December distractions can disrupt the Christian mindset

by Barrett Vanlandingham
December 3, 2013

            Now that we have made it through Thanksgiving, it’s on to Christmas!  What a most wonderful time of the year.  Gift-giving, families reuniting, beautiful decorations, joyful music, and of course the fact that so many people think about the coming of Christ also makes this season very special.

            As Christians, we should be thinking about the very special gift of Jesus all year long. And even though December has traditionally become the time that many people celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ on earth, oddly enough, it is also the time that the stresses of the holiday season can squeeze our thoughts of Jesus right out of the picture if we’re not careful.

            If anyone had an excuse to not make room for Jesus, it would be Joseph and Mary.  They took on the responsibility, even though it wasn’t easy.  Just think about all the distractions and difficulties they faced in order to make room in their lives for Jesus.  First off, when most of us wake up in the morning, we never imagine that an angel is going to personally greet us with an unexpected message that is about to turn our life upside down. 

            Can you imagine what this teenage Mary must have thought when she was informed of her new assignment to give birth to the Christ child even though she was still a virgin?  You talk about a stressor!  How would she explain to her soon to be husband, her family, and her friends that she is pregnant?  We already know most of what Joseph was thinking, not to mention what everyone else probably thought as soon as she started showing still out of wedlock.

             Joseph and Mary accepted the challenge, but that didn’t mean the difficult days were over.  They had to travel from Nazareth about 100 miles to Bethlehem for a census of the entire Roman world, without the benefit of fast, reliable, and comfortable transportation.  It would have been at least a weeklong walk one way, and even if Mary was riding on a donkey with Joseph walking, they would still have to endure weather conditions, danger from robbers, and exhaustion.  These would have been factors no matter what month of the year.  By the way, it is unlikely that the shepherds and their flocks were outside in the winter and it also unlikely that a census requiring everyone to travel would have taken place in the winter.

            As soon as they arrived, imagine the crowds, and the lack of places to stay as evidenced by the fact that there was no room at the inn for them.  So, the baby was born in a cattle stall, and placed in a feeding trough instead of whatever accommodations they had prepared back home.  Joseph and Mary certainly had to adjust their schedules to make room for the challenges surrounding the birth of Jesus.  Let us all take a closer look at the things that are taking our minds and commitment away from our Christian walk during the holidays and the rest of the year, too.  Always remember to make room Jesus. Have a great week! 

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

by Barrett Vanlandingham
November 26, 2013

            I guess there’s a good reason why I have a hard time teaching lessons about God’s grace even though we are all dependent on it whether we know it or fully understand it.  The apostle Paul talks about grace and its connection to the good news of Jesus Christ and what He has done for us. But ultimately, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:15 “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

            During this month of remembering to give thanks for so many things, oddly enough, the one thing we cannot adequately describe is the very thing for which we should be most grateful, grace. Songwriters for thousands of years have tried to craft and string together words, phrases, sentences, and notes in such a way to help worshippers reflect and celebrate our bountiful blessings and our Creator who made them. 

            One song written by Johnson Oatman in 1897 is titled “When Upon Life’s Billows.” It describes the burdens we bear and the challenges we face in contrast to the thankfulness and joy a person should feel when you “count your many blessings, (and) see what God hath done.”

            Another of my favorites was written by Dennis Jernigan in 1990 titled “Thank You, Lord!”   The lyrics of this song are simple and powerful as they say, “For all that you’ve done I will thank You, For all that You’re going to do. For all that You’ve promised, and all that You are is all that has carried me through, Jesus I thank You.  And I thank You, thank You, Lord. And I thank You, thank You, Lord!  Thank You for loving and setting me free, Thank You for giving your life just for me. How I thank You.  Jesus I thank You, gratefully thank You. Thank You.”

            The task of making clear the meaning of grace and just how thankful we should be for grace is something many have tried.  But just as with life itself, the important thing is not whether we write the perfect song, or live the perfect life.  That is just not going to happen this side of heaven, although, in speaking about grace, Paul says that we are to not use grace basically as a convenient excuse for disobedience and choosing to sin (ref: Romans 6:1).  Jesus even said that he will reward each person for what he has done (ref: Matthew 16:27).

            God knows our heart.  God knows the challenges we face.  After all, Jesus came to earth partly to experience them first hand so he could understand why we have such a hard time getting it right (ref: Hebrews 4:15-16).  Bottom line?  He knew we could not do enough things right to be in the presence of God one day.  And so Jesus, the perfect sacrifice, died for us, giving us a roadmap to follow, and extending grace to all of us who are undeserving of eternal life in heaven, and that would be all of us.  Have a great week!

Kindness, grace, and thanksgiving have much in common

by Barrett Vanlandingham
November 17, 2013

            What goes through your mind when you give away money, time, or other things of value to someone in need, or maybe for a good cause?  Do you feel joy and cheer, or are you irritated that you feel guilted or pressured into giving?

            The apostle Paul reminded Christians in Corinth of the importance of generous giving by basically saying that you reap what you sow.  In return for being a cheerful giver, Paul says, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work (2 Cor. 9:8).”

            The Bible never says that I will have a forever blooming money tree in my back yard just because I did a kind deed or two.  In fact, James 4:3 explains that people sometimes don’t get what they pray for because of impure motives.  But still, when I hear the words “all grace” my ears perk up for sure!  Paul is simply saying that when we give generously and cheerfully to the work of the Lord, God will take care of us.  In other words, if we show wisdom in how we spend our time and money to make a difference, God will continue to bless us so that we can continue to help others. 

            But the blessing doesn’t stop there.  Paul says in 2 Cor. 9:13 that when we supply the needs of God’s people, men will praise God!  Why? Because the attitudes and actions of the givers are in step with the good news of Christ they have proclaimed. In short, people praise God when they see that a Christian’s walk matches his or her talk of God’s grace.  And then it would only be natural that someone would want to be a part of that.

            Even when a late night television talk show host known for off-color humor encourages America to pray for victims of the typhoon in the Philippines, the attention of millions of viewers is suddenly focused on our dependence on God.  You see, when people incorporate Godly character traits into their speech and actions, good things happen, not just for those being served, but even more so for those providing the service. 

            Paul often speaks of giving in terms of it being a benefit to the giver as well as bringing praise and thanks to God both from the recipient and those watching from afar, sometimes with an eye of skepticism.  November is a great time to spend with family and friends, and to be reminded of our blessings for which we should be thankful.  May we also look for opportunities to serve in ways that will bring glory to the One who is the giver of all good things.  Have a great week!

A 3000 year old song finds reason to be thankful

by Barrett Vanlandingham
November 12, 2013

            One of the most famous Bible passages used during Thanksgiving is Psalm 106:1. It says, “Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”  The writer of this Psalm was evidently so excited about the awesomeness of his God, he could not even wait to tell us the why’s first.  So he immediately begins by telling us what our response should be to God, even before telling us what all of the excitement is about, wetting our appetite for a glorious explanation.

            What follows next are two of the most simple, easy to understand, yet powerful and meaningful statements that could have been written. “For he is good; his love endures forever.”         People back then, same as today, have managed to find a thousand and one people, places, and things to idolize.  Most of them are NOT good, and certainly nowhere near as good as what the writer of this Psalm has experienced in his own life in his relationship with God. 

            But even with life full of chaos and uncertainties, the writer says, “for he is good.”  That statement alone is like calm in the middle of a storm.  When you think about the word “good”, and just how important that quality is in anyone you have a relationship with, and then apply that quality to the One you worship, it brings about a sense of peace and hope and security for the writer and anyone today who has submitted their life to this Lord who is “good”. 

            The only quality I can think of that could out-do “good” is in the second of those two statements, “his love endures forever.”  You talk about burying the lead story!  This is the greatest news of all!  Our Lord is not only good, but he proves it by how much he LOVES us, not just a little, but a LOT, and for a very long time as is punctuated by the last word, “forever”.

            The writer then spends the rest of the chapter recapping history, and how God continued to love his people, and try to convince them to stay faithful, even though they continued to rebel.  Near the end of the chapter, the Psalmist pleads to God for salvation so that thanks may be given. Finally, the writer bookends his opening statement with these words, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, “Amen!”  Praise the Lord.”

            We have an amazing God who is forever full of goodness and love, two wonderful things we can always give thanks for.  Have a great week! 

The beauty of God’s creation should inspire us to greater heights

by Barrett Vanlandingham
November 5, 2013

            Autumn is my very favorite season of the year.  In Fort Gibson, you can pick just about any road to drive, and you will be in awe of the beauty of God’s creation.  Shades of green, yellow, red, and orange are everywhere.  To top it off, the rolling hills in the distance off highway 62, and on this particular day the formation of the dark and light clouds in front of the sun overhead were simply spectacular, a golden lining that even the most skilled artists would envy bringing to life on a canvass of that magnitude.

            When I read through the book of Psalms, it is inspiring to think about David, the shepherd, who spent so much time in green pastures and valleys, climbing cliffs, wading creeks, also marveling at the same sun and sky we see today.  He knew without a doubt there was a Creator, and he knew that the God of this awesome creation was always by his side.  Those facts did not make David into a sinless human being as we know from reading about some of his behavior as a king, but it was a constant reminder that his only hope would be found in God.  The 23^rd Psalm may be the most famous of David’s writings, because it tells of all the reasons we can take comfort in God as our Shepherd.   The chapter that comes right after that is no less inspiring, because it continues with describing the awesomeness of God, but then turns to what our response to His care for us should be.

            “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to another idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob (Psalm 24, NIV 1984).”

            The same challenge applies to our generation today.  We certainly have the same God.  And in the New Testament, Paul made reference to the same concept of having clean hands and a pure heart as we approach God.  As he stated it, “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing (1 Timothy 2:8).”

            In summary, it is only natural for mankind to be inspired by God’s handiwork.  But if our response to Him stops there, then we are depriving ourselves of the joyful obedience that comes with accepting his grace.  Have a great week!