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Sunday, October 30

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!


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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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