Your children’s souls need more than earthly accolades

by Barrett Vanlandingham
October 1, 2013

            There are not many things that bring me more fulfillment and excitement than watching my kids do pretty much anything.  Parents, you know what I am talking about.  We will travel to the ends of the earth to see our children march in the band, play a game, or make an appearance on any stage.

            And while it is important to support our children in those things they find meaningful, and share in their happiness, there are some things involving our children that should bring us even more joy.  After all, when our children grow up, it would be comforting to know that they understand there are more important things in life besides games and performances. 

            Solomon says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).”

            Sadly, many parents forget this Biblical truth until it is too late.  I have spoken with a lot of my fellow ministers about this issue, and their stories are almost identical.  Parents get caught up in praising their children for their talents and abilities, teaching them that trophies, applause, high-fives, and fist bumps are to be coveted.  But then, when the child’s talent hits a roadblock with an injury, or maybe the child, now a teenager, or even early twenties, has grown up, their attitude changes and parents are horrified that their child is headed down the wrong path spiritually.  That is often the time that parents will finally ask a youth minister or a preacher to help them do something about it.  But it is usually too late for a quick fix.  The parent has “trained up” the child, but in the wrong way. In many cases, the parent tells their child how to live righteously, but refuses to model it in their own life.  And so guiding a child onto the right track often proves to be a great challenge, since the teen was trained improperly from the start.

            We know from the Old Testament writings of Moses in Deuteronomy 11 that it is necessary to teach our children to love and serve God only, and to study and talk about God’s commands throughout the day with our children, every day.  In the New Testament, the apostle Paul emphasized to a young Timothy the value of training in godliness over physical training since godliness holds the superior promise both now and in the future (ref: 1 Timothy 4:8).

            There are a lot of great things that can come out of the extra-curricular activities our children are involved in such as physical health and lessons in unity, teamwork, and loyalty.  But the Bible makes it clear that it will be all for nothing if parents forget to teach their children by word and deed how to apply and share the most important lesson of all, the good news of Jesus Christ.  Have a great week!

Christ’s love for you is more important than you realize

by Barrett Vanlandingham
September 24, 2013

            Have you ever had a day when you wondered whether anybody loved you?  Satan is pretty good at setting those kinds of traps as often as possible.  Don’t fall for it.  I have some very good and encouraging news for you.  Not only does somebody love you very much, but the most important somebody who has ever been, loves you.  It is not only love proven in the past, but love that continues today, every minute, every hour, every day!

            Two-thousand years ago, Jesus was much more than a man during his short stay on earth.  He was 100-percent man AND 100-percent God.  He was Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, the Creator, and in fact, God himself.  Yes, it’s true!  Just take a look at Hebrews 1:8 and John 1:1-3 and John 14:9-11 and Colossians 1:15-20.

            Please, don’t ask me how this can possibly be that Jesus is God (and by the way, so is the Holy Spirit).  That is WAY beyond my pay grade of understanding.  My point in bringing this up is to simply reassure you that Jesus not only “loved” you.  He, in fact, “loves” you very much. This is very important because Jesus knows exactly how you feel at your best, and at your worst moments, and he STILL loves you.

            It is important for us to try to understand Christ’s love because the apostle Paul says, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).”

            In short, Christ’s love should compel us to love as he loves us.  It is a deep and unconditional love, even when so many in this world are only interested in advancing their own agendas.  A Godly love means taking on the heart of a servant. 

            Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

            I think part of the reason Jesus can love us the way he does is because he understands us so well, and he understands what sacrifice really means.  He has been where we are (Heb. 4:14-16).  One of these days when we stand before God, we can be confident if we have shown our love to Him by obeying his commands.  So do not believe the devil’s lies.  You are loved. Jesus went the extra mile (major understatement) to make sure Judgment Day is an amazing experience for you, even though we all must endure hardships now.  Just remember they are temporary, but eternity is forever.  Stay faithful.  Have a great week!

Purity goes way beyond the surface

by Barrett Vanlandingham

September 17, 2013

            Jesus said, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks (Matt 12:34).”

            Have you ever been surprised when you looked at someone and thought they were one way, but when they opened their mouth and began to speak, they turned out to be something else?  In some cases it’s a pleasant surprise, while in other instances very disappointing.

            This scenario crossed my mind the other day when I turned on the faucet, and filled up my glass with nice clear drinking water.  But then I discovered that what I thought was going to be a much needed thirst quencher turned out to be… well… something that left a very bad taste in my mouth!

            You may have noticed that Fort Gibson’s water has tasted like dirt lately.  And when you ask, “What’s the deal?”  Someone usually responds, “Oh, the lake turned over.”   It happens at least once a year in many lakes as cooler water sinks to the bottom, and warmer water rises to the surface.  The impurities become stirred up, and the end result is that our water tastes bad even when it looks clean.

            So, I called the water department and spoke to a nice lady who informed me that they actually have a technology to solve this problem.  It’s called Powdered Activated Carbon Treatment.  But in order for PACT to work, the plant has to add it to the water before it comes to your house.  When done correctly, PACT gets rid of any foul odor or bad taste in the water.

            Christians have a “pact” with God.  The question is whether we will allow Him to treat our heart and mind so that the sweet aroma we present to God and others in a public way, may be an extension of the true joy and real inner beauty that God desires for us. 

            In the Old Testament, God told a rebellious group of worshippers that He was sick of their worship because they continued to do wrong (Isaiah 1).  In the New Testament, Jesus had stern words for teachers of the law and the Pharisees.  “You hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness (Matthew 23:27-28).”

            Overcoming the image of hypocrisy has always been one of the most difficult challenges for Christians.  May God bless us all as we strive to reflect the heart of Jesus inside and out.  Have a great week!

Satan has a plan for you

by Barrett Vanlandingham
September 10, 2013

            Thank goodness Satan is not omnipresent, like God. In other words, the devil cannot be in two places at once, like our heavenly Father can.  However, Satan has a definite plan for causing God’s people to sin.  It started long ago, and it has been highly effective.

            In the New Testament book of Revelation 12:4-9, John uses a seven headed red dragon to symbolize the devil.  John says, “His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.”   John then describes a war of angels.  The good side is led by Michael.  The evil side is led by Satan.  The good side wins.  The devil is hurled to earth along with his angels.

            The defeated Satan knew he didn’t stand a chance in beating Jesus.  So, he became the great deceiver.  He still wants to be the one “who leads the whole world astray (v.9).”  Jesus referred to him as “a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).”

            One of his strategies is to isolate people so they will accept the lies of the devil as normal, sort of like the blind leading the blind (Matthew 15:14).  We see it all the time in various forms of media, and in many other walks of life.  It is troubling, to say the least, to hear two people discussing morality who have not read what the Bible has to say.  It is both frustrating and even scary when one or both of those people are in positions of influence in public policy. 

            Another trick the “accuser” uses is to convince people that they are not good enough to be Christians.  Guilt can not only stop a Christian from participating in worship, but also from telling someone else about Jesus, or even from holding a Christian brother or sister accountable for their decisions.   It is a good thing that Jesus did not wait until He found perfect people to choose as apostles.  He might still be waiting!  We must remember Paul’s words, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).”   You see, forgiveness of sin is possible because of the perfect sacrifice of God’s only Son.

            And finally, if Satan cannot convince Christians that we are unworthy of salvation and that we should just quietly back down, he tries persecution.  Verbal or even physical attacks are common in spiritual warfare.  If you ever want to feel alone, just try taking a Biblical stance on any of today’s moral or doctrinal issues, especially in any public forum such as the internet where there is such a diverse spectrum of opinions on everything!

            Yes, cultural norms are subject to change.  But God’s truth never changes no matter how hard Satan tries to deceive us into thinking otherwise.  The devil has a plan for us, but God’s plan definitely has the better outcome.  God bless you, and have a great week!