A Prophetic Word to the Church

A Prophetic Word to the Church

DEDICATION:  
It is the heartfelt prayer of all of the Toward The Mark Team that this blog will serve to—in a big way—encourage, preserve, and ensure the role of Godly integrity in the lives of all who read it.

Dr. Myles Munroe once made this very sobering statement: 

“Wouldn’t it be terrible to wake up one day and realize that you spent forty years pastoring a church when you should have been driving a bus for a living? Or how about waking up one day after driving a bus for forty years to realize that you should have been pastoring a church?”

Please, never accept a leadership position in God’s Church for the pay or the recognition. Accept it only because it is your divine calling! God always provides for the fulfillment of His vision for our lives! This is especially true for those who have been called by Him to love and to feed His sheep. Based on the present condition of not only the church, but also the massive amounts of people that are going unreached in this country, I am of the opinion that about 95% of those occupying leadership positions today should be doing something else with their lives. As harsh as that may sound, here is why I say it. America has within just the last 30 years made the tragic transition from being a Christian nation to becoming a religious and an extremely materialistic society. This situation can only turn around as the right people, folks who are operating inside of their gifts and callings, assume church leadership. But how are we to know the difference?

In 1990, totally grieved about the treatment that I had seen so many of God’s people having to endure at the hand of “professional religious leaders,” I began to earnestly fast and to pray for them all. While in prayer, I received a timely word from the Lord. Remember, this Word came to me back in 1990. This is what He said:

“Be encouraged; it won’t be long now. I am dismantling the Church as you have known it, and am raising up a new breed of leader. The pruning process that is occurring even now will yield a fresh, new, and abundant crop of men and women who love and seek Me with their whole hearts. Their affection will not be divided! They have both seen and endured the painful wrath and tormenting flames of religion’s harsh taskmasters, and through it all have emerged victorious. This will be that generation that will be called My Bride. They will walk in purity and will be without spot or wrinkle because I will remember their sins no more. Untainted any longer by sin and the terrible stench of religion, they will be a sweet-smelling savor to Me and all who receive them. I will take pleasure in all of their exploits and will bless all they put their hands to because I know them intimately and because they know Me intimately (Because I am in them and they are in Me). Just as I called forth Lazarus from the grave, I will soon call these forth from the factories, from the job sites, from the kitchens, from caves, home offices, and all four corners of the earth. I will call all of those who have endured deafening loneliness for My Name’s sake, and while I have had them hidden in caves, they have trusted in Me, rested in Me, and waited on Me without fail. These are the joy of My heart and will be easily recognized by all who see them. They will be girded about in the spirit with the towel of loving and selfless service to others!”

*Find this Word to the Church, along with more of what we find when we look between the lines, in our book, "THE CRISIS OF ERODING INTEGRITY."  More info and availability @ Toward The Mark's website.  In Christ Jesus, Keith & Brenda Shealy

"I am dismantling the Church as you have known it, and am raising up a new breed of leader." - Keith Shealy

"But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him.  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."  (John 4:23-24)

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Satan's War On Words…

Satan's War On Words…

What We DON'T Know CAN Hurt Us AND Every Generation to Come!

"Abiding in Jesus - that is, living the Abundant Life - means His Words are living in us; we think them day and night. God has provided the means whereby this can be accomplished, and He is not obliged to change His methods to match our expectations or our modern way of life." - Keith

God's Word is not simply difficult for us to comprehend: It is impossible for our human minds to understand God's Word! We simply do not think the way God thinks. Consider this, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

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Should William Shakespeare's plays be discarded because they are not written in today's common English? 

Of course, rather than simply throwing the works on history's trash heap, they could be rewritten in modern English, so that it will be easier for people today to read them and to understand them. But Shakespeare is widely regarded as the premiere playwright of the English-speaking world, so who living today is actually qualified to modernize the plays while being able to retain the unique qualities of Shakespeare's genius? The answer is no one. William Shakespeare stands alone; his writings reflect a combination of his own genius and the time in which he lived. His plays cannot be duplicated in today's English.

There are two main problems that stand in the way of our reading and comprehending any of Shakespeare's original works, for example "Romeo and Juliet." Firstly, our modern culture bears little resemblance to Elizabethan England, so the many cultural references and nuances are lost on us. Secondly, the English language we speak and read has undergone significant changes from what was used in Shakespeare's time. We don't even know many of the words Shakespeare used, and many of those we do recognize had different definitions when Shakespeare wrote his works. Thus, to truly appreciate Shakespeare's writings, we must become educated in the customs of the Elizabethan period and learn the Early Modern English of that period. Moreover, we need to be able to think the way they thought.

The same is true for understanding God's Word. The Scriptures include many cultural references that are meaningless to us, because we do not have the same cultural conditions today. Moreover, since God's Word was not written in English, it must be translated from the original writings, and the two primary languages of the Scriptures, Hebrew and Greek, often do not translate neatly and clearly into English. Thus, using an English translation is not enough. To gain understanding of the truths contained in the Bible, we must familiarize ourselves with the cultural settings within which the Scriptures were written and we need to apply ourselves in studying the original Hebrew and Greek. Furthermore, as with reading Shakespeare, to really comprehend the Scriptures, we need to change the way we think.

Those who have re-translated the Bible into modern English have done so with the stated purpose of making the Bible "more understandable." What they are actually doing is altering the text to match the way people think today. This fits in with the way many people choose a version of the Bible to read and to study. "I read such-n-such version, because I can understand it." However, this ignores one crucial fact. God has deliberately hidden the meaning of His Word!

"At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight." Matthew 11:25-26

As an example, consider the great misconception concerning the reason that Jesus taught the people using parables. Many believe that the parables were employed so that He could help them to better understand Truth. This is exactly the opposite of the real reason: Jesus used parables to mask the truth. The Apostles were puzzled by this and so they asked Jesus, "Why speakest thou unto them in parables?" He told them, "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given." God was allowing the Apostles to understand His mysteries, but the teachings of Christ were hidden from the rest of the people.

"And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." Matthew 13:10-15

God's Word is not simply difficult for us to comprehend: It is impossible for our human minds to understand God's Word! We simply do not think the way God thinks. Consider the following Scriptures:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

"The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:14

"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Romans 8:7

Our minds rebel against the Truth contained in the Word of God. We fight against the Words of Truth and twist those words until they become more compatible with our way of thinking. This is what Jesus called making the Word of God powerless using human definitions. In the following passage, the Apostle Peter describes people who wrestle with the Word of God to their own destruction.

"Even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." 2 Peter 3:15,16

Those who approach the Scriptures only using human understanding will not be able to understand the Truth contained in the Bible. Human understanding has caused many false doctrines to be taught all the while citing "Chapter and Verse" justification. They wrestle with the Word of God using their own definitions to their own destruction. This is why so many declare that the Bible is not the Word of God and also why some see contradictions where none exist.

God's Word is not open to private interpretations. Rather the Word of God is "settled in the heavens" having fixed meanings that He has assigned. If we approach reading the Bible using different meanings for words than He intends for those words to have, then we will not be able to properly understand the Scriptures. Thus, His Word is prevented from benefiting us.

Using our definitions to interpret God's Word is logocide!

"This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Matthew 15:8-9

Studying the Bible using man's definitions and understanding is an empty exercise. The Scriptures teach quite emphatically that we cannot understand God's Word using our minds. In order to understand God's Word, we must be taught the meaning(s) He has assigned to each word and we must learn to think God's thoughts the way He thinks them. In order to do this, God requires great sacrifice on our part.

Why do people choose a Bible version expecting to be able to read it as plainly and easily as a modern-day romance novel or action-packed thriller? In our Fast Food, Fast Lane Society, so many have become conditioned to the expectation that most of life's problems can be resolved in a thirty minute sitcom format or an hour long drama. Really difficult situations may require a two-parter. So, reading and understanding the Bible should be just as easily accomplished. An hour each week in a Sunday School class is all it takes to be a Christian, or so it would seem based upon the investment of many in the Church.

But really, how long should the pursuit of godliness take? How long should people study and prepare before they are licensed to be pastors? Why do we expect doctors and lawyers to study for many years before they are allowed to practice, but nearly any adult in the Church is qualified to teach in Sunday School? Even Jesus took about thirty years to prepare to preach for about three years. And even though He spent much of those three years intensively teaching and preparing the Apostles for the next phase of the Church, the night before He was crucified Jesus told them that He still had so much to tell them. Jesus also told them that He and God the Father were sending the Holy Spirit in order for the Apostles to continue receiving their education in the pursuit of the Truth and godliness. The instructions Jesus gave to the Apostles are in perfect harmony with the instructions given to Joshua many centuries before:

"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." John 15:7

"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Joshua 1:8

Abiding in Jesus, that is, living the Abundant Life, means His Words are living in us; we think them day and night. God has provided the means whereby this can be accomplished and He is not obliged to change His methods to match our expectations or modern way of life. We must work to understand the Bible. If we want God's results, we must use His methods. If we use man's methods, we should not be surprised when we don't get God's results. God never changes. It is we who must change, if we are to become like Him. And how is this to be accomplished?

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:1-2)

The pursuit of godliness is not merely another item on a busy "To Do" list. The pursuit of godliness IS the "To Do" list! Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness. This will take the rest of your life, and even that's not enough. Spend the rest of your life studying God's Word and you will not have even scratched the surface of what is contained in it. God's Word is inexhaustible. It is the infinite book written by The Infinite God.

For more on this topic, and many others, see "TTM Teaching Messages" on our website at TowardTheMark.com.

Follow "Keith Shealy's TowardTheMark Page" on Facebook, Keith'sBetweenTheLines Podcast channel, "Sharing with you the Secrets that God Whispers to me"monthly teaching on the website, and "TTMSingingSgt" on Twitter for more Scripture-based truth, unveiling God's Word on real-life matters - what the devil does NOT want you to know!

Pearl Harbor through Eyes that SEE!

Blog about the highly-revered Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz…

considering his profound insight into the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

“Thanks to Admiral Nimitz’s ability to see, we have, on record, a much better account of what actually happened at Pearl Harbor than the accounts told by the script writers of the movies TORA! TORA! TORA! (1970) and PEARL HARBOR (2001)." - Keith

Our part is to recognize that, when it seems we are

surrounded by troubles and woe, in the words of the prophet Elisha, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." (2 Kings 6:16-17)

Find this, and more, in our 30-year review of TTM in TTM MAGAZINE.

The rare ability to see, instead of merely looking, is illustrated in the true account of U.S. Navy Admiral Chester Nimitz’s profound insights as he surveyed the aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Admiral Nimitz had eyes that could see with respect to tactical naval warfare. He was so well studied and experienced in the art of war that it did not take him long to recognize where the Japanese had made three fatal mistakes in their planning for and execution of their attacks on our ships at Pearl Harbor. These three errors rendered them unsuccessful in their attempt to utterly destroy the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet.

If you visit Pearl Harbor, you will find boats ferrying people out to the USS Arizona Memorial every 30 minutes. In the gift shop there you will find a book entitled, “Reflections on Pearl Harbor” by Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz. In that book, you will read that on Sunday, December 7, 1941, Admiral Nimitz was attending a concert in Washington, D.C. when he was paged and told there was a phone call for him. When he answered the phone, he found that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was on the line.

The President told Admiral Nimitz that in light of the attack on Pearl Harbor Admiral Nimitz would now be the Commander of the Pacific Fleet. Admiral Nimitz flew to Hawaii to assume command of the Pacific Fleet, landing at Pearl Harbor on Christmas Eve, 1941. He found such a spirit of despair, dejection, and defeat that it would seem the Japanese had already won the war.

On Christmas Day, 1941, Admiral Nimitz was given a boat tour of the destruction wrought on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. Big sunken battleships and navy vessels cluttered the waters everywhere you looked. As the tour boat returned to dock, the young helmsman of the boat asked, “Well, Admiral, what do you think after seeing all this destruction?”

Admiral Nimitz’s reply shocked everyone within the sound of his voice. Admiral Nimitz said, “The Japanese made three of the biggest mistakes an attack force could ever make or God was taking care of America. Which do you think it was?”

Shocked and surprised, the young helmsman asked, “What do you mean by saying the Japanese made the three biggest mistakes an attack force ever made?” Nimitz’s explanation is summarized below.

Mistake number one: The Japanese attacked on Sunday morning. Nine out of every ten crewmen of those ships were ashore on leave. If those same ships had been lured to sea and then sunk, we would have lost 38,000 men instead of 3,800.

Mistake number two: When the Japanese saw all those battleships lined in a row, they got so carried away sinking those battleships, they never once bombed our dry docks that were sitting across from those ships. If they had destroyed the dry docks, we would have had to tow every one of the damaged ships to America to be repaired. As it is now, the ships are in shallow water and can be raised. One tug can pull them over to the dry docks, and we can have them repaired and at sea by the time it would have taken to tow them to America; and I already have crews ashore anxious to man those ships.

Mistake number three: Every drop of fuel in the Pacific theater of war is in storage tanks on top of the ground only five miles away. One attack plane could have strafed those tanks and destroyed our entire fuel supply.

That’s why I say the Japanese made three of the biggest mistakes an attack force could make or God was taking care of America. It was Admiral Nimitz’ many years of first-hand tactical experience that gave him the ability to recognize that “The Japanese made three of the biggest mistakes an attack force could ever make.” In turn, it was that same experience that equipped him to be able to see God’s divine intervention where most saw only despair and defeat.

The young helmsman and so many others looked at the devastation and were in many ways crippled by the destruction and despair. On the other hand, Admiral Nimitz looked at the same devastation and saw something completely different. He knew how unlikely it was that the very capable Japanese war planners would miss three such obvious tactical points while preparing their assault, and this made it evident to him that God had intervened on America’s behalf on December 7, 1941. As devastating as the loss of our brave men and women were that day, as Admiral Nimitz states, the results would have been much worse if God had not intervened on our behalf.

Even as Admiral Nimitz looked at utter devastation and could see the grace of God at work on the behalf of our great Nation, we have the same opportunity to look beyond whatever it is that we may be going through and see the redeeming power of God working on our behalf as well. As the Scripture says in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” These are not empty words: God means every one of them, and He wants us to trust Him to do His part.

God promises that in every trial He will provide the way of escape. He also promises to never leave us or forsake us. We need to believe Him and we need to seek Him early, so that when we do find ourselves in trouble, He will open our eyes that we may truly see: because eyes that look are common; eyes that see are rare!

For more on this topic, and many others, see "TTM Magazine," celebrating 30 Years of Service, on our website at TowardTheMark.com.   

Follow "Keith Shealy's Toward The Mark" Facebook page, Keith'sBetweenTheLines Podcast channel, "Sharing with youthe Secrets that God Whispers to me" monthly teaching on the website, and "TTMSingingSgt" on Twitter for more Scripture-based truth, unveiling God's Word on real-life matters - what the devil does NOT want you to know!

          Take me back to the top of this post.

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BITTERNESS for the Believer

"This I've learned... We don’t pursue forgiveness because we are told to or because we are simply wanting to silence something in us. We pursue forgiveness because it’s a matter of life and death." - Keith

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

"Being 'born again' is the paradigm shift that occurs in our heart as the result of what we see through God’s eyes the moment we enter into oneness with Him."

Find this, and more, in our latest edition of TTM NEWS.

Whether it’s our skin color, an opposing team, or “that other church,” the truth is this: people tend to criticize harshest those things they understand the least.  Therein lies satan’s deadly trap.  You see, it is when we are IN God, as Jesus teaches us in John 17: 20-26, that we can see ourself and others through His eyes.  It is what we see, when we are looking through His loving eyes, that breaks the chains of bitterness and unforgiveness in our heart against ourself and others.

When we finally see ourself and others the way God sees us, it is at that moment that we are born again.  Being “born again” does not happen at the altar when we give our life to Jesus Christ.

What takes place on the day that we “commit our heart and life to Christ” is we make the commitment to turn our backs on our old stinkin’ flesh nature, with all of its sinful ways, and pursue oneness with our Father.  Being “born again” is the paradigm shift that occurs in our heart as the result of what we see through God’s eyes the moment we enter INto oneness with God.

If we cannot see ourself and others the way God sees us, as His beloved children created uniquely and with a divine purpose, we will not know who we are, or who anyone else truly is.  And then, it is a fact that, if you do not know the purpose for a thing, you will only abuse it.  The purpose for a thing can only be found in the mind of the maker of the thing.  The Maker of you, me, and each one of us is God, so only HE knows what we are made to do and to be, so we must pursue Him for a fulfilled purpose, and "LIFE".  People, by nature, tend to most abuse the things, and individual people, they understand the least.  This is why, seeing ourself and others through God’s eyes is imperative.

Before we can see ourself and others for the priceless works of art that God has created each of us to be, we must be clean of all bitterness in our hearts.  Jesus, knowing better than anyone, the way to free ourselves from the deadly effects of holding on to bitterness against others, said, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24).

Jesus also teaches us, “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22).

You see, we don’t simply pursue forgiveness because we are told to, or because we are trying to silence hurtful voices in our minds.  We pursue forgiveness because it is a matter of life and death. Bitterness in our hearts separates us from God.  God is life.  Without, or on the outside of, Him we can do nothing, including truly LIVE.

Let’s see, 70 x 7= 490 times to forgive.  In other words, Jesus told Peter that forgiveness is essential!  Therefore, bitterness for the believer ... is NOT an option!

"And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:25)

For more on this topic, and many others, see "TTM Magazine," celebrating 30 Years of Service, on our website at TowardTheMark.com.   

We invite you to Follow:"Toward The Mark's Wisdom-Packed Wednesdays" Facebook page, Keith'sBetweenTheLines Podcast channel,
"Sharing with youthe Secrets that God Whispers to me" monthly teaching on the website,
and "TTMSingingSgt" Twitter page...for more Scripture-based truth, unveiling God's Word on real-life matters - what the devil does NOT want you to know!

SIN is Snake Venom to the SOUL

"I came away from this experience with a much deeper understanding of how destructive sin is to the human soul!" Keith

“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  Then when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15)

"Like sin’s effect on the soul, the snake’s venom had numbed my senses so much that I could not hear the one thing that means more to me than life itself–God’s voice. I came away from the experience with a much deeper understanding of just how destructive sin is to the human soul." Find this, and more, in Keith's book LETTERS FROM THE FRONT.

"The doctors worked on me for a while, kept me there to make sure that I was in the clear, and sent me on my way to begin what turned out to be about 3 months of some pretty weird side effects."

         Early one spring, I began preparing to plant my vegetable garden, but I had no idea that a very profound life lesson was on its way. If you are not familiar with the first chapter of my book Letters from the Front, it is entitled “Sin Makes Ya’ Stewpit” and, in that chapter, we draw the parallel between the toxic effects of snake venom on the human body and the damaging effects that sin can have on the human soul. Looking back, when I wrote about the effects of snake venom on the human body, I wrote it based solely on my own research that I had done, and on what I had learned by talking with physicians that I know. Prior to my writing the chapter, I had no personal knowledge of the terrible toll that snake venom can have on a person. I regret to inform you, that has changed.

One evening early in August, as I was watering my garden, I reached into the cucumber plants to pick up the water hose and was bitten on my right forearm by a rattlesnake. Earlier that day I had been stung by a wasp on the left arm, and the day before I was bitten on the top of my right foot by a spider that left a pretty nasty and painful wound. So, when I felt the snake bite me I figured that it was another wasp or a bee. Only after my arm started to burn did I reach over with my left hand to rub it. When I did, I immediately noticed that my hand was covered in blood. I bent my arm around so that I could see what was causing all of the trouble, and I noticed there were two fang holes. Right away I began sucking the venom out of the puncture wounds. Later the emergency room physician told me that doing so saved me a world of hurt and possibly even saved me my arm as well.

Immediately after I had been bitten I called my doctor and asked if I could stop by his house–in hopes that he might tell me that it was not a snake bite, give me some antibiotics or something, and send me home. Instead, he took one look at it, said that it was definitely a viper bite, and told me to go straight to the emergency room. He called the ER and told them that a snake bite victim was on his way, and off I went.

If you have ever had to experience the horrors of being processed through a hospital’s ER, you know how I felt, and frankly, the thought of having to go through all of that was more frustrating to me than the bite itself. The doctors worked on me for a while, kept me there to make sure that I was in the clear, and sent me on my way to begin what turned out to be about 3 months of some pretty weird side effects. One example occurred a few days after the snake-bite incident as I was driving home from a rather fuzzy trip to the post office–I think. In other words the snake venom in my system had apparently burned up a mess of my brain cells, temporarily costing me my short-term and even some of my long-term memory.

There I was, driving home from somewhere when I was pulled over by a motorcycle officer. I did not think I was speeding so I was looking forward to hearing his reason for stopping me. You need to know that, up until that day, I had a spotless driving record and, frankly, I took great pride in that. The officer got off his motorcycle and walked over to my car. He asked for my license and proceeded to ask what my reason was for running that stop light. I was stunned. I had just run through a red light and had no idea that there was even one there. After the officer had written me a ticket, I very cautiously made my way home and called my doctor, because the staff at the hospital had not warned me about the strange side effects that I was beginning to experience. As a result, my doctor addressed a nice letter on my behalf to the court explaining my situation.

On my court date I pleaded guilty and handed the letter to the judge. The judge read it and was amazed. He immediately excused my case and said that he would like to hang on to the letter as a souvenir. We all had a good laugh and I went home.

Although the whole thing seemed a bit funny in court that day, the tormenting effects of the snake’s venom on my body’s systems was not funny at all. To the contrary, it was terribly traumatic!

Where my prayer life was concerned, it was as if there had been a huge wall built between me and the Lord. The more I tried to focus on hearing His life-giving voice, the more frustrated I grew. Like sin’s effect on the soul, the snake’s venom had numbed my senses so much that I could not hear the one thing that means more to me than life itself–God’s voice.

I came away from the experience with a much deeper understanding of how destructive sin is to the human soul. My advice–stay clear of sneaky ole snakes and anything that tempts you to invite the devastating effects of sin into your life!

Never forget, there is nothing or nobody worth your personal relationship with Jesus Christ!

            “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15)

For more on this topic, see Chapter 1 in Keith's book, "Letters From The Front."    

Follow "Toward The Mark's Wisdom-Packed Wednesdays" Facebook page, Keith'sBetweenTheLines Podcast channel, "Sharingwith you the Secrets that God Whispers to me" monthly teaching on the website,

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