By Ryan Kelly

No doubt you have seen the turmoil and destruction caused by Hamas in Israel this past week, and the retaliatory response from Israel into Gaza to destroy the Islamic terrorists that have caused this deadly attack. Hamas leaders have declared a “Day of Rage” today against Israel and the West, which has included multiple protests and attacks worldwide.

There is no question – what Hamas has done and what they stand for is completely evil. And this evil must be opposed.

The valid question that should be asked is, what is the appropriate level of response and how do we as Christians respond? I’ll leave the first question to the Israeli military and leadership, although I do have my thoughts. The second is one that we can all share though.

We should be praying for all involved. This includes the soldiers and citizen soldiers fighting in Israel, for their protection, wisdom, discernment and safety. It also includes the innocent civilians in both Israel and Gaza, for them to escape harm and to see the Lord’s hand in all that is occurring. And I would add, salvation through Jesus for all involved. And, safety for everyone throughout the world who is in harms’ way due to these Islamic terrorists who desire death and destruction.

I have personally growth hesitant in the last few years on what I see on the news and what I believe is reported to us. No doubt, the attacks are real and the death toll is sadly growing as a result. I caution everyone on believing what we cannot prove, though. I will refrain from mentioning specifics, but there are many stories out there of what is occurring. Some are likely true, others likely not. Time will reveal what actually is occurring in Israel and with other nations at play, so just be patient and use your own discernment on what to believe at this time.

For the majority of us, the best thing that we can do it pray and prepare for safety and security. For each of us, be vigilant in our own lives and consider those around us. Don’t place yourself in a vulnerable position, and be ready to defend if there is indeed an attack. Also, be open and available for others to council with you…as this is hard on everyone (for both believers and especially non-believers). Share your heart with others and show how these attacks are part of what the Lord has told us will occur in Scripture. We may not know exactly what chapter and verse of Revelation is playing out at the moment, but I can assure you that we are seeing at least an element of what John wrote in the Bible’s final book.

We may not know what the future holds, but we worship a God who does. So don’t worry about tomorrow, rather focus on what you can do for yourself, for others, and for the Lord today.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

My wife and I recently enjoyed some vacation time with our grown children and spouses.  We walked blisters upon our blisters at that place in Florida that has been called “the most magical place on earth.”  Roller coasters were ridden, shows were seen, food was eaten, and a great time was had by all of us.  We posed with the yellow honey-loving bear and his striped tiger friend, with a duck, with a couple of princesses, and with that awesome mouse pair – you know – the ones with the big round black ears!

Three parks, two resorts, and plenty of laughter.  In a span of just eight days, I rode in cars, airplanes, buses, sky-lifts, boats, and ubers.  (An uber is just a fancy name for a taxi, except it’s a private vehicle driven by a total stranger whom you have employed completely randomly online with no previous contact or proof of identity!)  In other words, we had a ball.  And in the midst of every day, every ride, every place we went, there was something ‘hidden’ in plain sight – the ears of that famous mouse!

This picture is the back of a bench situated in one of the most populous areas.  There are those ears.  No explanation or reason.  Just there.  Those same ears appear on walls, sidewalks, furniture, transportation services, signs, beverages, and even foods.  (Chocolate covered ear-shaped icecream was a real treat one warm afternoon!)  There were many thousands of people all over the place.  Most were completely oblivious to one another.  Most were kind and considerate.  Every one of them had come to this part of the world to be entertained by anything and everything related to that famous mouse, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that his likeness appeared everywhere.  It wasn’t a surprise, actually, that he was everywhere.  The surprise was the different places we discovered him – having ignored his very presence until that one particular moment when the light bulb clicked on and we realized he was there again!

In the grand hustle and bustle of your weekdays ahead, as a Christian, you understand and know already that the Lord is everywhere in everything.  What may surprise you, however, is just how often you can recognize His touch, His work, His beauty, and His blessings if only you pay a little more attention to your surroundings.

God doesn’t hide from us.  Quite the opposite.  He is always there.  The question is, are you paying more attention to all the noise and ‘entertainment’ of this world instead?  Go about your business (busy-ness) of this coming week.  Do what needs to be done.  Go where you need to go.  But don’t forget He is already there, waiting for you to notice.  Look up from that digital device glued to your fingers and watch for the One Who should truly govern your time.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Home.  Lovely word – Home.  They say that’s where the heart is.  This pretty street scene contains a row of town homes.  I’ve driven and also walked along many such streets, especially in larger cities.  They seem so nice and neat.  What very small “yards” they have are usually meticulously manicured.

This particular street is in downtown Baltimore, Maryland.  Common walls are shared with sometimes-unmet neighbors in order to experience the conveniences of city life.  If they own a vehicle at all, they must park in their one designated spot on the street in front.  I imagine this to be very similar to apartment living – close quarters.

As pretty as all of this looks, I can’t help but think how ironic it all is.  People pay unbelievable sums of money for these small homes (or for apartments), putting them in extremely close proximity to all of their neighbors.  And yet, the majority of the residents in such places will never even meet or know the names of those who live so very close.

From the outside, it’s so pretty.  But I can’t help but think of all the lonely people inside.  Of course, that can happen in any neighborhood anywhere else, too.  

At a program last night, I heard the old song, “People need the Lord.”  One of the phrases in it is this – “At the end of broken dreams, He’s the open door!”  Yes, He is!  

When your world is so crazy you feel as if you are adding to the craziness, when your work schedule is so convoluted that you don’t know whether you need to “zoom to a meeting” or “go to a zoom meeting,” when your family members contribute to your anxiety, when the frayed ends of your rope seem to be slipping through your fingers, remember that He is all you need!

People in pretty houses.  Folks driving cars you only dream about.  People living lives that bring you to envy.  They may seem as if they have it all.  But do they really?  Do they know the Jesus you know?  When is the last time you talked with your neighbor about your faith?  Do they know you are a believer?

Your neighbors passing by your home may be wondering the same things about you this week.  People need the Lord.  Take Him to the people.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

A few short years ago, my middle daughter and I were part of a group that spent several days touring parts of France.  On one particular day of our adventure into the Loire Valley, our bus brought us to the banks of the Cher River and deposited us in a parking lot on the far grounds of the Chenanceaux Castle.  We were to explore the grounds of that huge estate.

But, as we stepped off of the bus, nearly each one of us had the same reaction over the animals we were seeing just across the fence in the grassy pasture.  Several asked what the animals were.  Our incredible tour guide was amazed and laughed at us.  We were simply looking at donkeys.  But they were donkeys like no other donkeys any of us had ever seen before.  They were fuzzy!

Here we all were, about to visit the most famous chateau in France, built some 500 years ago, and every one of us stopped to see the fuzzy donkeys instead!  Those animals took our attention away from what was to have been the very point of our visit there.

In today’s world, we attend church services.  Some of us even get to visit other places of worship from time to time.  I’ve sat in silence inside some incredible cathedrals and worshiped in one-room bare-walled church buildings.  We are going to church to worship, to sing praises to the Lord, and to give of our time, tithes, and talents.  But too often, we get distracted along the way.

We catch up with neighbors.  We chat about the ballgames of the night before.  We slobber over the new babies being brought out for the first time.  We enjoy the flower arrangements on the communion table or altar.  We read the church bulletin or program and catch up on who needs to be where when.  All of those things are wonderful.  There’s not a thing wrong with any of them.  But they aren’t to be our focus.  They are the distractions to our real purpose in being there – to come before the Lord in worship.

Our tour guide in France that day was amused that we were amused by the fuzzy donkeys when we should have focused on the huge castle just down the path.  I doubt the Lord is very amused with us when we take our eyes off of Him and our focus away from worshiping Him.  

In the week ahead, and in all the things it brings to us, let’s be ever mindful of the greatness just down the path.  Stop and check out the things along the way.  Visit and catch up if you need to.  But don’t forget the real reason for our visit here — to Worship the King.  On what are you focused this week?

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

How observant are you?  Do you haphazardly drive the road or walk the areas of your life without much regard for what is happening around you?  Or, do you make it a point to pay attention to your surroundings, your world, and the people in it?  Do you proverbially take time to stop and smell the roses?

This flower obviously isn’t a rose.  It is, however, a beautiful flower with bright colors.  Against the backdrop of dried out leaves and sticks, it certainly stands out.  Because this flower was one of a very few blooming beside a walkway I was using, I noticed it.  I stopped and took this picture.  But I must confess that I wasn’t really looking at the flower itself.

Look closely and what do you see?  If you lean in to see the beauty, take a quick sniff, and enjoy the flower with no regard to what else is happening, you have a very good chance of being stung by a fat little bumblebee whose work you are interrupting.

We live in a world of God’s beauty.  We live in the greatest country on earth.  You may even believe your state and/or community is the best there is.  I have no intention of bursting your bubble.  I just want to remind us that the dangers of this world are just as prevalent as the benefits.

Satan is alive and well and looking for ways to attack us.  He sometimes hides in plain sight, perhaps in the very beauty around us, and we ignore him because we just aren’t paying attention.  Does that mean we have to walk around scared of what might bite us?  Certainly not.  But be aware.

I didn’t have to stand near those flowers very long before that bumblebee had finished his buzzing around and had gone on to another flower bed.  The danger had passed.  One of my most favorite phrases in the Bible is, “And it came to pass.”  Trouble didn’t come to stay.  It came to pass.

If in the beauty of your wonderful week a fat little bumblebee buzzes, be patient.  It came to pass.  Sometimes the best way to stay out of Satan’s plans for your week are to simply ignore him, his ugly work, and let him be.  Don’t swat at him and stir him up.  Remember that the flower upon which the bee perches is so much bigger than the bee itself.  God will prevail.

Don’t let Satan keep you from enjoying the Lord’s beauty.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

In the northwest corner of the state of Alabama, a passerby on U.S. Highway 72 might see the simple little green highway sign pointing in the direction of the “Coon Dog Cemetery.”  If one ventured off the highway at that point and then traveled a few miles down the road, he would still need to travel even a few more miles off the beaten path to a spot on a hill in the middle of nowhere.  There, just off to the right, nestled in the quiet solitude of the surrounding forest, marked by this particular sign, is the world’s only cemetery dedicated solely to the burials of coon hounds.

We were amazed at the very nice grave markers for some of those hunting dogs.  Some even had the names of their owners included on the marker.  Some were much simpler with only the dog’s name, and some were merely stones marking the spot of a beloved canine friend.  But every burial in that cemetery is that of a coon dog.  No other animals are allowed.  No other dogs are allowed.  Only coon dogs.

Sounds pretty strange, doesn’t it?  Sounds pretty discriminatory and pretty segregated.

I know of another place that is similar in design.  There are simple road signs pointing the way.  One must leave the wide highway in order to head in the right direction.  Then on down the path, the way grows even more narrow, perhaps even secluded at times.  It winds through the peaceful woods and then makes its way up a glorious hillside.  And right there, hidden in plain view, sits the spot that our Maker has prepared for His children.  He calls it Heaven.

Heaven is pretty discriminatory and pretty segregated, because only a child of the King will be allowed inside the gate.  Only those who belong to Jesus and know Him as Lord and Savior of their lives will be given residence there.  Only the blood-bought, born again Christian has a place there.  He designed it that way from the beginning.  Not everyone will be there.  It’s a special place for those who belong.

I must tell you that we almost didn’t see the Coon Dog Cemetery, because we had gone much further than I thought we should have.  The road had gotten much sketchier than I thought it should be.  I had just slowed to a stop in the road, about to give up, attempting a turn around, when I glanced just a little further up the road and saw something.  I told my wife I would just head up that hill and see what it was, and then we’d head out.  And there we were.  We had arrived.

Don’t give up.  The drive gets long.  The road gets narrow.  The day gets shorter.  But there, just up ahead, waiting just for you, is that glorious place.

He calls it Heaven.  I call it Home.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

“On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross…”  Were you even able to read those words without hearing them sung in your head?  What does that old rugged cross mean to you?  What does it symbolize for you?

Even the ‘not so religious’ among us can be caught wearing a cross around their necks, on their ears or clothing, or perhaps tattooed on their bodies.  I dare say that many of those same folks have given no real thought to the cross of Jesus.  

The church that I’m blessed to pastor has recently begun a ‘cross wall’ on a decades-long empty space in the building’s upstairs hallway.  In this picture are crosses made from different materials.  A couple of them are clay or ceramic.  Several are made of various woods.  One has barbed wire.  One is iron.  One is painted on canvas.  One is crocheted and framed in a shadow box.  Each cross has been provided by a family or individual.  Several included their names or names of loved ones on the back to indicate their gift in memory of a precious soul.  

The simple light-colored wooden cross hanging near the bottom center looks like it’s polka-dotted.  Those are actually finger prints.  At this summer’s Vacation Bible School, we each selected (or mixed up) a different paint color, put our thumb or finger into that paint, and then stuck it to the cross.  Every one of those finger prints represents the individual to whom it belongs.  No two are alike.  We each took part.  We each made our mark on the cross.

I can’t help but wonder if the cross of Jesus has made its mark upon us.  When you see a cross, do you simply recognize it as a pretty decorative item, one that, for this week only, has been half-priced at the local Christian-owned hobby/decoration store?

That old rugged cross – “the emblem of suffering and shame” – on which Jesus shed His blood for us was marked with your name long before you were ever born.  He died for YOU.  He shed His blood for YOU.  His cross was meant for YOU.  As you see or wear those crosses in the days ahead, do so knowing what it means.  Know what it means to those who need to know the Lord.  And know what it means to YOU!

When this “cross wall” project was first mentioned at our church, I thought someone was saying the words “cross walk.”  A cross walk is something that carries us from one side to the other.  And doesn’t that describe the cross to a “T” ?!

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

The economy is strange.  Gasoline prices are increasing yet again.  Groceries are entirely too expensive.  It makes no sense.

A car can easily cost more than a simple house ought to.  It makes no sense.

There are “help wanted” signs up all over town.  Businesses are shutting their doors forever.  No one wants to get off the couch and go to work.  It makes no sense.

Diseases are rampant.  Ulcers, high blood pressure, and anxiety are through the roof.  It makes no sense.

People all around us – people we know and love – are trying to do life without a relationship with Jesus.  It makes no sense!

My picture for you this week is in that category as well.  Just down the hill from our church building, on the road where my wife grew up, there in the edge of the woods was this shopping buggy.  The nearest store with any similar cart is a good twenty miles away.  No stores at all within at least six miles.  Not anyone’s back yard.  Just in the edge of the woods.  Who dropped it off there?  And why there?  It makes no sense!

Life is difficult some days.  And yet God’s love, mercy, and grace are abundant.  Friends and family may abandon you, but God never leaves or forsakes His children.  It makes no sense.

He sent His Son to die a most cruel death on an old rugged cross so we wouldn’t have to go to hell.  He loves us when we are unlovable.  He knows your name even when no one else seems to care.  His patience with us is unmatched.  His love is higher than the highest, greater than the greatest, and most of all, His salvation is offered to us who could never earn it.  It makes no sense.

The greatest thing about that is this.  It doesn’t have to make sense.  All we need to do is trust the One Who knows what He is doing!  It all makes perfect sense to Him.  One day, soon and very soon, we will understand it in the sweet by and by.  I pray that makes sense to you.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

This church building once housed a worshiping congregation.  In ages past, it no-doubt hosted preachers, singings, and dinner on the grounds.  Then, years ago, it was locked up tight and the church, at least in name, ceased to exist.  Later, the beautiful stained glass windows were each painstakingly removed and put into storage.  Slowly the wooded areas around that old church building crept closer and closer.  Trees grew taller and more prolific.  Shrubs and weeds took over any space left between the trees.  And before long, only the locals remembered just where the building remained.

Then, a few years ago, a logging company clear cut all of those trees and that once-forgotten church again appeared in plain view.  Travelers of the nearby state highway began to exclaim over it, having never known it was that close.  Many locals had forgotten it was there, and many others said they’d never seen it before, until that steeple suddenly appeared where treetops had been.  I shared a picture of this church building with you at that time.  I, too, had heard of it but had never seen it until then.

Fast forward a few more years now.  The trees are growing back.  The weeds and shrubbery and other undergrowth have quickly reappeared.  The old church building I stepped into and looked around a few years ago doesn’t look safe enough for me to try that again.  I took this picture just a few days ago.  The trees are tall enough now that the old steeple has once again disappeared from easy view of the nearby highway.  I was right in front of it on the little dirt road before I realized how close I’d gotten.  That little old church is very close to being completely forgotten once more.  Soon enough, it will disappear into the woods again, too late for visiting by anyone.

Sadly, there are many people around us in the same shape as that old building.  Yes, some are old, they have battle scars, they’ve faded a bit, and they’re probably even leaning or missing a few parts by now.  But they continue to stand tall by the hardest.  There are others around us who’ve gone unnoticed for so long that they struggle themselves to remember the beauty of their past surroundings and happenings in life.  And then there are those, too, who are remembered, yet no one ever ventures by to even check and see if they’re still around.

One day, for each and every person, there will come a day that this old body of ours has returned to the earth from which it was formed.  But until then, we are commanded to “love our neighbor.”  That certainly includes those who’ve long been forgotten by society as a whole or even by their once-close friends and family members.  They struggle to stand tall, but they feel as abandoned as this old church building.

Check on your neighbors.  We may not see anything but peeling paint and missing windows.  But inside that shell still ring glorious hymns and the Word of God — two things that should never be forgotten.  Time passes too quickly.  Don’t put it off.  Search while they may be found.  The next time you look, it may be too late.