The Plumbline

Mark Twain once said, "Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." Now, give this one a little thought! I guess Mark Twain did not stop to consider what would come almost a century later! Yet, he made a very pointed observation which has remained a frequently repeated mantra throughout the generations - "Clothes make the man" may be very well true in corporate America, but I'd like us to consider a different type of 'clothing' this morning. Naked people - people without strong moral character - they have little or no influence on society - at least not in a very positive manner.   I will sing for joy in God, explode in praise from deep in my soul! He dressed me up in a suit of salvation, he outfitted me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom who puts on a tuxedo and a bride a jeweled tiara. For as the earth bursts with spring wildflowers, and as a garden cascades with blossoms, so the Master, God, brings righteo...

Do you ever put something on, thinking it would make you look good or would be of the newer fashions available in the stores, then immediately pull it off, replace it back on the hanger and return it to the rack at the store? Your first impression was, "I have seen others wear this style and it looks so cute!" Your first impression on you: "Uh....this does not look good on me!" Maybe it is a "girl thing", but I think guys go through this frustration once in a while, too. They may just not admit it! There is one form of "attire" which will never disappoint, never look odd on us, and always flatters us! It never goes out of style. Everyone can 'wear it', but no one wears it quite the same, yet they look so very good in it. That attire is none other than the grace and peace of God. It is what scripture references when we hear about the 'garments of righteousness'. I will sing for joy in God, explode in praise from deep in my so...

In some cultures, the wearing of 'floral' adornments is quite commonplace. Leis or garland wreaths for the head are part of both the Polynesian and some Asian culture. In the islands, they use this as a welcome gift. They are worn at weddings and ceremonies. Natural flower petals and leaves of the area are gathered and then worked into a beautiful display of the most divine smelling adornment.  In a sense, these flowers are like "garland" - adorning the visitor with beauty and anointing them with the aroma of the beautiful flora of the region. In scripture, there are times when 'adornment' is spoken of as being 'garlanded' by some form of interwoven vine, foliage, or even flowers. God has a type of "garland" he would like us to adorn ourselves with that definitely leaves a 'heavenly scent' in one's life. That garland? Grace! Take this to heart. Do what I tell you—live! Sell everything and buy Wisdom! Forage for Understanding! Do...

Have you ever been to one of the Hawaiian islands? I haven't, but I know one of their traditional welcoming gifts is the flowered lei they place around your neck. It is a beautiful arrangement of flower petals, rich with the aromatic beauty of the island from which they were taken, strung together to form this aromatic adornment. In a sense, these flowers are like "garland" - adorning the visitor with beauty and anointing them with the aroma of the beautiful flora of the region, bringing them a little closer to the "heaven" they are about to enjoy while on the island. God has a type of "garland" he would like us to adorn ourselves with - one which proves to adorn us in such a way we cannot help but be brought closer to him in the process. "Take this to heart. Do what I tell you—live! Sell everything and buy Wisdom! Forage for Understanding! Don't forget one word! Don't deviate an inch! Never walk away from Wisdom—she guards your lif...

We've talked frequently about not only making right decisions, but what it takes from us when we make wrong ones. We don't always DO right, but we want to think we are right nonetheless. With God, he IS right, therefore he DOES right. With us, we aren't always connecting our new stand in Christ with the actions that should come as a result of our new 'connection' with the one who actually IS right. There is no decision he makes that is NOT on target. Don't you wish you could say the same about yourself? How many times have you bought a certain outfit (on the best sale of the year), determined that the "price" was what mattered, not that it even looked all that great on you, or that you actually needed to squeeze another outfit into your closet? Sometimes of 'doing' gets a little out of alignment with out 'being', doesn't it?  You are right and you do right, God; your decisions are right on target. You rightly instruct us in h...