The Plumbline

Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety. (Proverbs 29:25) Some of us find circumstances so harsh at times that we actually fear they will be out undoing, but not so much because of the circumstance itself.  The people involved give us a bit more anxiety than the circumstance. We find ourselves thinking more about THEIR opinion of how we will handle the moment rather than God's opinion of us as we go through it. The fear of people is a really big deal. Scripture advises: "Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28) The people who we fear cannot touch our soul because God has that carefully under his attentive care! Throughout scripture we can find examples of people who feared people, but with God's help, they overcame that fear and trusted in his strength to get them through. Moses didn't want to confront Pharoah, but God...

Are right and wrong convertible terms, dependent upon popular opinion? (William Lloyd Garrison) I came across this question today and wondered if you have ever pondered just how 'right' or 'wrong' our society is today. It seems that many are swayed by popular opinion - sometimes choosing to forsake previously held beliefs that had been foundational within their families for decades. As the 'tide' of popular opinion swells, it seems that there are many carried away with that tide. The clear distinctions between right and wrong get blurrier and blurrier with each movement of the tide. At some point, we might just realize that we need to do a complete RESET of our 'beliefs' because they are no longer based upon TRUTH, but upon opinion. Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. ...

Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.(I Peter 3:8) One mind is hard to get your mind wrapped around, isn't it? We all have an opinion, and some may come close to what yours is, but does it match perfectly? Not always. In fact, there are more opinions in this world than there is truth! What does it mean to sympathize with each other? I believe we need to see things through each other's eyes in order for us to 'come into one mind'. It is never going to happen that we see things perfectly as the other person does, but we can come into a place where we don't compromise truth and that is when we become of one mind. The outcome of being united in truth is that love flows freely - there is an outpouring of the grace and goodness God has given us. I have one brother and sister, but I have 'many' in the family of God that are my brothers and sister...

There comes a time when we have the perfect time to acknowledge our faith in Jesus, only to become timid and almost 'embarrassed' to do so simply because our 'social group' would think us 'odd' or reject us because of our 'stand'? There are times we think more about our 'social standing' within the group than we do our opportunity to be light and life in a very, very dark world. The leaders believed, yet their 'fear' of the impact on their 'social standing' as 'leaders' actually caused them to keep silent about Jesus. It is a sad day when we care more about what others think about us than we do about drawing closer to Jesus, allowing him to use us in whatever 'social grouping' we have been placed. Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than the praise ...

  The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in  God  protects you from that. (Proverbs 29:25) How many of us are subject to human opinion? If you don't think you are, ask yourself if you go to the 4 or 5 star items on that online store, reading the reviews of the products you are considering. If you do, you are subject to human opinion - reviews are actually a form of offering one's opinion of a product, service, or place. We all rely upon human opinion just a little bit - even if it is to swerve right as we are going down the road as we have seen the three drivers in front of us do already. We don't know why we are swerving, but based upon what we have seen, we respond similarly. That is the bad thing about human opinion - we respond similarly based upon what another thinks or feels. If you have ever read mixed reviews of a product, you know how conflicted you can be in reading them. You know some absolutely love the product, while it totally disappointed others or si...

William Lloyd Garrison, a journalist from the 19th century asked, "Are right and wrong convertible terms, dependent upon popular opinion?" Mr. Garrison actually died in 1879, way before any of the present issues arose in government, health, and cultural climate. Yet, he may have had a little insight into human nature when he posed that question, for humankind has always tried to make wrong right since the beginning of time. It is the 'spin' that mankind puts on an issue that 'converts' it from wrong to make it seem a little closer to right. That 'spin' has been around since the Garden of Eden! The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to good teaching. (Proverbs 12:15)  While the question Garrison posed during the time he worked to free slaves in America is important, there is a lesson to be found in it for all of us today. Are 'right' and 'wrong' actually able to be switched - dependent upon the whim of whoever...

I get very little enjoyment from watching TV these days unless it is a re-run of Little House on the Prairie or the Waltons.  The airwaves are riddled with all kinds of commercials advertising the need to lose weight and the "miracles" which can be accomplished with this device or the latest "medical breakthrough".  As election season is upon us, they are also riddled with all kinds of smear campaigns.  If this is not enough, the news is propagating all the "hype" about the family-owned business known as Chick-Fil-A.  Evidently, taking a stand to support marriage between one man and one woman is a crime in our country!  There have been bomb threats, people driving through the drive-thru windows taunting and ridiculing the employees, and all manner of silly debate over what has now been termed "hate food".  If I step on a few toes with this one, I will not apologize! If you find the godless world is hating you, remember it got its start hating m...