Praise the LORD!!!
Good day and may the LORD bless you!!!
Matt.26:46
46 "Rise, let us go!"
Though JESUS was talking to the disciples here just before HIS arrest in the garden, this should be our daily call to duty!! Rise, let us go, forth into the harvest fields. Rise, let us go, out into the darkness, letting our lights shine forth to the glory of our SAVIOR in a world filled with darkness of heart. Rise, let us go, sowing the seeds of the GOSPEL into each and everyone that we meet or have actions with. Even for those that are depressed by some heaviness of heart, Rise, let us go, for inaction and dwelling in our sorrows is one of the greatest causes of depression.
In our call to go out into all the world and preach the GOSPEL, to few of us see this as only witnessing with our Bibles in hands. It is not. It is the call to let every person that sees us, see the LORD's presence within our lives. Whether by words or works, no matter what we are doing the presence of our SAVIOR should be seen in and through that which we're undertaking. It needs to be an unconscious act on our part! Where as we are letting every person that happens to come along the pathways of our life see JESUS emanating from every step we take.
How can this be accomplished? First by spending as much time as you can in the WORD, the holy scriptures. Then through our being in constant focus upon that which we've read within these sacred writings about all that JESUS did while here on earth and all that HE has done since ascending to heaven to be at the right hand of the FATHER. Next would be to remain in prayer on every detail of life, asking the LORD, by HIS HOLY SPIRIT to guide us and lead us in all that HE would have us say and do.
No matter what we are doing or where we are at, there should be a constant beacon of light shining forth from our being. A light that shows the love and compassion of GOD for us and others. This light should not be a little twinkling of the smallest of embers, but should be as a mighty bonfire, atop the highest of mountains, seen from miles away by all that happen to look in our direction. This should be accomplished by every Christian, no matter how new to the faith or seasoned and tempered by years of walking with the LORD!!!
Surely there will be times that one truly doesn't feel like conversing with people, wanting to be alone with the LORD. But even these times, can show forth the presence of the LORD within our beings. For many years before I became "Born Again," I had a deep yearning within my heart to be alone at many times. Though at the time I truly had no idea why. I've come to realize that the LORD was even at work within me at these times. Even though I was walking in total contempt for HIS ways, spending most of my time in all the ways of darkness that I could. There were these times that I would go off somewhere by myself, and usually smoke a joint and then just sit and think or maybe play an instrument and think. At some of these times, I would pray or just talk with GOD, though I didn't realize it at the time that it was HE to whom I was speaking. The reason for this was that there was this void within me, some part of my existence that was missing and I needed to find out what it was. These kinds of walks had gone on for as far back as I can remember and I've no idea when they actually started either. I just know that they go back for quite a ways. Many of those that knew me, have seen me off by myself, just sitting alone. Seldom would anyone ever bother me at these times and I can only think that it was GOD working upon their hearts to leave me alone.
Even during the years of wasting my life on endless pursuits of enjoyment, GOD was working upon peoples hearts through me. It was only after giving my life to CHRIST that I even became aware of this. For several of the people whom I'd partied with, had sat around talking about life and existence or our purposes in it. Something changed within them and after a short while they had walked away from the drug culture and turned their lives over to JESUS. Here I was, years before having my life transformed by the LORD and I'm leading people to the LORD!?! Truly I've no idea exactly how many this even happened to, because for the most part I was walking around in a drug induced haze, not even aware of a lot of that which I did or said. I know that someday when I'm walking in the glory of the LORD in heaven I'll be blessed to have these people come up to me and thank me for that which I did to lead them to the LORD. Oh what a joy that will be!
The point of this devotional is to get you thinking about how you're effecting other people's lives. Whether or not you're having an positive of negative effect upon them. Are you doing this consciously or is the LORD working through you to somehow effect another person? No matter what the case, we all need to Rise, let us go!
Other verse for today: Matt. 28:19,20; Mark 16:15-18; Luke 24:45-49; Col. 1:24-29; Isa. 49:1-13; Rev. 11:15
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
Friday, February 19, 2010
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