Above the Sun: He makes beautiful things

by Barrett Vanlandingham

May 3, 2020

            As a writer, I try to be creative. But as a handyman, let’s just say I’m lacking a little in that area. I usually have to hire everything done. Thankfully, I have a good woman who brings out the best in me. I found that to be true this past week when together we made something pretty neat out of  junk destined for the garbage.

My son Britton and I cleared some imposing tree roots and dug a small hole in the flowerbed next to our back porch. Next, to line the hole and hold water, I repurposed an old plastic tub that had been a cat litter box and a dog watering dish (not at the same time). Then, Lisa found an old window screen to lay across the water tub to keep out debris. Next, she found a rusty old iron grate from our seriously incapacitated charcoal grill that she cleaned up and painted and laid across the tub.

We combined all of that with a bag of river rocks on top of the grate, a small water pump inside the tub, and on top of the rocks, a small concrete bird bath with a hole in the bottom of the bowl to connect a little hose to the pump. Plug in the pump, and wah la! The delicate sound of a trickling fountain! We had been talking about doing this for years, and finally got around to it. I guess like many of you, the temporary “shelter in place” resulted in getting a few things done around the house.

God is the Master at making something beautiful out of stuff we either take for granted or things we rarely perceive as valuable. In northeastern Oklahoma, we experience breathtaking sunrises, sunsets, rainbows, fog, cloud formations, rolling hills, trees, flowers, lakes, and streams every single day. He also puts people in our lives who bring us laughter and fill us with joy. He is the One who created the human spirit, hope, determination, and love.

As our Creator, He is plenty capable of turning things around for us in spite of the messes we get ourselves into, even when we question our self-worth. It is important for us to remember He has a plan for each and every one of us. But to experience a beautiful life with Him, we must let go of our plan, and exchange it for His. Only then will we find out the extent of His creativity to make a beautiful life for us, and the contentment that can be found in being a committed child of God.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Have a great week!

Above the Sun: You don’t have to look far to make a big difference

by Barrett Vanlandingham

April 26, 2020

            Have you ever had one of those moments when you realized the solution to your problem was right in front of you all the time? That is a lesson that Jesus taught his disciples long ago, and it still applies to us today.

            “And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

            During the forty days after Jesus’ resurrection, he knew his followers needed some reassurance and direction. Like sheep without a shepherd, he knew they would scatter. But with one last bit of instruction, he knew that for the kingdom’s sake, scattering would turn out to be a very good thing with the right experiences and knowledge under their belts. He told them to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit that his Father promised and would reveal at a gathering known as Pentecost when Peter preached the first gospel sermon.

            Sometimes, we get so busy with figuring out everything on our own that we forget to listen for God’s instructions that are right in front of us. Okay, Covid-19 has disrupted our lives. So, what do we do? Jesus already provided that answer, and I believe God is using our current crisis to help all of humanity push reset and go back to the basics. We may not all be geographically situated to make a difference in Jerusalem where the disciples were 2000 years ago, but we can pay more attention to what’s going on locally, right around us, and among those we love most. What a once in a lifetime opportunity we have been given to re-think our priorities, examine what’s going on under our own roof, and be given time to make a new game plan going forward.

            In witnessing “going back to the basics” in Fort Gibson and across the country, I have been hearing a lot about families spending more time together. I have seen churches drastically increase their knowledge and use of technology to reach their membership. Other churches have conducted old fashioned drive-in movie style worship services with people sitting in their cars listening to loudspeakers or low power FM radio signals. I’ve seen people outside of Harps Grocery talking from a distance with the enthusiasm that comes from being separated from other humans for too long. I’ve seen Fort Gibson’s downtown shops bring merchandise outside so people can shop from their cars. I’ve seen and heard of neighbors checking on neighbors more often than before. Beyond that, volunteers and companies are getting creative in producing hand sanitizer and facemasks for those who need it most.

            The pandemic may have thrown a wrench in our old way of life, but there’s been a lot of good from it, too. Let’s pray we’re smart enough to learn some things from all of this that will make us better human beings in our homes, in our communities and beyond as our new normal slowly begins to take shape.  Have a great week!

Above the Sun: Some things you can control

by Barrett Vanlandingham

April 19, 2020

            If you’ve been thinking there is bad news just about everywhere you look these days, maybe you have been looking in the wrong places. While news reports say alcohol sales are way up lately, I also hear many reports of people turning to the Bible for peace and comfort.

            I love the apostle Paul’s encouraging words in Romans 8:28. He said, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

            It’s one thing when another person tells you that everything is going to be alright because, in reality, all they can offer you are kind words of hope. After all, we are just human, and if there is one thing we’ve all learned lately it’s that we are not in control of anything around us. It’s something entirely different when God says it’s going to be alright because God never lies, never gets distracted, never just means well but forgot to follow through. God always keeps His promises. We are reminded of that every time we see a rainbow in the sky which not only is a sign that the earth will never be destroyed by water again, but it is also a sign that God means what He says.

            Paul’s words of things working out for the good are a great comfort to those who have a loving and obedient relationship with Jesus Christ. These same words are a tremendous challenge for those who are not committed to God. Remember Jesus’ words in John 14:15 when he said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” If this is true, then the opposite is also true: if we choose to not keep God’s commandments, we are proving by our choices that we do not love Him, since we all have free will, meaning we can choose to obey or not obey, we can choose to love or not love.

            God’s promise that everything is going to work out for the best for us is conditional. His promise is for those who love Him and prove our love by our obedience. God proved His love for us at the cross.

            “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

            This truly is encouraging news for those whose belief is accompanied by action (James 2:17, 24, and 26). It’s a sentiment that songwriter Rich Mullins summarized so well when he sang that faith without works is “about as useless as a screen door on a submarine.”  Let that sink in, and have a great week!

Above the Sun: Jesus rose and you can too

by Barrett Vanlandingham

April 12, 2020

     There are only about four stories in history that give us the kind of hope we experience on Easter Sunday. They are Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection. All four of these events are just as relevant today as they were 2000 years ago. All four events were prophesied or foretold hundreds or even thousands of years before they happened. Bottom line, if it hadn’t been for the resurrection, the other stories would be irrelevant because Jesus would have been proven a fraud. But thanks be to God, all the stories of Jesus remain solid, and the grave remains empty. Jesus arose!  Each of the gospel writers tells the story.

            “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body” (Mark 16:1).

            “There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it” (Matthew 28:2).

            “On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again’” (Luke 24:1-7).

            “14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). 17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her (John 20:14-18).

            During the next forty days, Jesus appeared several different times to individuals, small groups, and to more than 500 at once. He also had conversations and meals with them, and even let Thomas touch the holes in his hands and feet.

Christ’s sacrifice paid for our sins and is what we remember on the first day of each week when we take the Lord’s Supper. It is his resurrection that signifies victory over death and gives every baptized believer that same assurance of a new life both now and in eternity (Romans 6:1-11).  Have a great week!