The Plumbline

Life Hack #12: It amazes me how many individuals actually think they are learning something when they just attend church on Sunday, issuing proclamations of agreement and head nods in assent to the teaching, or even watch Christian TV all through the week, and still don't manifest a life change. Exposure to a subject and even agreement with it is not learning - but God holds us accountable for the knowledge we possess, even when we don't use it. Exposure to a subject gives us knowledge of the subject - application of the knowledge gives us the chance to be affected by it.  Give yourselves to disciplined instruction; open your ears to tested knowledge. (Proverbs 23:12) We need to "give ourselves" to disciplined instruction. We actually have to put something into our learning, but we all have experienced the difficulty associated with actually learning. The first thing we must remember is that the attitude we exhibit when truth is made available to us and how well...

Life Hack #11: There are a variety of individuals that scripture refers to as the "helpless" - orphans, widows, and those unable to speak for themselves, such as the mentally handicapped and elderly demented. As a basis of establishing "fair dealings" with these individuals, scripture warns repeatedly about taking advantage of them. This may be in the realm of their finances, the use of their time or talent, or even the use of their things such as lands or physical property, and even their energies in the form of whatever 'work' they are capable of performing. Just the very hint of any misdealing with these individuals will raise the hair on the back of God's neck. He stands as their ADVOCATE - and he doesn't stand alone! He has a vast army of angels at his disposal! Don’t stealthily move back the boundary lines or cheat orphans out of their property, for they have a powerful Advocate who will go to bat for them. (Proverbs 23:10-11) At that time...