The Plumbline

 The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. (Jeremiah 17:9-10) What does your heart hold onto? What 'secret motives' have been hidden away in the recesses of your mind, will, or emotions that seem to creep up at the weirdest times, giving you an urge to say or do things that you know you should not? We must never forget that God gave us our unique 'make-up' - body, soul, spirit. He created us and he has watched over our lives from the very beginning - even when we made bad choices, others inflicted pain upon us by their bad choices, or we struggled to make better ones than we had in our past. Our heart might want to betray us from time to time, but when our spirit is rightly connected with God's Spirit, we stand a much better chance of resisting temptation. As a young believer, I used to wonder what God meant by the words, "I give all...

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? (Isaiah 43:19) There have been plenty of times when God has begun something new in my life, all the while with me being absolutely clueless about what was going on. When he sets out to change my circumstances, I may not understand how he will work, I just know he is working. When he sets out to change my heart, I may even resist a little because I am kind of hard-headed at times. If you are anything like me, you may see God is at work, but you are a little baffled by what he is doing or the methods he is employing in doing his work. Don't worry or resist - ask for wisdom and then watch closely. God's work may begin with a 'big bang' kind of moment - all things in a state of upheaval. His plan isn't to destroy us - but it may feel like it at times. We won't resist the change as much if we keep seeking his face in the midst of it. God's work may begin a little less 'rigoro...

  For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too. (Romans 11:16) When we give our lives to Christ, asking his Spirit to indwell us, we can count on change occurring. Does that mean it will become evident all at once? If we consider the tree as our example, we might just have that answer to our question. The tree might have 'new roots' and 'new soil' into which it has been planted, but the branches that are already there don't change overnight, do they? There is some pruning that must occur to remove the dead growth. A little pruning must occur that 'reshapes' the tree once it is rooted - to give it enough shape so that the winds go through those branches well enough not to uproot it or break its 'hold' in that new soil. There will be barren branches that don't seem to have any leaves yet, but they must be preserved and allowed to come into full bud or bloom. As all of this occurs, space is made for new growth - the potential for...

If we are to move forward with Christ, we must realize if we are actually moving, standing still, or falling behind. Until we realize where we are at, there is not much effort we will put into any forward movement. If we are lucky enough to find ourselves moving forward, it could be that Christ wants to put a little more 'pep in our step', so to speak, in getting us to move at a different pace. The sad truth is that many are 'standing still' - allowing movement all around them, but not even realizing how much damage is being done when 'standing still' is our present condition. A flood may come, but the things that survive the flood are the things that can move away from it! Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go. But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. I keep running hard toward the finish line to get the prize that is mine because God has called me through Christ Je...

Someone once said the best time to change is before you actually have to. I would say that is usually the best way to embrace change - when you desire it rather than when it is forced upon you as the only option. Scripture reminds us to allow God to examine us from time to time, knowing full-well that he will observe something within our character that doesn't quite match what he expects to see of one who draws near to him. He will then set out to work on it, but that work goes much easier when we have asked God to begin it rather than waiting for him to point it out once we have already headed down some road of compromise! "God, examine me and know my mind. Test me and know all my worries. Make sure that I am not going the wrong way. Lead me on the path that has always been right. (Psalm 139:23-24) We all know there are things within our character that don't quite 'measure up' when we hold them up to the example Christ set for us, or what we see modeled by others ...

Create in me a clean heart, O God; restore within me a sense of being brand new. (Psalm 51:10) Einstein said, "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."  He was so true in this perception!  The problems we create will never be overcome or changed until we change the way we have been thinking about them!  To change our thought process we often need to change what we are focusing on so often or intensely. If we always see the problem, we will never see the solution standing just beyond it! If all we see is the river in front of us, raging out of control and making it hard to pass over to the other side, we will likely not see the bridge being lowered from the other side! Restoration is a process of not only being "clean" of the sin in our lives, but of being able to look beyond the sin.  We can ask for forgiveness when we have done something we are not happy we have done, but if all we keep thinking about is that thing we asked...

All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward. (Ellen Glasgow) No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people. (Romans 2:29) The Apostle Paul is dealing with a whole lot of 'we are better than they are' mentality - it is 'better to be a Jew' than a Gentile kind of thing. Isn't it silly to compare ourselves to others by what we see as 'superior' in ourselves compared to what we see as 'inferior' in others? The most profound thing he pointed out to those who opposed Christ as the Messiah was that a changed heart is produced by the Spirit of God, not some 'act' or 'practice' man engages in. A changed heart is God-produced, God-ordained, and God-blessed. The 'we are better' mentality comes with prideful attitude of seekin...

Thomas Fuller reminds us, "In fair weather prepare for foul." We prepare for a life with Christ in eternity by living a life close to him today. We are preparing for whatever may come our way. In living close to Christ today, we are ensuring whatever storm or battle comes next, we are prepared to face it with his assistance. The closeness we develop with Jesus today is something we can count on to be our firm foundation into every tomorrow.  So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:16-17) Way too often we evaluate others by what we observe on the surface, not really knowing what has been going on inside of their hearts and minds. We 'see' one thing but have no idea what preparation has been going on deep beneath the ...

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. (Isaiah 43:19) The 'old' may have seemed pretty awesome, but have you ever considered what God may be doing when he is beginning something new in you? There have been times when I have been so comfortable with the 'old new' that God did in me that I resist his moving me on into something 'new' again. I want to look back instead of forward, making it harder for him to keep me focused on what he is about to do. God may be laying out some pretty awesome change right ahead of us, but as long as we are constantly looking back and longing for the 'old new', we aren't going to fully embrace the 'new' he has in store. I have noticed that God begins something 'new' and then he kind of 'wraps up' the 'old new' for us. It is like he is repainting the walls of o...

May God who gives patience, steadiness, and encouragement help you to live in complete harmony with each other—each with the attitude of Christ toward the other. And then all of us can praise the Lord together with one voice, giving glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:5-6) Harmony is not achieved by our own merits, for no set of humans actually 'live in harmony' with another set of humans without some form of conflict from time to time. As long as atoms keep crashing together, there will be some form of conflict, BUT...God can bring patience where conflict seems to abound, steadiness where the foundation has begun to crumble, and tremendous encouragement to keep moving toward agreement and peace.  How is complete harmony ever going to happen? Those who have embraced Christ as their Lord and Savior will be at the forefront of peaceful actions. They will bring a steadfastness into the most difficult of circumstances - a peace and assurance that stands w...

Begin to be now what you will be hereafter.  (William James) 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 . (Galatians 6:14-15) What will you be when you grow up? Do you remember being asked that question so many times as a kid? I have been asked that question several times as an adult, so I guess I haven't 'grown up' sufficiently for some! I have a different way to ask this question today: What will you be when Christ is fully done with you? Each and every day is another opportunity for Christ to work within our lives - transforming us into this 'new creation' he has in mind for each of us. As he moves across our lives, we are transformed, renewed, and almost 're-engineered'. W...

Are you a 'radical' when it comes to change? Radical: of or going to the root or origin of something. If you haven't really thought about what "radical change" is, you might be a little surprised to find out it is change which goes after the "root" or "origin" of something in order to so totally change what has become "traditional" or "normal" in one's life. If a business wants to "re-invent" themselves because they have been losing customers to some other big-name chain with a newer look, what do they do? They go through some "radical change" to make us believe this is the store we want to be shopping at instead of the other guys. J.C. Penney did just that - they changed up the lines they carried, took out a whole bunch of their stock, remodeled the interiors of the stores to be more "hip", but they lost business! Most of us who shopped at Penney's did so for a reason - the consist...

But let me tell you something wonderful, a mystery I’ll probably never fully understand. We’re not all going to die—but we are all going to be changed. You hear a blast to end all blasts from a trumpet, and in the time that you look up and blink your eyes—it’s over. On signal from that trumpet from heaven, the dead will be up and out of their graves, beyond the reach of death, never to die again. At the same moment and in the same way, we’ll all be changed. In the resurrection scheme of things, this has to happen: everything perishable taken off the shelves and replaced by the imperishable, this mortal replaced by the immortal. Then the saying will come true: Death swallowed by triumphant Life! Who got the last word, oh, Death? Oh, Death, who’s afraid of you now? It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus...

Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart. (Proverbs 26:22)  A rumor is something put into general circulation without confirmation of the facts behind the message. Considering this, do you ever wonder how so much stuff gets into general circulation without someone taking the time or effort to confirm it? I think it is probably more than we realize. Everyone wants to "out-scoop" the next guy. Someone has to be "first" with the "big story" - not just on TV news, but also in real life day-to-day interactions. People just want to be "in the know" about the other guy, the latest event, or the way-out-there thing that just happened. Mom always used to teach, "If you don't have anything nice to say about someone, don't say anything at all." Sound advice, but I think many folks operate more on the "If you don't have anything nice to say about someone, I am all ears"! Did you ever stop to consider tha...

Most of us would think of a "circumstance" as something which modifies or influences what will happen next - what the outcome will be. When we have the right one in charge of the "circumstances", there is no "modifier" beyond our ability to deal! Do you know what a drought is? It the simplest sense, it is a period of "dryness". Most "dry spells" are not a matter of our doing. They are the result of some "circumstances" beyond our control. In the times of "dryness" there is much at work attempting to modify our responses - perhaps even shaping our outcome. In the time of dryness we have a couple of options: 1) scheme our way through it, figuring and refiguring a way to bring life back ourselves; 2) bolt, looking for refreshment in any other place than where we are at; or 3) hunker down, trusting God for the refreshing rains just around the corner. I don't know about you, but I don't want to the varied circums...

Application being the basis of all change - without application, there is no advantage to knowledge - most of us would probably 'cop' to the plea that we aren't all that good at applying what we know. I have lots of cookbooks and recipes around the house, but that doesn't mean I am a gourmet chef. I can cut a piece of wood on my table saw, but that doesn't make me a master carpenter. I can clean my house so you don't see too many dust bunnies, but that doesn't make me an expert on cleaning. It is only when spiritual and emotional knowledge is applied that we can say we are truly developing "wisdom". I think this may be what Jesus was trying to tell these religious leaders that day when he told them they only sought what would 'titillate' their curiosity rather than really develop an understanding of the One True God. Later a few religion scholars and Pharisees got on him. "Teacher, we want to see your credentials. Give us some hard evi...

I was standing outside our hospital pharmacy waiting to drop off some information the other day. Through the window I observed a series of 'apothecary' items, one of which is the old fashioned mortar and pestle. It reminded me there is always a little bit of a crushing process in life. The purpose of the pestle apparatus is to crush, grind, or mix whatever is in the bowl (mortar). Something is placed within the mortar, then through the action of the repeated blows and grinding of the pestle, the object in the mortar begins to change form. If it is corn, eventually the hardened pellet of corn will become like fine flour. When leaves are put in the mortar, the pounding begins to release the oils contained in the leaves, allowing a fragrance to be released. The bowl portion of the device is nothing without the "tool of action" (the pestle). It is the pestle which accomplishes the "transition" of substance from one form to another. One without the other is ...

Beauty: the adjustment of all parts proportionately so that one cannot add or subtract or change without impairing the harmony of the whole.  (Leon Battista Alberti) Is there anyone else out there that is constantly adjusting the parts? My sister has this tendency to put down a cup, plate, or even a napkin - then she returns to it repeatedly moving it a little here or there, never really just allowing it just to be 'okay'. Now, I just set the table and enjoy the meal - the position of the 'stuff' doesn't really matter all that much to me. I wonder how many of us go through life trying to 'adjust the parts', not really sure what is 'proportionately correct' in them? We are fine as long as none of the pieces seem to get lost, or someone upsets our apple cart. The moment we find the pieces falling apart, we panic! We adjust and readjust, sometimes in an attempt to get them all back in the 'regular order' we have established, and at others...

Mom had a saying when she couldn't find something. She'd say she "put it away so carefully, so as to find it the next time," only to find it was nowhere to be found when she needed it! Have you ever been looking so diligently for something only to find that what you sought with such great earnestness was right there in front of you all the time? When you finally realize that the object of your search was just within your reach, didn't you feel a little silly having spent all that time and energy in the seeking? It's kind of like you just have to say, "Duh! Here it is!" and give yourself a little knock on the head! Somehow, though he moves right in front of me, I don't see him; quietly but surely he's active, and I miss it. (Job 9:11) A process in the business world known as "building shared vision" is usually facilitated by bringing a group of people together for a period of time to tap into what it is that they imagine for the succ...

If you have ever lived with anticipation of an upcoming event, such as a much needed vacation, you may have engaged in some type of "countdown" activity such as keeping track of the days until you leave. Why do you do this? Isn't because of the building anticipation of how much you will get to relax, enjoy sights you haven't seen before, or experience some renewal in relationship with those you want to be closest to in life? There is no harm in anticipation as long as it is realistic and you aren't 'putting all your hope' in being a very specific way. I have gone on vacations only to find we have more than one rainy day in a row, significantly impacting the amount of outdoor time I may have desired. I have taken cruises and been unable to get of at a designated port because of choppy seas not making it safe to tender in to the dock. Anticipation is good, but we cannot be so rigid in our expectations that we cannot 'flex' when the outcome isn't ...