06.28.10_How come we are...

 Praise the LORD!!!

  CHRIST died and took our place, HE paid the price for, and HE intercedes for! In all these ways CHRIST JESUS is showing HIS love for us.Worthless, decrypted creatures we are and HE has found love for us, deep within HIS heart. So deep is HIS love that HE's gone the distance and given HIS very life for that of others.

   Yet what love do we exhibit in return? Do we show HIM our love in words only? Or do we show HIM our love by the works of our hands being rendered to others? If JESUS so loved us that HE went to these levels to show us, how must it grieve HIM that we do not show love for others by our lives? How much are we grieving the SAVIOR by our heartless actions? How much are we grieving HIM by our very words? How much are we grieving HIM in our lack of compassion, by just offering prayer for a brother in need, when we've the means to alleviate their problems in our hands? (1 John 3: 17) How much do we grieve HIM when we can't even offer up prayers for other, that don't have our own needs tucked in with them?

   Have we become such a heartless and self centered society, that all we do, even when done for others, is done for our own security? We pray for others, because we know that GOD is listening and will remember that we prayed for them. We donate our labor, because we know that GOD is watching and that HE will repay us for the time we've given so freely. We donate our money, because we know that GOD will multiply it back to us. Do you see anything wrong with this picture? Can't you see that there is a focus on self and not on others? Can't you see that these are not CHRIST-like, but as of the world. Doing things only because the return from GOD will be greater then that which we put out!

   Have we become such a worthless generation of saints that all that we do is only done for our personal gains? Look around and see that which is done by others and self. Listen to the very words of your mouth. You put down those that practice any other way then that which you do. Yet they too worship JESUS! You put down those that are what we call 'prosperity preachers'. Yet only will you donate time or money if you know the return will be in your favor.

   GOD has had enough of our worthless ways. We're beginning to see the results of them everyday in the world around us. We're seeing the 'beginning of sorrows,' yet we hear not the trumpet of the LORD. Are we the goats of the parable?(Matt. 25:31-46) Or are we the sheep? Do we hear the still quiet voice of the LORD in all that we do? Or is it the drone of the world that fills our ears? I ask this, with a heart that has been torn open by the heartlessness of Christians, having seen no compassion at all by those that call me brother. How is it that one can give up all to help others, yet those that say they worship the same GOD, do nothing to help this one? How is it that there are those that are in need, right in our sight and yet they walk away still in need? If the LORD is our helper and our supplier. He that takes care of our every need. How is it that we hoard money for the future and turn away those we could help here and now with it? Where is our trust, where is our faith, where is our belief that HE is whom HE says HE is? That we are HIS children, HIS bothers and sisters, that we are HIS called and chosen ones.

   

There are no verses to go with this entry. It was one convicted upon my heart and meant to stand alone.

 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

6.27.10_Song 2:15_the little things

  Praise the LORD!!!

    It is good to be back online to serve the LORD through the writing of this devotional. Though I wrote several while off line, this is something that came this morning, something fresh, something much needed!

    Song of Solomon 2:15

      "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes."

   Many times in our lives we look at all the big problems and sins within them. When these are usually easily taken care of. It is truly not these that are our major problems, though they are major in size, it is most likely the littlest of sins that will be our undoing! Do we preach or witness to one because of their lying and then ourselves turn and tell a little 'white lie' to keep from hurting someone's feelings? Do we tell others not to fret over their financial problems, yet cry out in prayers of grief because our bills are mounting and funds are dwindling?(Romans 2: 1-4)  
     These are 'little foxes' hiding within our vineyards. Seeking to destroy our walks for the LORD! In our seeking to be holy and to bring glory unto the LORD, we sometimes miss these little problems that so plaque us. It is these that can be the greatest of hindrances  to our glorifying the LORD. For they make us out to be hypocrites in our actions. If there is one thing that I've heard more then anything else, as to why someone didn't go to church. It would be the fact that there are too many hypocrites hiding behind the doors of it's buildings!

   On my walks, both of them, most of the people that picked me up and gave me a ride considered themselves Christians. Yet they admitted they didn't go to church often, if at all, because of this fact. They saw so many within the church that "preached" against one thing and then did this very thing themselves or worst. We as the Church(capitalized to show that which JESUS came to raise up), must seek to chase out the 'little foxes' within our own lives. We must seek to be cleansed from all that would place a shadow of doubt in anyone's mind as to WHO it is that we represent and HIS direct character. In JESUS there is not one little shadow of deceit found(Isaiah 53: 9.) HE is perfection personified. Yes I know all too well the fact that we're not JESUS and we're not perfect, but we must strive to do our best to be. Sure we'll only be able to do so much of this in our own power and we'll never truly be perfected until we join HIM. But, with HIS aid, we can inspect all that we say and do and bring them into line with scripture. Making no room for shadows or 'little foxes' to hide. We are those that represent JESUS CHRIST to the world and it is our duty to show all HIS true nature, not something that is only a shabby representation of it.

    The next time you look into a mirror, will you be able to say that the reflection there is that of JESUS? Or will you have to say different? The choice is our own. We can chose to live as a shadow of CHRIST or we can chose to be a perfect reflection. One where anyone that sees us will know, that we live and die to bring glory and honor to HE who paid the price for our sins and now sits at the right hand of the FATHER. Yes, we will sin, but we can do our best, with HIS help, to rid our vineyards of the 'little foxes,' that spoil the vines!!!


Other readings: Judges 14: 1- 16:31; James 2: 14-16, 4: 17
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 

  For more on my recent events and my other writings: Blogs from the Vine

GOD bless and good day,

Rev. Marshall Barth

Vine of CHRIST Ministries 

Vine Ministerial Network International