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Showing posts with label thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thanksgiving. Show all posts

Friday, July 31

Cast Off Works Of Darkness; Put On The Armor Of Light


This is a historic time of opportunity to celebrate America’s 250th Birthday as we reach out with the Love and Gospel of Jesus Christ and win souls for God’s Kingdom...

"... for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the Armor of Light (Romans 13:11-12).”
We would like to begin with thankfullness for Jesus Christ teaching His disciples in God’s written Word, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it gives light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven (Matthew 5:14-16)."
How thankful we are for such incredible works and answered prayers we have witnessed of God, Jesus Christ, and The Holy Spirit in our lives, both here in America and in the world! Especially considering everything the Three-in-One Holy Trinity has done through President Trump over this first 18 months as our Commander-in-Chief, we are counting our blessings. What a privilege we have gotten to work together, with Them, to fulfill God's passion in the Earth. We cannot thank our Father enough for giving us Donald J. Trump, his wife and family, and each of his talented cabinet and team members.
In just the first year-and-a-half of Mr. Trump serving his second non-consecutive term, being our 47th President since January 20th, 2025, God has begun miraculously restoring U.S. Constitutional order and the rule of law in America unlike any other time in our nation’s 250-year history. We thank and praise God for providing His divine wisdom, guidance, knowledge, direction, and protection on President Trump and his team. We eagerly anticipate all of what He has in store for the rest of this 250-year Birthday Celebration year of 2026 and beyond, in Christ Jesus our Lord!
Americans must have God and His written and spoken Word in order to be healed, redeemed, and made whole. This is especially true given the assaults of the anti-America, anti-Christ, anti-Constitutional presidencies of 2008, 2012, and 2020. As a ministry team and family our priority is to boldly reach out to people whose hearts and lives have been broken, many who have suffered much, even losing their loved ones, during the last administration's lawless objective to maim and destroy America. We have got to bind together, united, and pray for President Trump and his team in Washington. We pray that God will continue to anoint them with the ability to restore what so many of our American brothers and sisters have tragically sacrificed as a result of greed in the wicked hearts of federal and state politicians in government leadership.
During this time of restoration, we, the people, will remain steadfast as Christians in a Christian nation that began in 1776, 250 years ago this July 2026. We have pledged, and we pledge afresh, and will continue to pledge our allegiance to Jesus Christ and "to the Republic (for which our American flag stands), one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for ALL"... by shining The Light of God's Love to all who we come in contact with!
As unruly as things may appear to be, stemming from the lawless chaos of the former administration especially, we must keep our focus on getting wisdom, truth, and understanding from God and His Word, and allow The Holy Spirit to cleanse and heal us of the heart-break, fatigue, and harmful effects of countless offenses and intentional damages inflicted on our citizens of America. This is a historic time! We must sieze upon the opportunities we have right now for reaching others with the Love and Gospel of Jesus Christ.
"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the Armor of Light (Romans 13:11-12)."
LET THE MIRACULOUS TESTIMONIES OF GOD'S GREATNESS BE IN OUR LIVES AND ON OUR LIPS! No matter what our adversary brings on us along the way, we will rejoice and be glad because we have "put on" Jesus Christ, Who IS the "Armor of Light".
Our wonder-full Toward The Mark family is passionate to fulfill the part God has for us to fulfill in these last days before Christ Jesus returns. Only by the Love of God in us are we able to win the hearts of those swept away in the tide of God-less-ness, even choosing to live opposite to God’s Word, Will, and Ways. Let's make it our collective goal for the coming months to reach out to and befriend as many people as possible, especially those outside of our social circles.
Let's share with other people, everywhere, our testimonies of faith in Jesus Christ as The Holy Spirit brings them to light in us. Tell them about each time when God answered our prayers, always walking and talking with us, and working things out in mysterious ways as only He does in our life. The results to come will bless both us and them, as our hearts become filled with gratitude, compelling us to offer up thanksgiving to The LORD for His very presence, for His being, and for every thing that He IS and does. ”
Let’s Celebrate our 250-Year Birthday of America shining The Light of The LORD Jesus Christ...
"For God, Who commanded The Light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give The Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6)."

Remember also, "we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the Excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:7)."
WATCH our "When It Comes To Sharing Your Faith" videos on the Toward The Mark INC channels online.
Thank you for hearing our hearts and our hearts’ passion for God, His written and spoken Word, and His People. We pray that this message fanned the flame in your heart to "reach for God" in greater ways than ever before.
"The LORD gave the word: great was the company of those that published it." ~Psalm 68:11
Your friends in this final hours' harvest of souls, with eternal gratitude to our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ,

& the TTM Family



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Sunday, August 31

Pursuing THE PRIZE... Becoming ONE IN The Holy Trinity

"See flipcard titles"

For The Prize

The LORD says to us in God's written Word, "Come now, and let us reason together,... (Isaiah 1:18-31; also 1 John 1:6-2:2)".

Our beloved TTM Staff Pastor, Clay Davis, often puts what we see happening into perspective by saying, "First the natural and then the spiritual."  What Pastor Clay is referring to is the parallel The Holy Spirit reveals to us, if we ask Him to, regarding things happening in the spiritual realm reflected by things we can "see, hear, touch, taste, or smell" happening in the natural physical realm.  One primary example could be our "sources of nutrition" in America. 

Throughout the last decade or more, our quality of "spiritual food" as well as "natural food" has been in a drastic decline;  Parallel the diminished quality of food made available for us to eat and feed our families in the "natural" with the diminished quality of food made available to us in the "spiritual", as The Holy Spirit reveals it to us.  Truly we have experienced, and are still experiencing, intentional attacks against us, by way of satan's human accomplices, working in and through our own government and church-based organizations.  In both the natural and spiritual realms, not only are we, the people, at risk of losing our lives, by being poisoned, but we are simultaneously malnourished from the "food" no matter how much is being consumed.

Let's take a look at the way the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has been allowed to relax, and in many cases remove, crucial quality standards that had been set to ensure our essential food and drug supplies are the highest quality, for the well-being of our tax-paying citizenry.  Our food and medications in this country have gradually, systematically, and intentionally been re-engineered for our destruction.  Then, as much in decline as the government-controlled FDA's accountability has been in the natural, much of The Church today has declined to provide little nourishment to people's souls in the spirit realm.  All of the attacks, first the natural and then the spiritual, are for the human accomplices of satan's expressed purpose of reducing our population, especially Christians.  That is how serious things have gotten.  Unfortunately, much like our natural foods and drugs have been largely depleted of nourishment, even saturated with chemical or synthetic materials that will kill our body, our humanity has been largely infiltrated by spirits, to the "exclusion" of God's Holy Spirit.

We are truly at war on every side.  Where there was, at one time, foods and medicines we could trust, we now have poison fillers, dangerous substitutes, and imposter additives as the ingredients of the day.  In a perfect situation, we would be able to go anywhere and be healed, raised up, grafted in-to God's holy, loving Family, and be protected from harm by following in the wonder-full ways of God alongside other Believers... "being fully persuaded that, what He (God in Christ Jesus) had promised, He was able also to perform (Romans 4:21)".

As we have watched the decline of integrity along with the growth of greed, we've seen satan's work of manipulating many individuals in communities and churches who become crippled, turning to a state of actually "just surviving" in a luke-warm existence.  We heard the late prophet of God, Smith Wigglesworth, say that increasing populations in our beloved Church of today are "unbelieving Believers," those who have accepted Christ Jesus but don't believe Him enough to pursue Him personally.  They may very well attend church regularly, be good at tithing, and even considered by others to be religious people.  However, the time has come for each one of us to do our part to re-engineer, by the leading of The wonder-full Holy Spirit, as many as we possibly can of those who find themselves in the state of being luke-warm.  By faith in Jesus Christ, and by The Holy Spirit's leading, it's our time to set out to, as The Twelve Disciples did, see the unbelievers in our lives become, as Smith Wigglesworth would say, "Believing Believers!"

Over the years we have come to recognize the discontentment and lack of fulfillment in the lives of individuals who don't really believe... "unbelieving Believers".  Those individuals profess to know God but are weak and frail in their faith, and they will most-often settle for "feeding on the crumbs" that fall from the tables of a pastor's hour-long service at church once a week or of a TV or podcast host's show featuring a Christian minister on occasions.  If we knew our Father's actual will for our lives, for all Believers, we would know His passionate desire for each one of us to move from "unbelief" to become wholeheartedly committed Believers.  We would also never miss a day where we are making our way to "His Supper Table" to personally receive from Him "the meat" of His spoken Word for us (see Hebrews 5:14-6:3).  It's a big difference to live haphazardly then turn to a passionate pursuit of living a "real Life" i-n God's plan for us... together, in One-ness with Him.  It would make our heads spin to see what many Christians have missed in their lives because of their non-pursuit of God in Christ Jesus personally, not graftin themselves in-to Oneness with The Holy Trinity.

Why do so many in The Church settle for a luke-warm exsistance?  We are convinced it is because so many have bought into the lies of the enemy working to deceive us into taking some other way, an easier way, to receive God's spoken Word, apart from our having to go before God's Throne personally.  So many have fallen into the trap of thinking "it is the pastor's job" to go before The Holy Throne of God "for" the congregation; After all, we are paying him for that work, right!!??  If we are going to shift our lives and become persuaded, and persuasive, Believers in our Life's journey to "becoming One in The Holy Trinity", it's going to take us breaking our way out of old habits and mindsets.  The shift in our lives will take our focusing in on asking The Holy Spirit for His leading, in order to begin our journey in-to One-ness, to become grafted in, with God through Jesus Christ by The Holy Spirit's leading.

You may be familiar with the adage, "Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day; Teach a man 'how to fish' and you will feed him for a lifetime."  This adage certainly applies to the man being fed spiritually as well as being fed in his physical body... "Give a Believer a Sunday morning Scripture message and you will feed him or her for a day; Teach a Believer to pursue Christ Jesus for himself or herself, personally and every day, and you will feed them for a spiritual lifetime."  For each of us to have a fervent desire to invest in a "daily personal Life with The Holy Trinity" is to realize the deepest desire of God's, Jesus Christ's, and The Holy Spirit's heart for us.  Reading and meeting with The Holy Spirit in God's Holy written Word, desiring a close, loving, family bond with Christ Jesus... this is The Holy Trinity's dream for each one of us, individually.

The point is this:  the Body of Christ is suffering greatly from a condition of putting too much trust in someone who speaks "a Word from God" to them from a pulpit or media podcast, and investing too little of ourselves into "a fulfilled Life in The Spirit" that our Father has in store for them, personally.  Our Father has unlimited access to Him, Jesus Christ, and The Holy Spirit in store for us to take advantage of, directly.  Looking to another person, or other people, to catch, cook, and lay out "fish" before us, we voluntarily restrict our spiritual diet from the indescribable benefits from The Holy Trinity's personally "feeding our individual spirit and soul".

What The Holy Trinity actually desires for us is that we meet with The Holy Spirit in the pages of God's written Word, and listen quietly to receive God's spoken Word for ourselves.  We learn how to "receive God's Word directly from Christ Jesus" by way of The Holy Spirit.  He is always ready and willing to answer us when we call on Jesus Christ to bring us The Father's divine counsel, and to lead us in applying what we hear from God in His written Word.

Jesus Christ tells us in Matthew 7:20-25, "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto Me, LORD, LORD, shall enter into The Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, LORD, LORD, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonder-full works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man,... ."

We must not let a day go by when we settle for "the crumbs" that fall from the tables of others.  We can, and must, do what it takes to meet with The Holy Spirit in the pages of God's written Word, ourselves.  We must wholeheartedly devote ourselves to seeking and listening to hear God's Voice so He can teach us His Word, Will, and Ways for our Lives.

One evening I received a phone call from a frustrated young man who said that, no matter how much he reads his Holy Bible or listens to his favorite preacher on the radio or TV, he feels spiritually stagnate.  He said, "Brother, I would give anything if I could just hear God's voice once!" After expressing his frustration and his desire to hear God's voice, he asked, "If you were to recommend one thing that would help me to hear God voice what would it be?"

I thought to myself, rejoicing, that this young brother is perfectly positioned to hear our Father for himself.  Why?  Because I saw clearly that "he desperately wanted God."

Following a brief pause I replied, "From now on, with no exceptions, when you approach God and His Throne in prayer, begin offering up gratitude to God for Who He IS more than for what He can do for you."  I then shared with him how, from the very first time I approached God with a heart and words filled with gratitude and thanks-giving, my prayers began to change and so did my heart.  By approaching God with my gratitude, voicing my thanks to Him aloud, instead of bringing Him my usual "grocery list of things I wanted from Him", every aspect of my Life began to change and improve dramatically.

The young man paused for a moment.  Then he asked, "Why 'gratitude'?"  I answered him first by sharing how we get "a heart of gratitude" by illuminating The Scripture that The Holy Spirit had illuminated to me, "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 (Philippians 4:8)."

Once we catch hold of gratitude that comes from our heart praising The LORD, God "smells" it.  Next, as The Holy Spirit illuminated to me in God's written Word, "His gates" are unlocked and opened to those who approach Him with a grateful heart.  And, once we have gained entrance through God's gates, He then presents us with the opportunity to enter in-to His sacred courts.  "Enter into (God's) gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name (Psalm 100:4)."  The Holy Spirit illuminated to me such infinite value "the Psalm 100:4 map" offers us and our Life in Jesus Christ.

Psalm 100:4 is so priceless as our "spiritual treasure map" that it can't be stressed to us enough.  In order for us to reap the benefits of God's promises, we mustn't only read God's written Word, " But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves (James 1:22)".  When we follow the leading of The Holy Spirit and commit to carry out each step of God's written Word, we become like the diligent prospector given access to the most sacred and treasured "secret place" of all -- "One-ness" i-n God, Jesus Christ, and The Holy Spirit.

In order to help my friend better understand, I shared my experience when The Holy Spirit revealed a "key" to me by using the same approach as that of a police officer instructing a lost motorist with directions to their desired destination -- using a road map.  In this instance, of course, our desired destination is where we can gain access into what we might refer to as "the secret place of meeting with God", where we get to hear Him and be heard by Him.  The Psalm 100:4 map" is, truly, the most priceless treasure map in all of Creation.  If we will follow it, "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name", we are permitted entrance in-to our Father's most sacred presence... where we can reason together (Isaiah 1:18-31).

God desires to be with us so much so that everything He is doing, has done, and will do is for the expressed purpose of being in unity with, and reasoning with, His Children.  I once heard it said that the entire Holy Bible is God's devising means by which He can facilitate His getting each and every one of His Children into His arms, sitting on His Holy lap, so to speak.  God did, after all, go so far as to send His only begotten Son, His most Prized Possession, so He could provide for us The Way for us to get back to Him, and be at Home with our Father.

As a fun side-note, in any form of "treasure hunting" there is the act of prospecting and the act of mining.  "Prospecting" is the act of searching, pursuing, digging, and such.  "Mining", on the other hand, occurs once a prospector's search uncovers "a treasure" to be collected.  So, the "prospecting" treasure hunter remains a prospector until such time as they actually locate a "treasure" and the "mining" can begin to harvest the treasure they were searching for.

Our friend then asked, "Once we have passed through God's gates by way of thanking Him for Who He IS, how do we go about doing what The Scriptures saynext, and enter into (or press forward toward) His courts with praise?  Are we to then start singing praise and worship songs to Him like we sing the songs in church?"  I responded by saying, "Singing praise songs like we do in church is a form of praise; Yes.  However, the 'praise' mentioned in the Psalm 100:4 Scripture is referring to the most sincere form of praise to God;  It is the sweet fragrance that rises from a heart that is overflowing with celebratory gratitude to Him for Who He IS.  After all, He is The Almighty Creator and our all-Loving and Wise God."

When we are truly grateful to God for Who He IS, first of all and foremost, our heart will naturally emit pure praise.  However, this "pure praise" can not be generated by our natural will because, in our flesh, we fall short of "purity".  The purest of all praise is like a sweet-smelling fragrance that goes up before God's throne, a sort-of invisible smoke that comes from a heart that is "full-to-overflowing with gratitude", thank-full to Him for being Who He IS, more than for doing what He can do for us.  I repeat myself here for an important reason, and you will continue to see me repeating this because it is so very important.

In continuing to further explain the genuine heart-felt gratitude, love, and adoration for God that grants us access to Him, and that grafts us in-to One-ness in Him, I assured our friend that God can most certainly discern the stench of a luke-warm heart from the sweet-smelling fragrance of a heart that is filled with pure praise and thank-fullness.  God wrote it this way, "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art luke-warm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth (Revelation 3:15-16)."

Just as we can discern whether someone is pursuing us because they want what we have to offer them or because they truly desire to be with us for who we are, God, too, can discern a person's motives for approaching Him.  It's like what I once heard in passing that, you'll hear a person's phone ringing like never before just after they've won a sizable lottery.

A person who possesses a heart filled with gratitude to God, Jesus Christ, and The wonder-full Holy Spirit because of Who "They" are, through a loving persistence to make their way in-to "One-ness i-n The Holy Trinity", gets to enjoy all of the infinite, wonder-full qualities of The Holy Trinity, Their gifts to us, as well.  For Bren and I, The Trinity's gift of contentment is the one we personally treasure above any other wonder-full gift that God makes available to all who love Him.  "But godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6)."

Speaking of contentment, Paul expresses his extraordinary perspective in Philippians 4:11-13, "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased (pressed down), and I know how to abound (in abundance): every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

I also took the opportunity to point out, to our emotionally, physically and spiritually drained brother, this most timely benefit of wholeheartedly pursuing and dwelling with God in Psalms 91:1-2 where it says, "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of The LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust."

    In Philippians, the Apostle Paul affirms the crucial importance of being grateful to God in all things. "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7)." Jesus is, after all, The Prince of Peace."

Now, as we had mentioned earlier concerning "letting our requests be made known unto God", you might be thinking, "Keith, with all of the emphasis you have placed on being most grateful to God for Who He IS, are you saying we should not make requests of our Father in our times in prayer?"  I am not saying that at all.  In fact, on the contrary, God wants to hear our requests... in proper order.  God has an order of things in everything He does and it is crucial that we ask Him to reveal His order to us.

Whenever we first open the pages of The Bible it's very important that we call on The Holy Spirit and ask Him, "In Jesus Christ's Name, please meet with me here and reveal to me God's order of things, especially concerning each verse, chapter, or book You lead me to read and research."  Not understanding that God has an order of things, in "all" that He does, is one problem that many precious Believers have and don't even know it.  Our lack of knowledge and understanding in Christ results in our living confused, bound, fruitless lives instead of living FREE and full-filled in Jesus Christ.

Why do so many saints make the mistake of "putting the cart before the horse" where approaching God and His written Word is concerned?  For instance, due to the struggles with "the cares of this life" and the immaturity in knowing God's order of things, many Christians tend to approach God in prayer to present Him with a laundry-list of things they desire from Him.  What we wanted our young friend to take away from our discussion is the understanding that, when we approach our Father's Holy Throne, we first and foremost present Him with our gratitude... thanking Him for Who He IS first!  That is the first priority in "God's order of things" when we are coming to present ourselves to Him.

Now, after we have approached God, and presented Him with our offering of heartfelt gratitude and love and adoration, then we "bless His Name"!  Let's read it again.  This time let's focus our attention on the wonder-full "gift" of instruction, and the glorious order, God provides for us in the passage.  "Enter into His (God's) gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name (Psalm 100:4)."

I heard one pastor say, "God's Word only works if we work it."  We can say, with all confidence, that God's passion for getting His kids to listen for and want Him more than anything has got to be infinite!  Surely, a primary point of frustration God feels today comes with seeing His kids so distracted that the distractions keep us from pursuing and pressing in to God and His presence.

The fact is, God is the consummate family man!  He longs to be with, and talk with, each one of His beloved children.  There is nothing He desire more than to be in unity with His kids, continuously!

Paul encourages us to, "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)." To pray without ceasing simply means that we remain conscious of God, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit with us throughout every minute of every day.  God desires to be with us, so much that everything He is doing, has done, and will do is all for the expressed purpose of being with His sons and daughters and reasoning with each of us.

In the wonder-full Kingdom Protocol of Psalm 100:4, when it comes to "waiting on The LORD", so many of our Father's sons and daughters will fall short of making it in-to "His courts".  Many of us put forth the effort to "enter into His gates with thanks-giving" and then proceed on toward His inner courts as the result of the subsequent praise, but we stop short of the waiting time necessary to be able to hear God speak.

Therein lies the root of The Church's infertility today, as individual Believers allow their focus on Jesus Christ to be broken.  Their anticipation of hearing His wonder-filled Voice is snatched away with thoughts that too often win the battle for their focus.  I could not stress enough to our young friend how crucial it is that we become able to listen patiently, waiting to hear the wonder-full voice of The Holy Spirit.  I could not stress enough how we must become "disciplined" in our ability to meditate on God's Word, His written and spoken Word, and to then be diligent in walking it out... with Him.

We are admonished, "But be ye doers of The Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves (James 1:22)."  "And why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?  Whosoever cometh to Me, and heareth My sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like:  He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.  But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great (Luke 6:46-49)."

Something that helped me greatly in my efforts to discipline myself to be a doer of God's Word and not a hearer only occurred back in 1987.  I heard a brother in Jesus Christ who specializes in the teaching of "ancient kingdom protocols" say that, during the times when kings and kingdoms were more prevalent on the earth, there were very strict protocols that a person would be required to adhere to before being permitted into a sitting king's presence.  He shared how someone who desired to "have audience with a king" first had to be thoroughly washed clean.  Then the individual was put in front of a series of instructors whose job it was to brief him or her how to "pay proper honor" as a visitor to the king.  The visitor was instructed on how to properly approach a king or queen, and the proper steps to take once summoned by the king to enter, including how to kneel before him.  A king's staff were often instructed to make certain the visitors do not look directly at the king, and so on.  Perhaps the protocol that grabbed my attention most was the charge to never leave a king's presence until he excuses you to depart.  To turn away from a king's presence before he motions for you to depart from your position could be very costly on several fronts.  Such a show of ignorance and disrespect "could cost you your head", as they often have been heard to say.

This last point is one we cannot stress enough.  When it comes to our leaving after a time in the presence of God, we must always wait until we have a release excusing us from Him, and only from Him. Though the cost may not be "a beheading" for prematurely leaving from God's presence, as was the custom long ago, to leave without allowing Him the opportunity to speak what He has to say to us is actually far worse than even losing one's head.  The spoken Word of God is, in and of itself, filled with "Life in abundance and filled with His Own Glory", and without receiving it from Him we cannot truly Live.  We MUST stay in God's Holy Presence until we hear Him and everything He wants to speak to us... no exception!

The gentlemen who teaches Kingdom protocols also said something else that has been stamped into the wall of my heart.  He said that most kings enjoyed considerably out-giving the individuals that came before his throne.  He went on to say that, often, those who would come before a king, honoring the king with gratitude and humility, would leave the king's presence much richer than when they entered. Can you see the parallel in that The Scriptures tell us, "But without faith [it is] impossible to please [Him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and [that] He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6)."

Christ Jesus makes a defining point in Matthew 4:4, "But He (Jesus Christ) answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4)."  Jesus is not referring to God's Holy written Word as much as He is referring to God's spoken Word - His Words spoken to those who will pull down every stronghold or hindrance that exalts itself above God.  Those who will enter through His gates with thanksgiving and enter into His courts with praise, and who will wait on Him no matter how long it takes, get to hear His wonder-filled Words spoken into their spirits.  Those who wait in God's presence, no matter how long it takes, will receive His matchless Word for them, personally, "Life" Himself and in abundance.  "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon The LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint (Isaiah 40:29-31)."

I had once heard it said that anything of great value is worth fighting for!  That especially applies to our waging war against any resistance, lies, intimidation, fear, or anything else we must contend with, in order for us to make it in-to God's Holy Presence.  The Holy Spirit once equipped me with another priceless piece of wisdom, information that Brenda and I would also like to pass along to you.  He said that the arch enemy of our attaining and walking in the kind of faith that pleases God comes by wicked spirits of "anxiousness"... "gird yourself against them!"  In our preparation to pursue God and His presence, we must be equipped to, like clearing a pathway through a jungle of hindrances... in the precious Name of Jesus Christ "cut them down"!

In closing, we are sharing this message, not to discourage you but, to equip you with information that can be helpful when you are setting out to spend quality time at the feet of our Father.  Perhaps the most violent skirmishes that we can ever find ourselves in happen when we are getting alone with The Holy Trinity, working to relax and be still, listening for what God has to say to us in His Holy written Word.  The devil likes to deploy anxious spirits, his most effective militant force, for redirecting our attention and affections away from focusing solely on pursuing audience with God.

Be encouraged, we have the maps, we have God's Kingdom Protocols (God's Holy written Word), and we have The wonder-full Holy Trinity!  And remember what this means for us... we win!  "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, I press toward the mark FOR THE PRIZE of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14)."

We love you and are humbled by your joining with us here and your sharing Pressin'IN Toward The Mark blogs with others!  Each time that we receive your eternally-appreciated visit, or your encouraging notes of support and prayers, we rejoice.  Thank you for taking part with Toward The Mark, INC that encourages us to further fulfill God's mission for our lives in these opportune times.  On behalf of those we are reaching with the Great News of Jesus Christ and The Gospel He teaches, thank you so very much,



 

 

You are invited to our Toward The Mark video series, "When It Comes To Sharing Your Faith" on the YouTube channel, and share to uplift and encourage others as well along the way.


WE COULDN'T DO THIS WITHOUT OUR MINISTRY FAMILY AND TEAM!
Words cannot express how eternally grateful we are for our family, and for our joint prayers and passion for fulfilling all that God has for us to accomplish, together.  We pray that this letter brings fulfillment and joy-fullness in Christ Jesus, knowing you are taking part in our work by connecting with us here, and through our effectual fervent and joint prayers on behalf of the many men, women, and families we reach.

 



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Wednesday, July 20

Being Fear-less in a Fear-filled World

Welcome! And thank you for Pressin'In with us for this GREAT NEWS that we can "Be FEAR-LESS in a FEAR-FILLED world"!

Who of us DOESN'T want to walk this earth in the authority that Christ came sooooo far to make available to us, through His Death, Burial, and Resurrection?! We don't know about you, but we know that we surely want both Jesus's authority AND His courage!

        To put it plainly, if Jesus gave EVERYTHING He had, in order that ALL that He has be made available to you and me, and all of us on this earth, then we want EVERYTHING He died to give us!

        Proverb 18:10 tells us, "The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." Do you want to be "SAFE"? Do you want to be fear-LESS, like the title of our message says, from all the fear-filled matters here in this world?

        Never has there been a better time than now for us to stop allowing ourselves to be robbed of the "courage" of "LIFE" that is made available to us through The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

        So, let's journey through the answers to the question, "How do I begin the process of 'running INto' the Lord, our Strong Tower?"

"The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it (Psalm 68:11)."

        Your love and prayers mean more than you know, both to us and to those we reach with The Gospel of Christ Jesus and The Gospel He preached. We pray that The Lord returns to you 100-fold reward for all of the caring, sharing, and faith-fullness you pour out!

We are grateful for the wonderfully fruitful opportunities The Person of The Holy Spirit is blessing us with, to glorify the Great Name of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ, opportunities we simply could not take advantage of if not for the passion and support of our TTM partners to magnify Jesus Christ by sending us into this final hour's harvest! On behalf of the two of us, and those we are reaching, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking part in our work, friendship, and all our family of faith has been doing to encourage and reach this end time's generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ... and with the Gospel Jesus Christ preached! Your friends and servants in Christ Jesus,
    
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 channel, 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...
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Keith and Brenda "Between The Lines" Podcast on TTM's Libsyn Channel











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)."


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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 ... 
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