Above the Sun: I believe in God

by Barrett Vanlandingham
April 11, 2021           

            Hello from Fort Gibson, Oklahoma! I hope you are having a lovely day. If you are a follower of God, you know your life is more peaceful when you focus “above the sun” instead of “under the sun” where Solomon said everything is meaningless. This message is more important today than ever.

            It is nice to know that in the chaotic times we are living in, the most important things we can believe in will always be true, and will always work in our favor.  Today, I want to look at a few things we can believe about God the Father.

            The apostle Paul said, “There is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live” (1 Corinthians 8:6, Genesis 1:26).

So, having created man on the 6^th day, and knowing us better than anyone, God has understood for a very long time the how’s and why’s of achieving a rewarding life here on earth and how we can someday hear those words: “well done, good and faithful servant.”   

But just like in our culture today, even Jesus’ disciples needed to be reminded of some very basic things, especially during Jesus’ final days. Jesus cuts to the chase in John 14:1 when he says, “Believe in God’ believe also in me.”  Jesus said these words while comforting his disciples not long before his crucifixion. His disciples no doubt had lots of questions and concerns about the future of Jesus and their future. So, it was important for Jesus to give them one easy instruction to hold onto before his departure.

Christians are to carry out this command to “Believe in God” by applying his standards to the way we live, not our standards and not the world’s (John 14:10-12). The apostle Paul tells us why.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

            So much comfort in such a short amount of scripture. Everything is going to be okay for those who love God. Even though this life may still have its share of problems, we can be assured that life in heaven will be much different.

            John defines what it means to love God. “This is love for God: to keep his commands” (1 John 5:3).

            True love for God was as hard for people back then to grasp as it is today. James wrote that both faith (belief) and deeds (words) are necessary, not just one or the other.

            “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder” (James 2:19).  Demons believe in God and they knew who was in their presence when Jesus arrived on the scene. But belief or faith is not just acknowledging the identity of God, it requires obedience. That is why we accept God’s offering of grace by having faith in Jesus as our only hope, and by being baptized, and by living a new life in Christ made possible by God’s grace (Romans 6:1-11, Ephesians 2:8-10, 1 Peter 1:17-23).

            From some of the oldest verses in the Bible (Deuteronomy 31:6) to the newest (Romans 8:38-39) we can believe without a doubt in God’s faithfulness to those who are committed to walking with Him, especially when we are in need of His grace. Have a great week!

Above the Sun: Happy Easter!

by Barrett Vanlandingham
April 4, 2021           

            Hello from Fort Gibson, Oklahoma! I hope everyone is having a spectacular Easter Sunday.

            As a kid, this was always one of my favorite holidays. The church building was packed, the congregational singing was phenomenal, all the men wore their best suits, all the ladies wore their nicest dresses with corsages, and there seemed to be an unspoken but well-acknowledged competition for who would wear the largest hat. On so many levels, those were the best Sundays of all. Of course, the fact we got to hunt Easter eggs after Sunday lunch may have sweetened my memories of Easter Sunday just a bit.

As I got a little older, and started paying more attention, I realized Easter Sunday was special for other reasons, too. As a young adult until now at age 56, each year I look forward to this one Sunday out of the year, when we focus our attention on the details of the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Luke 24, John 20) and how that applies to us.

As a young man developing his faith, it was so nice to be in a crowd of believers singing songs like “Up from the Grace He Arose!” and to be reminded of the time when Jesus claimed victory over the grave, and comforted his disciples, letting them know that since he has overcome the world, his followers can, too (John 6:33).

The fact that the grave is still empty was an awakening for me like none other, other than the crucifixion itself (John 19) which we remember every first day of the week when we take the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 11:23-29).

Even though the Bible doesn’t give us a direct command to celebrate Easter or Christmas as religious holidays, God’s word repeatedly supports coming together for the purpose of strengthening our faith through the teaching of God’s word and the fellowship of Christians (Hebrews 10:19-26). These are all things that take place every week. Re-visiting the scene of the empty tomb as a church family, the body of Christ, is just one more way we honor our Lord and encourage one another, whether on a "special" Sunday or any other time.

In fact, the last thing Jesus said before ascending back to his Father was that we should teach people to “obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). The gospel story that we are to obey is the good news of Jesus, his death, burial, and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-8). An obedient Christian life is a re-enactment of the gospel story. That is why we die to the ways of the world, we are buried in baptism, and we are raised to live a new life, clothed in Christ (Romans 6:1-11, Galatians 3:26-27).

These are just a few of my memories of Easters gone by, reflections with renewed hope of what it means to serve a risen Savior!   Have a great week!

Above the Sun: Foolishness can be bad or really good

by Barrett Vanlandingham
March 28, 2021           

            April Fool’s Day jokes have been a long-standing tradition.  In 1985, Sports Illustrated tricked readers when they ran a made-up article about a rookie pitcher named Sidd Finch who could throw a fastball over 168 miles per hour.

            In that context, a fool is just someone who fell for a light-hearted joke because a prankster fooled the prankee. No harm done. But generally, the word fool is kind of like the name Jezebel in some ways. Nobody wants to be labeled as either. A man may be labeled a fool for chasing an evil woman. Or a woman may be labeled a fool for staying in an abusive relationship.

While those scenarios are bad enough, even from an earthly perspective, it is the spiritual context that is far worse since the consequences not only affect you here on earth, but can last into eternity.  King David took foolishness to a whole new level, and as a result he and many others suffered. In spite of the fact that he was well-acquainted with God from an early age, he later fell away from the very One who had blessed him. David still knew of God, but lived as if he did not. Guilty of lying, adultery, and murder, David was well-qualified to make this statement:

“Fools say to themselves, “There is no God.” They are corrupt and commit evil deeds; not one of them practices what is good” (Psalm 14:1).

In the end, David came back to God, not only admitting his sin, but also repenting of it. In fact, the Bible says that David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22, 1 Samuel 13:14).

            It only makes sense that if you convince yourself there is no God, foolish decision-making is soon to follow. That is the worldly way of throwing caution to the wind.

            However, in a sense, there is a way of throwing caution to the wind that pleases God. It is called living by faith. The difference is that living by faith does not mean living foolishly, blindly or simply trusting in fate or destiny to save you. Instead, living by faith is putting everything in God’s hands, trusting Him to save you, knowing He is the only One who can. Worldly people might consider this to be foolish.  When applied this way, the apostle Paul was not bothered by such a label.

            “We are fools for Christ” (1 Corinthians 4:10).

In this context, Paul wears the title with dignity, knowing that a life committed to Christ will often be uncomfortable and at odds with the way the majority of people choose to live.  In the end, living as a “fool for Christ” will prove to be the wisest thing we could ever do.  Have a great week!

Above the Sun: Smile, Jesus loves you!

by Barrett Vanlandingham
March 21, 2021 

            “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

            Hello from Fort Gibson, Oklahoma!  Spring is here, signs of optimism are everywhere in spite of the doom and gloom we see on national news.

            Just a few days ago, a young man who has been worshipping with our church family decided to put on Christ in baptism. Awesome! Try convincing him that good things are not taking place these days. Through answered prayers, Bible study, the influence of loving people, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit, this young man went from an uncertain future to actually knowing what lies ahead for him. His journey as a Spirit-indwelled baptized believer has begun (Acts 2:38).

            Just a few church pews away, I see another young man who recently finished a prison sentence, singing with joy to the Lord every Sunday. It is hard to miss his enthusiasm, even with a mask. Try convincing him that good things are not happening these days.

In the past year, I have heard of good things taking place in many places across the nation and throughout the world. Even in the middle of political and social unrest, and a worldwide pandemic when so many people had written off 2020 and have their doubts about 2021, a missionary friend of mine could not contain his enthusiasm when telling me about the thousands of people in Latin America who gave their lives to Christ in 2020 and no signs of slowing down in 2021.

There are many great and positive things going on every single day to fill our minds with. There is no reason to dwell on earthly disappointments and worries for those whose hope is set on things above the sun. How can we as Christians ignore the fact that we are not promised even our next breath, heartbeat, or step here on earth?

“You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14).

For Christians, the words of James are not discouraging, but quite the opposite. The apostle Paul sent a similar message to the church in Thessalonica to remind them there is more to life than what we see with our eyes.

“9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11).

The Hebrew writer taught the early Christians about the importance of spending time with each other on a regular basis.

“Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer” (Hebrews 10:25).

Peter says the trials we undergo are not the end of the story for those who believe in Jesus Christ. “…for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:9).

God is good, amen? Have a great week!