God can bring peace to life’s challenges
by Barrett Vanlandingham
December 7, 2010
When I entered into full-time ministry nearly nine years ago, I didn’t realize Satan worked against Christians in so many ways.
As you read this, I will be returning from a week of fact-finding in Honduras for the Fort Gibson Church of Christ. Our missions deacon Glen Elliott and I are hoping to find a replacement trip for our Mexico mission effort. It was put on hold over the summer because of the escalating drug wars and kidnapping in Mexico. In fact, as I write this, I have just received word that one of the locals, a young man we worked with on a church building project, has been kidnapped by drug cartel thugs. His name is Felipe. He is the right-hand man for Ladi Gordiano who is the foreman on several church building projects in Monterrey. He is also a Gospel preacher. Please pray for all those in Mexico who are doing the Lord’s work.
When Jesus said, “Go into all the world…” he never said things would be easy. To prepare for the Honduras trip, I got a tetanus shot, a prescription of malaria pills, I read news reports, watched videos, looked at pictures, crammed my brain full of Central America trivia, and sought advice from others. But the fact is we live in a very unpredictable world that is not controlled by any one of us, no matter how much prep work we do.
As Christians, we must have faith that things will turn out for the best (Romans 8:28) and that God’s view of what goes on in the world is complete. He sees the beginning, middle, and end. We only see a small part of the picture. The apostle Paul evidently spent some time thinking about this as well.
In 1 Corinthians 13:12 Paul wrote, “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
As much as we would like, there is no way we can fully understand why things happen the way they do here in this broken world. Can you even imagine how terrifying life would be if we knew what was around every corner? Perhaps that is why Peter wrote that we should “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).”
The first part of that verse encourages us to stay focused. You see, it is only when we view life through a Godly lens that we can even begin to understand spiritual warfare.
May you experience joy and peace this week as you turn your heart over to God, and let him deal with life’s unpredictable moments. (end)
Welcome to my bulletin article site. What I do is minister to young Christians, their families, their friends, and others in the Fort Gibson, OK area. So check-in every now and then, and I'll try to have an encouraging word for you.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
The more you give, the more you are like God
by Barrett Vanlandingham
November 30, 2010
I don’t know about you but every morning when I wake up, there are certain things I expect God to do for me. I expect the sun to rise. I expect there to be ground to walk on. I expect there to be air to breathe. And I expect there to be a heavenly home awaiting me if this should be my last day to live.
But have you ever thought about what life would be like if God gave us what we deserved? Scary thought, huh? The fact is most of us expect God to keep blessing us even though we don’t always treat him as we should.
Jesus tells us in Luke 6:27-28 “…Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” He goes on to say that if we only love and do good to those who love us, we’re no better than those who choose to live in sin.
It would be easy for us to get depressed if we went through life feeling as though God owed us something. But if we counted our blessings, we would most definitely find that the good outweighs the bad. And God expects us to share life’s blessings with others.
This is the time of year when it becomes a little harder to stretch a dollar. But it’s also the time of year that can be a real blessing when it comes to spiritual growth. You see, when we trust God to take care of our needs, he always comes through.
One of the questions I often get asked is what to do if you’re not sure you have enough money, food, clothing or whatever to give away? Go ahead and give. That’s an excellent opportunity to grow your faith.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says, “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?” or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ He goes on to say “…your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” Then Jesus tells the crowd to put God first in their lives and then all those other worries will be taken care of. (ref: Matthew 6:31-33)
Many people across America just finished celebrating Thanksgiving. Many prayers of thanks were given for life’s blessings. But now we head into another season in which many gifts will be exchanged, and many will celebrate the ultimate gift of Jesus Christ.
This is also an excellent opportunity to make a difference in someone else’s life by giving to those less fortunate than you, and by telling and showing others how a life with Jesus is the greatest gift ever. (end)
by Barrett Vanlandingham
November 30, 2010
I don’t know about you but every morning when I wake up, there are certain things I expect God to do for me. I expect the sun to rise. I expect there to be ground to walk on. I expect there to be air to breathe. And I expect there to be a heavenly home awaiting me if this should be my last day to live.
But have you ever thought about what life would be like if God gave us what we deserved? Scary thought, huh? The fact is most of us expect God to keep blessing us even though we don’t always treat him as we should.
Jesus tells us in Luke 6:27-28 “…Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” He goes on to say that if we only love and do good to those who love us, we’re no better than those who choose to live in sin.
It would be easy for us to get depressed if we went through life feeling as though God owed us something. But if we counted our blessings, we would most definitely find that the good outweighs the bad. And God expects us to share life’s blessings with others.
This is the time of year when it becomes a little harder to stretch a dollar. But it’s also the time of year that can be a real blessing when it comes to spiritual growth. You see, when we trust God to take care of our needs, he always comes through.
One of the questions I often get asked is what to do if you’re not sure you have enough money, food, clothing or whatever to give away? Go ahead and give. That’s an excellent opportunity to grow your faith.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says, “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?” or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ He goes on to say “…your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” Then Jesus tells the crowd to put God first in their lives and then all those other worries will be taken care of. (ref: Matthew 6:31-33)
Many people across America just finished celebrating Thanksgiving. Many prayers of thanks were given for life’s blessings. But now we head into another season in which many gifts will be exchanged, and many will celebrate the ultimate gift of Jesus Christ.
This is also an excellent opportunity to make a difference in someone else’s life by giving to those less fortunate than you, and by telling and showing others how a life with Jesus is the greatest gift ever. (end)
Thursday, November 11, 2010
The Autumn Season Highlights God’s Handiwork
by Barrett Vanlandingham
November 16, 2010
For the first time ever, the leaves on the maple tree in my yard turned a brilliant bright yellow splashed with shades of orange and red! Past years have not been near this impressive. But this year? Well, as my son put it, “Our tree looks like a picture!”
Of course, why should anyone be surprised? After all, God has had a lot of practice since the third day of creation when He made plants and trees (Genesis 1:11).
So why are some autumns prettier than others? That’s kind of the boring part, but it suffices to say that differing amounts of sunlight, rain, and cool but not freezing nights (so the experts say) are the cause.
In Ecclesiastes 3:11 Solomon says this of God, “He has made all things beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
God has truly blessed all of us with a beautiful autumn this year. I have seen a lot of colorful trees in and around Fort Gibson that demand I take notice of God’s amazing power and creativity.
Leaves changing color is no accident. God designed them in this way. Science tells us that during the summer, leaves combine sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to create oxygen and sugar. It’s a process called photosynthesis. But since there’s not enough light in the winter for this to happen, most trees rest and live off the food they have stored up. Then the green Chlorophyll disappears so we can see the orange and yellow colors that were there all along. The reds and purples appear as cooler weather changes the color of the sugars.
Amazing! And after that, the dead leaves even have a job to do. Once they fall to the ground, they provide nutrients to the soil and help hold moisture in the ground.
The world in which we live is vibrant, orderly, and beautifully jaw-dropping. It was designed in such a way that mankind could catch a glimpse of our Creator and have a greater appreciation for Him.
Romans 1:20 says, “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 men are without excuse.”
God is good. Have a blessed week!
by Barrett Vanlandingham
November 16, 2010
For the first time ever, the leaves on the maple tree in my yard turned a brilliant bright yellow splashed with shades of orange and red! Past years have not been near this impressive. But this year? Well, as my son put it, “Our tree looks like a picture!”
Of course, why should anyone be surprised? After all, God has had a lot of practice since the third day of creation when He made plants and trees (Genesis 1:11).
So why are some autumns prettier than others? That’s kind of the boring part, but it suffices to say that differing amounts of sunlight, rain, and cool but not freezing nights (so the experts say) are the cause.
In Ecclesiastes 3:11 Solomon says this of God, “He has made all things beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
God has truly blessed all of us with a beautiful autumn this year. I have seen a lot of colorful trees in and around Fort Gibson that demand I take notice of God’s amazing power and creativity.
Leaves changing color is no accident. God designed them in this way. Science tells us that during the summer, leaves combine sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to create oxygen and sugar. It’s a process called photosynthesis. But since there’s not enough light in the winter for this to happen, most trees rest and live off the food they have stored up. Then the green Chlorophyll disappears so we can see the orange and yellow colors that were there all along. The reds and purples appear as cooler weather changes the color of the sugars.
Amazing! And after that, the dead leaves even have a job to do. Once they fall to the ground, they provide nutrients to the soil and help hold moisture in the ground.
The world in which we live is vibrant, orderly, and beautifully jaw-dropping. It was designed in such a way that mankind could catch a glimpse of our Creator and have a greater appreciation for Him.
Romans 1:20 says, “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 men are without excuse.”
God is good. Have a blessed week!
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