Above the Sun: Mary Christmas!

by Barrett Vanlandingham

December 8, 2019

                       

“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). I love this this short but powerful statement spoken by the mother of Jesus. It was just after a visit by some shepherds who an angel had told to go see the newborn Savior Messiah. They were told they would find him wrapped in cloths and lying in a feed trough (or manger) in Bethlehem. Well, that’s exactly where they found him and his parents. For Joseph and Mary, the surprise visit by the shepherds was one more confirmation that God was involved in their lives.

            First, the angel Gabriel tells her she is going to become pregnant by the Holy Spirit even though she is a virgin, and then the angel explains the situation to fiancé Joseph. Mary went to visit her “very old” cousin, Elizabeth, who was previously unable to conceive, but was six months along in her own pregnancy with a baby boy who would be known to us as John the Baptist, the one who would prepare the way for his cousin, Jesus. As soon as Mary greeted Elizabeth, baby John leaped in the womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, exclaiming in a loud voice,

            “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored that the Mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:42-45)

            We can assume here, but the text does not say that Mary’s greeting to Elizabeth included the news of her being pregnant with the one who would be called Jesus. It just says that Elizabeth’s baby leaped upon hearing Mary’s greeting, and then Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. It is not a stretch to think that somehow John, still in the womb, was overjoyed at being in the presence of his cousin, Jesus the Messiah! God’s work is being witnessed up close and personal just like it was with the miraculous visit by the shepherds, and again with the wise men who sometime later followed a star, and came to bring gifts to the child after Joseph and Mary had moved into a house.

            To say that Mary and Joseph were going through a spectacular season of life would be the understatement of the century! Can you even imagine the amount of treasuring and pondering going on in Mary’s mind in the days following the birth of the Christ child?

            When something special happens in our lives, it is natural to treasure it up and replay the scenes over and over in our minds. May we all remember the events surrounding Mary’s Christmas, and have a Merry Christmas, too.  Have a great week!

Above the Sun: Christmas lights are very symbolic

by Barrett Vanlandingham

December 1, 2019

                       

            “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:9-14).

            Each year, I look forward to seeing Christmas lights. They remind me of two things: Jesus as THE light, and my responsibility as a Christian to be light in a dark world. What an indescribable blessing it is that the son of God chose to humble himself, leaving the comforts of heaven, in exchange for living here on earth, becoming the perfect sacrifice for our sins, and proclaiming good news and freedom through him. (Philippians 2:5-8 and Luke 4:18-19). Jesus not only took on the role of Creator and Savior, but also Example and Light for all of humanity.

            Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, the Old Testament prophets Malachi and Isaiah referred to him as the “sun of righteousness” and “a light for the Gentiles.”  When the baby Jesus was only a few days old, a Godly man named Simeon was one of the first to hold him. Simeon praised God and called Jesus “salvation” and “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel” (Luke 2:32)

            Life here on earth can get a little confusing at times when we try to split our allegiances between God’s way and the world’s way. We allow ourselves to be given mixed messages when we try to keep one foot in the light and one in the dark. But with Jesus, the message is clear.

             Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

            When we follow Jesus, we are not only blessed with walking in his light, but others will be blessed by his light we carry inside us. Jesus challenged his disciples to be light.

            “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ 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. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

            Have a beautiful December, enjoy the lights, and BE a light!

Above the Sun: Reasons to be thankful abound (pt 4): “Hope”

by Barrett Vanlandingham

November 24, 2019

            Coming up with only four things to be thankful for in the month of November was very difficult, not because I couldn’t think of enough, but because I seriously couldn’t stop counting! In the final part of my series, I’d like to write about “Hope.”

            When you’re a Christian, hope takes on a whole new meaning. It doesn’t mean the same thing as when someone says, “I hope so.” For Christians, hope is more akin to assurance or knowing with certainty. So, in 1 Corinthians 13:13 when the apostle Paul says, “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love” he is talking about something far more superior than guessing so, thinking so, or even hoping so.

          There would be nothing greatest about the idea of simply hoping for an eternal reward in heaven. Paul is highlighting the most important things in all of creation and beyond creation, all summarized in three words, and one of them is hope. This is the kind of hope that has been bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ. What would it say about our Messiah if His death, burial, and resurrection only purchased a “maybe so or pretty sure” mentality about God’s promises? In human terms, I might describe Bible hope or assurance as how you feel as a little kid when your parent hugs you and says it’s going to be alright. But it actually goes way beyond that since humans really can’t guarantee anything to anyone.

            Hope in the Christian sense is such a strong word that the writer of Hebrews used it to help define the concept of faith.  Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” The two words go hand in hand to the extent that you cannot have one without the other.

          It is easy to see why Paul put faith, hope, and love in the same circle. Without faith and hope in Jesus Christ, there would be no obedience and therefore no love since Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

          Hope is a for sure thing for those who walk with Jesus in this life. It starts with coming to the realization that Jesus is God’s son, and our only Hope, and then choosing to obey and live life his way and not the world’s way. John 14:6 says that no one gets to the Father without going through Jesus. Galatians 3:27 and Romans 6:3-5 say we become clothed with Jesus to live a new life in Him when we are baptized. This is also the point at which God’s Spirit makes His home in us (Acts 2:38 and 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). That new life in Christ can be described as your Christian journey on God’s lighted path where your sins are continually washed away. 1 John 1:7 says, “If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

          A committed life in Jesus gives us the best kind of hope, one that seals our relationship with God and makes our eternal reward in heaven a done deal (Romans 8:18-39).  Have a great week!

Above the Sun: Reasons to be thankful abound (pt 3): “Family”

by Barrett Vanlandingham

November 17, 2019

            Every year during our midweek Thanksgiving service at Fort Gibson church of Christ, church members turn in cards stating what they are thankful for. It serves as encouragement to everyone as our preacher reads each card outloud. The number one thing most people list, other than Jesus and church fellowship (which I wrote about in parts 1 and 2) is family. So today, I’d like to talk about family in part three of my November series on reasons to be thankful.        

            There is a reason why family (the kind that places God as its priority) always ranks high in the thankfulness category. It is what makes us feel secure and loved from a very young age, even in the face of life’s disappointments. Family members who love each other more than God are destined for failure. Created things simply cannot be placed on a higher level than the Creator if the family is to succeed long-term.

            I realize not everybody reading this had a good family experience. For that I am deeply sorry. It is not your fault. I pray God’s healing for you, and I pray that you have chosen to make things better for your children and grandchildren than what you grew up with. There is a huge difference between following your parents’ example versus what it means to learn from your parents’ example. It is only logical that each generation can and should do better, unless there are special circumstances preventing it.

            An active prayer life, regular Bible study, and being an active part of church fellowship are key in making your family experience one that each member can look back on and be thankful for. You really cannot have a fulfilling family life without Jesus. Have you ever witnessed or interacted with a family that did life without Jesus? It seemed shallow and strange, didn’t it? They go through the motions of family, but there’s no depth, no foundation, no anchor for the storms of life. Nothing of significance to talk about or plan for beyond worldly things, activities, or events. You see, a family doing life without Jesus is like sitting down to a Thanksgiving dinner that looks good, but has no taste or smell. They may not know or understand what they are missing at the time, but there’s definitely something missing! O yes, they may have something that resembles family bonds, but those bonds weak and based on worldly thinking.

            These two ways of defining family are extreme opposites, and are especially noticeable if you’ve ever gone to the funeral of someone who was a faithful Christian from a Christian family. You likely noticed there was much less waling and even joy at times simply because they know their loved one is better off. On the other hand, if you’ve ever witnessed a non-Christian funeral, you know it is a much more somber occasion because there is nothing to think about except loss and uncertainty about the future.

            God created the whole concept of family, and what it takes to have a good experience with your family. It is a very good thing when done God’s way, and is something for which we can be thankful. Have a great week!