The Plumbline

Audrey Hepburn once said:  "For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge you are never alone."  Think on that one a little and just ponder those three thoughts.  When we look for the good in others, we are bound to find it - because when we stop looking at others through critical eyes, we see the beauty in each of them.  When we speak words which build up and honor, we create a culture in which others may flourish and grow.  When we begin to live as examples of Christ's love, we can rest assured we are never walking alone - for not only are we walking with Christ, but others are drawn into this walk with us!  Wisdom brings strength - when we begin to apply the knowledge we obtain along our path in this life, we find not only inner strength, but an outward evidence of the strength which dwells within.  Wisdom brings strength, and knowledge gives power. Bat...

Faith makes us acceptable to God, not works.  This message dates back to the early records in the Bible.  Without faith, it is said it is impossible to please God and I'd like to say it is impossible to enter into relationship with him, either.  One of the confounding things about faith is that we somehow think it something we have to "muster up" or "get our arms around" so that we can be in the right "place" emotionally, spiritually, and mentally to "get" whatever it is we hope to gain by this "faith".  I think this is a wrong concept - for faith which redeems a man from the depths of his sinfulness and sets him in right-standing with God is actually given from God.  In this sense, faith is more closely related to trust - we place our trust in a finished work at the Cross of Christ and we trust his sacrifice on our behalf to be enough to bring us into a place where we not only are at peace with God, but we live in this peace which...