The Plumbline

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 ...

Ever wonder why Jesus left his disciples with the idea of being 'salt on this earth'? We don't fully appreciate salt these days because we aren't as accustomed to how it was used during the times Jesus spoke those words. We often have to put ourselves into the culture where the words are being recorded in order to fully comprehend the significance of their meaning. In the days of the disciples, salt was a basic "staple" of life. It was that which acted as "preservation" for everything. It also was the main seasoning of the dishes prepared - although there were other spices, salt was a 'staple'. Perhaps we would do well to look at some of the other functions of salt in order to see what Jesus may have meant when he referred to our lives a salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of the earth. "Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltin...

Light - most think of this as the opposite of darkness.  I'd like us to think of it as something which makes things visible.  The absence of light means things which might otherwise be known are now hidden, appearing only as shadows or "darker" images in our path.  It is light which makes things "appear" - things once only shadows, or for which we only had a slight awareness.  When we stop to consider this a little, no wonder God says to his children, "You're here to be light"!  We are here on this earth, right now in the moment we are living and breathing at this very instance, to be the one who begins to bring awareness of what appears only as shadows, or has been previously hidden from the view of those who are without light.  If you have ever been to a candle-lighting event of some sort, it is usually a very dimly lit room and then one-by-one each candle is lit.  How?  One candle lights the other, and another, and so on until all candles are...

13 "Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage." (Matthew 5:13) 22-24 Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don't act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like. (James 1:22-24) In the days of the pioneers, salt was a basic "staple" of life.  It was that which acted as "preservation" for everything.  It also was the main seasoning of the dishes prepared.  Perhaps we would do well to look at some of the other functions of salt in order to see what Jesus may have meant when he referred to sour lives a salt-seasoning that brings out the God-f...