THANK YOU! UPDATE...

Our words could not even begin to express just how grateful we are to those of you who have taken time out of your busy schedules to earnesly pray for Keith and I as this last month has been very difficult.

Both of Keith's Orthopedic- and Neuro-Surgeons have stressed to us the importance of Keith's being very wise in what he chooses to take on as physical activity. They are saying, "Before you do anything, you better think about it... or think twice."

They have been warning us that the episode that happened 24 May, leading to all he just went through, could happen again without notice. Both surgeons explained to us that, with the disks that Keith does NOT have any more in the bottom half of his spine (due to complete deterioration), the primary nerves coming out of his spinal column are compressed all the time. One surgeon referred what he has gone through all month as a "severe nerve storm".

We are in the process now of getting another opinion from a specialist at VCU, one that comes highly recommended by a dear sister in The Lord whose dad dealt with the same type of thing and received help successfully there. He had been told by a number of other surgeons that his condition was "inoperable" just like we have been told from a number of surgeons about Keith's spine.

If we could again ask, would you please stand with us in prayer? We are seeking God daily for Him to miraculously move in helping us get to a point where Keith's back and neck are able to travel long-distance in the car to appointments where we get to share with others the things that Jesus Christ has been showing us and has so freely shown us over the years. Or, as Keith has prayed...

"Lord, I only need this old spine for about another 35 years; would You please patch it up and grace me with repairs enough to finish all that you've got for us to do, to glorify Your Name, together?" In Christ Jesus we pray, Amen (let it be so)!

Your love and prayers mean more to us that you can know. And, for those of you who have called, come by, and sent special cards and emails, we pray that The Lord returns to you 100-fold reward for all of the kindness that you have poured out to us!

Good Times Comin' On!

Verse
Don't look to the right don't look to the left/just keep your eyes on Jesus/Don't fume or fret over where He might take you/only He knows where He needs you!

Don't think about what you'll eat or what you might wear/Just put your faith in Jesus/ Don't be concerned with bein' by yourself/He said He'd never leave you.

Chorus
Good times comin' on/Feed on the Word it'll make you strong/
Good times comin' on/Soon all those bad times will be long gone.

Verse
Don't look to the East don't look to the West/Just set your sights on Jesus!/

When all the world seems like it's fallin' around you/Just look to Him and He'll free you!

Chorus
Good times comin' on/Feed on the Word it'll make you strong/
Good times comin' on/Soon all those bad times will be long gone.

Bridge
Tell everybody that you know you really love and adore Him.
Show everybody that you see you really want to live for Him.

Chorus
Good times comin' on/Feed on the Word it'll make you strong!
Good times comin' on/Soon all those bad times will be long gone!

Your friends and servants in Christ Jesus,

    

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 channel, 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!

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                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 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!

"Blessed be The LORD my Strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and He in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me (Psalm 144:1-2)."

Toward the Mark, Inc. © 2005 - 2022 | Privacy Policy and Terms of Use apply |
 Visit TowardTheMark.com website |  Connect with TowardTheMark on e-mail.

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Stop Rubbernecking!

Stop RubberNecking! is a strong message we received when we asked God for perspective on the importance of avoiding broken focus. I (Keith) once watched an "Eye-In-The-Sky" Breaking News flash being reported on live TV about a multi-vehicle pile-up in the west-bound lane of Interstate 40, one of our nation's busiest highways. As the news crew's helicopter circled overhead with their cameras focused on the people emerging from their crumpled vehicles, the reporter suddenly shouted, "I can't believe it, folks! Something just happened on the o-t-h-e-r side of the highway, causing a pile-up of multiple cars in the east-bound lane!"

Later that evening, I turned on the local news report about the I-40 pile-ups that day. To my surprise, the commentators were speaking as they showed earlier footage of the long string of drivers climbing out of their wrecked cars, saying they were still unsure what caused the initial crash on the west-bound side, but police determined that the east-bound pile-up was caused by "rubbernecking". Just imagine the heartache that gripped the initial "rubbernecking driver" who started the pile-up. Like, "Why did I let myself get distracted and drawn in by the commotion across highway?!" Keeping our attention away from such distractions, being intentional to avoid the risks of rubbernecking while helping others to do the same, we all work together, and individually, to wind up as victors over troubling conditions we face out on the road. But, like that first distracted "rubberneck driver" on I-40, our losing our direction and way on the road of Life in Christ can always be traced back to "broken focus"!

As we consider the tragic scene of I-40, we can draw a clear parallel between the rubbernecker who was first in the east-bound pile-up and the Christian today who is too comfortable with distracting thoughts in their mind that is to "be stayed on Jesus Christ". Staying focused with The Holy Spirit of Christ, we avoid becoming easily distracted by an arround-the-clock barrage of TV programs, internet, news and social media channels, which are competing for our focus more now than ever before! We must practice self-control, asking The Holy Spirit to help us keep our time and focus and attention from being hyjacked! The Holy Spirit is like the long arm of God reaching into our mind and heart to remind us of the essentials of being sober-minded and self-controlled! By keeping disciplined focus on daily pursuing Oneness in Jesus Christ, being quick to turn off intoxicating words and views of "Breaking News", our spirit resists the enemy's lures toward "spiritual rubbernecking". We must stay fixed on Christ, pursue becoming One in Jesus Christ, and regularly meet with The Holy Spirit in the pages of God's written Word. By doing those things, together with God, we keep ourselves and others around us steady in sober-mindedness, spiritually and physically.

Jesus Christ warns us to stay focused and sober-minded in order to avoid the distractions of this life. It is most important for each one of us to be intentional in our constant pursuit of becoming one with Him, every day, just like we keep our driving attention aimed directly in front of us no matter if we're driving a busy highway of noisy distractions and rubberneckers or a quiet rural highway. "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting (indulgence), and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." Luke 21:34-36.

If there has ever been a time that we must "pray without ceasing", keeping our minds stayed on Jesus Christ, it is now. As our Father has been drawing the wickedness out of the dark "hiding" places, exposing it in the LIGHT, we all must be steadfast, building up The Family of God. If we stand together in prayer for/with one another in these final hours, we keep our spiritual eyes focused on becoming One in The Lord Jesus Christ. By our keeping focused on taking "the narrow way" each and every day, we protect ourselves and everything we hold dear in The Kingdom of God from compromise by countless indulgences of this world. If we submit to The Holy Spirit's leading, He is our Best Friend and Comforter Who keeps us clean and ready to be used by God everyday, in spite of distractions and "cares of this life" all around us. Be encouraged to press through, stand strong, and reach out to those whose focus has been weakened or broken by all that is happening in the news and world today.

In the fulfillment of our Father's promises and plan for our lives, this as a most strategic season of opportunity to perform our key role in this "final harvest of souls"! Each one of us has a responsibility to "seek FIRST" our Father through our Lord Jesus Christ, by the Wonder-full Holy Spirit's lead, to work side-by-side with The Holy Trinity to step out in faith and fulfill God's call on each of our lives. We must constantly focus on stepping out in faith to fulfill our function in the Body of Christ, together as The Family of God, making our steps count as we make our way to the finish... all for our Father's Glory in the mind, heart, and lives of everyone around us and in the world.

As we in The Army of Jesus Christ find ourselves in this final push just before the great trumpet sounds, we must take our thoughts captive, practice self-control, ask The Holy Spirit to meet with us in the pages of God's Holy Word, hydrate by the Living Water of His Word, and FOCUS on His LEAD. The proper context for all of our thoughts, words, and deeds will be found in God's Word, through The Person of Jesus Christ, and The Holy Spirit's tutelage as we meet with Him in The Gospel Jesus Christ preached. For it is only as we put on the mind of Christ that we will be able to be transformed into His likeness, which is the reward of walking *with* Him. Remembering who we are, Whose we are, and that it is by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that "the war is won for us already", we keep focused in this fight to everyday overcome our enemies in the spirit. In turn, we stay alert to the needs of those around us who need to find their way in avoiding "broken focus". Then, when The Great Conquering King returns in ALL of His Glory with The Mighty Host of Heaven at His Side, we will bear the abundant fruit of sowing the sweet seed of God's Word into the fertile soil of people's ears and hearts everywhere. All of us have got to put our ALL in the fight to finish our work with pure Focus, Fearlessness, Love, Discipline, and every single thing we've got in us that God has given... to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus! And don't be concerned with what the person next to you is doing; You do your job, and you do it with everything you've got, knowing in your heart that WE WILL WIN in our living Life with Christ! Let's GO!!

Once we are in daily pursuit of becoming ONE with God, our wisdom and understanding *in Him* changes everything! Always remember that because, "Your focus on working *with God* will lead you to overcome worldly obstacles, and to inherit rewards that go far beyond your greatest expectations!" Watch and see!

From the bottom of our hearts we thank you for loving us, teaming with us, and being ALL IN on this final harvest of the souls for the Kingdom of God. By our praying for one another and being intentional to sow our individual life experiences, talents, time, and seed into our reaching toward the goals God has given, we will benefit, together, in the fruit and inheritance of our Father's Kingdom that will abound to each of our accounts in Heaven. With love and prayers we express our eternal appreciation for your taking part in this work and Pressin'IN Blog of TowardTheMark Inc. We close with this challenge for you to STAY EVER-MORE FOCUSED on Jesus Christ and all that our Father God placed in your stewardship to benefit your Life with The Holy Spirit. There is nothing "of this natural world" that will last, but "the treasures in the spirit" we will take into eternity with us, being the fruit of everything we do while we are alive and living "in this world". With that, we take joy in sharing this sort-of "gold nugget" of reassurance for your "drive ahead" with The Holy Spirit. This Pressin'IN message is a result of our waiting on The Holy Spirit to fill and lead us in the season of prayer we are in. Especially among the uncertainty, confusion, and fear surrounding events of our country, we continue to ask that our Father God, by the fulfillment of The Holy Spirit of Christ Jesus, give you reassurance of His plan for your life. As you carry with you the Word of God (above) for all of us, Luke 21:34-36, we look forward to hearing how you recognize, as we did right away, its beautiful connection with the blog passage The Holy Spirit had given us last month to emphasize our need to "SUIT UP...Focus-Lead-Overcome"!

Our prayers are fueled with hope and expectation for fulfilling our spiritual assignments in this world, through sharing The Gospel of Jesus Christ and The Gospel Jesus Christ preached... greater than ever before!

If you have yet to invite Jesus Christ into your heart to be your Lord and Savior, or if you have allowed something or someone to come between you and God, now is your time to get right with God. Right there where you are, pray this prayer to God, then REST-ASSURED 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 (So be it)!

            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, full-Bible focused 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 that can, especially early in your walk with God, help you to receive good teaching and encouragement right away. Though informative, those Bible-teaching 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... growing in Godliness requires purity of focus, staying steadfast, immovable, and uncompromising in the faith of Jesus Christ, and now more than ever, no matter what, Keep PRESSIN' IN! You might consider using our book  LETTERS FROM THE FRONT, the special collection of keys to defeating hindrances that have kept many of God's servants from walking with the confidence and authority that Jesus Christ died to provide for us! Twelve life-changing chapters include:

	;
Sin Makes Ya Stewpit!	The Cart's Before the Horse
The Crisis of Eroding Integrity	The Fruit's on the End of the Limb
Too Quick to Compromise	The Rarest of All Breeds!
Please...Stop Stinkin'	Three Keys to God-Pleasing Faith
Let It Go	Understanding the Fear of The Lord
Into the Secret Place	Give to Give

  To help you further your fight to victory through the battles that confront every one of us in these turbulent times we live in, get your copy of our book, " LETTERS FROM THE FRONT." In this collection of 12 letters written from the front lines of battle fought in the spiritual, natural, and theater of the mind, Keith's Scripture messages will build your faith and help you reach God's full potential for your life.
"LETTERS FROM THE FRONT"
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. 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.

With love we lift you to The Lord in our prayers, hopeful that you have determined to, "Suit Up" and Focus-Lead-Overcome. We appreciate you eternally for taking part in our work by downloading this Pressin'IN *TowardTheMark* Blog!

Your Servants in Christ Jesus,

    

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, all 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 ... follow and share more Toward The Mark resources we make available to help build you up by building your faith in God's Word, His Will, and His Ways: 

~  "The Shealys & Toward The Mark Videos" on Vimeo 

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

 

~   "TTM Singing Sergeant" on Twitter 

~   "KeithAndBrendaLee Shealy PODCASTS" at TTM's BetweenTheLines Channel on Libsyn.

Blog Feature... I was overwhelmed by the enormity of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us!

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!

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          Take me back to the top of this post.

          Take me to "Suit Up! Focus-Lead-Overcome..." Blog.

          Take me to "Whoahh Horsey..." Blog.

          Take me to "Celebrating 'SINGLEness'" Blog.

          Take me to "Worship God with sacrifices of Praise" post.

          Take me to "MONEY is not the root of all EVIL" 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 - 2020 | Privacy Policy and Terms of Use apply |

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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.

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

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!

"See sidebar Pressin'IN Blog titles"

         Take me back to the top of this post.

          Take me to "Legendary Coach Hank Norton (1927-2019)" post.

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

~ "Keith Shealy & Toward The Mark" on Facebook

~ "TTM SingingSgt" on Twitter

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

~ "Sharing with you the Secrets God Whispers to us" teachings on our website 

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