The Plumbline

The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Who ever knows what you’re thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he’s thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don’t have to rely on the world’s guesses and opinions. We didn’t learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we’re passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way. (I Corinthians 2:10-13 MSG) God's Spirit takes what we cannot understand with purely human knowledge and brings it into our hearts and minds so we can begin to not only comprehend it, but act upon it. All of God's scripture is meant to be actionable - either we do as it says, or we avoid what it says we are to avoid. There is nothing within scripture that is th...

The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It’s written, "I’ll turn conventional wisdom on its head, I’ll expose so-called experts as shams." So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn’t God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered stupid—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation. (I Corinthians 1:18-21 MSG) Using what the world considered stupid - preaching. Paul has just made a very pointed statement that we cannot overlook. He said, "God didn’t send me out to collect a following for myself, but to preach the Message of what he has done,...

If anyone loves me, he will carefully keep my word and my Father will love him—we’ll move right into the neighborhood! Not loving me means not keeping my words. (John 14:23-24 MSG) Jesus has just finished saying that a "loveless world is a sightless world" in response to Judas asking if Jesus was about to make himself plain to his disciples but not to the world at large. If anyone loves me - we must all answer to that standard - no one is exempt. The world wasn't ready to embrace him, but they would be given the chance to do so - their heart needed his love more than they knew it. Without his love, we all live 'sightless' lives, for we cannot truly see the goodness of God apart from his love indwelling our hearts. Loving God means we will reveal evidence of that love toward him through our obedience to his Word. His instructions, all of them, lay before us. We make an active choice to either follow those instructions or reject them as meaningless or worthless to...

After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that he was back home. A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word. (Mark 2:1-3 MSG) He was teaching the Word. We might read on to the best parts of this record, finding faithful friends who press through the crowd, tear back a section of the building's roof, lower the paraplegic man into the midst of the room where Jesus sat teaching, and find that he was totally healed. Today, I want us to stop short of that recorded story, though. I want us to see what drew the crowds in the first place - he was teaching the Word of God. It wasn't the miracles that drew them - he was teaching truth and they were crowded around to hear what he taught. I wonder if our hearts are that intent on finding out what he has to say to us today? Whenever we go to God's Word, we do so with some form of intent. Perhaps we are looking for answers, or maybe we want some form of spiritua...

Lord, your teaching will always be there. You keep it safe in heaven. You continue to show that people can trust you, from one century to the next. You have fixed the earth in its place, and it will remain. I will never forget your rules, because you have used them to give me life. (Psalm 119:89-90, 93) We aren't going to find anything else that endures as well as God's truth - it is enduring, trustworthy, and without a doubt, the most reliable teaching we will ever receive. What we do with it might not be as reliable, though! We can accept it, reject it, or do a half-hearted commitment to it. There will always be some who will outright reject the validity of God's Word, while others will empathically state it truth without really allowing it to embrace them, changing the way they 'operate' in their daily lives. God's hope is that we will both delight in his Word AND allow it to change the way we live. Why? He knows as long as we rely upon human wisdom above ...

And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7 NLT) Is there ever a time or place when God's Word isn't right there? If we commit even a small portion of it to our memory, we carry it with us at all times. I know that I haven't memorized scripture like so many others have, some even doing a verse a week. Yet it is there when I need it - maybe not word for word, but God's Spirit brings it to memory within me. Commit yourself to the study of his Word and you will be amazed how it comes to light exactly when and where you need it most! It is more than the 'study' of his Word that transpires, though. In that commitment to study it, we find our framework for living actually changes. We begin to prioritize things a little differently and o...

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' ...

The Lord replies, “I have seen violence done to the helpless, and I have heard the groans of the poor. Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have longed for me to do.” The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over. Therefore, Lord, we know you will protect the oppressed, preserving them forever... (Psalm 12:5-7) The oppressed cry out - the Lord hears and answers. This has been the plight of civilization from the beginning of time. Mankind gets off-kilter, God intervenes to restore balance once again. What does it mean to be 'oppressed' as it is used in this passage? It is important to see that God doesn't mind when we 'complain' to him about our plight - having encountered evil on every side, feeling a little bit persecuted, or maybe even a little like they need to be 'vindicated' in some manner. God is attentive to our circumstances, even when it seems like evil is prevailing. Deceit almost always begi...

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. (I Timothy 4:7-9) Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales. How many 'myths' do we buy into in our lifetime that really have no foundation in truth? Mom used to say a baby with an uncovered head to bare feet would catch a death of a cold, but today you see very few parents actually using baby bonnets to cover their child's head and those wee ones have had little to no sickness! She also told me if I swallowed gum it would stay in my body for something like seven years, but science has debunked that myth. There are tons of myths we buy into, yet they have no real basis in reality. What is most important is that we don't buy into myths about how we should...

Commit yourself to instruction; listen carefully to words of knowledge. My child, listen and be wise: Keep your heart on the right course. (Proverbs 23:12, 19) Commit yourself to instruction. The word 'commit' carries the meaning of 'binding yourself' to a specific course of action. The course of action God asks for us to 'bind ourselves' to is the study of his Word. Why? It will keep our heart on the right course! There we find wisdom in our daily choices, but we also see what it means to choose unwisely. As I began to get into God's Word as a teenager, I was surprised that God put the stories about 'wrong choices' people made right along with the ones about those who made better ones. It kind of took me by surprise to see some of the 'wrong choices' I was making already having been made by others! Truly, as God's Word reminds us, there is nothing new under the sun. Listen and be wise. Our heart is 'kept' when we listen an...

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Useful - profitable (Gk. ophelimos) - helpful, advantageous, of use in order to teach what is true. Would we expect God to leave us with anything other than what would be 'advantageous' for our daily lives? The more we get into scripture, the more we realize the 'usefulness' of it. There we find encouragement right alongside correction, reminders right next to urgent instruction, and praise intermixed with lament. It truly is a very interesting read, but so many avoid its pages as though it offered absolutely nothing of use for their lives. What is true? If you have ever stood in the midst of a muddle, you might have asked that question. Doubt interwoven with fear, mixed messages of all kinds, a...

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. 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. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. (Galatians 6:7-10) Plant a seed of faith, grow a life of good things. Plant a seed of doubt, grow a life of worry and heartache. The truth about sowing and reaping has been around forever. You cannot grow an apple tree from a mustard seed any more than you can grow a life of intimacy with God with seeds of worldly advice. If we want to see one harvest over another, we plant specific seeds. As Paul points out, you cannot live to satisfy your own sinful nature and e...

The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can’t receive the gifts of God’s Spirit. There’s no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit—God’s Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God’s Spirit is doing, and can’t be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah’s question, “Is there anyone around who knows God’s Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?” has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ’s Spirit. (I Corinthians 2:14) There is no capacity for our 'unsaved' man to take in, accept, or use the gifts of God's Spirit. By 'unsaved' I mean the part of us designed for God's Spirit to dwell but is empty because we have not said 'YES' to Jesus. Once we invite Jesus to enter into our lives, forgiving us of our sins, and giving us new life in him, we are open to receiving his Spirit. With his Spirit comes all manner of 'open communion' with God...

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel. I see it as the very power of God working for the salvation of everyone who believes it, both Jew and Greek. I see in it God’s plan for imparting righteousness to men, a process begun and continued by their faith. For, as the scripture says: ‘The just shall live by faith’. (Romans 1:16-17) God's plan - let the gospel permeate the hearts and minds of mankind, changing them at the core of their being. How can this happen if we don't open those pages ourselves, taking in the words contained therein? We can find truth for our everyday lives - generational truth that has sustained and encouraged mankind from the beginning of time. We might forget that our salvation is both a finished and a continual process. When we get into his word, we find that truth begins to work within us. Truth isn't meant to be a one-time exposure - it meant to be a lifetime intake. The gospel message is God's plan for imparting righteousness - at the point of our ...

Study God and his strength, seek his presence day and night... (I Chronicles 16:11) Study God - it is actually a command to spend time getting to know God, his ways of doing things, and the ability he has that supersedes all other ability on this earth or in heaven above. Study and seek - two very 'actionable' words that indicate we don't just get to know God's ways through osmosis! We have to invest ourselves into this search! Seeking is continual - an action we don't just start and stop, taking up again somewhere down the road. It indicates a continual passion or drive to obtain something. Since most of us sleep at night (unless you are an overnight worker), how do we seek both day and night? It begins with an attitude of heart that wants to know him, then it continues with short "arrow-type" prayers throughout the day that set the framework for his presence to be with us even as we sleep. Study is gradual - we don't learn everything at once. Althoug...

I am going to ask a very telling question today. When was the last time you actually picked up your bible, opened it, and read it with 'purpose'? We rely upon others to give us nuggets of truth from time to time, like when we attend church on Sunday, but are we really relying on God to show us his truth, make it alive within us, and help us to overcome some of the things that plague our thoughts or emotions? I recently sent a great many of my 'collected bibles' to donation. I had gathered probably ten or so throughout my lifetime, in Bible College, and along the way. I really only needed just a couple, so I paired down to the ones I most commonly read. Unfortunately, there are some who are 'collectors' of bibles, but seldom actually read what can be found within their pages! I have refused to walk on any evil path, so that I may remain obedient to your word. I haven’t turned away from your regulations, for you have taught me well. How sweet your words taste ...

T. S. Eliot asked, "Where is all the knowledge we lost with information?" If you are observant, you may have noticed we are 'knowledge rich', but 'wisdom poor' in many ways within our world today. The more 'knowledge' we obtain, the less we use our 'God-given reasoning' and 'conscience' to help guide our decisions. We seem to be lulled into just going along with the flow, whatever current it may be taking us down. We are never without 'resources' to know what is wise and what should be rejected, though. We have God's word - we just need to get into it and allow it to get into us! God’s word is alive and working. It is sharper than the sharpest sword and cuts all the way into us. It cuts deep to the place where the soul and the spirit are joined. God’s word cuts to the center of our joints and our bones. It judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts. (Hebrews 4:12) Truth isn't subjective - it is objective - the object...

Ordinary riches can be stolen; real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you. (Oscar Wilde) I enjoy following your rules as much as others enjoy great riches. (Psalm 119:14) Some will follow every scheme known to man, or create a new one, in order to obtain some form of 'riches', but they seldom last, nor do they bring the ultimate pleasure one believed possible. We can measure 'wealth' in various ways, but if we seek 'wealth' in forms that take us away from following God with all our hearts, then the 'wealth' we seek is flawed. God's riches oftentimes cannot be measured in terms society really understands. "There is nothing wrong with men possessing riches. The wrong comes when riches possess men." (Billy Graham) While I agree with Graham, I would add that there are riches that can 'possess a man' that are really not wrong for mankind. Those riches are measured in how well the Word of...

Do you ever feel 'ashamed' about your understanding of the Word of God? There are indeed times when someone will come out with some 'deep' insight into what God has said, then we simply sit there in a state of 'awe' because we had never seen that truth before in that particular passage. We shouldn't ever feel 'ashamed' that we didn't see the truth like they did - we should revel in the fact God surrounds us with people who can see things we might have missed and that they are willing to share them with us! It is one of the means God uses to actually help us learn his truths. Lord, you gave us your instructions and told us to always obey them. How I wish I could be more faithful in obeying your laws! Then I would never feel ashamed when I look closely at your commands. The more I understand how fair your laws are, the more sincerely I will praise you. (Psalm 119:4-7) God gave us his instructions, not so they could sit on a shelf or in a bookca...

My son, pay attention to what I say. Listen closely to my words. Don’t let them out of your sight. Never stop thinking about them. These words are the secret of life and health to all who discover them. Above all, be careful what you think because your thoughts control your life. (Proverbs 4:20-23) When God asks us to pay attention it is just that he knows how easily we become distracted by other things or people. The 'loudest voice' or the 'shiniest image' gets our attention and before we know it, we are following the crowd and not him. I recently attended a large gathering and at the end of the event, huge crowds all marched out in no particular order, but with intent. I took particular notice of those who were trying to 'swim upstream', pushing past those who were intent on going one direction when they were committed to going the other. Sometimes our Christian walk can seem a bit like we are 'swimming upstream' while the crowds are swimming smoothly ...