Remember...
In Matthew 6:33, Jesus gives us the starting place where it all must begin, "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."
Remember...
God gives us, in Psalm 100:4, the KEY to ONEness, saying, "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name."Just before Jesus was arrested, here is John's account of what Jesus prayed.... just as we also pray:
"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they all may be ONE; as Thou, Father, art IN Me, and I IN Thee, that they also may be ONE IN Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And the glory which Thou gave Me I have given them; that they may be ONE, even as We are ONE: I IN them, and Thou IN Me, that they may be made perfect IN ONE; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me. Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My Glory, which Thou has given Me: for Thou loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee: but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me. And I have declared unto them Thy Name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be... IN them, and I IN them (John 17:20-26)."
We cannot enter in-to ONEness with Jesus Christ, as He prayed in the garden just before He was arrested, without first having obtained a heart filled with GRATITUDE to God for who He is more than for what He can do for us. Gratitude is the KEY that unlocks His gates... that provides the way for those who WANT Him to begin their journey toward becoming One IN God, One IN Jesus Christ, and One IN The Person of The Holy Spirit
We so enjoy watching the lives of truly grateful people. When you are with someone who is exceedingly grateful to God for Who He is, they will also be grateful for those around them. They will have and display a remarkable level of uncommon respect for others. They are quick to speak life. They are selfless and are always looking for ways to help others in any and every way they can. They look to see others through God's eyes, being ready and willing to help others to recognize and call out the gifts that God has placed in them. They fan the flame in the heart of others to complete the work God has wired them to full-fill. And, lastly, people who know and love God wholeheartedly are truly grateful to Him for Who He is and can't help but tell everyone about Him. Everyone can see how they live life being more keenly aware of the times we are living in, willing to do whatever they are called to do for lifting up our Heavenly Father to be glorified in the eyes of as many people as possible. And the work they do and life they live comes from their passion for God, not their need for approval.
We encourage you to ask the Person of The Holy Spirit to meet with you in the pages of God's written Word. There is where, if we will ask Him, and wait on Him, He will bring to light all of those times when He has answered our prayers along the way, in turn, making it possible for us to recall and reflect on all of the wonder-full things He has done for us throughout our lives. In turn, our hearts will become filled with gratitude that compels us to offer up thanksgiving to Him, for Him and for everything He IS and everything He does. Satan knows full well that, if he can deceive us into critically condemning others with our words, then he can steal our joy that comes with being IN ONEness with our Father, with Jesus Christ, and with the Person of The Holy Spirit in your life.
"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also you are called in one body; and be ye thankful." Colossians 3:15
Our sincerest hope is that you have found some encouragement in this blog. We want you to know that there is even more notes to encourage you, and your friends and family members, in our most-requested book of Toward The Mark, "Letters From The Front." We want to personally invite you to get a copy for yourself, just click here to e-mail us.
The rarest and most fun people in the world have a heart that is filled with gratitude to God for WHO HE IS more than for what He can do for them! You are invited to join us in always remembering to, no matter what, KEEP PRESSIN' IN!
Consider using our LETTERS FROM THE FRONT book, a special collection of 12 of our most-requested teaching titles:
Would you write and let us know how this message has fanned the flame in your heart for Christ Jesus, His Ways, and for God's Plan for your life? If you would like to request a special order of our book "LETTERS From The FRONT" or any product from Keith Shealy and Toward The Mark, or if you have questions about our work, resources, or giving tax-deductible donations, please click here to e-mail us. We welcome you to also feel free to write us a letter and mail it to TOWARD THE MARK, P.O. Box 1152, Yorktown, VA 23692-1152.
May you be greatly blessed as God writes this message in your heart. We praise Him, with eternal gratitude, for our loving Toward The Mark Family without whose help and support this work would not be possible!
Your friends and servants in Christ,
To Show GOD BIG in a world that Sees Him small…
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