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Showing posts with label happiness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label happiness. Show all posts

Thursday, November 26

Thanks-GIVING is EVERYTHING

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"Have you ever asked, 'Why is there a difference between our THANKSGIVING to God on the last Thursday of November vs. everyday THANKS-GIVING to God?'... He is beyond worthy of our continuous and eternal thanks." -- Keith, Brenda, and Team TTM

A pastor friend once asked me the question, "If you were to prescribe just one thing that, if taken to heart, would immediately produce a profound change in the lives of those who practice it, what would it be?" Without hesitating I said "Gratitude!" He responded, "Why 'gratitude'?" I went on to share with him how the Holy Spirit once revealed to me that a heart full with gratitude for Who God IS unlocks the "gates" that lead into oneness with Him as noted in Psalms 100:4, "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful (filled with thanks always) unto Him, and bless His Name."
When our heart is filled with thanks for God, for Who He is more than for what He can do for us, God can most certainly smell it. For God, a gratitude-filled heart is sweet in His nostrils. When God is our passion, so much so that we are continually grateful to Him, for Him, the contents of our hearts rise up before His Throne like a sort of invisible smoke, or a sweet-smelling savor, that is Holy, acceptable, and pleasing to Him. This sweet-smelling savor, or fragrance, is the praise mentioned in the Psalms 100:4 verse. God is the Consummate Family Man, and nothing makes Him happier than when His children love, and want, Him more than they want their own lives, or His "stuff" for that matter. "But seek ye first the Kingdom of God (the Kingdom that IS God), and His Righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)
People we meet often ask us, "What is your mission statement, or what exactly do you do?" When we get asked this question, our answer is always the same, "We aim to show God BIG in the eyes of those who see Him small, and to bridge the gap between God and His beloved children." Every morning, we wake up to the vision of what it would be like if everyone we knew and met was truly and wholeheartedly grateful. They would exude gratitude to God for Who He IS, and also to others for who they are. They would have and display a level of uncommon respect for others. They would be quick to speak life. They would be selfless and always looking to help others in whatever way they can. They would be looking to see others through God's eyes, and would always be looking to see, and call out, the gifts that God has placed in them. They would fan the flame in the heart of others for completing the work God has wired them to full-fill. And every one of them would love God wholeheartedly, pursue "oneness" IN Him, and tell everyone what He means to them. They would be more keenly aware of the times we are living in, and would do everything possible to lift up the Lord's Name and glorify God in the eyes of others, not because they are told they have to, but because of their unquenchable passion for Him. During this Thanksgiving, and always, for everyone we meet, we aim to ignite a diligent pursuit for Who God IS more than for what He does, or can do! This is our goal and it's our every-day VISION that drives us!
Will you join us? We will be praying, and eternally grateful, for your decision to help us ignite an unquenchable passion in the hearts of others to thank God, continually, for Who He is more than for what he can do!
Your friends and servants in Christ Jesus,

     ...and the entire Team of Toward The Mark, Inc.

This blog message, and each of our full-Bible tools and resources, is made possible by the support of our faithful partners. If you would like to be part of helping us expand our outreach, we would like to invite you to become a monthly financial partner. Your support will go toward fulfilling our calling to provide effective, ongoing 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 and, together, "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. We thank you in advance for sowing your financial seed into the fertile soil of this ministry, and we pray God bless you with a 100-fold return for your generosity!

Mail tax-deductible check contributions to:  Toward The Mark, Inc., P.O. Box 1152, Yorktown, VA 23692-1152.


Share with others the practical and effective ways for knowing and showing the Love and Truth of the Gospel that Jesus Christ preached... for real Life that is victorious despite the hope-less world we live in.






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 written and recorded in our work's products.  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 Family of Partners.  We invite you to come onboard with us TODAY!

We INVITE YOU ... 
See and hear, follow and share, more TTM messages of God, His Will, and His Ways:


Toward the Mark, Inc. © 2005 - 2020 | Privacy Policy and Terms of Use apply |
TowardTheMark.com | Keith@TowardTheMark.com

Wednesday, June 6

OUT from Under HIS WINGS

"The Path of Life is set before us by God and, unless we are on the Path of Life and pursuing oneness with Him, we cannot be saved or become fulfilled." - Keith, Brenda, and Team TTM

When we do not position ourselves under God's Care, inside of our God-given calling, we can never be safe and secure, truly happy and whole, or fulfilled in our life.  Being that so many people are outside of God, Himself, we see prisons overloaded, prescription drug use for depression and anxiety sky-rocketing, and, epidemic in our country today, unfulfilled people following a false sense of satisfaction that leads to indebtedness, and being a slave to loan companies and credit agents.
When people are not functioning in the things of God, with God, in their lives, their search will be in the wrong directions and places.  Those people, in their lack of vision and wisdom that can only be found IN God, fall into traps like racking up exorbitant debt from charging on credit what they can't afford, financing cars and luxury items they want but don't need, running away from reality by taking exotic trips or fantasy get-aways, and other things that cannot replace the satisfaction and fulfillment of being in God's Will. 
So, as we can look to see, the truth is, we have a dire need for a "vision", God's Plan and Purpose for our life, in order that we won't certainly destroy ourselves, and perish.  Because the vast majority of people today have never experienced the fulfillment that comes with walking in God's Plan for their lives, they stumble into places where they experiment, choose false hope, and find no chance at true happiness.  All the while, everything they are truly seeking is at the feet of God.  Satan sets out to curtail the uniquely fulfilling life of God's people by leading us into a course of bondages -- taking jobs out of desperation over desire, binding our freedoms and finances, and sending us speeding down the slippery slope of self-destruction that spirals to destruction.
Jesus said, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hides, and for joy thereof goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” (Matthew 13:44-46)
What this means is that for our gifts — indeed, all of the desires of our hearts — to be used by God, we must first die to ourselves. When we do, we enable God to redeem our life, faith, and works, as praise.  But, first, the decision is ours.  We must come to decide we want to lay down our life and things that are most dear to us, rather than holding onto those things and refusing to believe they are what God created and put on the earth for us to enjoy with Him.  We pray you will settle in your heart, today, that you are going to lay your everything at His feet and not pick it up until the time He tells you that it is in His plan for your life, and not your plan.  If we want clarity of vision, God wants to answer that deep desire of our heart, especially when we are ready to do whatever He tells us it will take for us to get it! “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” (Hosea 4:6)
      So, don't wait another day to lay your ALL at God’s feet.  Then, watch how BIG God shows Himself to be in His Plan for you, which He fashioned for Success, in your life and in the lives of people all around you.

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


Find many more messages based on real-life matters like this one, in our book called, "Keep the FAITH, Keep Your VISION."  And, to ask questions, to place any special requests for Gold Bar Books, or if you would like to share a special testimonial experience of God's Love with us, please send us an e-mail or letter by mail at the address that's available on our website, and also shown below.

We pray God bless and uplift you as you encourage us by enjoying, and sharing with others, the work of Toward The Mark!

Your friends & servants in Christ,


Thank you for sharing this Out From Under His Wings  Pressin'IN Blog  #Matthew23:37


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.  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 onboard TODAY!

We INVITE You ... to follow and share these other resources and tools available as well, to help build your faith in God, His Will, and His Ways:


This blog 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!








Toward the Mark, Inc. © 2005 - 2018 | Privacy Policy and Terms of Use apply |
 Visit TowardTheMark.com website |  Connect with TowardTheMark on
e-mail




Monday, January 20

True Happiness - The Secret to a Happy Life

  What if you were to randomly stop people on the street and ask each of them, "What is true happiness?"  We can anticipate that, with very few exceptions, the responses would include such answers as...
  
.

"Happiness is :

-- being independently wealthy";
-- having a new house, boat, or car", 
-- finding, marrying, and settling down with the person of my dreams"; or
-- achieving success and fame in business, sports, music, school or even church."


  However "good" all of these things might seem, they simply can NOT produce true happiness.  They may bring temporary pleasure, or even elation for a time, perhaps, but never TRUE happiness.



TRUE happiness is the product of the following 5 SECRETS TO A HAPPY LIFE!  From the very start, we want to encourage you to read and re-read each of the five secrets slowly and intentionally for detail.  Also, take time to print out several copies to post in places where you'll regularly see them, as well as, to have handy to pass on to others in a moment's notice.  Lastly, and as importantly, begin praising God, in advance, for developing in you the personal experience of "Pressin' In" and putting these secrets into action, step by step.  And, as you do, watch what remarkable things He will do as He moves and blesses you! 



~The Secret to a Happy Life is printed in its entirety, with 11 additional messages in Keith's book "XII SMOOTH STONES". Be armed and ready for battle against the giants in your life with your book copy available for a tax-deductible contribution to the ministry at 
Keith Shealy & TowardTheMark books 
 Remember, every gift helps, is tax-deductible, welcomed, and much-appreciated!~




#1: BE RECONCILED TO GOD. You must be born again! This requires true repentance: the turning away from all sin in your life. Sin is anything that separates us from oneness with our heavenly Father. So, sin is not limited to overt vices such as illicit sex or abuse of drugs- those are simply examples of ways we are prevented from being one with our Creator. Sin is anything that builds a wall between us and God. A wall that can only be torn down as we turn our back on our old way of life, find new friends who love Jesus, and seek God with our whole heart.

#2: BELIEVE THE WORD OF GOD. This step is crucial to achieving the happy life, yet it is one few believers take. Remember, the Word tells us that we reap what we sow. If we sow of the Spirit, then we shall reap of the Spirit. So what is a new-born believer to do to sow of the Spirit? “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” (1 Peter 2:1-2) So, fall in love with God's Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to tutor you. And don't become frustrated if you can't figure something out where the Scriptures are concerned. Just READ, RELAX, and ENJOY, and especially remember this, God requires, not that we figure out His Word, but that we do it. "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves!" (James 1:22)

#3: BE THANK-FULL. It is one of the hallmarks of the truly happy life, and as such, is a major indicator of walking in the Spirit. For how can we enter His gates and go into His courts except it be by the Spirit? Conversely, the absence of thankfulness should be regarded as a warning sign that repentance is in order, because departing from iniquity includes departing from un-thankfulness. A heart that is full of thanks will express gratitude freely, both to God and to others. The un-thankful heart will not. Finally, the thankful heart is a place of joy. "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name." (Psalm 100:4) As a crucial side-note, remember this: praise is not what we do; praise is a "result"... A result of what? Praise is like a sweet-smelling, invisible smoke that goes up before God's Throne from a heart that has become filled, to overflowing, with gratitude for Who He is, more than for what He does. This "sweet-smelling fragrance" is pleasing to God. So, be thankful or, as we like to say, be filled with thanks.

#4: BE IMMERSED IN THE JOY OF THE LORD. Why is this? When we walk with God, it fills His heart with joy unspeakable and full of glory. He, in turn, bestows the same upon us (1 Peter 1:8). It is when we actually see Him happy that we experience for ourselves what true happiness is. Without the joy of the Lord, we will never experience a truly happy life. Moreover, the joy of the Lord makes us strong. “For the joy of the LORD is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:9-10) In other words, when we are blessed to see God happy, it results in our being made strong.

#5: RECOGNIZE THAT THE PLEASURES OF SIN ARE SHORT-LIVED LEADING TO LONG-TERM SUFFERING, WHILE THE TRIALS OF GODLINESS ARE SHORT-LIVED LEADING TO EVERLASTING HAPPINESS! Trials are a necessary part of the happy life. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (James 1:2-4) “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.” (Job 5:17) While not all trials are the Lord’s chastisement, both chastening and trials are used by God to work the character of Christ into our souls. As James wrote, “the trying of your faith works patience”; but only if we “let patience have her perfect work.” Why? When we allow patience to have her perfect (aka: complete) work, then we will be complete, wanting (or "lacking") nothing. Such is the state of godly contentment which is yet another sign of walking in the Spirit. If there has been one thing that I would place at the very top of the list of reasons why so many Christians today are not happy, it would be that, when the trials of life come, they run. The trials of life, and "the baptism of fire" as Scripture refers to it, are *priceless gifts* from God. Without them, dying to our sinful ways would not be possible. So remember, when the trials of life come, resist the temptation to run away from or escape them. Let them do their perfect work. You'll be *happy* you did!!




We invite you to read and share the details of Keith's 2nd most-requested book "XII SMOOTH STONES" on page #67 of  TTM Magazine  available by clicking here to request your copy by e-mail request.  We thank you in advance for connecting with us.


Consider "XII SMOOTH STONES"  for  your next classroom group or Bible study; It's an excellent resource for church leaders and those who aspire to become leaders in the body of Christ."


We accept financial contributions that help support the work of the ministry, and your tax-deductible gifts are as you feel led to give. We will be eternally grateful for your support and sponsorship!



Keep PRESSIN' IN! 

 

As you listen in to "The Secrets for a Happy Life" podcast, which is also, like this blog message, based on Chapter 12 of Keith's Book XII SMOOTH STONES, you'll hear Keith's original song, "I'm Gonna Follow You" as well.  From Keith's newest CD entitled "Between The Lines," here is a sneak preview of a few of the lyrics:

"I don't wanna do it if it ain't right;
 I just want to stay well in Your Sight.
 I don't even care what they might say-ay;
 I'm just gonna follow You... anyway! " ...

"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

(Philippians 3:13-14)   #PressTowardTheMark




________________________________




   
      We thank you for joining together with us for this message! We hope this, and each of our blog posts, helps fan the flame in your heart for Christ Jesus, His wonder-full ways, plan, and purpose for you in this life. To ask questions about our work and organization, to make a special tax-deductible donation to help in this work, to place an order for our special offer of "Keep the FAITH, Keep Your VISION" or another Keith Shealy & Toward The Mark Inc. book or CD, or to share a testimony or prayer request with us, please click here to e-mail us. If you prefer to write a letter, mail it to the address found below & on our website.


We pray God bless you greatly in carrying this message in your heart. Thank you for taking part in this blog, and in each of our blog posts that have been made possible by the faithful support of our loving Toward The Mark, Inc. Family of sponsors!

Your friends & 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.  Our constant prayer is that you will be encouraged and edified by the Secrets from God's Word that we 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. has been made possible by the prayer and financial contributions of the faithful family of Toward The Mark, Inc. We'd like to welcome you on-board, as a family member also!  Join TODAY!


We INVITE You ... to follow and share these messages and resources:

http://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/2758028


This blog message, 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 TTM, Inc.! We pray God bless you with a 100-fold return for your generosity!

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