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Amos 6-7

9/10/2015

9 Comments

 
So there I was, the third day of my second year in Carpentry class at college. Our instructor a few minutes earlier had asked each student to go build him a wall and set it up on the edge of the house we were beginning to build as a class. I was proud of myself as I had finished setting up the wall before many of my classmates. As I stood there looking at the framed up wall, it looked sturdy, strait and standing tall ready for the next phase of construction. My professor came over and looked at the wall standing there with me and asked me a simple yet profound question. “Did you use a level to plumb up your wall and make sure it is standing at a 90 degree?” It hit me standing there looking at my wall that looked strait that I had not used my 6 ft. level to make sure the wall was plumb and standing strait up. My professor went over to my wall with his level and checked, showing me that my wall was 7 degrees out of plumb and that if it was to stay that way, the entire wall at the point where it would meet the roof 2 floors up would be over 6 inches out of whack and be a serious unfixable problem. I should have used my level to plumb the wall, and that is a day that I will never forget and a lesson that I will always remember.

Today, in the reading from Amos 7, God uses the picture of a plumb line on His people. God’s people have gotten out of plumb/level with God and needed to get back on track before the judgement of God would come. The people of God were looking at their lives and their lives seemed ok and great, but then God held His plumb line against the people and they failed miserably. This is the same truth we need to realize and hear today. When the church looks at itself with its own eyes, we look great and like we are doing well. But when the church holds the plumb/level line and standard from God against itself, the church realizes how wrong they are and how much they need to turn back to God for and repent of. What do we ask is the plumb/level line from God? God’s Word is the plumb line for the church. Just like Amos was the Word of God for those people and the standard which they needed to hold themselves against, so today the Bible is the standard that the church needs to hold itself against. When we look at ourselves with our own standards and human experience we will always look great and be at peace. But when we hold the Word of God against ourselves, we realize how much we need to grow and how much we need to repent of. The Bible is sufficient for all that we need in this life, it is the guide for life, the standard for life, and the plumb line for our souls. Do we hold ourselves against the Word of God or do we judge ourselves by our own standards and experiences?

9 Comments
Bruce
9/10/2015 02:56:31 pm

I find myself looking at a lot of things in my life these days. As i look at how Godly i live my life, i find myself woefully following short. I am working on this area and other areas in my life and hopefully with Gods guidance i will be better in days months and years to come. My current focus is on how much God is showing me and how many blessing i really have in my life. This is a big change for me as i used to look at what i did not have, instead of all i do have. The message from Amos and from Pastor Jeff is my warning not to be comfortable and to take a look and make sure i am plum with God. This is a great message and reminder.

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Pastor Jeff
9/11/2015 07:00:30 am

Thank you Bruce. God is mighty and working! I am reminded of a truth from 1 Peter in that the mature in faith know they have much room to grow and godliness to gain! Keep striving for more delight in Jesus.

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Tammy
9/11/2015 12:15:56 pm

Can you tell me the verse for this in 1 Peter? I never feel adequate in my knowledge of the Word. And my faith isn't always as strong as it should be. Thankfully God sends me little reminders all the time letting me know He is there and uses people to help me.

Bruce
9/11/2015 10:25:02 am

I had a good conversation with a friend and co-worker last about this conversation on the blog. Again God at work!!! My co-worker was saying how he also is trying to live a Godly live and that he falls short. His own words were. I know that God is my life and that he sometimes thinks he is doing Godly things and then he reads the bible and sees that he is not a good as he thinks. So, he continues to do better. He also said, that if after we are saved that we will continue to sin as we are born in sin and that if we lost our salvation after being saved and then sinned, that God would be the only one in heaven. Amazing that you (pastor Jeff), said almost the exact same words to me the other day. Just one more sign my God helping me to grow... How wonderful he is too me....

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tammy
9/11/2015 12:12:51 pm

wow....great words. So Many think we can losE our salvation. I read once and passed it to the youth group at the time that our salvation is a gift. A present that can be taken back is no present at all. True gifts have no strings attached. Once you accept a gift...it's yours, like it or not. You can only return the gift if the giver accepts it back. There is No evidence in scripture that our God ever took back His gift of salvation once it was given and accepted. His love for us keeps us from doing that.

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Bruce
9/11/2015 01:27:35 pm

I'm sure those words are still with my son today, so i thank you for that. Because of things like that he heard during his youth, he is now wanting to read the bible with me and hopefully start or continue his walk with God along with me. Amazing that one of the seeds that you planted years ago is beginning to bear fruit today. God truly is incredible.

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Tammy
9/12/2015 03:15:47 am

i am speechless and God is so good. I remember when Bruce would come and he was faithful to God and the group. I am so happy to hear that he wants to study with you. And what he remembers of this salvation story was done at a very powerful lock in where a bunch of the kids gave heart felt testimonies about their life and walk with God. It was a night I will never forget and I'm sure Bruce won't either. Thank you for sharing that.

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Bruce
9/12/2015 11:24:23 am

Glad to share it with you...

I just thinks it's incredible that God is showing me things and just how much he is showing me, including Bruce actually asking me about the bible and him wanting to read it with me... I thought you would want to know as well, since you had a hand in it..

Reply
Tammy
9/13/2015 04:23:55 am

I realy appreciate you telling me that. God is good and will continue to show you what you need to know and do.....for you and your son.

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