Everyday Is Independence Day for Christians
by Barrett Vanlandingham
July 2, 2013

            For Americans, July 4 marks the occasion in 1776 when the 13 original U.S. colonies declared independence from Britain. The Declaration of In­dependence reads as follows:

We hold these truths to be self-evident,

that all men are created equal,

that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,

that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

            With these memorable words, Thomas Jefferson, at the age of 33, laid the cornerstone of the United States of America.

            Jesus was also 33 years old when His death, burial and resurrection made Him the Cornerstone of the Church.  Read: Eph 2:11-22, Matt 21:42-46, John 8:31-36, Romans 6:18.

            For Christians, Independence Day came when Jesus put an end to the rule of the Old Law by nailing it to the cross. Up until that point, Jews (not Gentiles) were God’s chosen people just by the fact that they were born as Jews, and it would be through their line of people that the Christ would come.  But the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus changed everything, making it possible for all who believed in Jesus as the son of God to become His chosen people.

            “ ¹⁹ So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. ²² In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22, ESV).”

            Christians, no matter what nationality, could finally share a common name as God's new chosen people.  Both Jews and Gentiles who believe could finally be baptized, re­ceive forgiveness of sin, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and be add­ed to the Lord's church, just as we are today (Acts 2:38). This gives us daily cleansing of our sin because of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:7).

            You may know people in our community who are still shackled in the prison of unbelief, or maybe they are under the misconception that Jesus would never accept a person like them.  Now would be a great time to go to the Father in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to open their eyes to the fact that Jesus loves everyone, and only He can set us free.  (John 8:36 and Rom.5:5-8).”  Have a great week!

Negative peer pressure doesn’t have to always win
by Barrett Vanlandingham
June 25, 2013

            This summer at church camp, my youth group will be looking into what it means to “Set Yourself Free.”   Those three words are much more than a catchy camp theme.  They are also a life-long challenge for most of us whether we bear the name Christian or not.

            Take for instance, negative peer pressure and how to get away from it.  This is not only a teenage issue.  Teens and adults struggle with negative peer pressure.  Sometimes, we refer to it as “complying with cultural norms”.  And while that may sound better, it’s all the same thing.  The number one excuse is usually, “Everyone else is doing it!”

            Most of the time, we associate this excuse with teens who are either wanting to misbehave, or are struggling with being singled out versus just caving in and playing the same “mature” video games their friends are playing.  Some struggle with listening to the same inappropriate music everyone else is listening to, or wearing the same clothes everyone else is wearing even though that item of clothing is too expensive or revealing.

            Parents find themselves running their entire family ragged trying to keep up with other parents who have children the same age as theirs.  And then there’s the issue of trying to be the volunteer of the year.  You know the type, the one who can’t say no, the one who desires to be seen as “ultra-involved in your community or church” while in your heart you know it’s negatively affecting your relationships.  Please don’t take me wrong.  It is important to find your talent and get involved.  But there has to be a balance, and sometimes you just have to learn to say that little two letter word, “NO”.  Try it sometime when the little voice in your head is telling you, “You’re already over-committed.”   Don’t ignore it. Pray about it. Trust God to lead you.

            In 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul says the words of the Bible will equip you with exactly what you need to live the best life.  The problem is that most of us are just too busy to spend a few minutes a day talking to God in prayer, much less gaining wisdom from the Bible. It is the best-selling book of all time.

            In Luke 15:17, we are told the story of a son who took his inheritance and ran away from home so he could live the fast life.  In the end, but out of desperation after he ran out of money, he came to his senses and went back to his father who gladly welcomed him home.  Jesus will do the same.  He always has time for you.  Have a great week!

Christ brings direction to a world spinning out of control

by Barrett Vanlandingham

June 18, 2013

            My son, Britton, and I had a blast at the Fort Gibson Burnout Competition over the weekend.  The weather was perfect, the attendance was great, and the hotrods were impressive.

            It was amazing to watch these suped up cars with high performance engines sit absolutely still while the rear wheels spin full speed ahead, smoke billowing into a crowd of cheering fans.

            The pessimistic part of me kept wondering if one of those roaring speedsters was somehow going to get loose and rocket through the crowd.  Thank the Lord and some skilled drivers, that didn’t happen.

            And while this was no doubt a fun event to enjoy, the minister part of me could not help but make a comparison between someone whose life just seems to go around in circles and never really get anywhere, just like those spinning wheels. There may even be a smokescreen or other superficial evidence of progress, or even friends cheering them on in their endeavor, while in reality nothing of spiritual significance has occurred in that person’s life.  We see this happening all over the world as people continue to look for answers in the wrong places.

              It can be easy, even for Christians, to get so caught up in day to day life, and in our own projects, desires, and hobbies that we forget to spend time and effort on the important things.  The Israelites were constantly guilty of this behavior, and as a result, God let them circle through the wilderness for 40 years! The Bible warns Christians against wasting time.

            “¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. (Ephesians 5:15-17).”

            One important thing to remember is that even though physical growth happens without much effort, spiritual growth happens only by choice.  And God urges us to do so. He even lists specific areas to work on for those of us who wear the name Christian.

            “⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. ⁸ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:5-8).”

            May God bless your spiritual journey, that you may not go in circles, but instead make forward progress as you work towards spiritual growth everyday.  Have a great week!

Running the Christian race is a worthy endeavor  
by Barrett Vanlandingham
June 11, 2013

          I could definitely stand to be in better physical shape.  A lot of my friends are constantly training for one race or another.  A 5-K here, a 10-K there.  Staying in shape is important.  The same can be said for our spiritual shape.

            Each of the New Testament writers (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, James, Jude, and the unidentified writer of Hebrews) talks about the importance staying faithful to God.

With so much attention given to this issue, the obvious question to ask would be, “Why is that important?”  After all, in the world we live in today, obeying the commands of God who we haven’t seen is not exactly the most popular way to spend our time.  In fact, most people could care less about walking a narrow path to a place they’ve only heard about (Matthew 7:13-14).

Even some Christians would go as far as to say that it is not important to even try to be good since we are saved by grace anyway.  And while it is true that God’s grace saves us, this does not give us a free pass to simply live life on our own terms and disregard God’s will for us as New Testament Christians.  The apostle Paul made that clear in Rom. 6:1-11 and Gal. 5:4.

Paul also warned Christians in Corinth that as they run the Christian race, they should run in a way to get the prize instead of running aimlessly.  He encourages Christians to not fight spiritual battles like a boxer who just swats at the air.  He says it is important for us to not only tell others about Christ, but to make sure we ourselves are also staying fit spiritually.

“No, I beat my body and make it a slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize (1 Cor. 9:27).”

Paul knew what it was like to butt heads with God.  It didn’t work very well for him (Acts 9) and it will not work very well for us either.  Maybe that’s why he wrote so much on this topic after he became a Christian.

The apostle Peter also encourages Christians to stay faithful til the end.  He goes as far as to say that we should be careful what we believe about Scripture because of how some people distort the meaning of the message.

“Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.  But grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen (2 Peter 3:17-18).”

God promises to reward your earnest efforts in running the race and seeking him (Hebrews 11:6).  This verse and many others in the New Testament disqualify half-hearted attempts to please God.  Spend some time in fervent prayer everyday, asking God to guide your steps.  You will surely notice a big difference in your life, and in the lives of those you come in contact with.  Have a blessed week!

 

Children are a blessing from God
by Barrett Vanlandingham
June 4, 2013

            Even after directing Junior Camp with a bunch of third through fifth graders this past week, I can honestly say that there is something extra refreshing and inspirational about children.

            During our worship time, we sang a song with these lyrics: “Holy Lord, most holy Lord, You alone are worthy of my praise. O holy Lord, most holy Lord, with all of my heart I sing. Great are you, Lord!  Worthy of praise!  Holy and true, great are You, Lord, most holy Lord.”

            Whether you know the tune of the song is not important.  But I will say that I have sung this song probably hundreds of times, and the only two times that tears have actually come to my eyes is when I have heard children sing it by themselves with no adult voices.  This was the case at Junior Camp. Of course, there were more missed notes without the adult voices to guide them, but that didn’t matter.  It was almost as if we were listening to baby angels praising God.  What a blessing.

            Yes, children are high maintenance.  Yes, children can be annoying.  (Weren’t we all?)  But for some reason, hearing them sing praises to God at the top of their lungs makes children’s ministry all worth it.  They are not worried about what anyone else thinks of them.  They are not worried about saying all of the words correctly or hitting all of the notes perfectly.  They just sing and offer pure praise, and God just listens to their hearts, just like He listens to ours.  They have their whole lives ahead of them, so much potential.  And already they minister to adults daily without evening knowing it.  God is so good.

            Jesus held a special place in his heart for children. Remember this passage in the New Testament book of Matthew?

            “Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’” (Matthew 19:13-14)

            Whether we remember it or not, we’ve all been children.  Sometimes we forget that in God’s eyes we are still children in many ways, stumbling and making mistakes on a daily basis.  But one thing is for sure.  As Christians, God is our Father, He is always there for us, guiding, comforting, giving, and forgiving as we repent.  May God bless each of us with the sincere desire to be innocent and pure like little children.  Have a great week!