Cast Off Works Of Darkness; Put On The Armor Of Light

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This is a historic time of opportunity to celebrate America’s 250th Birthday as we reach out with the Love and Gospel of Jesus Christ and win souls for God’s Kingdom...

"... for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the Armor of Light (Romans 13:11-12).”

We would like to begin with thankfullness for Jesus Christ teaching His disciples in God’s written Word, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it gives light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven (Matthew 5:14-16)."

How thankful we are for such incredible works and answered prayers we have witnessed of God, Jesus Christ, and The Holy Spirit in our lives, both here in America and in the world! Especially considering everything the Three-in-One Holy Trinity has done through President Trump over this first 18 months as our Commander-in-Chief, we are counting our blessings. What a privilege we have gotten to work together, with Them, to fulfill God's passion in the Earth. We cannot thank our Father enough for giving us Donald J. Trump, his wife and family, and each of his talented cabinet and team members.

In just the first year-and-a-half of Mr. Trump serving his second non-consecutive term, being our 47th President since January 20th, 2025, God has begun miraculously restoring U.S. Constitutional order and the rule of law in America unlike any other time in our nation’s 250-year history. We thank and praise God for providing His divine wisdom, guidance, knowledge, direction, and protection on President Trump and his team. We eagerly anticipate all of what He has in store for the rest of this 250-year Birthday Celebration year of 2026 and beyond, in Christ Jesus our Lord!

Americans must have God and His written and spoken Word in order to be healed, redeemed, and made whole. This is especially true given the assaults of the anti-America, anti-Christ, anti-Constitutional presidencies of 2008, 2012, and 2020. As a ministry team and family our priority is to boldly reach out to people whose hearts and lives have been broken, many who have suffered much, even losing their loved ones, during the last administration's lawless objective to maim and destroy America. We have got to bind together, united, and pray for President Trump and his team in Washington. We pray that God will continue to anoint them with the ability to restore what so many of our American brothers and sisters have tragically sacrificed as a result of greed in the wicked hearts of federal and state politicians in government leadership.

During this time of restoration, we, the people, will remain steadfast as Christians in a Christian nation that began in 1776, 250 years ago this July 2026. We have pledged, and we pledge afresh, and will continue to pledge our allegiance to Jesus Christ and "to the Republic (for which our American flag stands), one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for ALL"... by shining The Light of God's Love to all who we come in contact with!

As unruly as things may appear to be, stemming from the lawless chaos of the former administration especially, we must keep our focus on getting wisdom, truth, and understanding from God and His Word, and allow The Holy Spirit to cleanse and heal us of the heart-break, fatigue, and harmful effects of countless offenses and intentional damages inflicted on our citizens of America. This is a historic time! We must sieze upon the opportunities we have right now for reaching others with the Love and Gospel of Jesus Christ.

"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the Armor of Light (Romans 13:11-12)."

LET THE MIRACULOUS TESTIMONIES OF GOD'S GREATNESS BE IN OUR LIVES AND ON OUR LIPS! No matter what our adversary brings on us along the way, we will rejoice and be glad because we have "put on" Jesus Christ, Who IS the "Armor of Light".

Our wonder-full Toward The Mark family is passionate to fulfill the part God has for us to fulfill in these last days before Christ Jesus returns. Only by the Love of God in us are we able to win the hearts of those swept away in the tide of God-less-ness, even choosing to live opposite to God’s Word, Will, and Ways. Let's make it our collective goal for the coming months to reach out to and befriend as many people as possible, especially those outside of our social circles.

Let's share with other people, everywhere, our testimonies of faith in Jesus Christ as The Holy Spirit brings them to light in us. Tell them about each time when God answered our prayers, always walking and talking with us, and working things out in mysterious ways as only He does in our life. The results to come will bless both us and them, as our hearts become filled with gratitude, compelling us to offer up thanksgiving to The LORD for His very presence, for His being, and for every thing that He IS and does. ”

Let’s Celebrate our 250-Year Birthday of America shining The Light of The LORD Jesus Christ...
"For God, Who commanded The Light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give The Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6)."

Remember also, "we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the Excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:7)."

WATCH our "When It Comes To Sharing Your Faith" videos on the Toward The Mark INC channels online.

Thank you for hearing our hearts and our hearts’ passion for God, His written and spoken Word, and His People. We pray that this message fanned the flame in your heart to "reach for God" in greater ways than ever before.

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

Your friends in this final hours' harvest of souls, with eternal gratitude to our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ,

& the TTM Family

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Take me to "...God's Mighty Wave of Truth Over America..." post.

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To Show GOD BIG in a World that Sees Him small… 
sums up the reason the two of us, Keith and Brenda, stepped out in faith to focus on reaching the lost and strengthening believers everywhere, through Toward The Mark, Inc.  Our prayer, along with the entire team of this ministry, is that you will be encouraged and edified by the Secrets from God's Word that we share through Keith’s written and recorded accounts. The complete collection of original podcasts, music, Blogs, books, CDs, and other resources of Toward The Mark, Inc. are made possible by the prayer and financial contributions of the TTM Support Family.  We'd like to welcome you on-board TODAY!

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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 our Father's 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.

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Perfect Preparation is our Greatest Weapon and Ally...

 

We pray that this blog of heartfelt gratitude finds you healthy and victorious over every attempt of the enemy to rob you of this reality: "You are eternally-cherished, brilliantly created by God Himself from the foundation of the earth, and loved by The Holy Trinity far beyond your ability to even imagine it." Right now, God is in the process of drawing all who are Satan's human accomplices out of the dark shadows and into The Light of Jesus Christ's Truth.  Their wicked deeds are being revealed, many that they have been committing against the people of our United States for many years now.

On behalf of those we are reaching with the Great News of Jesus Christ and The Gospel He teaches, we are humbled and eternally grateful to our TTM friends and co-laborers that make this work possible.  By their faithful prayers and monthly financial sponsorship, we stand ready and equipped to fulfill the mission that God has for us to accomplish during these "war-time efforts", both in the natural and spiritual realms.  As Apostle Paul instructs us in Ephesians 6:11-13, "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."

PERFECT PREPARATION...
is a Soldier's Greatest Weapon
and Ally on the Field of Battle!

In our Speaking of assignments and missions, in the early '90s I was asked by the pastors of Grace Bible Church, on Shore Drive in Virginia Beach, to initiate and lead a young adults group.  That area is home to several Navy bases with personnel and their families that made up a large percentage of the community surrounding the Church.  After our group had been up and running for a few months or so I noticed one evening the arrival of five young, very sharp looking families join our young adults group.

A long and wonderful story short, I would soon learn that the five young men were all members of the same SEAL Team operating out of the local Navy Base. From the time that they had joined our young adults group, until God called me to assist another Pastor and his team much closer to where I was living at the time, my life had been enriched tremendously by our loving, fun and at times stressful bond.

These humble men of God and their beautiful families, by the nature of their mission, lived in a continual state of readiness, not knowing from one moment to the next when their team leader would call, and when he did, where their next mission would take them. Though not exact, it was in some ways like movies we have all seen. For instance, we would all be at lunch after a church service, a cook out or in any other situation when suddenly all of their cell phones would begin to buzz and vibrate simultaneously.

When their team commander would call, the spirit in the room and the countenance of every face immediately shifted to one of extreme focus and urgency, but never panic. From the moment that they would receive their commander's call, each of the team members, their wives and children, like a finely choreographed Broadway production, would leap into action, everyone performing his or her individual tasks, right down to the youngest member of the family making sure that Sippy cups and teddy bears were located and tucked into their own little scat bag. To us, non-military types, that would be a back pack.

Just as each member of the team and their families had their assignments to perform, due to the position that I held in their lives, I had my task as well. Interestingly, I had become familiar enough with the team members and their families over time that I could almost discern when their incoming phone calls were from their commander or when they were not.

What was my mission as their spiritual group leader? It was to pray militantly for God's protection and wisdom over the men during their deployments and to do my best to lighten the spirit of each mission, for their wives and children's sake, as much as I could, considering the circumstances. I can remember lying awake at night praying, knowing that the guys were in a C-130 troop plane getting ready to jump into the dark skies over, what they would refer to as, their next objective. An unspoken reality that haunted everyone involved was that the next mission, God forbid, could be their last. The bond that they all shared was forged in the continuous, white-hot flames of uncertainty, not knowing what their next mission would hold.

Though a tremendously stressful lifestyle for all involved, the team members and their wives continuous state of readiness was abundantly obvious, a silent and unwavering display of strength far beyond their years. These men and their wives were always "on," they were always aware of their surroundings, keenly and skillfully adaptable to any situation, and ready to deploy at a moment's notice.

I can remember thinking during our time together, and many times since, of just how  effective that we as The Body of Jesus Christ would be if each of us were as prepared and focused on the task at hand as those five special operators and their families were. Each member of their families living out each day, conducting themselves and their moment by moment objectives as if it were their last. They live in a constant state of readiness.

As a ministry team, friends and family, it is our mission to live our lives as if today were to be our last. The Apostle Paul most certainly laid out a clear pattern for us to follow. Not only did he preach The Gospel of Jesus Christ and The Gospel that Jesus Christ preached in one form or another every day, on the final day of his life, the Apostle Paul took advantage of the opportunity he was given by those who were tasked with beheading him to preach a summation of all he had been teaching for the glory of Jesus Christ up to that point in his life.

With this letter's particular emphasis in mind, being prepared for any and every situation, please pay special attention to The Holy Trinity's opening, or first charge, as the Apostle Paul speaks.  For those present for his beheading, and even more importantly for those that would come to Christ in the years to come, he declares in 2 Timothy 4:1-8, "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing (2 Timothy 4:1-8)."

As a side note, I have found that a person's final instructions, whether leaving a list of tasks for others to accomplish in their absence, or leaving their final dying wish, his or her final words will usually be what they consider to be the most important. I believe that 2 Timothy 4 is the Apostle Paul's epitaph, his heart's deepest, most wanted, final wishes.  May we all strive to, as Apostle Paul charged us, "be instant in season, out of season."

We would like to encourage you with four nuggets of wisdom that our special operations friends in Jesus Christ drilled into us over our time and years together:  #1) Be ready for any and every situation... yesterday! Always be prepared;
#2) Always keep your head on a swivel (which means always be keenly aware of your surroundings);
#3) Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate! Be filled daily with the water of God's Holy Word as well as keeping physically hydrated with pure drinking water;
#4) Put together a "Scat Bag" (aka: Bug-out-Bag) and always keep it close at hand. An emergency grab-and-go backpack is best to have packed and prepared with items that will make it possible for you to survive for at least five days or until an "all-clear" signal has been given. See the list of specific survival items in the closing to this message below.

In Jesus Christ's Wonder-full Name, and by His Authority, we speak over you God's protection, His provision, His peace, His joy, His wisdom, His understanding, and the fulfillment of all that He had created you to do and to be, with Him, from the foundation of His wonder-full creation. And, apart from hoping and praying that we achieve a God-honoring victory in the upcoming November election, our steadfast missions always have been, and always will remain, the same...  We love the unlovable, feed the hungry, house the homeless, clothe the naked, and heal the sick... spiritually, emotionally, and physically. With that in mind, and more, we cannot possibly thank you enough for helping make our work to fulfill The Holy Trinity's Plan and Call on our lives possible!

In closing, in the spirit of preparedness for any earthly emergency you may encounter, we put together for you a list of necessary items to include in your "Ready or Scat Bag"...

Suggested Scat Bag inventory inside a durable and waterproof backpack capable of holding all important items...  Holy Bible, drinking water, photo identifications, passport, first aid kit, prescription medicines, water purification tablets, potable water filter, duct tape, flash light w/spare batteries, nonperishable foods, bug repellent, light weight tarpaulin, socks, underwear, gloves, shirt, pants, lighter w/ spare fluid, multi-purpose knife, portable saw, hatchet, roll of parachute cord, Benadryl cream and tablets, small hydrogen peroxide, tooth brush w/paste, toilet paper, folding shovel, portable hand-crank solar-powered radio, light-weight thermal blanket, fire arm, compass, Tylenol, Advil, insect repel wipes, digital thermometer, sleeping bags, rain suit... and don't forget teddy bear for your (or someone else's) child :-).

Your friends, servants, and TTM Family in Christ Jesus,

 

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        Take me back to the top of this post.

        Take me back to "Song and Testimony in Proverb 28" post.

        Take me back to "Song and Testimony in Proverb 28" post.

        Take me back to "From Shifting Sands to The Solid Rock" post.

        Take me back to "Becoming God's End-Time Executives" post.

        Take me back to "Turning The Tide of Imitation and Lies..." post.

        Take me back to "Satan's 'Party Night' (vs.) ... Jesus Christ" post.

        Take me back to "Calling Every Christian..." post.

        Take me to "Nothing Can Separate Us From GOD's Love" post.

        Take me back to "Becoming A Love Letter..." post.

        Take me back to "A Little Guy with God..." post.

 

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Mail check donations payable to Toward The Mark, Inc, PO Box 1152, Yorktown VA 23692. Thank you in advance!

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 " 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.

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A little Guy with GOD is Bigger than ALL the Giants Combined

With God, We WIN; With-OUT God, We Don't Stand A Chance 

        There is a crucial factor we must point out and realize about David in his pursuit to face Goliath. David did not suddenly decide to go against the giant. David was most certainly accused by his older brother of being presumptuous or prideful by declaring that he would defeat the Philistine. But, truly, he was not being presumptuous or prideful at all. God had fully prepared David for this encounter, and David knew it! This is why he could be so confident in going forth against Goliath. It is also why he was able to overcome the grave doubts of Saul, the king. "And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth (1 Samuel 17:32-33)."

In this passage, David indicates his willingness to fight the Philistine, and Saul responds with a very rational sounding answer. For truly, in the natural, David's offer was preposterous! He was but a youth, a shepherd boy, while Goliath had been trained to be "a man of war from his youth." Yet, David knew that God had prepared him for such a time and explained how this had occurred.

"And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and The LORD be with thee (1 Samuel 17:34-37)."

David knew how to fight! He had faced the lion and the bear, but not alone! The LORD had delivered David from both. Consequently, he could confidently and reasonably expect that God would deliver him from the Philistine. And that is what he told the king. After hearing David's words, the king accepted David's offer, and then did a curious thing.

"And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed (tried it) to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him (1 Samuel 17:38-39)."

Saul tried to get David to wear Saul's own armor into the battle, but David refused, saying that he had no experience with them. Furthermore, David knew that God had given him skill with the sling, and he had had many hours of solitude as a shepherd to hone that skill. Finally, David had already seen Goliath arrayed in his armor and knew that he could be brought down with the sling, David's weapon of choice.

It would have been presumptuous of David to go forth wearing Saul's armor. In fact, it would have been a fatal mistake! For then the battle would have been fought on Goliath's terms in the flesh, and the giant would have won that fight.

To demonstrate the error of presumption through a counterexample to David's triumph, consider the occurrence from the time of Moses after God had miraculously delivered the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt and from starvation in the wilderness. At this point in their journey the children of Israel were preparing to invade the Promised Land, and so Moses sent twelve spies into the land of Canaan to bring back information that would help in the invasion.

Ten of the spies brought back an evil report of giants in the land. "And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight (Numbers 13:32-33)."

After hearing this report, the children of Israel refused to believe that God would be with them in the battle against the giants of Canaan. And consequently the people rejected the following words of the two faithful spies, Joshua and Caleb. "Only rebel not ye against The LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and The LORD is with us: fear them not. But all the congregation bade [threatened to] stone them with stones (Numbers 14:9-10)."

Having fear of the giants and lacking faith in God, the Israelites wished that they had died in the wilderness, and they even began preparing to return to the bondage of Egypt (see Numbers 14:2-4). As a result, God promised them that they would die in the wilderness even as they had wished! "Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith The LORD, as ye have spoken in Mine ears, so will I do to you: Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; (Numbers 14:28-29)."

After the Israelites heard that, however, they had second thoughts! The scripture records that "the people mourned greatly (Numbers 14:39)." Moreover, they began preparing to invade the land, but they were warned to not go forth into battle presumptuously. "Ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from The LORD, therefore The LORD will not be with you (Numbers 14:43)."  

Despite the warning of the fact that "those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before The LORD (Numbers 14:37)", the Israelites went presumptuously into battle with the Canaanites. The LORD was not with them, and they were badly beaten.

Subsequently, after forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the nation was again at the brink of invading the Promised Land. It was at this juncture that Moses made a point to relate the account of this incident from the failed first invasion to the children of the people whose carcasses had fallen in the wilderness according to the Word of The LORD. In his conclusion of the account, Moses said these words, "Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against The LORD, we will go up and fight, according to all that The LORD our God commanded us. And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up into the hill. And The LORD said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies. So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of The LORD, and went presumptuously up into the hill. And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah (Deuteronomy 1:41-44)."

Thus, we see that instead of overcoming their fear, they were really guilty of rebellion and presumption. Their "boldness" was counterfeit, because God was not in it. So, even as David could not have overcome Goliath on his own and the Israelites could not overcome the Canaanites on their own, neither can we overcome intimidation by our own efforts, pride, or false hopes. We need the genuine boldness of righteousness that can only come from The LORD.

We pray that this brief exhortation fans into flames your passion for loving, trusting, believing, and following God wholeheartedly.  If you allow those flames to burn and increase in your life in Jesus Christ, your life will be better than our human minds are capable of perceiving... guaranteed!

          So, "How do I begin the process of 'running INto' the giants I face... with The LORD?"

"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...
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Run into the Intimidating Roar!

When our human nature says RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, what does it take for us to overcome the intimidation and fear, and run TOWARD, instead of away from, "THE ROAR"? The most important thing is knowing the tactics of our enemy and seeking after the vigilance and wisdom of God! Let's get right into "OVERCOMING INTIMIDATION"...

Message from chapter 7 of our book entitled, "OVERCOMING INTIMIDATION."

  Intimidation is one of the greatest hindrances to accomplishing anything significant in this life. If you have ever contended with peer pressure from classmates, approached your employer for a raise, walked into a gathering and just "knew" that everybody was talking about you, had to walk any distance in total darkness, tried to tell someone for the first time that you love them, or stepped out to share your faith, you know exactly what I am talking about. Fear shows up, that giant among emotions, often in the form of an anxious feeling in the pit of your stomach. Much like swimming upstream, the longer you stay in the situation, the stronger this unseen force seems to grow. You may even begin hearing things in your head, words that condemn you or put you down. Yes, even your own thoughts turn against you! Fear has gripped your heart, and you find yourself contemplating whether or not you are going to turn and run away.

Sound familiar? In fact, it is all too familiar, and for some it is a way of life, although it is not accurate to describe this as "living." So, if you are ever going to enter into the Abundant Life, you are going to have to learn not only to stand up in the face of intimidation, but also to fight your way through it. If you do, what awaits you on the other side will far exceed your greatest expectations. Always remember this crucial scriptural principle: "The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion." (Proverbs 28:1)

Likewise, our old natures will flee when no one pursues us, but our new natures are bold as a lion. To illustrate this, I will relate an amazing story I once heard documenting the way some lions pursue and trap their prey. I find the lions' method quite intriguing since intimidation plays such a prominent role in the way they hunt for food.

As male lions grow old, not only do they slow down considerably, but their teeth also become brittle and painfully sensitive, making it very difficult for them to chase down and kill prey. In order for the big male lions to be able to eat on a regular basis, they recruit the female and young male lions of the pride to accomplish the difficult task of chasing down and killing their meals for them. With both the females and young males in tow, the ferocious-looking male lion sets off on his quest for something to eat. Once he has spotted a herd of animals feeding in the distance, he approaches them very stealthily. The big male, once in position, keeps as low as possible while the females and young males quietly position themselves on the opposite side of the intended prey. Once they are close enough to them, the old male lion rises up and lets out a tremendously loud and intimidating roar. At that fearsome sound, the herd begins running away from the old male in the direction of the waiting lions, not realizing that the big male lion is relatively toothless. Consequently, the female and young male lions are able to chase down and kill members of the herd with much greater ease; the intimidating sound of the old lion's roar literally drives the prey right into the jaws of death. The moral of the story is this: whenever you are confronted with an intimidating situation, head straight towards it. Therein lies your freedom! If the unsuspecting animals had only run into the intimidating roar of the old lion, more of them would have been around to graze another day.

This same principle is demonstrated in the account of the war between the Israelites and the Philistines in which David killed the champion of the Philistines, the giant Goliath. The situation that confronted God's people appeared to be quite dire. Goliath dominated the scene, demanding that the Israelites put forth a champion to face Goliath in one-on-one combat, winner take all. If Goliath won, as looked probable, the Israelites would become the slaves of the Philistines. Conversely, if Goliath lost, the Israelites would be the masters. The challenge was summarized by Goliath thus: "I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together." (1 Samuel 17:11) The reaction of God's people to the roar of the giant was to flee, though no one was pursuing them; the giant was simply offering the challenge. "And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid." (1 Samuel 17:24)

Such was the situation on the day when David came into the camp of the Israelites at the instruction of his father. David was bringing supplies to his brothers and presents for their captain. In return, his father wanted David to find out how his brothers were doing. The occasion, however, was of the Lord, for David heard the words of Goliath and observed the terror amongst his own people.

Upon learning that no Israelite had volunteered to be the champion of his people, David offered his services to Saul their king, though David was but a youth. The king was reluctant, but eventually he acquiesced, and David went out upon the field of battle to face the giant: "And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine." (1 Samuel 17:40) The giant, looking with disdain upon the youth who stood before him, uttered words intended to quail the heart of the young warrior. "And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field." (1 Samuel 17:44)

David did not back down, neither was he dismayed or filled with fear. David was bold as a lion. "Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands." (1 Samuel 17:45-47)

Thus the battle was joined: "And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled." (1 Samuel 17:48-51)

Note the significant phrase: "David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine." David ran to the roar! He refused to be intimidated by the giant, and God wrought a great victory that day.

We pray that this testimony and brief exhortation fans into flames your passion for loving, trusting, believing, and following God whole-heartedly.  If you allow those flames to burn and increase in your life with Christ, your life will be ever better... guaranteed!

Keep PRESSIN' IN!

"Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety." (Proverbs 11:14)

________________________________

THANK YOU for downloading this message today! We pray God will use it to bear tremendous witness and blessing in your life! 

Find more messages like this one in another most-requested book of Keith Shealy's Toward The Mark, "Letters From The Front" available by request on our website @ TowardTheMark.com.

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From all of us at Toward The Mark, may God bless you as you keep pressin' IN to oneness in The Holy Trinity, today and every day in your life. We would like to close with a big THANK YOU, and our eternally gratitude, to our cherished Toward The Mark Family of Sponsors who make this blog, and all of our resources, possible through their faithful prayers and financial contributions!

Your friends & servants in Christ,

Take me back to the top of this post.

Take me to "The Counterfeit Boldness of Presumption & Pride" post.

Take me to "The Heart of Thanksgiving" post.

Take me to "The Abomination of Misrepresentation" post.

Take me to "Living Among Thorns" post.

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

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