Rock a bye baby, the church is asleep!!!

Praise the LORD!!!

   and wake the f*## up!!!

Now, did that get your attention???

"Rock a bye baby," what an unusual title(not to mention that second line) for a Christian blog. Let me say, "it's a warning of that which is to come."

For decades now, the BODY of CHRIST has been lulled asleep by the preaching from our pulpits. Ministers, proclaiming to preach the GOSPEL, yet only preaching that which the Christian receives and is in the eyes of the LORD. Nothing on that which the LORD has called us to do.

All in all, there is nothing wrong with the Christian knowing their standing before the LORD, but when all else that the LORD taught about is forsaken, then there's a problem. Due to this preaching, our eyes have been turned inside, no longer focused on those things the LORD set forth for us, to do out and about for a dying world. We gather once or twice a week, putting on our best of shows, only to walk out those doors and live no differently then the rest of the world. Those whom we were sent out(called) to be examples for.

Today, there is no longer a difference between a Christian and any other person of this world. Sure, there is for that day or two during the week, that we practice our religion, but the other five or six, NONE. Many want to use the excuse, "that we have to live in this world and survive," but isn't that statement wrong on so many points!?!

  "They are not of the world (worldly, belonging to the world), [just] as I am not of the world.

 Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth."

~ John 17:16,17; AMP 

"Trust in the Lorde with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

       ~ Proverbs 3:5,6; NIV  

   " He who loves [and * takes more pleasure in] father or mother more than [in] Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves [and takes more pleasure in] son or daughter more than [in] Me is not worthy of Me;

 And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me [* cleave steadfastly to Me, conforming wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also] is not worthy of Me.

 Whoever finds his [* lower] life will lose it [the higher life], and whoever loses his [lower] life on My account will find it [the higher life].

~ John 10:37-39; AMP

There are those that will say that the church is not asleep, but is suffering from a state of "being lukewarm." Well, you've got to have a pulse to be "lukewarm," and when the church sees nothing outside of it's OWN focal distance, it's worse off than "lukewarm," it's asleep. Void of any cognitive functions, resting intently on that which it knows and HAS. In other words, ASLEEP !!!!!!!

It is time that the BODY, the CHURCH, woke up and turned their eyes upon the LORD. Focusing upon that which HE set forth before us to do and not that "goobly gook" that has been preached before us for so many years. It's time that action was taken, and not just thought about. It is time that our hands and feet began operating outside our circles and in the trenches where those that are in need of help are. It is time, that the CHURCH began resembling CHRIST and not just some foggy image upon a mirror.

Use these verses, but don't stop with them, cross reference and seek out GOD from within HIS WORD!!!

GOD bless and good day,
 Rev. Marshall Barth
 Vine of CHRIST Ministries

Lessons for such a time as this:

Praise the LORD!!!
   A little twist in the normal posting of "Lessons for such a time as this." Bringing it here to reach an extended audience(I guess, just doing as led :{))) ) "Reftagger" is functional here, so it's possible that you can mouse-over to expand references!?!
_______

Lessons for such a time as this:

Christian Activity(Application of scriptures)

Many statements in Scripture indicate that the Bible is given to us for more than satisfying our curiosity about what God is like, what He has done in the past, or what He will do in the future. Its intended impact on lives is seen in that the Bible convicts (Heb. 4:12–13), regenerates (2 Tim. 3:15; 1 Peter 1:23), nurtures (2:2), cleanses (Ps. 119:9; John 15:3; 17:17; Eph. 5:25–26), counsels and guides (Ps. 119:24, 105), prevents sin (v. 11), renews (vv. 50, 93, 107, 149, 154, 156), strengthens (v. 28), sustains (vv. 116, 175), gives wisdom (vv. 98, 130, 169), and delivers (v. 170).

The Scriptures are called a fire, to consume false teaching (Jer. 23:29); a hammer, to shatter people’s hard hearts (v. 29); food, to sustain one’s soul (Ps. 119:103; Jer. 15:16; 1 Cor. 3:2; Heb. 5:13–14; 1 Peter 2:2); a light, to guide our paths (Ps. 119:105); and a sword, for offense against Satan (Eph. 6:17; cf. Luke 4:4, 8, 12). In Psalm 119 the psalmist used many verbs to speak of his response to God’s Word: walk according to, keep, obey, follow, trust in, seek out, delight in, meditate on, consider, rejoice in, see, understand, hope in, teach, speak of, remember, not forget, not forsake, not depart from, not stray from, not turn from, believe in, consider, long for, love, stand in awe of, tremble at, sing of, and choose.

Having been born again by the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23), believers are to grow in the Lord by the same means—God’s Word (2:2). In application, then, we are concerned about relating the Bible to life today. This involves seeing how the Bible, written to initial audiences thousands of years ago, relates to audiences today—and how we should respond to it. Do the Scriptures have relevance for today, and if so how is that relevance determined? What is the significance of the Bible to us? How do we determine how we should respond?

- from: Campbell, D. K. (1991). Foreword. In C. Bubeck Sr. (Ed.), Basic Bible Interpretation: A Practical Guide to Discovering Biblical Truth (pp. 280–281). Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook.
- via Logos 6

#lessonsforsuchatimeasthis #christjesus #theword #studyscripture #god #biblestudy #bible #jesus #faith #dailydevotions #devotional   #holyspirit  #bookexcerpts  #vineofchristministries



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

Far too many

Praise the LORD!!!

   This is but a short one, but one that the LORD is laying on my heart this morning.

   There are far too many. Far too many what, you may ask. Far too many that are confused and over zealous in that which they perceive to be the LORD's will for them.

   We, Brothers and Sisters, are told(commissioned) to spread the GOSPEL. We are not told, that we're to convict people of their sins. Which is something far too many are trying to do. The task of conviction of one's sins is totally in the ample hands of the HOLY SPIRIT and no human agent. We as zealous, on fire for the LORD Christians, can do everything within our powers to do so and we're just wasting our breath and time. For unless it is the HOLY SPIRIT that brings about this conviction, it is worthless and like dust in the wind.

   Though we have the HOLY SPIRIT dwelling inside of us, we ARE NOT HIM!!! We do NOT, have HIS powers, even though HE may exhibit them thru us. It is because of years of erroneous preaching that men think "they" are the one's that can bring about and do wondrous works. When in truth, we ARE but vessels thru which the HOLY SPIRIT does the works.

                                            Let's get it right !!!!!!!

John 16:8


GOD bless and good day,
 Rev. Marshall Barth
 Vine of CHRIST Ministries

Verily, verily...

Praise the LORD, we're blessed with another day to glorify the name of JESUS!!!

From the title, one should be able to see that this is something of importance. For the repeating of these words, as well as the repeating of a certain statement, were meant to drive home the importance of a fact that was to follow. It's not that what I'm going to say is important, but that the message the LORD has laid on my heart is.

WHO/who do you follow??? That should be simple enough to answer, but is it??? There are several warnings given by Paul in the New Testament, on the separation or divisions within the Church. Though like in his day, it seems that people have greatly overlooked and still fail to heed these.

There truly shouldn't be a need for the question, but there is, for far too many follow after the teachings of others, instead of following those strictly of CHRIST. Now, I'm not talking about those that are following after "errant" teachers today, though this IS a major problem. But, those that are taking the teachings from the Bible, let's call them "one liners", and going on crusades with them.

Now, all in all, this may not be wrong, but when one forsakes the very teaching of CHRIST, to go off on a tangent, to bolster a cause, there is. A great deal of this happens due to the "immaturity" of the believer. Paul himself tackles this problem, but I'm led to re-hash it today. For people would rather just overlook it and "run with that which they believe is of the SPIRIT." Well, it maybe of the spirit, but certainly not the HOLY SPIRIT!!! For anything that the HOLY SPIRIT teaches, will completely coincide with ALL of scripture, not only on a part of it. In other words, "if it doesn't mesh with the complete Bible(beginning to end), it's not of the HOLY SPIRIT!!!"

Now, to the crust of this biscuit.

There are so many lines of thought within the Church today, it's downright ridiculous. Here, I'm focusing on two specific ones. People preaching nothing but the "End Times." Others, doing nothing but standing in judgement of others in the Church and their teachings. And, though both of these topics, ARE in scripture, they are but "one liner" topics. (and yes, I know these are covered in more that a single line, but that's what the BOSS, says call them :{))) argue with HIM) Both, though important facts, don't "mesh" with the totality of scripture. Which makes focusing on and the pursuit of them wrong.

JESUS warns us, personally, of focusing on the events of the "End Times,"  and also in numerous places, of standing in judgement of others, especially those of the Church. An I know, there are those that are going to say "these aren't of the Church, but are errant in their ways." There you go though, you're putting "yourself" in the position of THE JUDGE, and are you so sure that your "righteous judgement" is truly righteous??? Or not just "a little of the flesh boiling up within you"??? You know, we as "man," are prone to a little pride, now and then. Even the best of us.

To keep this from being a book, I'm going to make this short and sweet. The next time you're doing a little surfing of the internet, or reading somebody's new(or old) book, and something really fires you up. Back off for a bit. Pray, test the spirit of this matter and give it some time to settle in. For like an actual fire, all will blaze up at first, but not all will continue to burn strongly. This because the RIGHT FUEL isn't there. That fuel, the right, is the HOLY SPIRIT. The wrong fuel, is that of this world and it's purposes, are to bring division and take our eyes off the true focus we are to have> spreading the GOSPEL, loving GOD, our fellow believers and our neighbors(believer or not.)



GOD bless and good day,
 Rev. Marshall Barth
 Vine of CHRIST Ministries