WHAT is the ROOT of all EVIL?

"If we do not stay continuously focused on our pursuit of *becoming one with Our Father* through Jesus Christ, the very things that have poisoned secular society will pierce our own hearts, costing us the TRUE riches of Life!" -- Keith, Brenda, and TTM Team

The Apostle Paul wrote about the struggle against the temptation of material wealth, "But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (1 Timothy 6:9-10)." Note that Paul did not write, "Money is evil" or, "Money is the root of all evil" as many wrongfully suppose. Rather, it is clearly written that...

"For the love of money is the root of all evil: (1 Timothy 6:9)."

The Apostle continues with this instruction, "But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness (1 Timothy 6:11)." The attitude of the heart towards material gain is the source of evil, not the material wealth itself. According to Paul, the victory over the allure of riches begins, quite simply, when we *FLEE*. Of course, once we FLEE, there is more to it after that.

We are also told to, "... follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness... (Philippians 4:8)." Thus, when we are following after The Person of The Holy Spirit of Truth, we position ourselves to receive all Truth and also "... righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness... (Philippians 4:8)"! Herein is True Wealth to be found.

For True Wealth is The Character of The Lord Jesus Christ! "For godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6)." Thus, in order to live a fulfilled and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty, we must continually live in the sweet Presence of Jesus Christ, with His Word growing ever more fruitful in our heart.  It is only in that way that we can be transformed to be like Him.

Invite Jesus Christ into your heart to be your Lord and Savior, right there where you are, by praying this prayer to God, then relax and watch what God does...

          "Dear 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 wonder-full 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 Holy-Spirit-filled, Bible-believing church right away.

            We advise you to begin reading The Holy Bible 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 it to bring to our remembrance.  You will find that the Scriptures will become applicable to whatever you are going through, at any given time!

            There are wonderful Bible teachers on television and on the radio that can, especially early in your walk with God, help you to begin receiving good teaching, and encouragement, right away. Although very informative, these programs are never to be a substitute for close relationships with people who love and serve God. At times, 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. It will be during times like these that hanging out with strong Christian friends and mentors will be crucially important. There really IS strength in numbers! (Selah)

      And, remember, no matter what, KEEP PRESSIN' IN...  growin' *with* our Lord and Savior.

      Consider using Keith and Brenda's book XII SMOOTH STONES, the special collection of 12 life-changing 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.

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 His Plan and Purpose for you in this life. 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.

May God bless you greatly as you carry this truth in your heart. 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!

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.  Keith and Brenda's prayer is that you will be encouraged and edified by the Secrets from God's Word that Keith recounts in our written and recorded products.

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

Keep PRESSIN' IN!

We INVITE You ... to follow and share these resources that are also available, for helping build your faith in God, His Will, and His Ways: 

~  "Keith Shealy's Toward The Mark" on Facebook 

~   "TTM Singing Sergeant" on Twitter 

~   "Between The Lines PODCAST" on TTM's Libsyn Channel
     Play: "1st-ever Between The Lines Podcast...Count The Cost: 2014 Resolutions!"

Blog Feature... Bitter Fruit Can't Be Sweet

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. 

Thank you in advance for sowing your financial seed into the fertile soil of this ministry! We pray God bless you with a 100-fold return for your generosity!

"See flipcard titles"

          Take me back to the top of this post.

          Take me to "The BEST New Year's Resolution" post.

          Take me to "Aristo & God fulfilled their 3rd military deployment!" post.

          Take me to "Leave it ALL on the Field!" post.

          Take me to "Happy THANKS-GIVING IS EVERYTHING Day!" post.

          Take me to "BEST Keith Shealy Quotes, Recent Most-Requested" post.

          Take me to "Being IN True Faith; OUT of Sin & Doubt" post.

          Take me to "Wine, Deception, and... JESUS" post.

          Take me to "NEW Windows of Opportunity" post.

          Take me to "Defeat the Giant in the Way of your Promotion" post.

          Take me to "What is GOLD STAR MOTHER'S DAY in September?!" post.

          Take me to "NEW Breed of Leader!" post.

          Take me to "God shows Himself BIG in small things too" post.

          Take me to "What do you mean, take up the Cross?" post.

          Take me to "Smite God's Shepherd; Scatter the Sheep!" post.

          Take me to "Bite Your Tongue!" post.

          Take me to "Are You Ready to be Offered?" post.

          Take me to "Bring God a Sacrifice of praise" post.

          Take me to "God, why am I here?" post.

          Take me to "Murder by words?" post.

          Take me to "The BEST Fruit on the Limb" post.

          Take me to "We've Got to Let 'Stuff' Go" post.

          Take me to "Don't Take Your Gifts to the Grave" post.

          Take me to "Salvation is Every-Day Life" post.

          Take me to "Emergency Warning to Professing Witches" post.

          Take me to "Passionate Pursuit of Singleness" post.

          Take me to "We'll Miss You, Dad Shealy" post.

          Take me to "Celebrate Difference; Honoring MLK, Jr." post.

          Take me to "75 Years Ago: Pearl Harbor & Fleet Admiral Nimitz" post.

          Take me to "Our Military Vets Out of Sight...Out of Mind?" post.

          Take me to "Where to RUN When Trials Come" post.

          Take me to "Caught Up With Jesus" post.

          Take me to "True Leaders Speak Life" post.

          Take me to "Greatest Hindrance to Significance" post.

          Take me to Keith's MINI-Series of *Keep the FAITH* book, Chapter TWO.

          Take me to "Rattlesnake Revelation" post.

          Take me to "Gold Star Families Gave ALL" post.

          Take me to "Love of GOD" post.

          Take me to "My Broken Vessel's Fiery Trials" post.

          Take me to "Magnetic Mantle...Why Cats Should Have Kitties" post.

          Take me to "Run TO the Roar!" post.

          Take me to "Overcoming Intimidation" post.

          Take me to "The Invisible Man" post.

          Take me to "The Abomination of Misrepresentation" post.

          Take me to "Living Among Thorns" post.

          Take me to Keith's Journey through Chapter ONE of *Keep the FAITH*.

Toward the Mark, Inc. © 2005 - 2018 | Privacy Policy and Terms of Use apply | (757)251-2440 TowardTheMark.com | Keith@TowardTheMark.com

Day 5, Paragraph 5 of Weekday Blog #1

*Starting our morning and day off great with the 10-minute Weekday Blog*

Our first DAILY blog, every Weekday in JUNE!

Thank you for joining us for this
ground-breaking JOURNEY...
through the 1st CHAPTER of Keith's book,
“Keep the FAITH…Keep Your VISION”!

If you will read this book in its entirety, then you will be equipped
to begin walking with the confidence and authority that Jesus Christ
came and died to provide for us, in order that we may work *with*
Him, be *fulfilled* in our work, lead a *successful life*, and...
      

Day FIVE,
Paragraph FIVE:

    
Now, when we commit ourselves to God for the fulfillment of His will, there is something that is of utmost importance for us to understand.  We must expect to be confronted, and to face attacks, by the enemy as he comes to abort God's will for our lives.  I use the word "abort" quite deliberately here.  Abortion is an inflammatory term, one that stirs the emotions.  The Church (the True Believers in Christ) and many folks in secular society view the abortion of an unborn child as a great evil.  There are many other people who view abortion as a "bad thing", at worst.  Those who do not know God or His ways cannot understand that "abortion" is one of the "Seven Abominations" as written in God's Holy Word in Proverbs 6:16-19, "These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."

Question to ponder:

When we turn to God for the fulfillment of His will, what are some examples of how the enemy might attack or confront us in our life?  _________________________________________

Keith's "Comments from the Author":

"As crude as this may be as an example of the enemy's resistance to our turning away from him, I would like to draw your attention to the young ladies who get drawn into the bondage of prostitution and of pimps.  When a young lady who has gotten herself caught up in prostitution decides she wants to break out of it, her pimp is going to be standing between her and her freedom from the control the prostitution has taken over her life.  She must want out very badly to accept the resistance that she will face before she can be free.  Why?  The pimp makes a whole lot of money by keeping control over her life, her work, and her staying right where he wants her.  If the pimp loses that control over her, he loses the money that comes to him through her, and he would rather kill her than let go of the money and power.  There are stories we hear about a pimp relentlessly chasing the woman down for trying to get out of the ring she has become bound to.  He torments her in horrific ways to convince her that she will not be able to survive without him and he will kill her if she doesn't come back.  Just as the pimp will use brutal or deadly intimidation and fear tactics to keep the prostitute from getting away from him for good, satan uses those same tactics to keep folks away from God.  In my experience, I know this to be true of satan and his ways.  When I left the secular rock-n-roll business to pursue God with all of my heart, satan and his wicked spirits relentlessly attacked my mind using the fiery darts of thoughts, tempting me to return to my old ways and sinful nature.  In great part, that battle I fought, the battle we all fight, to put to death the old sinful nature to make way into God, is what Paul referred to when he said, ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith' (2 Timothy 4:7).  I would also like to note how important the next thing is that Paul referred to, ‘the crown of righteousness' that the Lord God has laid up for 'all them that also love His appearing'.  Paul is not only referring to Christ’s 'appearing' to all of us at His second coming before judgement, but to all who are constantly looking to see Him, themselves, personally.  Much like a child looks, with great anticipation, for their daddy to come through the door at the end of each day, the person who constantly looks for God to show Himself in person, place, or circumstances within their life, is the one who lives with expectation and joy in each day here on earth, in this earthen vessel.”

"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing."
(2 Timothy 4:7-8)


WE PRAY YOU HAVE A FUN WEEKEND...
... FILLED with fresh visions of God!
... FILLED with unfathomable joy in Christ Jesus!
... FILLED with wisdom that only the Person of The Holy Spirit brings!

*See you Monday, and invite your friends too! God bless and keep you!*

_____________________________

This book is based on real-life matters that are crucial for each one of us to embrace in our life. To ask questions, make a special donation for a large quantity of books, or if you would like to share a testimony or prayer request with us, please click for e-mail, or write a letter and mail it to the address shown on our website, and as provided below.

We pray God bless you greatly as you have greatly blessed us and the entire Toward The Mark, Inc. Family!

Your friends & servants in Christ,

Take me back to the top of this page.

Take me to the top of yesterday's page *DAY 4*

Take me to the top of *DAY 3*

Take me to the top of *DAY 2*.

Take me to the top of *DAY 1*

To Show GOD BIG in a World that Sees Him small… 
sums up the reason Keith stepped out in faith to focus on reaching the lost and strengthening believers everywhere, through Toward The Mark, Inc.  Keith and Brenda's prayer is that you will be encouraged and edified by the Secrets from God's Word that Keith recounts in our written and recorded products.  The complete collection of original podcasts, music, blogs, books, CDs, and other resources of Toward The Mark, Inc. are made possible by the prayer and financial contributions of the TTM Support Family.  We'd like to welcome you onboard TODAY!

We INVITE You ... to follow and share these resources that are available as well, for helping build your faith in God, His Will, and His Ways:

~ "Keith Shealy & Toward The Mark" on Facebook
~ "TTM Singing Sergeant" on Twitter
~ Keith Shealy's "Between The Lines Podcast" on Libsyn
~ "Sharing Messages God Whispers" on the website

This blog message, along with the rest of our inventory of Bible-based resources, is made possible by the support of our faithful monthly partners. Would you consider helping us expand our outreach capabilities by becoming a monthly financial partner? Your support will go toward fulfilling our God-given calling to help provide effective, contemporary outreach tools, available to everyone, the churched and un-churched alike, for getting to know 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)

CLICK HERE to make a tax-deductible contribution securely by PayPal.

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

Mail tax-deductible contributions by check to the order of:
Toward The Mark, Inc., P.O. Box 1152, Yorktown, VA 23692-1152. 

Thank you in advance for sowing your financial seed into the fertile soil of this ministry! We pray God bless you with a 100-fold return for your generosity!

INto The Secret Place...

"Thou wilt show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore."  Psalms 16:11

"Did you know that there is actually a place you can go where your inadequacies will totally melt away, where your sorrows are turned into joy, and that is the only place where you can find out what you were put on this earth to do?  This 'wonder-filled' place is the presence of God." - Keith

The following verse in Psalms gives us one of the most profound instructions in all of the Bible concerning the importance of pursuing and living in the presence of God. “He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalms 91:1)

In order to better understand what this means, let’s take a moment and break this scripture down. The first statement, “He that dwells in the secret place of the most high” means the one who makes his home, or lives in the presence of God. The second part, "shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” means to live our lives in the place where God protects, heals, provides, teaches, frees, changes, and so much more. In God’s presence, and only IN God's presence, will we reap and enjoy the benefits that come with Him and being in relationship with Him.

It is crucial at this point to note that our entrance INto The Secret Place is a result of diligently seeking God with our whole heart, for the secret place is reserved for those who love Him and are thankful to Him for Who He is more than for what He does, or can do, for us. We must "abide" or "live IN" God!

Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abides in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples.” (John 15:4-8)

The primary reason there are so many disillusioned people in our churches today is simply because they practice "periodic visitation" much more than they do "permanent residency." Everything God does is for the purpose of establishing ongoing relationships, having one-ness, with each one of us - a Father/son or Father/daughter relationship.

When we allow ourselves to become more focused on God's miracles or His deeds than on God Himself, we have allowed ourselves to be separated or severed from our source of life; and we will wither and die as Jesus teaches us. Paul, in his letter to the Romans addressed that very thing when he said, “They worshipped and served the creature more than The Creator.” (Romans 1:25) This is in fact the birthplace of idol worship and dead religion. This is where style becomes preferred and sought after more than substance, where more attention and effort is placed on seeking signs and wonders, or on doing things a particular group’s way, than on pursuing God Himself.

Herein lies the root cause of the Church’s declining effectiveness in our communities! Paul, dealing with this same problem in Corinth said, “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:16-18) We are to be separate from everything and everyone that would keep us from being separate unto God. Never forget, sin is anything that separates us from God! This includes miracles. God does not intend for miracles to distract us from Him.

Never before have so many kinds of distractions, including miracles, made it so difficult to stay focused on the Lord. Deceptive armies of anxious spirits are laying siege to the minds of anyone who succumbs to their temptations, and their major objective is our complete and total separation from our loving Father.

Whether through the media, those closest to us, substance abuse, trying to do too much too fast, the love of money, being bound by the chains of indebtedness, striving for material possessions, or just the hustle and bustle of everyday routines, the battles to steal, kill, and destroy our relationship with our God and King have never raged hotter. Jesus Himself said, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” (John 10:10) Satan knows full well that his days are numbered and that anyone who presses their way INto The Secret Place will be one less notch that he can carve into his gun stock. Satan hates anything and anyone who brings pleasure to God, and will spare no expense in doing whatever it takes to separate us from Him. If we are going to develop and maintain the ability to live our lives in the presence of God, we are going to have to master the art of "staying focused on Him" as a lifestyle.

There is a little saying that goes, “Pursuit is the proof of desire.” Luke put it this way, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Luke 12:34)  In other words, what you truly want, you will pursue. My Dad used to say, “Keith, isn’t it amazing how people, no matter how poor or busy, seem to always find the money and/or the time they don't have to do what they really want to do.” It’s just a fact – without the “want to” we will never find our way INto The Secret Place. At any and all cost, we must stay focused on God. Paul addressed this when he said, “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)  Contrary to popular belief, this is possible!

Always remember, there is nobody or nothing worth your relationship with God! Peter admonishes us “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” (1 Peter 4:7)  We must be clear-minded and self-controlled so that our communication with God is never interrupted! Failing to reach the secret place is only caused by allowing our focus on God to be broken. We must stay focused!

Have you ever given any thought to why the Scriptures would say, "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son" (Galatians 4:4a)?  As I was praying about that, the Holy Spirit whispered something to me that I hadn't thought of before.  What I saw was that, in order for the people to understand what Jesus would be saying concerning the Kingdom of God, Kingdom protocols, etc. there must first be a point in time when kingdoms were established in the earth.  So, when Jesus came preaching of the Kingdom of God, the people were able to understand what He was saying.  Before we can dwell with God, we must learn this most important Kingdom protocol by which God designed the Kingdom of Heaven to operate.  God’s Word is clear when He directs us to “enter his gates with thanksgiving and enter his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Any deviation from this crucial Kingdom protocol, will result in our stopping short of a close, loving relationship with God and, as Jesus prayed in the garden, oneness with our Heavenly Father – us in Him and Him in us.

Now, are you ready to make your pledge to enter "INto The Secret Place"?  Print the declaration below, sign it, and put a copy in your wallet or purse, on your refrigerator, bathroom mirror, and everywhere you look, to help keep you constantly reminded to stay focused on your Destination.

THANK YOU for downloading this weekly blog message today! We pray God will use it to bear tremendous blessing in your life!

You can find this message in its entirety, along with 11 others, in Keith's (printed or audio) book Letters From The Front available at TowardTheMark.com.

Take part in providing these weekly messages with Toward The Mark, Inc. Click the PayPal button below to begin securely sponsoring this ministry by your ongoing 

Tax-deductible Contributions.

BECOME A PART OF OUR TTM FAMILY TODAY

For more Scripture-based truths to help as we "Press Toward The Mark," plug in to these additional resources:

~ "Toward The Mark Wisdom-PackedWednesdays" Facebook page;

~ "Keith's Between TheLines" weeklyPodcast channel;

~ "Secrets from God's Word" monthly message on the website; and

~ "TTMSingingSgt" on Twitter.