chaos

To Roar or Shine?

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” – John 8:12 There’s an old story in Aesop’s Fables in which the north wind and the sun both want to see who can get a man to take his jacket off faster. The north wind goes first, and he begins howling, roaring, and sending violent gusts that he is certain will blow the coat right off of his subject. However, much to his chagrin, the gales only cause him to pull his garment closer. Reveling in the wind’s defeat, the sun steps up and says, “Watch this!” Then, he turns up the heat and shines so brightly that his unsuspecting victim begins to sweat — and sure enough, off the jacket comes. Though this is an ancient story,

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Time and Immortality

“For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’” – 1 Corinthians 15:53,54 I love history. As I’m studying Scripture, I put myself in the shoes of Biblical characters and examine their reactions from the standpoint of culture, and I glean more application for my life now. When I immerse myself in first-century Jewish society, I see a clearer picture of Jesus, and I gain a deeper understanding of my fellow man. In addition, as I learn about the chronology of world civilizations, I enlarge my knowledge of the arc of time and begin to see patterns in the unfolding of events on this planet. In fact, the more I examine what’s happened before, the

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Cast Down Idols

“When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together.” – Acts 19:28,29 Today, I want to continue looking at the church in Ephesus, which we began discussing yesterday. The first major act of persecution against the Ephesian believers happened at the hand of a silversmith named Demetrius. He made a good living crafting images of the goddess Artemis, and because he saw that Christians posed a threat to his business, he gathered a group of his fellow craftsmen together to incite a riot against the Apostle Paul and his traveling companions. At this, the whole region was thrown into an uproar, and a mob forced the believers into a 25,000-seat Roman theater where they tried

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Quiet Waters

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” – Psalm 23:1-2 To those who feel alone, abandoned, or unseen, I want to remind you that God is with you. Even in stormy seas, when the waves of change and currents of difficulty make it hard to navigate, Jesus is in the boat. No mountain is too high, no valley is too deep, and no pit is too dark for His loving presence to reach. You see, as His children, regardless of where we find ourselves, our Savior promises to lead us beside quiet waters. In the middle of a mess, He lovingly shepherds us to a place of safe pasture, even if our circumstances remain unsettled. Psalm 23 reminds us that

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Rest For Your Soul

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30 Today, I want to assure you that there is rest for your soul, especially since you may be feeling pressed down by the weight of this time. Before COVID-19 hit, most of us were already leading busy lives and finding it challenging to maintain our emotional and spiritual balance. However, now — with all the crazy news cycles, the intense fear that’s fighting for our minds, the constant barrage of new and conflicting information, and the routines that have been thrown off — we’ve assumed a mental load the likes of which we’ve never known. That

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Trust in the Lord

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5,6 Today, I have a word for those of you who feel trapped, stuck or frozen. It’s not a particularly profound or deep thought, but it’s worth repeating again and again — trust the Lord. I know the ongoing nature of the COVID situation has many feeling discouraged and wondering if there will ever be an end. Like everyone, I struggle with the mixed emotions of the whole thing, and as I pray, God keeps bringing me back to the truth that He is trustworthy because He is good. Even as we drill through, trying to do the right thing day after day, His Kingdom remains unshaken. His plan is not affected by earthly circumstances, and He is not

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