The Plumbline

  Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8) A crop of weeds - we all have a few weeds, don't we? What we don't want is for those weeds to overgrow what God is planting within us. A crop suggests there has been a gross over-growth of those ugly things in our lives. Planting is important - what gets sown is what gets reaped. Planting in response to what God asks in our lives is of the greatest importance - for this is what produces the harvest we really desire. As we think about ways we allow 'weeds' to be planted in our lives, it really all begins and ends with this idea of selfishness. Ignoring the needs of others - focusing primar...

A single twig breaks, but the bundle of twigs is strong. (Tecumseh) If you have ever tried to resist temptation with one tactic repeatedly, finding it just didn't work as well as it should have, it is probably because we need more than one 'twig' in our bundle of 'temptation resistors'. Temptation comes at us one way today, another tomorrow. Each time it comes, we need the 'right' tactic to resist it. It could just be that the 'tactic' you have been utilizing is no longer working because your 'enemy' knows that tactic well enough to 'skirt it'. Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life. Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to b...

The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places. (Ernest Hemingway) What are some of your worst 'broken places'? Maybe you have been 'broken' in the place we call the 'heart' - someone disappointing you so badly that you just have never fully healed. Perhaps it is in the place we call the 'spirit of man' - something occurring that just shredded your confidence and left you not wanting to ever try again. You and I both have broken places, but they don't have to be places where brokenness remains. There is hope for restoration beyond what we imagine possible when Jesus touches those places. The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them i...

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. (I Corinthians 10:13) I am glad to know you also suffer from temptations. Oh, I am not happy that you are tempted, but it is good to know that we are all in the same boat on as it comes to facing temptations that sometimes threaten to be our undoing! Temptations are nothing more than choices - we can go one way or the other. Martha Beck reminds us, "Every day brings new choices." What are the choices you or I will be faced with today? Will they differ much from the ones we faced yesterday? If we didn't deal with the stuff that tempted us yesterday, what makes us think we will face them any differently today? We might face them differently today if we have prepared to face them - with the Word of God, the power of the Holy Spirit within, and a ...

Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life... (Philippians 2:14-16) Oh boy, I am gonna meddle this morning! How many times do you find it hard not to complain about something that is happening around you? You and I both have issues that arise, causing us to want to little more than complain about them. The stock falls, the interest rate rises, the grocery bill is higher each time we go, the shelves don't contain the can of soup we wanted, and the list goes on. It is indeed a difficult thing to face 'issues' without some form of complaint (even the silent ones we don't utter), isn't it? Living our lives without complaint or argument is difficult, but is it possible? God wouldn't tell us to live that way if it were not possible. We have often explored the importance of having...

You know I have to ask, and I am not meddling, I just want to do a little 'check-in' this morning. How are all those New Year's Resolutions going so far? How many have we already given up on? How many are we just putting forth half an effort toward? How many have we seen become a very consistent and ingrained part of our lives? If you are like the majority of 'resolution making' individuals, you have probably broken at least one! According to what I could find in research, approximately 40% of us make resolutions, while nearly 25% of those who made them will quit them within the first week! Sadly, only about 10% keep them long-term. I think that speaks very clearly to our 'resolve', doesn't it?  So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sin...

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. ( John 8:31-36) We have been looking at the importance of making a life commitment to follow and serve Jesus. Saying "YES" to Jesus is just the beginning of us being truly free of the burden of sin and the condemnation sin brings into our lives. Jesus is quite emphatic - we are slaves to sin UNTIL we come to that place of accepting his finished work in our lives. We might still face temptations and failures, but we are free from the hold of sin. We may feel the ...

All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God... God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So... we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first. If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers. (I John 4:15-21) Fear of judgment - what might that look like? Constantly trying to 'do' better, but never really trusting in the work of Christ in your life. Thinking you must 'clean up your act' in ...

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” (2 Corinthians 5:19-20) What 'counts' as sin? I have actually had some attempt to 'debate' this topic with me. What I found to be at the root of this question was their desire to 'justify' something that they didn't consider 'all that bad', and therefore it wasn't really 'sin'. Truth be told, if our conscience is actually causing us to ask that question, it is likely not the right path for us to be taking! I was raised in a church that 'graded' sin - in other words, there were 'degrees' to the 'badness' of your sin. There isn't anywhere in scripture that actually says sins are 'menial' - all sin is sin (small to large, smal...

Life Hack #31:  Your life is not your own - it is merely on loan. Life choices may be made in haste, but the consequences will be around a long time to come.  In the movie, "Rebel Without a Cause", a bunch of emotionally confused and morally rebellious youth reveal absolute defiance against all authority and repeated "bad choices". The truth portrayed in the death of a best friend is really a reminder to all that without warning life can turn upside down. Today's choices will affect more than today's outcomes. Rebel a little here and there, repeat the behavior, and before long, you are living a life that is really not close to God at all. Fear God, dear child—respect your leaders; don’t be defiant or mutinous. Without warning your life can turn upside down, and who knows how or when it might happen? (Proverbs 24:21-22) Most of us would not classify our 'rebellion' as outright defiance - that open discontent with someone or something, or outright da...

Life Hack #30: Do you know where your future lies? Our decisions TODAY impact out outcomes tomorrow, but we don't control ALL the possibilities of either day. We can "manage" as much as possible, but there are just "unknowns" we cannot really plan for. Knowing our future is important - especially in terms of where we are headed spiritually. If we haven't really made an "about-face" from doing things our own way, under our own terms, and for our own benefit, we might just be "play-acting" at this "Christianity" thing. Our future is as secure as our focus - that which we set our eyes on the most becomes the direction we take, and it also becomes what fills our "head". Don’t bother your head with braggarts or wish you could succeed like the wicked. Those people have no future at all; they’re headed down a dead-end street. (Proverbs 24:19-20) We might allow things we see or hear to fill our heads with ideas and ima...

Life Hack #29: Like it or not, we all have at least one enemy in this lifetime. It is an honest part of human nature to want to see some harm come to your enemy. The very word "enemy" suggests someone who is your opponent, operating with some type of antagonistic behavior that makes the two of you adversaries. To want good for your enemy is counter intuitive. They are out to harm you - so why should you be out to bless them? Yet, we are not to revel in their fall, nor celebrate their collapse. We are to leave their "outcome" to God - something harder said than done! Don’t laugh when your enemy falls; don’t crow over his collapse. God might see, and become very provoked, and then take pity on his plight. (Proverbs 24:17-18) Enemies can be personal adversaries - such as someone bent on making your life miserable - all attacks aimed at you alone. They can also be generally around us - such as public officials who don't represent the needs, wants, or beliefs o...

Life Hack #28: Ever trip up or stumble over something you thought would give you 'no trouble' in life? I have! God keeps a special eye on his people - not letting them stay down too long if they trip up or stumble. This should give most of us (if not all of us) a whole lot of encouragement each time we find ourselves with skinned knees and a wounded bit of pride! We might find ourselves "tripped up" because of things of our own doing - like willful disobedience, compromise, and outright wrong choices. At other times, we find there has been someone in our path who purposefully sticks their foot out in hopes we will stumble and fall. I think there are those who relish the idea of creating a little bit of havoc in the lives of others. A word of warning to these folks - God won't let us stay down long - his hand is already outstretched even before the foot crosses our path to trip us up! Don’t interfere with good people’s lives; don’t try to get the best of them. ...

Life Hack #27: Eat honey, dear child—it’s good for you—and delicacies that melt in your mouth. Likewise knowledge, and wisdom for your soul—get that and your future’s secured, your hope is on solid rock . (Proverbs 24:13-14) In scripture, honey is used to describe all that is sweet and pleasing - both in the natural and spiritual sense. When scripture declares we should eat honey, it is saying we should pursue those things which will bring delight and satisfaction to our spiritual man. We are to live life to the fullest - enjoying all God has prepared for us. There are definitely some things which are better to pursue than others - especially as it applies to being "built up", encouraged, or finding peace. These are the things God wants us to become "acquainted" with in our daily "intake".  In the Old Testament region of Palestine was not harvested from bee farms, but rather had to be dug out of crevices in the rocks and the hollow of trees. Maybe God ...

Life Hack #26: Rescue the perishing; don’t hesitate to step in and help. If you say, “Hey, that’s none of my business,” will that get you off the hook? Someone is watching you closely, you know—someone not impressed with weak excuses. (Proverbs 24:11-12) None of us do things in a vacuum. Every action or inaction on our part not only affects another, it is observed by many, but especially one person - God himself. The times of 'disengagement' or inaction are just as significant as when we engage or take action. Why? We have been commanded to be "active" on behalf of those who need us to step in and help - inaction on our part is actually disobedience. What we do with the opportunities we miss are maybe more important than those we actually embrace! God knows and understands our hearts - he sees into the very core of our being, knows our thoughts, interprets our intent, and is comfortable exploring the recesses of our reasoning. He doesn't have a whole lot of p...

Life Hack #25: According to Webster, a crisis is a "turning point" in a set of circumstances where the future outcome is determined . The point of crisis in any issue we face is pivotal to where we will end up - it is not 'pre-determined' for it to end one way. Understanding how to hold up in the midst of the "point of turning" can be the most important part of actually making it through. Most of us just think of a crisis as something ugly happening to us at the moment and it is a little difficult to endure. If we begin to see it as a "turning point", we might just handle it differently. We might just decide we don't like what is determined and embrace a different path back into the arms of Jesus! If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn’t much to you in the first place. (Proverbs 24:10) In times of crises the things we focus on make all the difference. If all we see is the insurmountable odds against us, we will tend to see only the...

Life Hack #24: A person who plans evil will get a reputation as a troublemaker. The schemes of a fool are sinful; everyone detests a mocker. (Proverbs 24:8-9) We all have come across the kind of people who just love to sit around, planning some kind of misbehavior, waiting for the moment to spring it on someone. Most of the time, it is in jest, but that is not always the case. A troublemaker is anyone who causes difficulties, distress, or worries - kind of out of habit and with a desire to bring injury, harm, or suffering to another. This individual makes a habit of making life miserable for others. Not the kind of people we want to associate with on a regular basis! They are the "instigators" - wherever trouble seems to be brewing, you can pretty much be assured they had something to do with it! Avoid these individuals as much as possible - because the end they desire differs from the end God desires for your life! The troublemaker has a heart bent on evil.  The differenc...

Life Hack #23: Wise conversation is way over the head of fools; in a serious discussion they haven’t a clue. (Proverbs 24:7) In times gone by, men would gather at the gates of the city and engage in serious conversation. It was a meeting of the educated minds. Issues were settled there, and wisdom was passed down. The leaders of the city would settle disputes, pass judgments on behalf of a wronged party, and just give insight into life decisions. It was a place where "wisdom" was spoken. A fool was not to be the one engaged in the conversations of giving advice or passing on a judgment for the wronged party. Why? They were clueless as the intent of the heart, and this rendered them "useless" in making such decisions. They were to remain silent - for their "advice" would only muddle the matter. I wonder how much "foolish" conversation goes on in places of decision-making these days - especially since we don't have the "gates of th...

Life Hack #22: It’s better to be wise than strong; intelligence outranks muscle any day. Strategic planning is the key to warfare; to win, you need a lot of good counsel. (Proverbs 24:5-6) Back in the day, it was not uncommon to witness kids squaring off on the playground, then announcing: "My dad can beat your dad any day"? One child trying to prove something - that he or she has an advantage. Advantage is something we have been trying to "get" ever since we took our first breath. We are after any opportunity or circumstance we can "work our way" into to ensure success or a particular desired end. I remember learning some hand-to-hand combat maneuvers in the military, somehow thinking knowing the maneuvers would give me some advantage over another if the situation arose. I know I would have zero advantage over a black belt in karate, let alone a 250-pound angry military man! Why? What I was putting my faith in as "advantage" was pretty unre...

Life Hack #21: A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense. Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables. (Proverbs 24:3-4) Houses are nothing without those who live within the walls of those dwellings. They create the "culture" of the home - giving a unique atmosphere to the home environment. The one who dwells within the walls of the house has a special way of making that house their own - by decorating it as they like, opening it to visitors, and often creating a family within those walls. Now, think about that a little differently - your body as a house of sorts. Your body houses the Spirit of God and as such, the atmosphere of your life changes, does it not? The one who "dwells within" the house makes a difference in the "culture" or atmosphere of the "house" we call our inner man. Change begins the moment the Spirit of God "indwells" us. The one who takes up ...

Life Hack #20: Don’t envy bad people; don’t even want to be around them. All they think about is causing a disturbance; all they talk about is making trouble. (Proverbs 24:1-2) Bad people seem to be everywhere in this world. It seems like evil just runs rampant and we cannot seem to regain the ground we have lost. As we begin to ponder how easily things seem to be going for those bent on doing wrong, we almost wonder why things can't be that easy for us. It is amazing what we can get worked up over - stuff we probably don't want to be involved in anyway, but because we see some advantage to the other guy, we get ourselves all in a twitter about the issue. Evil people cannot help us stay on the right path - in fact, they might get us off it without even trying very hard - simply because our tendency is to follow what moves our feelings rather than what keeps our spirit on the up and up. To get caught up in the talk and the ruckus of their madness is to end up in a truly dan...

Life Hack #19: It is part of our make-up to be drawn to that which pleases our senses, isn't it?  As little babies, we were fascinated with all things sparkly and bright colored. The slightest hint of gleam and we'd direct our attention toward the object. Smell the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread and your mouth begins to water for the enjoyment of savoring a warm slice lathered in rich butter. Hear the tender notes of some melody and your toes will start tapping with the beat. Our bodies respond to stimulus from without, but that response begins on the INSIDE of us in response to the thing we are "taking in" through one of our senses. Learning "temperance" is a difficult thing in this life, but if we don't exercise a little self-control over our "sensual intake", we will find ourselves in places we'd probably not like to be! Today's life hack is not about alcohol, but rather the 'appeal' of things to our senses and how w...

Life Hack #18: Dear child, I want your full attention; please do what I show you. A whore is a bottomless pit; a loose woman can get you in deep trouble fast. She’ll take you for all you’ve got; she’s worse than a pack of thieves. (Proverbs 23:26-28) Marriage - what was designed to be the pledge of one life to another for the entirety of their lifetimes is under attack in society today. We even have issues with figuring out how to define marriage anymore - with everyone trying to "redefine" it to fit their desire. Who believes they will deal with adultery when they enter into marriage, any more than they think they will have to deal with the issues of prostitution or pornography. Yet, today's culture puts the sanctity of this union we refer to as "marriage" to the test with all kinds of issues, doesn't it? What many don't realize is the damage done when they give their hearts (and bodies) to someone outside of the sanctity of marriage - whether it is ...

Life Hack #17: Listen with respect to the father who raised you, and when your mother grows old, don’t neglect her. Buy truth—don’t sell it for love or money; buy wisdom, buy education, buy insight. Parents rejoice when their children turn out well; wise children become proud parents. So make your father happy! Make your mother proud! (Proverbs 23:22-25) In today's culture, we might find that parents have become "chums" to their kids rather than parents. The move toward "befriending" the child has brought about a kind of disrespect which society sees manifest in a multitude of ways - everything from the simple rebellions of back talk, crossing boundaries with too much ease, disrespecting teachers at school, engaging in rebellious behaviors, and keeping wrong company. Parents have a role in raising their kids - more than just to put food on the table and clothes on their back - just as much as kids have a role in bringing respect and honor to their parents. Tha...

Life Hack #16: Oh listen, dear child—become wise; point your life in the right direction. Don’t drink too much wine and get drunk; don’t eat too much food and get fat. Drunks and gluttons will end up on skid row, in a stupor and dressed in rags. (Proverbs 23:19-21) It might seem a little restrictive, but if you look at the reasoning behind each of these "hacks", there seems to be this theme of "safety", "well-being", and "overall protection". Is this a hard and fast rule to avoid the consumption of alcohol and rich foods? If we examine this in the context of the principles being taught,  we find this is a principle to guide us into choices which are "moderated" by wisdom and common sense in our lives. It isn't a debate over the merits or demerits of consuming alcohol as much as it is a call for us to make all decisions about these life choices with wisdom, guided by the Holy Spirit, and within the boundaries of moderation. The app...

Life Hack #15: Don’t for a minute envy careless rebels; soak yourself in the Fear-of-God—t hat’s where your future lies. Then you won’t be left with an armload of nothing. (Proverbs 23:17-18) That ugly, green-eyed monster often known as jealousy or better known as discontent can grab onto us so quickly. Discontent breeds all manner of other issues, so it is best nipped in the bud before it festers and multiplies! Envy enters in anytime we think someone else has any advantage we don't have in life. We might not know how frequently we actually evaluate ourselves in light of what we see another "have" - whether it is knowledge, privilege, or possession. When we sense this "discontent" with what the other person seems to have or get, it can lead to a lot of ugliness in our lives we really don't want to deal with later on! Discontent is really a sense of inequity. If you haven't already figured it out - all things are NOT equal in this life! We are all cr...

Life Hack #14: Dear child, if you become wise, I’ll be one happy parent. My heart will dance and sing to the tuneful truth you’ll speak. (Proverbs 23:15-16) None of us become wise overnight, but in the development of our lives, we learn to embrace truths and live well. In turn, we bring honor to our parents - if not our earthly father or mother, then our heavenly Father is honored immensely!  Whatever the "parenting style" you were raised under, know this: God can "undo" the wrong stuff our parents did with us or to us in our lives just as much as he can magnify the good stuff! God wants every one of his children to become wise. How is this wisdom manifest? In the truth we speak and reveal with our actions. The soundness of heart is often betrayed by the words we speak, is it not? There are times people try to deliver such polished speeches, believing their words will mask the underlying misery in their lives. Our words can only do so much to mask what is trut...

Life Hack #13: Don’t be afraid to correct your young ones; a spanking won’t kill them. A good spanking, in fact, might save them from something worse than death. (Proverbs 23:13-14) Children need correction in their formative years, and this is probably one of the hottest debated topics among parents today. There is a principle being taught in the scripture which goes beyond the "means" or "method" of discipline used to correct the child to the "heart" behind all discipline rendered by a parent. Discipline is for the correction of behavior which will lead the child into harmful stuff if ignored - and when rendered with the heart and compassion of a loving parent, it should always be within the boundaries of what does not bring more "harm" to the child. God's lessons are sometimes hard for me to learn, I don't know about you. When I am not getting them, he sometimes has to resort to what brings me to a place of paying attention. A parent...