The Plumbline

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. (Ephesians 1:3-6) There are times when we 'judge' someone over and over again, all because they have a whole bunch of 'do-overs' in their lives. We point out how many times they slip and fall, but God sees only the returns! He is celebrating each and every 'do-over' because he knows that individual is not content to backslide, nor are they content to just 'abide' where they are - they want to change. It is hard to change, and he knows...

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. (Romans 3:23-24) All really doesn't mean there are any exclusions - it means ALL have sinned, no one is exempt. That may be hard for some to palette, but it is an inescapable fact. God set a standard - we fall short of it each and every time we attempt to even approach it, so we needed his Son to do it for us. Grace has been and is still being extended to all who would trust him for this great gift of redemption. Redemption is a big word that really means we are made right with a holy God by trusting in the finished work of Jesus. He bridged the gap between our imperfection and God's perfect holiness. We are able to come boldly into his presence now because we have received his grace. The standard was met in Christ - we just need to meet Christ in order to receive grace...

Do you remember the story of Jonah? He tried desperately to run from God's plan for his life. I wonder how many of us have tried that same action. If you are anything like me, you have probably done it once or twice. We don't always want to be 'disobedient', but when we delay in any form of 'obedience', we are actually running from God's expectations. So, if you are 'runner' too, let me assure you of this - you cannot escape God any more than I can! I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! (Psalm 138:7) Jonah tried to run from God's plan for his life. He rejected God's plan more than once. He complained a whole lot when God asked him to do certain things that were 'contrary' to the way he thought things should be. He did what most of us have done - he put his own desires above those of God. Oh, don't be so pious - you have done it, too! To compound it, we pout because we aren't getting ...

Now restore us again, O God of our salvation. Put aside your anger against us once more. Will you be angry with us always? Will you prolong your wrath to all generations? Won’t you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation. (Psalm 85:4-7) Is revival more than an awakening? It begins with an awakening of our spirit and then it continues with a new sense of purpose and an 'inner fervor' that we have somehow lost along the way. Most of us need a bit of 'revival' at times, all because we allow that 'inner fervor' we once had to become 'dulled' by the details of life as they creep in. We soon lose sight of our purpose, finding ourselves a bit too inactive in our faith - what some may call being a little 'too stagnant' in our faith. In truth, what has happened is that we have lost our 'clear direction', leading us to a slower and slower 'faith progress', until...

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) Make disciples of all men - not just converts who warm the pews, but actual disciples. Teach the gospel and see what it will accomplish - preaching it alone might win souls, but when it is taught, it is caught! Live the message - the gospel was always meant to be something that is backed with action, not just words spoken from a pulpit. If they are willing to follow, bring them along. When we submit to the leadership of Jesus, we are acknowledging that we are willing to take up the mission he has given each of us. Yes, we are to tell others about Christ - but the billboard you hold on the side of the roadway won...

Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15) Who are you living for? It is a valid question, is it not? We wake up each new day, actively choosing to live for someone or something. The one given over to substance abuse might not realize it, but they are living for a 'thing', not for someone. The one so concerned about what others think isn't living for themselves as much as they are those others who consume their thoughts, actions, and heart. If we choose to live for Christ, we are making a different choice - to lay down our lives, allowing his life to flow through us. We receive a new life in Christ Jesus. We choose to live differently when we say 'yes' to Jesus. Someone may not realize the life cha...

So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. (Ephesians 1:6-8) Glorious grace - unmerited, unearned, and very frequently unexpected privilege and forgiveness. We do nothing to deserve it and can do absolutely nothing to earn it. Yet, we can revel in the goodness of a God that provides a means for us to enter into close, intimate relationship with him. His kindness supersedes any earthly kindness. Earthly kindness is much more superficial, although it has great meaning, it still falls short of the kindness God extends to us through his Son, Jesus. Along with his kindness comes wisdom and understanding. Wisdom that helps us make new, better choices. Understanding that enlightens us to the pull of sin and the weakness of our own flesh to resist it. We mi...

And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. (Romans 8:2) Because - due to the fact that - don't miss that - it is a FACT that you belong to him, having the power of his life-giving Spirit indwelling you. NOW, live free from the power of sin that you once were controlled by! Fact determines reality - start living in the FACT. A fact is that which actually exists or is the case; reality or truth - there is no argument that stands against the FACTS. We are freed, so we need to stop living like 'bondmen' - bound to serve sin's every whim, impractical advice, or evil intent.  Both righteousness and unrighteousness have a power 'backing' them. Righteousness has God's life-giving Spirit backing its every encounter. Unrighteousness has the power of our sin nature offering all manner of confusing thought, 'options' from which to choose, and ill-intentioned suggestions. It is goo...

So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him. (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26) So, I decided...these three words can get us into so much trouble at times, can't they? When we lean into our own wisdom or selfish inner drive, we often 'decide' upon things that aren't all that great for us. We pursue things or 'objectives' that are bound to cause us difficulties, but we just don't know it yet. When we lean into God's wisdom, we find our 'deciding' takes us down a different path. We don't always know what it is we are 'deciding' to pursue when we set out on this course of obedience with God, but we can rest assured that the path isn't going to lead us into stuff that will bring us harm or destruction. The pleasures we...

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. (Hebrews 4:13) How does God see us? The image of being 'naked and exposed' before God kind of says it all, doesn't it? We cannot 'hide' our true identity, motives, attitudes, or thoughts from him. If that is the case, then it is high time we start to look at ourselves as God sees us - knowing everything we are and do, good or bad. When we start to see ourselves through God's eyes, we see areas within ourselves that need to change, and we also see those areas where he has been at work, changing us from the inside out. Pride might keep us from seeing ourselves as we really are, but when we get past that prideful attitude about ourselves, we find ourselves standing before God, naked and exposed, but no longer ashamed of who we are because we know he is at work. God is the creator of all things - you and I would not exist withou...

Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God. (Romans 10:1-4) Could we substitute "Israel" for anyone we know, including ourselves? It is likely we know someone, (or are someone), who has a great deal of enthusiasm for the 'things of God' but lack a personal relationship with him. They are 'rule-followers' at best, kind of hoping all the 'good deeds' they manage to accomplish on this earth will somehow find them favor with God. They 'refuse to accept God's way' - always trying to 'get ...

Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return. Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt. So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you. Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more. (Proverbs 9:7-9) We might disapprove of many things we see or hear these days, making it almost hard to stay quiet, but does our 'disapproval' or 'condemnation' of those things fall upon deaf ears and wayward hearts intent on not changing their course? If so, we are probably rebuking one given over to making very foolish decisions based upon the wickedness they have embraced in their own hearts. It is almost impossible to correct the wicked - we can stand against wickedness, but it is impossible for us to change their hearts. That is a job for God alone! A mocker is really a scoffer or scorner as used in this passage. One that makes light of th...

God warns us to guard our heart above all else, simply because it determines the entire course of our lives. As we think of the heart, we must remember it encompasses our mind, will and emotions. One must guard the mind, have a determined will that is unwilling to compromise even one iota, and to have an evenness of emotions that don't carry us away. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. (Proverbs 4:23) Above all else. We get so distracted by what we think may not be 'all that bad', but in truth, whenever we look toward anything or anyone other than God himself, our hearts are already putting something else 'above' God. Needless to say, we have raised a whole generation of individuals whose mind is easily amused by whatever catches its attention. Perhaps the greatest challenge to individuals today is to have their mind focused with so many distractions working hard to distract one from their focus. The will of a man is kind ...

When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power. (Ezra Taft Benson) We cannot expect to ignore God's instruction forever and not see some form of chaos in our world. God gives grace, time to turn to him, but he won't be mocked. We cannot live like we want, then expect all of God's blessings to be in our lives. Theodore Roosevelt reminded us, "Obedience of the law is demanded; not asked as a favor."  Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life. (Proverbs 4:13) We lack so much power in our lives all because we seek to do things our own way. We find our greatest strength and power when we apply God's instructions to our lives. If we ignore those instructions for way too long, the path we have committed ourselves to will be filled with chaos, angst, and quite unfulfilling endeavors.  Take hold of his instructions - this doesn't imply that someone else i...

You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked, for the Lord is your security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap. (Proverbs 3:25-26) As report after report shines light on some fraud, abuse, or disastrous plan that had been hatched, we might just find ourselves feeling a little overwhelmed by the fear that these reports have a way of creating within the hearts of millions these days. We might feel more than a little angst as to whether we will receive our regular income from our job or retirement funds. We could be wondering how we will be able to afford necessary healthcare if this plan or that one folds. We might even be feeling a little dread over what comes next on the agenda of whoever holds the power of the day. We must never lose sight of one thing - God is still in control, even when we don't see his hand, it is still directing the course of our lives. God's 'advice' to us is to stop being afraid. He wil...

 My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace. (Proverbs 3:21-22) So many times, we count on something other than common sense to get us out of a sticky place. We got ourselves there because we didn't use common sense in the first place! Discernment is just a fancy word that describes the ability to see good from bad and then make the best choice. When we don't use either of these helpers God gave to us, we find ourselves in a muddle. God's purpose in giving us these "tools" was that we'd actually use them. We aren't acting "independent" of God when we use discernment. We are using the good sense he gave us to "interpret" the moment. Yes, we might shoot up a quick prayer asking God to give us wisdom, but we can begin by listening to our conscience. It tends to niggle us a bit when common sense tells us something is not right for us. Perhap...

Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. (Proverbs 3:3-4) Loyalty and kindness are certainly not the things we see 'delivered' today in so many interactions with others, are they? We find a lot of backstabbing in politics, many rumors flying about the lives and choices of various celebs, and just plain bad manners on our highways and byways at times. Is it possible our culture has forgotten these two 'hallmarks' of "ONE NATION UNDER GOD"? Write them deep within your heart. Perhaps this is where our departure from simple kindness and unyielding loyalty began - we neglected to hide God's word deep within our hearts. Favor with God took backseat to favor with others. Favor with others seems to only be important if they can 'do' something for us. We forgot that our neighbor is our friend...

Ronald Reagan reminded us, "We are never defeated unless we give up on God." So many times, we announce that we are 'defeated' in one sense or another, not realizing that our real problem is that we 'gave up' on something God told us to hold onto. We actually give up on him because the road got a bit too bumpy, or the issues got a little tougher to handle than we wanted to deal with. The real issue is that we aren't the ones dealing with those issues - he is - we just couldn't wait to see how he'd handle them! Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5-6) Whenever we seek to understand things through what our own mind interprets, we are missing what only our spirit can understand. The ways of God are very often beyond what our mind can comprehend - we need the Spirit of God, working on our spirit, to help us understand fully what...

Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times. (Martin Luther) Luther also told us to 'pray and let God worry'. Maybe one of the hardest things for us to come to appreciate is how much we like to worry and really don't take that worry to God until we are all 'worried out'. Jesus reminds us, "So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today." (Matthew 6:31-34) Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace - not in our own ability or intelligence. It isn't about what we CAN do as much as it is ab...

Success is the sum of small efforts - repeated day in and day out. (Robert Collier) Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. (Proverbs 4:25-27) I don't know about you, but my greatest 'downfalls' in life come whenever I get my eyes off of the path Jesus has laid out for me to follow. A 'fixed focus' is not as easy as some may seem, is it? There are lots and lots of distractions that can take our eyes off of that path and get us all twitterpated in the process. Whenever we get 'sidetracked', our attention has been purposefully directed away from the subject we are supposed to focus upon and toward another. It isn't accidental, as some may imagine, because there is a 'force' behind that distraction that is designed to attract our attention! Purposeful 'redirection' of our path is one of Satan...

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. (Jeremiah 17:7-8) Trust in the Lord - the basis of all blessings. Make the Lord your hope and confidence - the source of all protection. Plant yourself like a tree - firmly rooted in Christ Jesus and immovable. Trials will come - your trust isn't in the circumstance, but in the Lord God Almighty. Stay green - stay growing. Never stop producing fruit - it is evidence you are well-rooted and well-connected. If we are trusting in our own plan, or our own strength to pull us through tough circumstances, we might as well give into them right now. The truly wise individuals will realize both of those options are flawed and will immediately surrender control to the one ...

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. (Psalm 19:1-4) As a kid, I used to lay back under the shade of the big mulberry tree in our front yard, gazing endlessly at the clouds that would pass over us in our Arizona sky. Clouds weren't all that frequent, so when they came, it was a thing to be fully enjoyed. I'd imagine all kinds of animals, people, vehicles, and the like from the various shapes of those big fluffy ones. It was kind of a game with me and my buddies, trying to see something that the other one didn't see until you described it. We'd be there for hours at a time, just giggling and talking. Enjoying each other's company. I wonder if more of us were to take the time to see the beauty in God's c...

“Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. (Luke 11:5-10) If you keep knocking long enough. Those are telling words - words that might just reveal how much faith we have and how tenacious we can be with our faith. God's plan of prayer...

When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! (Matthew 6:7-8) As a believer in Christ, we pray. Did you stop to consider that others who do not believe in Christ actually 'pray'? They recite phrases, repeating them over and over, to whatever it is they believe will help them. Prayer is not unique to Christ followers, but it does stem from a heart changed by his grace. It is conversation with God, out of a heart that has been renewed by his touch, and with the intention of getting to share what is in your mind, emotions, and spirit.  What some fail to recognize is that sin actually puts a barrier between them and God. Once sin is confessed, the barrier is removed. When sin is confessed, the blood of Jesus wipes away the guilt and we stand 'right' with God. Does that mean we can go on si...

Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) Over the course of time, we see less and less emphasis on being equally yoked in relationships. In the most literal sense, God is reminding us that the direction, purpose, and even the vision we have within our lives are different - some might say th...

A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love, and well-being. (James E. Faust) Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. (Colossians 4:2) I once read that one cannot truly develop a relationship with another without communication. There must be some form of communication - even in the wildlife we can observe there is a form of communication that occurs that welcomes, warns, or wins the attention and affection of others. To be a Christian and NOT pray is kind of like saying you want a relationship, but you aren't willing to see it develop. You want the 'association' without the 'communication'. Paul's instruction to us is to 'devote' ourselves to prayer. When we devote ourselves to something or someone, we are concentrating on it, appropriating time and attention to that pursuit. When ...

Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (Romans 3:19-22) No one can be made right with God - except by placing their faith in Jesus Christ. No other road to redemption exists. No amount of self-help will truly 'help' us behave with a truly righteous heart. The 'law' may point out where we need help, but we are powerless to 'help' ourselves - we have to trust in Jesus to truly make our hearts new. God has shown us the way, bu...

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-8) Moral turpitude is a big way of saying a person exhibits behavior that is CONTRARY to the standards set forth by law, a community, or God. When someone has a problem with their behavior that is contrary to these standards, they're exhibiting behavior that may be vile, shameful or even corrupt. God's plan is for us to grow in his grace - to develop a moral standard that matches his standards. He took great pains to lay out those standards for us in scripture. Are we taking as grea...

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. (Psalm 23:4) If there is one message that rings true in Psalm 23 it is that God is always with us. No matter what trouble comes, fear that emerges, anxious thoughts that grip us, or the deepest, darkest places that attempt to consume our peace, God is with us. The shepherd uses both the rod and the staff to direct us, keep us, and protect us. The staff to guide us. The rod to protect us. Sheep need both - the shepherd knows this very well. Fix your eyes on the shepherd, not the 'wolf' that comes to steal and destroy. We won't be overtaken by the 'wolf' because the shepherd knows he is there, already has a plan to deal with him, and is ever vigilant to protect us. When our eyes are on him, the 'wolf' is no longer our focus. God is bigger than our 'biggest' issue. Too many times, we embrace the 'issue'...

And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. (Ephesians 4:26-27) Anger is an outward expression of internal conflict - conflict caused when we allow an offense to be internalized. Something someone does, an event that happens, prompts that internal response of heart, mind, and emotions. The offense happens - a tiny seed of resentment, bitterness, and anger is planted. That seed doesn't have to take root, though. If it is allowed to 'germinate' and take root, anger is an outflow of that internalization of the offense. Hebrews 12:15 reminds us that we are not to allow any root of bitterness to take root as it will defile not only us, but others, as well. Sometimes the best thing we can do is take the offense to God and talk it out with him. We often need to just speak about it with someone, so who better than God himself? Bring that offense and all those ugly feelings to him, riddin...