By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

I cleaned out a couple of used pots that had been sitting in the corner of the carport.  I filled them each with good potting soil and dampened it just a bit.  I carefully tore open the small paper package and slowly poured just a very few of the seeds into my hand.  I then took each of those very tiny seeds, one at a time, and pushed them down into that dirt, covered them up, and sprinkled a little more water over each one.

Then begins the waiting process.

I did all that about two weeks ago.  Just a week later, I took this picture.  I’ve circled each one so they can be more easily seen.  Inside each of those circles is a small green plant.  That’s right!  I have tomato plants coming up!  Isn’t that wonderful?

Yep, they’re small.  They look like weeds.  Had I not planted them myself, I would have assumed they were weeds and probably pulled them up.  But I did plant them, and so I was prepared for what I saw growing – much sooner than I expected, too.

Today, there’s someone sitting in a dark corner waiting for someone else to invite them out into the sunshine.  A friend needs a little help in dusting themselves off and refilling themselves with something worthwhile.  As a child of God, it is up to you to take even the tiniest of seeds and plant them into that individual.  Remind them they are loved.  Restore some hope into their dismal existence.  Introduce them to Jesus.  Plant the seed.

And then water it, too!  Keep a check on the slow but sure growth.  Water again when necessary.  And keep an ever-watchful eye out for any weeds.  

If I stop now and don’t water or watch those tomato plants any longer, they will either die, or I’ll likely not ever see any of the tomatoes I can already taste in my mind.

If you give up on that friend, there just might not be any fruit later.  Someone at some point in time thought enough of you to plant a seed, water it, and tend to it as you grew.  You owe it to those around you to do the same.  Invite them into the SONshine, tend to their growth (make disciples), and get ready for what wonderful things will come.

It takes patience.  But I promise it’s worth it in the end!

Just a thought.  

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Regular readers of these “Thoughts” will know that I enjoy visiting and taking pictures of all kinds of churches whenever I have the chance.  I’ve shared pictures of cathedrals and chapels, big and small, and this little church fascinated me.

Sitting right in the middle of several quaint little shops and eateries just a block or so off the main drag in downtown San Antonio, Texas, is this little Episcopal church.  I wanted to go inside and wander around, but it was locked up tight, so I snapped this shot through a door window.

It is a beautiful little church.  It seems to be well kept.  It looks bright and airy.  It’s probably well used.  The sunlight makes a nice display through the lone stained glass window.  The nicely polished wooden pews offset the slightly faded red carpet of the aisle.  You’ll may also notice that the church is well lit even though none of the electric lights are on.  The sun is shining brightly through each of the side windows as well as the stained glass.

What you don’t see in my photo is the world outside these four short walls.  Immediately in front of the small building, slowly walking the sidewalk, are two women, one probably the mother of the other, traveling with a small child in a stroller.  All three look forlorn and tired, probably hungry.

Directly behind the church building stands a line of people, a line I had to cross in order to come around to the front and peer inside the church.  In that line are various folks of various ages, shapes, sizes, and states of dress.  Some are toting what are probably their only worldly possessions.  No sounds are made.  Oddly quiet, they all wait their turn to step inside the “food kitchen” across the way for what may very well be their only warm meal of the day.

I had just eaten my lunch.  I felt strangely ashamed to have a full stomach as I made my way past.  And I can’t help but wonder about their spiritual hunger as well as the physical.

I don’t know that little church membership.  I have no clue of their involvement in their community.  So I raise no judgment.  I do, however, question each of us and our intentions as we walk along in this life directly past the hurting, the hungry, and the lost simply to get to the comforts of our nice little church buildings.

What kind of witness for the Lord are we being outside of the church house this week?  Stop.  Look.  Listen.  Get up out of your comfortable chair and walk around in your small world.  You’ll be surprised how many needs you find.

Lord, help us see the need.

Just a thought.

By Ryan Kelly

If you are like me, you enjoy gaining inspiration from others on how to grow your life and succeed at the various things that you’re interested in.  For me, it’s business, but for others it may be sports, landscaping, healthcare, law, politics, ministry, a trade, or any number of other interests.  But, when you start reading and watching videos from others, it can tend to sway you into territory that you don’t necessarily want to be in.

Case in point – I enjoy listening to podcasts from real estate investors and high-end business owners.  I like to hear the inspiration behind what has made them successful.  But inevitably, it makes me want to work more and to push harder.  This isn’t a bad thing in itself, but the problem is that it doesn’t always fit where the Lord wants me to be in this stage of life.  I am already a very hard worker by nature, and I frequently feel the Lord telling me to enjoy time with family and to slow down.  Anytime I ask Him what my life should look like, He clearly gives me a heart for my family and quality family time above all else. This can be contrary to the lives of tech giants and real estate moguls.  When I listen to these gurus of finance, it often takes my eye off of the Lord and onto others for my inspiration and guidance.  Fortunately, I can quickly identify if I go astray and allow the Lord to pull me back to the reality of who He “really wants me to be.”  In this, I take great comfort and am very grateful.

I say this to ask, do you feel the Lord pulling you into the life that He wants you to be living right now?  And further, who are you listening to…other people or the Lord?  There is nothing at all wrong with gaining inspiration from others and being motivated to be successful. I often enjoy it.  But ultimately the only voice that matters is the one who created you and who truly knows what is best for you.  After all, He knit you in your mothers’ womb before you were born and He has a path intended for you to follow.  

In this crazy world with so many voices, be sure to listen to the Lord’s voice and His guidance for you.  You will never go wrong by following Him.

Just a thought to help start your week.

Critters, creatures, and bug-eyed fish.  No, I’m not describing the crowd at your recent family reunion or church gathering.  I’m talking about some of what I saw on a recent visit to the Sea Life aquarium in downtown San Antonio, Texas.  For the duration of my self-guided tour, I wandered around, looking at many of these animals that call the water their home, from sharks to sea horses.

And then, there were other things I could not identify by name.  Take for instance the fish in my picture.  They were just two of the many creatures I witnessed inside a very large tank filled with so many of God’s critters.  But these two seemed different.

First of all, they don’t look like any fish I’ve seen before.  By the looks on their faces, they seem to have some real personality about them.  As they swam around in their large water-filled home, they seemed to be looking at everything.  As they swam near the glass wall where I stood, they seemed to be watching my every move.  

They stared, wide-eyed with mouths hanging open, not exactly sure what they were seeing either.  Was I really watching them, amazed at their strangeness, or were they watching me for the same reason?

As a Christian, I attempt to walk the paths of my days looking for Jesus.  I try to find Him in the people and places around me.  I look for Him in what I read, the shows I watch, and the experiences I have.  But, because I’m a faulty human being, I miss Him so many times, simply because I’m not really paying attention to what I’m seeing.  I see the beggar on the street, but do I really SEE him and the life that God created?  I see the goodness of friends, but am I really SEEing God through them, or just giving those folks the credit for their own good deeds?  It’s the “can’t see the trees for the forest” mentality.  

Thankfully, on the other side, my God, my Father, my Protector and Deliver is always watching me.  He’s always looking out for me.  He’s always checking on His children.  I believe that some days our lives probably make His eyes bug out and His mouth drop open, but He never stops watching.

Was I watching the fish as intently as were they watching me?  The Lord watches me much more intently than I could ever truly watch Him.  And I’m so very thankful to be in this aquarium called life where my Maker and Master is ever watching over me.  Are you?

Just a thought.

By Tyler O’Neil, The Daily Signal
Click here to view original article

Christians around the world will commemorate the most important event in our faith’s history this Sunday, but the Resurrection of Jesus isn’t just important to those who believe a Nazarene who walked the earth 2,000 years ago is the Son of God. The secular world’s history also turns on this pivotal event, which inspired so much progress that we take for granted today.

Christianity turned the values of the Pagan Roman world upside-down. The Romans considered the early Christians subversives—many called them “atheists” because they didn’t worship any pagan gods—and put them to death for refusing to worship the emperor. After some emperors adopted the faith, Emperor Julian attempted to revive paganism, but lamented that the Christian ethic had transformed the empire.

“It is their benevolence to strangers, their care for the graves of the dead, and the pretended holiness of their lives that have done most to increase atheism,” Julian wrote to a pagan priest of Galatia in 362 A.D. Those who believed in the Resurrection established the first hospitals, and Christianity spread rapidly during Roman plagues, as pagans fled the cities, but Christians stayed and tended to the sick, risking death but saving souls.

Rodney Stark, a now-deceased social sciences professor at Baylor University and author of the book “The Victory of Reason: How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism, and Western Success,” told PJ Media in 2017 that without the Resurrection, “we would still be in a world of mystery and probably in a world of repressive empires.”

“Remember, at the dawn of history, people didn’t live in really tiny countries. They lived under huge, huge empires, nasty ones,” the professor added. He argued that Christianity historically has been the driving force behind limited government, science, capitalism, the abolition of slavery, medicine, organized charities, and more—and that Christianity would have been impossible without the belief in the Resurrection.

According to the four Gospel narratives, Jesus’ followers were quick to abandon their rabbi after his excruciating and humiliating death at Golgatha. Something convinced the same Peter who denied Jesus three times to later go to his own painful death saying that Jesus is the Messiah. In I Corinthians 15:17, the Apostle Paul wrote, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins.”

1. Universities and Science

While many consider faith and science to be inherently incompatible, Stark noted that Christianity provides the worldview that makes science comprehensible.

“In the rest of the world, it’s thought that the universe is far too mystical to be worth thinking about,” much less experimenting on, Stark explained. But “in the West, the universe was created by a rational God, and consequently it runs by rules and, therefore, it makes sense to try to understand and discover the rules.”

Christians believe that a rational God created an ordered cosmos and created human beings in his image, enabling them to think his thoughts after him.

Modern universities grew out of the cathedral schools of the Middle Ages, and a bishop near the university at Paris made a surprising move in 1277. The bishop condemned certain ideas as anathema, among them the idea that the universe is eternal and could not have been different. These ideas, promulgated by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle (whom both the Muslim world and the university students held in extremely high regard), discouraged experimentation. If mere deductive reasoning could reveal the full truth of the cosmos, then there was no need to examine the world to test different hypotheses.

By condemning this idea, the bishop paradoxically helped free science from the shackles of Aristotelian thought.

2. Free Markets

It is hard to overstate just how wealthy modern Americans are in comparison to most human beings throughout history. Inflation is rising and it is increasingly difficult to afford a home, but Americans still enjoy the conveniences of indoor plumbing, heating and cooling, rapid transportation, refrigerators and microwave ovens, and endless options for learning and entertainment via the internet and electronic devices.

The term capitalism may be controversial, but the free market complexity that unleashed this jaw-dropping prosperity and innovation deserves respect and protection. While the German sociologist Max Weber famously traced capitalism back to the “Protestant work ethic,” Stark found an earlier source—the Catholic monasteries in the Middle Ages.

Catholic monasteries set up a complex network of lending at interest, and they also changed the narrative on commerce. “In almost all known societies at that time, commerce was degraded. It was thought to be nothing a gentleman would have any connection to,” Stark explained. Yet “Christian theologians, who had taken vows of poverty, nonetheless worked out that commerce was legitimate.”

The growth of complex markets took centuries, and some of it did tie in to darker chapters of world history.

3. The Abolition of Slavery

In one form or another, slavery appears in almost every human society, and if slaves ever succeed in overthrowing their masters, they often turn their former masters into slaves.

“It was only in the West that a society has ever overcome slavery, except when it’s forced by outside forces,” Stark said. Christianity inspired the “only civilization that has ever discovered within itself that slavery is immoral and gotten rid of it.”

Medieval Europe first eliminated slavery, often in fits and starts, and occasionally returning to the practice through trade. Slavery and the slave trade returned in force during the Age of Exploration, but in the 1800s, abolitionists such as William Wilberforce and Harriet Beecher Stowe led Britain and America in abolishing chattel slavery outright.

Abolitionists like them drew deep inspiration from the Christian belief that all humans are made in the image of God, and they deeply believed in the Resurrection of Jesus.

The New Testament does not require Christians to outlaw slavery, but outlawing slavery is the logical conclusion of key Christian doctrines. The Apostle Paul urged Philemon to free his former slave Onesimus. Paul also wrote to the Galatians that, when it comes to the grace of God in salvation, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

4. Limited Government

Most Americans today have no concept of how united religion and government have been in world history. In ancient Egypt, Pharaohs claimed to be gods on Earth, and in ancient Mesopotamia, kings built large temples to their gods in part to maintain their legitimacy. The three-generation Kim family in control of North Korea perpetuates the idea that the supreme ruler is god.

Christianity wrested ultimate power away from political rulers, teaching that God held the ultimate authority. St. Augustine divided the world into the “City of Man” and the “City of God,” emphasizing the independence of the life of faith and service from the concerns of power and everyday life.

Civil society grew and flourished because Christians believed both in helping the poor and in working together outside of government institutions. According to David Brooks’ 2007 book “Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism,” conservatives in strong families who attend church and earn their own paychecks are most likely to give to charity.

While Jesus famously told his disciples to pay taxes to the government, he also drew an enormously important distinction. “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17) didn’t just mean “pay your taxes.” It also meant that Christians—who are made in God’s image as coins were made in Caesar’s image—owe their ultimate loyalty to God, not to the state.

The early settlers to America and the Founders employed these principles in government. The Declaration of Independence grounds Americans’ right to revolt from Britain in “the laws of nature and nature’s God.” The First Amendment forbids Congress from making any law “respecting an establishment of religion or abridging the free exercise thereof,” not because religion is unimportant, but because religion is far more important than the government.

This separation marks Christian civilization apart from the despotisms of the ancient world and from the communist and fascist totalitarianisms of the 20th century. Civil societies exist in other parts of the world as well, but Christianity provides a unique justification for subordinating state power to other concerns.

Does All This Suggest the Resurrection Is True?

These and other benefits of Christian civilization extend far beyond those who believe in Jesus’ Resurrection, and these benefits do not erase the many sins and deceptions perpetrated in the name of Christianity over the centuries. However, they do illustrate the side-effects of faith in Jesus, which calls Christians to become the “salt of the Earth” and the “light of the world.”

If the Holy Spirit is working in Christian churches, the blessings of this faith will spill over to those who do not accept the Gospel.

These blessings are exactly what we should look for, supposing the Resurrection is true.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

I very recently tagged along with my wife on one of her work trips, as I’m known to do.  While she attended her meetings and worked all day, I roamed around downtown San Antonio, Texas, and up and down the Riverwalk.  This wasn’t our first trip there.  We’ve always enjoyed visiting that city.

One of the first things I realized as I began my walking on day number one was that several things didn’t look like they did the last time I was there.  I remembered some things being where they no longer were.  And there were some things now where nothing once was.  I questioned my memory.

You see here a night-time view of the Mission San Antonio de Valero, now known simply as the Alamo.  In the evening when the crowds are much smaller than the bustling daylight hours, the Alamo is truly beautiful to see.  In the processes that helped seal the independence of the state of Texas from Mexico, the people were challenged to “Remember the Alamo,” or in other words, remember what happened, and fight!  So, that phrase, “Remember the Alamo,” has become synonymous with the place.  Question your memory, as such.

The most recent sermon I preached brought me to a place where I was trying to explain a point, and suddenly I completely lost my train of thought, and I struggled along with my listeners to remember what I was talking about.  That is a strange and embarrassing feeling.  I tried to remember, and I couldn’t at that moment.  And I questioned my memory.

As we experience the aging process of our parents and so many others around us, we watch those dear people struggle with their memory, even questioning themselves at times.  We walk into a room and can’t remember why we are there.  We don’t write down our grocery list because we “only need two things,” and we come home with everything but those two things, because we forgot about them.

Psalm 56:9 is a short but powerful verse that includes these words (or something similar, depending on your translation) – “This I know, my God is with me!”

Lord Jesus, if I forget everything I’ve ever known, if I forget everyone I’ve ever loved, if I forget everywhere I’ve ever been, I will be fine as long as I remember that You are with me!

Thank God that even when I question my memory, I still remember what He has done for me!  What a blessing!  “Remember!”

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

A couple of years ago, I drove our rented car through some uninviting neighborhoods, taking each turn just as our navigation system instructed.  We turned left, then right, then again and again, seemingly getting more lost with each turn.  Eventually we could see that famous New York City skyline in the distance.  Another straight stretch of road, another turn or two, and we pulled into the parking lot of the Jersey City, New Jersey port stop for the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor tours.

I parked the car, and my wife and I walked the long stretch of sidewalks up to an impressive old building, entering through the massive doors of what was at one time a building bustling with travelers the world over.  We stood in line and purchased the tickets you see here.  We were headed to Liberty Island.

Of course, we stood in another long line awaiting our turn on one of the intermittent ferry boats into which over three hundred of us crowded for the short harbor ride.  The views were amazing, the history was spine-tingling and hair-raising, and the weather couldn’t have been better.  These two tickets, as our souvenirs, are our reminder of a great trip that particular day.

My church family has heard me say many times that while I’m not necessarily eager to board the bus today, I have my ticket!  I’m a blood-bought born-again Bible-believing God-fearing, child of the King.

What makes my ticket to leave this old world different from that Liberty Island ticket?  Well, you see, it’s very simple.  I bought the Liberty Island ticket.  I used my own funds from my own resources to make that purchase.  The other ticket I hold was given to me free of charge by the One Who paid the ultimate price for it!  

Especially at this Easter season, focus on all that our Lord and Savior went through on our behalf!  Nothing I have is mine because I earned it.  He offered it to me freely because I simply put my faith and trust in Him.  He bought my ticket!  AND, He has already paid for your ticket as well.

The question is this – Are you planning to make the trip?  If so, you must accept that ticket.  There’s no way to know when the ‘bus’ or ‘ferry’ will arrive to take us Home.  But as long as we have our ticket, we are ready for the trip!  And, oh, what a trip that will be!

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Our family trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, last October was no different than any of trips anywhere else in that I took lots of pictures.  I delete many of them later, but sometimes I’m surprised by what I later find as I scan through all those photos.  This is one of those.

We had paused for a break in our walking and were standing on a small bridge people-watching, one of my favorite activities.  We could see Cinderella’s Castle not too terribly far across the way, so I took a few pictures as we walked around.  This particular one was free of distractions, no crowds of people, just the castle.

But what makes the picture nice to me is that the castle is perfectly reflected in the still water of the small pond.  You can see the inverted castle in all its glory, and all the clouds around it even show up clearly.  It was a great reflection of the real thing.

I believe that’s exactly what we are called to be in this world.  We are to be a great reflection of Jesus!  Perfect we will never be this side of Heaven.  But we can certainly share and show His love with those around us.

My reflection of Jesus will probably never be as clear, calm, and perfect as that pool of water shows the castle.  But by the grace of God, I can get pretty close to that.

And, as I strive to reflect the goodness of God in a hurting world, there will no-doubt be those people who are surprised by how clearly the Lord shines through such an imperfect person.  May that be our goal for this week ahead.  Reflect Jesus, no matter what stirs underneath the surface, no matter the distractions, no matter our imperfections. 

Just show them Jesus!

Just a thought.

Just a thought to help start your week.

Going on two weeks now, the little fellow you see pictured here has visited me every single morning without fail.  As I sit typing this right now, he is chirping loudly and pecking away at the window.  I believe he is seeing his reflection and is trying to defend his territory for his little lady, who has been sitting quietly in the bush behind him most mornings.

Every single morning, he has arrived around 7am.  This morning it was about a quarter till.  The chirping and pecking begin, and he won’t let up for two or three hours.  I pull the curtains back, hoping to change the lighting or glare so that he doesn’t see his reflection and want to fight.  But it does very little good.  He is focused.  He is determined.  He is relentless.  And he is tireless.

Peck, peck, peck.  Chirp, chirp, chirp.  Over and over.  Persistent, defending his loved one and keeping her safe from all that might cause harm.  If only we were that focused and had that same work ethic.

Every single morning, without fail, for all of my fifty-five plus years, I have opened my eyes (and ears), knowing that the Lord was already there, waiting for my conversation with Him.  He hangs around, talking to me even when I try to tune Him out, and even when I just don’t listen.  He is protecting me from harm I don’t even realize is there.  He talks to me.  He sings love songs to me.  He remains close by — not for my entertainment, but for my companionship.

Without this little cardinal, my morning today would be so much quieter.  The window at the end of the hall would be dark, with curtains drawn.  The noise would be gone.  I’d be all alone.

Without Him, life would be even quieter, darker, and lonely.  “Without Him, I could do nothing.  Without Him, I’d surely fail.  Jesus.  Oh, Jesus.  Do you know Him today?  Do not turn Him away!”  He’s there, talking to you even now.  Are you paying attention?  Are you listening?  Begin your days with Him.  You’ll never be the same again.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

I had a really strange feeling that I was being watched.  It wasn’t a scary kind of feeling, but I definitely knew something was there.  So I looked out the window, and sure enough.  There he stood.

He was staring directly at me.  Both of those beady eyes were fixated on mine.  His posture was stiff, as if he hadn’t wanted to be detected.  He remained motionless for a brief moment or two, apparently surveying the situation and weighing his options.  It was as if he knew he had been discovered, and he was unsure of whether to run or just ignore the situation.

It sounds like a crazy lead into a Friday night movie, but I assure you it was real.  From what I could see, he was fuzzy and gray.  He was purposefully trying to stand taller than he actually was, perhaps to ward off any danger, or perhaps even to impress the one who had suddenly seen him there staring into the occupied house.

That very brief moment or two seemed much longer to both of us.  I’m quite sure the creature, because of his nature, knew exactly what a nut was.  And here he stood – staring at the biggest one he had ever seen – a much taller, but also gray-haired, “nut” staring right back at him!

The encounter ended as quickly as it had begun, and each of us scurried off to some other task.  So, what could have possibly been the purpose behind that mid-morning meeting?  Could either the little guy or I have been meant to learn something from the other?  

I submit this to the reader.  You’ve read this craziness without pause.  You’ve taken it all in.  You’ve pictured both of us in your mind’s eye, and you’ve snickered at the ridiculousness of it all.

I hope and pray that as you read the Word of God in the week ahead, you do so without pause.  You take it all in.  You picture it in your mind’s eye, and you see the ridiculousness of a forgiving, all-knowing God Who watches your every move simply because He loves you!  It makes no sense, but it’s true!  I can’t explain it.  I simply trust that He is Who He says He is, and that He cares enough to love even a “nut” like me!

Feel like you’re being watched?  Good!  You are!  And He loves the one He sees!

Just a thought.