The Plumbline

O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. (Psalm 8:1) It has been a while since I have spoken about the various names of God in scripture, but this psalm opens with two different names used for God - LORD and Lord. Sometimes it is easy to miss the subtle differences because we just 'read over' them. When we stop for a moment to consider what is being said by the use of the various names of God, we can begin to see the true meaning of the passage. LORD is God's 'covenant name' used in the Hebrew language. We might think of this as the 'Old Testament' name referencing his entering into 'covenant' with the Israelite nation. Another term for LORD is Yahweh or Jehovah. The meaning: I am who I am, or I am that I am. God is, has been, will always be the God of the universe - there is no other who compares with him, no other worthy of worship and honor. Yahweh (LORD) references God's creative power. Thin...

I have read through scripture a number of times but have always struggled a bit with how God could 'get angry' and still be a merciful and kind God. My guess is that I am not alone in this quandary. What I have deduced is that God gets 'angry' when people sin - sin gets his anger stirred up. He is slow to anger, but that doesn't mean his patience can be taken for granted. God is the judge of human character - not us. We would like to sit in judgment on occasion, but we are not qualified to judge simply because we have this sin nature at work within each of us.  Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. (Galatians 6:7-8) Whenever we think we are above the judgment of God, we are in a very troubling place. We may want to take...

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. (Psalm 51:1-4) How is it that we don't always make a beeline to God when we sin? There are excuses uttered - thinking we can somehow justify our offense as though it were impossible for us to have resisted the temptation. We find ourselves turning this way or that, in hopes of not encountering God over the issue, but find ourselves feeling the guilt 'prick' at us like thorns on a rosebush. I don't think we intended to give into the temptation, and we don't really think the excuses or 'running' will keep us away from dealing with the sin, but we respond this way for some inexplicable reason. Guilt is that 'pin prick' in our conscience t...

I come to you for protection, O Lord my God. Save me from my persecutors—rescue me! If you don’t, they will maul me like a lion, tearing me to pieces with no one to rescue me. (Psalm 7:1-2) We began to look at the power of a truly 'defensible position' yesterday - the best of all being 'in Christ'. As we examine the need for a defensible position, we might find there are a number of reasons we would cry out to God for a place of refuge. Perhaps one of the reasons we seek a refuge is because of the slander and gossip of others around us. We might not realize the damage of gossip and the destruction to the reputation whenever someone sets out to slander and individual. We could be on either side of that coin - the one being gossiped about, or the one engaging in the gossip. The first needs a defensible position - a place of protection and refuge; the latter needs a 'come to Jesus' meeting! David was not without his share of both. In fact, he had people who would ...

The seventh Psalm starts out with the words, "I come to you for protection, O Lord my God. Save me from my persecutors—rescue me!" We know that David spent a great deal of time either running from Saul and his warriors or fighting one battle after another to maintain his kingdom - and some of those battles were from within his own family. There is probably something quite 'practical' in these words because a warrior needed protection on occasion - just to get away from it all and to recover from the fight. An area of 'strong defense' was a godsend to a warrior. For David, he might have needed a 'physically defensible position' from which he could take refuge. It is also quite possible he may have needed a 'spiritually defensible position' where he could be renewed and refreshed 'in the battle'.  We need both on occasion - a physical place that brings us a sense of safety and a spiritual place where our emotional and spiritual health is...

What are worthless and wicked people like? They are constant liars, signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye, a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers. Their perverted hearts plot evil, and they constantly stir up trouble. But they will be destroyed suddenly, broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing. (Proverbs 6:12-15) Have you been around those who 'plot evil' as though it were a hobby? They go through life treating others as though they were 'pawns' in their game of life and live as though they were 'above the rules'. I try to get out of their way whenever I encounter them because I am aware their end will not be good at all! These kinds of people like to be on the receiving end of all that they desire, but whenever they receive something they didn't want, watch out. There will be some form of backlash! "I don't believe a champion is the biggest, baddest, meanest dude in the world. I think the champion is like a warrior; it...

As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them. (2 Corinthians 10:17-18) How many times do you hear someone brag about what they have accomplished and wonder why they find it necessary to boast so much about such a small thing? Truth be told, I have been amongst the braggarts on occasion! Not a pretty sight. Boasting is really for the purpose of calling attention to oneself. As a young person, I thought unless people were always paying attention to you, they didn't like you. My bragging actually drove them away, not closer! Now, it goes without saying, if I catch the big fish on that next fishing outing, I am holding it high, but I don't do it to 'call attention' to my 'angling expertise'. I am just jazzed to have snagged one! Sometimes we 'call attention' to our accomplishments in quite an innocent fashion, while at ...

Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written. (John 21:25) I am not a 'journal person' - I don't keep a diary of the daily events and happenings in life. In fact, I tried it for a couple of months to see if I could keep track of what I was doing and other stuff like the things that were happening in my ministry. It got to the place I was repeating myself, so I quit. As much as I thought this 'diary' thing was a 'big deal' for believers to 'keep track' of God's blessings, it wasn't all that 'big of a deal'. It was shortly after that failed attempt at keeping a diary that I realized God wanted me to simply spend time with him, writing down the stuff he told me in those times, beginning to really digest the scriptures for myself. When I began to record what God was sharing from his Word and my time pondering it, I found that much less cumberso...

“You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” (John 20:29) You believe - not because you were compelled to believe - but because you hungered enough to know the truth and be set free by it. Do we believe because we see, or is it because we have heard? Are we the type of people who demand a sign and then another just to confirm what we have heard is true? It never ceases to amaze me that God knows the weakness of our spirit and the questioning of our mind. Here is the most amazing truth - he meets us right where we are.  Thomas happened to be absent the night Jesus appeared to the disciples following the resurrection. When we was told about his appearance, he had a hard time accepting their 'testimony' of what they saw. In fact, he told them he needed the ultimate proof - being able to touch his pierced hands and side. Eight days later, gathered together in a locked room, Jesus gives him the opportunity. In those eight days, I wonder ...

So they took Jesus away. Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it. Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.” (John 19:16-22) No matter how hard Pilate tried to release Jesus from the bonds his accusers had placed him in, they objected vehemently, completely determined that Jesus would die that day before the sun went down. Pilate had listened to Jesus' testimony, heard him tell him he was "born and came into the world to testi...

I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. (John 17:14-19) Be assured the hatred flung upon believers is not 'ill-placed' - they are just showing their rejection of Christ and his provided way into right relationship with his Father. Jesus could have taken all who believed out of this world with him when he ascended into heaven, but their work was only beginning. Although they no longer conformed to the ways and customs of the world, they were 'left behind' to carry forth this message of hope and restoration. Instead o...

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. (John 16:33) Boy, we sure understand the 'trials and sorrows' part, don't we? Look around you just about anywhere and you will see wildfires taking down whole towns, people going berserk over who knows what, and one 'bad news day' after another. This world knows very little peace - it knows of warfare, misgivings, poorly behaving people, and threats beyond measure, but very little of the nightly news tells us of the great peace mankind is experiencing. Peace is a person - when we meet that person, we truly understand peace. The person? Christ himself. The way to him? Ask him to reveal himself to you and in you. There are all kinds of ways mankind goes about attempting to find some form of peace in this world, but just as Jesus told his disciples that day, peace is not an 'earthly' thing. It is a di...

You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:16-17) Choice - to select from a number of possibilities - usually because you know something about what it is you are choosing. I choose one of a couple of brands of toilet tissue because I know the quality of those brands. I sometimes see other choices that may cost a little less, but I don't choose them because I have no clue as to their quality. I choose one brand of dish detergent because I have observed what it does when I make a sudsy water to wash my pots and pans. We make all kinds of choices each and every day, some of them pretty much a matter of 'routine' in our lives. There are choices we make consciously and others we make subconsciously, something we might not even realize we are doing. How is it we choose to serve Christ today? Is it a conscious or subconscious...

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. (John 15:1-4) Our Arizona sun has done a number on our garden this year. What started out so healthy, green, and fruit bearing has now become brittle, yellowed, and the fruit is nowhere to be found. The severe heat of the day, despite covering the plants with shade covers, has made what should have been a very fruitful spring/summer harvest a dud. I have observed something similar in God's kids on occasion. They seem to spring up with all kinds of gusto and good intentions, then when life's heat turns up a bit, they almost wither on the vine. I am not sure...

Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them. (John 14:21) Before obedience comes acceptance - we have to accept the commandments of God and then apply ourselves to obeying them. Do we have to understand all the commandments of God before we can apply them to our lives? We can acknowledge that there are some we may not fully 'understand' but we are intent on keeping because God tells us to live within their boundaries. We have to welcome his commandments, though. The more we find ways to twist or resist them, the harder it will be for us to draw near to him. Why? The twisting and resisting reveals we are really not intent on developing the relationship! When we accept the commandments of God, we are really showing that we are willing to undertake the responsibility to live within those commandments. Did you really hear that? The element of resp...

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” (John 14:1-7) Trust is a learned thing - if it is violated enough, it can be harder and harder to trust the next time. Jesus gave his disciples absolutely no reason to mistrust him. He was always there, especially when they needed his help. He came in the middle of the storm, quieted the waters, settling their fears. He sto...

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 12:34-35) Can you imagine if some of the Pharisee leaders had of overheard this conversation between Jesus and his disciples that night? "A new commandment I am giving you" would have sent their heads spinning! They would have debated the credibility of Jesus and then demanded to know who he was to 'give a new commandment' - because only God could give those! Hmmm...only God could give those...maybe Jesus was really showing his disciples that he and his Father were one - that he was 'really' God with a bod.  The new commandment was not really all that new, but it emphasized a 'new work' Jesus expected from his disciples. They were to 'prove to the world' their faith - through love. In prior times, you 'proved' your faith through 'religiou...

There comes a time when we have the perfect time to acknowledge our faith in Jesus, only to become timid and almost 'embarrassed' to do so simply because our 'social group' would think us 'odd' or reject us because of our 'stand'? There are times we think more about our 'social standing' within the group than we do our opportunity to be light and life in a very, very dark world. The leaders believed, yet their 'fear' of the impact on their 'social standing' as 'leaders' actually caused them to keep silent about Jesus. It is a sad day when we care more about what others think about us than we do about drawing closer to Jesus, allowing him to use us in whatever 'social grouping' we have been placed. Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than the praise ...

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me. (John 12:24-26) Unless the kernel dies, there is no harvest. This is a principle farmers know quite well. A principle is a 'rule of action' that basically indicates when one condition is met, the other condition is met, as well. We might think we can bypass some of God's principles as we navigate through life, but you can trust me on this one - I have never observed one person being able to accomplish all that God desires for their life when they spend their time bypassing his principles! Loss is something many of us almost fear. We might ...

Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous signs. If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.” Caiaphas, who was high priest at that time, said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about! You don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.” (John 11:45-50) A couple of things really stood out to me after reading the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus came out of the grave, after being dead a good couple of days, wrapped completely in grave clothes (hands and feet bound, face wrapped in a headcloth). There before the crowds...

The story of Lazarus is one of those 'memorable moments' we see throughout scripture. Jesus' friend, taken by some form of illness, and his sisters beckon Jesus to come to him so he can be healed. Two days pass before Jesus even begins the journey back to Judea to be with Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. Two days! If I was waiting for my brother's healing, knowing Jesus was 'dilly-dallying' in his response to my request, I might get a little miffed about the delay - especially when the delay ended in my brother's death! How many times do we find ourselves in a place where there is a tremendous need like this one, asking Jesus to come quickly, but realizing there will be a 'delay' in what we hoped to happen? If you heard, "Hey, just chill, I am coming, but just not right now," how would that make you feel? My trust would be tested to the max - how about yours? A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. Thi...

“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them , and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” (John 10:1-5) Those words "he walks ahead of them" really caught my attention this morning. Jesus goes ahead of us in all aspects of life. He sets the pace, keeps us on track, watches for obstacles in our path, and shelters us from things we may not even notice that could do us harm. So many times, I think we get Jesus' position in our lives a bit out of order. It is as though we think we have this all figured out, things are ...

“Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.” “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue. (John 9:30-34) It is a rather long story, but I will shorten it a bit for us today. A man born blind just 'happened' to be sitting by the roadside as Jesus came by one day. Jesus made mud with a little spit and some dirt, rubbed it on his eyes, told him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam, and he came back with his total sight restored. He tells the Pharisees and religious leaders, but they are aghast that anyone would do such a thing on the Sabbath. They send for his parents, even though he was a grown man, ...

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) Remain faithful to his teachings - then you will know the truth that truly sets you free. We might say freedom is just a bit conditional - it requires faithfulness to the teachings of Christ. Sometimes we trust in all kinds of 'other things' to help us 'live free', but religious pursuit without right relationship with God is just a pursuit without a proper aim. What things are you a slave to today? What beliefs hold you back from really purs...

Have you ever been in a spot where someone is trying to find a way to accuse you of something - doing nothing wrong, you are under attack and your reputation is taking one hit after another? Jesus healed the sick - that's not wrong. He fed the hungry - not wrong again. He reached out to the rejected, poor, and those society rejected - still not wrong. Yet, no matter how much 'good' he did, the religious leaders sought to find something - anything - they could 'use against him'. Why? He threatened them by his goodness, gentleness, gracefulness, and his claims to be God's Son. Threatened by truth - isn't that just like us to find something wrong with truth? No matter what, Jesus isn't going to compromise who he is or what he does. We can fight against truth all we want, but the more we fight against it, the harder it will be to resist it!  As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of ...

"Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” (John 7:24) These words struck me this morning as I was reading the account of Jesus going up to the Feast of Tabernacles and the people hearing his message, amazed at his depth of teaching though he was not a 'scholar' of the Law of Moses. They are in awe of his wisdom and well-grounded instruction, but miss the point that he is the living, breathing Messiah. Jesus assures them his message is not his own but comes from is Father - "Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own. Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies." (vs. 17-18) Though speaking the truth, they could only see the things they knew about Jesus - that he was a son of Joseph, a carpenter, born into a village without nobility or honor. They could not see beneath the surface, so they were not ...

Jesus sensed that his disciples were having a hard time with this and said, “Does this rattle you completely? What would happen if you saw the Son of Man ascending to where he came from? The Spirit can make life. Sheer muscle and willpower don’t make anything happen. Every word I’ve spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life-making. But some of you are resisting, refusing to have any part in this.” (Jesus knew from the start that some weren’t going to risk themselves with him. He knew also who would betray him.) He went on to say, “This is why I told you earlier that no one is capable of coming to me on his own. You get to me only as a gift from the Father.” (John 6:61-65) Jesus knows when we are having a hard time taking what he says as truth, so we should not be surprised when he challenges us to come to a place of complete belief. Some of his teachings were kind of hard for those early disciples to swallow, so they resisted placing their trust in him. Whenever we resist his ...

 Is my reality any different from yours? Really now, is my view on life better than yours, or is it just a bit different at times? We get so focused on how people see us, interpreting our actions in light of how they actually view life from their vantage point, don't we? If we are being drawn by God, taught at his feet, we may not always interpret life the same way, but we serve the one who can help us live together in the harmony he brings. When we insist others see or interpret life exactly the same way we do, we create much distress in this world, don't we? If we allow God to be the first thing others see in us, there might just be a greater chance of finding truth together. Jesus said, “Don’t bicker among yourselves over me. You’re not in charge here. The Father who sent me is in charge. He draws people to me—that’s the only way you’ll ever come. Only then do I do my work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End. This is what the prophets mean...

We all have those moments when Jesus doesn't 'give us what we want', don't we? The people following Jesus this day were intent on him showing them a miraculous sign of some sort. While they didn't stipulate the exact sign, they wanted one as 'grand' as the manna that came down from heaven in the wilderness and they are so bold as to say so. Jesus told them if they wanted to perform 'God's works', then they would believe in him. Their response - show us something 'more grandiose' and 'amazing'. Gotta ask, but what is more amazing than the God of the Universe standing right there in your midst? They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?” Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? (John 6:28-29) If you want us to believe in you, show us what you can do! Heartbreaki...

If you have heard that old saying, "all in the same boat together", then you know it means we are all in the very same precarious situation. For some, the situation is that you are caught in a rapid of sorts, being tossed out of control, with little to know strength left to fight the 'current' of life's woes. You aren't in that boat alone - there are others there, too. Others are in the boat that seems to be taking way too long to get to where you are all going, growing wearier by the day as you endure the challenge of 'rowing' forever. Some might even feel like they have lost their oars and are adrift, being taken wherever the current and winds would take them. Regardless of who you are, you are not in the boat alone - there are others in similar situations, rowing, fretting, tiring just like you.  That evening Jesus’ disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and he...

Do you think God sometimes asks us stuff to see how we will answer? He already knows our response, but I believe he puts it out there because there is something to be learned by us hearing our response. Five loaves and a few fish - will that feed a crowd of over 5,000 men? Not if we only see the loaves and fish for what they are - we need to see them through God's eyes. We see the limits in our answers, but God sees the immense possibilities when we place the 'answers' into his hands.  Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!” Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said...