The Plumbline

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 blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer. (James 1:13-15) Woodrow Wilson reminded us, "The man who is swimming against the stream knows the strength of it." That might aptly describe how it is when we are tempted - swimming AGAINST the stream, trying to live a righteous life, but pulled ever so hard by the strength of the 'evil current' that works against us. I have been pulled or tugged in one direction or another all of my life. At times, I am tempted to say that God is working AGAINST me, but I know that is NEVER true. At others, I am fully aware that my own silly desires (lusts) get in the way of making right choices. Temptation is r...

And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no weekend war that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. (Ephesians 6:10-11) I'd like to think I am more than a weekend warrior - just attending church and then forgetting about the pursuit of God's best for my life the rest of the week. Sadly, there are far too many Christians who are weekend warriors. They attend church regularly, but their lives are kind of devoid of much in the way of 'substance' when it comes to study of the Word of God, time in prayer, or even looking after the needs of others as scripture reminds us of is so important. The Apostle Paul puts it very well - this is no weekend wa...

But blessed is the man who trusts me,  God , the woman who sticks with  God . They’re like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers— Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, Serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season. (Jeremiah 17:7-8) Doesn't that sound absolutely wonderful? Deep roots, no sign of being affected by drought, and bearing fruit each and every season of life - that is indeed a privilege. A privilege enjoyed by those who have placed their trust in Christ and have asked him to take control of their lives.  I am prone to worrying a bit - I think I got that from my mother. I always used to say if mom didn't have something to worry about, she'd worry about not having anything to worry about. It has taken a lot of prayer to lay things down at the feet of Jesus and leave them there, but when I finally let go of the 'mulling over' of the things that give me concern, the peace is overwhelmin...

You’ve had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God’s pure kindness. Then you’ll grow up mature and whole in God. (I Peter 2:3) I have tasted some pretty good stuff in my days. Chocolate, a nicely charred steak, sweet potatoes with melting butter, and mom's cheesecake. These are but a few of the things I have 'tasted', but there is one thing I have tasted that rises above all the rest: Jesus' grace and goodness. For years, the See's Candy Shops have given out a free piece of candy to the visitors in their shop. Why? To entice you to want more! God's grace is kind of like that - you get one taste of how liberating it is and you just keep coming back for more! Grace is not meant to be tasted once and then that's all you ever experience it. It is meant to be tasted again and again, until you are overflowing with the goodness of it. Grace received is going to do something we may not have really anticipated - it helps us grow up in Jesus...

Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. (Romans 12:3) You will discover one of the most frequented topics in scripture is grace. Themes of justice, purity, and such things as undivided attention abound. Through all the themes in scripture, this thought of grace is interwoven. In justice (right conduct, moral decisions) we find grace - unmerited favor - for not all our conduct is right, nor are all our decisions solid in a moral sense. In purity or righteousness (the state of being good, honest, fair and right) we recognize the prominence of grace, for not all our thoughts will be good, words honest, actions fair, or behaviors right. God's grace is undeserved - but nothing is more needed in our lives t...

John Boyle O'Reilly reminds us: "Be true to your work, your word, and your friend." This is pretty sound advice, isn't it? The Apostle Paul reminded those who serve in the household of others to do all their work heartily as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23). Proverbs 13:4 reminds us that the 'soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.' I don't know about you, but 'richly supplied' certainly appeals to me. How are we true to our work? If we are putting forth our very best by bringing our very best self into that work each and every day, we are likely fulfilling that one. Being true to our word is a pretty tall order, is it not? We can say a whole lot of things without really thinking them through, only to regret having made a vow or promise to do something at a later time. Jesus was speaking with the disciples one day and left them with these instructions: “Again, the law of Moses says, ‘You shall...

Since you have been chosen by God who has given you this new kind of life, and because of his deep love and concern for you, you should practice tenderhearted mercy and kindness to others. (Colossians 3:12) Since - indicating a condition has already been met. We are chosen - conditions met entirely through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ Jesus. Given a new kind of life - no longer bound by our past way of thinking and doing things. That might just come as a bit of relief to some who have been feeling like their past keeps haunting them, bringing them more than a fair share of grief and shame. All conditions have been met - that past has been wiped away by the blood of Jesus, but our minds might just hold onto those memories of the past a little too much. The more we learn about the grace of God, the more we will realize our past is just that - past. We live a 'new kind of life' - because of his deep love and concern for each of us. The more we learn of God's lo...

Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool. Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest. A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools! Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes. Sending a message by the hands of a fool is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison. (Proverbs 26:1-6) A fool is merely anyone who lacks judgment or good sense. Now, if we were to be truthful most of us could definitely cop to this plea! We are not consistently wise in our judgment, nor do we always use good sense! A fool is someone who does this habitually - but in everyday life, we all play the fool on occasion. The issue with the fool - they don't embrace wisdom, so they keep using "faulty" judgment over and over again. T here are probably areas in our lives wher...

The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts . Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) All of scripture is filled with principles meant as "safety guides" for our lives as much as they are meant to point us toward the heart and mind of God. The Ten Commandments - the basis for evaluating if we are "keeping" God's intention for our lives in an honorable manner. There are times when we are unaware of the dangers which lie right in our path - but if we will remain consistently faithful to the truths (principles) we are given, we should know safety as we travel these path...

 We all have those moments when we feel like we have been abandoned and left out on our own to figure things out. It is probable that we want to let out a little complaint in those moments because we feel a little like no one anticipated our needs and saw to it that they were met. Maybe we even feel a little "entitled" as God's kids to not have to face the reality of the bad stuff that is just part of living here on planet earth. We forget that we are still physically present in the midst of evil and there is no way to escape some of this stuff. Instead of whining, we should be praising; instead of thinking God has rejected us or forgotten we exist, we should be celebrating his presence even when it isn't quite clear to us. God NEVER abandons his kids - no way, no how! His presence is not dependent upon our "feeling" it; his care is not dependent upon us seeing it; his attention is not dependent upon us - it is based upon who he is and what he does! Why ...

  Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. (Romans 8:28) There have been moments when I just didn't know what to say to God - unsure of what really was going on inside of my mind and emotions, just needing to get out those feelings, but really not sure how to put them into words. How about you? Do you ever experience those moments when there is an overwhelming sense of heaviness within, but you cannot really express it in words? I am so glad God can understand our sighs, groans, and even our silence. He knows our heart better than we do, but he also understands...

  Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust. (2 Peter 1:4) Sometimes we aren't sure we are doing everything that will make a difference, so that we are living in such a way that our lives truly please God. We want to live consistently in a manner that allows God to be seen through us to a hurting and searching world, but we aren't sure we are 'consistent enough'. Let me assure you of this - if you are walking with Jesus in a genuine manner - heart, mind, will and soul committed to serving him - you are 'consistent enough'. We don't always hit the mark we are aiming at, but we are taking steps in the right direction (at least generally)....

 God wasn’t attracted to you and didn’t choose you because you were big and important—the fact is, there was almost nothing to you. He did it out of sheer love... (Deuteronomy 7:9) How many times do we get 'big heads' about ourselves, thinking we are all kinds of 'bigness' and 'greatness' because of something we do? Some of us more than others, but we can all fall prey to this 'pride' thing once in a while. God isn't 'attracted' to our 'bigness' or 'importance' - whether real or imagined! He is attracted to US - as we are, with all our quirks and hangups. It is not what we 'do' or 'accomplish' or 'amass' that makes us 'big' in his eyes. He loves us in spite of all those things! Truly, there is almost 'nothing to us' when God draws us toward his heart and asks us to give him control of our lives. We might have 'done' all kinds of important things in our lives, but it is the frailt...

I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love. (Galatians 5:4-6) I bet no one will be surprised to know that I spent a great deal of time trying to be holy by completing various religious 'plans' and 'projects'. I'd fast for a day, not really knowing why I was doing it, but someone told me it would 'make me closer to God'. I'd read a certain number of chapters in the Bible every day, not really getting much out of it, all because someone told me I needed to make a 'plan' for reading through the Bible every year. I'd go to church every Sunday morning, Sunday even...

I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy. (Rabindranath Tagore) For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. (Galatians 5:13) God calls us to serve one another, but do we really understand how service actually works? I think we have a general idea of service as the 'art of helpful activity'. As God sees it, service is more than 'giving' or 'helping' - it provides for a specific need. When we give of ourselves - time, talent, or even our treasure - it honors God greatly when it provides for a specific need. Service is best when it is Christ-based. Keep him at the center of all you do, and you will find opportunities abound for you to share from the 'wealth' of what he has given you. It may not be monetary wealth, but that wealth of wisdom, grace, a...

  All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) God comforts us - we comfort others. The more we realize God's blessings in our lives are not just for us, the more we will find the opportunities to bless others in a similar manner as we are blessed. God doesn't create healed and whole emotions in us for the purpose of just making us feel better. He wants us to share the pathway to health and wholeness with those around us who may need help finding that path.  Notice that our passage doesn't say, "...if they are troubled", but rather, "...when they are troubled" - indicating that others are experiencing troubling thoughts, habits, and hangups just like us. Is it possible that we might just need each other to find th...

  Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. (Psalm 139:23-24) Have you ever prayer a similar prayer? It is a kind of scary thing to ask God to test your heart and mind to see if there is any offensive stuff there, isn't it? You almost don't want to ask because you know there is! When God points out what 'offends' him, he doesn't do it to humiliate us, or even to chastise us. He does it to show us how deeply he loves us - because he wants us to be free of all that garbage that takes up emotional, mental, or physical space in our lives. To be led, one must submit to the one leading. To be whole, one must submit to the one capable of ridding us of all the stuff that keeps us 'broken' and 'hurt'. When we don't know the way, we seek guidance via a mapping service, GPS, or the good old way of asking someone for directions. Why do ...

What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole. I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory. (I Peter 1:3-7) A new life and everything to live for - what that involves is a new start on life, and the joy of living life as we were created to live it - in close, personal relationship with God our Father. We may think of the "future" as way off in the...

  The  Lord  is our God, the  Lord  alone.   And you must love the  Lord  your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.   And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.   Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. (Deuteronomy 6:5-7) The Lord alone... Is he the only one you serve? A tough question this morning, but one which I think we all need to consider. Is he really first and foremost in our lives? If we might know how to answer that one, then we must consider the next portion of our passage. Do we love him with ALL our heart, or is our heart divided? Do we commit all our mind, will, and emotions to him, are we carried away by all manner of folly? Is our commitment to his commandments (rules for living) 'whole-hearted'? If we are able to answer ...

Cynics look high and low for wisdom—and never find it; the open-minded find it right on their doorstep! (Proverbs 14:6) There are people in this world who believe that selfishness motivates people to do things. There are probably more than a few individuals like this, but once someone invites Christ into their lives, it is almost impossible to live that way any longer. A cynic has to believe every action has some underlying "ulterior motive". As we come INTO Christ, the "motivations" of our life begin to change - moving from being a little too self-centered to being "other-centered". The result of becoming more Christ-centered is that we also become more and more "other-centered". This is a good thing since our ego gets us into more scrapes than we might like to deal with in this life! Wisdom is only truly found when we are able to embrace it and as long as we are embracing everything that focuses on and pleases self, we will not be able to...

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9) Are you challenged in the area of your thoughts? Things you'd like to forget just keep resurfacing. Things you need desperately to remember keep slipping away. Things you never thought you'd ever be mulling over plaguing you time and time again. This is a very real battle - our thought life can be a bit of a muddle at times, especially in times of stress, fatigue, or boredom. If your thoughts were to be displayed on a big screen, what would people see? Anxiety, depression, hurt feelings, or fear of the unknown? Maybe a lability of faith - trusting God fully one day, then venturing into the areas of taking things on yourself the next? God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts. Rather than struggling repeated...

So now we have a high priest who perfectly fits our needs: completely holy, uncompromised by sin, with authority extending as high as God’s presence in heaven itself. Unlike the other high priests, he doesn’t have to offer sacrifices for his own sins every day before he can get around to us and our sins. He’s done it, once and for all : offered up himself as the sacrifice. The law appoints as high priests men who are never able to get the job done right . But this intervening command of God, which came later, appoints the Son, who is absolutely, eternally perfect. (Hebrews 7:26-28) In the Old Testament (OT), there were religious leaders called "priests". The most important thing about the OT priest was that he was "set aside" from the rest of the community in which he dwelt for the specific purpose of all the duties associated with worship and sacrifice. They didn't hold down 'outside work', such as farming or carpentry. There was also this office of ...

The Pharisees said, “Are you carried away like the rest of the rabble? You don’t see any of the leaders believing in him, do you? Or any from the Pharisees? It’s only this crowd, ignorant of God’s Law, that is taken in by him—and damned.” Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus earlier and was both a ruler and a Pharisee, spoke up. “Does our Law decide about a man’s guilt without first listening to him and finding out what he is doing?” But they cut him off. “Are you also campaigning for the Galilean? Examine the evidence. See if any prophet ever comes from Galilee.” Then they all went home. (John 7:47-53) We often find Jesus surrounded by a lot of curiosity seekers, but also finding himself in the right place at the right time to use those opportunities as "teachable moments". It is the Feast of Tabernacles - a time when Jews solemnly gathered to celebrate one of their required "feast days". There is controversy in the crowd, simply because people are hung up abo...

It’s urgent that you listen carefully to this: Anyone here who believes what I am saying right now and aligns himself with the Father, who has in fact put me in charge , has at this very moment the real, lasting life and is no longer condemned to be an outsider. This person has taken a giant step from the world of the dead to the world of the living. (John 5:24) We all question authority in our lives at times. We have all the "necessary" characteristics that lead to challenging authority. We have free will, so the matter of choice is ours. We have independent thought, so the ability to think and reason often presents the challenge to authority. Regardless of the "means" by which we challenge it, our desires are pretty much the same - we want to "stand alone", having no one tell us what to do, and to be "free" of the "rules" of another.   Jesus sought to establish the truth of his "leadership". He was a man "under au...

It was the poet Virgil that reminded us, "Time passes irrevocably", so we had best make the most out of the moments we are given. " For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. " (Ecclesiastes 3:1-3) What moments have you let pass you by? Maybe it is 'time' to invest in the moments - the hour could just be later than we think. Moments can pass us by, or we can appreciate the value in each one and make the most of them. The blind beggar sitting along the Jericho roadside likely went there every day with the express purpose of getting a few coins or a parcel of food that might help him to have his needs met. Do you think he imagined that he'd hear that it was Jesus traveling that route one day, and that by calling out to Jesus that he'd actually walk home that evening se...

William Shakespeare admonished us to, "Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none." These are more than just good words of advice. Take them apart and you might just see a few principles you'd like to live by. Love all - isn't this what Jesus said when he reminded us to, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’"? (Matthew 22:37-39) Trust a few - scripture reminds us not to trust a fool, but always to trust God. Remember: "A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart....

  For I know the plans I have for you,” says the  Lord . “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. (Jeremiah 29:11-13) There are seasons in our lives where 'planning' is just not possible. We call those crisis times. In those moments, we react to the current needs, forgetting all about plans we may have made or plans we'd like to make. Why? Our attention is required in the present moment. It is good to know that even when we are not able to 'plan' or 'work the plan' we have made, God remains fully in control of our lives. His plan is being worked, even when ours may have had to go on hold for a bit! As we move from crisis moment to 'normal routine' again, we may assume the plans we had made, but it is quite possible our plans were altered by the crisis. Why? The crisis made something clearer, rearranged our priorities...

It never ceases to amaze me what Jesus did to counter the "religious" in his generation and what he still does to counter the religious in ours! A Samaritan woman, coming to draw water for her household, the time of day about noon, has a "chance encounter" with Jesus, the Great Teacher of the Jews. The Samaritans were considered to be "pagan Jews" - not exactly respected by the religious Jews simply because they chose to worship in Bethel or Dan (two places of worship established when Jeroboam was king). They were "replacement" cities of worship - replacing Jerusalem as the one place of worship. Then Mt. Gerizim became the worship center for the Samaritans. To the staunch religious Jew, this was an outrage - for God's presence dwelt within the Holy of Holies within the Temple in Jerusalem. There is not a whole lot of "good will" between the two peoples. The fact Jesus would even "bother" to speak with a Samaritan, muc...