Our world today is not only empowered to mock, ridicule, and attack Christians, but in many cases the people of the world are encouraged to do so. The god of this world, Satan, takes Scripture and twists it in the minds and hearts of non-believers to make it seem silly. He blinds the eyes and binds the hearts of non-believers so that they enjoy the fifth by which they live and have no desire for the gracious love by which God abounds.

So we as Christians should do two things:

1. Understand that Satan is actively blinding non-believers to truth.

“Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:4

2. Love those that mock and persecute us because God loves them despite their sin (and ours):

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” Matthew 5:44

It’s not easy to follow the teachings of Christ. But who said it was going to be easy? We do it because we love our Lord Jesus with all of our heart and have an active desire to follow His commands. And besides, weren’t we an enemy of God before we put our faith in Jesus?

Let’s work to love our enemies this week.

Ryan Kelly

Hattiesburg, MS

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Oh dear, it’s Monday again.  Admit it.  You’ve said or thought that already today.  Why do we sometimes dread Monday?  Perhaps it’s because most of us hate the possibilities of the unknown.  We know what our plans are for the week, but we don’t how those plans will change, and we don’t know what else God has in store for us along the way, either.

As children, we feel safe in the watch care of our parents.  As long as Mom or Dad is nearby, we are ok.  So why aren’t we that way as adults?  These two deer – mom and little one – explored the area behind our house not too long ago.  Mom’s ears were perked up, alert for any danger or unforeseen harm.  As Christians, why can’t we be as content as the baby deer, relying on our Parent to guide and guard our way this week?

No we don’t know what’s ahead, and that makes us uncomfortable at times.  However, we do know that God is already there, He is ever alert and protecting His children, and we are safe in His presence.  Instead of “Oh dear, it’s Monday”, how about “Oh dear Father, I trust You to lead me through the unforeseen dangers of this week, spiritual and physical.  May I remain as close to You as this tiny deer is to its mother.  And may I grow to pant for You as the deer pants for water, longing for more.”

 

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Is your cup half full, or is it half empty? One of those two perspectives is ultimately how each one of us look at things. Are you a “Woe” person, or a “Wow” person? Are you thankful to have opened your eyes this morning, or are you moaning that the day is too long already?

I believe our perspective makes a world of difference in how we see things. Take these two little turtles, for instance. Look especially at the one on the right. What do you see? Is that turtle hanging on for dear life? Is he about to give up on things and jump off? Or does he seem to be stretching in order to enjoy the sunshine?

Of course, neither turtle has done anything quickly, as is evidenced by the moss growing on their backs! But they have been on the move. No turtle reaches the top of any tree stump without making the effort to climb up. He must look up, and then climb up, in order to enjoy the sunshine.

This week, look up! Climb up! And even if the rest of the world thinks you look like you’re just hanging on, stretch toward the Son, basking in His warm embrace.

How does your week ahead look? It’s all about perspective. Keep it that way.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

The picture I would like to share with you this week is one of grass. Not just any grass, mind you, but a tall stalk growing on a sand dune at the beach. I’ve never made a habit of photographing grass, and I didn’t intend to do that on this occasion. So why the picture?

Well, I was on an outing alone, snapping pictures of the birds scrambling in the sand for their breakfast, sailboats slowly cruising by the shore, and people out for a leisurely stroll. I raised my camera to take a picture of something I’ve now forgotten, and I snapped the photo. Only then did I realize that my camera had chosen to change the focus from what I was watching to this lone stalk of beach grass that stood nearby.

As we begin another week in our always busy lives, perhaps we need to have our focus changed. What are those things you are watching, the things that take the most of your valuable time, those things that are always going on all around you? Raise your weary head, look directly at the people and the world right in front of you, and change your focus.

See that neighbor who longs for a “hello” or a hug. Visit that coworker who feels he/she is drowning in looming deadlines and offer a hand. Shift your focus and see what’s truly important. So, you ask me to explain what is so important about that grass. I have no idea. I just know my focus was changed that morning. And as long as I am open to the changes the Lord shows me, the better my focus will be.

Refocus your lens for this week.

By Brad Campbell –

Happy New Year!  The year 2018 has arrived full force.  Temperatures at my house this morning hovered around 19 degrees with a wind chill of 3.  I’m not a fan of cold weather.  Sixty degrees is too cool, as far as I’m concerned.  However, it is January.  It is wintertime, after all.

My picture here shows a bright and sunny day on the Alabama Gulf Coast.  No, I’m not there, but I look forward already to warmer days with the sun shining.

I wonder.  As we begin yet another year by the grace of God, do we long for the Son as much as we are longing for the warm sun today?  Are we excited, knowing that the Savior who came that long Christmas ago as a baby laid in a manger will one day be coming back again?  Do we long for the warmth of His embrace?  Are we ready for the dark cold days of this world to be a thing of the past?

Until that great day arrives, we must persevere through the cold dark world, being the representatives of His great light and love to those who so desperately need to feel the warmth.  This week, share the warmth.  Enjoy your time in the Son, and share Him wherever you go.  For whatever His reasoning may be, He has let us see the dawn of a new year.  We have a new chance.  We can make a change, and we must make a change, not only in our own lives, but in the world around us.

Stay warm!  — Just a thought.

By Ryan Kelly –

There is one thing that I urge all brothers and sisters to do as God blesses us with a new year in 2018. This one thing is the very fabric of our faith, as it is the gift that has been given to us.

This gift is love.

God so loved us that He paved a way to rid us of our sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Through Him we gain new life and are made perfect in the eyes of God.

This great love should flow overwhelmingly from Christians as we follow His example.

“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other…This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters…Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John‬ ‭3:14-18‬

We should love not only those that love us, but also those that hurt us. God tells us to love our enemies, and this is because it follows the example of Jesus as He loved those that persecuted Him.

We should love with action, meaning that we should speak, listen, pray and give with and to those with need.

We should love all, not just those that look like us or live near us.

Let’s make it a goal for each of us in 2018 to love more deeply. Share the gospel, share your resources, and invest in the lives of others. Show the love of Jesus and let His light shine from within you!

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

I met this fellow (or lady, as the case may be) earlier this month as it was perched alongside a sandy beach of Alabama’s eastern-most gulf coast. The bird was very large, and I could see it quite a ways back as I walked toward the sand. It was aware of my presence, too, stopping momentarily two or three times to glance in my direction. The closer I got, the slower I walked. First of all, I wanted to get close enough to catch some good pictures, one of which you see here. And secondly, I did not want any bird with a long very sharp beak getting mad at me. Besides, this bird was at least two feet tall, and it was sitting atop a fence railing that made it taller than I am. I would have had to pass within inches of that sharp beak in order to step onto the beach.

Here I was – a grown man – and yet I didn’t wish to be attacked by a bird, of all things. An older couple strolled up behind me not very long after I stopped to snap some pictures, and it was as far as they dared go as well. So we stood and talked about the bird. We talked about the beauty of the ocean and the dancing dolphins our for their morning feeding, about the surrounding areas and the little towns nearby, and about our respective churches. We talked about our worship styles and the sizes of our congregations. We talked about the beauty and the goodness of God. All of this with complete strangers. But we had the same focus that morning – a very large intimidating bird.

If God’s people could only focus on the same things – the goodness and grace of God in this world, then how much better off we would all be. I can’t say how the rest of the day went for that older couple, but I left that spot that morning knowing I had been in the presence of God, and I had a beautiful day. Had I not stopped, partly in awe, partly in fear, partly in amazement, to watch that very large bird, I would have missed my encounter with those lovely people and quite possibly with the One Who designed that all of our paths should cross that day.

The very large bird had a beak with a very sharp point. And God certainly has a point to all that He does and to every path on which he places us each day. May He show you the point this week as you continue to prepare for Christmas day. May your path be crossed by some beautiful creatures and some lovely people, and may you realize just how much you have in common in God’s plan.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

The events of the past few days have brought upon our area of west-central Alabama some of the deepest and prettiest snows we have seen in several years, with as much as 8 inches of the stuff in places and hundreds of folks without electricity for over 48 hours with temps in the twenties.

My brother-in-law and I had to make a trip to Birmingham in it.  Suffice it to say we do not recommend doing that – ever.  You can see an example of just one of our county roads in my picture.  Trees were bowing to meet each other in the middle of the road.

One of the neatest things about snow is that it blankets everything dirty and makes it look new, bright, and beautiful.  But one difficult thing about the snow is that it can become very heavy, causing things to bow and break, and bringing on new burdens of uncomfortable and perhaps dangerous situations.

We are now just two weeks from Christmas, the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the One Who came to wash us white as snow and cover a multitude of dirty things in our lives with His forgiveness, grace, and mercy.  He also comes to ease those heavy burdens, even the burdens of those who have already been washed white as snow, but who some days feel bowed over beneath the weight of the world’s responsibilities on their shoulders.

When the sun shines, the snow melts.  When the Son shines in your life, those burdens melt away.  As you enjoy your Christmas season, thank God for the beautiful snow, but also for the fact that the Son will shine again!

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Thanksgiving week gave most of us plenty of time to reflect on the people, places, and experiences for which we are most thankful.  Perhaps your house or the one in which you gathered was bustling with noise and activity.

The little house you see here was built by my youngest when she was 7, and it withstood all the holiday excitement and celebrations.  But sooner or later, that cookie house crumbled, and all of its parts, as cute as they had been, were tossed into the trash.

I pray that as you enter this year’s holiday season, especially Christmas, you will take time to examine you own house.  That could include your physical house, as you check for safety concerns while hooking up rows and rows of lights.  It could include your family, as you check in with everyone, perhaps calling or writing those you won’t get to see in person this year.  But it could also include your own spiritual house — your heart.

As you prepare for Christmas, are you really preparing?  Is your heart focused on the true reason for the season?  Do you really have the peace that passes all understanding?  If not, then what better time to focus on the love of Jesus Christ than by focusing on the celebration of His birth.

May your CHRISTmas season and your house be as full of joy as is your heart.

Just a thought.