Jesus can make your New Year beautiful

by Barrett Vanlandingham

     Most of us have experienced things that didn’t go our way in 2014. Unfortunately, disappointments are just part of life on earth. But that doesn’t mean your life can’t improve.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 these very encouraging words, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Sadly, most people overlook the joy that can be found in Christ. They look to the world instead of God’s word for answers to their questions about love and contentment. Even Christians sometimes get caught up in looking for fulfillment in every direction except the one that counts.

How sad it is to see parents pushing their children to be involved in everything except church activities. How sad it is to see fathers and mothers putting great amounts of effort into gaining social status and achieving worldly goals at the expense of spending time teaching and modeling Christlike values to their children and to each other. How sad it is when people go to ministers, and beg them to try to fix a family problem that could have been avoided in the first place if Godly priorities had been in place all along.

How sad it is to see families try to deal with loss or other problems without the Lord.

God wants us to do our best with our talents and abilities. How exciting it is when a professional athlete or actor models the Christian life even when no one around them supports Godly values. God wants us to make a difference for His kingdom.

This way, when tragedy or disappointment happens, our house will not crumble because it is built on the foundation of our Rock and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

In this life we will all face trouble whether we do it with the support of Christ and His church, or without.

God bless you and have a Happy New Year!

Snowman Christians can be a little cold

by Barrett Vanlandingham

December 23, 2014

            It won’t be long now before we start seeing snowmen popping up here and there.  The other day I actually tried to look up the origins of the snowman, and even though I found some interesting stories, no one seems to know the origins of our wintery friends. 

            If snowmen could talk, we probably still wouldn’t know much about them because of how they appear on the scene, and then leave before we know it.  Church members can be a little like snowmen at times, especially those who rush in to church at the last minute and then leave before anyone can have any meaningful interaction.  They look great for a short amount of time and then disappear as if they are afraid they will melt if they stay too long. 

            Every congregation has snowman Christians, and probably most of us have been guilty of being one at some point.  Our rush-rush-rush culture we have created is responsible for much of the problem of keeping others at arm’s length and even distrust that has found its way into just about every part of our lives, yes even the church.

            If I were going into a battle I would want to know as much as I could about those who are assigned to cover my back, just as they would feel more confident if they knew me better.  Spiritually, it’s the same way.  The Bible makes a parallel between living the Christian life and fighting a battle.  In 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 and Ephesians 6:10-20 Paul talks about spiritual war.  In Hebrews 6:25 the writer talks about the encouragement we should receive from each other when we meet together as Christians.  In the first century, the early church experienced a lot of persecution.  It’s no wonder why those Christians met together daily (Acts 2:46), and it’s no wonder why “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47) 

            If you feel more encouragement away from your Christian family than with, that is a problem that needs to be fixed. The good news is you can do something about it. Start by simply treating others the way you want to be treated (Matthew 7:12), not just people your age.  In fact, Barna Group research shows meaningful relationships in the church have a profound impact on whether someone stays in the church.  

            No one feels comfortable being on a team with someone who puts in the least amount of time possible, just enough time to dress up, show up, go through the motions for a short time, and say they’re on the team.  That’s what a snowman Christian does, and then he disappears until the conditions are perfect for him to appear for another short visit.  I think most Christians undervalue their presence and interaction among their church family.  In our culture, it’s easy to forget that spending time with your church family is not just about you.  It’s about demonstrating love for God and for others.

            So, even though being frigid, well-dressed, and predictably seasonal are great qualities in a snowman, it’s not really a good thing in a Christian family.  Have a blessed week and Merry Christmas!

Christmas Lights Are Beautiful Reminders

by Barrett Vanlandingham

December 16, 2014

            Here in Oklahoma’s oldest town, we have a lot to be thankful for.  I can’t help but be reminded of the blessings of life when I drive through downtown and see the beautiful Christmas lights donning our tree (one of the state’s tallest), and the twinkling lights decorating the light poles near the gazebo.  Many of our neighborhoods throughout Fort Gibson do an amazing job at bringing in the holiday season with Christmas scenes for all to enjoy.  What a blessing!

            So what do you think about when you see all those colorful blinking lights of all shapes and sizes strung on rooftops, windows, curbs, and trees?  I guess one could mention stress and shopping deadlines.  But for me, I think I’ll stick to time with family, joy, laughter, good things to eat, holiday music, and caroling.  I would like to add one more thing for Christians to consider, though.

            Jesus said it best.  “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”  (Matt 5:14-16, NIV)

            A decorated Christmas tree (or house or yard) is much more than something pretty to appreciate in the month of December.  It is a beautiful reminder that if a simple tree donning colorful blinking and twinkling bulbs can help change the attitude of an entire nation for one month, imagine how much of a difference Christians could make if we let our light shine all year long.  What if we let Jesus shine through us in our homes, schools, jobs, sporting events, vacation, hobbies, in our choices of recreation and entertainment?

            I think Christians sometimes undervalue what it means to be a Christian, and the opportunities we have to make a difference that matters.  In the day to day grind of life, it is easy to get wrapped up in perspectives on life that are completely opposite of how Jesus wants us to live.  2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.”

             That amazing life now and in the life to come is the result of God's grace offering a plan of salvation for us to obey.  It calls for

1) believing that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God (John 8:24),

2) living a life of repentance or exchanging worldly living for a walk with God (Luke 13:3),

3) confessing with your mouth and actions that Jesus is Lord (Matthew 10:32-33),

4) being baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38, Galatians 3:26-27, Romans 6:1-11).

            Christians, I have three words to remind you of: You are SAVED.  The blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross made sure of it.  All I can say to that is... WOW.  We have a gift and a message to share and to shine that is unlike any other.  So, shine on and have a blessed week!

Jesus is amazing for so many reasons!

by Barrett Vanlandingham

December 9, 2014

            One of the most incredible things about Jesus’ life and death is that he knew when he was going to die, he knew how he was going to die, he knew that some of his closest friends were going to turn their backs on him, and yet he followed through with his plan to save us anyway.

            The reason Jesus knew those things is because: 

1) He was the Son of God, and He was simply capable of knowing those things.  

2)  Jesus was a well-studied Jewish Rabbi who knew well the words of the Old Testament where the prophecies were written.

            You may remember that on multiple occasions, Jesus found himself outnumbered by hostile crowds who wanted to kill him because they did not believe Jesus’ claim that he was the son of God (Luke 4:28-30, John 8:59, and John 10: 31-39).  But because his time to die had not yet come, he escaped their grasp each time.  And even if it were his time to die, it would be by crucifixion, not by stoning or being shoved off a cliff like the crowds were trying to do in the above scripture references.

            The son of God knew exactly how everything would happen because he was the Christ. And even the human Rabbi part of him understood the things that had been written about him as much as a thousand years before he arrived on earth in human form.

            The Old Testament prophecies are very impressive, and are great evidence that Jesus was who he said he was.  Nearly all of these prophecies were things that Jesus would have had absolutely NO control over whatsoever IF he were not the Son of God.  In fact, out of dozens of prophecies about Jesus, even if he were able to fulfill only eight of them, that translates to a 1 out of 10 to the 28th power of a chance that the prophecies could be true… unless Jesus was the Son of God.  That is a 1 with 28 zeros! 

            We know from prophecy that Jesus would be rejected by the Jews (Psalm 118:22), die a humiliating death (Ps 22), betrayed by a friend (Ps 41:9), sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12),  beaten (Isaiah 52:14), spit upon (Is 50:6), hands and feet pierced (Ps 22:16), his side pieced ( Zech 12:10), given gall and vinegar (Ps 69:21), no broken bones (Ps 34:20), buried in a rich man’s tomb (Is 53:9), his enemies would cast lots for his clothing ( Ps 22:18), He would rise again (Ps 16:10), ascend into heaven ( Ps 68:18), and would sit down at the right hand of God (Ps 110: 1).  These were all prophecies that proved true in the New Testament.  Even non-Bible authors in the first, second, and third centuries spoke of Jesus Christ and Christians in their writings.  The life of Jesus is something that century after century has not been able to stop talking about.

            That’s the kind of Savior we serve!  So, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, let’s also never forget Christ’s love for us, and what he went through just so we could live in heaven when this life is over.  Have a great week!