3.10.10_ Jere. 29:11-13_GOD's plans (a re post)

 This is a re post, because I had to do a little construction job for the church I'm attending. I built them a sound booth for the children ministry and it took a good bit of work and still has some finishing work to complete. Due to this I didn't get back to the house in time to complete a devotional, surprisingly though, the LORD didn't give me one today either. Then again, the LORD always has a tendency to surprise us! Praise the LORD!!!

Praise the LORD!!!

   GOD bless all that have begun to stop by and read that which GOD has laid upon my heart for you. May HE bless you as much as HE has me through pondering HIS great scriptures and how HE has effected our walks through them!!!

   Jeremiah 29:11-13
    " For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon ME and come and pray to ME, and I will listen to you. You will seek ME and find ME when you seek ME with all of your heart."

   This isn't one of my life verses, though it truly could be. GOD has done awesome wonders within my life, some to date that I may not even realize. For there were many years that GOD was allowing me to 'run' from HIM, very many of those were steeped in a cloud of drug abuse. Therefore I've only slight remembrance of these years, but even then GOD was forming up HIS perfect testimony through me. Yes, my years of running from GOD and self abuse are witness' to the great wisdom and power of GOD to effect a person's life for HIS ultimate glory. For if it were not for these years, my testimony wouldn't be that which it is and I'd far less equiped to reach those living lives of the same sort. No moment of your life isn't seen and usable to GOD.

   GOD has a plan for every detail of our lives, no matter how small and insignificant they seem to be. No matter how vile and evil our thoughts and actions, GOD is able to turn them into a testimony to HIS glory. Whether we are living a life for GOD, or for our own glory, GOD is working through our actions to bring about HIS master plan for mankind . Even the most decrepit of men's lives are and will be used of GOD (not always because of their turning to GOD,but because the works of GOD are manifest through their darkness.) We are told in scripture that GOD chooses those with the least amount of favor among men to represent the KINGDOM(1 Cor. 1:26-28). Just look at the apostle Paul. How he was going around persecuting the Church and then by a direct revelation of CHRIST he suddenly became the writer of some of our most cherished New Testament books.

   If you are suffering through times of hardship right now, or maybe sickness has come upon you. Take into consideration that GOD is at work, both within and through your problems. HE is using these times to draw your attention to HIS great abilities to preform and work great miracles through your life. HE is seeking to draw your focus from upon yourself and unto HIMSELF! Your life is a living and growing testimony to the power of GOD, each and every detail of it. So if you're suffering from economic woes or health problems, take your eyes off of these, seek HIS presence in these problems, Ask HIM in prayer what HIS purpose is for these times. Yes, ask for relief from these burdens, but also seek to know the why behind them. GOD is right there in the mist of these troubles, walking along with you, carrying you through them. Yet you've had your focus on self and the problems and not on HE that is greater then them and has been helping you to bare the burden of them. GOD has promised to never leave you or forsake you(Deut. 31;6). HE has promised to never place upon your shoulders more then you can handle. HE has promised to always be there with you, to help you and carry you through the hardest of times. Take HIM on HIS WORD and begin living a life like never before. One where GOD and GOD alone receives all the glory, honor and praise that is due HIM!!!

Scripture to seek out: 1 Cor. 1:26-30, 10:13; Matt. 6:33, 34, 12:28-30; Heb. 13:5

  Use these verses, but don't stop with them, cross reference and seek out GOD from within HIS WORD!!!

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

Matt. 19:26...With GOD...(01.20.10)

Praise the LORD!!!
  This is my second life verse, and just in case you don't know what one is, it a verse that has special meaning within your life and you use it to focus your attention upon GOD.

Matt. 19:26

"JESUS looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with GOD all things are possible." (NIV)

  Think deeply about all that happens within your life. All the problems you constantly face from day to day. Both the good and the bad that happens as you walk through this short period called life. Stress, sickness, bills, disease, and the list could go on for days! We have a tendency to think of our problems as overwhelming. To us they may be, but look at this verse. What is impossible for GOD? Nothing!

   If we were to listen to our own prayers, what would we hear? Would we hear a strong confidence in GOD where we're telling HIM how much we know HE can do in our lives? Or do we hear just the opposite? Whining and complaining about how we feel so bad, or how our car payments or bills are past due, and of coarse this list too, could go on for days. To often we fill our prayers with nothing more then complaints about our life or the lives of others around us. Did GOD shut down HIS promises and open up a 'complaint department' or something?

   Back in early '97' I suffered a heart attack. This really didn't surprise me though, I had been born with a bad heart and lived under a doctors care for the first twelve years of my life. At this age they released me from under their control and said that 'it would be a miracle if I lived to be twenty one.' For those that haven't read my book, 'Out of the LIGHT,' I was going to be forty two in several months. The doctors in prison had specialist come in and run a battery of test on me. Several weeks later the results were in and was I told to prepare for a very advanced five major procedure operation within weeks. I smiled and flat out told them, 'that GOD has given me a new heart and that they would have to take another set of test to prove to me that I really needed this operation!!' I was standing on scripture and claiming a promise of GOD. There was no doubt in my mind or heart that all of what is promised in scripture is true and backed by the greatest power in all the universe. I had been blessed with this kind of faith just barely two years into my walk with the LORD!

   Now here it is almost thirteen years later, I've no scares on my body where doctors proceeded with any operation of any sort. After they'd taken me in town to the heart center in the largest hospital in town and after weeks of going over their findings, both sets, they told me that I had the heart of a perfectly healthy seventeen year old. There weren't even signs of scar tissue from my birth defects, which had clearly shown up on the first set of test! Now how do you think this happened? It was only because I had taken GOD at HIS WORD and held it up before both HIM and man. For with GOD, nothing is impossible!

   The next time you start to pray, think about how you're going to pray. Are you going to put a bunch of needs and request forth that you so badly need, because you're suffering so badly? Or are you going to hold up before GOD those promises HE so generously placed all through scripture. Ones that have promised healing from our sickness and diseases. Ones that say that HE cares about a single sparrow and its life, how much more will HE care for you and yours? What about those finely dressed flowers of the field? All creation was formed by GOD with just a simple few WORDS. HE supplies all that is needed to maintain every living creature on this planet in the very same manor.

   If someone gave up HIS own life for you it would be a fair bet that this person cared greatly for you! GOD did this exact thing for each and everyone of us on the cross of Calvary. So do you really think that HE doesn't know and care about you enough to take care of even your smallest need? Next time you set your mind to pray, sure ask GOD for what you need, but then thank HIM for having the power to provide this in your life and thank HIM as if already having been graced with it. You may just find out that there is an unlimited power in this universe that loves you, yes little old you, more then HIMSELF and your life will never be the same again!!!

 I pray that GOD will move within your lives, to open your eyes to the truths that lie within scripture. That HE will give you the wisdom to grasp ahold of them and hold them up before HIM and the grace to realize just how much HE loves you and will provide all of your needs. May HE begin to transform your lives into a life that will truly bring nothing but glory to HIS most holy and precious name, JESUS. AMEN!!!

God bless and good day,
Rev. Marshall Barth
Vine of CHRIST Ministries
Vine Ministerial Network International
http://vineofchrist.org

p.s. you will notice that beside the verse topic for the day, I've not given any scripture references! I never will, it is each and every Christians personal responsibility to know and study scripture. Don't get mad at me either, cause GOD has led me from the beginning of my ministry in this practice. I will however give you several other verses along the same lines as that written on for the day, it is your job to go from there and in doing so grow closer to GOD daily!!!

Gen.18:14, Job 42:2, Jere. 32:17, Luke 1:37 and 18:27, Rom. 4:21