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Showing posts with label community. Show all posts
Showing posts with label community. Show all posts

Thursday, March 31

What The Devil Fights To Keep Us From Knowing

"Sharing the great news about Jesus Christ is much easier than you might think!"--Keith, Brenda, and the TTM Team

In these times when wickedness is abounding, we as believers in Jesus Christ have in our possession something that can overcome the work of the devil in the lives of those around us... our testimony!
           Write down the things that Jesus Christ has done for you personally. That is your testimony. Make copies and begin passing them out to your friends. Send them to those in your social media circles, in your workplace, in your family, and even to those who you may have been a bit too intimidated in years past to share it with.

           With each passing day the door of opportunity we have to show God big in the eyes of those who see Him small is closing. If we are going to take advantage of what little time we do have, to lead those who are bound by the chains of poor life choices to Jesus Christ, and to help them onto the path of being made "one" in Jesus Christ by the leading of The Holy Spirit, it is going to take every one of us sharing "the word of our testimony."

           John reveals this vital three-part combination in one of his passages, Revelation 12:11, "And they overcame him (the devil and his minions) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." The written and spoken accounts of our cherished encounters with God are our testimony, whether He knocked us off of a horse as He did Saul, or moved on the heart of someone to slip us some money just as a bill came due. Our testimony is a story that can provide to the skeptics the substantive evidence of an unseen God.

           In a paragraph or two, write down your story, and send it to everybody you know!   Remember, YOU may be the last opportunity somebody has to hear the great news of Jesus Christ!

           Paul The Apostle teaches us ...

"That if you confess with your mouth The Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture says, Whosoever believes on Jesus Christ will not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the Name of The Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:9-13)."


Let's keep Pressin'IN y'all!
Keith, BrendaLee, and The TTM Team


           To those who have given up houses, lands, relationships, jobs, and their very lives to diligently pursue oneness with God, and resist all manner of distractions to fulfill God's plan for you, we dedicate this message to you. To those who haven't invited Jesus Christ into your heart to be your Lord and Savior, right where you are, pray to God this prayer, rest in His presence, and watch what He will do...

"Father God, in the precious Name of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and The Lord of all lords, I give my entire life over to You. I come before You, to confess to You that I am a sinner, and I ask for You to forgive me of all my sins - those that I know I have committed, and 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 I ask You to please take me, right now, and begin the process of changing me and molding me to be like YOU. Father, I ask You to please redeem the time that has passed and allow me the opportunity to become exactly who You predestined me to be, even before the foundation of the earth. I commit my life, and everything I have, to You now. Thank You for receiving me as Your own. All this I pray in the wonderful Name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, Amen."  And AMEN!!!

WELCOME HOME!

           If you have prayed that 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, Bible-believing church right away.


           You will want 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 on television and on the radio that can, especially early in your walk with God, help you to begin receiving good teaching and encouragement right away. Although very informative, these 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!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! And, remember, no matter what, KEEP PRESSIN' IN!

           To help you grow in your journey, as Jesus prayed in the garden, to becoming one with our Father in Heaven, we have teaching resources that, if taken to heart, can help lead you INto oneness with Christ Jesus. We will be glad to offer you a selection of our books, music CDs, individual Teaching Messages, more from our library of Pressin'IN Blogs, Between The Lines TTM podcasts, social media videos, quotes, and posts, and much more; just  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.

            And remember, no matter what, Keep PRESSIN' IN...  learnin', and growin' *with* our Lord and Savior.  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 give us! Twelve life-changing teaching chapters:

;
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
e-mail request any time 24/7
.


We pray God uses this message, and all of our resources, to fan the flame in your heart for Christ Jesus and Father God's wonder-full Word, Will, and Ways in this life. 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.
May God bless you greatly as you carry this truth in your heart. 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!
Your friends and servants in Christ,
         
    
To Show GOD BIG in a World that Sees Him small… 
sums up the reason Keith stepped out in faith to focus on reaching the lost and strengthening believers everywhere, through Toward The Mark, Inc.  Keith and Brenda's prayer is that you will be encouraged and edified by the Secrets from God's Word that Keith recounts in our written and recorded products.

We couldn't do this without the help of our friends!
This blog 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, 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 ... to follow and share these resources that are also available, for helping build your faith in God, His Will, and His Ways: 



  "Between The Lines PODCAST" on TTM's Podcast Channel
     Hear Special Request (Podcast): *FOCUS*



CLICK HERE to make a tax-deductible contribution securely by PayPal.
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!



"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)."
Toward the Mark, Inc. © 2005 - 2022 | Privacy Policy and Terms of Use apply | Visit TowardTheMark.com website |  Connect with TowardTheMark on e-mail.



Thursday, June 6

Honoring D-Day Warriors, Families, and our Military Heritage!

Remember...
we are called by God to stand in the gap on the behalf of our armed forces and their families.
Remember...
be thankful for everything they bravely fought to protect and defend, and even died to preserve for all of us.
Remember...
before any of our troops ever took the military oath of service, each of them was a kid...
growing up playing with neighbors and friends every day, going to school, learning to ride a bicycle, to build a fort, to play games, sports, and music ...just like us.
Remember...
each life story matters, all they had to go through to get to the place they are now, or all of what they went through that led to the place where they made the ultimate sacrifice.  'THEY' are 'US'!
       As we remember D-Day and America’s military troops and allies who invaded Normandy that day, we are taking time and this opportunity to pray for the spiritual and psychological well-being of our military men, women, and families. Whether they served 75 years ago on D-Day, June 6th, 1944, or at a time since then, our military men and women, and their families, make up a big, uniquely tight-knit family to whom all Americans owe a debt of gratitude! We are praying for God’s hand of blessing to touch them, their families, and all that they touched. We want to take this opportunity we have to personally reach out and say “Thank you for serving and sacrificing so much for us”, like we witness as we watch in the D-Day Anniversary video of President Trump in Normandy (special event footage here).

            Let’s all pray for each of our brave warriors who have served our blessed Country in uniform, and remember their family members that also served from the home-front. We would ask that you stop for a moment to remember that our countrymen are much more than warriors. On this 75th anniversary of D-Day, we honor the 9,388 service members who died on “Omaha Beach” just as we honor every one of our guys who survived there, on June 6th, 1944! Remember that before they ever took the military oath of service, each one was once a kid...just like you and me.  Each one of these brave men and women are "us".

            We need to remember the value of each and every life.  And remember what they had to go through to get to where they are now, or to the place they were when they made the ultimate sacrifice.   THEY ARE “US”!

           Remember also, no matter what, KEEP PRESSIN' IN!

         You might consider using our  XII SMOOTH STONES book, a special collection of 12 of our most-requested teaching titles:

No Matter What!
The Magnetic Mantle or Why Cats...Have Kitties;
Fire, Pressure, and Them Slithery...Snakes
The Ultimate Home Gym
Vampires In The Church
STOP...
The Great Deception
The Invisible Man
God Is So Much Bigger Than You Think!
Die Empty!
Building Godly Friendships
The Secret To A Happy Life


          This collection of twelve teachings, when taken to heart, will help you emerge triumphant over seemingly impossible situations... "XII Smooth Stones" available at TowardTheMark online.

Would you write and let us know how this message has fanned the flame in your heart for Christ Jesus, His Ways, and for God's Plan for your life? If you would like to request a special order of our book "XII Smooth Stones" or any product from Keith Shealy and Toward The Mark, or if you have questions about our work, resources, or giving tax-deductible donations, please click here to e-mail us. We welcome you to also feel free to write us a letter and mail it to TOWARD THE MARK, P.O. Box 1152, Yorktown, VA 23692-1152.
May you be greatly blessed as God writes this message in your heart. We praise Him, with eternal gratitude, for our loving Toward The Mark Family without whose help and support this work would not be possible!
Your friends and servants in Christ,
         

    

To Show GOD BIG in a world that Sees Him small… 
sums up the reason Keith stepped out in faith to focus on reaching the lost and strengthening believers everywhere, through Toward The Mark, Inc. We are praying for you to be encouraged and edified by our written and recorded product accounts from The Gospel that Jesus Christ preached in our written and recorded products.

We couldn't do this without the help of our friends!
The blog message you have just read, along with each of our original podcast, music, and video recordings, CDs, books, magazines, and other resources in our ministry collection is made possible by the faithful prayer and financial support of the TTM Family. If you would like to become a part of the TTM Family, your monthly financial support of any amount will help fulfilling God's call on our lives to make Holy-Bible-based messages available to the churched and un-churched alike. You are invited to partner with us in working with God to fulfill His desire for everybody to know Christ Jesus, The Way, The Truth, and The Life...personally. We "... press Toward The Mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14) Would you consider helping us expand our outreach capabilities by becoming a monthly financial partner? Your support will go toward helping to provide effective, practical outreach tools for ministering the love, truth, and salvation of Jesus Christ.
Every gift is appreciated and helps.


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 vision and mission God has given to this ministry! We pray God bless you with a 100-fold return for your generosity!





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






Toward the Mark, Inc. © 2005 - 2019 | Privacy Policy and Terms of Use apply |
(757)251-2440 TowardTheMark.com | Resources@TowardTheMark.com

Thursday, April 30

April--Month of Honoring the Military Child

**APRIL** is a special month of HONORING THE MILITARY CHILD… being STRONG… RESILIENT… RECEPTIVE to change… ACCEPTING of others who may or may not be like them… and MISSING MANY OF THE VERY FREEDOMS for which their family member in uniform has dedicated their life to fight for and preserve.
 
W e are grateful for this dedicated time of the year when we take a closer and focused look into the eyes of some of the BRAVEST guys and girls in AMERICA – our MILITARY B.R.A.T.S. Just like the parent in the family who wears the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine, or Coast Guard uniform, the Military Brat is impacted by the: =>frequent moves to new assignment locations;=>unpredictable changes in the home, community, family of faith, and school situation;
=>changes in friendship circles; 
=>sacrifices of the very freedoms for which the parent in uniform fights to defend; and
=>ever-unique demands the military lifestyle brings.


With the service and sacrifice of the family member in uniform, there are countless children who deserve to be honored as well for: "Growing up a Military Child (aka: Military Brat)" (VIDEO).
I’ve heard Keith say, time and time again, that transparency is a lifeline for those who are going through difficult times and suffering. One of the devil’s most effective tools for bringing division and great despair into the lives of people who suffer, both young and old alike, is convincing the sufferer that “nobody else is struggling, or has ever struggled, as I am; it’s just me.”  God’s Word says that there is NOTHING new under the sun. With that in mind, I offer this blog from my heart, hoping that others who relate to struggles like ours, will be encouraged that they are not alone, and that they are appreciated for the important part they play, as they serve in support of fellow Americans and of other peace-loving nations around the world.

     




Writing a letter to each of my military kids & grandbabies this month, I found the photos I've shared above to be just a few that stir my emotions, always bringing me to both laugh and cry.  The memories still are fresh in my mind, taking me back to the countless stories we wrote in letters, to the scrapbooks I made to be sure our many memories were saved, and to the sweet yet sad phone calls we shared that stirred our hearts while my children and I had to be apart.  I couldn’t wait to get back to hug and kiss them each time, to hold them on my lap and read stories with them, to swing them on the swings and have lunch with them at school, just to be next to them, to enjoy time with them, for as long as I possibly could.

My little boy would tell me how he would sleep with the light on, so I could see to kiss him goodnight if I came back while he was sleeping. I remember when my little girl called and said how she learned to do a cartwheel for the first time. Doing gymnastics in the yard was our thing, and I was missing it, big time. I’m glad she continued, telling me details, because I was overwhelmed being far away from her, and I couldn’t talk just them, for a few moments.

All three of us struggled to stop our tears, whenever we had to say another goodbye.  With everything we did together and everywhere we enjoyed as a loving little family, we did our best trying not to think about our next separation coming up. The crying and sad times, and our going in different directions, never ever got easier, no matter how long or short our separation would be, or how many or few miles apart.

I kept every “I luv you Mommy” letter, every drawing and every picture my kids mailed to me from afar. And I know they kept mine, especially the scrapbooks I made and sent, reminding them I am forever there, with them in my heart every time we were apart. All of those times I heard Ethan or Sierra say, “You’re the best military mommy in the world,” the truth was THEY were the best military kids in the world, and I love and appreciate them so!!!!
Thank you so much for allowing Keith and I this opportunity to share our heart with you. We pray that this blog message will, in many ways, encourage you to support and uplift our military sons and daughters, not just in the month of April, but every month of the year when the opportunity shows itself to you.

What a privilege it is for all of us to “press Toward The Mark” of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, together as we share with one another our heart and passions in life. We would like to encourage you to comment and share this blog, and your own experiences as well, with transparency. God bless you and your family.
If you have any questions or would like to share a special military experience with us, or prayer request, please send us an e-mail or note by mail at the address shown below.
Your friends & servants in Christ,


This message, as well as each of our Bible-based resources, is made possible by the support of our faithful partners. Would you consider helping us expand our outreach capabilities by becoming a monthly financial partner? Your support will go toward fulfilling our God-given calling to help provide effective, contemporary outreach tools for the churched and un-churched alike to know 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)


CLICK HERE to make a tax-deductible contribution securely by PayPal.
Every gift is tax-deductible and helps, and we thank you for it!

Mail tax-deductible contributions by check to the order of:
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!