Make your worship experience count

by Barrett Vanlandingham

September 19, 2017

          You may have heard someone say, “I don’t like going to church because I just don’t get anything out of it.”

          Two things:  First, none of us actually goes to church.  We go to worship (sing, pray, give, partake in communion on the first day of the week, study, and fellowship). We ARE the church. Jesus Christ is the head of the body. Christians are the body of Christ, which is the church (Colossians 1:24,1 Corinthians 12:27, Ephesians 3:6, and 5:23).

          For Christians to say they are going to church is worse than a football team or a player saying they are “going to the game”, as if they are thinking of the game as a spectator sport they have no involvement in.

          Second, we must remember that we are the worshipers, and God is the one and only audience member. In Revelation 5:9, we read what heaven will be like as people sing “a new song”. It is important to never become complacent in our worship, and sing with no thought as to the words we are offering to God.

          During Jesus’ ministry, he was having a conversation with a woman in Samaria at “Jacob’s well”. He had just finished explaining to her that those who drink the living water (his teachings) he provides will never thirst again. Then the topic turned to the question of where the appropriate place is to worship God.

          Jesus said, “A time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem” (John 4:21). He was leading up to the idea that our relationship with God is not based on a location since God himself is not of this world.

          “…true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24).

          It is important to worship correctly (in truth), but it is also important to worship in spirit with your whole heart, whether with your church family (Hebrews 10:24-27), or as you live out your Christian life. This kind of worship results in blessings too numerous to count.  Have a great week!

Hold on to Jesus in life’s crossroads

by Barrett Vanlandingham

September 12, 2017

          There are times in life when we come to crossroads. These usually involve recent changes brought on by family issues, health, finances, or maybe just the next season of life. Then, we feel stress about how to restructure our life to move forward.

          In King David’s life, he not only experienced many successes and victories, he also went through many hardships and disappointments. Some of them were self-inflicted and some were just a matter of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. And though he experienced much emotional pain, he gained great wisdom from the things he went through. He wrote many of his thoughts about life and the things he learned in the book of Psalms.

          “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you” (Psalm 9:9-10).

          David’s words are reassuring even to us today, three-thousand years later!  Unfortunately, when times of trouble come, most of us lose our heads and turn in the wrong direction for answers. Some turn to alcohol or drugs, others to pornography or sex outside of marriage, and still others turn to gambling or overeating (guilty). But the psalmist David says we can find the relief we’re looking for by holding on to the Lord God. There is only one way to get to God.

          Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

          As Jesus was comforting his disciples regarding his departure, he reminded them: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first” (John 15:18). 

          He told them that even though some of his closest friends would desert him in his final hours, he is not worried because his Father is with him. In John 16:33, Jesus says, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

          He wants us to know that if we hold on to him, we will also overcome the world. Have a great week!

Spiritual warfare requires follow through

by Barrett Vanlandingham

September 5, 2017

          Occasionally, someone will express to me that they wish they could just be a better person. No one gets a pass on the struggles and trials of life. The apostle Paul said, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

          It takes a lot more than just wishing to get the job done. In spiritual warfare and in any other important endeavor, we must not only wish and set goals, but make plans and work on following through with specific things that will make our goals reality.

          Lisa and I became empty nesters this week. We sent-off our youngest of three to Nashville to pursue his plan to work in the music industry. It’s a good thing Britton didn’t take my advice three years ago to sit for two hours on Monday nights to watch NBC’s “The Voice” like I did. Instead, for those years, without fail, he spent those hours and many more per week practicing his skills.

          The reason I said “pursuing his plan” instead of “his dream” is because he really does have a plan he has been working on. Yes, he sings, he plays lead guitar. But he also has written and produced 16 songs in the last 12 months, mostly alternative rock ballads. In just a few days, Britton will begin training with professionals on the ins and outs of audio engineering in the studio environment at Dark Horse Institute.

          The apostle John said this about Jesus, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

          There is a big difference between having “the right” to do something versus “doing” something about it. If we do not follow through with God’s plan to save us, then all we have are wishes, goals, and “rights” with no obedience to His plan of salvation that Jesus died for.  “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26).

           Believe in yourself, Britton. You are prepared for this.  Continue working hard, working smart, but most importantly, continue believing in Jesus, and live your life on that foundation. Have a great week!

Connecting with others is a part of God’s plan

by Barrett Vanlandingham

August 29, 2017

          As much joy as can be found in meeting together in large buildings for worship services, there are no New Testament examples of the kinds of church buildings we see today. Believers who lived in the first century met in people’s homes.  The church grew at a rapid pace, by the thousands. They not only grew in knowledge of God’s will for them, they took care of anyone in their church family who had a need (Acts 2:42-47).

          The Bible gives examples of early Christians coming together on the first day of each week (Acts 20:7), praising God, giving to the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 16:1-2), and partaking of unleavened bread and fruit of the vine in remembrance of Christ’s death (1 Corinthians 11:23-29).

          There are examples of Christians coming together to pray, sing, and study God’s word. We also see Jesus being very creative in his teaching methods. He told parables, wrote in the dirt, and did countless miracles to get the attention of his listeners. We see acts of worship taking place at a river, a lake, in prisons, in houses, you get the idea.

          God has always been more concerned with the heart of the worshiper and how we show love for others (John 13:1-17), than where we worship him, or how good we sound when we sing, or how inspirational our public teaching and prayers are (Matthew 15:8-9).

          Even though God does not command a location, God does want us to meet together and encourage each other (Hebrews 10:24-25) so that we will not fall away from him. God wants us to talk with fellow Christians about our struggles and pray for each other (James 5:16). God wants us to acknowledge his son Jesus Christ in the way we live our lives, and in exchange, Jesus will acknowledge us before his father (Matthew 10:32-33). God wants us to show our love to him by obeying his commands (John 14:15, 21, 23, 24).  

          September 3, Fort Gibson church of Christ is starting up a new small groups ministry that will be called Connect Groups. It could be life-changing, and I invite any of my readers to be a part of it every Sunday night at a house near you. Have a great week! 

It is time to get serious about spreading God’s love

by Barrett Vanlandingham

August 22, 2017

                   

          Even though God created our universe in an orderly way, it seems like there is a lot of confusion human beings have created for ourselves. It doesn’t have to be that way.

          Wouldn’t it be nice sometimes just to be able to ask God what He really wants from us?  Well, we’re in luck because that issue has already been cleared up.  In Mark 12:28, one of the teachers of the Old Law asked Jesus, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”  And in the book of Luke, the question is recorded as “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (ref: Luke 10:25-28). Both questions are asking the same thing, and both point to the same answer.

          “Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).

          Those were quotes from the Old Covenant that Jesus wanted to teach a new generation. Then, to make things clearer, Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34).

          When you think about how Jesus proved His love for us (ref: Romans 5:1-11), and His command for us to love others like He loves us, it becomes obvious that on a scale of selfish to selfless, we have a ways to go! But when you consider what we have to gain in this life and the next by loving (and living) in this way, it becomes very clear that selfless love is worth it for us and those we can influence.

          In Romans 12, Paul says that living our lives as a holy sacrifice pleases God. He challenges Christians to live with a sincere love, hating evil, and clinging to good.

          God’s message of love is what our neighbors, our community, and our world needs to hear and see from all who wear Christ’s name.  Have a great week!

Pray for our schools

by Barrett Vanlandingham

August 15, 2017

                   

          I love to hear about people who actually go onto the grounds of their local schools in the off hours, and just pray. This is not only encouraging. But prayer works! So, if you haven’t already done so, please pray for our students, teachers, support staff, and administration.  They need it so much here at the beginning of the school year, and all year long.

1) Pray for safety in every circumstance that involves our students, personnel, and their families. 

2) Pray for good health so that students can learn, teachers can teach, and the school can run smoothly.

3) Pray for the home life of each family represented, that every decision, every action, every thought, and every word spoken will honor God.

4) Pray that non-believers will be able to look at the daily example of Christians, and see the difference Christ can make in a person’s life.

5) Pray that God will soften or break the hearts of those who refuse to honor Him in the way they live their lives.

6) Pray that God will give all student and adult believers the right words, actions, and opportunities to make a difference in the life of someone who doesn’t have a relationship with God, or is struggling in their relationship with God.

7) Pray that every person who goes by the name “Christian” will take their job seriously to carry out the Great Commission of Jesus that He spoke in Matthew 28:19-20, to go and make followers of Christ, to baptize them, and to teach them to obey God’s word.

8) Pray for joy, peace, patience, understanding, and compassion in every classroom, hallway, office, lunchroom, and locations for all extra-curricular activities.

9) Pray for selflessness and a spirit of love to reign supreme, the kind of love that seeks the highest good of others.

10) Pray that our schools will make a practice of including God in all things.

          James wrote that we may not receive the things we pray for because we ask with wrong motives (ref: James 4:3).  Remember: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” (James 4:6). May God grant our schools success for all the right reasons.  Have a great week!

Jesus’ understanding of us makes a difference

by Barrett Vanlandingham

August 8, 2017

                   

          In the final part of my three part series on how Jesus leads me to be confident in my spiritual journey, I will be looking at the fact that Jesus has walked in our shoes. The writer of Hebrews 4:15-16 says this:

          “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

          This was welcome news to Jewish Christians in the first century who were beginning to waiver in their new found faith in Christ. The Hebrew writer was trying to encourage and remind them that the New Covenant was superior to the Old Law because of the superior sacrifice of Jesus in comparison to that of bulls and goats, and also that Jesus actually understands what it is like to go through earthly trials.

          It is always nice when the person in charge appears to have great leadership qualities, but your confidence in that leader increases dramatically when you find out they truly understand you.  Jesus no doubt had temptations of pride, after all, he created everything (Colossians 1:15-16, John 1:3), and with each thing he made, his Father said, “It is good.”  Also, I think he was probably tempted to disobey his parents, or at the very least act disrespectfully when they lost him for a few days and then found him in the temple talking with the elders (Luke 2:41-52).  During his 40 days of temptation in the dessert, Jesus was tempted to take advice from someone he knew was evil. Then, there was the week of his crucifixion. You know the devil had to have been there tempting Jesus to not follow through with God’s plan to conquer sin.

          What a relief it is to know that Jesus knows us, understands us, and goes to God the Father on our behalf. “He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence” (Hebrews 9:24).

          Have a great week!

The Holy Spirit gives me confidence in my journey

by Barrett Vanlandingham

August 1, 2017

                   

          The Holy Spirit can have a great impact on the life of every Christian if we “Do not quench the Spirit“ as Paul told Christians in Thessalonica (ref: 5:19, ESV).

          So, in part two of my series on ways Jesus leads us to be confident in our spiritual journey, I would like to start with the fact that Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit.

          This is the same Holy Spirit who inspired the writers of the Bible (2 Peter 1:19-21 and 2 Timothy 3:16), and also the same Holy Spirit Jesus sent to take His place on earth after He ascended back to His Father (ref: John 16:7).

          In Ephesians 1:15-21, Paul prays that God will give Christians the “Spirit of wisdom” to know the “immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe”. This is the same power and Spirit God used to raise Christ from the dead.

          When Peter preached the first Gospel sermon at Pentecost, he responded to all of the Jews who previously did not believe Jesus was the Messiah, but were now “cut to the heart” when they realized their people had crucified the Son of God.  The people asked what they needed to do.

          Peter’s response was simple: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:36-39).  Notice here Peter tells the purpose of baptism, and what those who are obedient receive in return.

           Even today we know all those who obey have been gifted with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit because Peter says this gift is a promise.  And what better way is there to journey through this life than with the Holy Spirit who guides, comforts, helps us grow spiritually, and even advocates and intercedes on our behalf to God when we don’t know what to pray (ref: Romans 8:26).

          While the Holy Spirit is a gift, He also gives gifts!  1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Romans 12:3-8, and Ephesians 4:11-14 help us understand that as members of Christ’s body, we are not all the same. We are different, but equally important to the body.

          Have a great week!

Jesus leads me to be confident in my journey - Part 1 of 3

by Barrett Vanlandingham

July 25, 2017

         

          One thing I have noticed about traveling is that the trip back seems less stressful than the trip there.

          I think a big part of the reason is because there are so many unknowns it’s difficult to have complete confidence in my journey. After all, there may be detours along the way, or heavy traffic that prevents me from getting there on time. And while this may be true for those kinds of trips, Christians should not feel this kind of stress for our spiritual journey.  

          This article is the first part of a three part series on how Jesus leads be to be confident in my journey. The first reason is because of the consistency of His word. People have tried many times to discredit the Bible, but they never succeed. The Bible is accurate historically, geographically, and in every other way. It is no wonder that the apostle Paul said, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17).

          That may seem like a bold statement for Paul to make, and some people may even disagree. But Paul is uniquely qualified to say those words. Even though Paul was very well educated in the Old Covenant, Acts 22:4-11 tells the story of the horrible persecutor of Christians that Paul was until after his close-up encounter with the message of Christ. He was struck blind so that he could see. Paul did an about face, obeyed Jesus, and regained his sight. Paul’s sins were washed away in baptism, and he started on a faith journey that took him in the opposite direction of where he was heading. As soon as Paul submitted to Jesus, he found out a life lived for Christ is really the only way.

          2 Peter 1:19-21 and 2 Timothy 3:16 are great reminders that the Bible is not a collection of stories originating from the mind of man, but rather God’s Holy Spirit inspired it all. The Bible is consistent from beginning to end, prophesying details of Jesus’ birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection a thousand years before Jesus was even born.

          Next week, the impact of the Holy Spirit on our faith journey.  Have a great week!

Every Christian is important in God’s family

by Barrett Vanlandingham

July 18, 2017

         

          For youth ministers like me, summertime is packed with youth camps, devotionals, ultimate Frisbee, swim parties, mission trips, you name it.

          The all-important yearly “pilgrimage” to Six Flags is always a hit with most of the teens in my youth group. But there are always some who are afraid to sign-up simply because they don’t feel like they know enough people, so they obviously do not want to spend ten hours round trip on a bus with them, or a week in the same bunkhouse.

          Of course, the conversation always involves me saying, “How do you expect to get to know more people if you don’t come to anything?”  While that is true, it is also true that kids are just like adults. If we only interact with our “church family” once or twice a week at worship times, it should really be no surprise that we don’t want to participate in trips or activities that take up more than an hour of our time.

          In Acts 2:42-47, we get an idea of what the early church was like in the first century. Christians had meals together, yes, even outside of potluck dinners held at the church building. They brought God into their conversations as they fellowshipped with each other, and they took care of anyone who had a need. It’s no wonder the chapter ends with these words:  “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

          In James 5:16 the writer reminds Christians of the importance of coming together to pray. “Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

          Wouldn’t it be wonderful to get to the point where you could trust your Christian brothers and sisters that much?

          Friendships can start with a Six Flags trip or other big impressive events. But the best relationships are built on a common faith in Jesus Christ. Our Savior definitely left His comfort zone to give us the opportunity to be part of His church. But without some effort on our part, the joys of being part of God’s family may never be realized.  Have a blessed week!

Checklists are not always bad in matters of faith

by Barrett Vanlandingham

July 11, 2017

         

          I’ve taught many lessons against it. Checklist Christianity is both shallow and a works-based way to live out your faith. Just the sound of it is enough to make most people who are seeking a deeper relationship with God run away. But the fact is, there are some things we must not overlook whether we use checkmarks, sticky notes, or cell phone alarms.

          Our resident computer tech here at the church building is out of town. So as the back-up computer guy, I had to figure out why none of the office computers could access the network folder where we put the PowerPoint slides we use for worship. I dug around and noticed that the folder had apparently been affected by a power surge, and defaulted back to its original settings which will not allow access unless two little boxes are checked.  I clicked on those two boxes, and just like that our office computers once again had access to this all important folder.  It was amazing that just two little checkmarks could make that big of a difference.

          The same is true for the faith journey of every Christian. There are certain things we do simply by habit, such as: 1) waking up on Sunday mornings and going to worship or Bible class, 2) writing out a check to drop into the contribution plate, 3) participate in singing, praying, and communion on the first day of each week.  Those kinds of things are easy (with the possible exception of “giving”) because they can be easily checked off our list when we’re done.

          Unfortunately, the majority of our spiritual journey can suffer and be overlooked if we are not diligent. They are lifestyle things and matters of the heart that drastically affect our Christian walk if not tended to. In a conversation with the Pharisees, Jesus said,

          “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules” (Matthew 15:7-9).

          A good relationship with God is not built on mindless checklists, but sincere faith-based obedience to the One who loves us unconditionally. Have a great week!

There is freedom for all in Christ

by Barrett Vanlandingham

July 4, 2017

          I love hearing the stories of those who participate in our church’s prison ministry. I think what moves me the most is the idea that even though the walls of the prison prevent earthly freedom for those inside, those same prisoners can be free in the most important way, spiritually.

          Our preacher, Dan Rouse, says he can’t even count the number of times he has baptized a prisoner who then came up out of the water weeping with joy and amazement at the fact that they are now free from the shackles of sin.

          In the story of Paul’s conversion to Christianity, we can only imagine his reaction when God worked through Ananias to give Paul, the great persecutor of Christians, back his sight. Then imagine Paul’s thoughts when Ananias said, “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16). Notice here that Paul’s sins were not forgiven before the baptism, but because he was baptized.

          The story of Philip and the Ethiopian is very similar. After Philip explained to him the good news of Jesus Christ, they both went down into the water so that Philip could baptize him. In this passage it is clear that the celebration took place not before, but after the baptism when the Ethiopian “went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:39).

           Paul reminded the new generation of Christians in Corinth that the bodies we have and the things we see and experience here on earth are not the end all. As Christians, we have something much greater ahead of us.  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17).

          Paul told Christians in Rome that their baptism is what makes it possible to be raised like Christ, that “we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:3-4).

          In the Gospel book of John, Jesus said this to the Jews who believed him: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples, Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

          Have a great week!

Short term mission trips offer perspective

by Barrett Vanlandingham

June 27, 2017

          Two weeks ago I returned from a week-long mission trip to Honduras. Our team of teenagers and adults had mixed feelings about leaving. Like any poor third world country, the people there have so many needs.

          Half of our group conducted a Vacation Bible School at a church we helped plant in a little community known as Bethel. We painted three 16 X 16 sheds they use for worship and Bible class space. We also passed out food bags of rice, beans, spaghetti and sauce, sugar, coffee, and butter to church members and some visitors.

          I think the part we liked most was simply letting the children and their parents know that there are Christians in America who love them very much, and serve the same God as they do. We spent a lot of time singing with them in Spanish, playing lots of games, and getting lots of hugs (I know, tough assignment).  We left most of the Bible teaching to the local preacher and one of his Bible class teachers (since they actually speak Spanish!)

          The other half of our team, the construction crew, built two 20 X 20 houses about a mile from the church, for a couple of families who are members there.  And while the houses looked more like humble wooden storage sheds with flat tin roofs, they were nicer than anything those Christian brothers and sisters had ever lived in. It will be a change from their previous homes which were built with a collection of tree limbs, sheets of plastic, a few boards and pieces of tin.  

          By the way, there were no roads leading into the valley where the construction would take place, so our team spaced themselves out over about 100 yards starting at the top of a very steep hill where they would slide boards down the hill and through the trees from person to person until reaching the bottom.

          As always, we started our trip with the idea that we would brave the heat, fire ants, and flying insects to bless lives. But in the end, we once again left there feeling more blessed than ever to have spent such quality time with God’s family in Honduras.  Have a great week!

Clean Living Takes Planning

by Barrett Vanlandingham

June 20, 2017

    There's not much I don't like about barbeque ribs. I like’em fresh and hot, I also like’em leftover from the fridge. The fact that I have barbeque sauce all over my fingers when I'm finished eating? No problem, it's worth it.  

    Last weekend when my wife was out of town and I discovered something about barbeque I didn't like.  It happened when I decided that since nobody was around, I would skip doing dishes, and instead take a three hour nap. It seemed like a good idea at the time. But when I finally woke up, the caked on barbeque stuck to my serving bowl, plate, and silverware were still there staring at me as if I had abandoned them (which I had). So I grabbed the pan scrubber and began to chisel. I eventually got everything cleaned, but it dawned on me this task would have been a lot easier if I hadn't waited so long, ignoring a task that needed immediate attention.

    This scenario can also happen in our faith journey. In fact, we've all experienced it, and there are countless ways we can fall victim:  1. When you let a conflict go too long without making things right.

2. When you get so distracted by life you forget to pray to God.

3. When you stop making time to study God's word.

4. When you start making a habit of surrounding yourself with faithless friends who are not concerned about your spiritual life.

     

     James says “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (James 4:17).  

    In Romans 1:21-32, the apostle Paul talks about those who claimed to be wise but foolishly exchanged the glory of God for man-made idols.  This hardness of heart resulted in God giving them over to their sinful desires and the resulting consequences.

    In 2 Corinthians 6, Paul reminds Christians the importance of choosing believers as their closest allies because of the Godly fellowship with each other and with their Creator.

       Keeping a close walk with God's Holy Spirit is a good way to avoid spiritual laziness. He will help you keep your spiritual dishes clean both on the outside and on the inside where it really matters.  Have a great week! 

Don’t let life’s challenges drain you

by Barrett Vanlandingham

June 13, 2017

          Last week I dug what I thought was the perfect drainage ditch in my side yard to prevent water from pooling near my side garage door. I installed a drain, attached a pipe to carry the water from the drain to where it could disperse, and then filled the ditch back in with dirt. Seemed easy enough.

          The scene was set for success, or so I thought.  The heavy rains came. The storm drain and pipe filled up.  And then nothing! The water still pooled by the door, the drain didn’t drain, and the water did not flow through the pipe, or at least far enough. It became painfully obvious that I was going to have to do more digging. I thought to myself, “All that work for nothing!”

          Spiritually speaking, this scenario is very familiar to Christians. It’s our life. We read the Bible, pray, give to the church, attend worship, and try to live a clean life, so we think we should be able to win all of our spiritual battles. The only problem with that way of thinking is that it is not true.

          John says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

          The apostle Paul says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

          So, not only have we all sinned, we continually find ourselves not living up to the standards set by God’s son who lived on earth and knows exactly what we go through.

          In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that the Father “causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45).

          Preparing a good drainage system is not as easy as some might think. Preparing for the Christian life also takes a lot of work and faith (James 17-26). As for ditch digging, I think it is possible to finally get that perfect slope for drainage. Christians, on the other hand, will never be able to perfectly accomplish this life with all of its spiritual challenges. That’s what God’s grace and the love of Jesus is for.  Have a great week!

A good reputation passes the sniff test

by Barrett Vanlandingham

June 6, 2017

          The smell of sugar cookies, cigarette smoke, horse or cow manure, you name it!  Every car at the salvage yard my daughter, Gracie, and her friend Blake looked through had a distinct smell. They were shopping for a car for him to fix up and drive temporarily.

          Gracie said it was fun to see (and smell) all the stuff people left behind in their junked cars. Our reputations are sort of like that. Wherever we go, we leave a “smell” in our wake, not necessarily an actual smell, but one of either good or bad character. The Bible is full of examples of both kinds.  

          Luke tells of a woman named Tabitha who died, but who Peter with God’s power brought back to life.  We often focus on the fact that she was raised from the dead. Yes, that’s important, and it helped people believe Peter’s preaching. But what is more important is what we find out about this woman in the very first verse of her story. Luke describes her as “always doing good and helping the poor” (Acts 9:36). You probably know people today who fit this beautiful description.

          In the story of Jonah, we tend to focus more on the fact that he was swallowed by a giant fish after he ran from God and refused to go preach to the people of Nineveh. But in the very first verse of his story, it says that the wickedness of the people of Nineveh “has come up before me” (Jonah 1:1). How would you like to think that your wickedness was so bad that it would go down in history as basically a bad odor that made it all the way to where God himself resides?

          Paul told Timothy that men who oversee the church should live the kind of lives that result in people thinking respectable thoughts about them (1 Tim. 3:7).

          Solomon says that a woman of noble character lives a life that results in her husband being respected by his peers, and her children calling her blessed (Prov. 31)

          We are eventually seen for who we really are, not just publicly, but also privately, and that reputation lingers for a long time.  Have a great week!

Christ-like aroma or odor depends on perspective

by Barrett Vanlandingham

May 30, 2017

          Smells are incredibly powerful.  It was 1973. I still remember sitting in Mrs. Waterfield’s 2^nd grade classroom at Cherokee Elementary in Tahlequah. There was no air-conditioning. Just a bunch of sweaty kids. The windows were open to catch the occasional slightly refreshing breeze. But sometimes it could only be described as a stench.  Those were the hot days when the roof repair crews fired up the old noisy tar kettle right outside. The machine made a low rumbling growl, and emitted smoke that was beyond repulsive to me. I just hated it.

          Then came my teenage years of taking hot summer trips to Six Flags and Silver Dollar City.  The freshly re-surfaced asphalt paths through the parks, the railroad ties and exhaust from the trains and other rides had that same odor I remembered from 2^nd grade! But it didn’t take long for my brain to re-define the smell of tar to almost aroma status! My new memories made me think of happy times, fun rides, friends, and laughing til my stomach hurt.

          The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church about how Christians and the Gospel message we live and teach smell to other people.

          “14 But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. 15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. 16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16)

          Paul is not saying we should try to be repulsive. He is simply stating the Bible truths we carry will be received in two very different ways depending on whether someone is open to truth. Consistently showing a loving spirit and the heart of a servant will not always immediately translate as an aroma to everyone you meet, but it’s a good place to start.  Have a great week!

Graduation is only the beginning of life's tests

by Barrett Vanlandingham

May 23, 2017

          This past week my son, Britton, was licking envelopes of graduation gift “thank you” cards when I heard him say, “Ouch!  Did I really just cut my tongue on a piece of paper?”  Then he said, “Dad, you should write an article about how one minute life can be just wonderful, and the next minute you cut your tongue!”         

          With as many problems as this world seems to have, it is not because we lack knowledge or wisdom. Sometimes, that information is simply not passed along, at other times we may not take seriously the warnings we receive. We may not apply what we already know. Any of these scenarios set the stage for something bad to happen.

          On top of that, when we cut our tongue (or worse), figuratively or literally, we allow ourselves to be tossed into despair by the fact that too much of our foundation was built on earthly things instead of on the foundation of Jesus Christ.

          You may know the children’s song about the wise man building his house on the rock, and the foolish man building his house on the sand. As Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, when the rain and wind came, the wise man’s house stood firm, while the foolish man’s house went “crash!”  (Matthew 7:24-27)

          We know the devil is the great deceiver, and we know our own fleshly desires unchecked can cause us to fall right into Satan’s traps. Temptation is a strange thing, though. Most of the time we can clearly see those things we need to stay away from. The problem is, the devil’s workshop is constantly re-building and re-packaging “gifts” meant to trick and inflict optimum spiritual pain. Sometimes the devil uses our busy-ness and distractions to cause unintentional sins, or even willful sins that we need to confess to God.

          Many things are uncertain in this life, but we can know for sure that none of us will escape dealing with those “gotcha moments”. If you are a Christian, you should already be prepared to react. If you are not, I pray that you will turn your life over to Jesus Christ, and let Him be your unshakeable foundation.  Have a great week!

There are some great spiritual benefits to graduating

by Barrett Vanlandingham

May 16, 2017

          Our little town is about to become a little smaller. 159 seniors will graduate from Fort Gibson High School this week, 17 from my church alone. I know other churches also have larger than normal numbers of seniors, since this year’s graduating class is one of the biggest ever for Fort Gibson.

           If there is a silver lining to having to turn loose of your children, it has to be that our loss is someone else’s gain. It was the same back in Old Testament Bible times when hostile governments would scatter Jews here, there, and everywhere outside of Israel. I am sure it did not seem like a blessing to them or anyone they cared about at the time.  But the scattering of Jews to different cities, regions, and countries would actually set the stage for later, when Christians like Stephen were being persecuted.

          “On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria” (Acts 8:1).

          What a blessing, and the Christians didn’t even realize it at the time. They had an audience already in place who had been scattered before they were. So even as the Christians were running for their lives, relocating to other places, God had provided for them a people who were already well-studied in the Old Covenant, and that met every week in synagogues. The church grew rapidly in the first century even in the midst of persecution.

          I am not under any delusion that every single graduating senior is a believer in Christ Jesus. But I do believe that God’s Holy Spirit is alive and well, and is putting people in just the right places to make a difference for the next generation. Free will always plays a part in specific outcomes, but if the past and present are any indication of God’s creativity for drawing people to him, I have no reason to doubt that many of our children will play a significant role in God’s plan to save as many souls as possible before he returns. Please pray this happens, and have a great week!

Good character lessons from Willy Wonka

by Barrett Vanlandingham

May 9, 2017

          I never really noticed just how many good Bible lessons there are in the story of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. But it became very apparent as I was watching some very talented and energetic Fort Gibson Middle School students perform this musical last week.

          Eighth grader Kinley Wilson, who played the part of Willy Wonka, did a fantastic job with his singing and lines. But there was one line that caught my attention more than any other. It was when Willy Wonka had just finished giving a tour of the factory to several bratty children who had won the tour by finding one of five golden tickets inside their purchased chocolate bars.

          What the children did not realize was this was no ordinary tour. The child who showed good character and followed directions would inherit the entire factory. One by one, each of the five children were disqualified for disobeying instructions.  At the end, only one child admitted their wrongdoing and apologized for it. That’s when Willy Wonka told the child named Charlie that even though he disobeyed, it was admitting the wrongdoing and apologizing that made the difference. So Charlie won the prize.

          Christians mess up just as often as anyone else. The difference is that there is a plan in place so that we are not eternally lost. We all sin (Romans 3:23) though sometimes we are not aware of it. That is when God’s grace comes into play.

          1 John 1:7 says, “But 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.”

          This cleansing from sin is ongoing. God has qualified us to share in a heavenly inheritance (Colossians 1:11-14).  However, when we choose to sin, and intentionally leave God’s light in exchange for darkness, we put our souls in jeopardy. We are instructed to get back on track, apologize to those we’ve offended, pray for each other for healing (James 5:16), and ask God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9). In the end, the prize is worth much more than a chocolate factory.  Have a great week!