The Bible says to serve God like a thief
by Barrett Vanlandingham
April 3, 2013

            It’s a strange thought at first.  But when you think about how thieves operate, it makes sense that the Bible would devote an entire parable to the idea of serving the Lord with at least as much effort as a dishonest person puts into getting ahead.

            In Luke 16:1-13 we are told the parable of the shrewd manager (aka: dishonest steward).  His master found out that he had been wasting his possessions, so the master was going to fire him.  The unrighteous manager was too ashamed to beg for a living, and was not strong enough to dig.  So he told one man who was in debt to the master to cut half off the bill before paying it. He told another debtor to cut twenty percent off his bill. This, he felt, would cause those people to welcome him into their houses after he lost his job. In the end, the dishonest servant got the majority of the debts repaid to his master, and even better, he probably got to hold on to his job!

            In this parable Jesus says, “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light (Luke 16:8).”

            So why in the world would the Bible include such a story?  As with all parables, they are not meant to be dissected to assign special meaning to every word, but rather take the overall meaning or point that Jesus is trying to make.

For Christians, there is a very good message that we can apply to our daily walk.  A thief is constantly scheming and thinking of strategies to rip people out of their hard earned possessions. They watch, wait, & listen for opportunities.  They network and get help from friends to accomplish their task.

Christians should be just as diligent in matters of spiritual warfare.  “Therefore be shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16).”

Jesus is definitely not telling us to be deceptive in winning souls and serving people for the wrong reasons.  In fact, Jesus warns strongly against those types of practices and against doing things for our own glory (ref: Matthew 6).

One thing you can be sure of is that the devil has a well thought out plan for your life.  Do you?  God does.  But just like the dishonest manager, Christians must be determined and persistent.  Constant prayer and trusting God with our decisions is a great place to start.  Daily Bible study provides a great foundation for your faith.  And finally, putting your faith into action will be encouraging to you, to others, and shows obedience to God.  Have a great week!

The resurrection of Christ is still a big deal

by Barrett Vanlandingham
March 27, 2013

Mark 16:1-6 says, “When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.”

What a wonderfully mind-blowing story! Imagine Jesus waking in the grave, as the Spirit of God rolled the stone away from the tomb. The risen Christ, experiencing the warmth of sunshine on his face and resurrected body after three days of separation from his father. Death was now defeated. The prophecies fulfilled.

Obviously, the resurrection of Jesus is just one of the things people think about at Easter. But the fact that there is an empty grave brings countless blessings for which we can be thankful, not the least of which is our hope of a life in heaven.

As I think about some of my fondest Easter memories, everything from coloring and hunting eggs as a kid, to seeing everyone all dressed up for Easter worship services come to mind. But I think the blessing of family during any holiday always ranks at the top of things for which to be thankful.

No matter what Easter means to you, all good things are made possible because of God’s love, mercy, and grace whether we realize it or not. The fact that Jesus came from heaven to earth to live as one of us gives him a unique perspective.

Jesus has always gone to the extremes to show his love for us. And even after dying on a cross, he chose to keep the scars in his hands, feet, and side after the resurrection. He would use these battle wounds to convince a doubting Thomas that this was indeed a face-to-face encounter with the Messiah. Thomas certainly experienced life differently from that day forward, as did dozens of other people Jesus appeared to including a crowd of 500 (1 Corinthians 15:6). Even today, we can experience a new life in Christ (Romans 6:1-11 & 2 Corinthians 5:17).

I pray that you have a happy Easter and much joy everyday because of a risen Savior.

A partnership with God is unstoppable

by Barrett Vanlandingham
March 20, 2013

One of the most famous verses Paul ever wrote is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (NKJV)

Many of you have probably already seen spring break photos of friends headed to the slopes for a little snow skiing. The last time I tried it was several years ago. It was fun. You could even say that I felt unstoppable that day. But that feeling soon ended when I fell down a slope and wondered if I would ever stop sliding. Eventually, I did, but carried with me a few more bruises, aches, and pains than I started with.

I had a similar experience in college when I tried bodysurfing for the first time at Laguna Beach, California. I had everything under control. But evidently, I did not seek enough instruction before jumping in to the ocean. I found myself under a wave (yes, under the water) that spun me head over heels repeatedly, pummeling me against a thankfully sandy ocean floor until I was able to drag myself back onto the beach to recover.

My experiences with God’s creation, in particular with snow covered mountains and the ocean, still bring to mind the word “unstoppable”, but not necessarily in a good way.

Thank goodness, the same God who created nature for us to enjoy and yes, challenge sometimes unsuccessfully, is the same God who really can lead us on an unstoppable, joyous, and victorious journey even when our earthly circumstances are less than desirable.

In about 450 B.C. after Nehemiah successfully organized the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem which lay in ruin thanks to the Babylonians, Nehemiah told the people, “…the joy of the Lord is your strength (Neh. 8:10).”

Those words must have rang true for the Jews who were present. They had not only just finished the wall in spite of enemies who were trying to distract them from their work, but the Jews had also just been let out of Babylonian captivity, and were getting to hear the word of the Lord being read by Ezra and Nehemiah.

“And all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground (Neh. 8:6).”

Remember, whether in good times or bad, going through life with God on your side always results in the best possible outcome both here and the life to come. Have a blessed week!

Jesus is the Key to Life

by Barrett Vanlandingham
March 13, 2013

A few days ago I had one of those days where nothing seemed to go my way. I had a long list of things I needed to get done, but somehow other things kept getting in the way.

At one point I accidentally locked the key to church’s storage building inside it because I had put my key chain in a “safe place” while I was rummaging around and I didn’t want to lose my keys. I guess I should have left them in my pocket.

I wouldn’t have been in the storage building in the first place, but I needed an extension cord for a charger to revive the battery in the church bus. It had gone dead because the bus’s wheelchair lift slipped out and caused a warning light to stay on for days which drained the battery the day before I had to leave on a weekend trip with my youth group! Yes, that was a run-on sentence. But that’s kind of how my day went, on and on and on.

As I stood there outside the door unable to get in the building and unable to drive my car, it became clear to me again just how important it is to have the right key.

Life can be challenging enough without those unexpected hurdles, locked doors, worries, and uncertainties. In a conversation between Jesus and the man who would go down in history as “doubting Thomas”, Jesus offers reassurance.

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:5-6)

Jesus is the Key to our salvation. In the book of Revelation, John wrote the words of Jesus, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”

Keys are symbolic of power and authority. Jesus had the ability to defeat death because He is the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus is our key, and if we hold on to Him, we will defeat death and experience life everlasting.

As I closed the door to the storage building, I quickly realized I had made the mistake of turning loose of my keys, and also the mistake of putting a separation (a locked door) between me and something I desperately needed. This was an inconvenient lesson to learn, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.

I pray that today finds you holding on to Jesus, the Key who opens the door to joy in this life and the life to come (ref: 2 Peter 1:5-11 and 1 Timothy 4:8). Have a blessed week!

Our time is really God’s time

by Barrett Vanlandingham
March 6, 2013

20 years seems like a long time, that is, until your first-born child turns twenty! Then you’re wondering where all that time went. Our daughter Ashton turned the big two-zero this past Sunday while away at Oklahoma Christian University. She is now preparing for a mission trip into Anahuac, Mexico where she and several others will work at a children’s home during spring break. This summer, she will be doing a youth ministry internship at Crosstown Church of Christ in Tulsa. Okay, Okay! Enough bragging about my kid!

Anyway, an important birthday is just one of dozens of time-based milestones we all cross in this life. Last Saturday, two of my former youth group members, Brady West and Katie Coombes, took marriage vows with their sweethearts (not each other). While at one of the weddings, I met an old college friend who not only has three adult children now, but also just became a grandfather! Every so many years I just shake my head at how fast time flies.

By the way, remember to set your clocks forward one hour for Daylight Savings Time before you go to sleep Saturday night, March 9.

The Bible has a lot to say about time, but more importantly how we should use it. One of my favorite passages comes from the apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:15-20.

He says, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We have a lot to accomplish during our time here. Trusting God is a great place to start. But we must also follow through in obedience to Him, keeping our minds pure (ref: Philippians 4:8). This is of highest importance since Christ will judge us according to how we have spent our time (ref: 2 Cor. 5:10). But it is only because of what Jesus has done that any of us has the assurance of salvation. Are you willing to give Christ ALL of your time? I pray that your answer is yes. Have a great week!