The Plumbline

If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers. (I John 4:20-21 NLT) Do we love our fellow believers? There are always going to be individuals in our path that just don't exude all those 'lovable' qualities we'd like to see someone have, aren't there? We might think we are doing a pretty good job at 'loving' others until we actually hear that voice in our heads that begins to complain about that one who just doesn't make it easy to love them. As soon as we hear them, see them, or hear what they are up to right now, we begin to hear that internal conversation we have about how 'odd' they are, or how 'un' this or that. In truth, we are having a hard time looking past their idiosyncrasies, aren't we? Does God see those idiosyncrasie...

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” (2 Corinthians 5:19-20 NLT) Come back to God... The message is clear. One cannot escape the truth - God's message is one of reconciliation, not condemnation. His desire goes beyond judgment of sin to the means by which one can actually be forgiven of that sin and find the grace to dwell in his presence.  Reconciling the world to himself... There is no other pursuit worthy of our attention right now than to be ambassadors for Christ. The message the world needs to hear clearly is that God wants for all to know Christ. To come into that close, bonded relationship with him. Sins no longer counted against us... We cannot imagine a life free of sin until we say yes to Jesus. We might try to live according ...

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. (Galatians 2:20-21 NLT) No longer I...  Those three words bring two very different 'worlds' into focus. It is either "I" that is in control, or it is Christ. There is no 'happy medium' between the two as so many of us try to formulate. The more of "I" Christ controls, the less of "I" takes the driver's seat. We want to be in control, so we do our best to create and live by some set of 'rules', but we don't do a very good job of it. We have the 'rules' or 'standards' as laid out by man, yet we violate at least some of them some of the time. Do you always drive the speed limit?...

Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days. The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses. Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon. There the Lord will display his glory, the splendor of our God. With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.” (Isaiah 35:1-4 NLT) With this news...we share so much in the way of 'negative' or 'disheartening' news, why is it that we don't share the good news equally as frequently or as quickly? The moment we declare that God will display his glory in a particular situation, we are going to hear from a lot of naysayers that things are 'too far gone' or 'unable to be any better as ...

If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever.  (Thomas Aquinas) But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. (James 1:22-25 NLT) It is easy to listen to God's word, while it is a bit harder to actually get up and do what it says. As Aquinas said, we have to actually 'leave port' if we are to get anywhere. Too many times, we hear God's word, then go off without giving it any thought. His word isn't meant to just tickle our ears. It is meant to change our hearts. It is good to 'read' his word, but when we actually begin to 'meditate' ...

Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. (Matthew 6:19-21 NLT) Wherever your treasure is... There are things we define as a 'treasure' in our lives doesn't always deserve as much attention as we are giving it. We focus way too much energy, give lots more time than needed, and even come to honor that thing more than we do our relationship with God and others. Most of the time, treasures are those things that we come to value more than we do God. To that end, we are reminded that the only thing that deserves that much of our attention is God himself. Wealth, riches, valuables - all are good and are not 'sinful' as long as we maintain a right perspective toward those things. These things can be the result of G...

Galileo told us to measure what is measurable. Then we were to make measurable everything else that wasn't measurable to begin with. If we were to measure our 'spiritual progress' as it related to our goals for this year, how well are we doing? The Old Testament prophet Amos told us, "Do what is good and run from evil so that you may live! Then the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will be your helper, just as you have claimed. Hate evil and love what is good; turn your courts into true halls of justice. Perhaps even yet the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will have mercy on the remnant of his people." (Amos 5:14-15 NLT) How well are you doing with 'running from evil' these days? In other words, how well are you at turning your back to temptation, speaking up against evil around you, and intervening when God tells you it is time for you to take action? These are indeed things we can 'measure', and they are also things we can make 'measurable' that m...

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. (Ephesians 5:1-2 NLT) If you want to imitate someone, you must first come to really know the one you want to imitate, don't you? You could see someone walking with a slight limp on their right side and quickly imitate the limp, but to understand the injury that resulted in the limp you'd have to really know that individual. In order to imitate Christ in all things, we must come to know him intimately - not just on a superficial or casual level. A child will begin to imitate some of the things the parent does very early in their development. If they see the parent sitting a particular way, they may cross their legs like the parent has theirs crossed. They observe and then they incorporate what they observe into their lives. If we want to incorporate what Christ does into our lives, we must do more than just observe him, though. We need ...

So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. (I Peter 1:13 NLT) Does anyone have any clue as to how we 'prepare our minds for action', much less 'exercise self-control' in our lives? Those are probably two of the toughest instructions in the Bible. Our minds get so much input in the course of our lifetime and controlling what comes in, what goes out, what gets remembered, and what gets forgotten is a big deal. Preparing our minds for action is actually having an 'engaged mind' - one that isn't just passively attentive but is actively attentive. There is a difference that can be observed when your mind is 'engaged' in the process of action. The entirety of your being is actually engaged when your mind is attentive and 'engaging' with the subject at hand. We are being told to prepare our minds for action. In other words,...

You who love the Lord, hate evil! He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked. Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right. May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord and praise his holy name! (Psalm 97:10-12 NLT) If you count yourself among those who love the Lord, you will have a 'love-hate' relationship with the evil around you. I say it is a 'love-hate' relationship because as long as our sin nature has any control in our lives, we will sometimes love doing what is wrong while also hating that we do it. The more we 'fall out of love' with our sinful desires, the more we will learn to hate all forms of evil - even the stuff that doesn't tempt us into sin right now. God's plan for us is to live 'protected lives'. He isn't taking us out of this evil world the moment we say yes to him, but he is providing a means by which we can live in such a way so as to not be enticed into t...

What can we bring to the Lord? Should we bring him burnt offerings? Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves? Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins? No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:6-8 NLT) So many times, we seek to 'bring' something to God, offerings of some kind - all because we 'want' something from him. It is as though we have a 'transactional' relationship with him. I will do this if you do that. The moment we try to 'transact' with God is the moment we should realize his favor is not 'bought' with our good deeds. Our good deeds are an outflow of his favor and grace in our lives! God requires us to do what is right. There is no more 'beneficial' plan for our life than to walk...

For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. (Titus 2:11-14 NLT) Instruction is given because there is benefit in following it. As I came through High School, they offered several courses that were designed to do more than offer 'academic achievement'. Home Economics taught us to sew simple garments and make appetizing meals. Typing classes prepared us for career choices that utilized the skill, making us more proficient at recording things on those things called typewriters. Driver's Education prepared us for the road, makin...

If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! (Psalm 91:9-13 NLT) If you make...these three words indicate some form of commitment on our part, do they not? Yet, God's part is astronomical in comparison to ours. He will see that no evil can overcome us, sending angels to protect us even when we don't see their protection. He will keep us from stumbling, even though the path is riddled with all manner of stumbling blocks and even a few 'roadblocks' meant to stop us in our tracks entirely. We will have supernatural strength when our human strength seems inadequate for the challenges at hand. All this when we commit and follow through on that com...

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen. (Romans 11:33-36 NLT) The riches, wisdom, and knowledge of God is indeed greater. Most of the time, it is greater than we can simply comprehend with our finite minds. We will face things this year that God has prepared in advance for us, but will we always understand what he is doing? No. Is it okay to ask him to show us what he has planned? Absolutely. Will he always unfold the whole picture at the start? Not usually. In other words, we might have to trust him a bit longer, search a bit deeper, and find wisdom like never before! The most important thing we can learn from this passage is that trust doesn't mea...

But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. The wild animals in the fields will thank me, the jackals and owls, too, for giving them water in the desert. Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland so my chosen people can be refreshed. (Isaiah 43:18-20 NLT) Nothing compared to what I am going to do. Those words might just bring hope to some today as they look over the events of their last year and consider what God may have planned for them this one. The 'new thing' God is about to do might not be evident right now, but if we look close enough, draw close to his heart as we do, and begin to consider all he has done, we might just catch a glimpse of it! He has already begun - those are words of assurance, my friends. What will God begin in you thi...

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. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. (Galatians 6:7-9 NLT) When God uses an 'absolute' in his Word, I try to pay attention closely to what he is saying. It is as though he is adding exclamation marks and asking for us to focus on what he is saying. The absolute? ALWAYS. You will ALWAYS harvest what you plant. To that end, I think he is saying we are to do good, not some of the time, or when the urge hits you a certain way, but all the time, even when it doesn't feel good or easy. ALWAYS. Our own desires and that pesky sinful nature will attempt to convince us to do otherwise, but when we commit to the ALWAYS of God's commands, we will reap a great ha...

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me." (John 14:1 NLT) While none of us wants to admit it, we don't always trust in the Lord with our full heart - mind, will, and emotions. We may get our mind to 'say' we are trusting him, but our emotions are all over the board when facing whatever it is that is giving us cause for anxiety or 'stress' in life. The will to trust is not always there, is it? We 'want' to trust, but we somehow hold out on fully trusting him with the situation as evidenced by our continual interference in whatever it is we are trusting him to do on our behalf. Trusting God is indeed harder than we may think, requires more fortitude than our willpower can muster, and gets overridden by all the emotions our hormones can produce at any given moment. Trust is more than a mindset, but it is good that we set our minds on him and his will for our lives. It is more than bringing our emotions under control, but it ...

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT) Far too many times, we carry burdens beyond our capacity to carry, wearing out under their load. I am now well into my sixth decade on this earth and sometimes think I can still 'carry' what I did when I was in my second decade. The results are quite different now than they were then! I get winded, my back aches, and it takes me about a week to fully recover from such 'load bearing'. The things we carry in our emotions may not give us a backache, leave us winded, but they can definitely put a 'load' upon our bodies and minds that we weren't really created to carry. Those emotional burdens are like a weight that gets us into a place where we see an...

And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. (Romans 8:23 NLT) Pearl S. Buck reminds us, "One faces the future with one's past." The past isn't necessarily part of our future when we are made new in Christ Jesus. Our past 'formed' us in a way, with events and influences of the past helping to define the 'norms' of one's life. In Christ Jesus, we are made new. We might long to be free (totally free) of sin and suffering, but the influence of sin left us with some of the consequences of sin, did it not? We are free of the sin, yet the results of that sin sometimes linger in our minds, bodies, and emotions. Christ's goal is for us to be free - living beyond the influence of ...

William Shakespeare reminded us, "'Tis not enough to help the feeble up, but to support them after." Scripture reminds us, "Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important." (Galatians 6:2-3 NLT) The sharing of one another's burdens is something we all need to engage in, both as the giver of such support and on occasion, the receiver of it. When we help another up, what are we doing? We are bearing some form of their burden, are we not? They have stumbled, perhaps even fallen, and they need a boost up. I cannot tell you how much it makes 'getting up' easier when another is helping to 'hoist the weight'! There will be moments in all of our lives when the burden gets too heavy to bear on our own. We need one another to make the load lighter, but especially when we are feeling particularly 'feeble' because of ...