Death is Just the Doorway
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Reading Through the Bible
I originally posted this on Facebook two years ago today. When it showed up in my memories, I decided it needs to be shared again. The Bible is IMPORTANT my friends.
Reading through the Bible is powerful, especially reading through it quickly enough that you still remember previous books while reading the current one. I’m always in the process of a readthrough, though some have taken me longer than others – this time being one of those.
So I’ve set a goal of finishing my current Bible readthrough by mid September, forcing me to read more every day. Reading so much so fast makes a lot of things more clear, and in this case it has forcefully reminded me of two things I already knew, two vitally important things that we should all bear in mind.
- God DESPISES pride. Repeatedly, you see people being called down for their actions, but God forcefully makes it clear on myriad occasions that the root of those evil actions is pride. People often misquote one verse as “pride goeth before the fall.” That’s bad enough, but in reality that portion of the verse reads, “pride goeth before DESTRUCTION.” You can recover from a fall, but destruction? Pride is, literally, the devil’s sin – and he “generously” shares it with us so we can join him in destruction.
- It’s all about bringing glory and honor to God’s holy name. MANY times in Scripture, God rescued or promoted or chose to delay punishing His people not because they deserved it, but to protect His reputation. “Hallowed be Thy name,” is not just four words in a model prayer. We truly need to do our best, behave always in a manner that reflects that holiness, that brings glory and honor to Him.
Read your Bible. It’s the most awesome book on the planet.
Read the whole thing, from cover to cover. It will open your eyes like they’ve never been opened, and every time you read it through you’ll grow more than the time before.
Read it from cover to cover as fast as you can at least once. It will revolutionize your walk in ways you can’t even begin to imagine.
I was going to end this post on that note, but think about it. If you were to read a novel the way most of us read the Bible, a line here and there, you’d never grasp the whole story. Even if you read a novel the way most read through the Bible, you’d read maybe a page a day. How much of page/day 12 would you still remember on page/day 332? Not much.
But if you read through the Bible like you read through a novel, you REMEMBER, and you start seeing connections you’ve never seen before. It’s legit mind blowing, my friends!
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C
Since this post is getting fresh traffic, I came back to add that I discuss this topic in greater detail in my book Experiencing the Bible, which is available on Amazon. If you want to get into the Bible and aren’t sure how you want to go about it, I strongly suggest you buy yourself a gift. You can get it HERE.
Hello. My Name Is…
“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
Princess Bride fans recognize this line and love it. In my Bible time this morning, as I was thinking about how lazy most Christians are when it comes to the Sword of the Spirit (Word of God), I remembered it.
Inigo Montoya was able to avenge his father’s death for one reason. He spent much of his life learning his sword and how best to use it. The line would have meant nothing if all he’d done was wear the sword on his belt.
Christians, we need to wake up! Our Bibles are not meant to be home decor items or shelf fillers! The Word is a weapon, our only offensive weapon, and learning how to use it effectively is not an option. Why? Because, like it or not, we are at war.
We ARE at war. We can convince ourselves that we don’t need the Word working in our lives, but we’re deceiving ourselves when we do. The battles aren’t “out there.” They are right here, in our very hearts, homes, and lives.
We need to do our part so we can confidently declare, “Hello. My name is ________. You think you can destroy me. Prepare to fail.”
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C
Invaluable Inheritance
Psalm 119:111 (ESV): Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.”
In revisiting this verse today, the word “heritage” stands out. Your heritage is what you inherit. God’s Word is my inheritance.
Yes, we inherit it from God Himself, but I see more here. I see a spiritual application of Proverbs 13:22 (KJVER): “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.”
My grandparents, both sets, left me this tremendous inheritance, an enduring love for God’s Word. I saw them love it. I saw them live it. I discussed it with them. More valuable than any money they were able to leave, it is also the only inheritance that will last forever, and I will be eternally grateful for it.
Now it is my responsibility and honor to leave that same heritage for my children’s children!
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C
I did a follow-up post at https://tammycardwell.com/2020/03/02/leaving-an-invaluable-inheritance/
The Light
Psalm 129:105: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path.”
John 1:1-14, 3:18-21, and 8:12 remind us that The Word is Jesus and Jesus is The Word and that Jesus, the Word, is light – not just light, but The Light.
Know Jesus/know The Word. To truly KNOW the one, you must KNOW the other. The Word without the Spirit gives head knowledge only. To know Jesus, but not dig into The Word to learn more about Him is to have a very shallow relationship.
Know them both, have them both living inside you. Then you will see The Light obliterate darkness and your path become clear.
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C
My Heritage Forever
Psalm 119:111 (ESV): Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.
God’s Word is the one thing I can invest in that is eternal. I know the “lay up treasures” verse isn’t exactly talking about The Word, but it still applies. If my goal is to get ready for eternity, then I should practice today what I will be doing a thousand years from now – obey whatever God says, fully and forever.
God’s Word IS my heritage forever! Unlike a trust, which can be broken and the money done away with, God’s Word will never “run out” and cannot be taken away from me. Even were armed men to come in and remove every Bible from my home. The Word I have planted in my heart is THERE, and there it will remain, providing a continual return on my investment.
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C
Time to Look Back
As you reach the end of a flight and head to the terminal, you see people gathering their belongings and preparing to disembark. Ensuring they leave nothing behind is part of their flight plan; it enables them to start the next part of their journey with one less concern.
December is the end of our flight. We’re on the tarmac, heading for the gate. Now is the time to look back, to assess where we are relative to where we were in January.
Did we throw out the habits that were holding us back? Did we develop new habits that have made us stronger? Did we gain the courage to end destructive relationships, or to take the risk and enter into new ones God led us to?
In January we will look to the future, setting goals and making plans. We will be better prepared to do this if we first set aside even a little time in December to discover where we really are.
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C
Spirit Sword
“The End came too soon.”
“There had better be a sequel!”
These were my first two thoughts as I finished the last page of Spirit Sword. My third thought was that people had better buy and read this book so the author will hurry up and start the next in the series if he hasn’t already.
Take one unlikely hero, a child, and rip his life away from him. Then introduce him to a sentient sword who knows the true history of the world (and a whole lot more), and off you go on a grand adventure.
Spirit Sword is the type of book that more than entertains you. It engages you. You become part of the adventure.
I would say that this is an admirable first offering for an aspiring author, but it doesn’t read like a first book at all. The well-developed characters fit into their excellently-crafted storyline perfectly. It’s intended for a young adult, male audience, but this almost-60-year old female couldn’t put it down.
Spirit Sword, you had me at, “Hello.”
My Fear
It’s strange…the places you can stumble across revelation. I was registering on a website when the security question asked me, “What is your greatest fear?” Without hesitation, I typed my answer.
FAILURE
Then I sat staring at it, wondering where THAT had come from. It wasn’t long before I admitted to myself, for perhaps the first time, that this has been the truest answer to that question from the time I was a small child. While others went out and did things that looked fun, I sat on the sidelines.
I never tried because I was afraid to fail.
As an adult, I’ve learned better. I understand that failure is part of the learning process. At least…I understand it on a superficial level. My instant answer to the question, though, shows that I still have some very real issues.
So it’s time to self-assess. I’ve conquered this fear in so many areas, but I’ve got to move forward and eliminate it in more. I mean, really, at this point in my life how bad can failure be?
I’ve already raised my kids; any failures I had there are over and the damage done. That’s one of the biggest potential problem areas I can think of in this life. Well, other than failing where your relationship with God is concerned, and I work in building that all the time.
It’s time to kick my fear to the curb, to realize that it’s STUPID. Yes, I said stupid. Me failing at something might lead to my embarrassment, but it won’t result in WW3. Besides, how many times did Jesus issue the encouragement, “Fear not!”?
What about you?
What is your biggest fear?
And what are you going to do about it?
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C
Fighting the Darkness
As a church employee and, I believe, trusted friend, I often have people tell me about their struggles, their pain, their darkness. As I looked around the church this morning, I realized once again that most of us think we’re the only ones fighting the darkness. “Yes,” we think, “other people may have their challenges, but their challenges aren’t as bad, as agonizing, as life-altering as mine.”
But they are.
This is an important fact to remember. Unless my neighbor has told me about her struggles, I have no idea what’s hiding behind her smile. Is she wondering if she dares trust that her husband will never have another affair? Is her mother dying of cancer, leaving her feeling like an abandoned child? Did she just lose her job right after buying a new car?
I don’t know. So…
I won’t judge her when she upsets me, because I DON’T know.
I won’t assume that her life is hunky dorey and no one is living through a hell as bad as mine, because lots of people ARE.
AND I WON’T GIVE UP HOPE.
As I looked around the sanctuary this morning, I saw many people who are even now fighting the darkness, but I also saw a room full of conquerors who have battled time and time again and, with God’s help, WON.
Philippians 4:13
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C