The Plumbline

If someone actually pointed out the way for you to find entrance to something you didn't even know you were looking for, would you go there? There are a whole lot of individuals who don't know they are looking for Jesus in their lives, but when they find someone pointing the way for them to find him, they are amazed at what they discover when the 'enter in'. We all need to be 'pointers' to the one who can answer every question, settle every dispute, open every mind, heal every heart, and bring peace to every troubled emotion.  Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. (John 10:9-10) Come in through him - no other way will matter, nor will it bring the same reward. We try a whole lot of 'ways' to get peace, settle our emotions and sort out our troubled minds, but there...

So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. (Hebrews 9:11-14) With his own blood - we are bought with a price we could not pay; given a gift we could not earn; and brought into a position we could never possess apart from Christ. One sacrifice - one time - for all time. We are secure because of his gift - the gift w...

The earth has grown old with its burden of care, but at Christmas it always is young, the heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair, and its soul full of music breaks the air, when the song of angels is sung. (Phillips Brooks) Most of us have all sung some form of Christmas carol at one time or another. It doesn't matter that it was or wasn't in tune, we sang out. Why? There was something about that time of year that made your heart burst into song. Jingle Bells, Noel, or O Come All Ye Faithful - the songs burst forth. We hear them on all the overhead PA systems in malls, grocery stores, and on the radio while we travel here and there. Did you know that singing praises is an expression of joy? It is the expression of the heart to God. With that in mind, let those songs rip! But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy. For you bless the godly, O Lord;...

"Christmas is the spirit of giving without a thought of getting. It is happiness because we see joy in people. It is forgetting self and finding time for others. It is discarding the meaningless and stressing the true values." (Thomas S. Monson) What stress are you under right now just because of 'holiday prep'? So many times, we spend far more time 'prepping' for the meals, gift-giving, and decorating that we forget to spend a little more time with each other just enjoying the time. The true value of Christmas is not in the 'prepping', but in the 'spending' - spending time with those we love. When the people cry to the Lord for help against those who oppress them, he will send them a savior who will rescue them. (Isaiah 19:20) Some may even feel as though Christmas is not a very big deal. It is a time for good food, some entertainment, and a load of gift-wrapping being undone in an instant. They miss the meaning of the moment. The gift given...

Blessed are those who give without remembering and take without forgetting.  (Elizabeth Bibesco) The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped. (Proverbs 11:25) How many of us have been beating the paths at the local department stores in search of those 'perfect gifts' for our loved ones this Christmas season? We shop till we about drop, wrap till our fingers ache, and decorate till our homes are all aglow. Yet, I wonder how many of us have taken a breather long enough to remember the blessings we have received in Christ Jesus? Christmas isn't about the presents - it is about his PRESENCE with us. It isn't about what we might receive - it is about what we must give. Christmas is going to come and go, just like other days each calendar year, but we put so much work into that one day, don't we? I would like to put a little challenge out there this morning. Would you possibly consider how you can keep Christmas alive all year throug...

Tolkien reminded us, "Courage is found in unlikely places." For some of us, the holidays require a bit of 'mustered courage' on our parts. They are not something we look forward to - perhaps because of loneliness, family discord, or even a lack of hope things will ever change in this world. As much as we are frightened by the load we bear right now, I wonder if we could look at the 'load' Mary bore all those years ago and take note of her tremendous courage to do what no other has been called to do. She was called to bear the Christ child - to bring into this world the Son of God in earthly form - an unwed mother, conceiving by 'miraculous means', in a time when 'being with child' outside of wedlock would have meant immediate rejection and disgrace. I don't doubt Mary had some significant moments of fear as she faced the Angel Gabriel that day - alone, visited by a heavenly presence, told she had been chosen. In fact, scripture tells us Gab...

God never gives someone a gift they are not capable of receiving. If he gives us the gift of Christmas, it is because we all have the ability to understand and receive it. (Pope Francis) Pondering Christmas a bit this morning - why? So many times we think of Christmas as a 'season' rather than a gift and God meant it as a gift, not merely a season!  “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him." (John 3:16-18) A gift given...

How much is a fair day's wage? I sometimes watch these shows depicting how life was in the earlier days, when men and women plowed fields, laid up stores from their gardens, and raise livestock to support their families. Some were laborers in the fields, others worked at 'trades' such as carpentry, stone mason, or storekeeper. Yet, one common theme seemed to emerge - the day's wage. It wasn't much, but it usually helped with the bare necessities - such as new shoes when the soles of the present ones had worn thin. The day's wage was well-earned by the sweat of one's brow and heavy lifting of one's back. The worker did a good job and he earned his wages - he deserved his pay. It wasn't a gift to him - it was hard-earned. There is one thing we can never earn - that which is given as a gift. A gift is something given from a heart that knows the specific need and desire of another. If you’re a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we d...

Before anything else existed, there was Christ, with God. He has always been alive and is himself God. And Christ became a human being and lived here on earth among us and was full of loving forgiveness and truth. And some of us have seen his glory—the glory of the only Son of the heavenly Father! ( John 1:1-2, 14   TLB ) Before is a powerful word. Before today there was yesterday - now only a memory and unable to be altered in anyway. Before light there was darkness - now the shadows of dark are no longer and the brilliance of light makes all once hidden plain to see. Before means there was something and now there is something different. One thing was 'before' everything else, but has never changed or ceased to exist - Christ! The 'before' might not have had human form, but the 'after' does - yet he never stopped being divine! In our everyday lives, there are lots and lots of "before" moments. The "after" moments we hope will all be ...

2  Come before him with thankful hearts. Let us sing him psalms of praise.  3  For the Lord is a great God, the great King of all gods.  4  He controls the formation of the depths of the earth and the mightiest mountains; all are his.  5  He made the sea and formed the land; they too are his.  6  Come, kneel before the Lord our Maker,  7  for he is our God. We are his sheep, and he is our Shepherd. Oh, that you would hear him calling you today and come to him! (Psalm 95:2-7 TLB) After over half a century on this earth, I have learned a thing or two - but I haven't learned everything I need to learn! One thing I have come to realize - not everyone will celebrate Christmas with joy, nor will all welcome it as a season to be "merry and bright". There is a heaviness of heart that engulfs some and the "season" is just not all that enjoyable. Sure enough, on the outside they give a good appearance of "getting into the spirit" of Ch...

As Christmas is soon upon us, I just wanted to take a little time to reflect on some of the memories I have had of Christmas mornings over the years. I can remember one particular Christmas morning when the tree contained everything I wanted - kind of tom-boy toys, but nonetheless, they were all I wanted and there they were! A set of six-shooters in buckle on holsters, a little cowboy outfit in brown and yellow complete with cowboy boots! That particular year I wanted to be a cowboy. The next I wanted to be a soldier, so the tree was surrounded by green plastic army helmet, plastic canteen, and the like. It was around my fifth or sixth Christmas that the "theme" of my wishes changed to a Barbie and Ken doll, and even a Chatty-Cathy doll. Oh, I wasn't done being a tom-boy, I just found out girls asked for dolls! I grew up with a neighborhood full of boys, so I had asked for boyish toys as a result. I think I was blessed by parents that allowed me to just be me - they didn...

See, a young maiden will conceive. She will give birth to a son and name Him Immanuel, that is, “God with us.” ( Isaiah :14 VOICE) When you are lost, what are you hoping for? You want to be found - you want direction. When you are confused, what are you hoping for? You want answers - you want peace. When you are afraid or anxious, what are you hoping for? You want strength - you want settled assurance. When you are faced with nothing but failure, what are you hoping for? You want something - anything to work out. We are creature of hope - we look for something to be different from the unsettled, difficult, or challenging circumstances we are faced with as life gets tough or the outcomes disappoint us, don't we? To hope is to imagine something different from what it presently is. At Christmastime, children everywhere gaze in wonder at the brightly wrapped packages under the tree, shaking them when no one is watching, hoping to get some inkling that the thing they most hope for is ...

As we take a rest from our busy holiday season mad rush to get all the presents purchased, brightly colored boxes placed under the trees, and ugly sweaters ready for all the parties, it is good to just focus again on the true meaning of the season. It isn't often considered a "holiday season" Psalm, but I think the Twenty-Third Psalm really tells us a story of God's grace and goodness - something we need to recognize in this time of holiday "prep".  The Eternal is my shepherd - you probably know it as "The Lord is my shepherd".  Probably one of the most clearly taught parts of Christmas is this eternal desire of God to have those who will enter into relationship with him down through the ages.  His whole work of creation was centered on preparing a place for us to dwell and a people with which he might have deep, personal, and ongoing relationship with down through the ages.  The first part of the Christmas message is that of relationship - God so...

Christmas day... Packages will be opened, paper strewn all over the front room, ribbons left in a pile.  Kids will discard the undies brightly wrapped in favor of building with those brightly colored Lego blocks.  Moms will rush to try out the new counter-top mixer or cookware sets all festive in their holiday attire.  Dads will head to the garages and yards to put on display their newest of tools and gadgets galore.  Grandparents will soak in the memories of family glee and holiday festivities.  It is a magical day indeed.  Yet, I would remiss in not sharing how it is I celebrate this holiday with the greatest of joy and the fullest of hearts.  You see, it is because I have Christ living in me that I celebrate with all fullness and joy!  I chose a passage we could explore today because it was a perfect illustration of what Christ has done in me - and what he would delight to do in all those who would choose to put their faith and trust in him ...

One of the most overlooked parts of the Christmas celebration is this idea of forgiveness. Without the birth and life of Christ on this earth, the offering for our sins would not have been possible.  The burden of sin would still weigh heavy upon our shoulders and keep us out of fellowship with God our Father.  Through his birth - forgiveness became possible. Through his death - forgiveness was assured.  No greater gift was provided on any Christmas since his birth!  No greater gift could ever be sought!  His life for ours - what a gift! Our God, you bless everyone whose sins you forgive and wipe away. You bless them by saying, “You told me your sins, without trying to hide them, and now I forgive you.” (Psalm 32:1-2 CEV) Forgiveness is a much overlooked gift of this holiday season.  Why?  We have become so "familiar" and "comfortable" in the misery of our sin that we no longer seek a way out!  Sad as this may be, it is evident in relat...

Back in the day when Christ was born, there were several announcements to herald his birth. One such announcement started outside of his home, in the home of Mary's relative Elizabeth.  Elizabeth and Zechariah had been waiting for a child for a long time.  They receive this visitation from an angel when it is Zechariah's time to be tending to the altar in the Temple.  The angel announces the "fore-runner" of Jesus - John the Baptist.  To this aging couple would come a child - one who would point the way to the Christ child.  He would be a Nazarite, live in the desert, and announce the coming of the Messiah.  Imagine the pleasure to have waited so long for a child, almost past your childbearing years, and then receive a grand message such as this.  What an honor to be the parents of the one who would prepare a way for the earthly ministry of Jesus!  Angels came to Mary to announce the birth of Christ.  Angels set Joseph's heart at ease that M...

We all  have those moments in time when our dreams seem to be far away and sleep seems to be a little elusive to us.  We toss and turn a little, drifting in and out of restless slumber, only to come awake again, mind thinking on things we should have shut off long ago.  In those times where slumber seems to evade us, we often think about stuff which we have been mulling over previously.  I think this is why God asks us to learn the "skill" of meditating upon his Word and upon him.  When those sleepless nights creep up on us, we will have some better "fodder" for our mulling than if we just ruminate on the worries of the day!  We can "mull over" his grace, think a little bit about his goodness, and contemplate his blessings in our lives - all because we have filled places in our minds and hearts with the right "fuel" for "mulling"!  As I was in the Big Lots last week, I came across a display of "mulling spices" and had to ask ...

But when the time was right...   This is a phrase which should bring such awe to our hearts, for it is the phrase expressing God's heart for all of humanity.  He purposed to provide for our needs - in the right manner. He purposed to provide for our deliverance - with the right means.  He purposed to provide for our short-comings - through the right sacrifice.  All when the "time was right".  This is something we struggle with - timing.  We all have a tendency once in a while to be a little too early or too late - our timing just not being perfect on all accounts.  We are subject to our own whims and fancies - something which will mess with our timing whenever it has a chance.  Yet, God's timing is perfect - and his ability to endure until exactly the right time is awe-inspiring.  If you remember back to when you were a kid, you would count off the days until Christmas.  You'd have advent calendars or the like to help you know just ho...

Quite some time ago, I learned the light-hearted song, "All I want for Christmas..."  You know the one I mean - the little jingle about wanting my "two front teeth" for Christmas.  I think we all want something for Christmas - some of us will be quick to announce what our wish list includes, while others will be more reserved and not really be able to make any grand gestures toward letting the world know what it is we are wishing for.  Many a child will be making their lists and checking them twice, then sealing them in an envelope addressed to the Jolly Ole St. Nick care of the North Pole.  It is kind of what Christmas has come to these days - a lot of hustle and bustle to get the right gift and to ensure everyone has something special they will want.  As the grand-boys have been growing up, I have asked for their "lists" because it makes it easier for me to actually get things which fit their current interests.  Imagine my surprise this year when I foun...

As we have looked at the birth of Christ, we have considered the fact he was born of a virgin, with an earthly father so willing to honor God with his life that he married a woman who was already pregnant.  In that day and time, a very taboo thing.  We also saw how the mother of Christ was chosen by God and given the dramatic news that she would carry the Son of God.  Imagine her awe, but also see her tremendous amount of fear as she would have received this announcement, knowing all she knew about the time in which she lived about how a woman out of wedlock showing up pregnant would be treated.  We also explored the lowly birth of Jesus in a stable of sorts, surrounded by animals, visited by shepherds, and then honored by magi from afar.  The announcement of his birth was by angels - start to finish.  Mary heard from an angel (a messenger from God), while Joseph was set at ease by a messenger from God on another occasion - assuring him the thing he was ab...