The Plumbline

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. (James 1:2-4) Charles Spurgeon reminded us, "The Lord gets his best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction." While none of us actually 'signs up' for trials, they come our way. We won't always 'delight' in those afflictions or trials, will we? Some of us will even complain that we don't 'deserve' the affliction because we have been doing everything God asked us to do. It doesn't matter how 'right' we live at times - those afflictions still come! Why? They build our faith, increasing our endurance under pressure, often even softening our inner man, making us more receptive to what God wants to do 'next' in our lives.  I...

Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” And the man jumped up and went home! Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for giving humans such authority. (Matthew 9:5-8) I am not an authority on 'crowd thought', but it was not uncommon for the 'crowds' to come to Jesus, seeking signs and wonders, looking for all the 'good stuff' this 'man' had to offer without any commitment on their part. They'd bring the hurt, unhealthy, and even the insane, all in the hope of seeing some kind of 'action' on his part that changed the course of these people's lives. All those signs and wonders, and they still thought Jesus was a mere 'mortal'. Don't believe me? Read that last sentence again: "And the...

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. (Matthew 7:7-8) Keep on - this certainly implies that we ask at least once, doesn't it? What we ask for is probably as important as how many times we are willing to ask for it, isn't it? James put it this way: "...you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure." (James 4:3) We might just be asking for what we don't really need, but it seems we keep on asking, don't we? When it is something we really, really need, like to turn away from bitterness or regret, we sometimes ask once, figure it didn't work, and keep on acting the same.  Ask God - then be prepared for the answe...

Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (Philippians 4:4-7) Celebrate God all day, every day! That isn't a suggestion - it is more than just 'good advice' - it is a life-sustaining, life-altering directive. Revel in HIM. Why? God knows your concerns. He knows when your sense of wholeness has been disturbed, leaving you wondering what will happen next. Good things happen to bad people - leaving us wondering why that is. Bad things happen to...

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. (James 1:2-4) Charles Spurgeon reminded us, "Trials teach us what we are; they dig up the soil, and let us see what we are made of." While none of us actually look forward to trials, it is possible to develop a mindset that embraces the concept of trials helping our faith to grow. We might not actually have 'open arms' when it comes to facing discouragement, anxiety, or even an all-out battle of the wills, but it is possible to become comfortable having our 'spiritual comfort' disturbed from time to time. Why? We know discomfort in the spiritual realm will produce things of lasting value within us. Pressure might just make us feel like somethin...

Elizabeth the First once said, "The past cannot be cured", and Charles Kettering said, "One fails forward toward success." Paul said, "Not that I have already obtained it [this goal of being Christlike] or have already been made perfect, but I actively press on so that I may take hold of that [perfection] for which Christ Jesus took hold of me and made me His own. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12-14) The goal set before us is to move closer and closer to Jesus, so that one day, hopefully not too far into the future, we will be Christlike in our behavior because our hearts are healed, emotions are tender but strong, and our thoughts are made new. Too many times, we seek to cure the past, as Queen Elizabeth insinuate...

 Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goal. (E. Joseph Cossman) Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work]. Just consider and meditate on Him who endured from sinners such bitter hostility against Himself [consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you ...

You have been severed from Christ, if you seek to be justified [that is, declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing with God] through the Law; you have fallen from grace [for you have lost your grasp on God’s unmerited favor and blessing]. For we [not relying on the Law but] through the [strength and power of the Holy] Spirit, by faith, are waiting [confidently] for the hope of righteousness [the completion of our salvation]. For [if we are] in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but only faith activated and expressed and working through love. (Galatians 5:4-6) If we seek to be declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, placed in right standing with God himself, then the keeping of rituals, ceremonies, or 'rules' is not the way to go. Rules and regulations are all good, but when we attempt to make them our 'end all' for right living, they fall short of grace each and every time. Grace is unmer...

Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for I trust in You. Teach me the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You. Teach me to do Your will [so that I may please You], for You are my God; let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. (Psalm 143:8, 10) I trust in You. Are these words true of your life - really true? If we still take the reins most of the time, I daresay our 'trust level' is quite low! If we find ourselves leaning in when we understand what life demands, just as frequently as we do when we don't understand what is required of us, then we are moving closer to 'trusting God fully' and our own worldly wisdom a lot less. The way we 'should' walk often differs from the way we choose to walk, doesn't it? We start out well, but then there is some misstep along the way that takes us down a different path than we intended. God's ears are open to us asking for direction! Even when we have taken our own path. Our soul must...

A soft and gentle and thoughtful answer turns away wrath, but harsh and painful and careless words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise speaks knowledge that is pleasing and acceptable, but the [babbling] mouth of fools spouts folly. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good [in all their endeavors]. A soothing tongue [speaking words that build up and encourage] is a tree of life, but a perversive tongue [speaking words that overwhelm and depress] crushes the spirit. (Proverbs 14:1-4) Just in case no one has ever told you this before, putting 'thought' into your words might take a bit more time, but it sure does a lot to improve your relationships. Think before you speak - words to live by, but harder to put into practice than one might imagine. If you are a 'babbler' - just talking and talking - then you likely have fallen prey to the traps all that babbling can create in your life. If you are a 'spouter' - saying the first thing ...

Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a [rich] man who is twisted in his speech and is a [shortsighted] fool. Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, and he who hurries with his feet [acting impulsively and proceeding without caution or analyzing the consequences] sins (misses the mark). The foolishness of man undermines his way [ruining whatever he undertakes]; then his heart is resentful and rages against the Lord [for, being a fool, he blames the Lord instead of himself].  (Proverbs 19:1-3 Amplified Bible) Integrity sometimes seems like a thing of the past. Wherever we look, we can find perfect examples of how NOT to act, can't we? The pride of some causes them to tout their riches and fame, thinking that those things really matter, while the dark secrets of others make them go 'underground' in their sin and anguish. The more the meaning of integrity is 'rewritten' by society, the more important it is for us to look to God's W...

Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) All authority - those words carry so much meaning. ALL power, ALL wisdom, ALL we need. The smallest word in that statement has the BIGGEST meaning! In heaven, or on earth, ALL authority exists in Christ Jesus. If he has a place in our heart, then ALL authority exists in us!  What are we to do with that authority? Make disciples of all nations. Too many times, we think that 'duty' is solely the responsibility of those who fill our pulpits. We AL...

Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you. (2 Timothy 1:13-14) Paul was writing to Timothy, encouraging him to continue in his faith, not deviating from the calling God had placed on his lives. While we don't have an Apostle Paul today who will encourage us with these same words, they were recorded so we could take instruction for our daily lives, as well. Hold on to the wholesome teaching you learned. Treasure it, don't let it be influenced by worldly norms or patterns. Hold on means that we not only keep it ever before us, but we follow that teaching with all the perseverance we can muster. When that perseverance falters a bit, then lean in even more so to the Holy Spirit's presence in your life and stand strong. Guard those precious truths - they will be wh...

But Lord, be merciful to us, for we have waited for you. Be our strong arm each day and our salvation in times of trouble. The enemy runs at the sound of your voice. When you stand up, the nations flee! (Isaiah 33:3-4) If you have ever faced an enemy too fierce, too strong, or too intimidating, you know just how much you take great delight when you see the Lord step in, take control, and send the enemy packing. The more we observe what is going on around us in this world today, the more we realize we need a Savior more than anything else. We need a deliverer, a strong army, and all the hosts of heaven on our side, don't we? Every so often, we get a little too focused on what our enemy is doing, and we forget to look at what our Redeemer is doing. Chances are, we might just miss his movements because we are too overly concerned with those of our enemy! Waiting on the Lord to 'move' or 'act' on our behalf is likely one of the toughest things for some of us who are ...

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (Ephesians 3:16-19) I cannot get enough of Paul's letters to the church. There is so much within those short letters that can uplift our spirit, bring conviction where necessary, and draw us closer to Jesus. As Paul begins this prayer for those he is ministering to, it is also for all future generations of believers. I think Paul saw the tip of the iceberg when he saw his reach into the 'then known world', but he also had the faith to see bey...

A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave. (Mahatma Gandhi) Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. (Philippians 2:1-2) True love isn't just for the 'twitter-pated' among us. Jesus intended for all of his followers to exhibit 'true love' toward one another. He asked for us to lay down our own agendas for the good of the whole, meeting one another's needs as we are able. Wholehearted agreement amongst brethren is something harder to achieve than it might have been a hundred, two hundred, or even a thousand years ago, though. We have so many 'agendas' to push forward today, it can make it very difficult to keep our eyes on Jesus, allow him to be the center of our dail...

Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing. Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, here’s what you do: Say nothing evil or hurtful; Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you’re worth. God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he’s asked; But he turns his back on those who do evil things. (I Peter 3:8) Treat others as you want to be treated has been the "golden rule" for behavior for ages, has it not? So, why is it that we have to be reminded of it so frequently by observing the "bad behavior" of some? Believe it or not, the "Golden Rule" (Luke 6:31) is scriptural and has become the "Ethical Rule" of reciprocity over the ages. Yet, culture seems to struggle with this ...

‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and tell you [and even show you] great and mighty things, [things which have been confined and hidden], which you do not know and understand and cannot distinguish.’ (Jeremiah 33:3) May we have ears to hear and a heart open to respond to God's answers as they come. This is the best prayer we can pray at times, since we find ourselves struggling to hear and lacking in our obedience on more than an occasional basis. God's message to use today - call. His response to us - answers. Do we always get the answers in the timing we expect them to come? Not always. Do we always get the answer we think God will give us? Not always. Does that mean we stop calling on his name? Nope. It means we listen all that more intently, so we don't miss what he is about to do! God delights in telling us what he is about to do, but he also takes great joy in showing us what he has already done and will continue to do when we trust him with our future. The future ...

 Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” (Isaiah 6:6) Who should I send... Those words speak volumes in terms of God seeking individuals he may use for his purposes on this earth. Some will be spokesmen; others will lead with courage in the midst of battle. A few will be called to take leadership of others who seek him will all their heart. Yet, the vast majority of us will simply be called to lead our everyday, ordinary lives, with conviction, passion, and purpose - being positive examples of God's grace to a hurting world. Our "call" may not seem significant in the eyes of the 'mighty' or 'famous', but it is backed by his power, so let the world watch as we fulfill it! Here I am...send me... The heart must be willing to be sent - to acknowledge and accept his desires as supreme over our own comfort. Yet not every 'calling' of the Lord is 'uncomfortable...

Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:29) The crowds looked for Jesus until they found him. They were curious, but were they intent on knowing him? I think their response to his words says it all. They want to 'do works' like he does. He wants them to know him, deeply, without hesitation, following truth and not signs. The more we seek signs and wonders, the less likely we are to really 'connect' with Jesus. Signs and wonders serve a purpose - to draw people. They are not the 'thing' to be sought. Believe in the one who performs such signs and wonders and in the one who sent him to this earth on our behalf - that is the ultimate goal of all signs and wonders.  Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. However, those the Father has given me will come...

The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. (Psalm 27:4-5) The thing I seek most - could those words be said of you? Is the one thing you are seeking most the presence of God - living so close to him that separation from his presence is just not possible? To seek God in this manner doesn't mean our head is in the clouds all the time, so 'heavenly minded' that we are of no 'earthly good'. It means that we share a deep, lasting bond with Christ - so intense that we won't let anything get in the way of that bond. We guard our hearts and minds, by allowing the Holy Spirit to be our guide, and seek him actively in all we do. To be concealed in his presence when troubles come is definitely a good thin...

Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. (Romans 12:4-5) A deep and lasting sense of belonging is one of the things we hear people say they are looking for in various ways. Some seek it in their career, others in their community. Some will search for 'forever love', thinking that will give them that sense of 'belonging' they so desperately desire. I have to admit, I have fallen into the trap of seeking a sense of 'belonging' on occasion. As a small child, I thought I didn't 'fit in' at school, so I made up all kinds of stories about who I was, what I had accomplished, and what my parents did. I'll be the first to admit, that didn't work out too well. At some point, the truth becomes evident and all that 'fitting in' I had been trying to accomplish didn't really end up giving me any sense of belonging. In fac...

So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins. (Luke 6:46-49) Come, listen, obey - a house built on a strong foundation. Listen and disobey - a house built on a pretty wobbly and unreliable foundation.  Come - take time with him. Get in close proximity to him. Remove all the barriers or distractions to hearing his voice. Seek his face and you will never be disappointed by the time you take out of your day to do just that. It is the beginning of a solid foundation. Hear, bu...

But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it. (Luke 7:35) So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them. (Luke 8:18) We must be willing to listen with a heart that is open. Closed hearts may hear, but they seldom receive what they are hearing. They reject it or ignore it. A wise person didn't become wise by accident. It didn't happen by osmosis. They paid attention, considered what they heard, tested it to see if it was true, and then they acted upon the truth. A listening heart is willing to pay the price to truly 'listen'. We aren't to embrace everything we hear, but when God speaks, he will make truth clear. The enemy of our souls won't make his lies clear, but that won't stop some from embracing them lock, stock, and barrel. Wisdom affects our lives. We begin to behave diff...

But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. (2 Corinthians 3:16-18) The Holy Spirit brings life within - the glory of the Lord begins to shine within, making anew and creating newness within repeatedly until Christ is fully revealed in us. The veil of not understanding who God is, that he has made a way for us to experience his presence fully, and that all he has created bears his glory is removed once and for all. Freedom comes when we say yes to Jesus. Freedom from sin and the tension it creates within us. There is a deep, nagging tension that occurs within each of us when we live apart from deep, intimate relationship with Jesus because we were all created for that relationship. To be out ...

Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? ...We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us. (2 Corinthians 2:15-17) Our lives are to be a fragrant thing. We actually exude an aroma of grace when we are followers of Christ. There is a scent you may not recognize behind that one of grace, though - the scent of accountability. Grace exudes a fragrance because forgiveness brings a releasing of a burden we could not bear up under any longer. A truthful heart that makes the connection with Jesus on an ongoing basis exudes the aroma of accountability - a transformed life always requires a spirit of willing submission. The fragrance our lives gi...

Who will protect me from the wicked? Who will stand up for me against evildoers? Unless the Lord had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave. I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. (Psalm 94:16-19) Renewed hope is found at the feet of Jesus. When we really 'cry out' to him, do we find ourselves just hanging there? No, because God knows our hearts are hungering and thirsting for him to intervene, build us up in broken places, and set us back on a right course once again. We might feel like we are 'slipping' time and time again, but whenever we call out for his assistance, he comes through. There is no evil that will befall us, no strategy formed against us that can take him by surprise or overwhelm him.  Doubts often fill our minds, especially in the midst of conflict or hardship. We find ourselves kind of wallowing...

Follow my advice, my son; always treasure my commands. Obey my commands and live! Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes. Tie them on your fingers as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. (Proverbs 7:1-3) How do we follow God's commands when we either don't know them, or we don't treasure them as something we want to live by above all else? God's commands must be learned. We don't find them in this world's systems or 'norms'. We find them in his Word. We must get to know them - allowing them to become the norms by which we live our lives. God's commands must come first in our lives. We must reject all that attempts to interfere with either getting to know them well or living by them above all other influences.  Truly our most precious possessions on this earth pale in comparison to his commands. We can never let our guard down. As we allow our guard to come down, we open ourselves to see and hear this world's influencing tho...

When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. (Romans 7:5-6) When we were controlled by our old nature... We cannot deny the fact that the 'old man' needed a change that wasn't forthcoming until Christ took over our lives. ...sinful desires were at work within us... While we might have done some 'good things' while the old man was in control, we also made a habit of being just a little too self-focused, selfish on more than one occasion, and likely just a bit too prideful about doing 'good things'. We might even have bragged or called attention to ourselves for being 'good' people. ...and the Law aro...

  None of us lives for himself [for his own benefit, but for the Lord], and none of us dies for himself [but for the Lord]. (Romans 14:7) It can be a difficult thing to remember we don't live for ourselves, always seeking ways to benefit ourselves in the present circumstances. This message to us is sandwiched into the instruction to stop judging each other by what we do or don't do, eat or don't eat, criticizing each other over the most trivial stuff. None of us lives for himself - how come we need that reminder? Maybe it is because we find all kinds of ways to put ourselves FIRST in life, neglecting others at times, and even taking our relationship with Jesus for granted. We no longer live for our own benefit. If you haven't already realized it, our 'benefits' come from the closeness of our relationship with Christ and others! Work on those and you might just find your attitude toward others actually changes. You become less critical because you realize just ho...