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Showing posts with label kill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kill. Show all posts

Thursday, April 30

The Word Of The Only Wise God ...

"Just one Word from God will change your life FOREVER!"~Keith (and BrendaLee) Shealy

GOD SPEAKS in Truth to those who seek Him with their whole heart. But, what is the Truth He speaks in, or through? Jesus teaches us that The Word of God is Truth. So then, what is The Word of God, really?

            Whenever I have asked this question to a group in various settings, the responses were most often the same. The individuals would raise their Bibles in the air saying, “This is God’s Word!” As true as that is, however, that response still falls short of God’s original purpose for giving us the scriptures. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1)." “His name is called The Word of God (Revelation 19:13)." Jesus is The Word of God! God gave us His written Word, not as "an end" in and of itself, but as a means to an end! His ultimate goal is that we have an intimate relationship with Him by being transformed through The Word of Truth. As Jesus said in John 8:31-32, "If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed; And ye shall know The Truth, and The Truth shall make you free."

            That statement raises the question, "How does The Truth make us free?" The following verses are but a very small sampling of many Scriptures throughout The Holy Bible that can answer that question for us, in part or in whole. "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)." “Be filled with The Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and The Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:18-20)." “My mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips: When I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches (Psalm 63:5-6)." "(God is) my Maker, Who gives songs in the night (Job 35:10)." “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by The Word of God (Romans 10:17)."

            In order to be made free by the Truth of God’s Word, we must, in faith, submit our time to The Spirit of God by reading His Word, memorizing it, thinking upon it, singing it—all through the day and through the night. Through the continual planting (reading, speaking, hearing, memorizing, meditating, and singing) of God’s Word into the soil of our souls, the transformation of our souls takes place. The Truth makes us free. We do not know how this happens, neither do we need to understand this for it to take place. "And He said, So is The Kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear (Mark 4:26-28)."

            So, we can draw a parallel between The Truth that is able to make us free and our being able to watch a plant grow without ever knowing how it is happening. We accept it by faith and live in obedience to God’s Holy Word. Similarly, this concept of The Truth making us free is also found in John 6:63, "It is The Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are Life.” The definition of the word “quickeneth” or “to quicken” is to make alive. Hence, the words of The Gospel that Jesus Christ preached, when administered into our spirit by The Holy Spirit, will bring the Life of Christ Jesus into our being. So, when we sow of The Spirit into our souls day and night, then no matter what may come upon us, out of the abundance we have sown shall come forth praises and thanksgiving to God, with godly deeds revealing the character of Christ. Jesus said, "He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:38)."

            As we faithfully meditate on the written Word of God, the time will come when we will enter the most wonderful place of all—the place where we actually hear the Spoken Word or Voice of God. This is where the fullness or abundance of Life truly begins! You see, it is really very simple; reading The written Word of God under the tutelage of The Holy Spirit prepares us to recognize and hear the voice of God when He speaks to us! This is what Jesus meant when He 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)." This is also what is meant by “ye shall know The Truth, and The Truth shall make you free.” The written Word of God is simply the doorway into our being able to recognize and hear The spoken Word, the Voice of God Himself. This ability to hear God’s Voice is part of the most valuable prize of all, a close and intimate relationship with the true and living God!

            Do you see why it is so important that we learn and obey the written word? Because it lays the groundwork for our being able to hear our Father when He speaks to us. It is only by His Spoken word or Voice that we can receive His anointing and be led into all good things. Only through our pursuing this kind of intimate relationship with God can we obtain a true life of integrity! "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path (Psalm 119:105)."

            If we want the abundant Life that Jesus came to provide for us, then we have got to be diligent in seeking after Him with our whole heart! We must be diligent to position ourselves for listening to hear His Voice and for obeying His every Word! "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have Life, and that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:10)." Our ultimate goal, every day, is to constantly grow in knowing The written Word of God so we recognize His Voice above any other! Jesus said, "My sheep hear My Voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: And I give unto them eternal Life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My Hand (John 10:27-28)." Those who study to hear The Word of The Only Wise God, and who also listen to obey the Voice of our Father God, will always send up a sweet-smelling aroma that will bring pleasure to the Heart of our Almighty Heavenly Father!

Listen IN to podcast #TTM012 for the key to Overcoming spiritual deafness and Hearing God's Matchless Voice...

            If you have not invited Jesus Christ into your heart to be your Lord and Savior in your life, stop right where you are and pray this in communication with God, "Father God, in the precious Name of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and The Lord of all lords, I lay my life at Your Feet. I come before You, confessing that I am a sinner, and I ask for You to forgive me of all my sins - those that I know I have committed, as well as those that I am not even aware of.  I ask that You come into my heart and be my Lord. I lay my life, and everything in it, at Your Feet, and ask that You please take me and begin to change me to be like YOU. I ask that You redeem the time that has passed, and allow me the opportunity to become exactly what You have predestined me to be, from before the foundation of the earth. I commit my life to You now, and thank You for receiving me as Your own. In the wonderful Name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, I pray, Amen."  And AMEN!

            Every one of the sons and daughters of The Most High God need, and do well to heed, the words of wisdom from Apostle Paul's writing in Philippians 4:8-9, "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. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you." Selah... Amen (Let it be so as we pray in The Name of Christ Jesus)!


Check out our Milestone Podcast #100 "You Were Born To Triumph!":

            THANK YOU for choosing to plug in at the Pressin'IN Blog of TTM!

       One great Truth Keith shares from all he has learned through 40 years of walking in oneness with God is, as Jeremiah says best, "Blessed is the man that trusts in The Lord, and whose hope The Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit (Jeremiah 17:7-8)."

       We must challenge ourselves to watch for and record the breakthroughs God helps us to press in to pursue and recognize, daily, as James 4:7 promises, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7)."

       Halleluia! We look forward to hearing how we can stand with you in celebrating your wonder-full life with Jesus Christ being mentored by The Holy Spirit! God bless you,
...and the TTM Family!



            This blog, and each Pressin'IN message, is lovingly shared with our heartfelt thanks to our prayer and financial support partners! If not for our small group of faithful sponsors, and our joint passion for and bond with our ministry team, this work would not be made possible. Please be forward to share this with everyone God moves on your heart to connect with on this front. There are likely many people you know who need to hear this "Word of God" message, who will prayerfully, by your sharing it, be turned to God and all He has for their lives. We love and appreciate you very much!
Every gift is appreciated and helps.
Mail Tax-deductible Check Donations to:
Toward The Mark, Inc., P.O. Box 1152, Yorktown, VA 23692-1152.




We INVITE YOU...
 see and hear, follow and share, more TowardTheMark messages of the Gospel Jesus Christ preached:



Keith and Brenda "Between The Lines" Podcast on TTM's Libsyn Channel






Toward the Mark, Inc. © 2005 - 2020 | Privacy Policy and Terms of Use apply |
(757)251-2440 TowardTheMark.com | Resources@TowardTheMark.com

Wednesday, March 27

What Are You Feeding Your Brain's Trees?

"See flipcard titles"
T he inside of our brain looks much like a flexible grouping of trees that have branches growing on them. Question is: “What are you feeding your brain's trees?

Whenever sounds enter into our ear-gate or sights enter into our eye-gate, we have branches in our brains that grow in response to the content of what we heard or saw. Those branches are a sort of recording of how those sights and sounds make an impact in our lives from the time they are entering into our physical and spiritual beings. The recording takes place electronically, by adding to and taking away from the roots and ends of the branches that are alive in our brains. Literally, from the moment a sight and/or sound enters into our body through our senses, the physical manifestations become a recording of what we took in by viewing or listening. As we must expect, this cause-and-effect process proves very important to our keeping sober-minded and self-controlled at all times, to our being vigilant each moment, to our constantly keeping guard over what we allow our eyes to see and ears to hear. Jesus clearly and urgently warns us, "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by [his] fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shall be justified, and by thy words thou shall be condemned." (Matthew 12:33-37)
So, the answer to the question, the absolute solution, for all of us to live by, is in Apostle Paul's writing of Philippians 4:8-9...
"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. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."


Check Out "Triumph Over Brain Trauma..." podcast:


THANK YOU for following Pressin' IN Blog of TTM!

      We challenge you to watch for and record the breakthroughs you will soon recognize, and come to expect more frequently, in this, your daily pursuit of unity and oneness with The One Wise God, our Awesome Father, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)

      Halleluia! We look forward to hearing how we can join you in celebrating your brain's healthy growing trees! God bless you,
...and the TTM Family!


Every gift is appreciated and helps.

Mail Tax-deductible Check Donations to:
Toward The Mark, Inc.
P.O. Box 1152
Yorktown, VA 23692-1152.


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 are recounted in each and every written and recorded project of TTM.


We couldn't do this without the help of our friends!
This blog message, 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)



We INVITE YOU to...
see and hear, follow and share, more messages from Toward The Mark:




Keith and Brenda "Between The Lines" Podcast on TTM's Libsyn Channel









Toward the Mark, Inc. © 2005 - 2019 | Privacy Policy and Terms of Use apply |


Tuesday, February 26

What does GOD think about abortion? Unraveling the web of deception...

Stop for a moment. Look inside at what God sees in the UNBORN. What is ABORTION, really?

Abortion. What did you think when you saw that word? Did you feel anything at all? It is such a powerful word, and people react to it in so many ways. Some get angry, but not always for the same reason. It makes some people sad, and indeed many are heartbroken over it. Abortion also provides mighty motivation as can be seen in the numerous prayer vigils, protesting, petitions, elections, court cases, and so forth that focus on this one subject. However, let us leave all of that aside and look at abortion itself. What is it really? What is it fundamentally? In other words, what does God think about abortion? For in truth, His view of abortion is the only correct position to hold. For instance, what does God call the unborn? Does He see them as fetuses, merely pieces of flesh that can be discarded at the whim of the mothers?

          To get a view of God's thoughts, take a look at Luke 1:15. There we read about John the Baptist before he was born. "For he shall be great in the sight of The Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with The Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb." Observe that John the Baptist was "filled with The Holy Ghost" while still in his mother's womb! Further into the chapter, in verses 41-44, we see what happened when Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus, went to see Elisabeth while she was still pregnant with John the Baptist. "And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with The Holy Ghost: And she spoke out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy." John the Baptist, though still unborn, "leaped for joy" inside his mother's womb when he heard the voice of Mary! So the unborn can be filled with The Holy Spirit and leap for joy. Note also that the name "John" was given by an Angel to John's father before John was even conceived in the womb (see Luke 1:13). Thus, from these proofs we determine that God knows each one of the unborn by name, as a human being, each one as an individual person. And that's not all there is for us to know of what God sees! There is so much more.

            Consider what Romans 9:11 tells us regarding the twin sons of Abraham's son Isaac, saying, "For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil." Note that this Scripture tells us that the unborn are "children" and they are "innocent". Therefore, God sees the unborn as innocent children. Moreover, we find in Psalm 127:3, "Lo, children are an heritage of The Lord: and the fruit of the womb is His reward." Hence, in looking at God's view of the unborn children, we can also add these two descriptions, "a heritage of The Lord" and "His reward". So when someone speaks of an "unwanted pregnancy" they are actually saying that "the heritage of The Lord and His reward are unwelcome".

            Interestingly, these two elements are at the heart of one of the most important events in all of history, the birth of Isaac's sons, Jacob and Esau. Rebekah, Isaac's wife, was childless. Consequently, Isaac turned to The Lord in Genesis 25: 21-24, "And Isaac entreated The Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and The Lord was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of The Lord. And The Lord said to her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb." Isaac's prayers were answered and Rebekah conceived and became pregnant. However, we also see that Rebekah was apparently having a difficult pregnancy, and so she inquired of The Lord about her condition. She was told that "two nations are in your womb" and "two manner of people shall be separated from your bowels". Two nations?! Two manner of people?! Yes, not only was God seeing babes, innocent children in Rebekah's womb, He was revealing to Rebekah the full potential of each child individually, even before she conceived them.

            In Proverb 6:16-19 we find, "six things doth The Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him...." Is there any wonder that the list of these things that God hates most contains "hands that shed innocent blood?" As we have seen, the written Word of God tells us plainly that the unborn child is innocent. Consequently, if a person deliberately kills, or takes life away from, or terminates before natural completion of, an unborn child, then that person's hands "shed innocent blood". The defenders of abortion argue that abortion must be allowed in the cases of rape and incest. Let us ignore that argument for the moment and consider that tens of millions of babies (families?, peoples?, nations?) have been killed while still in their mothers' wombs. How many instances of those were for rape or incest? Is it one in a million, or one in a hundred thousand? Even if it is the latter, it means that for every pregnancy due to rape or incest, ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety nine babies are killed who were not for rape or incest. The fact is... we are not told what the real ratio is, and that's because the rape-incest argument is a fraud and a smoke-screen to stir up emotions, in order to hide the reality of the horror, the truth that is abortion.

            Imagine a small, close-knit community where everyone is secure. There is no crime, no deceit, and no cheating. The people there are well-fed and every need is met. Only Heaven can provide a better life. Now imagine this serenity suddenly shattered by the terrifying sound of death-dealing machinery. It is a surgical strike, designed to kill the inhabitants while leaving the infrastructure intact. Next, uniformed professionals come in, inspect the scene, then dismembering all they find in order to make sure the slaughter is complete.

            That, Gentle Reader, is Abortion.

            Special heartfelt thanks to our long-time friend, partner, and co-writer Mr. Bennie Nelson, and to all of our faithful partners without whom the works of TTM would not be possible. To those who have given up houses, lands, relationships, jobs, and their very lives to diligently pursue oneness with God, and resist all manner of distractions to fulfilling God's plan, we dedicate this work to you. In Christ, Keith, Brenda, and Team TTM.

            "But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored the more abundantly to see your face with great desire." (1 Thessalonians 2:17) "Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full." (2 John 1:12)"

            If you have not invited Jesus Christ into your heart to be your Lord and Savior in your life, stop right where you are and pray this in communication with God, "Father God, in the precious Name of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and The Lord of all lords, I lay my life at Your Feet. I come before You, confessing that I am a sinner, and I ask for You to forgive me of all my sins - those that I know I have committed, as well as those that I am not even aware of.  I ask that You come into my heart and be my Lord. I lay my life, and everything in it, at Your Feet, and ask that You please take me and begin to change me to be like YOU. I ask that You redeem the time that has passed, and allow me the opportunity to become exactly what You have predestined me to be, from before the foundation of the earth. I commit my life to You now, and thank You for receiving me as Your own. In the wonderful Name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, I pray, Amen."  And AMEN!!!



            WELCOME HOME!

            If you have just prayed this prayer, we want to congratulate you for making the greatest decision that you'll ever make! By accepting Jesus Christ, or rededicating your life to Him, as your personal Lord and Savior, you have begun the wonderful process of being grafted into the family of God, and we welcome you "Home" to God's Family. We would also like to invite you to contact us so that we can send you information that will help you begin growing in your relationship and daily walk with God. We would encourage you to begin attending a Christ-centered, Spirit-filled, Bible-believing church right away.


            You will want to begin reading The Holy Bible at least daily, whether you understand it or not. Always remember, God's written Word in The Holy Bible is like no other book that has ever been written! When we rendezvous with The Person of The Holy Spirit as we read what God has written there, it becomes stored in our heart for The Holy Spirit to access and use in bringing The Truth to remembrance. You will find The Scriptures to be applicable to just what you are going through, at any given time!

            There are wonderful Bible teachers we would encourage you to begin to receive good teaching from, especially early in your walk with God. However, those programs are never to be a substitute for close relationships with people who love and serve God. There will be times when the transformation process that you have now begun will be difficult, and you will be tempted to go back to your old ways of living your old life you turned away from to pursue God and His Will. During those difficult times, it will be especially, crucially important for you to have connections with strong Christian friends and mentors... It's a fact that there really IS strength in numbers!

            CONGRATULATIONS!!! We would like to be among the first to welcome you into the Family of God... right where you "belong", now and always! Selah and AMEN!

            Philippians 3:13-14, "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.".


           And, remember, no matter what, KEEP PRESSIN' IN!


         You might consider using our book  XII SMOOTH STONES, special collection of 12 of our original, most-requested teaching titles:

No Matter What!
The Magnetic Mantle or Why Cats... Have Kitties;
Fire, Pressure, and Them Slithery... Snakes
The Ultimate Home Gym
Vampires In The Church
STOP...
The Great Deception
The Invisible Man
God Is So Much Bigger Than You Think!
Die Empty!
Building Godly Friendships
The Secret To A Happy Life


          This collection of twelve teachings, when taken to heart, will help you emerge triumphant over seemingly impossible situations... "XII Smooth Stones" available at TowardTheMark online.




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 "XII Smooth Stones" 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… 
sums up the reason Keith stepped out in faith to focus on reaching the lost and strengthening believers everywhere, through Toward The Mark, Inc. We are praying for you to be encouraged and edified by our written and recorded product accounts from The Gospel that Jesus Christ preached in our written and recorded products.

We couldn't do this without the help of our friends!
The blog message you have just read, along with each of our original podcast, music, and video recordings, CDs, books, magazines, and other resources in our ministry collection is made possible by the faithful prayer and financial support of the TTM Family. If you would like to become a part of the TTM Family, your monthly financial support of any amount will help fulfilling God's call on our lives to make Holy-Bible-based messages available to the churched and un-churched alike. You are invited to partner with us in working with God to fulfill His desire for everybody to know Christ Jesus, The Way, The Truth, and The Life...personally. We "... press Toward The Mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14) Would you consider helping us expand our outreach capabilities by becoming a monthly financial partner? Your support will go toward helping to provide effective, practical outreach tools for ministering the love, truth, and salvation of Jesus Christ.
Every gift is appreciated and helps.


Mail tax-deductible contributions by check or money order made out to:
Toward The Mark, Inc., P.O. Box 1152, Yorktown, VA 23692-1152. 

Thank you in advance for sowing your financial seed into the vision and mission God has given to this ministry! We pray God bless you with a 100-fold return for your generosity!








We INVITE YOU...
 see and hear, follow and share, more TowardTheMark messages of God:




Keith and Brenda "Between The Lines" Podcast on TTM's Libsyn Channel



Toward the Mark, Inc. © 2005 - 2019 | Privacy Policy and Terms of Use apply | (757)251-2440 TowardTheMark.com | Resources@TowardTheMark.com