Above the Sun: Reasons to be thankful abound (pt 2): “Christian fellowship”

by Barrett Vanlandingham

November 10, 2019

            Jesus!  There was really no way I could write about anything else last week in part one of my November series on reasons to be thankful. Today, I’d like to talk about “Christian fellowship.”

            In Acts 2:42-47, the writer Luke described the interaction of early Christians in the years just after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, and to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” They were so excited about honoring God, helping each other, and encouraging one another that Christians could be seen every day meeting together. Non-Christians could clearly see this kind of fellowship was something they wanted to be a part of. People by the thousands followed Peter’s command to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). The Lord then added them to the number of people who had been saved this same way. (Acts 2:41, 47).

            A few years later, some Christians had lost their way. The writer of Hebrews wrote these words:  “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

            The writer here was dealing with a group of Christians whose faith was growing cold and was only looking inward, not outward. The writer could clearly see these wayward believers were in desperate need of encouragement that could only come from other Christians who understood their unique challenges. So, to make the above statement even more relevant, the writer then shines the spotlight directly on the topic of those who would “deliberately keep on sinning after receiving knowledge of the truth” (v.26), warning them that their behavior will eventually result in the same consequences as all those who are enemies of God.

            That’s some pretty heavy stuff. But just like today, people back then failed to place proper importance on Christian fellowship as a means of staying strong in the faith. How many times have you heard someone say their faith is only between them and God, and no one else? The fact is, we simply cannot live out our faith journey without both helping and being helped by others.

            We all have those days when we just feel like staying home instead of going to a Bible class or a church fellowship. But as Christians, we must remember the greatest command. Agape’. Love God and love others (Matthew 22:34). You see, when we love people the way Jesus wants us to, we think about what is in the best interest of others instead of only ourselves. Christian love realizes the importance of being present when Christians come together. Just being present is a tremendous encouragement to others in your church family. After all, how can we effectively build up one another and pray for each other (James 5:15-16) if we do not spend time with one another, and discuss those needs we can help with.

            The people of Fort Gibson are not unlike folks in other parts of rural America who rise to the occasion when tragedies or disasters leave our neighbors in desperate situations. Many of these efforts have been led by Christians who are simply living out the kind of fellowship we read about in Acts 2. It’s an ancient recipe for soul winning and for simply doing the right thing, but one that we still benefit from, and can still be thankful for 2000 years later.          

            Next week, I’ll discuss family.  Have a great week! 

Above the Sun: Reasons to be thankful abound – part 1

by Barrett Vanlandingham

November 3, 2019

            If I can push away from the table long enough to think during this time of year, November is always a special time to reflect and be thankful for the blessings God has given us. In my four-part series on reasons to be thankful, I’d like to talk about Jesus, Christian fellowship, family, and hope.

            John 3:16 is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

            Unless you’re an extreme early Christmas shopper, you are probably still in the process deciding what to put under the tree for your loved ones. Or if you’re like me, you haven’t even gotten that far. Regardless, if you’ve ever had a hard time thinking of that perfect gift for someone, imagine how God felt as he began to realize there was only one perfect Gift to give to all of humanity. It was not on sale, and it was a one of a kind. It was not a want. It was a need that most people didn’t even know they needed. It was not only the perfect Gift. It was the ONLY Gift that could meet the needs of not only the living and those yet to be born, but also those who were faithful to God generations before this Gift would be given. The Gift, of course, was Jesus Christ.

            Thousands of years before Jesus came to earth, He was written about in Genesis 3:15 shortly after the fall of Adam and Eve as the One who would crush the head of the serpent in spite of the serpent striking his heel. That prophecy was fulfilled in the crucifixion of Jesus and His resurrection from the dead, claiming victory over death, not only for himself, but for all those who would believe in Him. Our belief is proven by our obedience, not just in our belief (James 1:22, 2:14,24,26). You see, Satan and his angels very much believe in Jesus and His power to save, but they will never obey. Hell is their destination along with those who reject God and refuse to do His will (Matthew 25:41-46).

            To describe Jesus is difficult to say the least. But it sure is fun trying, amen? Jesus is the only one who can lead us to God the Father (John 14:6), and Jesus is the only one who can save us (Acts 4:12). He is in a unique position to do so because he actually lived here as a human, and faced the same struggles we deal with today (Hebrews 4:14-16). Countless songs and poems have been written about Jesus, his love, grace, mercy, and power! But none paints a complete picture of the One who is the ultimate Source of reasons to be thankful.

            Next week, I’ll discuss Christian fellowship.  Have a great week!

Above the Sun: The devil’s treats are always tricks

by Barrett Vanlandingham

October 27, 2019

            If there is one thing the devil is good at, it is deception. Verse after verse, the Bible uses words like blinded, lies, deceit, falsehood, traps, schemes, tricks, and tempt, to describe the methods the “father of lies” uses to try to hurt God by hurting us. And that doesn’t even count all the other verses that do not use those words:

            “The serpent said to the woman, ‘You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil’” (Genesis 3:4-5).

            The infamous “not in the devil’s tale” together with promises that Adam and Eve would gain knowledge and be like God was all it took to drive a wedge between God and these naïve humans who did not understand what the devil was up to. They did know, however, that the devil’s version of what would happen if they ate from the tree was different from what God had said. So, why take Satan’s word over God’s word? Maybe Adam and Eve were not afraid of the serpent. Maybe they had previous conversations with him, and had developed trust. Maybe they wanted to believe they could become like their Hero even if it meant disobeying Him to accomplish this.

             We have exactly the same tendencies today. We want to obey God, but the devil has a way of setting traps that appeal to our vanity. God gives us free will, but the search for happiness or success drives some to exchange God’s plan for one that provides a perceived solution to a real problem. The apostle Paul speaks of the consequences for some who chose created things and man-made ideas over the Creator and His plan for our well-being. 

            Romans 1:26-28 says, “26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.”

            Those worldly choices never turn out as Satan promises. But choosing God's way is often difficult for both naive and mature Christians because Satan offers immediate gratification paired with delayed consequences. Unfortunately, this scheme appeals to those in desperate circumstances.

            The problem with being turned over to a depraved mind is not only the fact that God is basically telling that individual to go ahead and try it their way, but their thinking also becomes corrupt, evil, and warped because God has been pushed aside. Paul says this leads to all kinds of wickedness, consequences, and ultimately spiritual death if repentance (turning back to God) does not take place. But even with repentance, consequences of sin are very real and can stay with us a long time, even though we have re-committed to God. When it comes to spiritual warfare, Peter’s words bring comfort and hope as we await Christ’s return.

            “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

            Thankfully, God is more patient with us than we are with each other. The length and depth of His grace and mercy are truly indescribable. The devil’s deceptive treats will never rise to the level of God’s love for us. He proved this with the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. And because of that, we have hope that is found in no other name but Jesus.   Have a great week!

Above the Sun: Fall break is a good time to see God working

by Barrett Vanlandingham

October 20, 2019

            It may be fall break for students and educators, but God’s creation is still hard at work preparing its colorful autumn scenes just for us to enjoy. It’s part of a plan that has been active since the fourth day of creation: “He made the moon to mark the seasons” (Psalm 104:19).

             Even though the Bible makes it clear we are not to worship created things, but rather, the Creator, there are a lot of things we can learn about God by simply taking time to look at nature. The words of the apostle Paul remind us of this.

             ^“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Romans 1: 20).

            Yes, Paul, I agree. Based on just how amazing created things really are, there is no reason to think everything just popped into being on its own by accident, or even slowly evolved into something amazing on its own. If I chop a tree down and let it sit there for 13.8 billion years, would anyone actually argue that the wood would evolve into a beautiful desk with drawers just because a human needed a desk? Of course not. The desk had a designer and a builder, like everything in nature including humans needed a Designer and Builder.  The system that moves cells through our body is called a flagellum. Without even one of its parts, it would not work at all. The same is true for our eyes. For instance, without the system that causes tears/moisture, our eyes wouldn’t work. And without eyes, there would be no reason to have a system to moisten them. These are two examples of body parts that had to have been created whole for any of it to work, and not evolved over long periods of time.

            The fact is, our Creator has literally thought of everything, and according to David, everything in the world including us belongs to God (Psalm 24:1). God’s attention to detail is simply mind-blowing, and this should give us confidence that He always has our best interest at heart.

            “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26)

            God could have made the leaves to just fall off the trees with no beautiful color changes. But He didn’t. That tells me God is creative, and He enjoys bringing warmth and wonderment into our lives. So, as we experience this autumn season, remember the words of the prophet Isaiah that give believers hope in the Lord’s promises. “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8). Have a great week!

Above the Sun: Faith unity can start anywhere

by Barrett Vanlandingham

October 13, 2019

            God moments are just fun to experience, and fun to tell. So, here goes. I am in my 18^th year in youth ministry here at the Fort Gibson church of Christ. One of my neighbors, Shawn Evans, has been music minister at the First Baptist Church for about the same amount of time. We each have a small role in Fort Gibson’s BBQ and Music Festival coming up this weekend. But the more I thought about the task we have been given, the more I see God’s hand at work. I am not trying to make more of something than it really is. I am simply calling it as I see it.

            Shawn and I are good friends, and both of us place God as our highest priority. So, whatever differences we may have when it comes to how we see the Bible, we work well together for the good of our community. After all, our sons acted and sang together in the 2017 production of Phantom of the Opera at the high school. Members of athletic teams, boards, and various clubs and associations work together all the time for the betterment of schools and communities, even though they do not agree on everything. It is this mixing of people and ideas that helps us understand each other better.

            From a biblical standpoint, it is the way Christians are to fulfill the Great Commission to “Go into all the world.”  It is only when we venture outside of our inner circles that we not only gain a better understanding of each other, but God blesses our efforts just like He did with the five loaves and two fish that fed thousands of people in spite of the apparent odds that something so impossible could be possible. The understanding of God’s will is important enough that Jesus actually prayed for all those who wear the name of Christ to someday be unified in Him.

            In John 17:20-21, Jesus prayed for his closest disciples and future generations of believers:  “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

            Okay, back to the BBQ and Music Festival. Since I will be playing with a band I have formed for this event, Shawn and I have been visiting about things like how many microphones will be needed, where they will be placed, the number of speakers, cords, and amplifiers. Discussing sound equipment may seem trivial on the surface, but when the result is a weekend of added joy and happiness for our little town, God is at work, and that is simply a good thing

            By the way, my bass player is Trey Reed. He’s a barber here in town who also happens to be the youth pastor for the Methodist Church. Our drummer is Nathan Walkingstick, an NSU student from Fort Gibson who is actively involved in NSU’s Riverhawks for Christ. Singing harmony with me are two of my youth group members who also happen to be award-winning vocalists: Caleb Wilkie and Kinley Wilson.

            I hope many of you will make it Friday evening at 7:00pm at the gazebo to hear us perform a variety of genres. Have a great week!