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Friday, October 31

In this Time of War “our Prayers must be Mighty through God...”

”For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh… (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).”
 

 

For several months we have earnestly asked God for His wisdom as we pray, asking for a strategic, militant way to pray with greater effectiveness. We have been asking this with our hearts focused on a passionate desire for those in the world who relinquished their lives over to Satan to kill, steal from, and destroy the American people, that they would experience both “conviction” and “Satan’s condemnation” as the bitter fruit of their wicked seed, so that repentance might be worked in them. As a result, The Holy Spirit awakened me (Keith) at about 4am one morning with the answer to our fervent request for strategic instructions for the way to pray.

The Holy Spirit came to tell me how we can pray to break the demonic stronghold off of those who are Satan's human accomplices, so that they might repent and come to Jesus Christ. That morning, The Holy Spirit said, "When you pray, command in Jesus Christ's Holy Name, and by His Authority, that all who are the devil's human accomplices, all who occupy seats of authority, elected and otherwise, be turned over to Satan for a season that his condemnation will work repentance in them... that they might call on Jesus Christ's Holy Name and be saved.

We pray that this testimony and message will serve to encourage you, to fan the flame in your spirit as you are pressing forward to fulfill, with The Holy Trinity, the unique part that you, and only you, are fearfully and wonderfully made to fulfill.

Along with the testimony, and the above command from The Holy Spirit, we want to also share with you the following passages of Scripture that He illuminated to me early that morning as well. These passages have increased my understanding beautifully, reinforcing the way He provided for us to pray. These are Biblical truths concerning the authority that Jesus Christ makes available to us as "Believing Believers", truths that are in God's Holy written Word for imparting to us Jesus Christ's strength, courage, wisdom, peace, and joy for the fulfillment of God's dream in the earth.


In Ephesians 6:11-20 Apostle Paul instructs us to, "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open* my mouth boldly*, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."

In Matthew 10:7-8 Jesus Christ instructs us, "And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give."

In Luke 9:1, "Then He (Jesus Christ) called His twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases."

In 1 Corinthians 5:3-5 Apostle Paul guides us, "For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of The Lord Jesus."

In 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 Apostle Paul teaches, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled."

In John 5:24-27 Jesus tells us, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of The Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as The Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to The Son to have life in Himself; And hath given Him Authority to execute judgment also, because He is The Son of man."

In Mark 1:27 about Authority in Jesus, "And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine [is] this? for with Authority commandeth He even the unclean spirits, and they do obey Him."

In Mark 1:21-22 on Authority, "And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the Sabbath day He entered into the synagogue, and taught. And they were astonished at His doctrine: for He taught them as one that had Authority, and not as the scribes."

In Romans 2:13 Apostle Paul teaches us, "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified."

In 1 Corinthians 5:4-5 Apostle Paul says, "In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of The Lord Jesus."

In Matthew 28:16-20 The Holy Trinity leads us by example, "Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, 'All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of The Father, and of The Son, and of The Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."



While in this time of war, in the spiritual and natural realms, we must continuously remind ourselves and those around us that we are, in fact, NOT without “full armor” protection from Satan and his wicked spirits. Nor are we without impenetrable armament and offensive weaponry. God's weaponry and armament are, in fact, what far exceeds anything the enemies of God have available to them. Remember, "where sin abounds, grace does much more abound (see Romans 5:1-21)."

We must remind ourselves to read over and over, and remember, all of the wonder-filled promises that Jesus Christ provides for us in God's Holy written Word, and take time to remind those around us to firmly hold on to those promises. And, as a defining take-away from this message, take note and apply Matthew 18:18-20, "Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them."

Thank you for your friendship as we continue working steadfastly on God’s fields of battle and harvest in the mighty Name of The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

    
To Show GOD BIG in a World that Sees Him small… 
sums up the reason Keith stepped out in faith to focus on reaching the lost and strengthening believers everywhere, through Toward The Mark, Inc.  Keith and Brenda's prayer is that you will be encouraged and edified by the Secrets from God's Word that Keith recounts in our written and recorded products.

 
We couldn't do this without the help of our friends!
This blog channel, along with the complete collection of original podcasts, music, blogs, books, CDs, and other Bible-based resources of Toward The Mark, Inc. is made possible by the faithful prayer and financial support of the TTM Sponsorship Family. We'd like to invite you to come on-board, to become a part of the TTM Family as well, by becoming a monthly financial partner. Your support will go toward fulfilling our God-given calling to help provide effective, contemporary outreach tools that are available to everyone, the churched and un-churched alike, who desire to know more of the love, truth, and salvation of Jesus Christ. We invite you to partner with us, as we, "...press Toward The Mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)

 
Keep PRESSIN' IN!


 
We INVITE YOU TO...

 see and hear, follow and share, more from our TTM team:

Keith and Brenda "Becoming God's End Time Executives" BetweenTheLinesTTM Podcast

Special "WHAT THE DEVIL DOESN'T WANT US TO KNOW" Video on Rumble






The Shealys and Toward The Mark Videos on Brighteon




From our 1st-ever Audio Book "LETTERS FROM THE FRONT"
download Into The Secret Place audio-book chapter

















CLICK to give a tax-deductible gift securely by:
Every gift is tax-deductible and helps! And we thank you for it!

Mail tax-deductible contributions by check or money order made out to:
Toward The Mark, Inc., P.O. Box 1152, Yorktown, VA 23692-1152. 
We pray God bless you with a 100-fold return for your generosity!



  To help you further your fight to victory through the battles that confront every one of us in these turbulent times we live in, get your copy of our book, " LETTERS FROM THE FRONT." In this collection of 12 letters written from the front lines of battle fought in the spiritual, natural, and theater of the mind, Keith's Scripture messages will build your faith and help you reach God's full potential for your life.
"LETTERS FROM THE FRONT"
available now...
Send e-mail request.


We pray God uses this message, and all of our resources, to fan the flame in your heart for Christ Jesus, His wonder-full Ways, and His Plan and Purpose for you in this life. We are eternally grateful for our loving Toward The Mark Family of sponsors who make this blog, and all of our resources, possible by their faithful prayer and monthly financial support! If you have any questions about our work, or if you would like to make a special tax-deductible donation, place a special order for any of our books, magazines, or CDs, or to share a testimony or prayer request with us, please e-mail us. Also feel free to write a letter and mail it to TOWARD THE MARK, P.O. Box 1152, Yorktown, VA 23692-1152.
Toward the Mark, Inc. © 2005 - 2025 | Privacy Policy and Terms of Use apply |
 Visit TowardTheMark.com website |  Connect with TowardTheMark on
e-mail



Tuesday, September 30

Blessed are they that haven't seen yet believed none-the-less!

An Extraordinary Lesson Spotting License-Plates
 


    When I (Keith) was a young boy, our family would take a week each summer to load up the car and set out on a road-trip to go visit with relatives.  Our road-trip often led us to see relatives living several states away from our home in Virginia Beach, Virginia.  During one of those lengthy car rides, Mom turned to my two brothers and I and, in an attempt at dispelling the boredom, said, "Hey boys, let's play a game.  Let's see who can spot the most license plates from different states."

All of us were spotting and calling out different state license plates when Mom pointed at a car and announced, "There's one from Missouri: The Show-Me State!"  I hadn't heard that before so I immediately asked her, "Why do they call Missouri 'The Show-Me State'?"  She smiled and replied, "I guess it's because the people from Missouri want to 'see the proof' before they believe what someone tells them."

What Mom said in the car that day came rushing back to the front of my mind when our Sunday School teacher introduced us to the man in The Holy Bible, "doubting Thomas."  Christ Jesus' own disciple refused to believe despite seeing Him perform miracles and hearing Him proclaim His own death to come, the grave where His body would be laid, and His resurrection back to life that would happen "on the third day".  Thomas doubted because his faith was weak.

The instant that the apostle Thomas became branded "doubting Thomas" came soon after Christ Jesus had been resurrected.  "Doubting Thomas" became his brand from that point on.  Our Lord had already appeared to some of His disciples, "But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen The LORD. But he, Thomas, said unto them, Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe (John 20:24-25)."

As an "unbelieving Believer" in Jesus being raised from the dead, Thomas said, "Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe (John 20:25)."  His presumptuous words notwithstanding, Thomas' days as a doubter would soon come to a screeching halt.  Jesus had a plan, already knowing that Thomas would react the way he did.  Thomas, an "unbelieving Believer" at this point, would get help to become a "believing Believer" in The LORD Jesus Christ and would also be the one to provide a powerful lesson of "faith" for his fellow-disciples as well as for all Believers in Jesus Christ who were to come, all the way from then-to-now.

In John 20 we read, "And after eight days again His disciples were within (the upper room), and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My LORD and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed (John 20:26-29)."

Thomas' encounter with The Risen Savior was dramatic, to say the very least!  The LORD Jesus Christ challenged Thomas to put his hand into the opening in His side - the place where the soldier had thrust his spear into Jesus' lifeless body after He had died as He hung on The Cross of Calvary.  Immediately upon taking Jesus' challenge, Thomas was stunned to the point that all he could say was, "My LORD and my God."  Jesus then acknowledged Thomas' declaration of faith, his new-found belief, that Jesus is indeed The LORD Jesus Christ of God... The LORD Jesus Christ IS Who He said He IS and DID everything He said He would do.

As a result of Thomas' conversion from being an "unbelieving Believer" to becoming a "Believing Believer" Christ Jesus pronounced a special blessing, but not upon Thomas.  Jesus blessed those who, unlike Thomas, will believe in Him without having seen Him or having experienced what one might refer to as a major miracle in their life first.  Jesus declared that Thomas came to "see" Him as The LORD before he would believe, but blessed are they that have not "seen" and yet believe.

"Afterward He (Jesus Christ) appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided (rebuked) them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen. And He (Jesus Christ) said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach The Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.  So then after The LORD had spoken unto them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they (Jesus Christ's disciples) went forth, and preached every where, The LORD working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen (Mark 16:14-20)."

As a team and family of Toward The Mark in these final days before Christ returns, we are focused and intentional to follow The Holy Trinity as we go, "... into all the world and preach The Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15)."  Please know that Bren and I pray for you daily that the lives you encounter, whether in person or by phone or online, will experience The LORD Jesus Christ in and through your Life.  We pray that, as you go into the world in the coming months, The Holy Spirit will leave in your wake "believing Believers" in Jesus Christ... Believers who see your "unshakable faith" in God's Word and The Way in The LORD Jesus!

It is our heartfelt desire that this letter will help to "challenge" and "encourage" our Christian brothers and sisters, each of us in the family, to share personal testimonies of faith, all for the purpose of "winning souls".  "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that wins souls is wise (Proverb 11:30)."  Please let us know if there is any way we can further assist in your personal faith-building campaigns.

Please SEE the Toward The Mark YouTube video series at (clicklink) "When It Comes To Sharing Your Faith" and share to encourage others.

We love you and are humbled by your eternally-appreciated visit here with us.  Each time we see the number of blog downloads go up, we rejoice.  We are ever-grateful to receive our Father's love through your support and sharing in our work spreading The Gospel of Jesus Christ and The Gospel He preached.

As a ministry family and team here at Toward The Mark, our mission and vision is to lead everyone we come in contact with into the saving knowledge of our wonder-full King Jesus Christ!  As that great day of our Lord's return draws closer with each passing day, who do you know that may need encouraged by this blog message you can forward on to them this week?

LISTEN NOW:

"The LORD gave the word: great was the company of those that published it (Psalm 68:11)."


Your friends, servants, and TTM Family in Christ Jesus,
    
To Show GOD BIG in a World that Sees Him small… 
sums up the reason Keith stepped out in faith to focus on reaching the lost and strengthening believers everywhere, through Toward The Mark, Inc.  Keith and Brenda's prayer is that you will be encouraged and edified by the Secrets from God's Word that Keith recounts in our written and recorded products.

 
We couldn't do this without the help of our friends!
This blog channel, along with the complete collection of original podcasts, music, blogs, books, CDs, and other Bible-based resources of Toward The Mark, Inc. is made possible by the faithful prayer and financial support of the TTM Sponsorship Family. We'd like to invite you to come on-board, to become a part of the TTM Family as well, by becoming a monthly financial partner. Your support will go toward fulfilling our God-given calling to help provide effective, contemporary outreach tools that are available to everyone, the churched and un-churched alike, who desire to know more of the love, truth, and salvation of Jesus Christ. We invite you to partner with us, as we, "...press Toward The Mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)

 
Keep PRESSIN' IN!


We INVITE YOU TO...
 see and hear, follow and share, more from our TTM team:

Keith and Brenda "Becoming God's End Time Executives" BetweenTheLinesTTM Podcast

Special "WHAT THE DEVIL DOESN'T WANT US TO KNOW" Video on Rumble






The Shealys and Toward The Mark Videos on Brighteon




From our 1st-ever Audio Book "LETTERS FROM THE FRONT"
download Into The Secret Place audio-book chapter

















CLICK to give a tax-deductible gift securely by:
Every gift is tax-deductible and helps! And we thank you for it!


Mail tax-deductible contributions by check or money order made out to:
Toward The Mark, Inc., P.O. Box 1152, Yorktown, VA 23692-1152. 
We pray God bless you with a 100-fold return for your generosity!


  To help you further your fight to victory through the battles that confront every one of us in these turbulent times we live in, get your copy of our book, " LETTERS FROM THE FRONT." In this collection of 12 letters written from the front lines of battle fought in the spiritual, natural, and theater of the mind, Keith's Scripture messages will build your faith and help you reach God's full potential for your life.
"LETTERS FROM THE FRONT"
available now...
Send e-mail request.


We pray God uses this message, and all of our resources, to fan the flame in your heart for Christ Jesus, His wonder-full Ways, and His Plan and Purpose for you in this life. We are eternally grateful for our loving Toward The Mark Family of sponsors who make this blog, and all of our resources, possible by their faithful prayer and monthly financial support! If you have any questions about our work, or if you would like to make a special tax-deductible donation, place a special order for any of our books, magazines, or CDs, or to share a testimony or prayer request with us, please e-mail us. Also feel free to write a letter and mail it to TOWARD THE MARK, P.O. Box 1152, Yorktown, VA 23692-1152.
Toward the Mark, Inc. © 2005 - 2025 | Privacy Policy and Terms of Use apply |
 Visit TowardTheMark.com website |  Connect with TowardTheMark on
e-mail




Sunday, August 31

Pursuing THE PRIZE... Becoming ONE IN The Holy Trinity

"See flipcard titles"

For The Prize

The LORD says to us in God's written Word, "Come now, and let us reason together,... (Isaiah 1:18-31; also 1 John 1:6-2:2)".

Our beloved TTM Staff Pastor, Clay Davis, often puts what we see happening into perspective by saying, "First the natural and then the spiritual."  What Pastor Clay is referring to is the parallel The Holy Spirit reveals to us, if we ask Him to, regarding things happening in the spiritual realm reflected by things we can "see, hear, touch, taste, or smell" happening in the natural physical realm.  One primary example could be our "sources of nutrition" in America. 

Throughout the last decade or more, our quality of "spiritual food" as well as "natural food" has been in a drastic decline;  Parallel the diminished quality of food made available for us to eat and feed our families in the "natural" with the diminished quality of food made available to us in the "spiritual", as The Holy Spirit reveals it to us.  Truly we have experienced, and are still experiencing, intentional attacks against us, by way of satan's human accomplices, working in and through our own government and church-based organizations.  In both the natural and spiritual realms, not only are we, the people, at risk of losing our lives, by being poisoned, but we are simultaneously malnourished from the "food" no matter how much is being consumed.

Let's take a look at the way the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has been allowed to relax, and in many cases remove, crucial quality standards that had been set to ensure our essential food and drug supplies are the highest quality, for the well-being of our tax-paying citizenry.  Our food and medications in this country have gradually, systematically, and intentionally been re-engineered for our destruction.  Then, as much in decline as the government-controlled FDA's accountability has been in the natural, much of The Church today has declined to provide little nourishment to people's souls in the spirit realm.  All of the attacks, first the natural and then the spiritual, are for the human accomplices of satan's expressed purpose of reducing our population, especially Christians.  That is how serious things have gotten.  Unfortunately, much like our natural foods and drugs have been largely depleted of nourishment, even saturated with chemical or synthetic materials that will kill our body, our humanity has been largely infiltrated by spirits, to the "exclusion" of God's Holy Spirit.

We are truly at war on every side.  Where there was, at one time, foods and medicines we could trust, we now have poison fillers, dangerous substitutes, and imposter additives as the ingredients of the day.  In a perfect situation, we would be able to go anywhere and be healed, raised up, grafted in-to God's holy, loving Family, and be protected from harm by following in the wonder-full ways of God alongside other Believers... "being fully persuaded that, what He (God in Christ Jesus) had promised, He was able also to perform (Romans 4:21)".

As we have watched the decline of integrity along with the growth of greed, we've seen satan's work of manipulating many individuals in communities and churches who become crippled, turning to a state of actually "just surviving" in a luke-warm existence.  We heard the late prophet of God, Smith Wigglesworth, say that increasing populations in our beloved Church of today are "unbelieving Believers," those who have accepted Christ Jesus but don't believe Him enough to pursue Him personally.  They may very well attend church regularly, be good at tithing, and even considered by others to be religious people.  However, the time has come for each one of us to do our part to re-engineer, by the leading of The wonder-full Holy Spirit, as many as we possibly can of those who find themselves in the state of being luke-warm.  By faith in Jesus Christ, and by The Holy Spirit's leading, it's our time to set out to, as The Twelve Disciples did, see the unbelievers in our lives become, as Smith Wigglesworth would say, "Believing Believers!"

Over the years we have come to recognize the discontentment and lack of fulfillment in the lives of individuals who don't really believe... "unbelieving Believers".  Those individuals profess to know God but are weak and frail in their faith, and they will most-often settle for "feeding on the crumbs" that fall from the tables of a pastor's hour-long service at church once a week or of a TV or podcast host's show featuring a Christian minister on occasions.  If we knew our Father's actual will for our lives, for all Believers, we would know His passionate desire for each one of us to move from "unbelief" to become wholeheartedly committed Believers.  We would also never miss a day where we are making our way to "His Supper Table" to personally receive from Him "the meat" of His spoken Word for us (see Hebrews 5:14-6:3).  It's a big difference to live haphazardly then turn to a passionate pursuit of living a "real Life" i-n God's plan for us... together, in One-ness with Him.  It would make our heads spin to see what many Christians have missed in their lives because of their non-pursuit of God in Christ Jesus personally, not graftin themselves in-to Oneness with The Holy Trinity.

Why do so many in The Church settle for a luke-warm exsistance?  We are convinced it is because so many have bought into the lies of the enemy working to deceive us into taking some other way, an easier way, to receive God's spoken Word, apart from our having to go before God's Throne personally.  So many have fallen into the trap of thinking "it is the pastor's job" to go before The Holy Throne of God "for" the congregation; After all, we are paying him for that work, right!!??  If we are going to shift our lives and become persuaded, and persuasive, Believers in our Life's journey to "becoming One in The Holy Trinity", it's going to take us breaking our way out of old habits and mindsets.  The shift in our lives will take our focusing in on asking The Holy Spirit for His leading, in order to begin our journey in-to One-ness, to become grafted in, with God through Jesus Christ by The Holy Spirit's leading.

You may be familiar with the adage, "Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day; Teach a man 'how to fish' and you will feed him for a lifetime."  This adage certainly applies to the man being fed spiritually as well as being fed in his physical body... "Give a Believer a Sunday morning Scripture message and you will feed him or her for a day; Teach a Believer to pursue Christ Jesus for himself or herself, personally and every day, and you will feed them for a spiritual lifetime."  For each of us to have a fervent desire to invest in a "daily personal Life with The Holy Trinity" is to realize the deepest desire of God's, Jesus Christ's, and The Holy Spirit's heart for us.  Reading and meeting with The Holy Spirit in God's Holy written Word, desiring a close, loving, family bond with Christ Jesus... this is The Holy Trinity's dream for each one of us, individually.

The point is this:  the Body of Christ is suffering greatly from a condition of putting too much trust in someone who speaks "a Word from God" to them from a pulpit or media podcast, and investing too little of ourselves into "a fulfilled Life in The Spirit" that our Father has in store for them, personally.  Our Father has unlimited access to Him, Jesus Christ, and The Holy Spirit in store for us to take advantage of, directly.  Looking to another person, or other people, to catch, cook, and lay out "fish" before us, we voluntarily restrict our spiritual diet from the indescribable benefits from The Holy Trinity's personally "feeding our individual spirit and soul".

What The Holy Trinity actually desires for us is that we meet with The Holy Spirit in the pages of God's written Word, and listen quietly to receive God's spoken Word for ourselves.  We learn how to "receive God's Word directly from Christ Jesus" by way of The Holy Spirit.  He is always ready and willing to answer us when we call on Jesus Christ to bring us The Father's divine counsel, and to lead us in applying what we hear from God in His written Word.

Jesus Christ tells us in Matthew 7:20-25, "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto Me, LORD, LORD, shall enter into The Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, LORD, LORD, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonder-full works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man,... ."

We must not let a day go by when we settle for "the crumbs" that fall from the tables of others.  We can, and must, do what it takes to meet with The Holy Spirit in the pages of God's written Word, ourselves.  We must wholeheartedly devote ourselves to seeking and listening to hear God's Voice so He can teach us His Word, Will, and Ways for our Lives.

One evening I received a phone call from a frustrated young man who said that, no matter how much he reads his Holy Bible or listens to his favorite preacher on the radio or TV, he feels spiritually stagnate.  He said, "Brother, I would give anything if I could just hear God's voice once!" After expressing his frustration and his desire to hear God's voice, he asked, "If you were to recommend one thing that would help me to hear God voice what would it be?"

I thought to myself, rejoicing, that this young brother is perfectly positioned to hear our Father for himself.  Why?  Because I saw clearly that "he desperately wanted God."

Following a brief pause I replied, "From now on, with no exceptions, when you approach God and His Throne in prayer, begin offering up gratitude to God for Who He IS more than for what He can do for you."  I then shared with him how, from the very first time I approached God with a heart and words filled with gratitude and thanks-giving, my prayers began to change and so did my heart.  By approaching God with my gratitude, voicing my thanks to Him aloud, instead of bringing Him my usual "grocery list of things I wanted from Him", every aspect of my Life began to change and improve dramatically.

The young man paused for a moment.  Then he asked, "Why 'gratitude'?"  I answered him first by sharing how we get "a heart of gratitude" by illuminating The Scripture that The Holy Spirit had illuminated to me, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Philippians 4:8)."

Once we catch hold of gratitude that comes from our heart praising The LORD, God "smells" it.  Next, as The Holy Spirit illuminated to me in God's written Word, "His gates" are unlocked and opened to those who approach Him with a grateful heart.  And, once we have gained entrance through God's gates, He then presents us with the opportunity to enter in-to His sacred courts.  "Enter into (God's) gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name (Psalm 100:4)."  The Holy Spirit illuminated to me such infinite value "the Psalm 100:4 map" offers us and our Life in Jesus Christ.

Psalm 100:4 is so priceless as our "spiritual treasure map" that it can't be stressed to us enough.  In order for us to reap the benefits of God's promises, we mustn't only read God's written Word, " But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves (James 1:22)".  When we follow the leading of The Holy Spirit and commit to carry out each step of God's written Word, we become like the diligent prospector given access to the most sacred and treasured "secret place" of all -- "One-ness" i-n God, Jesus Christ, and The Holy Spirit.

In order to help my friend better understand, I shared my experience when The Holy Spirit revealed a "key" to me by using the same approach as that of a police officer instructing a lost motorist with directions to their desired destination -- using a road map.  In this instance, of course, our desired destination is where we can gain access into what we might refer to as "the secret place of meeting with God", where we get to hear Him and be heard by Him.  The Psalm 100:4 map" is, truly, the most priceless treasure map in all of Creation.  If we will follow it, "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name", we are permitted entrance in-to our Father's most sacred presence... where we can reason together (Isaiah 1:18-31).

God desires to be with us so much so that everything He is doing, has done, and will do is for the expressed purpose of being in unity with, and reasoning with, His Children.  I once heard it said that the entire Holy Bible is God's devising means by which He can facilitate His getting each and every one of His Children into His arms, sitting on His Holy lap, so to speak.  God did, after all, go so far as to send His only begotten Son, His most Prized Possession, so He could provide for us The Way for us to get back to Him, and be at Home with our Father.

As a fun side-note, in any form of "treasure hunting" there is the act of prospecting and the act of mining.  "Prospecting" is the act of searching, pursuing, digging, and such.  "Mining", on the other hand, occurs once a prospector's search uncovers "a treasure" to be collected.  So, the "prospecting" treasure hunter remains a prospector until such time as they actually locate a "treasure" and the "mining" can begin to harvest the treasure they were searching for.

Our friend then asked, "Once we have passed through God's gates by way of thanking Him for Who He IS, how do we go about doing what The Scriptures saynext, and enter into (or press forward toward) His courts with praise?  Are we to then start singing praise and worship songs to Him like we sing the songs in church?"  I responded by saying, "Singing praise songs like we do in church is a form of praise; Yes.  However, the 'praise' mentioned in the Psalm 100:4 Scripture is referring to the most sincere form of praise to God;  It is the sweet fragrance that rises from a heart that is overflowing with celebratory gratitude to Him for Who He IS.  After all, He is The Almighty Creator and our all-Loving and Wise God."

When we are truly grateful to God for Who He IS, first of all and foremost, our heart will naturally emit pure praise.  However, this "pure praise" can not be generated by our natural will because, in our flesh, we fall short of "purity".  The purest of all praise is like a sweet-smelling fragrance that goes up before God's throne, a sort-of invisible smoke that comes from a heart that is "full-to-overflowing with gratitude", thank-full to Him for being Who He IS, more than for doing what He can do for us.  I repeat myself here for an important reason, and you will continue to see me repeating this because it is so very important.

In continuing to further explain the genuine heart-felt gratitude, love, and adoration for God that grants us access to Him, and that grafts us in-to One-ness in Him, I assured our friend that God can most certainly discern the stench of a luke-warm heart from the sweet-smelling fragrance of a heart that is filled with pure praise and thank-fullness.  God wrote it this way, "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art luke-warm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth (Revelation 3:15-16)."

Just as we can discern whether someone is pursuing us because they want what we have to offer them or because they truly desire to be with us for who we are, God, too, can discern a person's motives for approaching Him.  It's like what I once heard in passing that, you'll hear a person's phone ringing like never before just after they've won a sizable lottery.

A person who possesses a heart filled with gratitude to God, Jesus Christ, and The wonder-full Holy Spirit because of Who "They" are, through a loving persistence to make their way in-to "One-ness i-n The Holy Trinity", gets to enjoy all of the infinite, wonder-full qualities of The Holy Trinity, Their gifts to us, as well.  For Bren and I, The Trinity's gift of contentment is the one we personally treasure above any other wonder-full gift that God makes available to all who love Him.  "But godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6)."

Speaking of contentment, Paul expresses his extraordinary perspective in Philippians 4:11-13, "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased (pressed down), and I know how to abound (in abundance): every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

I also took the opportunity to point out, to our emotionally, physically and spiritually drained brother, this most timely benefit of wholeheartedly pursuing and dwelling with God in Psalms 91:1-2 where it says, "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of The LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust."

    In Philippians, the Apostle Paul affirms the crucial importance of being grateful to God in all things. "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7)." Jesus is, after all, The Prince of Peace."

Now, as we had mentioned earlier concerning "letting our requests be made known unto God", you might be thinking, "Keith, with all of the emphasis you have placed on being most grateful to God for Who He IS, are you saying we should not make requests of our Father in our times in prayer?"  I am not saying that at all.  In fact, on the contrary, God wants to hear our requests... in proper order.  God has an order of things in everything He does and it is crucial that we ask Him to reveal His order to us.

Whenever we first open the pages of The Bible it's very important that we call on The Holy Spirit and ask Him, "In Jesus Christ's Name, please meet with me here and reveal to me God's order of things, especially concerning each verse, chapter, or book You lead me to read and research."  Not understanding that God has an order of things, in "all" that He does, is one problem that many precious Believers have and don't even know it.  Our lack of knowledge and understanding in Christ results in our living confused, bound, fruitless lives instead of living FREE and full-filled in Jesus Christ.

Why do so many saints make the mistake of "putting the cart before the horse" where approaching God and His written Word is concerned?  For instance, due to the struggles with "the cares of this life" and the immaturity in knowing God's order of things, many Christians tend to approach God in prayer to present Him with a laundry-list of things they desire from Him.  What we wanted our young friend to take away from our discussion is the understanding that, when we approach our Father's Holy Throne, we first and foremost present Him with our gratitude... thanking Him for Who He IS first!  That is the first priority in "God's order of things" when we are coming to present ourselves to Him.

Now, after we have approached God, and presented Him with our offering of heartfelt gratitude and love and adoration, then we "bless His Name"!  Let's read it again.  This time let's focus our attention on the wonder-full "gift" of instruction, and the glorious order, God provides for us in the passage.  "Enter into His (God's) gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name (Psalm 100:4)."

I heard one pastor say, "God's Word only works if we work it."  We can say, with all confidence, that God's passion for getting His kids to listen for and want Him more than anything has got to be infinite!  Surely, a primary point of frustration God feels today comes with seeing His kids so distracted that the distractions keep us from pursuing and pressing in to God and His presence.

The fact is, God is the consummate family man!  He longs to be with, and talk with, each one of His beloved children.  There is nothing He desire more than to be in unity with His kids, continuously!

Paul encourages us to, "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)." To pray without ceasing simply means that we remain conscious of God, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit with us throughout every minute of every day.  God desires to be with us, so much that everything He is doing, has done, and will do is all for the expressed purpose of being with His sons and daughters and reasoning with each of us.

In the wonder-full Kingdom Protocol of Psalm 100:4, when it comes to "waiting on The LORD", so many of our Father's sons and daughters will fall short of making it in-to "His courts".  Many of us put forth the effort to "enter into His gates with thanks-giving" and then proceed on toward His inner courts as the result of the subsequent praise, but we stop short of the waiting time necessary to be able to hear God speak.

Therein lies the root of The Church's infertility today, as individual Believers allow their focus on Jesus Christ to be broken.  Their anticipation of hearing His wonder-filled Voice is snatched away with thoughts that too often win the battle for their focus.  I could not stress enough to our young friend how crucial it is that we become able to listen patiently, waiting to hear the wonder-full voice of The Holy Spirit.  I could not stress enough how we must become "disciplined" in our ability to meditate on God's Word, His written and spoken Word, and to then be diligent in walking it out... with Him.

We are admonished, "But be ye doers of The Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves (James 1:22)."  "And why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?  Whosoever cometh to Me, and heareth My sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like:  He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.  But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great (Luke 6:46-49)."

Something that helped me greatly in my efforts to discipline myself to be a doer of God's Word and not a hearer only occurred back in 1987.  I heard a brother in Jesus Christ who specializes in the teaching of "ancient kingdom protocols" say that, during the times when kings and kingdoms were more prevalent on the earth, there were very strict protocols that a person would be required to adhere to before being permitted into a sitting king's presence.  He shared how someone who desired to "have audience with a king" first had to be thoroughly washed clean.  Then the individual was put in front of a series of instructors whose job it was to brief him or her how to "pay proper honor" as a visitor to the king.  The visitor was instructed on how to properly approach a king or queen, and the proper steps to take once summoned by the king to enter, including how to kneel before him.  A king's staff were often instructed to make certain the visitors do not look directly at the king, and so on.  Perhaps the protocol that grabbed my attention most was the charge to never leave a king's presence until he excuses you to depart.  To turn away from a king's presence before he motions for you to depart from your position could be very costly on several fronts.  Such a show of ignorance and disrespect "could cost you your head", as they often have been heard to say.

This last point is one we cannot stress enough.  When it comes to our leaving after a time in the presence of God, we must always wait until we have a release excusing us from Him, and only from Him. Though the cost may not be "a beheading" for prematurely leaving from God's presence, as was the custom long ago, to leave without allowing Him the opportunity to speak what He has to say to us is actually far worse than even losing one's head.  The spoken Word of God is, in and of itself, filled with "Life in abundance and filled with His Own Glory", and without receiving it from Him we cannot truly Live.  We MUST stay in God's Holy Presence until we hear Him and everything He wants to speak to us... no exception!

The gentlemen who teaches Kingdom protocols also said something else that has been stamped into the wall of my heart.  He said that most kings enjoyed considerably out-giving the individuals that came before his throne.  He went on to say that, often, those who would come before a king, honoring the king with gratitude and humility, would leave the king's presence much richer than when they entered. Can you see the parallel in that The Scriptures tell us, "But without faith [it is] impossible to please [Him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and [that] He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6)."

Christ Jesus makes a defining point in Matthew 4:4, "But He (Jesus Christ) answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4)."  Jesus is not referring to God's Holy written Word as much as He is referring to God's spoken Word - His Words spoken to those who will pull down every stronghold or hindrance that exalts itself above God.  Those who will enter through His gates with thanksgiving and enter into His courts with praise, and who will wait on Him no matter how long it takes, get to hear His wonder-filled Words spoken into their spirits.  Those who wait in God's presence, no matter how long it takes, will receive His matchless Word for them, personally, "Life" Himself and in abundance.  "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon The LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint (Isaiah 40:29-31)."

I had once heard it said that anything of great value is worth fighting for!  That especially applies to our waging war against any resistance, lies, intimidation, fear, or anything else we must contend with, in order for us to make it in-to God's Holy Presence.  The Holy Spirit once equipped me with another priceless piece of wisdom, information that Brenda and I would also like to pass along to you.  He said that the arch enemy of our attaining and walking in the kind of faith that pleases God comes by wicked spirits of "anxiousness"... "gird yourself against them!"  In our preparation to pursue God and His presence, we must be equipped to, like clearing a pathway through a jungle of hindrances... in the precious Name of Jesus Christ "cut them down"!

In closing, we are sharing this message, not to discourage you but, to equip you with information that can be helpful when you are setting out to spend quality time at the feet of our Father.  Perhaps the most violent skirmishes that we can ever find ourselves in happen when we are getting alone with The Holy Trinity, working to relax and be still, listening for what God has to say to us in His Holy written Word.  The devil likes to deploy anxious spirits, his most effective militant force, for redirecting our attention and affections away from focusing solely on pursuing audience with God.

Be encouraged, we have the maps, we have God's Kingdom Protocols (God's Holy written Word), and we have The wonder-full Holy Trinity!  And remember what this means for us... we win!  "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark FOR THE PRIZE of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14)."

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