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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Celebrating 40 Years of committed service to Bridge the gap between God and His people :
Thank you in advance for your prayer-full sponsorship and support, sharing in the vision and passion of this work to make known the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Gospel that Jesus Christ preached!
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.
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