Our Reflection of JESUS' ministry!!!

 Praise the LORD!!!

   Let examine Matt. 8:20 this day, but we'll start with a lead in verse, of 19 also!!!

    Matt. 8:19,20
            19. Then a teacher of the law came to HIM and said, "Teacher, I will follow YOU wherever YOU go."
            20. JESUS replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nest, but the SON of MAN has no place to lay HIS head."

    Here, we see one that is willing to follow JESUS during HIS ministry on earth, which isn't very different than those of us that accept JESUS as our LORD and SAVIOR today. We make the statement, or some of us do, because it isn't part of the "sinner's prayer" that most utter today during conversion. I say "conversion" and not "new birth," because the "new birth" begins at this point and is the regeneration of one's life into that of reflecting JESUS' from that point onward. Whereas the conversion, most go thru, is basically a verbal agreement  with little action from that point onward!!! * This doesn't mean there aren't those that do become Born Again, but that which I personally experienced!!! You see, at sixteen, I accepted JESUS verbally, but there was not a regeneration within my life. Basically because it was an emotional acceptance by my mind and not one of the "heart," where my spirit was touched(and changed) by the HOLY SPIRIT*

   Now, this is the meat of today's entry. In verse 20, we've JESUS telling those that are willing to "follow HIM," the conditions under which HE personally is living. Now, we know that this was not always the case, for there are numerous times in the scriptures, where we hear of JESUS dwelling in the homes of others. Though in a way, HE still didn't have that which most consider a home, a permanent dwelling place which HE called HIS home.

   With JESUS' ministry being a revelation of GOD's love for mankind and HIS benevolence towards us, we see a vast disparity between HIS life and those most Christians live today!!! For the majority of Christians today, have more invested in their homes then in any other aspect of their lives. Thousands, hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars invested in a place to lay your heads. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against home ownership, for I too someday pray to have one, but that of placing more importance on home ownership and "keeping up with the Jone's" attitude that so greatly prevails today!!! We grumble at paying a tithe at church services, yet continue to monthly meet those seemingly unending mortgage payments with a smile on our facings, knowing that someday our palace will be all ours!!! I used the word "Palace," why? For in considering what most peoples of the world live in, that which we have learned to consider a home, is a palace in comparison. We spend more on drapes, then the majority spend on their whole dwelling place!!!

   With decades of preaching a denatured gospel, where seeking after all those things the LORD considers as worldly, this isn't unexpected at all. But in the power of each and every Christian, is the SPIRIT of ultimate benevolence. Where the goodwill of others is placed above that of our own. YES, it is there!!! It is just whether or not we listen to HIS calling us to seek the welfare of others, instead of that of ourselves!!! So as you walk around your home today, or prepare to lay your head down for sleep in it's comforts, think about that which JESUS would be thinking about. Not HIS own creature comforts, but those needs that the majority of the world suffers daily without. How is JESUS seeing the reflection of HIS life, thru you???

Prayer request can be sent to: prayers@vineofchrist.org

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

Picture the 'Good Samaritan' in your walk

 Praise the LORD!!!

    A matter that has been on my heart for some time, since my earliest of days in the formation of the ministry, is how the parable of the 'Good Samaritan' is supposed to work into our lives. I'm sure most of you that are reading this are familiar with this parable, so I'll not go deeply into it, but just brush upon the surface of how it pertains to our daily walk with the LORD!

   Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)
     

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

 27 He answered: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.  31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.  35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Many today are like the religious ones that happened upon this poor man who had been beaten to within inches of his life. They walk around in 'religious garb' shunning anything that doesn't have the remotest resemblance to their 'calling'(position before men or within their religious group) in life. Many large ministries, when asked by the small 'startups' for assistance, will offer up their prayers, but nothing else. Many will spout off with the comment that 'we've not the funding at this time to undertake such a matter.' While others, won't even humble themselves to the point of giving a simple reply. How do I know this to be true? Simple. I've asked the large mega ministries for assistance. To be a fact, I've asked almost every ministry, denomination and church that I'd been in contact with in the early years. Not just for their funding, but any help they could give me in how to start even the most basic parts of the ministry. To date there has been only two that have given anything, besides their prayers. One sent me over $300 worth of tapes and books and the other a simple 'packet' of tracts that they used and the paperwork to order more from. I sent them, actually all of them, letters of thanks and appreciation for all that they could offer. I saved the books and tapes and filed the 'packet.' Now don't take me wrong, I value people's prayers highly. But when you ask people for help and they've the means to assist and all they offer is prayers or excuses, this places them in the realm of being a sinner.

We as Christians are supposed to go beyond that which we're asked to. Even if it is but hinted at or alluded to, such as one stating their conditions in life but not openly asking for help. The way laid stranger didn't yell out and ask for the Samaritan's help. No, he freely gave all that he had, even going beyond this and telling the inkeeper he'd cover all the expense beyond what he'd paid. These kind of actions shouldn't be the acceptations of our walk, but those that are the normal acts we live by. Too many today are afraid to step out beyond what they 'know' and step into the unknown of fully trusting GOD. They're pass up a stranded motorist on the side of the road, or the hitchhiker tooling along the roadways of life. To pass by these very people, we're missing out on such and abundant life. Yes folks, to give beyond measure, that which can be considered as your all, is the pathway to a most abundant life. GOD places people such as these within our pathways, so we can bless them as we've been blessed. In doing so, we empty our pockets of that which we have, only so the LORD can refill them with newer and greater blessings!

So I ask you at this time. Will you seek to be a blessing to others, by giving beyond measure, or will you continue to hold on to your blessings, because they're yours???

 

 Prayer request can be sent to: prayers@vineofchrist.org 

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