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Showing posts with label persecute. Show all posts
Showing posts with label persecute. Show all posts

Thursday, July 21

NEW, Mini-Series Weekday 14 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 #14 of 20-day Blog mini-series #2
Chapter THREE, "Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth"
    
"Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth"
            One important method of studying The Word that was mentioned earlier is "comparing spiritual things with spiritual." Thus, The Word of God is to be used to interpret The Word of God, and again, this is one example of the principle of the testimony of two or three witnesses establishing every word. However, this application of The Word must be done under the guidance of The Holy Spirit, because The Holy Scriptures are not open to human interpretation at all; there is no leeway in this. "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of The Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by The Holy Ghost. " (2 Peter 1:20-21)

Question to ponder:

How would you describe the way God identifies with you, and cares for your needs and well-being?   _________________________________________

Keith's "Comments from the Author":

          "Saul of Tarsus was not only consumed with evil tasks in destroying the followers of Jesus Christ, but he had been given the money, written permission, and troop support to pull it off. Although the High Priest and his ruling party had been able to manipulate Rome into doing their dirty work for them, having Christ crucified, they made a monumental mistake! They underestimated how deeply Jesus Christ had impacted the people of the region! And, now, the Person of the Holy Spirit had come to continue carrying the Truth of The Gospel of Jesus Christ to people near and far, all over the world. It would be Saul's lack of knowing and understanding this fact that, ultimately, led him to the life-altering encounter he had with The One Who confronted him, face to face, similar to how I stuck up for my brother at the bus stop (in yesterday's comments).  

          When I was a young boy, I used to camp out with a few of my friends in my neighborhood. One evening, just as the sun was starting to set, the guys and I launched out on one of our deep-woods adventures, exploring some new terrain. Before we realized it, we had gotten ourselves trapped in a thick brier patch, standing and stuck in it, waist-deep. Of course, having left our hunting knives back at the campsite, we were forced to kick our way through those thick briers until we could reach a clearing. So, now, sporting jeans with thorns and holes all in them, and drops of blood running down our legs, we all came to the conclusion that we would never again go somewhere without making sure to carry along our hunting knives.  

          When you find yourself in a painful, no-escape, 'prickly' situation, confronted by a commanding force that leaves you basically powerless, you begin to get the picture of what it means to 'kick against', as Jesus said, 'the pricks'. In essence, what Jesus was saying to Saul was, 'Because you have chosen to persecute Me, by choosing to fight against My children, now you have to deal with Me!'  If you find yourself trapped, in any way, by sin, you will know just how painful life can be when you are running contrary to the life-giving ways of Jesus Christ. We encourage you to seek, until you come to find, the Wisdom and Understanding in The Word of God, but never forsaking The Person of The Holy Spirit.  And, as you do so, you will be removing yourself from being among the people who will surely be 'destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge...' as Hosea 4:6 clearly explains. What are you waiting for? There's no better time than n-o-w. Selah."  


Knowing this first, that no prophecy of The Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by The Holy Ghost.  
(2 Peter 1:20-21)


*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

Tuesday, June 23

Day 17, Paragraph 17 of Weekday Blog #1

*Starting our morning and day off great with the 10-minute Weekday Blog*
Our first DAILY blog for each Weekday in JUNE!

Thank you for joining us for this
ground-breaking JOURNEY
...
through the 1st CHAPTER 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 SEVENTEEN,
Paragraph SEVENTEEN:

    
Saul of Tarsus (later to be known as the Apostle Paul) was dramatically confronted with an important truth prior to his conversion. Acts 9:1-5 brings this truth to light saying, "And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." (Acts 9:1-5)

Question to ponder:

In Acts 9:5, what does Jesus mean by "...it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks"?  _________________________________________

Keith's "Comments from the Author":

"If you read yesterday's message about the bully who picked on my brother at the school bus stop, you see a modern day bully who compares to a bully in the Bible who was consumed with finding, imprisoning, and destroying the followers of Jesus Christ. His name was Saul of Tarsus. Not only was he consumed with these evil tasks, but he had been given the money, written permission, and troop support to pull it off. Although the High Priest and his ruling party had been able to manipulate Rome into doing their dirty work for them, having Christ crucified, they made a monumental mistake! They underestimated how deeply Jesus Christ had impacted the people of the region! And, now, the Person of the Holy Spirit had come to continue carrying the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people near and far, all over the world. It would be Saul's lack of knowing and understanding this fact that, ultimately, led him to the life-altering encounter he had with the One Who confronted him, face to face, similar to how I stuck up for my brother at the bus stop. Now, concerning what Jesus meant by saying to Saul, '...it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks', there's a definite image that I received the first time I studied this Scripture passage. When I was a young boy, I used to camp out with a few of my friends in my neighborhood. One evening, just as the sun was starting to set, the guys and I launched out on one of our deep-woods adventures, exploring some new terrain. Before we realized it, we had gotten ourselves trapped in a thick briar patch that we were standing in waist-deep. Of course, having left our hunting knives back at the campsite, we were forced to kick our way through those thick briars until we could reach a clearing. So, now, sporting jeans with thorns and holes all in them, and drops of blood running down our legs, we all came to the conclusion that we would never again go somewhere without making sure to carry along our hunting knives. When you find yourself in a painful, no-escape, 'prickly' situation, confronted by a commanding force that leaves you basically powerless, you begin to get the picture of what it means to 'kick against', as Jesus said, 'the pricks'. In essence, what Jesus was saying to Saul was, 'Because you have chosen to persecute Me, by choosing to fight against My children, now you have to deal with me!' If you find yourself trapped, in any way, by sin, you will know just how painful a life can be that runs contrary to the life-giving ways of Jesus Christ. We encourage you to seek to find wisdom and understanding from the Word of God to be sure you will not be one who is, 'destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge...' as Hosea 4:6 clearly explains. What are you waiting for? There's no better time than n-o-w. Selah. Amen (so be it)!"

"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. . (Matthew 28:18-20)


*We look forward to joining with you again tomorrow, and please take a few minutes to invite for your friends who are lost, or who just need encouragement! God bless and keep you!*

_____________________________



This book is based on real-life matters that are crucial for each of us to address in our life. To ask questions, make a special donation, order a special quantity of books, or to share a testimony or prayer request, please click for e-mail, or write a letter and mail it to the address shown on this blog below, and on our website.
We pray God bless you greatly for taking part in this important project, as you have greatly blessed the Toward The Mark, Inc. Family!
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.  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 resources that are available as well, for helping build your faith in God, His Will, and His Ways:
      
      
http://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/3603186



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 this ministry! We pray God bless you with a 100-fold return for your generosity!


Monday, June 22

Day 16, Paragraph 16 of Weekday Blog #1

*Starting our morning and day off great with the 10-minute Weekday Blog*
Our first DAILY blog for each Weekday in JUNE!

Thank you for joining us for this
ground-breaking JOURNEY
...
through the 1st CHAPTER 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 SIXTEEN,
Paragraph SIXTEEN:

    
What does Romans 15:3 mean by, "The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me"? The Lord is saying that when someone persecutes any of the children of God, they are actually persecuting God Himself! He takes it personally. The Lord identifies His people, as He does Himself. This principle is also seen in the Parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:40, "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Question to ponder:

How would you describe the way God identifies with you, and cares for your needs and well-being?  _________________________________________

Keith's "Comments from the Author":

"When I was in my first year of senior high school, I didn't have any upperclassman friends with a driver's license and a car who I could get a ride with to the school, so I had to ride the bus. Though my younger brother, Bill, was still in junior high, both of us caught our buses at the same bus stop, and at the same time each morning. One day, as we were waiting for our buses to come, we noticed a new kid who showed up to wait for the senior high bus. Without knowing that I was Bill's older brother, the new kid walked over to the group of junior high kids, and started to bully them around. As I observed him trying to basically intimidate each of the younger kids, one at a time, when he got to Bill he pushed him and said, 'Hand over your lunch money!' Of course, seeing this happen, I ran over to the bully, shoved him to the ground, and bluntly told him, 'If you know what's good for you, you'll never bother my brother again.' Isn't it interesting how we can watch other kids get pushed around by someone and not feel the obligation to intervene? However, when one of the kids we see getting pushed around is one of the members of our family, it's a completely different story. Have you heard the phrase 'blood is thicker than water'? That phrase refers to the strong 'blood bond' that runs through those who are members of the same family. If you've read or listened to many of my messages over the years, most likely you've heard me explain God as being 'The Consummate Family Man' that He is. You see, everything that God does, and has ever done, is for the purpose of taking care of His Family. In fact, God so loves His Children that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to make a way for every one of us to receive Him as Lord and Savior of our life, and to then be grafted into the Family of God, as a member of God's Family. And, when you're in God's Family, you have the most wonderful benefit of enjoying the most loving and protective 'Big Brother' in the entire universe! Simply put, the devil knows, better than anyone else does, that picking on those who belong to God and His Family is, in fact, picking on God Himself. Rest assured, there will be a reckoning! To quote what my brother said to the new guy who bullied him, after I had confronted and corrected him on my brother's behalf, 'Boy, if you EVER pick on me again, you're NOT gonna like it when my big brother gets done dealing with you!'"

"The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. (Psalm 121:7-8)


*We look forward to having you join in again for Day 17, paragraph 17, tomorrow! Make sure to invite your friends to join in too! God bless and keep you!*

_______________________________


This book is based on real-life matters that are crucial for us to address in our lives. To ask questions, make a special donation, request a large quantity of books, or if you would like to share a testimony or prayer request, please click for e-mail, or write a letter to mail to the address below, or as displayed on our website.
We pray God bless you greatly as you greatly bless the Toward The Mark, Inc. family by taking part here!
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.  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 resources that are available as well, for helping build your faith in God, His Will, and His Ways:
      
      
http://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/3603186



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 this ministry! We pray God bless you with a 100-fold return for your generosity!