The Plumbline

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. (James 3:17-18 NLT) God's presence within us brings a wisdom that helps us deal with the things of this world, including dealing with people who may be a little hard to deal with at times. It is peace loving at the very core and therefore, it takes relationships with others very seriously and sets them as a priority. We cannot be bitter and represent Christ to the world. We cannot be angry and expect others to desire his presence in their lives. It is this gentle, peace loving, yielded spirit that makes others curious about what is 'different' within us from all the others they see. God's presence within will manifest in many ways, but perhaps the most profound...

Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. (Romans 12:3 NLT) Let's be truthful today - do we really make an honest evaluation of ourselves, or is it tainted by some misguided standard or lofty goal we have set for ourselves? If we were to be totally honest, most of us have set the bar either way too high or settled for it being way too low in a spiritual sense. We have become content in our 'lukewarm' state of being "Christians" but not living like Christ is our all in all, or we have become so down on ourselves because we think we haven't 'attained' the 'level' of Christian faith we think God must expect of us. Either way, we aren't right! God accepts us as we are, not as we will become. He wants us to have him as the center of our lives, with our whole hearts devoted to him. We are not going to grow in Christ when we simply bide our time ...

Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer captive to sin’s demands! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That’s what Jesus did. (Romans 6:6-11 MSG) Sin speaks a dead language - that caught my eye this morning in my reading time. There are a lot of other 'dead languages' around, aren't there? Latin, Ancient Greek, and Sanskrit are just a few. Oh sure, there are Latin roots to some of our medi...

For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs. (Zephaniah 3:17 NLT) It is indeed a heartwarming thing to know God is living among us, isn't it? We don't have to do this life alone - we have his presence with us, never allowing us to be 'alone' in our struggles or our victories. It is also kind of amazing that God actually takes great delight in us as his creation - as his children, made holy and in right standing with him through the blood of Jesus. What might even be more amazing is how he comes right into the midst of our chaos and calms all our fears. What are we to fear on this earth? Nothing! Why? Jesus goes with us wherever we go. We are never alone. We have his strength always at our disposal - we just don't lean into that strength as often as we should. We try to do 'life' all on our own terms, then wh...

Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. (Ecclesiastes 11:5) The activities of God in your life are frequently hard to see, much less understand. You might try to understand them the best you can, but in actuality the movement of God in and through you is often 'silent' or 'hidden'. In medical terms, we'd say his actions are 'occult' - hidden, but present nonetheless. When we don't see God at work, or 'feel' he is at work, we can still count on the truth that he is there, working as he always has been, doing what he knows is best for our lives. God does more within us than we realize. We just go about our daily routine, regular stuff being done by regular people, but he is at work in all the ways we don't see, but that help us actually get that 'regular stuff' done. He gives us wisdom in the moment w...

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. (Psalm 139:13-14) How well do you know the one who created all that you are? If we want to understand him more, we need only ask for his help to see clearly what he says, does, and doesn't do. Yes, I said the things he doesn't do because there are just some things that are contrary to his nature, while they may be inherent in our own human nature. He doesn't sin - it isn't in is nature. He won't contradict himself - it isn't in his nature. He won't go back on a promise - it isn't in his nature. While all those things may be part of our human nature, they are not part of his. God made us in his image, but we were born with a sin nature - able to choose to do the things that are contrary to his nature. We need his exchanged nature in order to live upright and holy lives...

The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces. People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed. (Proverbs 10:8-9 NLT) How do you receive God's instruction in your life? Instruction comes in various forms, from various ways, but it is all meant for a purpose - to 'help' us. If we get a box of 'put it together yourself' furniture, it comes with packages of connectors, various pieces, packing material, and even some labels. The most valuable thing in that box is often the least used - the instruction sheet! The maker put those instructions inside the box for our reference when assembling the object, but they are little more than excess packing material if we never use them as they were intended. The same is true of God's Word, his wise counselors, and even the things he reveals in nature around us - if we ignore the instructions that are provided, we will produce something, but it may not be Go...

Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death. (Proverbs 11:4 NLT) It is so easy to get the wrong focus in life. We can spend more time worrying over money, making money, saving money, then miss the moments in life that actually matter the most. We neglect our quiet time with Jesus. We forego the liesurely lunch with a friend. We don't make the ballgames of our children. All the while, we are caught in this endless cycle of getting more, making more. The end of that cycle isn't good, though. We might have hefty bank account but our emotional and relational accounts are drained below zero! Jesus focused on others first - relationships mattered to him and they should matter to us. Riches aren't bad, though. I am not proposing we all live in poverty. We just need to keep our priorities straight. We need to focus on the things that really last - relationships. The first relationship that we need to focus on is the one we maintain with Jesus....

People who wink at wrong cause trouble,   but a bold reproof promotes peace. (Proverbs 10:10 NLT) It is impossible not to see 'wrong' around us today. It riddles the newscasts, fills our media feeds, and is probably evident right in your own neighborhood. The longer we live on this earth, the more we will have seen - all of it adding up to wrongs multiplied and troubles galore. Do we merely turn a blind eye to the evil we see around us - to the wrongs done to others? If we do, how will this world ever know the love or grace of Jesus? It takes the righteous to stand up to unrighteousness. It takes the people of God to drive back the forces of darkness that abound. What will we do if wrong comes our way? Won't we take up the fight because it affects us personally? Why should it be any different when we see wrong perpetrated against others? Shouldn't we be the instruments of change that this world desperately needs? Disapproval of wrong can come in many forms, but the grea...

Clay doesn’t talk back to the fingers that mold it, saying, “Why did you shape me like this?” Isn’t it obvious that a potter has a perfect right to shape one lump of clay into a vase for holding flowers and another into a pot for cooking beans? (Romans 9:21-23 MSG) We may try to tell God he hasn't done a good job at creating us the way he did, but we will never be able to be other than what we are created to be. The moment we accept that the gifts and talents he has given us are for his use, regardless of what they are, we will find ourselves presented with opportunity after opportunity to put those gifts and talents into use. When we resist what God has designed, we find ourselves miserably lost in an attempt to be other than what we were created to be. Our gifts and talents don't have to be 'big' or 'noteworthy'. God uses the painter to create beauty, the mechanic to make things hum, and the welder to hold things together. He uses the musician to lift our hear...

Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. (Romans 14:1 NLT) We spend far too much time judging others for what they do or don't do, forgetting that we do some of the same stuff, or at least we did it at some point before we invited Jesus into our lives. The old adage, "It takes one to know one," isn't all that far from the mark. We notice the things in others that we either struggle with presently or have had a history with at some point. That doesn't mean we can judge them for their behavior, though. If we judge others, we can count that we will be judged by the same standard. So, do we really want to find ourselves in that same pickle? Arguing about what is right or wrong isn't going to bring us together - it will drive a wedge between us. In fact, that is why there are so many break-off denominations and churches these days! We have become so critical of the style of worship, the way pe...

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. (Colossians 4:5-6 NLT) Live wisely among those who are not believers - this is our goal, is it not? To live well, one must understand when they are NOT living as God intended. To understand this, we must get into his Word, spend some time alone with him, and allow him to both point out where we are not living well and show us how to incorporate obedient steps into our day. The individual right next to you might never know Christ until they see him in us. That coworker, club member, fellow fisherman, or next-door neighbor - we all observe each other, don't we? We look at the traits and habits of each one, making some sort of 'judgment' as to who they are, what motivates them, and if we want to be around them long term. If someone looks at you, do they see Jesus shining through? Sometime...

"One of the greatest attacks of the enemy is to make you busy, to make you hurried, to make you noisy, to make you distracted, to fill the people of God and the Church of God with so much noise and activity that there is no room for prayer. There is no room for being alone with God. There is no room for silence. There is no room for meditation." (Reverand Paul Washer) Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (I Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT) Prayer is more than us connecting with God, sharing our hearts with him. It is the very thing that unleashes the powers of heaven on our behalf! It opens the floodgates of God's defenses, driving our enemy to his knees, and pushing back the forces of darkness that seek to bring us to ours! Whenever we become too busy or preoccupied with the events of life to take time to be alone with Jesus, we are inviting chaos into our lives. Our spiritual enemy i...

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (James 5:16 NLT) I grew up in a denomination that encouraged weekly 'confession' in a confessional with specific 'penance' being assigned based upon the thing confessed. I don't believe that is what this passage, though. The term 'confess' carries the meaning 'to agree with' or 'to admit'. When one confesses their sin, they are really saying they agree with God's perspective on their actions or behaviors. In other words, we admit we haven't lived according to his standards. We do this simply by acknowledging our wrong behavior with a penitent heart and a willingness to change.  Sometimes our battle with a particular sin is kind of ongoing. We struggle to break free from the wrong behavior. For example, if you have been a gossip all your life, relishing all the juic...

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT) God's peace is no further away than our prayers. When we share our heart with Jesus, acknowledging our failures and opening up to him about more than our 'wants', we will find his peace entering into our troubled spirits afresh each time we spend this time with him. His peace isn't something we 'earn' by reciting various prayers - it is something we experience because we have opened up in honesty to him. We surely will never understand how God can take the most frustrating of circumstances with their jumble of emotions and give us a settle peace deep within. It isn't that we figured out the solution. It isn't that the situation changes. It is that we are changed o...

Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts. Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever. (Psalm 15 NLT) Blameless lives - can any of us actually say we have or are living blameless lives? I dare not imagine what would be the outcome of your inspection of my life! I have lived far short of blameless! The only thing that makes it possible for me to approach a holy God is the holiness of Jesus. The only thing that makes it possible for you to approach a holy God is the holiness of Jesus and his grace applied...

As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God. (Galatians 6:14-16 NLT) Our interest in this world went to the cross the moment we said yes to Jesus - it was nailed there once and for all. We don't have to struggle with this world's temptations and influence if we truly believe all that 'old stuff' of our lives before Christ was actually dealt the final blow of death. We try to complicate this new life in Christ will all manner of things, rituals, and 'systems'. Truth be told, the world only complicates things through 'religion'. All 'belonging to a denomination' will ever...

Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. (Romans 12:12) Luther said, "To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing." So many believers have such a hard time with prayer, though. It is as though you begin to pray and your mind is making your shopping list, calculating the budget, or thinking about the outcome of the baseball game last night. We get distracted in prayer - we all try to focus, but then our mind does its own thing. Perhaps that is why we are told to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). God knows our tendency to get 'mind-napped' when we pray! It is said that prayer doesn't change God's mind, but it sure can change ours, can it not? We go to God with one thing on our mind, almost as though we know what we expect him to do or say in response to our prayer. We soon find ourselves thinking about things in a different way and wonder what happened. It is because God was at work THROUGH OUR PRAYE...

So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. 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 7:4-6 NLT) This is the point - when God puts things so plainly, it helps, doesn't it? You and I died to the influence of sin in our lives - it no longer drives us, but it is still there. The control has been broken, but the temptations still abound, don't they? Since we are united with Christ, we can lean into him when those temptations c...

All heaven will praise your great wonders, Lord; myriads of angels will praise you for your faithfulness. For who in all of heaven can compare with the Lord? What mightiest angel is anything like the Lord? The highest angelic powers stand in awe of God. He is far more awesome than all who surround his throne. O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies! Where is there anyone as mighty as you, O Lord? You are entirely faithful. (Psalm 89:5-8 NLT) Where is there anyone or anything as mighty as our God? Not only is he mighty - but he is also faithful beyond our wildest imaginings. We might dwell upon that a bit today, ruminating a bit on his faithfulness to each of us. If we recall his faithfulness time and time again, we begin to develop a 'habit' of praise and worship. We actually want to 'celebrate' his faithfulness - it comes forth in the natural discourse of our day. Myriads of angelic beings may surround his throne, but the most beautiful sound God ever hears is that of our voice ...

Have you ever just asked God to give you the common sense to do what needs to be done, ignoring what shouldn't be done? I have on many occasions - simply because my common sense alone doesn't keep me from doing what I should not do! The sense to follow God's commands is not always the first thing that comes to mind for us, is it? Sometimes we choose to ignore what we know is right in pursuit of what we know might be 'okay', but it isn't exactly 'right'. We need his wisdom to know the difference. You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands. (Psalm 119:73 NLT) Who best knows the creation than the one who created it? The one who created us is perfectly aware of all the inner conflict that goes on between wanting our own way and knowing we need to follow his commands. He knows the 'tension' this creates within us and he stands at the ready to help us navigate that tension together. The good news is that there is ...

I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word. My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees. (Psalm 119:67, 71 NLT) None of us enjoys suffering unless we are a little bit of a martyr. We want it to end or never have had it begin in the first place. We don't enjoy our own suffering, but we might not know how to get away from the thing that is making us suffer so deeply. That is where the Word of God can bring us insight. As we read, we might come to a passage that points out God's direction for us, knowing we should embrace what it says, stepping out to lay hold of that instruction. Sometimes we lack the 'umph' to move toward obedience even when we clearly comprehend the thing we should be doing that would set us free from that suffering caused by our sin. That's when we turn to God and cry out - knowing without his help, we will continue to wander off. Following God's word 'closely' ...

  Therefore He is able also to save forever (completely, perfectly, for eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede  and  intervene on their behalf [with God]. (Hebrews 7:25 Amplified Bible) Able to save - not imperfectly, but perfectly. Salvation is a one-time event with a lifetime provision for our 'sanctification', which is just a big word that means to be made right, living right, with provision to make right choices in a consistent manner. Our salvation differs from our sanctification - one is instant, while the other takes a lifetime of renewed commitment and obedience to what God asks. We come to God through Jesus - there is no other way. While we'd like to think there are other ways 'into heaven', there aren't. Many will try the route of good works, believing that when they do good often enough, they are generally good people so God will let them pass those pearly gates. Some will try the route of 'other religions...

What is the 'theme of your song'? Most of us could actually give a title to the 'song' that describes the things we have done, want to do, and continue to do in our lives. The rodeo bull rider may make his theme, "I wanna ride, ride, ride till I can't ride no more". The determined CEO may say his is, "I made it, look at me now". Whatever the 'theme' of your song is, if Jesus isn't at the center of that 'song', you might need a rewrite on that song! Your decrees have been the theme of my songs wherever I have lived. I reflect at night on who you are, O Lord; therefore, I obey your instructions. This is how I spend my life: obeying your commandments. (Psalm 119:54-56 NLT) Reflection is a powerful 'tool' in our arsenal of defense against the enemy of our soul and even our own stubborn sin nature. The goodness of God is often reflected in our lives, with his love and grace coming through when other emotions might have ...

  We preach  Christ , warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. (Colossians 1:28 MSG) We preach Christ - nothing more, certainly nothing less. This is the message of a life transformed by the power of Christ. This is our calling on this earth - to be living, breathing examples of his grace, goodness, and love. Why does God use 'living testimonials' of his grace? To draw people who are riddled with hurts, hangups, and habits to himself. As they enter into relationship with him, he uses each of us to help one another grow up into mature believers. We may think our lives are our own, but God made us to relate one to another, bringing each other nearer and nearer to him as we do. To be mature is to be basic. That might seem like a bit of an oxymoron. A 'newbie' to any process or practice is likely immature in that process or prac...

 Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It’s because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God. (I Peter 1:18-19) A journey that must be traveled - that is a pretty doggone good description of our life with Christ. The empty-headed life put us smack-dab in the middle of sin, compromise of all sorts, and some pretty unwise decisions. In Christ, we leave behind that dead-end life we 'grew up in'. Our sin nature has been with us since conception - our new nature in Christ has been with us since we said yes to Jesus. Now it ...

Eventually, we’re all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren’t going to improve your position there one bit. Read it for yourself in Scripture: “As I live and breathe,” God says, “every knee will bow before me; Every tongue will tell the honest truth that I and only I am God.” So mind your own business. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God. (Romans 14:10-12 MSG) We humans spend a whole lot of time comparing ourselves to other humans, don't we? Even in the 'church circles' that we live within, we go about comparing ourselves with others - ones not as 'holy' and ones 'holier than us'. In turn, they are doing similar comparisons. The more we do this, the less we take time to really find out how God sees us.  All will bow before him - all will give an account for their actions while on this earth. None is without excuse - none is going to be so '...

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. (Romans 1:20) People are without excuse. That may not be something we want to hear, but it is truth and we cannot deny it. All God has made, even mankind, speaks of his power, purpose, and love. From the mountains to the valleys; octopus to mouse; flowers to fruit; rocks to sand - all bespeak his greatness and goodness. We never have to look further than right in front of us to see evidence of God.  What happens when a man says there is no God? In actuality, he cannot say that because he sets himself up as a 'god' of sorts, making himself the center of his world and the 'ruler' of it to boot. He is still without excuse for his error in judgment! Man has tried to 'replace' God since the beginning of time with something they 'imagine...

 Jesus answered, “I told you, but you don’t believe. Everything I have done has been authorized by my Father, actions that speak louder than words. You don’t believe because you’re not my sheep. My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life. They are protected from the Destroyer for good. No one can steal them from out of my hand. The Father who put them under my care is so much greater than the Destroyer and Thief. No one could ever get them away from him. I and the Father are one heart and mind.” (John 10:28-30) Has God ever told you something, shown you it through scripture or in a sermon, only to find you still don't believe what he has shown you? It can sometimes take days and years for some of us to believe what God says and then to act upon it, or allow it to act upon us as he desires for his words to work. Why? We question authority. We hold onto preconceived ideas about how God works. We live in fear that God will ask us to...

You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That’s right—you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; Then I’d never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel. I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways. I’m going to do what you tell me to do; don’t ever walk off and leave me. (Psalm 119:1-8 MSG) We learn to 'walk steady' when we look for God's path. He gives us plenty of 'good directions', but we have to heed them in order to be certain of our course. Too many times, we choose to 'go it on our own' knowing that we are choosing a course that might just not work out well in the end. Why? ...

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. (Galatians 5:16-18 NLT) When we allow someone to guide us, aren't we actually placing trust in where they will lead us, what they will allow us to do, and who it is they will have us interacting with along the way? This is the work of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life - acting as both guide and teacher along our path. Our sinful nature can get us 'lost' if we follow it and ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit. It cannot be trusted to have what is truly in our best interest in store for us. The...