Christians and homosexuals can get along

by Barrett Vanlandingham

March 4, 2014

            Whatever happened to the days when gays and straights could just co-exist, you know, before special interest groups, lawyers, judges, and legislatures decided they needed to make everything so complicated? 

            My dad ran a successful restaurant for 36 years.  He served people of all kinds, and hired and worked alongside people of all kinds.  To my knowledge, not a single employee ever pushed my dad to accept their sexual preferences under the threat of a lawsuit.  Not a single customer ever stormed in to divulge their personal business, and then just dare my dad to not serve them.  That is not the case these days.  Everyone thinks they have to tell everything about themselves to everyone. If someone’s conscience won’t let them agree, then it’s off to court! 

            In Oregon, a Christian couple recently had to shut down their bakery because their consciences would not allow them to bake a cake for a lesbian couple’s wedding.  The Christian couple faces hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.

            Laws now even equate your sexual orientation (preference) with race!  Last I heard, you can’t change your race.  However, Chirlane McCray, the wife of New York City’s Mayor Bill de Blasio, was a self-professed lesbian until she married Bill 19 years ago.  They have two teenage children.      

            The odd thing about our nation right now is that some of the same people who are screaming for everyone to accept diversity are the same people who want there to be no differences among us.  Here is what I mean.  As of January 1, a new transgender law (Assembly Bill 1266) went into effect in California.  It allows K-12 students to enter bathrooms, locker rooms, and be involved in sports teams based on their perceived gender identity. 

            Can you imagine the problems this will cause when a straight teenage boy decides he wants to utilize the law to invade the privacy of a girls’ locker room, bathroom, or set new scoring records in girls’ sports?  What about little children who have always gone to public restrooms with their dad or mom, no matter what sex they are, but when they go to school for the first time, they get confused as to which bathroom they’re supposed to go to, but a teacher can no longer tell them which direction to go because the law says either way is fine, just whatever they feel like.  Boys’ or girls’ bathroom, whichever one you identify with more that day.

            I’ve read that a baby’s sex is determined at conception, even though birth defects like “undetermined genitalia” make it difficult to know the sex of a newborn before testing.  Our genes may be responsible for homosexual tendencies, obesity, alcoholism, and attitude problems.  But that does not mean these tendencies cannot be controlled.  We all have certain temptations that are more appealing to us than others.   But God would not create a person who has no choice but to willfully sin, and then send him to hell because he sinned.  Making mistakes is just part of being human.  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).”    

            God knows our heart, and He knows the level at which we are committed to obeying Him.  That is what grace is for!  It covers us when we fail in our best attempts to obey God.

            And so, Christians need to employ the love of Christ when dealing with homosexuals or anyone.  We won’t always agree.  But for heaven’s sake, we don’t have to make life miserable for each other. That’s really all I would ask from anyone who disagrees with me. And yes, homosexuals are welcome at my church.  Have a great week!

Proof of Bible's Credibility Is Hard to Get Around

by Barrett Vanlandingham
February 25, 2014

            The recent debate between atheist Bill Nye “The Science Guy” and creationist Ken Ham is a very good reminder for Christians to know why we believe what we believe.

            The apostle Peter said it best nearly two-thousand years ago, “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15),”

            I was surprised to hear Nye’s statement regarding the Genesis account of the flood, especially since he is known as “The Science Guy”.  He insists that the Biblical flood is not rooted in historical fact.  I find that to be strange considering the vast amounts of evidence in favor of a world-wide flood. 

            For starters, every major culture around the world has reported a world-wide flood.  Apologetics Press reports that most historians say there are at least 200 such legends.  And evolutionary geologist Robert Schoch puts the number of “flood myths” much higher at 500, and says they are “the most widespread of all ancient myths and therefore can be considered among the oldest.”

            More evidence for a world-wide flood comes from an abundance of trilobite fossils.  Trilobites were a small ocean dwelling arthropod creature.  They are thought to be extinct. Their fossils measure between a millimeter to a foot long.  They are segmented and resemble a roly poly or a big centipede.    Their fossils have been found on every continent on Earth.  They have been discovered in deserts, the Grand Canyon, and on mountaintops all over the world.  I wonder how an ocean creature could wind up in all these places, especially on mountaintops?  Hmm. 

            Science says that for something to be believable, you have to be able to measure it and repeat the experiment.  No one has ever witnessed or measured any evolution of one species becoming another.  In fact, there is no fossil evidence that one species or animal ever became a different species.  That is just one reason why evolution is not believable. 

            Even skeletal remains (supposed missing links or Neanderthals) have turned out to be either animal, OR human, OR manufactured hoaxes such as an orangutan jawbone attached to a human skull.  But none has proven to be a half man, half ape creature.  Those are facts the textbooks and museums probably don’t divulge.

            According to science’s own standards, the Big Bang Theory can’t even be true, since something cannot come from nothing. Therefore, something had to have always existed.  Obviously, a Christian believes that the “something” is God.

            As for the speed of light… we don’t know how fast it goes in deep space. In fact, recently, lab experiments have shown that the speed of light is NOT constant.  And thanks to the 1988 discovery of a WW2 plane buried under 250 feet of ice in Greenland, the freeze and thaw scientific measurements used to determine glacier age have melted!  Seems they didn’t take into consideration what Oklahomans already knew, that old man winter can snow and thaw multiple times in the same year.

            Bottom line, the Big Bang Theory and Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and the Bible’s account of creation each require faith.  It is true that by scientific measurements, the universe might be billions of years old.  But for me, I am going to side with the Bible’s account of creation, that it took six days to create everything fully mature, and that by the Bible’s timeline, about six-thousand years has passed since then.  Have a great week!

 

Most doubt the importance of church attendance

by Barrett Vanlandingham
February 18, 2014

            Hebrews 10:24-27 says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.”

            51-percent of people in America don’t think it’s important to attend church.  40-percent of Americans have not attended any church function in the last six months.  That number is up from 33-percent just ten years ago (May 2013 Barna Group survey of 1086 adults over age 18).

            According to the Hebrew writer, this is not a new problem.  As human beings, Christians have always struggled with being faithful to Christ and the institution He died for (Eph 5:25).

            We all know that people are going to find acceptance somewhere.  If it’s not with a church family, it is often with groups or individuals that are not necessarily thinking about the soul.  In fact, the marginalized of society who feel rejected by the mainstream are often targeted by individuals or groups that only want to use them for what they can get out of them. Acceptance is offered, but it often comes at a higher price than the seeker ever knew they would be expected to pay.  The church is to be Jesus to everyone, especially the outcasts.

            The survey also says that 59-percent of 18-29 year olds with a Christian upbringing have either dropped out of church temporarily or altogether.

            When that same group, the millennial generation, was asked the question, “What made your faith grow?”  Church did not even make the top ten.   The top spot was 1) prayer,  2) Family or friends, 3) Reading the Bible, 4) Having children, 5) Relationship with Jesus, 6) Death or illness of a loved one, 7) My own beliefs, 8) Marriage or significant other, 9) God provided during hard times, 10) I have not grown spiritually.

            So what can Christians (who make up the church) do to slow the trend of church unpopularity?  After all, if people (churched or unchurched) want to hear a good sermon or lesson, they can go online and listen to whomever they please.  If they want socialization, they can visit with people through electronic media using Facebook or online video gaming groups.

            There are some things that can only be experienced by face to face human interaction.  The early church came together on the first day of the week to remember the Lord’s death while eating the unleavened bread and drinking the fruit of the vine representing the body and the blood (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor 11:17-26).  Imagine the stories they exchanged!  They also sang, prayed to God for one another, studied the Bible with each other, and gave of their income for the work of the church.  It was a deliberate, not accidental, effort to make a difference.  All of this, with persecution looming around every corner.

            Paul told the church to “Greet one another with a holy kiss (Rom 16:16).”  You see, when we stop approaching church only from a worship checklist standpoint, and start allowing Jesus to change who we are at the very core of our being, we will see everything in life, including our daily purpose, much differently.  Only then, will people’s opinion of the church change, and the trend of disinterest turn around.  Have a great week!

Marriage God’s way is honorable

by Barrett Vanlandingham
February 11, 2014

            This spring, I will be conducting a wedding ceremony for my niece, Julia and her fiancé Kyle.  So, I had been thinking about what I would say to this young man and young lady.  Then, lo and behold, as I was cleaning out a cabinet in my office, I came across the outline of an old sermon a preacher friend of mine delivered titled “Marriage Is Honorable.”  What timing!  And just in time for Valentine’s Day.  You talk about providence!

            Even though the sermon was nearly 20 years old, the Biblical truths expressed in it are timeless!  So, I thought I would pass along these three points to my readers, especially since many in our society no longer hold marriage as being sacred or honorable.

            1) Marriage is a divine institution, a gift from God, and is for our good. Genesis 2:18-24 leaves no doubt as to what God had in mind for the covenant of marriage.  “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’”  It goes on to say that “God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.  The man said, this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”

            2)  Marriage means commitment.  It is an accepting covenant, meaning, we all have faults (Romans 3:23), and it sometimes takes a little work to get past the idea that your spouse can be absolutely perfect all the time.  The Old and New Testaments teach that we are to honor marriage as an exclusive commitment (Exodus 20:14, Matthew 5:28), and that both physical adultery and emotional adultery are sin.

            3) Marriage means permanence.  Remember? For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part?  That is not a Bible quote, but it is rooted and supported in God’s word.  Paul told the church in Rome that marriage is a lifetime commitment (Romans 7:2). The Old Testament says that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16).  In the New Testament Jesus also speaks strongly against it in Matthew 19:4-9, and goes as far as saying that “anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.” 

            Paul told the church in Ephesus that wives should submit to their husbands in everything, AND that husbands should love their wives, “just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Ephesians 5:22-25).”

            The covenant of marriage, as described in the Bible, should be honored by all (Hebrews 13:4).  Yes, a successful marriage must be built on an undying, selfless, and sacrificial love between a man and woman.  But both must also build their marriage on the foundation of Jesus Christ, placing Him as the highest priority in their lives.  Only then will everything else fall into place, and the husband and wife will experience joy and a marriage covenant as God intended, with both looking out for the best interests of the other and looking to God in all things.   Have a great week!

A forgiving spirit is worth striving for

by Barrett Vanlandingham
February 4, 2014

            The notion of having to sell your spouse and children in order to repay a debt is unthinkable.  Jesus told this parable in Matthew 18:21-35 about a servant who owed his master millions of dollars, but could not pay it back. 

            “The servant fell on his knees before him (the master). ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.”

            That would be such a nice story if that were the way it ended.  However, the servant who had just received mercy went out and had someone else thrown in prison who couldn’t repay a debt to him.  This seems outrageous. But isn’t this exactly how we behave sometimes?  We all like to receive mercy, and we love it when people are patient with us.  But how many of us embrace opportunities to show mercy and have patience towards others?   And if that doesn’t step on our toes enough, how many of us are deficient at showing God the proper commitment, even as we expect Him to stay committed to us, and show us great amounts of love and patience and mercy?

            I recently watched a YouTube video in the “I Am Second” series.  Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson was reminiscing about when he caught some thieves red handed as they were attempting to steal fish from Phil’s net.  The incident took place just after Phil had become a Christian and changed his lifestyle. So, instead of running the thieves off with his shotgun, Phil told them they could have whatever was in the net.  From that point on, Phil said those thieves stopped stealing fish all up and down the river.  Phil said that God knew what would work all along.  Matthew 5:40 says, “And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.”

            Some people look at forgiving others as a sign of weakness, especially if the one being forgiven gets away without being punished.  Please don’t get me wrong, the Bible does not promote thievery, laziness, or the carrying on of undisciplined lifestyles.  After all, “If anyone isn’t willing to work, he should not eat (2 Thes. 3:10).”  But there are simply times that showing mercy and patience teaches a better lesson than harsh punishment. 

            The apostle Paul urges us to “Not repay anyone evil for evil (Romans 12:17).”   Forgiveness is proactive, gives peace of mind, and makes you no longer the victim.  Forgiveness takes the burden off your shoulders and allows God to take vengeance as He sees fit in his own time.  Have a great week!   

The Bible says Jesus is the only way to heaven

by Barrett Vanlandingham
January 28, 2014

            Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6).”

            The New Testament of the Bible has been questioned and doubted the majority of the time it’s been in print.  Even many of those who were alive during and right after Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection doubted or even flat out denied the miraculous events that rocked the world during this first century time frame and ever since.

            Jesus did some incredible miracles such as healing a demon-possessed man who was blind and deaf (Matthew 12:22-28).  But even then, one of the highly educated Jewish sects known as the Pharisees simply chose to believe that His miracles were the result of the devil’s power, a claim that as Jesus pointed out made no sense.  But even before they verbalized their skepticism, “Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself, how then can his kingdom stand?’”  The Pharisees were not ready to concede that Satan would attack himself.  But on the other hand, they were also not ready to concede that Jesus was able to cast out a demon by God’s power, either.

            Other desperate attempts to discredit Jesus came after His resurrection.  In Matthew 28:11-15, the chief priests paid the soldiers at the tomb a “large sum of money” to spread the lie that Jesus’ disciples stole His body from the tomb in the night while the soldiers were asleep.  Can you imagine how much commotion there would have been?   Imagine enough people to unseal a giant stone from a tomb, even if they tried to be quiet, sneaking up behind two sleeping guards, without waking anyone, and then proceeding to carry away Jesus’ body?  Of course, this is presuming that both of these highly trained fighting machines known as Roman guards fell asleep on the job, at the same time, after such a high profile execution as this.  Not likely.

            Paul had many challenges in keeping new Christians on track with the Lord’s teachings, since false teachers were all too eager to lead astray those immature in the faith.  He said, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned (Galatians 1:8).”

            Today, some people still try to discredit Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God.  Too many are eager to lure believers away from our only hope, Jesus Christ, in exchange for a false hope based on lies.  They try to convince people that Jesus is not the only way to eternal life with God.  In the end, their success at proving Jesus wrong will not be any greater than those who came before them.  And sooner or later, “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11).”

            For some, that will be a day of rejoicing!  Have a great week!

Blessings can even be found in a bad day

by Barrett Vanlandingham
January 21, 2014

            Did you ever have one of those days when you seem to be a minute or two late for everything, no matter how hard you try?  I had one of those days last week. 

            First, I picked up my son from school promptly at 2:40 so we could go to the Public Safety office in Muskogee to get his driver’s permit before 3:00 when they often stop taking customers even though the office is “open” until 4:45.  But when we got there, the sign said “Closed, moved to 1806 N. York.” 

            So, on our way to the new location, I caught the green arrow at the intersection of Shawnee and York. But before I could get through the light, a funeral procession went through ahead of me.  My son and I could not help but laugh hysterically, not at the fact that someone died, obviously, but at the fact that we just couldn’t seem to catch a break.  Could be worse!

            We finally arrived at the DPS at 3:01pm. They said, “Sorry, we’re not giving out any more numbers (tickets) today.”  We did catch a break, though, since I had already called on my cell phone.  We sat waiting in the lobby with ticket #59.  The lobby sign stayed on customer #49 for over 45 minutes.  Half of those ten customers left before it was their turn. Eventually, the nice, hard-working examiner (the only person working the desk at the new and more efficient location), called out our number, #59 at about 4:10.  Hooray!   

            We finished up and left at 4:20 to go to the Fort Gibson Tag Agency for part 2 of the process. But since it closes at 4:30, and we arrived at 4:32, our task then became a two-day adventure.  I didn’t mind, since the Fort Gibson Tag Agency ALWAYS does a fantastic job with speedy and courteous customer service, and is well-deserving of going home on-time.  Anyway, we went home and ate a quick bite so I could get my son to music practice 20 minutes late.

            Then, I thought I would take my mind off the day, and do something nice for my wife who teaches second grade, and was still in her classroom at 6:45 (This is normal for teachers unless they want to come in on Saturdays and Sundays to get everything done).  She needed an ink cartridge for her classroom printer (which she supplies), and some printing labels.  I hopped in the car and headed from Fort Gibson to Office Depot in Muskogee, arriving at 7:01.  Unfortunately, they closed at 7:00.  Ugh!  Thank goodness those kinds of days are the exception!

            The other day, I read a Facebook post by one of my friends and graduated youth group member, Kinsey Dortch. Her quote from Solomon put so many things into perspective for all of us.  It says, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails (Proverbs 19:21).”

            As much stress as I allow myself to feel, ultimately it is God’s will that I am seeking to accomplish, whether things are going “my way” or not.  God has His reasons for intervening. Who knows? Maybe God blessed me and my son with a day like that to help us with our patience, or maybe so my son could see how I react to stressful situations as a Christian dad.  Whatever the case, God is still GOOD.  And at the end of the day, I still have the assurance of heaven.  Have a great week!

Ancient evidence of Bible accuracy still being uncovered

by Barrett Vanlandingham
January 14, 2014

             The thing I like the most about the Bible is that it is true!  If it were not true, then none of the stories, no matter how compelling, would be life-changing, or give us any hope of anything beyond this life.  But since new proof is always an exciting faith builder, it is encouraging when evidence from archaeology, science, astronomy, or geology agrees with Biblical history.

            You may remember the Old Testament story from Joshua 6 of how the walls of Jericho fell, after God’s people, by faith, marched around the city for seven days at the Lord’s command.  This is a God-inspired story that took place about 3400 years ago, after Joshua took over for his mentor Moses in leading the Israelites to the land God promised, one military victory after another.  It’s a story of hope and motivation to side with God, and let Him break down the walls before you as He chooses.  It has been part of the Bible, and protected by Jewish scribes since it was written as far back as 1400 B.C.  Jews from then on, accepted the story, and believed it as truth.

            But in the 1950’s, British archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon meticulously excavated the ancient site of Jericho at the request of another British archaeologist named John Garstang in the 1930’s, who was hoping she would confirm his findings that the story of the Jericho wall happened just the way the Bible said.  Unfortunately, she came to the conclusion that the story “…so vividly described in the book of Joshua” did not happen.  O yes, Kenyon found a huge wall that had been destroyed, but her theory is that the Egyptians did it 150 years earlier, and that Jericho of the Bible did not exist during the time Joshua led the Israelites. 

            However, as with any statement contrary to God’s word, just because someone disagrees with the Bible, doesn’t mean their theory is true.  Kenyon based her ideas on the fact that she could not find a particular type of pottery that was very popular during that time.  The problem for her theory turned out to be that the pottery she was looking for was expensive and imported.  That is an important detail since her own evidence (and from other archaeologists) showed the area she was digging in was a poor section of the city.   

            In more recent years, an American archaeologist named Bryant G. Wood who specializes in Canaanite Late Bronze Age pottery has continued to lecture on this topic.  His findings have turned Kenyon’s theory upside-down. His work came about forty years after Kenyon’s research.  He visited the site and re-examined the evidence discovered by a German team in 1907, by Garstang in the 1930’s, by Kenyon in the 1950’s, and by an Italian-Palestinian team in 1997.

            Among other evidence, Dr. Wood reported these findings: 

1) large amounts of home-made pottery with red and black patterns common to the 1400 B.C. time frame.

2) large quantities of grain stored in ceramic containers. Joshua 2:6 indicates it was harvest time, as opposed to the pre-harvest time of year in which an Egyptian siege would have likely used to starve out their opponent.  Also, God commanded the Israelites to leave all valuables behind because it was to be devoted to God (Joshua 6:17).

3) Houses attached to the north section of the excavated Jericho wall were undamaged, and are close to the mountains as described in Joshua 2:15. The Bible says Rahab hid spies in her house in the wall with the assurance that she would remain unharmed. 

4) large amounts of mud brick that had fallen towards the outside, making the perfect incline for the Israelites to “go up” into the city (Joshua 6:5).

            So what do we do with this information?  I believe it is just one more thing to encourage all of us to be faithful to the Bible’s teachings, even when we don’t fully understand the details of how such amazing things happened.  Yes, being a Christian and believing in our creator God take faith.  Still, the mountains of evidence here on earth, and among the stars and planets, are more than enough to tip the scales of doubt and faith in favor of the Bible and all of its amazing accounts therein.  Have a great week!

Let Jesus Christ be your guide in 2014

by Barrett Vanlandingham
January 7, 2014

            As long as we live on earth, Christians will never be able to force morality on anyone, through more laws or any other means.  Sure, you can throw someone in jail for breaking the law.  Sometimes, that is what’s needed as a measure of public safety.  But that does not necessarily change a person’s moral stance on issues we face today.  It does not bring them salvation or even a better life. Only Jesus can.  That’s where we as Christians come in.  But even after telling someone the Good News story of Christ and what he has done for us, it is still up to the individual to believe and act on Biblical truths.

            Yes, I would love to say good-bye and good riddance to some of the immorality that saw an increase in 2013.  However, it looks like we are only in for more in the New Year.

            Morality in our country is suffering more and more as laws, policies, and rulings promoting habits, activities and lifestyles contrary to God’s word seem to be gaining steam. Here are just a few:

            1) Legalized gambling is addictive and promotes the love of money and the coveting of ill-gotten gain (Proverbs 10:2, 1 Tim. 6:9-10).  The fact is, when a gambler wins, the money comes from someone who lost.  The winnings on one end often result in tragic losses of finances, property and relationships on the other end.  So far, I haven’t found anything in the Bible that speaks well of gambling or getting rich without working for it.  In Proverbs, Solomon (the wisest man who ever lived) contrasts ill-gotten treasures with righteousness.

            2) Legalizing recreational marijuana will definitely get the drug into the hands of more people who want it for more than medicinal uses.  Common sense says legalizing marijuana will not promote sober-mindedness (1 Peter 5:8), and unlike alcohol, there is no way to tell if the driver of a vehicle has smoked too much until it’s too late.  God’s word condemns drunkenness over and over (Galatians 5:21).

            3)  Legalizing homosexual marriage conflicts with Old and New Testament teachings (Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 Tim. 1:10, 1 Cor. 7:2, Genesis 2:19-23).  In Romans 1:18-32, God’s word condemns the acting out of both male to male, and female to female homosexual relations. 

             We ALL fight one sin or another.  Gossip, malice, slander, gluttony, covetousness, pride, drunkenness, and sexual sin are just a few that the Bible speaks of.  But just because we are tempted by a particular sin does NOT mean we have to give in to temptation and hopelessly embrace sin.  God simply would not create someone in such a way that they would not be able to obey His will and escape hell. 

            Spiritual war is a very real thing, and we are ALL involved in it, just as people have been for thousands of years.  Over and over, mankind has embraced God, and then turned its back on Him.  In speaking of judgment day, Peter said, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).”  Christians are also called to be patient, and love every sinner, even as we hate every sin.

            If you are reading this and do not sense my sincerity and love for all people, please forgive me.  I am, like many of you, only a sinner who strives daily to obey God’s will, but in the end, saved only by grace.  Have a blessed week!

Spiritual blessings in the New Year come by choice

by Barrett Vanlandingham
December 31, 2013

            “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).”

            When I was baptized as a young man, the feeling of coming back up out of the water is something I will never forget.  My sins were washed away!  It was as if I was starting all over with not even a single sin attached to my soul.  It was like being a baby again… sinless.  A “new creation”!

            As I grew in my knowledge of scripture and awareness of God’s constant presence in my life, my faith and appreciation of God grew.  Once again God was right, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17).”

            I love verses such as 1 John 1:7 that remind me that as long as I continue to walk in God’s light where he is, the blood of Jesus will continue to cleanse me from all sin. 

            It’s like wearing a Jesus covering all the time.  Galatians 3:26-27 says, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

            Of course, the water itself has no supernatural properties (1 Peter 3:21).  The Bible describes what happens during baptism as God’s power at work. 

            “…having been buried with him (Christ) in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.”   

            It is not our power or works that save us.  It is God who does the work, and it is God who saves us by his grace, through our faith (Ephesians 2:8) in Jesus as our Savior, and when we allow our love for Christ to be shown in our obedience to him (James 2:24-26). 

            So, what are we supposed to do with this information in the coming year?  Well, according to scripture, if you want to turn over a new leaf, so to speak, and become a new creation, you must be “in Christ”, or clothed in Christ.  Paul says in Romans 6:3-4 that baptism "into Christ" makes it possible for Christians to live a new life.  He also says, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).”

            Anyone or anything can be dunked.  But baptism is different.  It involves a person who believes that Jesus is the son of God, and who is ready to begin a new life of obedience to him.  Have a great week!

The weeks after Jesus’ birth are fascinating, too

by Barrett Vanlandingham

December 24, 2013

            The birth of the Christ child immediately drew the attention and praise of nearby shepherds (Luke 2:8) who visited him in a manger, with Joseph and Mary there.  Then, up to 24 months later, Wise Men from the east came to worship and bring gifts to Jesus in a house. 

            But what happened in between?  Those were not the only significant appearances recorded in the Bible regarding the early days of our Savior.  On the eighth day, when the baby was circumcised, Joseph and Mary named him Jesus (Luke 2:21). This was the name the angel had given Him before He was even conceived.

            When Jesus was 41 days old, his parents brought him to the temple in Jerusalem to present Him to God, and also to offer a sacrifice to the Lord.  The 41 days is how long it took under Jewish law for a woman to be considered purified after giving birth to a son, or 81 days if she gave birth to a girl (Leviticus 12).

            To me, one of the most exciting parts of the day at the temple involves an elderly man named Simeon.  Luke 2:25 says that he was righteous and devout, and that God’s Holy Spirit prompted him to go to the temple.  He no doubt was very happy he listened to God that day, because when Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the temple, Simeon was not only there, but the following verses tell us exactly what happened. They also quote his exact heartfelt words in the presence of the baby, Joseph, and Mary.  We can only dream of being so fortunate!

            “Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, now you dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel (Luke 2:28-32).”

            Can you even imagine the joy of this elderly man, Simeon?!  He is the only person recorded in the Bible as having held the Christ child in his arms while talking to Jesus’ heavenly Father, God?!  Even God himself did not get to hold his own son in the flesh. Other friends or family must have also held this child.  But Simeon is certainly in a small circle who can say they held the Christ child on the day he was presented to God in the temple.

            As always, the important part of the story is what our response will be today.  Will we, like Simeon, pay attention to where God’s Spirit is leading us?  Do we allow Jesus to be the Light for our path?  And do we lift up and glorify the King of Kings in the way we live?  Have a great week!

The mystery behind the three gifts may not be so mysterious

by Barrett Vanlandingham

December 17, 2013

                                 

            Unless we fall victim to a cleverly-timed, random, holiday infomercial, most of us try to buy or make Christmas gifts that either fit the personality of the one to whom we’re presenting the gift, or the gift is something the person needs.

            So, did you ever wonder about the choice of gifts brought by Wise Men in the Bible, also known as Magi or astrologers, to give to the probable toddler? 

            “And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh (Matthew 2:11, ESV).”      

            Did they just have a weak moment and randomly purchase these items from a traveling salesman or maybe a bi-vocational sheep herder?  Not likely.  After all, these visitors “from the east” had plenty of time to think about what kind of gifts they would bring, since it would have taken several months to get to Jerusalem from any number of places east of the Euphrates River, after having seen Christ’s star.  In fact, since the paranoid King Herod ordered the slaughter of all males in the area who were two years old and under “in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi (Matt. 2:16),” we can be reasonably certain that Jesus was not still a newborn in a “manger”.  As verse 11 points out, the Wise Men actually went “into the house.”  It was earlier that the “shepherds” visited the “baby” in a manger (no room in the inn).

            There are more than a few explanations for the choice of gifts.  One is that they were expensive, and Joseph could have easily carried these items to be used as barter during their trip to Egypt where they stayed until Herod’s death. 

            Another explanation is that the Wise Men, however many there were (the Bible doesn't say) brought three gifts fit for a king!  In the Old Testament, the Queen of Sheba and many others brought gifts to King Solomon including gold, spices, and jewels (1 Kings 10). 

            A third possible explanation has more to do with symbolism.  In Exodus 30:22-38, a recipe is given for anointing oil that included myrrh, and another recipe for incense that included frankincense.  Both recipes were considered holy, and to be used only on burnt offerings by priests, or on other holy items used in some way to honor God, but not to be used simply for anyone’s enjoyment, under the penalty of being cut-off from God’s people.

            For those reasons, one tradition says the gold was given in recognition of Christ as King, the frankincense in recognition of Jesus as High Priest, and myrrh to symbolize the anointing oil that would be needed after his sacrificial death.

            The most important gift we can give to Christ today is that of our love and obedience.  God bless you, and have a great week!