Praise the LORD!!!
Years ago, just after my release from the halfway house, I began to search out the ways to set up the ministry that the LORD was calling me to. In doing this, I contacted everyone that was ministry that I could find. One brother from a ministry in Springfield came and had an hour and a half meeting with me. Giving me great incite into all those things required by law and those things which GOD would proceed to do in my personal walk with HIM as I progressed towards this goal. Today's reading reflects on one of these truths that he told me and one I've seen enacted over and over within my life since that day!
2 Cor. 12:15
"15 I will gladly spend myself and all I have for you, even though it seems that the more I love you, the less you love me."
My devotional readings, focus on the writings of the old masters of our faith; Spurgeon, Chambers, Kempis and Murray. For they were from a time when the world that we know wasn't so intertwined in the operations of our faith and churches. Life was much simpler and less intrusive into our focusing on GOD and HIS will for our lives. The devotional today comes from a combination of readings and not one alone, with the added meat of reflections on my life with CHRIST.
The apostle Paul here reflects on how he is willing to go to the extremes to lead the Corinthians into a saving knowledge of CHRIST and HIS will for their lives. Doing this and not worrying about the consequences, not even worrying about whether or not they return his love for them back in his direction. This is a total reflection of that which JESUS did for all of us. HE gave HIS all, right down to HIS last breathes, so that we may have forgiveness of our sins and the hope of eternal life. We as Christian, remember CHRIST-like, are called to this very same calling. Each and everyone of us. We're not called to change the world and those in it, but to show the very example that CHRIST showed us, giving of our natural to obtain relationship with HIM in our lives and in turn doing the same for all others whose lives we affect.
This is where the 'broken bread and poured out wine comes in. When we begin to walk with the LORD, HE will change us from within. Making us into the very vessel of HIS love for mankind that HE wants us to be. To do this HE must break us, bless us, and then pass us out to those around us. This is a shadow of the holy communion (Luke 22:19,20) in which we take place, hopefully on a regular basis too! The person that we were, the natural man, can not exist in the likeness of CHRIST, it is to imperfect and unclean. JESUS must break us and begin forming us into a new creation, which has HIS likeness and not the one of our worldly form. HE must separate us from the world and remove our focus from it and turn it to HIMSELF. Many Christians have a serious problem at this point, for they want to hang onto the old and still resemble the new. It can't be done, for light and darkness can't exist together one will always destroy the other when they're brought into contact with each other.
This breaking forms us into the newly created being (2 Cor. 5:17)KJV), one which begins to take on the shape of the ONE which broke it, namely CHRIST. But HE can not stop with this, for we must be blessed to continue this process. HE will first fill us with the HOLY SPIRIT, perhaps the greatest blessing of all. For it is HE that gives us the power within our lives to begin seeking after a greater relationship with JESUS. You may think that your having the urge to be more like JESUS is your own longing for HIM, but it is not. It is only by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT within us that we can even begin to attempt this feat. For that which is natural is connected to this earth, from which it was originally formed and only through our spiritual conversion can we obtain that which is spiritual. Our likeness to CHRIST. Once this process is begun in us, we begin to long for a great and nearer relationship with CHRIST. We begin to read or bibles more, we begin to study it as if our very lives depended upon it, seeking with every breath to be closer to HIM and more like HIM.
At this point our lives have complete begun to transform how and what we think about, worry about and seek to do within our lives.Those things at which at one time held great importance in our lives, no longer matter. Those things that we worried about, we no longer worry over. We begin to seek out others to tell them of the great changes which have come into our hearts and we begin to have rivers of living waters flow forth from us. We seek to give our all to the glory of HE that has made these changes within us and allow ourselves to be poured out like wine and not worrying about the outcome of this world for we now know without a doubt that we are not of this world any longer. But of that which is to come when JESUS returns in all HIS glory to gather up HIS saints unto HIM. This my friend is something to look forward to, something far more worthy of our attentions, then what we shall eat, drink or wear. This is that which will never perish, for it is eternal.
Other verses you may enjoy: Rom. 7:13-25; 1 Cor. 11:23-32; Heb. 13:1-9; Psalms 23
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
Thursday, February 25, 2010
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