God gives Keith a GLIMPSE into HELL

"See flipcard titles"

"The truth of the matter is this:

Hell begins on the Earth in the hearts of those who do not want to have anything to do with their Creator.  When people turn their back on the Truth and open themselves up to unclean spirits, they are offering themselves to be used by those spirits to advance satan's vindictive agenda.  And, trust me, as soon as he is finished using your body and talents, he will throw you away like last week's garbage."  Keith Shealy

Satan and his minions are frauds.  Although satan presents himself as being great and powerful, he can do nothing beyond what his Creator allows him to do.  This also applies to all of the fallen angelic host.  They will eventually be imprisoned in Hell, along with those who have rejected The Truth - eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord - and followed the ways of death yielded to the sin that stole from them the years for which God had so many wonderful things planned.  The very desire they pursued is the very instrument of their ruination.  All of the horrible things that they are a part of, are simply the early stages of the eternal torment such people will experience, when they finally get their wish to be completely separated from God.  And, though they get their wish, they will never be satisfied, as Hell is not a place of satisfaction.  There will be NO party.

So, if Hell is not the party that so many are being convinced that it is, then what is it really like?  I had been hearing so many people down through the years say something to the effect that, "Hell will be a big party and all of my friends will be there!"  Though I was very aware that they were saying this in jest, each time I heard it, my heart would ache because, in many of those cases, it was obvious they were making that statement as a way to brush off their need to face the reality of the sin in their life.  In short, satan had convinced them to remain deceived in their dead-end lifestyle, which is no life at all.

While in prayer early one morning, I asked the Lord to show me what Hell is really like.  You might wonder why I would even ask for that!  Well, I asked so that I could better warn those who have been deceived, or lulled to sleep, concerning the reality of Hell and its horrors.  I will try my best to describe to you what I saw, but, before I start please understand that human language and understanding are not enough to even begin to describe the sheer horror and never-ending torment that awaits those who are sentenced to Hell!

So, about 4:00 AM on May 30th, 2007, this is what I saw.  If you have ever smelled the sickening stench of the charred remains of someone who has died in a fire, multiply that by the countless number of bodies in that putrid condition, and you have but a minute example of the state of those who are in Hell.  They are not simply scorched to death, but they are trapped in a state where their flesh is literally burned all the way down to their bones, leaving only charred pieces of muscle tissue, skin, and singed hair fused to their skeleton, making them totally unidentifiable for even the most skilled forensic scientist.

Now imagine that that person is you, and that instead of mercifully dying of shock shortly after you are exposed to the fire, you continue to be aware and awake, completely conscious that every single cell in your body is burning at a temperature that can only be compared to that of the surface of the sun.  Within mere seconds of arriving in Hell, you would feel pain so excruciating that you would uncontrollably chew your tongue to shreds; and you would ceaselessly grind your teeth while, at the same time, letting out bloodcurdling screams begging for just a second's worth of relief that never comes.

It was apparent, in just the first glimpse that I had, that Hell is a massive place with different things going on everywhere I looked.  The one huge cave or cavern-like area that I saw was filled with countless small pits, each about four feet by four feet across and about five feet deep.  Each of these crudely-hewn pits contained a person, having the appearance of a charred skeleton with a pale greenish-colored glow emanating from inside the rib cage.  It was obvious that the pale glow was the person's tormented soul, which can never be extinguished or annihilated.

Just in that one cavern-like area, were huge demon-like figures that appeared to be, if I had to guess, members of a sort-of army of satan.  They were methodical in making their rounds, clearly assigned to do nothing but heap continual torment on the souls trapped in their pits.  Perhaps, the thing that was most unbearable was hearing all of the hopeless, screaming souls pleading their cases with the demonic soldiers, how they did not deserve to be there in Hell!  I could hear every one of their high-pitched, ear-piercing begs pleading for a second chance and their reasons why they should not be there - each plea falling on deaf ears.  And, while the countless tormented souls seemed to be desperately trying to crawl out of the pits, those huge demon-like figures continually came around and violently kicked them back down.

Something that amazed me was the type of stone in which each of the pits was dug.  I had never given it much thought, but once I had seen it, it was obvious that the rock played a big part in what was going on there.  It was very porous and had extremely sharp-edged, jagged surfaces.  Its likeness was that of a black type of coral.  It was clearly painful to stand on or to touch; but not only that, its rough, open pores also allowed white hot flames from the earth's core to shoot up through it into each of the pits, continually consuming each of the souls with sudden ongoing bursts of fire.

Almost as tormenting as the flames and the jagged stone, was the permanent state of nausea that I could see everyone there suffering through, and the indescribable stench that consumed the entire atmosphere.  It was the stench of the combined rotting souls all trapped in the confines of hell, with no fresh air ever, and for eternity.  Again, the saddest part of it all was hearing the countless souls there simultaneously begging for forgiveness, pleas that went totally unheard.  Does that sound like a party to you?

“But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with The Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”  (2 Peter 3:7-9)

As I was leaving there, every single cell of my body was consumed with the reality that God is so close to us here on earth - He is just one prayer away.  While we have a pulse, we have a will and the privilege to choose to accept God and reject satan and eternal torment.  It became crystal clear to me that satan goes to such devious extremes to blind us from that fact.

Until our heart stops beating, we have a choice to make and a will to choose.  God has gifted us with the privilege to accept the great sacrifice that His Son Jesus Christ paid, so we could have eternity to spend with our loving, joyful, peace-filled Father in Heaven.  Only until we have glimpsed into Hell, or have had the unfathomable honor of standing in the Divine Presence of Almighty God, can we even begin to perceive the infinite enormity of what Jesus Christ has freely given of Himself, for each of us!

God has no desire that people should go to that eternal place of torment, but that every one of us be saved.  So, He has provided the Way of escape, through Jesus Christ.

“Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die....”  (Ezekiel 33:11a)

So, how does one escape an eternity from that most terrifying of all places? You must receive the Gift of Faith to believe the Truth of the Gospel. You must repent by turning away from your sins, and ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart and to be your Lord and Savior.  

You might ask, How do I do that?  It is simple; say this prayer from your heart:  "Father God, in the precious name of Jesus Christ, the King of all 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 asking that You forgive me of all my sins -- those that I know that 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 would take me now and begin the process of changing me into Your likeness.  I ask that You redeem the time that has past and allow me the opportunity to become exactly what You have predestined me to be from 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, Amen."

So that you have a better understanding of why it is necessary for you to pray that prayer of commitment to God from your heart, I would like to bring to your attention this story found in the book of John.

"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  Nicodemus said unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit . Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.  The wind blows where it listeth, and thou hear the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goes: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?  Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and know not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.  If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?  And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  (John 3:1-16)

            You see, only God can offer us eternal life, peace and joy!  All who end up like satan will experience death and eternal suffering.  So, the next time you hear someone say that Hell is going to be a party, let them know that they have been given the wrong address.  Then tell them that the only eternal celebration that will be held will be held in God's house and God is personally inviting them to come.

Take me back to the top of this blog post.

Find this message entitled, "The Great Deception" in its entirety in Keith's book, XII Smooth Stones available on the TTM WEBSITE.

CLICK to give a tax-deductible gift securely by:

Every gift is tax-deductible and helps! And we thank you for it!

Mail tax-deductible contributions by check or money order made out to:
Toward The Mark, Inc., P.O. Box 1152, Yorktown, VA 23692-1152. 
We pray God bless you with a 100-fold return for your generosity!

In closing:  For more Scripture-based truths to help as you Press Toward "one-ness" with our Heavenly Father, check  out our other messages and resources:
~ "Keith Shealy's TowardTheMark" Facebook page,
~ Keith's "Between The Lines" Podcast channel,
~ "Sharingwith you the Secrets God Whispers to me" monthly message on the website, and
~ "TTMSingingSgt" on Twitter 

We pray God uses this message, and all of our resources, to fan the flame in your heart for Christ Jesus, His wonder-full Ways, and our Father's Plan and Purpose for you in this life. We are eternally grateful for our loving Toward The Mark Family of sponsors who make this blog, and all of our resources, possible by their faithful prayer and monthly financial support! If you have any questions about our work, or if you would like to make a special tax-deductible donation, place a special order for any of our books, magazines, or CDs, or to share a testimony or prayer request with us, please e-mail us. Also feel free to write a letter and mail it to TOWARD THE MARK, P.O. Box 1152, Yorktown, VA 23692-1152.

Toward the Mark, Inc. © 2005 - Present | Privacy Policy and Terms of Use apply |
 Visit TowardTheMark.com website |  Connect with TowardTheMark on e-mail

"See flipcard titles"

Let 9 TRUTHS make YOU an "OVERCOMER"!

Are you tired of being "overcome" by satan and his lies?

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” (2 Corinthians 10:4)

Keith, with such lawlessness coming at us from all levels of government, the oppression in the land, the depression people are feeling that is leading to financial brokenness and broken families all over the world, the wars, and rumors of wars (as the scriptures have told us), how do we, as believers, not only protect ourselves from all of it, but stand steadfast against the enemy and his wicked spirits that come against us?

Find this, and more, in Keith's book OVERCOMING INTIMIDATION.

Truth #1  We must always keep in mind that we are at war, and wicked spirits never, I repeat, never show up to play.

Wicked spirits show up to try to steal, kill, and destroy the great things that God has for each of us. On this very crucial point, the Apostle Paul wrote the following warning,

“Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”  (2 Corinthians 2:11)

In this verse, the Greek word rendered “devices” is usually translated “mind.” The important thing here is to not be ignorant of the way our enemy thinks. Concerning this, Jesus said: “The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” (John 10:10)

Therefore, our enemy is constantly thinking of ways to accomplish those goals. Jesus also said this regarding those who follow the father of lies, that is, the Devil. “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44)

Truth #2  Wicked spirits will work on a person until that person either believes their lies, or fights back in the Spirit using the Whole Armor of God.

Combining the two passages above, we see that Satan and his demons steal, kill, and destroy using lies. In order to achieve their goals, they attempt to persuade a person or persons to take up their cause by manipulating them with lies. Since the Truth makes us free, believing lies makes us prisoners of war.  This fight against all that is false is why the Armor is made up of Truth, Righteousness, Faith, and so on.

When we are empowered by the Holy Spirit of Truth and are clothed in God’s Armor, we can quench the fiery darts of falsehoods. Conversely, if we believe the enemy’s lies, then we have set ourselves up as a means by which the enemy may bring harm to ourselves and even to those around us. That is why it is imperative that we diligently and earnestly pursue the Truth, so that our hearts and minds will be protected from all deceptions and the destruction they bring.

For in this pursuit is to be found the Liberty of Christ, and from this knowledge comes the victory of the overcomer. The Apostle John teaches us this concerning overcoming:

“For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5)

From this passage we learn that faith is essential for overcoming the world, including the wicked spirits. This should come as no surprise,

“For whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23)

Moreover, it is THE FAITH that is needed! We must believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Truth #3  We must be born again by the Spirit of the Living God. There is no other way to overcome the world and the wicked spirits.

There is, of course, much more to the subject of overcoming. In addition to being saved, the Apostle John reveals to us this three-part means by which we overcome wicked spirits,

“And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Revelation 12:11)

The three essentials are the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony, and not loving our lives unto the death. Not surprisingly, each of these require the proper use of the Whole Armor of God. However, before proceeding with those discussions, let us first consider the more general topic of overcoming Satan, because this lays the foundation for the other three.

Read one of Keith's life-changing encounters in Overcoming the Devil.

"When this truth became alive in me, it changed my life. I was working as an outside sales representative for a Maryland-based graphics company. I was scheduled to do a presentation before a group of wealthy corporate executives; and frankly, I was terrified!

Satan knew full well that landing this account would mean a nice increase in my monthly income, and I could tell that he was not going to let me walk out of there without a fight. As I was on my way to the conference room, the Holy Spirit whispered to me, 'before you enter the room, pause for just a moment and bind, in Christ’s name, all spirits of intimidation.' All I could say was wow! When I entered the room after binding the spirits, even though I did not know a soul there, I felt as if I were among friends. I did my presentation without a hitch and left the meeting with a new and rather lucrative account."

Notice how this exemplifies the Great Partnership? God and I walked to that room together, and as we did, He instructed me what to do. I obeyed and He brought the victory. The Apostle James described this in his General Epistle: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

Regarding overcoming the Devil, the Apostle Paul included the following in the passage on the Whole Armor of God,

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

Here, the Apostle uses the Greek word that refers to the type of fighting we call “wrestling,” which is a form of hand-to-hand combat. In the same passage Paul prefaced those words with these,

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:10-11)

Notice that this form of fighting also includes “stand against.”

Truth #4  In order to overcome the Devil, we must stand against him and wrestle against him and all the wicked spirits in the heavenlies.

This war is real. And the stakes could not be greater. The words “wrestle” and “stand against” imply that the battle is not far off, but rather that the enemy is an invader, bringing the struggle into our very midst. We must not turn back in the face of ridicule, the taunts of those who are the enemy’s witting allies or who are themselves prisoners of war.

Part of his strategy is to mask this reality behind caricatures of demons, legends of vampires and werewolves, stories of haunted houses, etc., to frighten people or to belittle those who are engaged in true spiritual warfare.

We must always be mindful of the fact that we can never win this fight in our own strength.  The Apostle James wrote similar words concerning spiritual warfare,

“Submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

This, then, is the proper order: first we submit to God, then we resist the Devil. So what does this Scripture mean by submit? Strong’s provides this explanatory note for the Greek word rendered “submit”:  “A Greek military term meaning 'to arrange troop divisions in a military fashion under the command of a leader'. In nonmilitary usage, it was 'a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden'.” In the context of spiritual warfare, submitting to God means to assume your proper place within the ranks. This also means you are fully prepared to execute your assigned duties faithfully and without hindrance or distraction.

“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” (2 Timothy 2:3-4)

Truth #5  Being entangled in the affairs of this life will prevent us from experiencing the success of the overcomer.

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus stated plainly that the cares of this life choke out the Word of God and prevent it from bearing fruit in a person’s heart (see Matthew 13:1-23 and Luke 8:5-15). The crucial question before us then is this, "What must we do to extricate ourselves from the affairs of this life?" This should not be taken as a call to a monastic way of life, nor should it be understood as a condemnation of mundane or earthly activities. Nevertheless, it is one thing to engage in earthly activities, such as, work, sports, or hobbies, and it is quite another to be entangled with such pursuits. Indeed, there are very few people alive who are not entangled in earthly matters.

“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:14)

To begin with, submitting to God must become our lifestyle. Otherwise, we will easily fall back into our old ways. Instead of becoming overcomers, we will be undone and overcome ourselves. To avoid this trap, we must submit to the Lord so that His will would be done on the Earth in answer to the Lord’s Prayer. His will includes having our souls transformed into the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This involves the working of the Great Partnership. As God’s partners, one of our most urgent responsibilities is to examine our hearts, and to repent of any sin that we have allowed into our lives.

Truth #6  We are the ones who must have our eyes opened concerning the reality of our souls.

Examining our hearts includes comparing our thoughts and actions to the Scriptures, listening as The Person of The Holy Spirit gently corrects us, and accepting the correction of the Lord. For God will not reject us nor condemn us. He already knows everything about us. We then must humbly acknowledge the errors of our ways before Him and accept His mercy through the cleansing of our souls.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

We cannot experience lasting victory apart from the transformation of our souls, and this means we must be cleansed from all unrighteousness. So if we want to experience the power of God operating in and through our lives, if we want to be true overcomers, then we must pursue purity!

Truth #7  We must first draw close to God, and then He will draw close to us! Once we have done this, out of a pure and passionate love for God, it becomes tremendously difficult for Satan to convince you that you are not all that God says you are, and that you cannot do all that God says you can do in Christ’s name.

The pursuit of purity includes meditating on God’s Word day and night. This means continually being in a state of prayer.  As the Scripture says,

“Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

In using the Whole Armor of God, prayer involves pressing INto God’s presence. When we are one with Him, we can see ourselves through His eyes, the way that He sees us! When we do this, it is totally amazing what we see! (For more on this, see our book Keep the Faith - Keep Your Vision.) As James also wrote,

“Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.” (James 4:8)

I must add that most Christians to whom I have ministered, who struggle with intimidation, do so because they do not know who they are in Christ Jesus. Why do they not know? Simply because they do not spend their time with Jesus and His Word. They are not abiding in Christ, and His Word is not abiding in them. That is why so many in the church today are living lukewarm and defeated lives.

For this same reason Satan does not want us anywhere near God and His Word! One of the popular questions I've been asked is, "Can the devil follow us into the presence of God?"  Satan knows full well that once we are abiding in Jesus, with His Word abiding in us, that we will be infused with the power and the strength to fight through anything that the wicked spirits can throw at us. Consequently, we must be prepared to encounter stiff resistance as we press INto God’s presence and endeavor to study the Scriptures!

For instance, we can expect intimidating or distracting thoughts as we start to study or pray. There will be thoughts such as, “I must call so-'n-so,” or, “I have to run to the store,’” etc. Perhaps the most obvious form of deterrence is extreme sleepiness as we attempt to study the Scriptures and spend time with Jesus. Remember, the cares of this life are like thorns that choke out God’s Word, keeping it from bearing fruit in our lives. The cares and entanglements of this life are also the means of subduing and imprisoning those who do not press through distractions and who do not persevere in pursuing the Truth.

Truth #8  The victory comes through submitting to God, and those who have done so stand in their rightful place within the ranks of the forces of Heaven ready to resist the devil.

So what does the Scripture mean by “resist the devil”? Webster's defines resist as “to withstand, fend off; to oppose actively, fight against.” The Greek word for “resist” is anthistemi, meaning “to stand against, to oppose, resist, withstand, to resist by actively opposing pressure or power.” The word anthistemi is made up of two words. The first part is ant, a form of anti which means “opposite, instead of; often used to denote contrast.” The second part of the word is histemi, meaning “to stand, used in various applications literally or figuratively.” It is translated as “abide,” “appoint,” “bring,” “continue,” “covenant,” “establish,” “hold up,” “lay,” “present,” “set (up),” and “stand (by, forth, still, up).” To “stand” means the opposite of sitting, reclining, or moving. To “resist” would mean that we are not only not to stand with anything that Satan and his hoards are remotely a part of, but that we are to aggressively fight against them using the spiritual weapons of God.

In sum, resisting the Devil according to James, and wrestling against the Devil according to Paul, both describe spiritual warfare. It should be obvious that this warfare requires spiritual armor, because the opponents are wicked spirits. Furthermore, according to both Apostles, the battle is set within the context of the Great Partnership.

The “Great Partnership” of which Jesus spoke certainly include being made conformable unto His death that His life would be revealed through loving and serving others. For “whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister.” Jesus, even though He is Lord of lords and King of kings, did not come for others to minister to Him. He came to minister to others. He came to be the servant of all. Greatness, then, in the eyes of God means expressing His love through selfless service to others. We can only do this by being conformed to the image of His dear Son, and as we are so transformed, the service of true love characterizes our being.

Truth #9  Then we live by the faith of the Son of God, we are able to stand in the Victory that the Lord Jesus Christ has won for us. Love is the essence of that Victory. And we know that Love never fails, because God is love!

So, when you love someone, you are not intimidated by them. When you have died to your old nature, you are not afraid of death.  Examine your heart and your relationship with God, repent of anything that has separated you from Him (namely, the old flesh nature), trust in Him, rest in Him, and wait on Him, and BE an OVERCOMER!  Selah.

Follow "Toward The Mark's Wisdom-Packed Wednesdays" Facebook page, Keith's BetweenTheLines Podcast channel, 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!