We Have to Learn About LETTING STUFF GO!

"The Rabbi asked, 'Do you know why PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN was, without a doubt, one of the greatest world leaders that has ever lived?' His answer would change my life!" - Keith

In the winter of 1988, we were preparing for a concert that Keith Shealy & Toward The Mark band was scheduled to do with Mylon and Broken Heart. In preparation for the upcoming event, I was being interviewed by the host of a local radio station in the Washington, DC area.

            About ten minutes into the interview, the host announced to the listening audience that we were breaking for a few commercials. No sooner had we broken away that the door to the studio opened, and in walked a local Messianic Jewish Rabbi. Under his left arm was his brief case. In his right hand he was tossing a tennis ball up and down!

            Without saying a word, and rather abruptly, the Rabbi threw the tennis ball at the show's host. Seizing the moment as an opportunity to display his sharp athletic ability, the host immediately reached out and grabbed the airborne tennis ball. As the host began to gloat over his quick response to the pitch, the Rabbi looked him square in his eyes and asked, "Why did you catch that ball?"

            Looking somewhat puzzled, the host replied, "I don't know. I guess I've always been programmed to catch things when they are thrown to me."

            At that, the Rabbi then asked him, "Do you know why PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN was, without a doubt, one of the greatest world leaders who ever lived?" His answer would change my life!

            Rabbi said, "The reason that Ronald Reagan was one of the greatest leaders in all of history is, he learned how NOT to catch everything that was thrown at him!"

            Until we finally come to the place where we know, without a shadow of a doubt, that there is nobody and nothing worth our relationship with God, we will constantly find ourselves overwhelmed and sinking under the weightiness of the cares of this life.

            Jesus lovingly warns us that, "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My Words shall not pass away. And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting (excess), and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares (being unprepared). For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. (Luke 21:33-35)"

            We have to get better at letting go of things that we should not carry with us as the result of effects from the way others my see us or criticize us. If we "drop our guard", and permit those things to take root in our lives - like an insult, false accusations, criticisms, and such - we open ourselves up to what can weigh us down and keep us from moving forward into all that God has for us. If we "reject" those things when they are thrown our way, we keep our focus to be freed from the self-limiting effects of: "unforgiveness, poor self image, bitterness, unreal expectations of others, anger, jealousy, greed,..." and the like. The Apostle Paul puts it this way in 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."

            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 fulfill God's plan for you, we dedicate this message to you. If you are one who has not yet invited Jesus Christ into your heart to be your Lord and Savior, right there where you are, pray to God the following prayer.

            "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 can ever make! By accepting Jesus Christ, or rededicating your life to Him, as your personal Lord and Saviour, you have begun the wonderful process of being grafted into the family of God, and we welcome you home. We would like to invite you to contact us so that we can send you information that will help you begin growing in your relationship with God. We would also 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!

            CONGRATULATIONS!!! We would like to welcome you into the Family of God... right where "you belong", and you always will! (Selah)

            KEEP PRESSIN' IN... and learnin', and growin', w-i-t-h our Lord and Savior, and also with Keith and Brenda Shealy & Toward The Mark family.

XII SMOOTH STONES book, holding the collection of these 12 most-requested 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

Twelve of Keith's best lessons-learned that are most-requested by friends and fellow-readers are printed in our book, "XII Smooth Stones" available at TowardTheMark online

We pray God uses this message 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.

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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!

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Remembering and Celebrating mentor and friend Dr. Myles Munroe

I can't begin to relay to you just how sore my heart has been since the 9th of this month (Nov 2014) when I learned that my mentor and friend of 30 years, Dr. Myles Munroe, died in a terrible plane crash on his way to a convention in the Bahamas. With him were also his wife Ruth and 7 members of their ministry team. When God blessed the world with this prophetically anointed pastor, mentor, and devoted family man, nobody but God could have possibly imagined how he would impact the world in so many ways!  As for my cherished experience knowing this remarkable man of God, below is a brief account of how our relationship began.

In the fall of 1985 at Evangel Cathedral in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Bishop John Meares sponsored a large, city-wide conference for singles.  Bishop Meares founded the 4,000-member mega-church, and son Don Meares was the pastor.  I was the youth pastor for The Community Church in Sterling, Virginia, and the founding senior Pastor Arlie Whitlow who was brought up under the mentorship of Bishop Meares. 

The majority of young people I was responsible for at the time were in their late teen’s to late 20s, many of whom were not married.  As you might imagine, leading a considerable number of young, unmarried people, I was always seeking God for answers to the questions I was being asked.  Many questions were similar to ones like, “Does God have a mate for me?  How can I prepare myself to meet my future mate?...”  Answers to these questions were about to be answered, and in a way I did not expect, but rejoice over still today.

During this time in 1985, at the same time while ministering at Pastor Arlie’s church, I was wearing a number of other hats in the church, as well as working as an outside sales representative for a local graphics firm.  One of my graphic printing accounts at the time included handling all of the design and printing of Bishop Meares’ quarterly magazine entitled “Bridgebuilder Magazine.”  The Director of Publications for Bishop Meares and I had become close friends as a result of the work I had been doing there.  Shortly after the single’s conference had finished, I received a phone call from my friend, who worked under Bishop Meares, asking me if I could stop by the cathedral that day.  He said he had something important that he would like to give me.  I said I would, without knowing what was in store for me there.

While I was running work errands that day, I went by my friend's office.  As soon as he saw me coming through the door, I could tell that, whatever he had asked me to stop by for was very important.  He began by telling me that, during the previous weekend, during the single’s conference, he heard a message like none he had ever heard before, and it was taught by the Keynote speaker at that conference, Dr. Myles Munroe.  He said, "I have never heard anything like it in my life!  As soon as that evening's message was finished, I contacted our audio director to ask him to make a tape recorded copy of that service for me.  This is a tape copy that is the reason I asked you to come by.  You have got to hear this!"  I thanked him and headed off to continue my errands.

As I got back in my car to leave, I started playing the tape in my car, and listened to what started a process taking place in me that I had never experienced before that time.  With each word that Pastor Myles spoke, it felt as if I had been in a desert for the previous years of my life.  Hearing the anointing and speaking authority God had placed on Pastor Myles was like a cool glass of water in the desert, as I had never heard anyone with that level of anointing and authority in wisdom speak before. 

The best way I know how to express the impact Dr. Myles had on my life through that tape that day, is by sharing the statement my friend made after he heard The Myth of Singleness the following day, “Keith, this isn’t simply a tape; THIS is a piece of 'solid gold'!”  Each time I drove in my car, from that day forward, I would be listening to the tape over and over again, each time feeling more and more like a metamorphosis was taking place in my life.  With each revelation I heard Pastor Myles speak, a new level of understanding of God’s Word would come.  There were things that I had always craved to know in my heart that, until that time, I had not been able to experience.  If I had to guess, I probably listened to that tape more than 100 times.  With each time listening through, something else I didn’t hear in the previous times listening would come.  I could compare my experience to that of a well that I continued to drink from that never ran dry. 

After about 3 weeks of listening over and over, I called Evangel Cathedral and asked the head of the TV department to please make me a video copy of that service message, which he kindly obliged.  With each time I listened to the message, my heart caught fire as I began to share with others what God had done in my life through the message.  I literally wore the tape out that it wouldn’t play any longer.  Once I received the video copy of The Myth of Singleness, I approached the unmarried guys and girls in the church, one by one, letting them know I was going to have a special meeting at the church one night, just to show the video. 

After several groups and classes of youth and singles watched the video in our meetings together, the room where I had been showing it was getting overly crowded.  So, for the next weekend showing, I moved the group into the main sanctuary, and opened it up to the entire church.  The video service that time was full and, what began such an incredible transformation in my heart, was beginning to enact change in the hearts of many who I had been showing it to as well.  As time went on, I would share the video with many congregations, single’s meetings, and youth programs. 

A short while later, I would have the opportunity to personally meet Pastor Myles at a conference where he would be speaking in Washington DC.  It was at that meeting where we started a friendship that I have cherished down through the years.  In memory of Dr. Myles Munroe, I would like to share with you one of the most profound quotes he spoke at the conference where we met in 1985.  Addressing the single guys and girls, he said, “You don’t get married because you need to.  You get married because you want to.  And you won’t get the want-to until you don’t have the need to.”

You can find this quote, and many others, in Pastor Munroe’s teaching “The Myth of Singleness.”  I would encourage everyone, whether married or not, but especially those who have yet to be married, listen to Dr. Myles Munroe as many times as you need to in order to truly understand "The Myth of Singleness"! 

For more of my personal testimony from singleness to meeting my bride, check out our blog Prepare for the Mate You're Praying For.

God bless the loved ones, members of his ministry families, and all of the friends of my mentor and friend, Dr. Myles Munroe (April 20, 1954 - November 9, 2014)!  

I would like to add something that my beloved wife shared with friends, from her heart, on social media.  On November 10th, 2014, the day after the passing of Dr. Munroe, Brenda's facebook post said, "Within just weeks of our dating, Keith introduced me to the teachings of this remarkable friend and mentor of his from 30 years, Dr. Myles Munroe.  God bless and comfort the family and ministry team of Pastor Myles and Ruth Ann Munroe.  What a blessing to continue listening to just one of his life-changing messages, one we have and share frequently on DVD, 'The Myth of Singleness!'"

This photo represents one of the enjoyable moments we shared, years after we met.  When Pastor Myles dropped by our Toward The Mark booth at a Worship Conference in Richmond, Virginia, we were able to catch up on the things God was doing in our lives.  Having his endorsement of my ministry products has always been a real blessing and honor, and always will be.

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