiritual fire with wet wood takes patience

by Barrett Vanlandingham
April 11, 2013

Late Friday night I was on my back porch enjoying some mild weather when I got the idea to start a fire. I didn’t think it was a bad idea, at least for about the first half hour of trying. The next hour, however, was just sheer stubbornness that I was not going to be outdone by a pile of inanimate objects posing as firewood.

There were many problems with my plan. First of all, I only had a couple of sticks of old wood and lots of green wood. Second, even the old wood didn’t want to catch fire because it had been soaked by the recent rains. And third, the lighter fluid I had sprayed on the wood was ineffective. It burned up into the night air before it could even get past the surface of the uncured logs stacked in the fire pit.

But after I realized what I was up against, I found some old newspapers and magazines I could part with. I wadded them up one page at a time and began to shove them under the logs in hopes that the fire would take right off. And there they were! FLAMES. But as soon as I stopped feeding them small handfuls of dry paper wads, the fire died back down almost to nothing. So I continued the process and occasionally re-positioned the wood for maximum airflow. One quick hour later, the fire began to burn on its own, a little. It took another half hour of constant attention before my Friday night production actually looked like a real campfire. I’m glad I wasn’t in a hurry!

Have you ever known anyone whose faith was immature or uncured? How about a “formerly” mature Christian, who let go of their Anchor when the storms of life blew in, and became spiritually waterlogged with a “don’t care” attitude? The weeks, months, and years of apathetic Christianity were too big of a challenge for the occasional half-hearted attempts to grow in faith, only to see it float away into the night air.

It is very easy to become impatient with our friends, family, and others when they fit this description, especially if you happen to be doing well spiritually. But take heart, your consistent love, attention, and prayer will eventually re-kindle the struggling Christian and even the non-Christian. This week, show someone how the warmth of Jesus has made a difference in your life. Have a great day!