Spirit of Order

Locusts always keep their rank, and although their number is legion, they do not crowd upon each other, so as to throw their columns into confusion. This remarkable fact in natural history shows how thoroughly the Lord has infused the spirit of order into His universe, since the smallest animate creatures are as much controlled by it as are the rolling spheres or the angelic throng. It would be wise ...

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How do we respond to tragedy?

A friend and former co-worker recently made a post to their Facebook page that really hit a cord and I think speaks for so many of us in light of recent events: "A few weeks ago we lowered the flag for Orlando, last week we lowered the flag for our men in blue, and this week we lower them for our brothers and sisters in France. The way it's going this ...

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The Sweet Life

The principle of sweetness also applies to the spiritual life. Did you know the English word “sweet” appears almost 100 times in the Bible? We don’t think of Scripture as talking much about sweetness, but it does. The Hebrew word is sometimes translated (especially in the first five books of the Old Testament) as “pleasing” or “soothing” instead of “sweet”—referring to the pleasing aroma of the sacrifices made to God. ...

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Sharpie Reminders

Jason Roy, lead singer of Building 429, shared a backstage story at Atlanta Fest with me. Just above the thumb on his right hand was the word ‘unashamed’ written in black sharpie. On his left hand, he had four names written just below his knuckles. These names were people he told me he’d pray for, also noting that the ‘unashamed’ was a reminder to himself that he is ‘enough.’ He ...

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Gifts And Gratitude

There’s a real danger in thinking your spiritual gifts are blessings God has given you for your own benefit. The problem with this selfish viewpoint is that you see your use of these as an option or luxury that you neglect or use according to your will alone. That’s a far cry from a biblical understanding, which sees your spiritual gifts as expressions of gratitude God wills for you to ...

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