Prayer walking!

 Praise the LORD!!!

    On Saturdays I have to take care of my chores. For most people this isn't hat hard of a task. They just jump in their cars/trucks and take off to handle them. For me though its a bit different. I've no transportation besides that which the LORD has blessed me with and at this time that is my feet:) Since arriving in Kingsville about a year ago, I've motivated around town on foot to do whatever I've needed to do. Whether it was off to work, carrying my tools boxes and bags, or to take care of personal business, it is the same,  walking!

   Kingsville isn't that large of a town and I've a normally quick pace, so I can go from it's southern end to the northern in about a half hour. Recently I re-injured my right knee, so my pace has slowed down some. At work this week I was blessed to have a lot of stair climbing and knee work to tackle, so I was moving even slower. During my walks I spend the bulk of the time in prayer and enjoying GOD's creation. It is one of my private times with HIM and I love it.

   Over the last several days there's been a media flood of information about Haiti and needless to say, I've devoured a large amount of it. This being part of the LORD's ministry for me and all. Before the LORD slapped me and got my attention, I was a very prideful and arrogant man. One who had very little compassion for anyone else. Since then, HE's poured out in me a heart so full of compassion that I can't stand to see anyone suffer, even if they've brought it on themselves!!! Needless to say my heart has been torn apart over the last several days, numerous times to the point of tears.

   On many of my walks I'll get ride offers and I usually will take advantage of them, as long as my prayers have been taken care of. This morning was different! My heart was heavy with a burden that would take a good bit of 'laying it all out before the LORD,' so I planned on not taking any ride offers. Which I didn't, though I had several. Now GOD always has a way of getting our attention and HE did this morning. One of the offers, stopped in the middle of a 'stripped' intersection( the area between a merge lane and on coming traffic).I didn't recognize him at first, but he's a member of the new church I've been attending and he's a greeter. We sat here in the middle of traffic and talked about the LORD within our lives and the great blessings that come our way, which at the time that they are, we feel their might be more of a curse:) Ya, I think you all know the ones, we all seem to go through them, especially if our walk is a problem for the other guy(satan). Now I don't know how long we talked, but it was long enough that he shut his motor off as we talked. I do know, that it was just what the doctor ordered (thank YOU dr JESUS:))) )

   Now I don't know when VCM is going to fully develop into that which the LORD has shown me, but I've renewed faith that it will be just as I was blessed to see it!!! GOD has put this ministry into motion through me and I'll continue to take 'baby step' at a time if I need too, to bring it into fruition. I'll not say to anyone, 'I told you so,' but ask them how they want to help out. Some times GOD has some of the strangest ways of working things out, but truly, you got to love HIM for it. HE keeps things super interesting.

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

Forgive me LORD!!!

 Praise the LORD!!!

   I've been spending a large amount of the time I have, as led too, on Twitter. Posting a lot of comments glorifying the LORD and reposting others that do in like manner. I've also been blessed to read a good deal on the ongoing rebuilding of Haiti. With hurricane Tomas just strafing the island yesterday I've come along a batch of new photos of the area.

    I have to pray at this time, for that which the LORD has given me, Vine of CHRIST Ministries, is far from that which it should be. I know that everything has a time in the LORD's planning and if it were meant to be viable now, it would be. But my heart is torn with compassion for those I've seen suffering from what I can only call neglect! - "LORD, forgive me for my lack of wisdom and knowledge, to make this ministry that which YOU've shown me it would be. Forgive me for not being a better steward of those things YOU've blessed me with and for not being able to help those in great need at this time. I know there are many limitations to that which I could be doing and I know YOU've ultimate power to open the doors to make it all come together. LORD use me as a humble servant to change the face of 'disaster relief' as we know it today. Let there never be another tragedy, like is happening in Haiti at this time, that VCM won't be there bringing glory to YOUR most holy and precious name!!!"

   There is plenty of information on the chaos that is currently taking place in Haiti and other disasters around the globe, it just takes a little searching online to find it. You'll see and hear exactly what I mean when I said deplorable conditions. After almost eleven months of assistance efforts not mush has changed. People are suffering terribly and their cries seem to be falling on deaf ears. I don't know what I can do to change a single person's life there, but I do know that my efforts to build the LORD's ministry for me will deepen. If I've got to forgo everything else to bring this ministry into fruition, I will. It is truly time that Christians step up and take the lead in helping their "neighbors" and not in the ways of the world, but in the way JESUS HIMSELF would do it!!!

(I know this is my devotional blog, but I've devoted my life to serving the LORD and this is where HE's led me to post this!!!)

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