The Word | ETERNALLY PLANTED

Meditations: II Peter 2:5-9

October 26, 2015April 4, 2024Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

II Peter 2:5-9
AMP

5 For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises],
employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence),
6 And in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control, and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety),
7 And in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection, and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love.
8 For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
9 For whoever lacks these qualities is blind, [spiritually] shortsighted, seeing only what is near to him, and has become oblivious [to the fact] that he was cleansed from his old sins.

For this very reason

Verse 4 of this chapter discusses that God has given us precious and exceedingly great promises so that we can “escape from the moral decay of the world” and “become sharers of the divine nature.” It is for this reason that we do all that the following verses call for us to do.

adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort

Yes, we have the divine promises and they were given to us for a reason, but they are like tools—to accomplish what they were made to do, they require our efforts. And God isn’t just calling for a little effort here, but for us to employ “every effort.” The King James Version says, “giving all diligence.”

Half-hearted participants need not apply!

in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy)

So we employ every effort in exercising our faith. Ministers often compare faith to a muscle and it seems God surely uses it in this way here. Faith is something that we must exercise continually if it is to become stronger. Most think of exercising their faith for things—cars, jobs, etc.—but God says clearly that there is one thing so important that we are to put forth every effort to exercise our faith to develop it…and that is virtue—excellence, resolution, Christian energy. One might ask why it takes faith to develop such virtue, but most probably wouldn’t question once they’d really thought about it. It does take a definite effort in exercising my faith for me to develop this virtue, this excellence, this resolution, this Christian energy, this (according to the New Living Translation) moral excellence. In my head, it see it as a simple decision, but in practice, when faced with certain choices, it takes an active effort of faith to take the step in the right direction instead of the wrong one.

and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence),

So virtue is like a muscle too, in that to develop properly it must be exercised, and as we exercise it we develop knowledge.

Since this selection is specifically leading us into avoiding the moral decay of the world and becoming sharers of the divine nature, we can be pretty sure the knowledge referred to here has nothing to do with worldly knowledge, but rather with spiritual knowledge. In fact, the New Living Translation says, “A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better.”

So as we exercise virtue, living lives of moral excellence, we come to know God better. Now there is a motivator!

And in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control,

So one of the natural results of growing in the knowledge of God or, perhaps more accurately, one of the first things we see we must develop as we come to know God better, is self-control.

Self-control is a big issue among Christians today. We all seem to be continually working on self-control in one area or another, be it eating too much, cursing, losing our temper, judging others…whatever. Many who have little self-control despise their own weakness, but do not know how to combat it. Here God gives the answer.

Exercise your faith to develop moral excellence (virtue), exercise this moral excellence and get to know God better, and develop/exercise this knowledge of God.

Consider how a man, though he seems to have little control of his tongue, actively tries to limit his cursing when in the presence of a dear friend who is offended by his bad habit. The more time he spends with this friend, exercising his knowledge of the friend, the less he curses. So do we also, as we actively seek to grow in the knowledge of God, spending time with Him (an absolute necessity if we are to know Him), find it easier to control ourselves. As the New Living Translation puts it, “Knowing God leads to self-control.”

So, since one thing leads to another, where does self-control lead?

and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance),

According to the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, the literal meaning of the original word is “cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy.”

This rocks!

It is tremendous to realize that exercising self-control actually leads to developing cheerful or hopeful endurance, to developing constancy. I love that it is not endurance alone, which can be a miserable thing, but is endurance that is cheerful or hopeful – both of which, by the way, are characteristics of God. So as we come to know God better, He rubs off on us, yes?

And constancy! Someone who is constant is the same at all times, unwavering. This reminds me of Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Constancy is definitely an attribute of God.

and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety),

Ah…now we are getting truly close to being genuine partakers in the nature of God. Surely knowing that we can reach this place is sufficient motivation to encourage one to exercise faith to develop virtue. It is easy to see that as we grow in this process, this absolutely necessary process, the moral decay of the world becomes less and less appealing. It is easy to escape a trap when you are headed swiftly away from it.

And in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection,

Brotherly love is love for other Christians and it saddens me to see it so far down on this list. It does not surprise me, however, for the God kind of love cannot really operate where there is no virtue, knowledge of God, self-control, or constancy.

Indeed, the low level of brotherly love found in some churches is a sure sign that at least part of the body of Christ is not working their way through this process of growth. All too many don’t know God as well as they likely think they do. Far too many exhibit the symptoms listed later, in verse 9.

and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love.

And here it is…perhaps the hardest of all. If we are to be sharers of the divine nature of God, who is love, we must love. If we love, truly love, those who surround us—ALL those whom God loves—we must be willing to lay down our selves and share HIM with them.

On the surface, this is obvious. In practice, how often do I do it? I must confess that I don’t do it nearly as often as I should.

Jesus, motivated by love, laid down His life for all of us, from the best to the worst. Who are we to claim the right to do less? If we are afraid to witness we don’t love enough, because perfect love casts out fear. That is a humbling thought.

For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

I also like the New Living Translation here. “The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I want to be productive and useful. I don’t want God to refer to me as being idle or unfruitful! He paid an unimaginable price for my salvation; even if there were no promise attached, I would owe it to Him to use what He has given me.

For whoever lacks these qualities is blind,

I have known Christians like this, people who could not recognize a spiritual truth if you put it in front of their noses. Obviously, according to this passage, the only cure for this spiritual blindness is to start making every effort to exercise their faith to develop divine virtue.

[spiritually] shortsighted, seeing only what is near to him,

Spiritually speaking, this is exceedingly dangerous. God can show us many things ahead of time if we have the eyes to see them. The shortsighted person does not have this benefit.

and has become oblivious [to the fact] that he was cleansed from his old sins.

And he who is oblivious to the fact that he was cleansed from his old sin is far too likely to return to it. Down that path lies the moral decay of the world and a complete inability to be a sharer in the divine nature. This should never be the condition of one who has been called out as a child of God, but for too many, for those who refuse to make the efforts God calls for us to make, it is inevitable. He says so.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Meditations: James 4:6-7

October 19, 2015April 4, 2024Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

James 4:6-7
KJV

6But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith,
God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Pride has no place in God’s kingdom. “God resisteth the proud,” we are warned, and if we are wise we heed the warning. The word “pride” does not only apply to that person who stands off from others with his nose in the air. It applies when we grow prideful of our accomplishments and forgetful of the fact that we attain nothing without Him. It applies when we look at others and pridefully assume that we have traveled further down the road of righteousness. It applies when we determine that our offering is better, our position of ministry more worthy, etc. The word applies much too often, I’m afraid.

Oh, but when we humble ourselves…then He gives us grace. And how can we not humble ourselves when we consider Him? In Him we have all things, can do all things and can be all things, but only IN HIM. Step outside of Him and we are nothing – no better than the sin-filled scum we were before He saved us. When one meditates on this, can one not be humbled? Being so humbled by the reality of all He is compared to all we are not without Him, the next reasonable step is to submit one’s self to Him.

The one who can say they are God’s bond-servant – one who has willingly turned himself completely over to God – receives the fullness of God’s grace. This one also receives something else – a promise.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

The one who has fully submitted himself to God can resist the devil; indeed, this one is commanded to resist him! And when this one resists, the devil will flee; it is inevitable. Why?

I tend to visualize things, and I have this picture of me standing sure and proud against the devil as a child of God who has been given the authority. But this is not all. Behind me, towering over me and radiating ultimate authority, is my heavenly Father. Only a complete idiot challenges Him.

Only when I’ve put down pride, humbled myself, and submitted to Him, do I have that authority; only then does He stand behind me so.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Meditations: Hebrews 11:1

October 12, 2015April 4, 2024Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

Hebrews 11:1
NKJV

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

I love this verse! I pay special attention to faith verses anyway, because I know from Hebrews 11:6 that without faith it is impossible to please God, but this verse seems extra special – overflowing with revelation and promise.

As my pastor points out often, the first three words make a foundational statement about faith – NOW faith is. Faith is, and always will be, in the present tense (which is right in line with God’s declaration about himself – “I AM”). We cannot live on yesterday’s faith and we must not set faith aside today, planning to pick it up again tomorrow. We must walk by faith now. We must also walk in “the now kind of faith,” trusting that God already has answered the prayer or provided the need, and that we have the answer and provision now even if we can’t touch it yet. At first this can seem an impossible thing to do, but the more we study God’s Word the more we see that this is, indeed, the way faith works.

Keep reading the verse and you learn even more about faith.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for…

We hope for a thing, then, before we have faith for it. Too, faith is a substance one has or, as the Amplified version expresses it, “…the assurance (the confirmation, the title-deed).” Think on that. If you have faith for a thing, you already have the assurance that it is yours, confirmation that it is yours, and the title-deed to it! Faith is a substantial thing and…it is evidence.

…the evidence of things not seen.

When God opened my eyes to the truth of this phrase, my excitement knew no bounds. Faith is evidence! Whenever I truly trust God to supply something, when I have faith in God’s provision in a specific area, the very fact that I have this faith is sufficient evidence that the answer is there; my inability to see or touch it is immaterial.

God is wonderful about giving me illustrations, and He gave me a great one for this verse.

In school, we all learned the basics of fire safety (Who can forget “Stop, drop, and roll”?) and one of the things we were taught is that, in cases of fire, we should test any door before opening it. Put your hands on the door and, if it’s hot, that’s all the evidence you need that there is a fire on the other side.

In the one case heat is the evidence that there’s fire on the other side of the door. In the other case, faith is the evidence that whatever you’ve hoped for is on the other side of the door. Awesome!

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Meditations: Hebrews 10:25

October 5, 2015April 4, 2024Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

Hebrews 10:25
NKJV

…not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

“…not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,” states it so clearly.

I was told once, by an avid fisherman, “I can get as close to God on the lake as I can in church.” That may well be; who am I to declare him mistaken? But he cannot get as close to the assembly on the lake as he can in church, because the church is where we come to assemble ourselves together.

…not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some.

How much this shames us. The writer of Hebrews spoke to those Christians and reminded them not to forsake the assembling of themselves together as was the manner of some. If the statistics are true, this verse would need to be reworded slightly for today’s American church. It would need to read, “…as is the manner of most!” A large percentage of the American population professes to be Christian, but where are these people when the rest of the body comes together for worship? Why are they forsaking the assembly? Could it be that they have never truly read this verse?

God creates nothing without purpose and the local church serves His purposes greatly. As long as we continue to forsake this assembly we refuse to grow up and become all He has called us to be (Eph 4:14-16).

…but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:24 elaborates on the exhortation; we are to exhort one another to love and good works. And we are to do it “so much more as you see the Day approaching.”

The Day, of course, refers to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it doesn’t take either an expert on Bible prophecy or a student of world events to see that the Day is most definitely approaching. Indeed, it approaches so quickly that I find myself rushing to get done all He has called me to do so that I will leave no unfinished work behind me.

Oh, that we would stop playing around with the time He has given us, but that we would, instead, devote our days to preparing ourselves and others for the reality that is eternity!

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Meditations: Hebrews 10:22

September 28, 2015July 12, 2024Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

Hebrews 10:22
NKJV

…let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

A lawyer type once said that Hebrews 10:16-31 is written like a contract, with verses 16-21 sharing God’s part, 22-25 sharing our part and 26-31 sharing the consequences of our breaking the contract. God, of course, does not break contracts.

Bearing this in mind, verses 22 through 25 become vitally important to the believer. Verse 22 first calls for us to draw near to God. In my experience, this is one of the most consistently disobeyed commands God gives. It is one thing to think, “I love God,” or “I live for God,” and another thing entirely to climb up into his lap like a child does with his father. Why? Time is an obvious excuse. We fill our lives so completely that we effectively push God right out of them, repeatedly promising to get with Him later. In too many cases, later never comes.

Another obvious reason for our failure is that when we draw close to God our faults become entirely too obvious for our own selves’ comfort. Indeed, Scripture commands us not only to draw near to Him, but to come with true hearts, a thing that requires self-judgment and humility. Too, we are to come in “full assurance of faith.” Few children have the nerve to approach their fathers, to draw truly near to them, when they’ve done wrong. Their hearts are not pure and they know it; they cannot come in “full assurance of faith” because they know they’ve earned punishment rather than their father’s loving touch. So it is with us; flesh shrinks back, drawing away from God rather than straining towards Him, so we must deal with the flesh first. We must put it down so we can exalt Him.

But oh the rewards that come when we judge ourselves, repent of our sins, and are able once again to draw near to Him, when we do take the time and put forth the effort to draw near to Him. As a little girl, climbing up into my earthly father’s lap might have been a wonderful thing, but climbing up into my heavenly Father’s lap is so far beyond this earthly experience that it denies the comparison.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Meditations: II Timothy 2:15

September 14, 2015July 12, 2024Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

II Timothy 2:15
NKJV

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

“Be diligent,” Paul says to Timothy. “Be diligent,” God says to us. Diligence requires action…sincere and consistent action. Again, we are reminded that it is completely unacceptable for us to sit and hear the word but do nothing with it.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God

Here, then, is our goal – our reason for being diligent. We desire, in truth we must have, our heavenly Father’s approval. How? What must we do? In what are we to be diligent?

…a worker who does not need to be ashamed…

So we are to be workers, and not just ordinary workers, but workers who are so good at what we do, so thorough, so careful, that we need never be ashamed of either ourselves or our work.

…rightly dividing the word of truth.

And this is why we, as these diligent workers, need not be ashamed. We are mature and learned in the Word. We do not ignore the Word – we cannot if we are to divide it. We do not take the Word and twist it into new meanings to suit ourselves. No, we are to be “correctly analyzing and accurately dividing – rightly handling and skillfully teaching – the Word of Truth.” (AMP) We are to diligently do this; and in this diligence we will receive God’s approval.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Meditations: I Thessalonians 5:14

September 7, 2015April 4, 2024Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

I Thessalonians 5:14
NKJV

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly,
comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.

Here’s an odd verse to find seeking its home in this book. Yet it did not only seek this place; it demanded it. Paul has just exhorted the church at Thessalonica to “Be at peace among yourselves,” and the very next thing he says is, “…warn those who are unruly.” He is actively working to help the Thessalonian church become as strong as it can be and the four things he speaks of here are vitally important to such strength.

…warn those who are unruly

Interesting. He doesn’t say, “mutter and complain behind their backs.” Rather, he says, “warn those…” The warning is to be given in love, of course—that should be understood where Christians are concerned—yet it is to be given, and given directly to the person. If we would all do this one thing, and shut down the behind-the-back griping, what a difference there would be in the church.

Now, I am well aware that not everyone can warn everyone else. It may be that my flesh is too irritated and I know I could not approach a particular person in love, or perhaps the unruly person is one who, for whatever reason, specifically will not receive from me. There must be someone they will receive from, however, someone they will listen to, someone who can give the warning in love and it be received in the same way.

…comfort the fainthearted…

We’ve all had our times of faintheartedness and thank God for those who brought comfort in those times. I do not refer simply to the shoulder given to cry on, but also the voice that shares the comfort of God’s Word. For years, I was a member of multiple email loops and, in one particular loop, I had a friend who, whenever anyone in our group faced trials, would respond briefly and remind us to read her signature and remember God’s promise. Her signature contained the text of Jeremiah 29:11 and her gentle reminders were often that one thing needed to bring comfort and peace.

…uphold the weak, be patient with all.

I’ve included these two phrases together because this is the way they presented themselves to me…to my dismay.

Most of us have things that really irk us, things people do or characteristics they exhibit that really get under our skin. In my case one of those truly irksome things is perpetually baby Christians. I get horribly tired of seeing someone who ought to be mature in the Lord still fighting baby battles – deciding not to go to church this evening because they have a headache, moving from one church to the next in search of that elusive “perfect church,” continually needing reassurance on the same foundational principal… or, different angle, but still babyish behavior… never bothering to be on time, continually arguing over or ignoring basic church or ministry rules, whining, gossiping, backbiting… babies!

I suppose it was really no surprise when, after one grouch session with God (“God, why are so many Christians still babies? Will they ever get their acts together and grow up?”), a minister read this verse and I heard God answer, “Tammy, they are weak; uphold them. Be patient with them in all things.”

And there it is. I don’t have to like dealing with baby Christians any more than I have to like changing dirty diapers, but God has commanded me to uphold the weak, to be patient with them, and baby Christians (even perpetually baby Christians) fall into this category.

Others fall into this category too, of course. Many, like the elderly and physically infirm, I do not mind upholding, being patient with; it is those who create the weaknesses within their own selves that drive me nuts. What God has reminded me is that He sees all types of weaknesses the same in this case—as weaknesses in those He calls us to uphold, to be patient with.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

354 Prophecies Fulfilled

September 4, 2015June 6, 2024Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

FunFacts

There are 354 Old Testament prophecies regarding the birth of the coming King. Every single one of them was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ.

Meditations: Philippians 4:19

August 31, 2015July 12, 2024Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

Philippians 4:19
NKJV

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

In this letter, Paul speaks to the members of the church at Philippi. This Scripture, specifically, is a declaration he makes after referring to the financial support they have given him. As I am also a giver, and one who gives to missionary work like Paul’s, I have every right to claim this promise for myself. And, oh, the promise that is contained in this one verse!

And my God…

MY GOD! We’re not talking about man, here, but about God – the Creator of the universe, He who is all and has all, the Alpha and Omega… I AM.

…shall supply…

Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines supply as, “To fill up, as any deficiency happens, to furnish what is wanted; to afford or furnish a sufficiency.” I love this definition! As any deficiency happens, God will fill it up. He will furnish what is wanted or lacking. He furnishes a sufficiency or, put simply, “enough.”

…all your need…

My pastor is fond of saying, “All means ALL,” and through the years this truth has lodged in my spirit. Paul isn’t declaring here that God will supply some of what we need; he is saying God will supply ALL we need – all that is necessary for us to prosper and be in health even as our souls prosper (III John 2), all we need to accomplish whatever He calls us to do (Phil 4:13), all we require to become everything He wants us to be.

Oh…here’s an interesting thought. Paul says that God will supply all our needs; he does not say God will force them on us. God will give and keep on giving, but it is up to us to reach out and take all that is supplied.

…according to His riches in glory…

Meditate on this one for a while and you realize we really have no comprehension of everything God’s “all” does contain, of the measure that is used. Our comprehension is limited by the finite nature of the world that surrounds us, but God is not limited to this world and does not have to supply according to our riches here. No, His supply is according to His riches in glory; His supply is infinite! The most gold I’ve ever touched at one time was in a large necklace, but God has so much gold that He uses it as paving material. The largest pearl I’ve ever held rolled around in the palm of my hand, but the New Jerusalem’s twelve gates are pearls. Truly, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (I Cor 2:9) Yes, He is able to do exceedingly beyond anything we can ask or even think (Eph 3:20).

…by Christ Jesus.

I look at these words and hardly know what to write. “Christ Jesus” has got to be the two most beautiful words ever. “Christ” means “Anointed One” and when I remember this I remember also the passage Jesus read from Isaiah, the verses that spoke of Himself.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me…”

This is only the first part of Isaiah 61:1. Read on and you will be reminded of all the wonderful things Jesus was anointed to do. Truly, in Him and through Him…by Him…we have access to everything that matters.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Meditations: Ephesians 3:18-19

August 10, 2015July 12, 2024Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

Ephesians 3:18-19
NKJV

…may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

And to know this love that passes knowledge… How can one know something that surpasses knowledge? Is He, perhaps, referring here to the difference between “to know” (the experience) and knowledge (the thing)? If I am rooted and established in love, then I am in the place where He can give me the power to know the love of Christ, to lose myself in it as a woman loses herself in her husband or a husband in his wife, becoming one… and not just me as an individual, but me and the rest of the body as one.

There is a difference between standing on the shore, merely looking at the ocean, and being out in a boat surrounded by the water. Only when in the water can you even begin to perceive how long and wide and deep it is. Only then can you experience it.

So we have to be rooted and established in love first, genuinely walking in it, before we can truly gain the power to move on out into LOVE – that being the love of Christ, the love that is God. And only when we know (are one with) the love of Christ can we “be filled with all the fullness of God.” When we truly know (experience and are one with) the love of Christ our prejudices will melt away. How can we be prejudiced against, look down upon, or count less worthy than ourselves, another of His creation…another part of His body…another whom we love? If we walk in the love of Christ we cannot, for those prejudices are outside of love and His love is too high, too long, too wide and too deep for us to be able to reach them.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C