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Showing posts with label godliness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label godliness. Show all posts

Thursday, September 12

AWARD shows ... and idols?

What is the purpose behind "AWARD shows"? For the most part, award shows, hit charts, and the like are venues for parading and celebrating sinfulness. They provide public recognition for those who Satan has deceived into misdirecting their God-given talents. A platform of opportunities to magnify God in the eyes of all who watch is rather programmed for self-centered misuse of one's gifts. These worldly programs also set up fleshly idols in the eyes of the viewers, especially the “get ‘em while they’re young” shows, pitting young souls against one another in front of millions of viewers.
            What is the goal of the contestants? Each one of them hopes for the coveted label of idol. That was also the quest of Lucifer. The result for Lucifer was he earned his way to the final decision of "The Judge", to quote another popular TV show, “You’re fired.”
            The use of that word “idol” is very revealing. For thousands of years, idols have been used by Satan to sway the hearts of men away from God and into bondage, thereby keeping them from pursuing their specific role in God’s plan for Creation. The objects humans worship such as idols, graven images, famous or infamous people, charms that are perceived as having some magical power, and so on, are no different from the bait the award shows offer, as mentioned earlier. Rather than being worthy of adoration, however, idols are nothing, “We know that an idol is nothing in the world (1 Corinthians 8:4).”

            You may be thinking or saying to yourself, “Hey guys, hold on a minute. I don’t worship these people. I only watch those shows for entertainment.” Perhaps you are merely interested in the music, but stick with us on this and consider the wisdom in the Scripture, “It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools (Ecclesiastes 7:5).” The music of a person seeking the status of “idol” most certainly falls under the classification of “the song of fools”. So, with that in mind, I encourage you to choose the better part and hear the rebuke from a wise man named James, an Apostle and half-brother of Jesus Christ, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God (James 4:4).”

            According to the James 4:4 Scripture, friendship with the world is spiritual adultery, making a person the enemy of God. Another wise man, the Apostle John, wrote, “The whole world lieth in wickedness … keep yourselves from idols (1 John 5:19, 21).” John told us that the whole world lies in wickedness, not just some of the world. He specifically mentioned that we are to have nothing to do with idols. Then, yet another wise man, Apostle Paul gave this admonition, “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:2).” The good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God, then, is to be found in the renewed mind that is not conformed to this world.

            The combined message from these three wise men can be put into the following summary… Don’t be conformed to this world because the whole world lies in wickedness; But if you are conformed to this world and don’t keep yourself from idols, then you are a friend with the world, an enemy of God, and a spiritual adulterer.

            In light of those stern words, observe the promise God made to those who choose to heed the warnings defined therein. That is, God’s promise is for those who turn away from the ways of the world in order to pursue friendship with Him, to pursue the renewed mind that is not conformed to this world, in 2 Corinthians 6:16-18, “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of The Living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith The Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith The Lord Almighty."

            This is such a wonderful promise of God! He will receive those who come out from among the world and remain separate unto Him, not touching that which is unclean. The Lord Almighty will be their Father and they will be His sons and daughters. So, then what will happen to the idols? The prophet Isaiah told us, in Isaiah 2:17-18, "The LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols he shall utterly abolish (destroy)."


            If you have not invited Jesus Christ into your heart to be your Lord and Savior in your life, stop right where you are and pray this in communication with God, "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!!!

            Every one of the sons and daughters of The Most High God need, and do well to heed the words of wisdom from Apostle Paul's writing in Philippians 4:8-9, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you." Selah... Amen (Let it be so as we pray in The Name of Christ Jesus)!

Check Out "Yours Is A WonderFull Life...No Doubt" podcast:


THANK YOU for choosing to plug in at the Pressin'IN Blog of TTM!

      We must challenge ourselves to watch for and record the breakthroughs God helps us to press in to pursue and recognize, daily, as James 4:7 promises, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)

      Halleluia! We look forward to hearing how we can stand with you in celebrating your wonder-full life with no doubt! God bless you,

...and the TTM Family!


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Wednesday, July 13

NEW, Mini-Series Weekday 8 of 20

*Giving a boost to our day and life, with this 10-minute Weekday Blog*
Our 2nd Blog Mini-Series, each Weekday in JULY!

Thank you for joining us as we
continue this JOURNEY
...
digging in to the 2nd - 
3rd CHAPTERS of Keith's book,
“Keep the FAITH…Keep Your VISION”!

If you will read this book in its entirety, then you will be equipped to begin walking with the confidence and authority that Jesus Christ came and died to provide for us, in order that we may work *with* Him, be *fulfilled* in our work, lead a *successful life*, and...
      

Day #8 of 20-day Blog mini-series #2
Chapter THREE, "Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth"
    
"Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth"
            Now, one easy way to pervert the scriptures is by not applying the principle called rightly dividing the Word of Truth. "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness." (2 Timothy 2:15-16) In essence, "rightly dividing the Word of Truth" means to interpret Scripture with the meanings that are the original, God-assigned meaning. The appearance of the word "workman" in this passage is instructive. In general, a workman needs skills and tools that are appropriate for the trade in which he is engaged. In the specific case of working with the Word of God, the workman is to apply skills and tools that are suitable for studying and understanding the Word. The workman who does this will not need to be ashamed, because the result will be the increase of godliness in the heart of the workman.

Question to ponder:

Since our human minds are limited in our capability to grasp what is written in God's Word, how do we come to comprehend it as God intends?  _________________________________________

Keith's "Comments from the Author":

          "I have so enjoyed reading about the character of Christ Jesus, especially where Scripture explains how, it was for the joy that was set before Him that, He endured the cross. Though countless benefits were the result of fruit Christ bore during His lifetime on earth, and even when enduring those horrible hours leading up to His crucifixion and death on the cross, the part about the 'joy' He foresaw in it all got my attention early on in my walk with The Lord. What was He anticipating that was going to be so wonderful that, He not only went to the cross willingly, but He went 'joy'fully into the horrors of the crucifixion process? That question can be answered in the six words... The Person of The Holy Spirit. For the sake of relaying the importance of The Holy Spirit coming, though crude it may be, I have a little analogy I uncovered in my early quest to learn more about the Lord and Savior that I love, before I was aware of just how wonder-full The Person of The Holy Spirit is.  

          In my early days as a budding musician, my band buddies and I learned to use sound equipment that was key for us to be able to relay, to everyone listening in our audience, the messages we had written within our music and song lyrics. We needed to take with us our instruments, stage gear, and sound equipment that would help us provide the music quality and volume for the audience to hear and understand each word we sang and each note we played. As a young musician, always enamored with the latest and greatest instruments and equipment on the market, it wasn't until our small garage band got our first gig to play at a backyard party for 6th graders that we were hit with a harsh reality... we haven't planned for transportation. It's just a fact that, if you don't have a way to transport you and your equipment to the venue, the music you've spent so much time playing and the messages you've spent so much time writing into it gets only as far as the inside of the garage you practice in. That fact about 'transportation we needed' is much the same for the way The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in getting God's Word to us. Where our walk with Christ is concerned, The Person of The Holy Spirit is like the vehicle that provides the way we get to the venue where we ultimately want to be. Without the Holy Spirit, we do not hear the Voice of God. The Holy Spirit, among so many other things, is God's Messenger. He's our Teacher. He's our Interpreter. He comforts us. In fact, with Christ Jesus and the Person of The Holy Spirit being ONE in thought, without asking for the Person of the Holy Spirit, we will always be on the OUTside of the conversation and what constantly flows through His Heart of love for us. Without the Holy Spirit, we are cut off from obtaining and gaining God's wonderful wisdom that is mandatory for understanding His written Word. Be aware that, when we avoid or discount the Person of The Holy Spirit, we are crippling our own mind, ourselves in whole, and everyone who is around us.  

          If, like I've explained I used to be, you have no idea of just how crucial your relationship of oneness with, and 'joy' in, The Person of The Holy Spirit is, Brenda and I pray for you to receive an outpouring of His Spirit into your heart and life with Christ Jesus, today. Selah."  


"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth... ."  
(2 Timothy 2:15-16)


*See you tomorrow, and please make sure to invite your friends who are lost or who just need encouragement too! God bless you!*

________________________________


Find this blog mini-series message, and more on the topic, in our book Keep the FAITH Keep Your VISION based on crucial, real-life matters for each of us. To ask questions, make a special donation, request a large quantity of books, or to share a testimony or prayer request with us, please click for e-mail, or write a letter and mail it to the address shown on our website, and as provided below.
We pray God bless you greatly as you have greatly blessed us and the entire Toward The Mark, Inc. Family!
Your friends & servants in Christ,
Keep PRESSIN' IN!



To Show GOD BIG in a World that Sees Him small… 
sums up the reason Keith stepped out in faith 35+ years ago to focus full-time 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.  The complete collection of original podcasts, music, blogs, books, CDs, and other resources of Toward The Mark, Inc. are made possible thanks to the faithful prayer and financial contributions of the TTM Support Family.  We'd like to invite you to join our family, and welcome you to become a special part of our regular sponsorship team TODAY!

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: 

      

      

      

      

      

      
Keep PRESSIN' IN!


This blog mini-series, along with the rest of our inventory of Bible-based resources, is made possible by the support of our faithful monthly 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, available to everyone, the churched and un-churched alike, for getting 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!


Toward the Mark, Inc. © 2016 | Privacy Policy and Terms of Use apply | (757)251-2440 TowardTheMark.com | Resources@TowardTheMark.com

Tuesday, July 12

NEW, Mini-Series Weekday 7 of 20

*Giving a boost to our day and life, with this 10-minute Weekday Blog*
Our 2nd Blog Mini-Series, each Weekday in JULY!

Thank you for joining us as we
continue this JOURNEY
...
digging in to the 2nd - 
3rd CHAPTERS of Keith's book,
“Keep the FAITH…Keep Your VISION”!

If you will read this book in its entirety, then you will be equipped to begin walking with the confidence and authority that Jesus Christ came and died to provide for us, in order that we may work *with* Him, be *fulfilled* in our work, lead a *successful life*, and...
      

Day #7 of 20-day Blog mini-series #2
Chapter THREE, "Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth"
    
"Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth"
            Let's consider the warning from Apostle Peter's 2nd epistle, concerning some of what Paul wrote in his letters, "Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." (2 Peter 3:14b-16)
            According to Strong's, the Greek word translated "wrest" means "to twist, to turn awry, to torture, put to the rack" and metaphorically "to pervert, of one who wrests or tortures language in a false sense." This is a severe warning. Therefore, we should take it very seriously so we do not find ourselves mishandling Scripture to our own destruction, nor find ourselves leading anyone else astray. Consequently, before continuing with our subject of oneness with God, what will come next, is a brief but important detour that will focus us, first, on how to prove the truth of any matter. The trip is well worth the effort because the principles involved should be a priority for us, putting it to use quite frequently as we obey the Scripture's emphatic instruction, "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

Question to ponder:

If we are guilty of "wresting" God's Word, how do we impact the godliness of those we are misrepresenting God to?   _________________________________________

Keith's "Comments from the Author":

          "Have you ever been falsely accused? If you have, you most certainly will understand our point here. When someone falsely accuses us of something, it brings on a terrible, perturbed, helpless feeling. It's something that can leave us frustrated, because the image of us, that someone else has given to others about us, is quite possibly the total opposite of the truth of who we are. This is the same thing that God feels when we, as His children, misrepresent Who He is, and what His Word actually says and means. I believe, if we were to ask Him, we would see His frustration and terrible heartbreak, as well. 

          Despite whether or not we have been raised under Christian teachers who understand the validity and gifting of the Person of the Holy Spirit, the truth is, w-i-t-h-o-u-t the Person of the Holy Spirit, we can NOT rightly divide the Word of Truth.  He is our Teacher. He is the o-n-l-y Person you will ever know who actually understands what God meant when He gave His Word to the prophets to write down.  When we call on the Holy Spirit to define God's written Word for us, what we will n-e-v-e-r get from Him is man's opinion.  What we will a-l-w-a-y-s get from Him is LIFE and the JOY unspeakable that can only come to us when we receive God's Word rightly divided for us, first-hand.  Just think... If we knew there wouldn't be a professor to teach a college course we wanted to take, would we sign up for that college course?  

          Though we may have text books and a desk to be sitting in with a crowd of people, without the Holy Spirit, all there can be is death, frustration, confusion, and the like.  So, if your heart's true intent is set on representing God accurately, you must ask the Person of the Holy Spirit to lead you in your efforts to do so, and He'll navigate and translate for you, and for those who see and hear around you, to benefit with LIFE and JOY unspeakable. Selah."  


"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."  
(1 Thessalonians 5:21)


*See you tomorrow, and please make sure to invite your friends who are lost or who just need encouragement too! God bless you!*

________________________________


Find this blog mini-series message, and more on the topic, in our book Keep the FAITH Keep Your VISION based on crucial, real-life matters for each of us. To ask questions, make a special donation, request a large quantity of books, or to share a testimony or prayer request with us, please click for e-mail, or write a letter and mail it to the address shown on our website, and as provided below.
We pray God bless you greatly as you have greatly blessed us and the entire Toward The Mark, Inc. Family!
Your friends & servants in Christ,
Keep PRESSIN' IN!



To Show GOD BIG in a World that Sees Him small… 
sums up the reason Keith stepped out in faith 35+ years ago to focus full-time 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.  The complete collection of original podcasts, music, blogs, books, CDs, and other resources of Toward The Mark, Inc. are made possible thanks to the faithful prayer and financial contributions of the TTM Support Family.  We'd like to invite you to join our family, and welcome you to become a special part of our regular sponsorship team TODAY!

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: 

      

      

      

      

      

      
Keep PRESSIN' IN!


This blog mini-series, along with the rest of our inventory of Bible-based resources, is made possible by the support of our faithful monthly 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, available to everyone, the churched and un-churched alike, for getting 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!


Toward the Mark, Inc. © 2016 | Privacy Policy and Terms of Use apply | (757)251-2440 TowardTheMark.com | Resources@TowardTheMark.com