Go with God in 2016

by Barrett Vanlandingham

January 5, 2016

            Surprise, surprise!  I have already made my first mistake of 2016. You would think a simple task such as putting the correct date on a newspaper column, or at least the right year, would not be that difficult. But it seems that just about every New Year I manage to label my “Fort Faith” column with the previous year. I usually make the correction before emailing it to the Muskogee Phoenix for publication in the Fort Gibson news section, so it’s not that big of a deal, and it’s not exactly sin or anything, but it does remind me that humans make mistakes.

            So, if this minister cannot even get the date right on my first article of the year, how in the world can I expect to do things right with regard to the bigger things in life, such as battling temptation and staying strong in spiritual warfare? As a minister, it is common for young people (and older people, too) to approach me, expressing frustration because they can’t seem to overcome a particular temptation.

            The apostle Paul reminds us that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).” So, we already know it would be impossible for any of us to keep from sinning, even though it’s only the first week of a New Year.  I guess the question is what are we going to do about it?

            Well, if you’re singer/songwriter Amy Grant, you record a song telling Christians “Don't try so hard. God gives you grace and you can't earn it. Don't think that you're not worth it because you are. He gave you His love and He's not leaving, gave you His Son so you'd believe it. You're lovely even with your scars. Don't try so hard.”

            Let me just say I’ve been an Amy Grant fan for a long time. And even though most of those lyrics are right on target, the phrase “Don’t try so hard” goes directly against God’s inspired word. Paul told Christians in Rome. “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer (Romans 6:1-2).”

            Dedicated disciples of Jesus must understand that spiritual warfare is a very real thing with a very real opponent, and must be approached in the most sober-minded of ways. The Bible never says it’s okay to knowingly fall into the devil’s traps. We often do this unknowingly, and that’s what God’s grace is for, not so we can spit in God’s eye and expect Him to reward us.

            Paul told the early church, “Do not give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:27).”  And later he says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12).”

            So, it is important to know who your opponent is, and pinpoint where the devil and his dark forces are likely to strike in your life, seek support from your brothers and sisters in Christ, and then PRAY about it.

            “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 (James 5:16).”

            James also says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you (James 4:7-8).”

            It is unrealistic and unbiblical to think any of us can keep from stumbling spiritually in this New Year or any other year. But we serve an amazing God who knows our heart, and will continue to forgive those who are clothed in Christ (Galatians 3:26-27), covered by his blood, as we do our best to walk by faith in his light (1 John 1:7).  After that, it really is God’s grace (and not our works) that will make the difference. Have a great week!

Saying good-bye to your burdens is easier with God’s help

by Barrett Vanlandingham

December 29, 2015

            As we close in on the end of 2015, it is not only time to say good-bye to this past year, but also hello to a new year of our Lord, 2016.

            There will be new opportunities (as there are each year), to replace failure with success, to replace a bad attitude with a good one, to replace a lax attitude in your work or personal life with one that shows you care for the people around you. Even one little change can make a huge difference in the way we approach life and the joy we receive while living it.

            The prophet Jeremiah wrote down these words of hope (600-550 B.C.) from God to those exiles that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem to Babylon, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).”

            Christians must remember that each of these positive changes are made possible by the Creator Himself. However, it will be your choice as to whether you continue allowing that one (or more) negative thing in your life to keep eating away at you, or let God help you say good-bye to the burdens, worries, and concerns of 2015 in exchange for the joy of the Lord.

            In the New Testament book of John 10:10 Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that you may have life, and have it more abundantly (to the full).”

            You see, God has designed great things for you in your life. The only question is whether you will let God lead you in that direction.

            The apostle Paul says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).”

            We’ve all heard of millionaires and billionaires who were anything but happy people, or at the very least, figured out that happiness doesn’t come from money. In fact, many of them give tons of money to charities because they understand that true joy does not come from personal accomplishments as much as it does from sharing your accomplishments in some way with other people.

            So, I encourage you to pick one person out each week. Make it your goal to put a smile on that person’s face, or make their day better in some way. Pray for that person, and see how God not only blesses them, but you, too.  You might not be at a place in your life where you can help hundreds or thousands of people everyday with your new attitude. But maybe that’s not God’s plan for you.  Maybe God has just one person in mind for you to help. Then, what if that person turns out to be the one to do something BIG. Besides, even making a difference in one person’s life is a BIG deal whether anyone else knows about it or not.

            I am sure the apostles and those early disciples of Jesus had no idea that the persecution they went through for the cause of Christ would eventually result in people around the world knowing the story of Jesus, and receiving salvation because of it.

            Decide today to serve someone as Jesus served, and to tell His story in 2016. It will make a difference in their life and yours in the coming year and beyond. Remember Jesus’ words in the book of Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  Have a blessed week!

What I told my kids about Santa and Jesus

by Barrett Vanlandingham

December 22, 2015

            Christmas was coming soon, and my son, Britton, was just a small child at the time. We had been on a roll several nights in a row talking about all kinds of things at bedtime such as Santa, elves, reindeer, presents, and so on.

            But one night he asked me if Jesus was real. I said, “Of course, he’s real.”  Britton countered, “Is Jesus real in the same way Santa is real?”

             I thought to myself, “O boy! This is one of those conversations I am not quite ready to have!”  After all, any time the topic of Santa’s realness had come up in the past with Ashton and Gracie, Lisa and I always just grinned and said, “If you don’t believe in Santa in this house, he won’t bring you any presents.”

            I am certain the girls had it figured out, but they went along with our answer just for fun. It was kind of an unspoken rule to not let the cat out of the Christmas stocking, so to speak, so that Britton wouldn’t know.

            Well, that response bought us a few years, until Britton just had to bring Jesus into the conversation!    He finally said, “Is Santa real in a make-believe fairy-tale kind of way, and not in the same way Jesus is real?”  I responded, “Yeah, that’s about the size of it.”  He said, “Okay, that’s kind of what I was thinking. I just wanted to make sure.”  I told him that Santa stories are just for fun at Christmas time, but that Jesus is very real, and that He is actually God’s son who came to earth to save us and make it possible for us to go to heaven someday.

            The fact is, bringing Jesus into any conversation changes everything. For Christians, Jesus should already heavily influence everything we say, do, and think. Our friends, co-workers, family, and everyone else should be able to understand clearly by the way we live our lives that Jesus Christ is not only real, but He is our only hope of eternal salvation, and is the reason for true love, peace, and joy here on earth.

            For over 3000 years, the content of the Bible’s Old Testament has been protected by Jewish scribes. They carefully made and passed down handwritten copies for future generations. For instance, the Dead Sea Scrolls date back to 200 years before Jesus was born. The scrolls, discovered in the 1940’s, contained multiple copies of the Old Testament that are identical to what we have today, 2200 years after the scrolls were copied.

            Dozens of Old Testament prophecies about Jesus came true in the New Testament just in the details of how and where he was born. 2700 years ago (about 700 B.C.), the prophet Isaiah wrote, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14).”

            Yes, the prophecy came true! Today, Christians still celebrate the coming of Christ. Yes, we love to tell the story of the baby Jesus prophesied hundreds of years earlier. But more importantly, Christians take joy in spreading the word that Jesus grew into a man, was baptized, received God’s Spirit, began His ministry, and was tempted in every way possible. He died on the cross for the sins of humanity, resurrected on the 3^rd day, and has gone to prepare a place for those who choose to become his disciples and obey His word. Now that’s a Christ for masses to celebrate. So, Merry Christmas and have a blessed week!

True disciples must represent Christ all the time

by Barrett Vanlandingham

December 15, 2015

            He was a wirey, 4-feet tall, very energetic 7^th grade boy with an ornery grin, lots of cute freckles, and a mind full of imaginative ways to have fun and no apparent inhibitions to hold him back. He would be a challenge for any youth chaperon, anywhere.  But last weekend I had the honor of having this kid at my fall youth retreat!  Other than the fact he was seen crawling around on the roof of the camp’s two-story lodge, and later, running through the girls’ dorm (thank goodness no one was in there), then throwing handfuls of cookies into the boys’ bathroom showers and wet floor where he had evidently been having a water fight, I can barely begin to describe the amount of chaos that sweet child was able to pull off in only a matter of minutes! It was a little bit like trying to catch a squirrel. As wild as that scene may sound to you (and me), it really happened. 

            It occurs to me, though, that God might just feel the same about people like me and you as I felt about “squirrel boy”.  Even as adult Christians, our spiritual lives can be a total mess, our witness in the community can be rendered ineffective by the way we present ourselves as Jesus’ disciples when we think no one is paying attention. Unless we are committed to drawing people closer to God every hour of every day in the way speak, act, and think, we leave unguarded opportunities for the devil to set traps in our lives and gain footholds (Ephesians 4:27). If we’re not careful, we can cause spiritual destruction everywhere we go: sporting events, restaurants, around total strangers, and among those we know the best. In spite of the fact God completely understands us, I wonder if He ever just shakes his head in disbelief when he sees the amount of damage we’re inflicting on the cause of Christ.

            While I was at camp over the weekend, Lisa and I were about to sit down at a long cafeteria style table across from each other to eat lunch when she noticed a cup sitting on the table. She asked some campers eating nearby if this spot was taken. They said it wasn’t. But Lisa responded in her usual thoughtful way, “I can move to another spot if this one’s taken.” So I said in my sleep-deprived tone, “Sit down! No one’s sitting there.”  An adult chaperon from another town (actually a close buddy of mine) said to her, “Does he always speak to you that way?”  Lisa (the good sport) responded jokingly with her best fake Brooklyn accent, “Yeah, what’s it to ya? That’s just the way we talk! Mind ya own business.”  While everything turned out okay in that instance, it was a good reminder to me that people are listening to the way I speak to my wife. And more importantly, Lisa is listening to the way I address her. And most importantly, God is listening.

            Paul told the church in Ephesus, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 4:32-5:2).”

            Paul’s words are timeless and are just as significant today as back then. Always remember to represent Christ to those you don’t know, and those you do. Have a blessed week!

A Christian’s spiritual brew must be ready to serve

by Barrett Vanlandingham

December 8, 2015

            “Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals (1 Corinthians 15:33).”

            I wouldn’t be writing on this particular topic if I were not such a tight wad when it comes to getting every last drop of goodness out of my Keurig coffee pot. It’s not actually mine. It’s the community Keurig in the church secretary’s office. I use washable/re-fillable K-Cups so I can brew whatever kind of coffee I want (by the cup). My dream!

            Nevertheless, I re-discovered something the other day I should have already known. There are two buttons with pictures on them. One shows a larger cup. The other pictures a smaller cup. You’re supposed to push one or the other depending on how much coffee you want.

            My goal was to be able to push the large coffee button twice!  So, to make sure it didn’t overflow, I used a short oversized non-insulated plastic container that would fit under the spout. This way I could have more to drink (even though it’s a little watered down).  When it finished brewing, I poured some of it into a smaller insulated mug.  Aahh, the temperature and taste were to my liking. I had come up with the perfect solution to getting the most coffee per K-Cup.

            Here’s the problem: by the time I drank enough hot coffee from my insulated mug to need a re-fill, the coffee in the original non-insulated container was barely lukewarm! It’s one thing to have slightly watered down coffee. It’s an entirely different and much worse thing for it to also be lukewarm.  Gross! But what a great object lesson!

            It really is important to surround or insulate yourself with Godly people. When we slack on church attendance, or even when we never miss, but tend to hang out with non-Christians all the other days of the week, we put our spiritual lives in jeopardy. The Bible warns about becoming lukewarm Christians (Revelation 3:16). This is why God’s word places so much emphasis on being careful about who you choose as your closest allies. The apostle Paul said,

            “14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, ‘I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people (1 Corinthians 6:14-16).’”

            God wants his children to spend some time with non-believers since without this interaction, the lost might never get into a relationship with Christ. But dedicated disciples will do what it takes to be renewed and restored daily to keep their own cup full of hot coffee (so to speak). This means fellowshipping often with committed Christians, spending time in God’s word, continually talking to God, and striving daily to walk in God’s light. When you do those things, your spiritual brew will stay insulated and ready to serve others when opportunities arise.

            Have a blessed week!