Above the Sun: There is good reason to keep your head up

by Barrett Vanlandingham

April 8, 2018

         

          As you may have noticed, the title of my column has been changed to “Above the Sun” instead of “Fort Faith,” the title it had for the last 11 years. The new title and positioning in the Sunday paper will invite a larger audience than when it reached out mainly to Fort Gibson readers in the Tuesday edition.

          The reason I chose “Above the Sun” is because of the many times the wisest man who ever lived, Solomon, used the phrase “under the sun” in Ecclesiastes. One of the more famous uses of this phrase was when Solomon said “there is nothing new under the sun” (Eccl 1:9). In fact, he spends much of his time in this Old Testament book writing about the meaninglessness of wisdom, pleasure, labor, riches, and pretty much everything else mankind experiences “under the sun.” According to Solomon, things here on planet earth are pretty bleak.

          If there is one thing people today should learn from Solomon’s search for meaning in life, it would be that it cannot be found by looking “under the sun.”  He repeats “under the sun” or “under the heavens” more than 30 times in less than complimentary terms. So, if Solomon was not very impressed with chasing things “under the sun,” maybe we should be looking “above the sun” for meaning in life.  At the end of Ecclesiastes, Solomon says, “Here is the conclusion of the matter: fear God and keep his commandments” (12:13).

          About 900 years later, Jesus came on the scene and chose fishermen: Peter, Andrew, James, and John to be His first disciples. Jesus performed a miracle by allowing them to catch so many fish that their boats began to sink (Luke 5:1-7). Then, He told them from now on they would “fish for people” (Matthew 4:18-22 and Luke 5:10).

          Up until that point, these fishermen were “under the sun” thinkers, only concerned with catching fish. When Jesus entered the picture, they learned to think “above the sun.” He helped them understand joy in this life is only possible when we connect our lives here to our ultimate destination. Catching fish is fine, but catching souls and going to heaven is better. Have a great week!

Above the Sun: There is always more to learn about Easter

by Barrett Vanlandingham

March 27, 2018

          On behalf of children everywhere, please restrain yourselves from telling the kids to go hunt Easter eggs you haven’t hidden yet just so you can say, “April Fools!!”

          The last time Easter Sunday fell on April 1^st was in 1998, and the next time will be in 2029. So if your 2-year old doesn’t get the joke this time, you can always try it again when they’re 13 (smile).

          The floating date of Easter was decided long ago. In 325 A.D. Roman Emperor Constantine gathered 300 church leaders from several countries to have a meeting in Nicaea (in Turkey). Their discussions decided Easter should not coincide with a particular phase of the moon. This resulted in Easter being placed on or after the first day of spring (vernal equinox) on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring.

          We can be sure that today’s Easter celebrations of Jesus’ resurrection take place during the correct season because Jesus ate the Jewish Passover meal the same week He was crucified. The Passover celebration always took place the same time of year.

          On Thursday of that week, after Jesus and His disciples ate the Passover meal (aka: Last Supper), the Jewish supreme court, known as the Sanhedrin, had Jesus arrested and convicted on false charges. On Friday, the Romans crucified Jesus. Then, a wealthy member of the court who was a secret follower of Jesus, Joseph of Arimathea, got permission from the governor of Judea, Pilate, to take down Jesus’ body, wrap it, and place it in a “tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid” (Luke 23:53).  

          We do not know much about Joseph, except for his generosity that day, and the fact that he did not consent to the crucifixion (Luke 23:51). We can only presume that if word got out about who cared for Jesus’ body, Joseph would have faced great persecution, along with his helper and co-council member, Nicodemus.

          Something tells me that when the events of Sunday came, those who believed in Jesus knew without a doubt that any trouble they faced in this life because of Jesus would have been worth it. The same is true today.  Have a great week!

Some memories may never go away

by Barrett Vanlandingham

March 20, 2018

          With Easter only two more Sundays away, I can’t help but feel a little nostalgic thinking about family gatherings over the years. And though they get harder to remember with each passing year, it occurs to me that memories may last longer than we think.

          In the after-life, whether saved or unsaved, our family and friends will remember life on earth. It makes sense that heaven will seem sweeter if we are able to remember how we got there. Likewise, those who receive eternal punishment will be more remorseful by remembering their choices. In either case, earthly memories will figure in to how “we’ll understand it all by and by.”

          In the after-life story of the rich man who was in “Torment”, and poor man Lazarus who was in “Abraham’s side” or “Paradise,” Abraham indicates he was aware of the unfortunate relationship between the rich man and Lazarus while they were living, and how the rich man showed little, if any, compassion. Abraham basically said it was too late for the rich man to change his sad outcome.

          The rich man wanted Lazarus to bring him some cool water, but the separation between them prevented this. The rich man also wanted Lazarus to go back to his father’s house to warn his five living brothers so they could repent (Luke 16:19-31). Abraham said the rich man’s brothers wouldn’t listen anyway, even if the messenger were a resurrected dead man!       

          By the way, Abraham’s talk of living people and a messenger’s resurrection from the dead seems to indicate the immediate after-life mentioned here is not the same as heaven or hell which comes at Judgment Day.

          Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each have wonderful accounts of the resurrection of Jesus, and of His interactions with friends afterwards. It will be amazing someday to stand in the same circle with men and women who witnessed Jesus’ final days here, and to see their faces as they remember, and tell their stories of gratitude.

          I encourage each of you to spend time with God, family, and friends on Easter Sunday and every day possible. And even though our special memories here will fade with time, that won’t be the case forever.  Have a great week!

Counting down to Easter with special memories

by Barrett Vanlandingham

March 13, 2018

          When I was a kid, one of my favorite things was to smell the roses and irises that bloomed in our front yard in the spring. It was a close race on which one smelled the best.

          One year, I remember asking my mom if I could cut off one of the roses for me to wear to church that morning because it was Easter Sunday. I remember that day well because I figured the answer would probably be “no” since the rose bushes were quite a showpiece for our yard. But to my surprise and joy, my mom said, “sure!”  There were bunches of them, so I picked the one I wanted, and mom helped me pin it to my suit jacket.

          That was a good day. I wore that rose to church with pride. I don’t remember if any of the other boys got to wear a rose. But I am thankful I did. The sunshine that day, the roses, and the satisfaction of getting to wear a rose on Easter Sunday has stuck in my mind ever since.

          I knew that particular Sunday, out of all the others in the year, must be very special since my mom let me pick that rose.  I would find out later that, in fact, Easter Sunday is more significant than I ever knew! It is the day that Christians all around the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the day in history that proved to the world that Jesus was actually the “anointed one” or “the Christ.” He was and still is the Son of God!

          Jesus’ identity as the Son of God was proven to be true by the empty grave, and by his many appearances to hundreds of people during the forty days he spent on earth between the resurrection and his ascension to the Father.

          The resurrected Jesus was not a ghost. His disciples grabbed hold of his feet and worshipped him, Thomas felt Jesus’ scars. Other disciples ate meals with Him.

          The probability of a risen Savior is believable, not just because of the mountains of Bible and non-Bible evidence, but because of the countless lives that have been changed for the better. Have a great week!

Easter really is a big deal

by Barrett Vanlandingham

March 6, 2018

          In less than a month, people everywhere will be celebrating Easter. Many locals here in Fort Gibson will bring their children to our church grounds for a massive egg hunt on Saturday, March 31 at 1:00pm. Others will celebrate by participating in a special Easter worship service that focuses on Christ’s resurrection.

          I enjoy both kinds of celebration. After all, who doesn’t like to watch children hunting eggs, and who doesn’t like to hear the story of Jesus’ resurrection in a worship setting or in a play? The Bible is a huge fan of events that bring people together, and provide opportunities for Christians to practice hospitality in our communities (Luke 14:12-14, Matthew 25:34-40, 1 Peter 4:8-9, Romans 12:13-20). There may not be a command of “Thou shalt celebrate Easter” in the Bible, but we no doubt are directed to meet (Hebrews 10:25) and learn God's word.

          Some of the final words Jesus spoke are recorded in the Great Commission. It’s where Jesus told his disciples to go and make more followers, baptizing them and “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).  The word “all” is a very big word and would certainly include teachings about the resurrection which is key to making followers.

          The apostle Paul told young Timothy that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).  Once again, the word “all” is used, followed by several descriptions of how the stories of the Bible are to be used.

          After Jesus healed a man possessed by a demon, Jesus told him to “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you” (Mark 5:19). There is no greater gift to tell people about than the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

          Christ commanded his disciples to “be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Jesus said those words after His resurrection from the tomb, just before He ascended back to His Father. His followers had an obligation to tell others about these wonderful events! We do too.  Have a great week!