No cardboard crosses!!!

 Praise the LORD!!!

   I pray that all are well and growing in their personal walks with the LORD!!! For those that know me, this will be a bit of the old and some new, but to those that don't, all will be new. A little background info for all.

   I am the Reverend Marshall Barth and operate the growing ministry called Vine of CHRIST Ministries. Until very recently I've done all by myself, but have been blessed to have two new team members on board now here in the states(did have, they found other things more important). In April of 09 I 'stepped out of the boat,' and began a very long journey for the LORD and HIS ministry for me. I was living in Utopia, Ohio, about 40 miles east of Cincinnati, on the Ohio river. The LORD had been impressing it upon my heart to go to Kingsville, Texas to begin setting up and formalizing the first fully functional office complex and Disaster Relief Operational Center (DROC) there. Several problems though, I had no transportation and very little money for a trip of this type, let alone all that would be needed once I got there.

   Being a man that truly trust GOD's leading I packed a military dufflebag with all that it would hold, prepared my dog(Maryanne(year old wolf/shepherd cross)) and started south. I left the day before Easter 09 and crossed the river by ferry at Augusta, Kentucky. I walked about fifteen miles before getting tired. Hey I'm carrying between sixty and eighty pounds and leading a dog that is just barely road broke. We stopped near an intersection of two roads and spent the night over the hillside out of sight. I awoke to a bit of a refreshing Easter morning, about forty degrees or so, and had a sunrise service alone with GOD. We then set off on our journey. After about three hours walking I saw a wall at the roadside, which would be perfect to unsaddle myself and take a break. Not really noticing, much of the surroundings. As I was about to take the last strap off, I heard someone yelling to me. I looked up and I was across the street from a small non denominational Christian church and the pastor was inviting us over for breakfast. Needless to say, I didn't turn him down. I was going to leave Maryanne outside tied to a rail, but was told to bring her on in with me. Once inside, we were warmly greeted and very well feed. Maryanne 'wolfed' down three big plates of  biscuits and gravy and I put away two of eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, a fruit bowl and a couple of cups of nice hot coffee.

   Then to my surprise, we were asked to join them in a worship service upstairs. You heard me right, we. Maryanne and I both were welcomed upstairs in their sanctuary for service. We sat to the rear, as is my normal practice, and were introduce to all during the service and allowed to elaborate on what we were doing. After the service, we were both greeted by all the members and almost everyone gave me some money for the trip. We then headed out the doors and onward for the LORD, fully believing that this would be the type of spirit we would encounter on most of the trip. After about fifteen mile of walking, mostly on new construction Maryanne was showing signs of sore feet. We were stopped by a young couple and offered some canned food and a couple of sandwiches, due to the weight, I turned down the can goods, but gladly took the sandwiches. After a short bit we stopped in front of a closed store to relax and eat them. Just as we finished up, another couple stopped to get gas and I told them that the store was closed. We began to talk and the next thing I knew Maryanne and I had our first ride. Which ended up being a little longer then they had said, because they had thought of a better place along our route to take us and it wasn't that much out of their way.

   They ended up dropping us off at a public boatramp that allowed overnight camping and said we could most likely stay there until Maryanne's feet got better. Now this couple were Christians, but seldom went to church, because of 'all the hypocrites within the walls.' I could not argue, because I've seen those that they were talking about with my own eyes. I set about gathering wood for a fire and got ready to sleep for the night when it began to rain a little. I didn't have a rain suit or even a poncho, but took two garbage bags and made a rain suit out of them. A short while after this the couple that had dropped us off came back and delivered some can goods and leftovers from their Easter dinner, plus an umbrella, before taking off again. So far I've seen the Christian spirit alive in those within the walls and outside of them, I was feeling the LORD's love from all people.

   The rain began to get heavier during the next day and it was beginning to get hard to keep dry and a fire going. We had several people stop in our impromptu camp and had some great conversation with all. Everyone I talked with left knowing the purpose for these two strangers camped out by the river and several left us money or supplies. On our second night there the weather began to turn ugly, several stopped by to offer us shelter somewhere outside our camp, but I was being led to stay right where we were for the time being, so we did. Now when I said ugly, you may not of gotten the full scope of the matter. They were calling for heavy rains , winds and possible chance of tornadoes! I was turning down offers of shelter through this? Yes, for when the LORD impresses something upon my heart, I listen and do just that!!! About three AM I'm awaken, soaking wet, lakes formed inside my boots and not a dry spot on me. All of my belongings are drenched. I began to cry out to the LORD, asking HIM what was HIS purpose for all this and had I heard HIM wrong. This went on for several hours, until around sunrise. I had tried to start a fire, but its quite hard when there is nothing dry to burn. I even tried burning my computer logbooks for the ministry. The only thing dry was my Bible and you know that wasn't going to be burned, no matter what!


   I was walking around trying to stay as warm as possible, by keeping the blood flowing, when the local constable showed up, we'd already talked, he was a Christian and offered me some encouragement in scripture and left after this. A little later a man on his way to work, stopped in and left me his lunch for the day. A while later a woman I'd talked with the day before stopped by and asked if I needed anything. I asked 'if she could go by the little store and grab us something to eat.' She said she had a better idea and went to her house and got some dogfood and came back with it. Then she headed off and said she'd be back with something for me in a bit. She came back shortly with several sandwiches, but said she had to run off and talk with her husband about something and would be back later. An hour or so later, her and her grand daughter stop by, both getting out and popping the hatch on the SUV. Bonnie told me to get my stuff and put it in the truck and not to argue with her. I could see that there was no need to, so did as ordered and Maryanne and I were off with them. Bonnie told me that she'd talked with her husband and that they had a vacant house they were fixing up for resale and we would be staying there. Electricity, hot water, a pantry full of food, not to mention the fridge and freezer full and all the cookware needed. No furniture, but praise the LORD we had a roof over our heads and a level place to sleep for as long as we needed. That's right, as long as we needed!


   Now Bonnie was a Born again Christian, though she wondered at times, her husband(Harold) turns out to be the man that had given me his lunch, believed in GOD but had never given his life to the LORD. So here are two that believe, but don't go to church giving me a house to live in rent free, plus all else we needed. An a good thing about it, there is a little non "d" church not more then a hundred yards down the road, well I thought this at first! I began to work on getting Maryanne's feet healed and back up for the walk ahead, which wasn't that easy. Because we had walked on two to three inch rock for over ten miles and her pads were spread pretty badly. She hadn't walked much in our three days by the river, even seldom getting up to go to the bathroom. She was hurting! The first week there I watched the local church on Sunday. They only had about twenty families attending. The next week I attended service and enjoyed a nice sermon on tithing and Christian charity. I talked with the minister after service and complemented him on the sermon and talked about what the LORD was calling me to do.


   I began to hear the LORD leading me not to return, which made me wonder, but I listened. For the next three weeks, I watched as they had their twice a week services and after church dinners and even a few cookouts. Now, here I am a minister myself, living a stones throw away and not once did anyone stop in to ask if I needed anything. Yet Bonnie and her girls would stop by every day or so and deliver food or pickup my laundry for me. Member's of the church, shunning me and non church goers providing my every need. Makes you wonder, don't it? I felt I had to return Bonnie's hospitality, but didn't want to offend her, so I began to do a few little things on the house. She soon noticed and when confronted on it, I couldn't lie and told her what I had been doing and why. She wasn't offended, but decided that since I was willing to help them in return, she'd allow it, but only with payment in return. Now if you knew Bonnie like I had  come to know her, you'd of agreed also, she's a bit set in her ways when she makes up her mind:) and there's no sense in trying to argue. So I agreed, it was the least I could do.


   Now this so far has been the background info, now for the meat of this posting. After a bit, I was doing some carpet patches in the closets, when I came to the end of the roll. The LORD impressed me to take the cardboard roll and fashion it into a cross. I did so and took it outside and placed it on the fence surrounding the pool. Now here is this six foot tall cross standing out for all to see and I've got to wonder why. I put it to prayer and the answer is clear as day, "this is my church, as it stands today." I had to wonder and asked why again. Again the answer came, "watch and you shall see." For the first several days it stood fine, there were no problems, then again the weather was also fine, clear and sunny. But then the rain began to set in, the cross stood fine for the first couple of days. Then something began to happen, it folded backwards, completely against itself. Forming another perfect cross, but one quite beaten by the weather. I began to pray and ask 'what is the meaning behind this LORD?' Again the answer came, but not one I'd of thought of!


   "My church, as you have seen, stands strong in fine weather, trouble free for all to see. Yet when the weathers of tribulation comes, it falls back upon itself, hiding within itself, still looking the part of MY church, but only a slim resemblance of it!!!" 'What do you mean LORD?' "You have seen for yourself, that the helps on this trip have come mostly from those outside the church's walls and you will see more of this." Needless to say I was completely taken aback by this. Yes I had seen most of my help coming from Christians who didn't attend church and only the one time from those of a church. How was I going to see more of this? As with all things GOD's has shown me in my years of walking with HIM, I was about to find out. For several days later we began our journey to the south again. Harold and Bonnie took me shopping to get some needed supplies, like a raincoat and some new boots. Then gave me over $300 to continue on the trip. Even more so, Harold drove me about thirty miles farther along the path I was being led to travel, dropping us off just outside of Georgetown, Kentucky. Maryanne and I walked for around twenty five miles the first day, stopping along the roadside that night. We camped by a beautiful little stone bridge over a crystal clear spring, just outside of Midway, Kentucky.


   The next morning we awoke to a beautiful sunny sky with but a mild breeze blowing, a perfect day for walking. We headed up the road after eating the last food I was carrying, with the next town, Versailles, being about twenty miles farther. Now I had thought there would of been a gas station or convenience store along our route, but would be proven wrong. After walking mile after mile along the road, seeing nothing but large horse farms and miles of black fencing, the heat was getting to both of us. Maryanne decided that it was time for a long break and pulled me to a tree covered spot near one of these farms. I unsaddled and laid back taking my boots off and before I knew it was sleeping lightly. Suddenly I hear someone calling to me and asking what my purpose for being there was. I awoke to a security guard and his truck but feet away. I told him who I was and where I was headed and that I'd accidentally fallen asleep there due to the heat and length of our walk that morning. He told me that he was sent out here to have me get on my way, because the farm owners had seen me and they didn't want their guest, some royalties, seeing me there and would we please continue off their property. I said there was no problem and asked about how far to this point and the next place we could get some food. He told me about a half mile and I'd be off their property and several more to town. I put on my boots and pack and we headed off. Well this half mile, ended up being over an hour and a half walk farther, and I make about four miles and hour, a little bit farther then he'd said. I stopped just outside of Versailles, to rest up and study my maps, so I'd head in the right direction to continue onwards. After about an hour we set off again. After a short walk we stopped at a DQ and I bought us a couple of burgers, fries and drinks. The people there came out and gave Maryanne a bunch of added food also. After a good rest and time for the food to settle, we were off again, hoping to make it outside of town before dark.


   We were turning south out of town when I took the next break, stopping on the street corner before a long hill. After but a moment, someone yelled at me, she'd thought I was the dog catcher(because of my fishing poles sticking up in the air) and didn't want me catching her neighbor's dog. We talked for a bit and after she found out what I was doing, ran off to get some of her neighbors, that would love to hear my testimony. They invited us to their back porch and we sat around for an hour talking about the awesome GOD we served. She was a Christian(non church goer) and they were Messianic Christians(following the law). They brought me loads of food and supplies and offered a place for the night and a ride in the morning. I ended up giving them a bunch of my fishing gear, since they'd mentioned having looked for some like them. Rods, reels and tackle, almost all that I had left with, just holding on to enough so that I might fish if needed to. I slept on a couch that night in her house, allowed to take a nice, and needed shower and talked well into the night. The next morning we were given another ride of about thirty miles and dropped off at a truck stop just off the bluegrass parkway. We stopped here and had more breakfast, Micheal had given me some Mcie D's egg and sausage sandwiches, but I figured it might be a good idea to fill up while we had the chance.


   After an hour or so here, we started off for Route 62, which was what we'd been following. After about another mile of walking, a young man with a pickup truck pulled over and asked me where we were headed. He was a Christian, though he hadn't been to church for years, was in the middle of a divorce and was wondering about life in general. He gave me a short ride back to 62 and we talked greatly about his need to return to the LORD. When he left, he promised me that he would be going back to church and also returning to reading his Bible on a regular basis. He was definitely feeling better about his life and I was happy that I could make a difference in the life of someone else! This didn't remain for long though, because I think I had stepped on someone's(satan) feet in opening this young man's eyes to what the LORD had in store for him and trouble was about to befall me. After several hours of walking and several stops to rest, I took a step and it felt like someone had stomped on my right foot. Not the whole foot, but just the three middle toes.(it had felt like a small cloven hoof had done this!) When I stopped and took off my boot I realized I had three broken toes, for they were already turning blue and swollen!!! Praise the LORD was all I could do and my typical reaction to accidents. I give the other guy no credit at all in my life (if you've not noticed, I don't even capitalize his names.) I proceeded to tape the three toes together, thanks to tape given me by my messianic friends, put my boot back on and began to walk and praise the LORD with each step.


   We had gone several more miles like this, when Maryanne decided it was break time, so we stopped under some shade trees. After about fifteen minutes I was getting ready to walk on, when there came a call. A man from the house across the street was asking if we'd like something to drink. I replied yes and we head over to him. As we were headed up to the house we were talking and I was telling him about the trips purpose and destination. Well the drinks turned into pizza and about an hour of good conversation with he and his wife out under the shade of their shed. They then told me that they were headed into town and would give me a ride farther down the road if I'd like. I agreed, because by this time my foot was really beginning to ache. He said he needed to take a shower before we headed out and for us to rest until ready to go. Next thing I know, I'm asked if I'd like a nice shower before we left, which I took them up on. They drove me about thirty miles down the route I was traveling, dropped me off in a campground and gave me a $100 before they head back in the direction we had come. I ended up staying at the campground for three days free, the owner wouldn't take any money from me, because I was sleeping out in the open, under one of their pavilions. One of the neighbors brought me over a home cooked meal and I had a good deal of time in fellowship with others from around the campground. I stayed there for three nights total, until the swelling in my foot began to go down. All these people, I've just mentioned were Christians, but didn't attend church on a regular basis. Starting to see something here? Everyone I've been taken care of by, except those at the first church, were Christians, not in regular fellowship with the church.


    Now the ministry newsletter, "A Modern Day Parable", gives the details from here and actually covers most of this, so I'll not go on. The church as we see it, like the cardboard cross that I made, stands strong in their words and appearances. Yet when it comes time for them to do the works that the LORD has set before them, they bulk and bend with the winds of adversity. Turning into a slim resemblance of that which they're supposed to be. Now I've almost a year to turn this whole thing over and over in my heart and the LORD has led me to write this.


   We, as HIS church are supposed to reach out and help our fellowman. It doesn't matter if they're Christian or not, we are to help them in their times of need. The church has taken on the form of four walls and everything outside it seems not to exist to them. Outreach and works of charity are seldom seen by them, as needs to fulfill their walks with the LORD. Well wrong they are! For when the LORD commanded use to love our neighbors as ourselves(Rom. 13:9,10) HE wasn't just talking about our church fellows, but all of mankind!!! If any of you have been paying attention to the "signs of the times" that are happening all around us. Our time here on earth is drawing to an end and the LORD's return is near. All that was prophesied about this time is happening NOW!!! Look at the increase in false teachings, a sign of the lawless one's preaching, his apostate religion. Famines and pestilences circle the globe. Wars and rumors of wars, just about in every nation. Peace is a seldom found luxury, enjoyed only by a handful of nations and those have others threatening even that. Where will the LORD find the church amongst all of this? Will HE find us huddled inside the four walls of a building? Will HE even be able to tell the difference between us and them? Are we the CHURCH that JESUS called forth upon the backs of the apostles or are we that cardboard cross that only showed a slim resemblance to that which it had been? It is time that the church that JESUS intended it to be stand up and shine out from amongst the darkness and reveal the glory that HE intended it to have. Let there be no more strangers walking the streets unattended to by us. Let those that haven't heard the GOSPEL message be reached, if it takes our very blood to fulfill the task! Let there no longer be a person that goes to bed hungry, because they've nothing to eat! Let there be no one thrown to the curve and left to fend for themselves out of trashcans! We are the CHURCH that JESUS CHRIST formed upon the ROCK and we are to stand, unwavering under all that the adversary brings forth!!! Let there be no more cardboard crosses anywhere within the four walls of a buildings. Let us go forth, as never before and show JESUS that we are here and HE will be able to find us without a shadow of a doubt. Let HIS CHURCH be found fulfilling every detail that HE commanded us, let HIM know we love HIM more then our very own lives and will go to the extremes to prove it!!!