Spring brings hope and other good things

by Barrett Vanlandingham

March 20, 2022 

            Today may be the first day of the spring season according to the calendar. But as I write this article in early March, it is hard to imagine anything but cold weather. Only a week ago, we traveled to the Christeens Youth Rally with ice piled on either side of I-40 all the way to Russellville. And tonight (March 7), our high school baseball team is playing its first home game despite ice-box temperatures. And even though remnants of the recent ice storm have barely finished melting away, there is now more snow in the forecast heading into spring break.

            Hopefully, by the time you read this, the words “cold weather” will have faded away, and Lisa and I will be experiencing some beautiful traveling weather as we head back from visiting our son, Britton, in Franklin, Tennessee over spring break.  I guess we will see (This is Oklahoma, after all).

            Spring weather in Oklahoma can take on many different forms: cold, hot, stormy, icy, snowy, and that’s all in the same week! 😊 One thing that does not change about spring is what it represents. An awakening, new life, hope. It is hard to not feel good when you start seeing green sprouting from the ground and from the trees, and when flowers begin to bloom and fill the air with aromas long awaited.

Even spring-related Bible verses begin to blossom in my mind. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

            This passage paints the picture of new Christians, those who have been buried in baptism, and have chosen to live for Christ who died for all people, paying the ultimate price for our sins. In doing so, Christ’s disciples who live “…should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Cor 5:15).

            In just a few weeks, we will observe the most celebrated day of spring in all kinds of ways. Many will color Easter eggs, hunt candy-filled plastic eggs, eat basketfuls of candy, and spend time with family and friends.

Others will remember the fulfillment of age-old Biblical prophecies that told of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ a thousand years before it happened. Easter celebrations of this kind are not only in remembrance of stories we read in the Gospels, but also writings outside of the Bible from ancient historians, philosophers, ministers, and even skeptics who lived from about 70 a.d. to 300 a.d. and wrote about Jesus and the events surrounding Christ’s death when it was still considered recent news.

Many of us enjoy both kinds of celebrations! After all, candy any time of year is hard to resist, but then, so is the story of Jesus and the hope we have because HE STILL LIVES.

Have a great week! 

Trust God, He Wrote the Book

by Barrett Vanlandingham
March 6, 2022 

            Who knew a weekend study of Habakkuk could be so amazing?!  But for nine of our youth and four chaperons who went to the CHRISTeens youth rally in Russellville, Arkansas last weekend, our study of this 2600-year old book was exactly that. So, thanks for continuing to let me minister to your kids and give them experiences and opportunities to draw closer to God.

            We do not know much about Habakkuk’s background. But from his three-chapter book in the minor prophet section of the Old Testament, we learn a very important lesson about our relationship with God: Trust God even when He seems unresponsive or unfair.

            Habakkuk complains, and the Lord answers. Habakkuk complains again, and the Lord answers. Then finally, Habakkuk prays, pleading with God to use some of the same kind of power He exhibited in the past, but do it now.

            This sounds a lot like how I feel sometimes. I know God is the answer, but I really want Him to answer in my time frame, with the answer I want.  But as our study at CHRISTeens pointed out, most of us make judgments when we look at just one second of a two hour movie that God wrote, and we get frustrated when it doesn’t seem like He is responding the way we want, or maybe just not listening at all.

            In the case of Habakkuk, he complains that God is allowing so much violence and injustice to take place among His people. Habakkuk is shocked to find out that God’s plan for turning the Jews back to Him involves using an aggressive warlike and highly educated people from southern Babylon known as the Chaldeans to punish the disobedient Jews. Habakkuk ultimately submits to God’s authority.

            Having raised three kids with three distinct personalities has helped Lisa and me understand why God deals with one person this way, and another person a different way, or even entire countries. There are some kinds of personalities that are receptive to immediate consequences, and some are more stubborn and have to get dragged through the mud of life a little more before they come to their senses.  We had two kids who only needed me to give them “the eye” in order to know they better stop what they were doing. And then there was the other child who had to experience both consequences from us and natural consequences. As a parent, it is hard to let your kid experience natural consequences. But sometimes, it’s the only thing that works. That’s really the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).

            We all go through days and evens seasons of life that can seem almost unbearable. But God is faithful, and He is working. We may not understand His timing and methods with us or anyone else. But God knows what He is doing. It’s up to us to trust and obey.

            Have a great week!