Above the Sun: Birdwatching teaches us a lot about God

By Barrett Vanlandingham

April 5, 2020

Sitting on my back porch a few days ago on an unusually warm morning, Lisa pointed out that a mama finch was perched on a limb nearby keeping watch on her nest of five tiny light blue eggs. The bird had built her nest inside a hanging plant that we were evidently sitting a little too close to judging by her nervous demeanor.

It really is amazing that ever since the 5^th day of creation, birds have been doing this exact thing, growing their population just like God said they would, protecting their little ones even before they hatch.

“²⁰ And God said, ‘Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.’  ²¹ So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²² God blessed them and said, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.’ ²³ And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day” (Genesis 1:20-23).

When I read this, it reminds me that to this day, the daily comings and goings of life still happen just like back then. People still worry about everything, even though there is still evening and morning every single day just as there was the week of creation. To this day, birds and fish and all the other creatures continue fulfilling their purpose in God’s plan. And to this day, God still trusts us to take care of His creation. And when we mess it up, God is still in control.

“God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground’” (Genesis 1:28).

“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (Matthew 6:26-27)

Just like the mama finch watches over her eggs, God always watches over you and me. Just seek first His kingdom, and He’s got the rest!  Have a great week!

Above the Sun: Our Designer has big plans for us

by Barrett Vanlandingham

March 29, 2020

            As I looked down at my HP laptop, I noticed the sticker near the keyboard said “Beautiful. Powerful. Perfectly crafted.”  Then I thought to myself, if we can clearly see that a computer is crafted, why can not everyone see that we also have a Designer?

            Humans are much more complex than any computer, yet many in the science world try to convince us the things we see around us including people are just accidents that happened over billions of years. God’s word disagrees with this. We were made in the image of God, and He made us with a purpose.

            As the world frets about the troublesome times we are living in, the need for Christians to step up and live out our purpose becomes more evident. God’s plan for us has been in effect for all six-thousand years of history, since the week of creation.

            “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So, God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:26-27).

            Our job is to be image-bearers of God. We are to be the hands and feet and mouthpiece for the One who crafted all of creation. Isn’t that exciting that the Creator of all chose us to represent Him to the rest of creation! But why?

            The apostle Paul echoes those words about God’s plan for our purpose when he wrote to Christians in the first century: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

             If you’re like me you may be thinking, “Yes I understand who God wants us to be and what He wants us to do. But why did God decide to created anything or anyone in the first place?”

            Here is what I think: we know that creators create amazing things! And we know that God is love. So, we have a loving God who desperately wanted to share His love and creativity. It is all around us (Romans 1:20). Our God is good. His ways are good. He wanted to share with us the blessing of walking in His Son’s footsteps where we can best experience the image of God by saving lost souls and helping them experience a new life in Christ (1 Peter 1:3 and Romans 6:4).

            “Beautiful. Powerful. Perfectly crafted” to help fill the earth with God’s glory. Have a great week!

Above the Sun: Christ’s separation made heaven possible

by Barrett Vanlandingham

March 22, 2020

           

            In the ultimate act of selflessness and love, Jesus was separated from His Father for six hours. That’s how long He hung on a cross, from 9:00am to 3:00pm on a Friday. Jesus, the Creator in the flesh carrying all of humanity’s sins, past, present, and future, on His shoulders, had allowed Himself to be tortured and crucified just as prophets had foretold hundreds of years before.

            Without this act of separation, heaven for us would not happen. During those six hours, Jesus, though He Himself was sinless, was banished from the presence of His Father. The reason? Until Jesus died, all those sins He carried were unforgiven, and could not be in God’s presence. And so, “Jesus cried out in a loud voice, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34). Jesus knew the answer. He knew this separation was caused by the sin he was carrying, and he knew that sin could not enter the presence of the Holy One. But in His distress, and still being in the form of a man, Jesus reacted the same way anyone would who felt abandoned by someone they loved. But in a complete act of submission He uttered the words “Not my will but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

            Next came Jesus’ three days of separation from His followers. What a time of intense confusion it must have been as His disciples reflected on Christ’s teachings and His words that He would rise again after three days (Mark 9:30–32). What a time of sadness and abandonment they must have felt after losing the One who they had seen raise the dead, give sight to the blind, calm the storm, feed the five-thousand, walk on water, allow Peter to walk on water, and so many more miracles that were not recorded (John 20:30-31). The disciples’ fears were multiplied by the fact that even though Jesus had told them He would rise again, they didn’t understand.

            I wonder if Christ’s three-day separation from nature had any effect on creation. I wonder if the animals, sky, seas, rocks, and mountains knew that the body of their Creator was buried behind a stone. Psalm 150:6, Job 12:7-10, and Luke 19:40 indicate that humans are not the only part of God’s creation that knows Him.

            Jesus’ separation from God for six hours, and Jesus’ separation from His creation for three days were two of the darkest times in history for Him and all of creation. But without either of these events, there would have been no resurrection, no celebration of a new life, and no hope for us. Thank You, Jesus, for taking on a job that no one else and nothing else could have accomplished, the sacrifice and separation of yourself from those You loved, making salvation possible for all. Have a great week!

Above the Sun: Don't over do it!

by Barrett Vanlandingham

March 15, 2020

            I hesitate to self-diagnose, but as I think about the topic of self-control, I always wonder if I might be one of those people who can become easily addicted to something. I think it’s called Addictive Personality Disorder.

            For instance, if I eat one piece of pie, I feel like I need to eat the entire pie. Let’s just say moderation has never been my strong point, with the possible exception of exercise. I seem to have no problem with being a minimalist there. But for the most part, in my brain, if a little of whatever gives me some satisfaction, then a lot must be better! I know that is not true, but excess is always a temptation. Nevertheless, I firmly and sincerely believe we all have free will to make right choices no matter what trap the devil sets for us.

            There are people who I believe are born with certain pre-dispositions such as being a trouble-maker or being friendly, hateful, flirty, jealous, or whatever. But nobody is born with the inability to choose right over wrong. As in the case of Cain killing his brother Abel, we can choose to fall into the temptation and the sin that “desires to have you” (Genesis 4:3-8). But there is another option. God has always given each of us the ability to rule over sin and choose what is right. This is accomplished through self-control along with love for God and obedience to Him.

            Self-Control is the 9^th and final quality Paul lists in the “fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22-23. Those nine qualities are attributes we as Christians are to apply to our daily lives as we “live by the Spirit” and strive to “keep in step with the Spirit” (5:25). The apostle Peter also included self-control as one of several important qualities we as Christians must strive to increase in our daily lives (2 Peter 1:5-7). 

            I suspect both Paul and Peter struggled with maintaining self-control. Peter cut-off the ear of one of the men who came to arrest Jesus. And of course, we already know the apostle Paul was quick to persecute Christians before his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. They were far from perfect, but both turned their lives around by the power of Jesus Christ, and we can too. Paul wrote about several sins that church members in Corinth were guilty of before making the choice to be washed and made right “in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

            As Paul aged, he gave a much younger Timothy these words to remember: “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7).

            For Christians, the quality of self-discipline is what helps us make choices that bring honor and glory to God. Have a great week!