“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” 
(Eccl. 4:9-10)

We tend to think of relationships as a sort of recovery system for life. We frequently think about a husband who can be there to lift up his wife when she is down or of a great friend who can help balance out one’s own negative character traits. And based on the text above, that is a perfectly valid way to think of relationships—especially godly ones.

But let’s not forget the other side of the coin which is also talked about in this passage—“they have a good reward for their toil.”

Great relationships do not only help us when we are at a low ebb; they share the good with us when we are at a high point. Marriage is not only good because one spouse is strong while the other is weak; it is meant to be built on shared strength and shared joy. Truly great friendships do not only bring us up from our darkness; they celebrate and enjoy the light together. A church should not only be important to help me when I am weak; it is a relationship that is meant to be built on shared strength and shared joy.

Solomon continued his thought by saying, “if two lie together, they keep warm… though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him.” (Eccl. 4:11-12)  He saw the rewards of good relationships.

This little shift in our thinking can and should make some big changes in our relationships. When we are only thinking, “I need this relationship to fix me when I’m broken,” we will be much more likely to be selfish and demanding in the relationship. But when we think about making the other person’s life better whether they are “up” or “down,” then we will be able to give more to the relationship. And that is the best way to do it. That is the way Jesus did and does relationships. When both parties are working to give to the other, “they have a good reward for their toil.”

- Dan Lankford, minister

While the Lord goes to great pains to emphasize in his Word that all believers are of equally great value in his sight, he does give particular attention in the New Testament to those who propagated the spread of the Gospel message. Those men and women—many of whom we would call “missionaries” today—willingly incurred personal risk and hardship in and effort to take history’s most worthwhile message “to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15). Christians of their era knew the power of God was at work in these brothers and sisters, and so they prayed for their success.

In Acts 4, after two of the apostles—Peter and John—had been arrested for teaching the gospel, the believers gathered to pray to God. And while they acknowledge the sizable opposition they face (Acts 4:27), they also confidently express their believe that God has been in control the whole time (v. 28). Their prayer, then, is for the boldness necessary to continue to teach the lost openly in spite of the opposition they face. And God answers their prayer with astonishing church growth through the rest of Acts.

Later, in one of his letters to Christians, the apostle Paul would request prayers for himself along much the same vein. “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.” (Col. 4:2-4)  Paul believed in the power of prayer. He knew how important it was to the spread of the gospel and to his ministry to fellow Christians. His prayer is primarily for two things: opportunity and clarity of the message.

Obviously, these prayers ought to be easily echoed by believers today. Our mission has not changed despite how much our world may have seemed to change. And so we would do well to pray for those whose life’s work consists of teaching the gospel to the lost. We would do well to pray for their boldness, to celebrate their successes, and to imitate their examples of faith. The message of the cross is the power of God to those of us who are being saved (1 Cor. 1:18). Let’s pray for many, many more to receive that power!

- Dan Lankford, evangelist

The gospel calls for our obedience with a broad range of emotional and intellectual appeals. It calls us to obey out of fear (Rom. 11:22), out of love (John 14:15), out of feelings guilt (Rom. 5:6-8), and out of a sense of duty (Rom. 13:11-14, discussed below). I believe this broad appeal is partly due to God's unsurpassed understanding of the human mind and his desire to call everyone to repentance. But I believe the main reason we find so many varied types of appeals is that the gospel fulfills all of our deepest needs, and consequently, it can call to us on all of our deepest emotional and psychological levels.

In Romans 13:11-14, the Holy Spirit calls us to get up and get ready. It is His "bugle call" rousing us from our lazy oversleeping in our tents. He calls us to put on our armor and get into the battle against the evil one! Our spiritual battle is happening now, and we must charge into the fray!

Notice the phrases he uses throughout to paint this picture:

"the hour has come for you to wake from sleep" (v. 11)
• Every soldier and every emergency responder understands that intense situations do not come at our conveniences, and so we must wake up—take action in the present—to fight for the Lord's glory and overcome.

"the night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness... Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy." (vv. 12, 13)
• When it comes time to fight the enemy (in the present), don't go AWOL and be carousing and drunk with the pleasures & ease of life or caught up in brawls caused by your own arrogance so that you can't respond to the enemy. A good soldier can enjoy himself, but he stays sober-minded & dressed for battle.

"and put on the armor of light" (v. 12)
• Again, a godly soldier is dressed for battle. Ready to defend himself against the enemy and ready to make offensive advances for the cause of his God.

"put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires" (v. 14)
• Our enemy is the temptations of the flesh. And while we must make some battle provisions before marching in, it simply does no good to provide the enemy an opportunity to overcome us. So we dress ourselves with the armor of light—put on the Lord Jesus Christ—and we carry the necessary tools to fight against the devil. But we carry nothing that might slow us down or give our enemy the upper hand over us.

The fight for the gospel is an urgent one. The bugle call is sounding now. Are you going to sleep lazily in your tent? Or are you going to get moving right away and do what needs to be done?!

"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." (James 4:17)

- Dan Lankford, minister

“Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.’” (Gen. 11:4)

The tower of Babel—“Babylon” in the original language—was the brainchild of a people seeking their own glory. “Come and let us make a name for ourselves.”

In our efforts to Rise Up & Build in this new year, the Lord has already blessed our congregation with success. He has given a growing sense of family as new and old members have all connected more deeply. He has given growth in number through conversions and repeated guests. He has given the increase in our faith as individuals through the study of his word in our lives. And for all of this, we must remember to thank HIM for the growth.

In any effort by God's people to Rise Up & Build, the goal must be to give glory to God. God halted construction of the Tower of Babylon because mankind had already failed—they had already lost sight of whose glory they must live for.
In view of our efforts to Rise Up & Build in 2016, it is difficult to overstate the importance of this mindset. Because if we are building in hopes that Eastland will become a great name among churches, we have the wrong goals. If we are building in hopes that our methods will become noteworthy and be imitated among other groups, we have the wrong goals. Even if we are building in hopes of the excitement of new people and new facilities, we have the wrong goals.

In all of our efforts to live the gospel, share the gospel, and participate in the gospel, the goal must be to bring souls to Christ. To live for God’s glory better in our own lives, to bring others to see his glory and live for that themselves, and to participate together in bringing glory to him. If it is for our own glory, it will fail. Only when we build for God’s glory will we continue to be blessed with growth!

- Dan Lankford, minister

In Jesus' illustration using the house built on sand and the house built on solid rock (Matt. 7:24-27), both houses looked the same... until the storm came.

In his parable of the sower (Luke 8:4-8), the plants from three of the environments—the thorny soil, the rocky soil, and the good soil—looked the same... until it came time to bear fruit.

In his parable of the good seed and the tares (Matt. 13:24-30), both types of plant looked like they were going to be just fine... until the harvest.

The reality for us is that the Christian and the church-goer-only may look identical to the outside observer. Both may look morally solid. Both may look spiritually healthy. Both may look like they're going to be just fine in the long run. Until...

Until the storms of life come. Then you'll see a difference.
Until it comes time to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Then you'll see a difference.
Until the harvest—the judgment day—comes. Then you'll see a difference.

Are you going to be the church-goer-only and pray for ease and for no trials, no reckoning, and no harvest? Or are you going to be the Christian and pray for strength to endure, the faith to bear fruit, and the grace to be in His harvest?

- Dan Lankford, minister

“If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you… You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.” (Lev. 25:35-38, emphasis added)

In commanding them not to exact interest on loans to their poor brothers, God reminded his people under the Law of Moses to mirror his own generosity. He had given them the land of promise—and plenty more besides—and he asked them to live similarly toward each other.

In Jesus’ sermon in Luke 6, he makes a similar requirement of his disciples. “Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back” (Luke 6: 30, emphasis added). He commands us to give—to do good—not so we expect repayment either now or int the future, but simply because we can do good. It is an attitude of grace and generosity that mirrors the grace and generosity of God both under the Law of Moses and since the time of Christ.

We would do well to put these principles to work toward our families first. Give some deep and honest consideration to the following questions. How much are you willing to GIVE for your family? Are you willing to do good when it goes unnoticed? What about when it is rejected? What about when family members hate you for doing what is right? Will you continue?

How much are you willing to GIVE for your family? Are you willing to be wronged when you’ve done right? Are you willing to forfeit your rights and pleasures for someone else’s best interest? Are you willing to love or respect your spouse more than yourself or your children? Are you willing to love your children by putting their needs above your own? And are you willing to do all of it without demanding to be repaid for the good that you have done?

Don’t keep your family members in debt to you. Just be a giver. And in doing so, you will teach them what God has already done for all of us.

- Dan Lankford, minister

Every leader must be a follower of something. Franchise owners follow corporate policies. School administrators & teachers follow standards from boards of education. Judges take oaths to strictly follow and administer the imperatives of law.

As many writers have observed, Christians are called to a life of leadership by the very nature of our calling—to lead the world to Christ, to lead by example of integrity, and to lead the world in applying the Biblical principles of diligence, courage, and love. In all this leadership, however, we have a higher calling to be followers. The call of Christian faith is to follow the commands & the example of Jesus as thoroughly as is possible. It is this call to follow that wholly defines us, teaching us to lead just as Christ would lead.

Following him means devotion to understanding his word. It means continually reading our Bibles, asking good questions, and most importantly, doing whatever we find in its pages. When God speaks of our attitude toward obnoxious neighbors—“love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet. 4:8)—we follow his will. When God speaks about how we should not use alcohol—“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery” (Eph. 5:18)—we follow his will. When God speaks of how our churches are led—“put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you” (Titus 1:5)—we follow his will.

Jesus plainly said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15, ESV). How much do you love Jesus? How much do you actually know about the Bible and his commandments found there? How much of your life are you devoting to following him? If you want to be a leader as a Christian, you need to look at some of the hard answers to these questions. If you want to be a leader as a Christian, are you following Christ as fully as possible?

- Dan Lankford, minister

One of my preaching mentors wrote: “I have been with my current congregation for 18 years. On my first Sunday in the pulpit, I promised the church that I would never stand before them unprepared. I believe I can say with integrity that I have kept that promise. Could I ‘wing it’ after three and a half decades of preaching? Yes, I could. But I would know, and God would know…”

How does he do that? He simply works diligently enough all the time to be prepared at any time. That perspective is one which he did his best to instill in me, and I am willing to make the same promise to my church family at Eastland. I will never stand before them unprepared.

That perspective is obviously noble when it applies to preaching. It also makes for a great perspective on living. Jesus said, “the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matt. 24:44). In the course of the next chapter, he went on to give five reasons why his followers must work diligently enough all the time to be ready at any time. He asks us not to stand before Him unprepared.

I think sometimes we imagine that the end of our time will come like the end of Paul’s time. We will see our end on the horizon and be able to calmly say, “I have fought the good fight… there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness” (2 Tim. 4:7-8). But Paul’s circumstance was unique. He was a prisoner, facing the death penalty. Paul could see his end coming. We are not likely to find ourselves in that same situation, but we can live with such diligence that we are ready even today to say, “I have fought the good fight… there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness.”

That same preaching mentor was wont to say, “Sunday will come every week, whether you’re ready or not.” It only took about 1 month of full-time preaching before I realized how right he was.

Take this simple reminder to heart: The final day will come once (Heb. 9:27), whether you’re ready or not.

Be diligent to be ready… today.

- Dan Lankford, minister

Early this morning, terrorists attacked the city of Brussels, Belgium. At least two bombs were detonated—one in Belgium's largest airport and another at a subway station in downtown Brussels. The death toll is still uncertain, though it appears to be at least 30. ISIS (the radical Islamic splinter government of Iraq & Syria) has claimed responsibility for the attacks. It is yet another example of radical Islamic violence and needless loss of precious human life.

When terrorist attacks happen, I think most Christians' first thought is something like, "We need to pray for Belgium." This is evidenced by the fast-trending hashtag #prayforBrussels on Twitter today. And this, I believe, is healthy. Christians should pray when parts of the world fall victim to evil & violence. We should pray for Brussels today.

But.... what should we be praying?

Here are some thoughts to give your mind a little direction amid the emotional turmoil that inevitably comes with events like these:

"Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved." (Rom. 10:1)

"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matt. 5:44-45)

"Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!" (Psa. 61:1-4)

"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak." (Col. 4:2-4 — it's worth remembering that our "normal," daily prayers are powerful and do not need to be put on hold in times of distress; in fact, many of those prayers become even more needed in times like these!)

"I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way." (1 Tim. 2:1-2)

"Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved." (Rom. 10:1)

- Dan Lankford, minister

Tuesday's news was mainly given to campaign quotes and Super Tuesday hopes & results. Regardless of how you feel about the candidates in this year's presidential election, and regardless of what you anticipate the future will be for this country, remember a couple of these things above all those things:

"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment." (Rom. 13:1-2)

"[The king of Babylon] was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will." (Daniel 5:21)

"My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." (John 18:36)

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus..." (1 Timothy 2:1-5)

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)