God can bring the pieces together

by Barrett Vanlandingham
August 5, 2014 

            A friend of mine once described himself as broken and unworthy of becoming a Christian.  He told me he had just done so many bad things in his life that there was no way God would ever accept him.  No matter what I said to assure him that God would meet him where he was and make him brand new, he insisted there was no way he could be part of God’s family.

            In part four of my series titled “The Way Home” I want to tell you about the important work of Ezekiel, an Old Testament prophet and priest.  He was a pioneer of unity in the sense he gave Israel a message of hope that God’s people could be made whole again, and confident that they were once again on God’s road of righteousness, the way home.

            In Ezekiel 37 we read about Ezekiel’s vision of a valley of dry bones that represented the Jewish people.  In this vision, the Lord gave these lifeless bones new flesh, tendons, and breath, and allowed them to stand up on their feet as a vast army (37:10), and eventually go back home to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple (515 B.C.).

            The children of Israel were a little like us today.  They had a hard time staying on track spiritually.  Even though God brought them out of Egyptian slavery and provided for them, they still managed to turn their back on God, and form relationships with people who worshipped idols and false gods.  They had simply lost their way, spiritually, and had no intention of turning things around.  That’s why God decided to get their attention again by letting the Babylonians take them captive for seventy years.

            You’ve probably heard it said that we tend to act like the people we hang out with.  Well, it was true back then, and it’s still true today.  When your best friends are against God, eventually you will be too.   Likewise, when your best friends embrace God’s will for our lives, both friends can be strengthened and encouraged to stay faithful. 

            Remember, I am not saying to stay away from people who intentionally sin. Otherwise, it would be hard to teach God’s word to those who need it most.  I am only saying that according to the Bible, your closest allies should be those who are pulling in the same direction spiritually (2 Corinthians 6:14 – 7:1).

            I believe the new life talked about in Ezekiel 37 also represents a new kingdom, Christ’s church which He shepherds and rules over forever (v. 24).  Jesus broke down all national, race, gender, and social barriers, and made it possible for ALL people, Jews and Gentiles, to be united under one King (v.22), giving everyone the opportunity to become a child of God (John 1:12, Romans 10:12-13, Galatians 3:28), no longer only the Israelites. A vast army of Christians!

            So if God could bring new life to a rebellious people who were reduced to nothing more than a valley of dry bones, then who among us could possibly say that God does not welcome each of us today on a joyful journey with Him all the way home to heaven? Have a great week!

Spiritual pioneers don’t have to be ancient

by Barrett Vanlandingham

July 29, 2014

            He was fed meat and bread by ravens in the morning and in the evening.  He successfully challenged 850 false prophets to a contest to find out whose God was real.  He also prayed for a drought, and then prayed for it to end three and a half years later.  He was sometimes a courageous and zealous prophet of God, and other times a discouraged and fearful fugitive who hid from the evil King Ahab and ruthless Queen Jezebel.  (Ref: 1 Kings 17-19)

            The Bible character I have just introduced in part three of my series titled “The Way Home” is Elijah.  Much like the characters in my previous two Fort Faith columns, Moses and David, Elijah’s life wasn’t perfect.  But he went through things that still encourage Christians today, and help point us the way home to heaven. 

            Elijah and those who honored God were severely outnumbered by those who had chosen to make idols and false gods their priority. Yet, Elijah obeyed God. And as a result of his faith, the people of Israel who had waivered from God’s will turned back toward Him.  

            One of Elijah’s most important jobs was to show the power of God to the people and remind them just who God really is.  Today, that is still one of the most important tasks facing Christians, to introduce a spiritually unconscious society to God and His son, Jesus the Christ.

            Remember God demonstrated to Elijah He was not always in the BIG things like earthquakes, fire, and wind, but in the “whisper.” (Ref: 1 Kings 19:12)  One way to demonstrate the power of God is to point out the little things in nature - babies, storms, plants, wind - and the little things in our every day life - food, breath, and shelter.

            Of course, the biggest display of God’s power was in the resurrection of His Son. People need to know about the power of the Gospel of Jesus. Society needs to hear about the power of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. The story of Jesus has the power to wake those people who are stuck in neutral. Additionally, we can teach others that while God poured out fire in the time of Elijah, He now pours His Holy Spirit out on us today (Acts 2:38) and that the Spirit is a powerful force, the only way we can overcome Satan and live an “abundant life.” (ref: John 10:10, 14:15, 16:7).

            Elijah and those like him in the Bible were an important part of God’s plan to point us in the right direction.  But then again, we are also part of God’s plan to continue showing people the way home heaven.  This week, pray that our generation would turn to God and faithfully lead others to Him even in the small things we do and say.  Have a great week!

Future generations must grasp the importance of faith in God

by Barrett Vanlandingham
July 22, 2014

            Last week, I wrote about Moses, a pioneer of restoring righteousness among God’s people.  But more importantly, he was a willing vessel who God used time and time again to serve God in big and small ways. He set a great example for Christians today as we strive to carry on the legacy of preparing the way home to heaven for future generations.

            This week’s column focuses on another well-known Old Testament hero named David who was a pioneer of faith.  He went from being a small shepherd boy and harp player, to becoming the armor bearer for King Saul, to becoming the under-dog who would slay Goliath, to becoming King of Israel, all because of his faith!  He made lots of mistakes, he learned from his mistakes, and he was able to forgive himself knowing that God had also forgiven him.   

            David’s successes were not in the absence of difficulties.  Before becoming king, David faced jealousy from older brothers and from King Saul who envied David’s abilities as a warrior. Later in life when David was king, he caused the death of his own child because of his selfishness, lack of self-control, and then lying about his relationship with another man’s wife while her husband was off to war. In the end, David, a warrior with blood on his hands, was not allowed to build God’s temple.  Although his son, Solomon, who later became king, did build the temple by using materials David brought back from battles. 

            Though his accomplishments were many, David was still only human with plenty of mistakes in his life to prove it.  But along with those mistakes came many opportunities for David’s faith to increase as he turned back to God.  And so, David goes down in history as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). Those may have been Old Testament times, but we can apply those same principles to our lives in New Testament times. 

            God loves us and will forgive even our worst willful and unintentional sins when we clothe ourselves in Christ (Galatians 3:26 and Romans 6:1-11 and Acts 2:38).  The blood of Jesus then continues to cleanse Christians who live a life of repentance by turning away from evil and walking in the light (1 John 1:7).  God will even forgive the willful sins of a Christian when we go to Him in prayer (James 5:15-16).

            So yes, even though David is known as a pioneer of faith, he does not have to be the only pioneer of faith.  We as Christians today have an obligation to continue planting spiritual seeds, and preparing the way home for this lost and dying world that we are a part of right now.  We must be diligent to teach our generation of family, friends, and others the importance of living by faith, and that when we fail, God is always there ready to forgive and strengthen us as we commit to walking his righteous path.  Our world needs the love of Jesus more now than ever. This week, ask God to strengthen your faith, and use you to spread the love of Christ where you are!  Have a great week!

Christians must pave the way for future generations

by Barrett Vanlandingham

July 15, 2014

 

            There’s no doubt about it.  We live in a generation of consumers.  We have high expectations for what someone else can do for us. Unfortunately, this is also the case when it comes to matters of faith and religion.  It is easy to expect someone else to blaze the trail for us so that we can gain the benefits.  Granted, not all of us are gifted at trail blazing.  But, there are many things we can do to help prepare the way home for future generations.

            The apostle Paul wrote to his young brother in the faith, Timothy, to remind him of principles that needed to be reinforced among Christians.  One of the most basic things he taught is the importance of being available and willing to carry God’s message and do the work of the Lord. In other words, be a willing vessel.

            Paul said, “Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.  Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work (2 Timothy 2:20-21).”

            One of my lessons at church camp this summer is about Moses (Numbers 16).  He is a good example of someone who didn’t feel qualified to lead in the way God called him to lead.  But because he was a willing vessel, many great things were accomplished through him.  For Moses, leadership wasn’t always something as glamorous as standing up to Pharaoh and leading the children of Israel out of Egypt.  Sometimes it was something as simple as reminding the people about God’s law, encouraging obedience, and warning about the consequences of disobedience.          

            While Moses was busy leading God’s people, many from the priestly tribe of Levi evidently had a shallow view of the importance of the jobs God asked them to do.  They became jealous of God’s decision to make Moses their leader and Aaron their high priest even though the Levites had no small task in ministering to the community and working at the Lord’s tabernacle.  Those Levites rejected God’s decision and became jealous vessels, not willing ones!  They were paving the way to destruction for themselves and future generations.

            It would have been easy for Moses to cave in to public demand instead of teaching the people to honor God’s commands.  But Moses knew generations of people after him could either be saved or lost based on his convictions.  Scripture points out that Moses was not perfect, but he goes down in history as one dedicated to restoring righteousness among God’s people.

             In our culture today, people are sometimes not very tolerant of anyone encouraging obedience to God’s will, and even less tolerant of anyone warning about the consequences of disobedience.  That is why it is vital for Christians to model Christ. In other words, take-on the joy and heart of a servant so unbelievers will be drawn to what you have, and believers will be encouraged to do something other than point out people’s faults.

            There is plenty of work to do in the Lord’s kingdom today, and every job in Christian service helps restore righteousness and pave the way home for generations that follow.  Have a great week!

Parent – Child Relationships Don’t Have to be Difficult

by Barrett Vanlandingham
July 8, 2014 

            As a full-time youth minister, husband, and parent of three children, one of the challenges I hear teenagers talk about the most is their relationship with their parents.  What always seems to surprise the teenagers I teach is that parents also struggle with how to handle things when they discover their children have a mind of their own.  It’s not just difficult for one side or the other. But both the child and the parent are going through unchartered territory.  The need each other to get through this time of life, but figuring out just how much and in what ways is another story! 

            Yes, we parents have already gone through the adolescent years.  But for some reason, that doesn’t seem to make parenting much easier, does it?  At least we know (most of the time) why the friction occurs, though we don’t always know when it will occur.  What’s funny is that kids are usually under the impression that they are the ones who struggle the most in this relationship.  In some cases, this may be true when the parent has totally lost touch with what it was like to grow into your own person.

            I read a statement recently in the book “What To Do When You Don’t Know What To Do” by Randy Simmons that I believe to be very true when it comes to parents and children getting along.  He said, “Teenagers need strong ‘roots’ and stability, but at the same time they need some ‘wings’ with which to fly and exert some independence.” 

            Trust is a great tool in a child gaining independence and freedom. A teenager can earn trust by accepting responsibilities, following directions, maintaining a proper and respectful attitude, and not being sneaky.  For instance, when a teenage girl tells her parent she can be trusted, she must prove it with her actions and attitudes more than just on the day of the request.  A parent once told me that his sons wanted to skip Wednesday Bible class and go to a movie.  The parent simply answered, “With good decisions come good consequences.”   And then he walked away.  The boys trusted their dad and showed up for church on their own. He kept his word and gave them money to pay the cost of the late movie and snacks.

            If kids only knew just how easy it really is to keep this parent-child thing under control, they would have a much smoother existence under their parents’ roof.  Unfortunately, the art of good communication is something most people do not learn until a little later in life.  Effective communication builds strong bridges connecting parents and children.  The book I mentioned lists the following suggestions:

            1) Choose an appropriate time and place to talk about your complaint, not publicly, and not in times of stress and pressure. 

            2) Be direct but gentle. Words can hurt both ways.  So teach your children to obey, but not be afraid to ask questions about reasons why.  “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger (Prov. 15:1).”  

            3) Tell the truth.  Lying creates distrust.   Kids and adults sometimes choose to lie in order to avoid conflict, only to have to face a more heated argument later.

            4)  Deal with problems before they get too big.  Sometimes, conflict is based on a simple misunderstanding.

            Sometimes, one side or the other just chooses to be difficult.  Yes, children and parents can be guilty of this.  I would not suggest this tactic.  In the end, neither side wins.  On the other hand, having a respectful and loving attitude and at least trying to understand the other point of view will make everyone feel better towards each other long term, even if a parent and child still do not see eye to eye.  Have a blessed week!