God... Can These Bones Live Again?

These last few months have presented us with many wonderful opportunities to glorify our King Jesus Christ in a number of different ways. As we sat down to begin writing to attest to you how wonderfully The Trinity had both presented to us and led us through each assignment on the list, The Holy Spirit drew our focus toward two in particular.

       For starters, during the run-up to the elections we produced, packaged and mailed out packets containing a copy of our own "TTM Christian Voter Guide" along with a pocket-sized copy of "The Constitution of The United States". Especially leading up to election time, we as Christians and Americans are blessed with the priceless opportunity to bring attention to and promote the two most sacred "ancient landmarks" that we have been given as gifts by God: His Holy written Word and The United States Constitution. These two sacred landmarks are what Satan and his human accomplices are working frantically to destroy in the eyes of the American people, using tell-a-vision (TV), radio, online social media, print communications, and the like. Our "TTM Voter Guide and Pocket Constitution Campaign" is not simply another mailing, we view it as our ministry Team's return-volley against the demonic forces of Satan who are bent on the destruction of God's children and humanity as a whole from receiving The Truth, Who is in fact Jesus Christ. We pray, "Oh, Father God, In Jesus Christ's Holy Name, let each of us stand before You on that great and glorious day having given our all for the sake of spreading The Truth, Who is Jesus Christ, and for the fulfillment of Your dream for Your creation, in Jesus' Name we pray, Amen!"

        As a side note, please pray and fast with us that the great news of The Trinity that we share on social media will continue to increase in viewership, despite Satan's all-out war to blind the public to all we are doing to lead others in-to oneness In Jesus Christ. This includes the many messages we have posted on Pressin'IN Blog, on our Toward The Mark Podcast Channel, and have produced and released in both written and recorded media, all for the sole purpose of spreading the wonder-full Gospel of Jesus Christ and The Gospel He preaches.

     Now, here is the second thing that The Holy Spirit had illuminated to us. As you read this we pray that you will see why we have saved it for last.  As we have been in our times of prayer with The wonder-Full Trinity, I (Keith) have increasingly been shown something that we believe wholeheartedly is, not just a Word from God for Brenda and myself but is also, a Word from God for you. It all ties into my being asked some forty plus years ago to play and sing my original songs that our Father, Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit, and I had written together and performed for a crowd at The University Of North Carolina (UNC). An event that I have thought back on over the past six months in particular and thinking to myself: "Has my music and reaching folks in concert settings, like I have done on so many occasions in the past, served its full purpose?"

        As a result, I began asking our Father, if the platform of music that He had anointed me for at one time could ever live again. I asked if it was in His plan for my life to anoint me for a new season of musical fruitfulness, like He had done so graciously so many years ago. Within the same week of my asking God that question, as I was in prayer, I saw in my spirit Ezekiel's vision where The LORD carried him in The Spirit over a valley that was filled with "dry bones". The "bones" implying that many people had died there long ago, long enough for the flesh to decompose. "Dry" bones implies that the bones of those people had been there so long that every cell in them had died, clear down to the very marrow, which takes many, many years.

       We have a question for you. Is there something that God has shown you, something that has not come into fruition in your life yet? Is there something that you have been believing God for, with all of your heart, but it has not yet come to pass? Is there something that you have believed God for, something that could reach many for Jesus Christ, but, whenever you have tried to make it happen, you seem to hit a wall? Or, like me and my performing my songs, is there a passion, a vision you still carry, something you had done in years past but have recently been wondering if it could live again? Bren and I believe wholeheartedly that, as you read Ezekiel's vision, God is going to breathe His Holy Spirit, His Life, into whatever it is that you have prayed fervently to come into fruition.  

     Bren and I believe that God has held you in reserve until now for many strategic reasons. We pray, in The Name of Jesus Christ, believing, as you read Ezekiel's vision, that the very same Holy Spirit that filled those "dry bones" and raised up a mighty army from what was seemingly dead and gone forever, will breathe the Life of God in-to you and will raise up the vision you have carried for so long! Now, take a deep breath, relax, read slowly and listen intently for the still small voice of The Wonder-Full The Holy Spirit as you are reading...

       "The hand of The LORD was upon me, and carried me out in The Spirit of The LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of The LORD. Thus saith The LORD GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews (Vigorous strength; muscular power) upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am The LORD. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said He unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith The LORD GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. Then he said unto me, son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith The LORD GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel." Ezekiel 37:1-12

       We are here, in the time when God is calling us to stand up and speak to the armies of God in Christ Jesus' Mighty Name and by His Authority. Much like Abraham waiting and waiting for God to fulfill His promise to him of a son, many believers are in that hour after they have walked with our Lord faithfully but have grown weary on their journey. The Lord is calling all whom He has used in years past to "arise" and "advance toward" the fulfillment of God's dream for their lives. No longer will they be convinced by deceiving spirits saying, "That once-wonderful season when God was working through you, and all of what He put in you, is o-v-e-r." The Lord says to you...

        "What you just 'knew' was your 'hay day', the fulfillment of Your Father's Will for your life, was actually your Boot Camp, your time of preparation! NO, you are not finished... far from it! The time you have been praying for, been sowing for, and been working towards and waiting for has arrived! You have been in preparation for this hour! The lies you have heard, the fiery darts from the enemy that have come to convince you that your time is done, has in truth served to temper you and to set your resolve for what is at the door, for what I had designed and created in you from the foundation of My Earth." The LORD says, "I have allowed your bones to dry up, which takes many years, so when those who see Me breathe My Life INto you, they will know that it is Me that has chosen and prepared you for this hour! You will not be operating on your last season's anointing. You are not be propping up something that I use to do. You are moving forward in what I have raised up for you! I have prepared you for this exact time! My Mighty Army is being revealed now... and there is no force in hell or on the earth that can stop them! Now, step forward into the vision I have written and am birthing in you, and I will meet you there!"

       "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you (James 4:8)." That is His PROMISE to you!

       We pray that these words bless you greatly. We want you to know that we are standing alongside you in prayer, from now and through to the complete fruition of the wonder-full gifts and calling that our Father has created in you... from the foundation of His Earth. Thank you over and over again for standing with us, as we are daily working out all that God has worked in us for His glory! The marriage supper of The Lamb is on the stove! Can you smell it?

       Thank you for your love and friendship, especially in our collective efforts to glorify Jesus Christ day in and day out. We love you and pray for you that God blesses you beyond your ability to contain it all... for all you do, or have done already, that makes our work possible.

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

Your friends and servants 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 3:14)

Keep PRESSIN' IN!

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We INVITE YOU...
 see and hear, follow and share, more from Toward The Mark, Inc.:

~  Keith and Brenda "Between The Lines" Podcast on TTM's Libsyn Channel

...BORN TO TRIUMPH!

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Thank you in advance for sowing your financial seed into the fertile soil of this ministry! We pray God bless you with a 100-fold return for your generosity!

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Take me back to the top of this post.

Take me to "Feelin' The 'Squeeze'" post.

Take me to "Think Gold!" post.

Take me to "Remove NOT The Ancient Landmarks" post.

Take me to "Our War-Time Advantage... The Battle Board" post.

Take me to "Our Father Hears Our Prayers!" post.

Take me to "GOD is So Much BIGGER..." post.

Take me to "The Stones That The Builders Rejected" post.

Take me to "What The Devil Fights To Keep Us From Knowing" post.

Take me to "We Will Soon Behold A Decisive Victory" post.

Take me to "Christ Jesus Is On The Move Making Things Happen!" post.

Take me to "Pearl Harbor MIRACLE 80 years ago..." post.

Take me to "God's Mighty Wave of TRUTH..." post.

Take me to "The Holy Spirit Said..." post.

Take me to "Stop RubberNeckin'...on the Road of Life in Christ" post.

Take me to "Love Letter From Our Father" post.

Take me to "Whoahh Horsey..." post.

Take me to "Wine Deception and Jesus" post.

Take me to "NEW Windows of Opportunity" post.

Take me to "Defeat the Giant in the Way of your Promotion" post.

Take me to "What is GOLD STAR MOTHER'S DAY in September?!" post.

Take me to "NEW Breed of Leader!" post.

Take me to "God shows Himself BIG in small things too" post.

Take me to "What do you mean, take up the Cross?" post.

Take me to "Smite God's Shepherd; Scatter the Sheep!" post.

Take me to "Bite Your Tongue!" post.

Take me to "Are You Ready to be Offered?" post.

Take me to "Bring God a Sacrifice of praise" post.

Take me to "God, why am I here?" post.

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Take me to "The BEST Fruit on the Limb" post.

Take me to "We've Got to Let 'Stuff' Go" post.

Take me to "Don't Take Your Gifts to the Grave" post.

Take me to "Salvation is Every-Day Life" post.

Take me to "Emergency Warning to Professing Witches" post.

Take me to "Passionate Pursuit of Singleness" post.

Take me to "We'll Miss You, Dad Shealy" post.

Take me to "75 Years Ago: Pearl Harbor & Fleet Admiral Nimitz" post.

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Take me to "Where to RUN When Trials Come" post.

Take me to "Caught Up With Jesus" post.

Take me to "True Leaders Speak Life" post.

Take me to "Greatest Hindrance to Significance" post.

Take me to Keith's MINI-Series of *Keep the FAITH* book, Chapter TWO.

Take me to "Rattlesnake Revelation" post.

Take me to "Gold Star Families Gave ALL" post.

Take me to "Love of GOD" post.

Take me to "My Broken Vessel's Fiery Trials" post.

Take me to "Magnetic Mantle...Why Cats Should Have Kitties".

Take me to "Run TO the Roar!" post.

Take me to "Overcoming Intimidation" post.

Take me to "The Heart of Thanksgiving" post.

Take me to "The Invisible Man" post.

Take me to "The Abomination of Misrepresentation" post.

Take me to "Living Among Thorns" post.

Take me to Keith's Journey through Chapter ONE of *Keep the FAITH*.

"Blessed be The LORD my Strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and He in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me (Psalm 144:1-2)."

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THINK GOLD

If Americans are to survive the current tide of tyranny, the righteous must arise and establish "... gold tried in the fire ...(Revelation 3:18)."

       "...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16)."

       As we look at America's dismal economy today, there is one thing that can certainly be blamed for what has led to the out-of-control spending and national debt that, without God's intervening, we will never dig our way out of. That one atrocious thing, which occurred in 1971, is when President Richard Nixon took our American economy "off" of "The Gold Standard". On a side note, there was a second defining atrocity committed by our own government just two years later: Roe vs. Wade was passed.

       So, what is "The Gold Standard" where a country's economy is concerned? The Gold Standard that a country's economy is based on is a currency measurement system that uses gold as a way to set the value of money. It ensures that currency under a gold-standard system can be exchanged for gold. The Gold Standard signifies an agreement between society and its monetary institutions where the currency they spend and earn is a stand-in for gold available to back it up. As long as our economy was kept in check by the country's gold reserves, politicians' spending was held in check. The amount of gold we had in our national reserves was used as the foundation of the economy.

       This subject has loads of history, variations, and political tentacles but, put simply, The Gold Standard, in a perfect world, is designed in part to keep the politicians honest and the taxpayers safe. Otherwise, we have what is occurring now... tyrannical abuses. "The Gold Standard forces the U.S. to live within its means", said investment strategist Mark Luschini. "Think of it as a person with a debit card rather than a credit card. The debit card holder can only spend what he or she has in the bank."

       There was a time in the early 1900s in America when paper money was backed by gold. It was referred to as "The Era of The Gold Standard". The story of why that era came to an end includes a nervous breakdown, a global panic, and a presidential adviser who was an expert on cows and chickens. The Gold Standard was a promise. If you had a dollar, you could take it to the government any time you wanted and trade it in for a fixed amount of gold. In the U.S. year after year, $20.67 got you an ounce of gold. In the early part of the 20th century, all the world's key economies were on The Gold Standard.

       Then in 1931, the system began to unravel in the most powerful country in the world at the time: England. When The Great Depression hit, the people in England panicked and started taking their paper money to the government to trade for gold. So many people had come to make the trade that The Bank of England was in danger of running out of their gold reserves.

       The thought of "running out of gold" was particularly terrifying for Montagu Norman, the head of The Bank of England. Norman was facing an impossible dilemma. As it was becoming increasingly difficult for England to remain on The Gold Standard, abandoning it was absolutely unthinkable for Norman and his contemporaries who came of age at a time when The Gold Standard was the unquestioned anchor of the global monetary system. This dilemma led Norman into a terrible dilemma of his own: a nervous breakdown. "The pressures of the job got to him, and he collapsed one day," says Liaquat Ahamed, author of the book Lords of Finance. "He thought that the future of Western Civilization was in his hands, and he basically couldn't function." Norman's doctor told him to leave the country and get some rest.

       While Montagu Norman was away, his colleagues at The Bank of England realized they were left with no choice because they were nearly out of their gold. So they decided to abandon The Gold Standard. It was like a bomb went off. People all over the world thought, if England can do it, anyone can. People all around the world began to turn their paper money in for gold, and countries' economies got worse and worse. Then, on March 12, 1933, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave his first fireside chat just when the U.S. had done "the mother of all bank runs".

       "Because of undermined confidence on the part of the public, there was a general rush by a large portion of our population to turn bank deposits into currency or gold," Roosevelt said. When he gave this speech, Roosevelt knew The Gold Standard was a problem. But he wasn't sure what to do about it. In fact, his top economic advisers were telling him to stay on The Gold Standard. They felt the same as Montagu Norman; Gold backing held everything in check.

       But there was one guy advising FDR to leave The Gold Standard, an economist named George Warren. In the book "Lords of Finance", Ahamed describes Warren as "a crank" saying, "George Warren had helped FDR deal with some of his trees on his estate. He was an agricultural economist." Warren had written a book on dairy farming and also devised a system for getting chickens to lay more eggs. He had also done a lot of work studying the way The Gold Standard affected commodity prices and the economy. He told FDR that the country had to leave The Gold Standard, and Roosevelt took his advice.

       Ahamed said that, when FDR told his advisers about his decision, they all exploded. Dean Acheson, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, resigned. Another adviser said it would be the end of Western Civilization. But it wasn't. Experts of the day were wrong about The Gold Standard.

       "Most economists now agree that 90% of the reason why the U.S. got out of The Great Depression was the break with gold," Ahamed says. He continued, "Going off of The Gold Standard gave the government new tools to steer the economy. If you're not tied to gold, you can adjust the amount of money in the economy if you need to. You can adjust interest rates. Almost all economists agree, the system we have today is better than The Gold Standard. Not perfect, but much better."

       Per that last quote, I would like to quote a famous 1960's cartoon horse from The Quick Draw McGraw Show... "Hold on thar, Baba Looey!"

       Without The Gold Standard firmly in place, enforced, and adhered to by those leading the country, taxpayer money can, and will likely, be terribly misappropriated or abused! For proof of this, one does not have to look any further than what is occurring right now in our own America! On so many levels, our domestic enemies, traitors within our own government, are raping, pillaging, and plundering our own nation! Taking America off of The Gold Standard, in order for it to operate in the way our government needed it to back in 1933, first required a solid moral foundation in the lives of those who were tasked with the appropriations of taxpayer money. Sadly, that solid moral character that was prevalent in the lawmakers of 1933 has greatly eroded based on the lives of many who are ruling our nation today. With that being the fact, what the lawmakers did to balance our economy in 1933 is clearly impossible today. In order for an economy to function outside of The Gold Standard, those who are tasked with appropriating our taxpayer dollars must be of the highest moral character and standing. Even then, for the sake of keeping the lawmakers safe from temptation, The Gold Standard must be in place.

       Over the last 50-plus years, our American government has been gradually infiltrated by foreign and domestic enemies! Anti-American, one-world-order communists have been systematically working for years to destroy our Nation at every side, including using their efforts, by the way, to succeed in stealing the 2020 Presidential Election and, most recently, the majority of 2022 mid-term elections. We must fervently pray, and not just alone, but we must join forces. Together, we must do everything we can as Americans to see that this corruption and its cartels are removed from within our government, from the medical industry and media, and from all of the many large companies in the U.S. We must do every-thing we possibly can to see that the criminals, enemies of God who hate His people, His America, and His Creation, are arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced. Simultaneously, we must play our part to pray for the salvation of the lawless, the criminals, and the anti-Constitutionalists, and work to see that they are replaced with God-fearing men and women who love Christ Jesus and who will lead the American citizenry in the "Right" direction, by the passionate pursuit of God in Jesus Christ by the leading of The Holy Spirit first and foremost... hence, obtaining the most essential Gold Standard: The True Gold, oneness i-n Jesus Christ!

       In order to establish and enact this first and infinitely power-full Gold Standard for the saving of America, this Gold Standard (becoming one in Jesus Christ) must be the passion of us all. Jesus Christ reveals this Spiritual Gold Standard in the vital Scripture, "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see (Revelation 3:18)." In order for The Gold Standard of the economy to work as it was designed to, we must handle it firmly, trusting its function to those in authority who have built their lives on the very Nature of Jesus Christ-The Gold Standard of The Spirit.

       It is our daily prayer that God will place America, and the other nations of the world, into the hands of those who love Jesus Christ, those God-fearing leaders and law-makers who are public "servants" first, those whose objective it is to lead America based on The 2 Gold Standards Americans need, simultaneously, for the protection and betterment of each and every individual in America and in every other country on the planet.

       We stand together, with you, praying, "Father God, please give to us Your leaders who love Your written Word, who listen for Your spoken Word, and who will, and already do, 'Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).' And please, Lord, let them be those who will 'rightly divide' the American taxpayer's hard-earned money! In Christ Jesus we pray, Amen (let it be so!" And AMEN!

    

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 3:14)

Keep PRESSIN' IN!

"See flipcard titles"

We INVITE YOU...
 see and hear, follow and share, more from Toward The Mark, Inc.:

~  Keith and Brenda "Between The Lines" Podcast on TTM's Libsyn Channel

...BORN TO TRIUMPH!

~ "Keith Shealy & Toward The Mark" on Facebook

~ "TTM SingingSgt" on Twitter

~ "Sharing with you the Secrets God Whispers to us" on our website 

        Take me back to the top of this post.

        Take me to "Our War-time Advantage is 'The Battle Board'" post.

        Take me to the "Being Fear-less in a Fear-filled World" post.

        Take me to "Christ Jesus is on the Move..." post.

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Toward the Mark, Inc. © 2005 - 2022 | Privacy Policy and Terms of Use apply |
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Remove Not The Ancient Landmarks

On behalf of those we reach together with the Great News of Jesus Christ and the Truth He teaches us... we are humbled and grateful beyond words for you, for your love, and for your cherished friend-ship. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!! We as Christians are praying, fasting, and getting involved, and we know we've got to encourage everyone in our lives to be involved as well. We cannot stress this enough!

I (and Bren) wanted to write you this Pressin'IN Blog letter about a family's story that illustrates what we are experiencing lately with regard to the critical mid-term elections. This is an incredibly exciting (and also a bit alarming) time as we share with you what we feel The Lord calling us all to do for as many people as we possibly can, right now, sharing a message of Truth, order, and direction for all people as the election approaches. This lines up perfectly with what we must be aware of, and share with every- and any-one we can, ahead of the 2022 "landmark" of all mid-term elections, a little story we entitled...

An Old Rusty Tractor, Some Picnic Tables, And A Lightnin' Tree

One evening after office hours, Bren and I sat down to watch a recorded episode of one of our favorite funny television shows that aired several years ago. In this particular episode, the scene starts out with the wife of the show's main character, and their seven children, all quietly gathered in the kitchen of their home. In the first moment, in walked the show's main character, the dad, rather loudly wishing them all a good morning. After not getting a response, he quickly looks around to find that everyone in the room had their eyes glued to their cell phones or electronic devices. Following several unsuccessful attempts at distracting them from their electronic devices, the dad raises his voice and says, "OK, that's it! Tomorrow we're going off the grid for an entire day."

In the next scene, the following morning, the show's entire family gathered in their living room. They were preparing for what the dad referred to as "an entire day of family fishing with no electronic devices at all." Just before loading into their two vehicles and heading off to the lake, the dad pulls out several old and tattered road maps. Suddenly, the room fills with voices of seven teenagers all asking, "What are those things?" The dad then begins to explain to the kids that, in place of using their GPS device on their mobile phones, they will be using the road maps to find their way to a lake that they have never been to before. He informed the kids that they would have to figure out how to get themselves to the lake using "old timey" road maps. The dad then said, "OK, now, the girls in one vehicle; the guys in the other; and the first ones to arrive to the new fishing spot wins."

The next scene shows the girls all loaded up in their vehicle, with their mom driving, heading out with open map in hand - no problems there. But, then, the scene changes to the inside of the boys' vehicle, with their dad driving, and the boys totally confused as the map that their dad had given to them was so old that it had fallen into several pieces. After several minutes of the guys trying to put all the map's pieces together "like a puzzle", they were finally able to make some sense of the map. As the boys focused in on their "semi-assembled" puzzle, one of them realized that the map their dad had given them was, not only outdated but, of a completely different part of the state. After a minute or two of griping about it, the oldest son speaks up and says, "We're just gonna have to stop and ask for directions."

So, the next scene shows the guys pulling into a local gas station/convenience store. The two oldest boys get out of the vehicle, walk over to an older, local fellow, and asked him how to get to the local lake. Upon asking, the older fellow said, "Oh yeah, I know right where that's at." He proceeded to explain to the guys, in his deep-south, Louisiana-bayou-style accent, how to get to the fishing spot where, by this time, they should have already been. It was the way the older "feller" explained the directions to the boys that Bren and I found very entertaining.

The older feller said, "Well, y'all need to turn around and head on back the other way a few miles. You come this way too far." He then said, "Once y'all go on back the other way for a few miles, you'll look over to 'yer' left, and in 'tharr' there'll be an old rusty tractor back off the road a-ways, with grass and brush grow'd up all around it; You can't miss it. It'll be down in yonder, next to some old picnic tables that're sittin' 'cross the road,... and you'll see an ol' tree over in 'tharr' that was hit by lightnin'." At that, the camera pans over to the dad sitting in the truck where he said, "Did I just hear him say 'lightning tree'!?"

Now, equipped by the local man's "proven landmarks" to follow, the guys finally got turned back in the right direction. They made their way to the new fishing spot, only to be greeted by five rather irritated ladies who had already beaten the guys there some forty-five minutes earlier. Either way, thanks to the old feller knowing definite landmarks to direct them to, they all made it to their planned destination, with no need for the use of electronic devices.

As Americans, we have been blessed by God, far beyond our abilities to perceive it all, with two definite landmarks that have been passed down to us. First and foremost, our Father God has blessed us with the landmark of all landmarks - God's Holy written Word, The Bible, written by His prophets as they became Holy Spirit inspired. Secondly, our Father God has blessed us through our nation's forefathers who He inspired to write, for us, The Constitution of The United States of America. Only by following these two proven landmarks can our lives in America flourish in the way God designed, as long as He allows us to have stewardship here.

God's Holy written Word, as it was Holy-Spirit-inspired to His prophets who wrote it down, is God's gift to the entire world! The Holy Bible serves much like a road map to lead us "in-to Oneness i-n God" through Jesus Christ by The Holy Spirit's leading. His Holy written Word ensures that all who will seek Jesus Christ whole-heartedly will enjoy the privilege of walking with The Trinity on the straight and narrow way that leads to fulfillment. If we will work side-by-side with The Holy Trinity, and play our part using the gifts and talents that are entrusted to each of us, God's dream for His creation can and will be fulfilled, as He desires... including as we seek His face and The Holy Spirit for wisdom before entering the voting booth.

The Constitution of The United States, the second of our ancient landmarks, is God's gift to the entire world, written and handed down to us by our nation's forefathers, godly men who were directed by God's Holy Spirit. He established it to serve much like a road map to ensure that His people will have a free nation under God, founded and built upon God's Holy written and spoken Word, with Jesus Christ ruling and reigning in the heart of its citizenry. America is set apart where those who love God, who love Jesus Christ, and who love God's Holy Spirit can freely worship and gather in Jesus Christ's Name without fear of retribution. We are "One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all"!

Interestingly, both, God's Holy written Word and The Constitution of The United States have something in common: They will only work, or produce fruit of righteousness, if we as individuals study them, take them to heart, and put them into action. I once heard a preacher say, concerning the establishing of God's Holy written Word in our lives, "God's Word will only work, if we work it." The Apostle Paul puts it like this in his letter to the believers in Rome, "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified (Romans 2:13)." We find a similar point in James 1:22 where we read, "But be ye doers of The Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. "

Simply put, as we stand at the threshold of a most crucial election in America's history, this is our time to shine the light of Jesus Christ on our fellow Americans, helping them better know, both, God's Holy written Word a-n-d The Constitution of The United States in this most exciting (and a bit alarming) time. As a ministry team and TTM family, seeing a startling number of people everywhere distracted from the contents of God's Holy written Word and The Constitution of The United States, we've got a plan... and we could really use your help.

We did our research to provide the two enclosed most-crucial tools God laid on our hearts for people we love and connect closely with in our lives: 1) TTM's clear easy-to-read Christian Voter Guide; and 2) the pocket-sized Constitution of The United States of America produced by the National Center for Constitutional Studies. Our strategic plan is to mail copies to reach as many friends as we possibly can just in time for the crucial mid-term elections November 8th. Secondly, for sharing with friends of friends of friends, virtually for any-and every-one, we have freely posted this letter and the enclosed tools on this "Pressin'IN Blog".

In his letter to the Romans, Paul gives a crucial direction concerning what is required for us to spread the great news of Jesus Christ to those who do not know Him. Paul writes, "For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in Whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach The Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things (Romans 10:13-15)!" This concept can be applied to our introducing fellow Americans to The Constitution of The United States of America also.

With that, we echo two questions by Apostle Paul, "... how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?" With our hearts over-flowing with gratitude, we thank our faith-full family of sponsors for the privilege of representing them on this current field of battle, month-in and month-out! Without their love for seeing others come to know The Trinity, their love for our Father's America, and their passion to see America be delivered from the wicked grasp of Satan's human accomplices, we would not be able to reach countless individuals we are reaching and have reached with The Gospel of Jesus Christ and The Gospel He preached. For this crucial time in our history, we aim to help countless Americans become informed with the rights and liberties given us by our Father's priceless gifts, order, and direction... straight from His Holy Word and The Constitution of The United States of America.

In closing, as Christian Americans, we must know our God-given rights and liberties, so we can act on them. After all, we must first BE FREE if we are going to lead others in-to FREEDOM. Please join us in praying that this campaign will succeed greatly in awakening family members, neighbors, co-workers, and everyone we know and meet, to the facts that God's Holy Word and The Constitution of The United States are our two most-sacred land-marks, and are the only things standing between our Constitutional Republic and America becoming a Communist dictatorship. Father God, in The Name of Jesus Christ and by Your wonder-full Holy Spirit, we come to You and ask You to please anoint this campaign greatly. Please lead all who receive this timely information to read and share the sacred landmarks of Your Holy written Word and The Constitution of The United States of America, with everyone they come into contact with. We curse, at its root, Satan's current war against all that is Yours, believing that these next coming months will prove to be our nation's finest hour! We thank You in advance, in The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we pray, Amen!

Thank you for your love, your friendship, and your like-mindedness in our collective efforts to glorify Jesus Christ day in and day out. We love you and pray for you that God bless you beyond your ability to contain it all... for reading, and sharing, this timely information.

Our supply of brochures is limited so please connect with us ASAP if you would like additional print copies. Also, a number of folks request the PDF and JPG files of the Christian Voting Guide by email. These email-able files are quick and easy to send and receive, to post on your social media pages, or to use to print copies you can pass along to others. Please take advantage of this opportunity and resource as election day is almost here!

God, please bless this reader friend beyond their ability to contain it all... for all they do in making known The Gospel of Jesus Christ and The Gospel He preaches, in His Name we pray, Amen (so be it)!

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

NOTE: With your TTM Voting Guide in hand, compare itemized credentials for each candidate in your own zip code at https://home.iVoterguide.com/

     

     

     

     

     

     

If there has ever been a time that we must "pray without ceasing", keeping our minds stayed on Jesus Christ, it is now. As The Father God is continuing to draw the wickedness out of the dark "hiding" places, to expose it in the LIGHT, we all must be steadfast, building up The Family of God. If we stand together in prayer for/with one another in these final hours, we keep our spiritual eyes focused on becoming One in The Lord Jesus Christ. By our keeping focused on taking "the narrow way" each and every day, we protect ourselves and everything we hold dear in The Kingdom of God from compromise by countless indulgences of this world. If we submit to The Holy Spirit's leading, He is our Best Friend and Comforter Who keeps us clean and ready to be used by God everyday, in spite of distractions with "cares of this life" all around us. Be encouraged to press through, stand strong, and reach out to those whose focus has been weakened or broken by all that is happening in the news and world today.

From the bottom of our hearts we express how eternally grateful we are to our TTM Family of Faithful Contributors, by whose love for Jesus Christ, passion to see His Name magnified, and ongoing generosity this project is made possible. We want to also thank you for hearing the call, with us, to invest in Prayer and Voting. We would be remiss to go without offering you the opportunity to become a part of this campaign and many more projects like it. Aside from the writing, editing, and research that goes into a project like this, there are outside costs for things like printing and postage also. We invite you to prayerfully consider helping us. The opportunity to sow your seed into high-yield projects (in the spirit) is too good to not share with you. For your convenience we provide self-addressed envelopes upon request, and we also plan to soon accept credit card donations through our TTM website. All gifts are tax-deductible and very appreciated.

Our prayers are fueled with hope and expectation for fulfilling our spiritual assignments in this world, through sharing The Gospel of Jesus Christ and The Gospel Jesus Christ preached... greater than ever before!

If you have yet to invite Jesus Christ into your heart to be your Lord and Savior, or if you have allowed something or someone to come between you and God, now is your time to get right with God. Right there where you are, pray this prayer to God, then REST-ASSURED and watch what God does...

          "Dear Father God, in the precious Name of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and The LORD of all lords, I lay my life at Your Feet. I come before You, confessing that I am a sinner, and I ask for You to forgive me of all my sins - those that I know I have committed, as well as those that I am not even aware of.  I ask that You come into my heart and be my Lord. I lay my life, and everything in it, at Your Feet, and ask that You please take me and begin to change me to be like YOU. I ask that You redeem the time that has passed, and allow me the opportunity to become exactly what You have predestined me to be, from before the foundation of the earth. I commit my life to You now, and thank You for receiving me as Your own. In the wonderful Name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, I pray, Amen."  And AMEN (So be it)!

            WELCOME HOME!

            If you have just prayed this prayer, we want to congratulate you for making the greatest decision that you'll ever make! By accepting Jesus Christ, or rededicating your life to Him, as your personal Lord and Savior, you have begun the wonder-full process of being grafted into the family of God, and we welcome you "Home" to God's Family. We would also like to invite you to contact us so that we can send you information that will help you begin growing in your relationship and daily walk with God. We would encourage you to begin attending a Holy-Spirit-filled, full-Bible focused church right away.

            We advise you to begin reading The Holy Bible daily, whether you understand it or not. Always remember, God's written Word in The Holy Bible is LIKE NO OTHER BOOK that has ever been written! When we rendezvous with The Person of The Holy Spirit as we read what God has written there, it becomes stored in our heart for The Holy Spirit to access it to bring to our remembrance.  You will find that the Scriptures will become applicable to whatever you are going through, at any given time!

            There are wonderful Bible teachers that can, especially early in your walk with God, help you to receive good teaching and encouragement right away. Though informative, those Bible-teaching programs are never to be a substitute for close relationships with people who love and serve God. At times, the transformation process that you have now begun will be difficult, and you will be tempted to go back to your old ways of living your old life. It will be during times like these that hanging out with strong Christian friends and mentors will be crucially important. There really IS strength in numbers! (Selah)

            And remember... growing in Godliness requires purity of focus, staying steadfast, immovable, and uncompromising in the faith of Jesus Christ... and now more than ever, no matter what, Keep PRESSIN' IN! You might consider using our book  LETTERS FROM THE FRONT, the special collection of keys to defeating hindrances that have kept many of God's servants from walking with the confidence and authority that Jesus Christ died to provide for us! Twelve life-changing chapters include:

	;
Sin Makes Ya Stewpit!	The Cart's Before the Horse
The Crisis of Eroding Integrity	The Fruit's on the End of the Limb
Too Quick to Compromise	The Rarest of All Breeds!
Please...Stop Stinkin'	Three Keys to God-Pleasing Faith
Let It Go	Understanding the Fear of The Lord
Into the Secret Place	Give to Give

  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 by email request from TowardTheMark

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.

With love we lift you to The Lord in our prayers, hopeful that you have determined to, "Suit Up" and Focus-Lead-Overcome. We appreciate you eternally for taking part in our work by downloading this Pressin'IN *TowardTheMark* Blog!

Your Servants 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 message, 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, all 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 3:14)

Keep PRESSIN' IN!

We INVITE You ... follow and share more Toward The Mark resources we make available to help build you up by building your faith in God's Word, His Will, and His Ways: 

~  "The Shealys & Toward The Mark Videos" on Vimeo 

~  "Keith Shealy's Toward The Mark" on Facebook 

 

~   "TTM Singing Sergeant" on Twitter 

~   "KeithAndBrendaLee Shealy PODCASTS" at TTM's BetweenTheLines Channel on Libsyn.

Blog Feature... I was overwhelmed by the enormity of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us!

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. 

Thank you in advance for sowing your financial seed into the fertile soil of this ministry! We pray God bless you with a 100-fold return for your generosity!

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          Take me to "Print My TTM Christian Voting Guide" Blog.

          Take me to "Christ Jesus is on the move..." Blog.

          Take me to "Be Steadfast, Immovable, Uncompromising..." Blog.

          Take me to "Stop RubberNecking..." Blog.

          Take me to "Suit Up! Focus-Lead-Overcome..." Blog.

          Take me to "Whoahh Horsey..." Blog.

          Take me to "Celebrating 'SINGLEness'" Blog.

          Take me to "Worship God with sacrifices of Praise" post.

          Take me to "MONEY is not the root of all EVIL" post.

          Take me to "The BEST New Year's Resolution" post.

          Take me to "Aristo & God fulfilled their 3rd military deployment!" post.

          Take me to "Leave it ALL on the Field!" post.

          Take me to "Happy THANKS-GIVING IS EVERYTHING Day!" post.

          Take me to "BEST Keith Shealy Quotes, Recent Most-Requested" post.

          Take me to "Being IN True Faith; OUT of Sin & Doubt" post.

          Take me to "Wine, Deception, and... JESUS" post.

          Take me to "NEW Windows of Opportunity" post.

          Take me to "Defeat the Giant in the Way of your Promotion" post.

          Take me to "What is GOLD STAR MOTHER'S DAY in September?!" post.

          Take me to "NEW Breed of Leader!" post.

          Take me to "God shows Himself BIG in small things too" post.

          Take me to "What do you mean, take up the Cross?" post.

          Take me to "Smite God's Shepherd; Scatter the Sheep!" post.

          Take me to "Bite Your Tongue!" post.

          Take me to "Are You Ready to be Offered?" post.

          Take me to "Bring God a Sacrifice of praise" post.

          Take me to "God, why am I here?" post.

          Take me to "Murder by words?" post.

          Take me to "The BEST Fruit on the Limb" post.

          Take me to "We've Got to Let 'Stuff' Go" post.

          Take me to "Don't Take Your Gifts to the Grave" post.

          Take me to "Salvation is Every-Day Life" post.

          Take me to "Emergency Warning to Professing Witches" post.

          Take me to "Passionate Pursuit of Singleness" post.

          Take me to "We'll Miss You, Dad Shealy" post.

          Take me to "Celebrate Difference; Honoring MLK, Jr." post.

          Take me to "75 Years Ago: Pearl Harbor & Fleet Admiral Nimitz" post.

          Take me to "Our Military Vets Out of Sight...Out of Mind?" post.

          Take me to "Where to RUN When Trials Come" post.

          Take me to "Caught Up With Jesus" post.

          Take me to "True Leaders Speak Life" post.

          Take me to "Greatest Hindrance to Significance" post.

          Take me to Keith's MINI-Series of *Keep the FAITH* book, Chapter TWO.

          Take me to "Rattlesnake Revelation" post.

          Take me to "Gold Star Families Gave ALL" post.

          Take me to "Love of GOD" post.

          Take me to "My Broken Vessel's Fiery Trials" post.

          Take me to "Magnetic Mantle...Why Cats Should Have Kitties" post.

          Take me to "Run TO the Roar!" post.

          Take me to "Overcoming Intimidation" post.

          Take me to "The Invisible Man" post.

          Take me to "The Abomination of Misrepresentation" post.

          Take me to "Living Among Thorns" post.

          Take me to Keith's Journey through Chapter ONE of *Keep the FAITH*.

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