Praise the LORD!!!
Having been blessed with the day off, the LORD has me going about HIS work for me. This morning a memory from the past came to heart. One that for years, I had discounted as just being something produced by a drug induced state. This was given to me years before I ever gave my life to CHRIST, back in the days when my life was about living for self and my own personal gratifications. A female friend of mine told me that she'd had dreams about me. Dreams that were very life like and quite intense, especially considering the drastic difference between the man in her dreams and the one she was giving them too.
Now the man in her dreams was a Man of GOD and one a bit different than most. He was speaking out against all those of the church, that were leading people astray. She said he was like Moses leading GOD's chosen out of Egypt. Now here we were, getting stoned and living lives totally outside of anything even close to a biblical lifestyle, so you can see why I just blew it off as nothing I'd every think about doing. It just wasn't what I was looking for in life!
Now this was given to me in the late seventies, around '78' or '79.' I just continued to live life as I had been, never thinking about this dream or altering my lifestyle in the least. Now remember, I'd accepted CHRIST as my SAVIOR in '71,' but hadn't chosen to follow HIM as my LORD. Strange too, is the fact that though having never read the Bible, more than a chapter or two, I somehow managed to inadvertently lead several people to CHRIST during this time:))) Now let's fast forward to '95,' when I totally gave my life to JESUS. Here I am, in prison for the commission of a felony, my part in an armed bank robbery. Totally broken, because I'm almost forty and I'm looking at what would be a thirty five year prison sentence and losing contact with everything I held dear. Now, I've no man leading me at this point, only a small testimonial book, called "From Prison to Praise(Merlin Carothers.) I'm then blessed to find a Bible to read, which only hours before there wasn't one! I begin cross referencing all the verses in the testimonial and then reading the Bible as if my very soul depended on it. Three days after my arrest, I gave my life totally to the LORD and to the exact extent, didn't realize at the time:)))
I suddenly have this tremendous desire to read everything I can get my hands on, that had a Biblical focus. In prison you can find books offered by many religions, some of those being false and I even picked those up. But when I began to read them, there was this inner warning to put them down. I knew nothing about the HOLY SPIRIT at this time, but I still laid these books down. Now, I had no idea why this was happening or WHO it was that was working inside me to do so, I just did it. Now, I plainly know that this was the workings of the HOLY SPIRIT, forming and shaping me into a vessel of GOD's own making!!! I'll not go into all the details of the process that continued to take place within my life, for they're already recorded online in my book, "Out of the LIGHT" at the ministry's web site. I will state, that I began to have a hunger for the WORD and a lifestyle totally different than any I ever thought possible.
As I began to mature, I was led to read books from almost every religious group out there. Seventh Day Adventist, Mormon, Jehovah Witness's and more. This was limited though, by the vast numbers of Christian Bible studies that I was taking on. At one time this numbered eight at once, but soon was limited to only three at any one time. This all on top of a continual reading of the Bible, in all it's versions. You would think that with all this reading, I'd have a vast list of memorized verses, but due to all my years of drug abuse, I can count these on my two hands. What there is though, is the WORD deeply implanted into my heart. Not to be recalled as I will, but as the LORD has need of me too!
I've no visions of grandeur, where I think I'm some great prophet, apostle or man of GOD, but I do realize that GOD has had a calling upon my life since before birth and I'm going to allow HIM full control in all that I do. Sometimes, what I say will not be accepted by others, which is not my goal. I do only as led by the HOLY SPIRIT and I know that there will be those that my comments will be for and they'll effect their hearts in the manor the LORD wills for them too. Nothing in this world happens by chance, all is allowed by GOD to bring about HIS perfect will for mankind. Our crossing paths, or your reading this, all have HIS purpose behind them. What has happened has been the hand of GOD at work within our lives and will bring about HIS perfect will for us and those around us. You may not accept what you read now, but a seed has been planted and if it is GOD's will for your life, it'll begin to sprout and eventually bear fruit. I love all of GOD's created beings, even the worst of the worst, and pray that a seed is planted even in their hearts (no matter how hardened.) Whether one accepts my words, doesn't matter to me, for I seek only to be obedient to HIS leading within me. I know the Bible well enough to know what is true and what is false and I'll always stand for that which is true and against that which is false.
Prayer request can be sent to: prayers@vineofchrist.org
GOD bless and good day,
Rev. Marshall Barth
Vine of CHRIST Ministries
Friday, November 26, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Thanksgiving?
Praise the LORD!!!
For those that know me, you know that I'm always praising the LORD for things within my life. Always, good and bad alike! I offer up my praises to GOD for them. For GOD is the one that is ultimately in control, nothing within our lives happens that HE hasn't allowed for some reason!!!
In one of my devotionals this morning, it brought up this verse, 1 Thess.5:18:
"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."
The bulk of the article centered around this person helping a little girl make a 'rag-tag' playhouse in her backyard. Out of branches and pine needles or whatever was available. They later found a photo of people in Africa whose home was along these same line. Walls of tree limbs and mud, with a roof of straw and mud. To many around the globe this type of shelter is home. We as Americans can hardly imagine what their lives must be like, though our homeless have a clear picture of it.
When we sit down for our Thanksgiving dinners tomorrow, we should really be aware of how greatly GOD has blessed us. For HE truly has! We should also give thanks to HIM for those people that are less fortunate then we are and ask that HE bless us with a compassionate heart to in some way reach out to those around the globe that are living in ways far less then ours. May HE lead us to understand their lives better and give us the willingness to consider them as our neighbors and reach out with the love HE has blessed us with.
Prayer request can be sent to: prayers@vineofchrist.org
GOD bless and good day,
Rev. Marshall Barth
Vine of CHRIST Ministries
Vine Ministerial Network International
For those that know me, you know that I'm always praising the LORD for things within my life. Always, good and bad alike! I offer up my praises to GOD for them. For GOD is the one that is ultimately in control, nothing within our lives happens that HE hasn't allowed for some reason!!!
In one of my devotionals this morning, it brought up this verse, 1 Thess.5:18:
"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."
The bulk of the article centered around this person helping a little girl make a 'rag-tag' playhouse in her backyard. Out of branches and pine needles or whatever was available. They later found a photo of people in Africa whose home was along these same line. Walls of tree limbs and mud, with a roof of straw and mud. To many around the globe this type of shelter is home. We as Americans can hardly imagine what their lives must be like, though our homeless have a clear picture of it.
When we sit down for our Thanksgiving dinners tomorrow, we should really be aware of how greatly GOD has blessed us. For HE truly has! We should also give thanks to HIM for those people that are less fortunate then we are and ask that HE bless us with a compassionate heart to in some way reach out to those around the globe that are living in ways far less then ours. May HE lead us to understand their lives better and give us the willingness to consider them as our neighbors and reach out with the love HE has blessed us with.
Prayer request can be sent to: prayers@vineofchrist.org
GOD bless and good day,
Rev. Marshall Barth
Vine of CHRIST Ministries
Vine Ministerial Network International
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Prayer walking!
Praise the LORD!!!
On Saturdays I have to take care of my chores. For most people this isn't hat hard of a task. They just jump in their cars/trucks and take off to handle them. For me though its a bit different. I've no transportation besides that which the LORD has blessed me with and at this time that is my feet:) Since arriving in Kingsville about a year ago, I've motivated around town on foot to do whatever I've needed to do. Whether it was off to work, carrying my tools boxes and bags, or to take care of personal business, it is the same, walking!
Kingsville isn't that large of a town and I've a normally quick pace, so I can go from it's southern end to the northern in about a half hour. Recently I re-injured my right knee, so my pace has slowed down some. At work this week I was blessed to have a lot of stair climbing and knee work to tackle, so I was moving even slower. During my walks I spend the bulk of the time in prayer and enjoying GOD's creation. It is one of my private times with HIM and I love it.
Over the last several days there's been a media flood of information about Haiti and needless to say, I've devoured a large amount of it. This being part of the LORD's ministry for me and all. Before the LORD slapped me and got my attention, I was a very prideful and arrogant man. One who had very little compassion for anyone else. Since then, HE's poured out in me a heart so full of compassion that I can't stand to see anyone suffer, even if they've brought it on themselves!!! Needless to say my heart has been torn apart over the last several days, numerous times to the point of tears.
On many of my walks I'll get ride offers and I usually will take advantage of them, as long as my prayers have been taken care of. This morning was different! My heart was heavy with a burden that would take a good bit of 'laying it all out before the LORD,' so I planned on not taking any ride offers. Which I didn't, though I had several. Now GOD always has a way of getting our attention and HE did this morning. One of the offers, stopped in the middle of a 'stripped' intersection( the area between a merge lane and on coming traffic).I didn't recognize him at first, but he's a member of the new church I've been attending and he's a greeter. We sat here in the middle of traffic and talked about the LORD within our lives and the great blessings that come our way, which at the time that they are, we feel their might be more of a curse:) Ya, I think you all know the ones, we all seem to go through them, especially if our walk is a problem for the other guy(satan). Now I don't know how long we talked, but it was long enough that he shut his motor off as we talked. I do know, that it was just what the doctor ordered (thank YOU dr JESUS:))) )
Now I don't know when VCM is going to fully develop into that which the LORD has shown me, but I've renewed faith that it will be just as I was blessed to see it!!! GOD has put this ministry into motion through me and I'll continue to take 'baby step' at a time if I need too, to bring it into fruition. I'll not say to anyone, 'I told you so,' but ask them how they want to help out. Some times GOD has some of the strangest ways of working things out, but truly, you got to love HIM for it. HE keeps things super interesting.
Prayer request can be sent to: prayers@vineofchrist.org
GOD bless and good day,
Rev. Marshall Barth
Vine of CHRIST Ministries
Vine Ministerial Network International
On Saturdays I have to take care of my chores. For most people this isn't hat hard of a task. They just jump in their cars/trucks and take off to handle them. For me though its a bit different. I've no transportation besides that which the LORD has blessed me with and at this time that is my feet:) Since arriving in Kingsville about a year ago, I've motivated around town on foot to do whatever I've needed to do. Whether it was off to work, carrying my tools boxes and bags, or to take care of personal business, it is the same, walking!
Kingsville isn't that large of a town and I've a normally quick pace, so I can go from it's southern end to the northern in about a half hour. Recently I re-injured my right knee, so my pace has slowed down some. At work this week I was blessed to have a lot of stair climbing and knee work to tackle, so I was moving even slower. During my walks I spend the bulk of the time in prayer and enjoying GOD's creation. It is one of my private times with HIM and I love it.
Over the last several days there's been a media flood of information about Haiti and needless to say, I've devoured a large amount of it. This being part of the LORD's ministry for me and all. Before the LORD slapped me and got my attention, I was a very prideful and arrogant man. One who had very little compassion for anyone else. Since then, HE's poured out in me a heart so full of compassion that I can't stand to see anyone suffer, even if they've brought it on themselves!!! Needless to say my heart has been torn apart over the last several days, numerous times to the point of tears.
On many of my walks I'll get ride offers and I usually will take advantage of them, as long as my prayers have been taken care of. This morning was different! My heart was heavy with a burden that would take a good bit of 'laying it all out before the LORD,' so I planned on not taking any ride offers. Which I didn't, though I had several. Now GOD always has a way of getting our attention and HE did this morning. One of the offers, stopped in the middle of a 'stripped' intersection( the area between a merge lane and on coming traffic).I didn't recognize him at first, but he's a member of the new church I've been attending and he's a greeter. We sat here in the middle of traffic and talked about the LORD within our lives and the great blessings that come our way, which at the time that they are, we feel their might be more of a curse:) Ya, I think you all know the ones, we all seem to go through them, especially if our walk is a problem for the other guy(satan). Now I don't know how long we talked, but it was long enough that he shut his motor off as we talked. I do know, that it was just what the doctor ordered (thank YOU dr JESUS:))) )
Now I don't know when VCM is going to fully develop into that which the LORD has shown me, but I've renewed faith that it will be just as I was blessed to see it!!! GOD has put this ministry into motion through me and I'll continue to take 'baby step' at a time if I need too, to bring it into fruition. I'll not say to anyone, 'I told you so,' but ask them how they want to help out. Some times GOD has some of the strangest ways of working things out, but truly, you got to love HIM for it. HE keeps things super interesting.
Prayer request can be sent to: prayers@vineofchrist.org
GOD bless and good day,
Rev. Marshall Barth
Vine of CHRIST Ministries
Vine Ministerial Network International
Forgive me LORD!!!
Praise the LORD!!!
I've been spending a large amount of the time I have, as led too, on Twitter. Posting a lot of comments glorifying the LORD and reposting others that do in like manner. I've also been blessed to read a good deal on the ongoing rebuilding of Haiti. With hurricane Tomas just strafing the island yesterday I've come along a batch of new photos of the area.
I have to pray at this time, for that which the LORD has given me, Vine of CHRIST Ministries, is far from that which it should be. I know that everything has a time in the LORD's planning and if it were meant to be viable now, it would be. But my heart is torn with compassion for those I've seen suffering from what I can only call neglect! - "LORD, forgive me for my lack of wisdom and knowledge, to make this ministry that which YOU've shown me it would be. Forgive me for not being a better steward of those things YOU've blessed me with and for not being able to help those in great need at this time. I know there are many limitations to that which I could be doing and I know YOU've ultimate power to open the doors to make it all come together. LORD use me as a humble servant to change the face of 'disaster relief' as we know it today. Let there never be another tragedy, like is happening in Haiti at this time, that VCM won't be there bringing glory to YOUR most holy and precious name!!!"
There is plenty of information on the chaos that is currently taking place in Haiti and other disasters around the globe, it just takes a little searching online to find it. You'll see and hear exactly what I mean when I said deplorable conditions. After almost eleven months of assistance efforts not mush has changed. People are suffering terribly and their cries seem to be falling on deaf ears. I don't know what I can do to change a single person's life there, but I do know that my efforts to build the LORD's ministry for me will deepen. If I've got to forgo everything else to bring this ministry into fruition, I will. It is truly time that Christians step up and take the lead in helping their "neighbors" and not in the ways of the world, but in the way JESUS HIMSELF would do it!!!
Prayer request can be sent to: prayers@vineofchrist.org
GOD bless and good day,
Rev. Marshall Barth
Vine of CHRIST Ministries
Vine Ministerial Network International
I've been spending a large amount of the time I have, as led too, on Twitter. Posting a lot of comments glorifying the LORD and reposting others that do in like manner. I've also been blessed to read a good deal on the ongoing rebuilding of Haiti. With hurricane Tomas just strafing the island yesterday I've come along a batch of new photos of the area.
I have to pray at this time, for that which the LORD has given me, Vine of CHRIST Ministries, is far from that which it should be. I know that everything has a time in the LORD's planning and if it were meant to be viable now, it would be. But my heart is torn with compassion for those I've seen suffering from what I can only call neglect! - "LORD, forgive me for my lack of wisdom and knowledge, to make this ministry that which YOU've shown me it would be. Forgive me for not being a better steward of those things YOU've blessed me with and for not being able to help those in great need at this time. I know there are many limitations to that which I could be doing and I know YOU've ultimate power to open the doors to make it all come together. LORD use me as a humble servant to change the face of 'disaster relief' as we know it today. Let there never be another tragedy, like is happening in Haiti at this time, that VCM won't be there bringing glory to YOUR most holy and precious name!!!"
There is plenty of information on the chaos that is currently taking place in Haiti and other disasters around the globe, it just takes a little searching online to find it. You'll see and hear exactly what I mean when I said deplorable conditions. After almost eleven months of assistance efforts not mush has changed. People are suffering terribly and their cries seem to be falling on deaf ears. I don't know what I can do to change a single person's life there, but I do know that my efforts to build the LORD's ministry for me will deepen. If I've got to forgo everything else to bring this ministry into fruition, I will. It is truly time that Christians step up and take the lead in helping their "neighbors" and not in the ways of the world, but in the way JESUS HIMSELF would do it!!!
(I know this is my devotional blog, but I've devoted my life to serving the LORD and this is where HE's led me to post this!!!)
Prayer request can be sent to: prayers@vineofchrist.org
GOD bless and good day,
Rev. Marshall Barth
Vine of CHRIST Ministries
Vine Ministerial Network International
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