Missionaries are also needed right here at home

by Barrett Vanlandingham

April 5, 2016 

            At times, I have asked myself, “What is the difference between mission work and local work?”   Nothing really.  My church family supports two Honduran preachers who we refer to as our missionaries. But to them and anyone else in Honduras, they are just local ministers.  Likewise, no one here in the U.S. refers to local ministers as missionaries, even though we are definitely on a mission and are supported by a local church.

            Have you ever thought about why local Christians go on “mission trips”, especially to places where churches have already been established, and are meeting on a regular basis, while there is still so much work to be done here locally?  We go on “mission trips” because Jesus told His disciples, “and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).”  This means to be Jesus where you are, in your region, and far away. We go to share the Good News of Jesus Christ to the lost, but also to encourage Christians in other cities and countries just like disciples did in the first century.

            There is another very important goal my church family has when it comes to sending our local members to other countries. It is to light a fire inside us, so when we get back, we will do better at seeking opportunities to serve here in the states and in our local area. I am always so encouraged when I see various church groups, as well as organizations and individuals doing service projects within our own community. It is needed and appreciated.

            This summer is my church family’s off year for doing a major mission trip. So, we found another fantastic opportunity, and it’s fairly close by. Hope Harbor Children’s Home near Claremore is dedicated to transforming the lives of at-risk teens and their families. If you live in Fort Gibson, you may have spotted the blue containers in the Church of Christ parking lot used to collect clothes that are hauled away to the Hope Harbor Thrift Store. Proceeds help defray the cost of the services provided by the children’s home. The public is encouraged to use these containers. Even the clothes that cannot be sold in the thrift store are loaded into a huge trailer and taken to a recycling site that pays by the pound.

            It’s a great way to apply James 1:27 which says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

            In June, I am taking my youth group on a three day mission trip to Hope Harbor to work at the thrift store sorting clothes, and to do some gravel work at the children’s home campus, and to weed and mulch their flower beds.

            If you have a group that would like to do some work at Hope Harbor, please call 918-343-0003. You can also find out more about their services at www.hopeharborinc.org

            Hope Harbor is just one of many great opportunities to carry out Christ’s mission of showing love through service to those who need it most. I encourage you to find an opportunity for “mission work” each day, no matter how big or small, to make a difference in someone’s life. Have a blessed week!

Weekly worship helps Christians stay strong

by Barrett Vanlandingham

March 29, 2016

            Another Easter has come and gone, right along with the impressive totals posted on church attendance boards everywhere, at least until next year. Yes, there will be maybe one or two more big Sundays in 2016 for those churches that have special membership drives or a “Friends and Family Day.”  But for the most part, Easter Sunday is the big one. I pray that you were willing and able to worship over the weekend, and that your appetite for honoring God, and remembering the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son increased.

            We know from scripture that church attendance is important. The writer of the book of Hebrews made that clear in a section of scripture that encourages Christians to draw near to our God who keeps His promises. The writer also speaks of the importance of consistent or regular fellowship with other worshippers in order to gain strength to do spiritual battle.

             “24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near (Hebrews 10:24-25).”

            The Hebrew writer drives the point home by reminding us there is a lot riding on the strength we gain by coming together as worshippers of God. Christianity was never meant to be a solo act, but rather a team effort, where each member of the church body does its share of the work, and encourages the other team members to keep fighting the good fight. The singing praises and praying to God, the weekly taking of the Lord’s Supper, giving of your means, the Bible study, and fellowship are not only biblical, but they are spiritually powerful and beneficial to those who take part.  The Hebrew writer makes it clear that the most tragic consequence of all awaits those believers who choose to pull away from God’s family, and become spiritually bankrupt, unable to fight the devil.

            “26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries (Hebrews 10:26-27).”

            There are many other passages that teach that a Christian can fall away or lose their salvation if they trade in living a righteous life for an unrighteous life. Here are just a few: Romans 8:12-13, 2 Peter 3:17 & 2:20-21, Revelation 3:1-5, James 5:19-20, 1 Timothy 4:1, Galatians 5:4 & 6:7, 1 Corinthians 6:7-9 & 9:27 & 10:12, Matthew 13:37-42, and 1 John 1:7-10.  It is to our benefit to give and get as much help as possible to keep each other on track.

            Granted, sitting on a church pew every week and memorizing Bible verses doesn’t make someone a good Christian anymore than sitting in a henhouse and making clucking sounds makes me a chicken. Furthermore, scripture teaches that many who appear to be religious by all appearances, may not have a relationship with the Lord at all (ref: Matthew 7:21-23). God knows our hearts and motives. God also knows exactly how cunning the devil is when it comes to setting traps and snatching the souls of unsuspecting Christians and non-Christians alike. So as for me and my house, I am going to continue teaching and practicing faithful church attendance, to honor God, remember His Son, and to encourage others. After all, God really does know what He’s talking about.  Have a blessed week!

Time in God’s word can change your life

by Barrett Vanlandingham

March 22, 2016

            Now that everyone’s back from spring break, it’s back to life as usual for Oklahoma students and their families. It’s always nice to take a break and go somewhere for a brief visit, even though most of us have no desire to actually stay there long-term. Thus, the old saying: “It’s a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.”

            Odd to say, but the Bible is a vacation spot of sorts for many people. We go to and through its pages for a lot of different reasons. Some go there for comfort, or for a break from the stresses and worries of life. There are those who find themselves in a spiritual desert, searching for answers, hungering and thirsting for righteousness. They are drawn to God’s word. Then, just like Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, they “will be filled (Matthew 5:6)”, and “will be given (Matthew 6:33)” the things we need.

            In spite of Jesus’ promise, every single one of us who strives to be Christ-like still allow God’s teachings to take a back seat in our lives occasionally when it comes to our attitudes and what we do with our time. Even though the apostle Paul encourages us to spend time in God’s word, and to “Do your best” to handle God’s word correctly (2 Timothy 2:15), even Paul himself admits to making poor choices frequently.

            “So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand… Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (Romans 7:21, 24-25).”

            Priority shifts can happen when we allow things like worry, stress, busy schedules, finances, and relationship problems to take over. When Satan can’t get us to stumble from that direction, he finds other ways such as tempting us to place more importance on our wives, husbands, children, friends, hobbies, and even our jobs than we place on God. That strategy is very effective, deceitful, and difficult to overcome because those are the things on earth we love the most. Any relationship or thing we love more than God is an idol. It is doomed to fail because God is no longer our priority and we become more influenced by created things rather than the Creator and His word. This was also a concern of Moses as he spoke to the nation of Israel regarding their love for God, and the importance of passing this love for God on to future generations.

            “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).”

            May God bless us all with wisdom to enjoy time with God in prayer, in His word, and to include God all the time in every part of our lives. Have a blessed week!

True success includes Godly values

by Barrett Vanlandingham

March 15, 2016

            I honestly don’t think I’ve ever heard of a town with so many kids excelling in so many ways as I see in Fort Gibson these days. Our band, choir, FFA, academics, and sports teams are winning something everytime I turn around. But the thing I am most impressed with is that so many of our teachers and coaches place a tremendous amount of importance on promoting Christian character traits by their example. It seems to be working!

            In a public school setting, Christianity as a doctrine or preferred way of life cannot be taught verbally in the classroom and such by teachers. But certainly the fruit of the Spirit can be promoted by example.  “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (ref: Galatians 5:22-23)” are all positive qualities that would be hard to ignore by students and teachers alike when Christians walk in these ways. When given the opportunity, most people want to be associated with these traits. As beings made in God’s image, it’s just how we are wired.

            The writer of 1 John 4:18 reminds Christians that their walk needs to match their talk when it comes to responding to those in need, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

            The perfect message of loving God and loving others really cannot be ignored. Jesus says those are the greatest commands. When any of us obey God’s commands (ref: John 14:15, 23 and 1 John 5:3) in our attitudes, actions, and word choices, others take notice and want to experience that same joy.

            While earthly accomplishments are fun for a while, the apostle Paul, whose writings indicate he may have been a sports fan (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 and Philippians 3:13-14), reminds us all to keep our priorities in line, putting spiritual/eternal things first.           

            “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come (1 Timothy 4:8).”

            For Christians, there should be no separation when it comes to earthly accomplishments and spiritual ones. Our witness to others works best when the two are inseparable, when our daily lives, chores, hobbies, careers, and relationships include Jesus in every aspect. Paul agrees.

            “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:17).”

            If our actions or words are such that God cannot be glorified in our choices, then we should seriously re-consider our life plans. This week, let’s all pray for opportunities to teach someone about the love of Christ by the way we live. Blessings! 

Lights are meant to shine!

by Barrett Vanlandingham

March 8, 2016

            Blink, blink, blink. My office phone has a red light on it that flashes when I have messages in my voicemail. It’s really handy to have because even at a brief glance I know when someone has left a message. The only problem is that I keep my phone in the top left drawer of my desk, which shouldn’t be a problem as long as I keep the drawer pulled out where I can see my phone. But sometimes, I shove the drawer closed if I am looking for something in the drawer under it, and then forget to open the top drawer again. When that happens, I lose sight of my phone and any messages I may receive when I step into Dan’s office (our pulpit minister) to discuss a Bible verse, or when I run a really important errand like re-filling my coffee cup.

            The other day I was feeling a little down when I noticed my drawer was shut. So, I opened it, saw the flashing light, pushed the button, and listened to a very encouraging message I needed to hear from one of my readers. You see, even though I have a red flashing light to announce the arrival of what may be an important message, it does me no good at all if the light is tucked safely inside my desk drawer where I can’t see it. The same is true spiritually.

            The old song “This Little Light of Mine” has a verse that says, “Hide it under a bushel, no! I’m gonna let it shine.” Those lyrics come from the “Sermon on the Mount”  when Jesus said, “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house (Matthew 5:15, KJV).”

            The word “bushel” means “basket.” Jesus is helping his disciples visualize how ridiculous it would be to hide your light under a basket, especially if it was needed to help people see what was going on around them. On many occasions, Jesus refers to himself as the Light. Here, and in the preceding verse, Jesus is reminding his disciples that as followers of his, their lives and message will bring light to an otherwise dark world if they are putting his words into practice.  In verse 14 Jesus tells his disciples, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden (Matthew 5:14, ESV).”

            Even in broad daylight, our world is full of darkness. The only bright or flashing lights most people see these days are not coming from Jesus or from his followers, but rather from video games, television, internet, casinos, sports stadiums, or possibly from emergency responders who see close-up the consequences of too many Jesus followers being afraid to shine their light into the darkness. The people we come in contact with on a daily basis need to see our lives as Christians reflecting the light of Christ. Only then can those living in darkness see the joys found in walking in the light, and then make the choice to walk there too.

            We must remember the words of Paul:  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16, NIV).”

            Strangely enough, it wasn’t until Paul was struck blind by a bright light that he was able to see the importance of committing his life to following Jesus the Light, and sharing Good News of Jesus with others.

            This week, I pray that God will show you a specific area of darkness in which to shine the light of Christ. God bless you!