3.21.10_Philippians 2:21_Return to

 Praise the LORD!!!

    I've been most of the day without a verse to render for you, even though my morning devotionals were full of many valid points, the LORD had laid none to heart for me to write upon. Earlier, I'd read through the book of Philippians and this verse had no effect upon me. Yet as I was praying over the matter of tomorrows devotional being written and the need of verses to do so, my Bible fell open to this verse, highlighted and red underlined. If you knew my manor of referencing verses in my Bible, you'd know that is how I mark the verses I consider as very important. So where this is going I've no idea, but I believe we all may just enjoy the ride.
  
   Philippians  2:21

     21 "For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ."

    A large amount of my time here lately has been spent on commenting about matters of the church and it's seemingly decline in strength of witness and purpose. Some of this has to do with that which the LORD has called me to in the ministry and how VCM will be of a different nature then the church today. But there is so much of it that has to deal with the everyday lives of Christians and their lack of conviction, as to what exactly their walk with CHRIST entails! If I've said it once I'll most likely say it a thousand more times before I die, that "the church and those at the pulpit are the one's responsible for this state of being."

   Now I'm a minister myself, though I've yet to preach a sermon and I know that it is our responsibility to preach and teach that which is the truth. How to obtain it, maintain it and broadcast it effectively to others and that we will be judged by the LORD for how we've accomplished this. That's right, preachers and teachers of the WORD will be judged as to the quality of their service to the LORD in rendering HIS WORD to others. An not just the planting of the seed either, but the nurturing, and bring them to maturity also. In other words, how we disciple those we raise up, and bring them into maturity, where they too can go forth and lead others into relationship with JESUS.

   There has taken place over the last half  century or so, a change in preaching techniques. It seems as if the old methods weren't good enough for people anymore. Those tried and true, heart convicting sermons were replaced with a 'feel good' sermon, something that tickles your ears and not much more. Though many seem to throw in a good bit of humor to keep people laughing and awake. Now even though I was young when I was first going to church, I still remember the difference in the sermons. Now it is all about GOD and HIS love for mankind and how HE only wants to do good for people. How we can get anything we want from GOD, no matter what our intentions for it. When in the early years of my life, I seem to remember more of  GOD's wrath and HIS retribution for mankind's sins and the error of our ways!  How GOD eternally hated sin and would punish those that continued to commit them.

   Now to get things right again in the church is one matter and not that awfully hard to do, but the results that this has brought about in the world, this is a whole lot different. Though times were hard when I was growing up, people had respect for each other. We looked out after our neighbors and their possessions and not to steal them either. You could leave your house at anytime during the day and come home, knowing that everything would be there, just as you left it. If one were to do this now a days, most likely there would just be the four walls still standing, no wait a minute, I forgot how people are stealing the wiring out of houses now a days.  People only seem to look after their own well being these days and the hell with anyone or anything else! This, not only from those outside the church, but also from those within them. So what happened, in these thirty or forty years?

   First off, we took GOD out of the center of our lives. We took prayer out of our schools, out of our government and out of our lives. We took the fire out of our sermons, because no one wanted to hear "fire and brimstone",or how their lives were full of sin and they would pay the price for them someday. No one wants to hear about a GOD WHO wants people to seek after HIM first and foremost in their lives and allow HIM to take care of all the other things. No longer does anyone want to hear about loving your neighbor as yourself.  No longer is the GOSPEL one that cuts to the quick, but one that makes people happy about themselves and their lives, no matter who they've sinned against. Heck, most of the time these days, you'll not hear the GOSPEL preached, but a message from the "instruction manual" given to us by GOD. Now don't get me wrong, the Bible does have the instructions GOD wants us to follow within it, but that wasn't HIS intended purpose for it. It's purpose is to reveal HIMSELF to us, in the form of JESUS CHRIST, from beginning to end. The Bible is our manual about GOD and all that HE encompasses and in revealing that, HE also shows us how HE wants us to live also. Believe me when I say this, that it isn't about loving yourself first and putting others out of mind. Just as JESUS, gave HIS life for all others, so too must we reach out and help everyone we can, showing them the love that GOD has for them.

   With the church being the first to be judged by GOD, at the great white throne judgment, what will those outside the church be thinking when they see preachers being sent to hell, for their lack before GOD? I don't know, but I do know this, that it won't be looking very good to the ones in line behind them. Now this all will have to fall back on the shoulders of those that were supposed to be the leaders, those whom are the ones that were supposed to teach the truth. The whole truth and not one that was watered down to make it less distasteful for the hearers of it. If we're to bring the standards of mankind higher then they are today, we as ministers of the GOSPEL, have to return, not only to preaching  it right, but also living it daily for all to see. No longer must the GOSPEL be hidden within the pages of dusty old books, laying around in some seldom visited room of the house. No longer can it just be left to those oldtimers that 'kind of remember' how it used to be done. It must come out of the backrooms of our churches and colleges and must stand up in front of the world and yell it out at the top of our lungs. Let us return to that which GOD has call us to,and let us rise up and bring glory to that most precious and holy name of JESUS CHRIST, our personal LORD and SAVIOR, HE WHO died so that all of mankind has the chance to know their sins can be forgiven and that they too can live life eternally with HIM!!!



There will be no verses to go with this, even though I was planning on it, but 'puter problems have reared their ugly heads again. Not even sure I finished the final edit(?)
Use these verses, but don't stop with them, cross reference and seek out GOD from within HIS WORD!!!


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GOD bless and good day,

Rev. Marshall Barth

Vine of CHRIST Ministries

Vine Ministerial Network International