Truth

The Flesh Really Is That Strong

Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment
Woman looking through shattered glass representing spiritual blindness and the struggle against the flesh

I just finished the book of Jeremiah. (Shhh…. Don’t tell the leader of our devotional group. Technically I should only have finished chapter 29.) 

It seems like every time I read this book I finish it just as stunned as the time before.

Repeatedly, Jeremiah warns God’s people about what’s coming.
Repeatedly, what God has Jeremiah announce is exactly what happens.
Repeatedly, the people choose to believe what they want to believe.

Why? Are human beings really that blind?
(Rhetorical question. We all know the answer.)

Blind isn’t really the right word, though. I’d say “flesh-driven” is more appropriate. Which brings me to an ongoing conversation about the power of the flesh that God and I have been having for the past few weeks.

It all started with the Millennial Reign—the thousand years during which Jesus will rule the earth from Jerusalem—and what comes after when the devil and demons are released for a short time before they’re thrown into the lake of fire forever.

My initial question went something like:
How is it possible that, with Jesus literally here on Earth and ruling the whole earth, and knowing about the Tribulation and what happened immediately in its aftermath, and presumably having contact with those who are no longer mortal but instead living in their glorified bodies…

How can anyone possibly
1) want to challenge Jesus and
2) think for one minute that defeating Jesus is even possible?
I mean, I know the devil drives it, but how do the people reach that point?

My conclusion, after days of discussions with God, is that the pull of the flesh is far stronger than we like to admit.

I know one of the things I look forward to after the Rapture is never having to fight the flesh again!

So, to get back to our theoretical “end of time” humans…

The Bible implies that in that thousand-year period man will live a lot longer than he does today. One hundred will be considered quite young, so who knows how long a standard generation will be? How many generations will have passed when the devil is released? Surely not many? So, can they really have forgotten…or chosen to forget…or chosen never to learn the truth?

Looking at the United States right now, and the actual beliefs of far too many of our residents, I have to say yes. Yes, they can.

I remember a day in the early 90s when I had the thought, “The day will come when they realize what they’ve done, and they will regret it.” I don’t remember what the issue of the day was, but I clearly remember, later, thinking something like, “No. They never will realize what they did. They’re so used to the world they’ve created that nothing about it seems out of line.” It doesn’t really matter what specific incident I’m remembering (or not): Our recent history offers a distressing number of examples that fit.

So yes, even when something is relatively recent and factually undeniable, people who don’t want to believe will find a way to deny it. Worse, some will persuade others to deny it with them.

But why?

At the risk of redundancy: The flesh really is that strong.
In fact, it’s so strong that, without God, we cannot consistently win against it.

Going back to those mortals who live on this earth during the Thousand Year Reign of Christ, it’s important to remember that they are fully human. And as humans, they too will battle the flesh. The biggest difference between them and us is that they will only have to fight the flesh. The devil and his demons won’t be around to whisper lies in their ears.

So, it’s entirely possible the world will seem like a totally peaceful place until the devil is released. I mean, the potential will obviously be there as people think their flesh-driven thoughts. But I’m guessing that, on the surface, all will seem right with the world until the element of true evil re-enters the picture.

It makes me think of chemicals that appear stable until one additional substance is introduced and everything reacts violently.

And this potentially answers another question I’ve had for years.

Why do the devil and demons have to be released that one, last time? To cause that very reaction, to finally cleanse humanity. At least, that’s the conclusion I’ve come to today. I’m not about to say God told me this, just that it feels right.

Regardless, there I sat, staring at the last page of Jeremiah where I could see how every part of the prophecy about Jerusalem’s destruction came to pass. I mean, right down to the specific prophecy about the taking down of those huge bronze pillars, Jeremiah was specific and proven to be completely accurate.

Upon completing that last page, I realized I was looking at confirmation that what I’ve been thinking really is true. The flesh really is that strong. Fail to conquer it and it will blind you, leading you to believe things that have no foundation in truth. And when we’re not fully submitted to God it’s a very hard thing to fight.

This realization is both sobering and comforting.

Sobering because the flesh really is strong enough to blind us to the truth.
Comforting because God never intended us to fight it alone.

When we are submitted to God, filled with the Holy Spirit and listening to and obeying His promptings, we have all the power we need.

Indeed, as Romans 8:37 (NLT) assures us:

No, despite all these things,
overwhelming victory is ours
through Christ, who loved us.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

What Would Happen?

Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

Consider the situation.

You are sitting in church. Your mind has been wandering, but suddenly your pastor says these words and they catch your attention.

“…especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen.”

“What?” You jerk up. “What did he call me? ‘Spiritually dull’?! I listen!”

And he continues, explaining that, while you’ve been saved long enough that you should be teaching others, the teachers keep having to come back and instruct you in the same basic principles over and over.

His previous words still ring in your ears: “Especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen.”

You’re perturbed, but as you glance around the room, wondering if anyone else thinks he’s preaching to them personally, he continues. “You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.”

“Now wait a minute! That’s going too far! I am no baby!” The thought surges forward even as, deep inside, you start to wonder. “Am I?” You listen intently, growing increasingly uncomfortable even as a new hunger starts to build inside you.

“For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right.”

You want to shout, “I don’t know how to do what is right? I’m here aren’t I?!” but you sit silently, not so sure the words are true…not really.

“Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.”

You hear what he says. You are truly listening now, and your attention is caught by two words: Training and Skill. “What training?” you wonder. “What skill?”

My question is, “What next?”

If a random pastor were to stand up and preach this sermon to his congregation today, what would happen?

If your pastor were to preach this sermon to your congregation, what would you do?

What would be the result?

Hebrews 5:11-14 NLT
There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

I Don’t Believe It!

Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

I recently read an article by Aphantasia Network entitled “John Green Aphantasia Discovery: Shining a Light on the Mind’s Eye.” It’s a fascinating article that I highly recommend.

In the article it appears, if I’m reading a particular quote correctly, that one aphant (One who has aphantasia) firmly believes that no one can truly visualize, seeing pictures or movies in their minds, that the problem must simply be an inability to properly communicate the way our brains work.

The bottom line being that, again if I’m reading the quote correctly, because he can’t see anything, has no visual imagination at all, then no one else does either. 

When I read that part of the article, I immediately thought back to a comment on one of my earliest Facebook posts in which an “expert” assured me that aphantasia isn’t real and of course I don’t have a permanent inability to vizualize. According to that person, I simply never trained my mind, and if I were willing to put forth the necessary effort I could develop my visual imagination. I didn’t even bother to respond to her because I knew she had no idea what she was talking about. Because she couldn’t see the condition, the condition didn’t exist; she didn’t believe in it.

After that memory asserted itself, I made a random connection. This is precisely the difference between those who have a relationship with God and those who don’t believe God exists. I have a relationship with God, and I know He exists just as surely as I know I’m a five on the aphantasia scale. Those who don’t know God can, and often do, refuse to believe He exists.

Whether or not I believe something doesn’t alter truth.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Why the Word – Psalm 119 Part 1

Tammy M Cardwell1 Comment

I’m working on my next book and coincidentally (Nope, don’t believe in coincidence) reached Psalm 119 in my studies this past week. My purpose in writing the book is to make clear the importance of having the Word of God, the Bible, as a vital part of our lives. As I studied this psalm, I realized just how thoroughly it covers this very topic.

Psalm 119 is not only the longest psalm but is also the longest chapter in the Bible. It is considered by many to be “the bible on the Bible” because The Bible (the Word, the Commandments, the Precepts, the Teachings…) is its topic, and it handles said topic in depth. Since my book won’t be ready for quite some time, I decided to share some of what I’ve learned here.

This post is Part 1, and in it I will cover some of what the Bible is and can do if we will pursue it like God commands us to. There’s a lot, so being the organizer I am I put it all in a spreadsheet and sorted it by rough topics. I’m sticking to bullet points and will provide verse references as well as including a few verses. The verses I quote are in the New Living Translation.

Ready? Let’s go!
The Word…

  • Battles Misery – “If your instructions hadn’t sustained me with joy, I would have died in my misery.” (v.92)
  • Blesses/Makes joyful – The KJV says “blessed are…” In the NLT, “Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.” (v. 1, 2) You can see the conditions here, of course. We must be people of integrity, follow His instructions, and search for Him with all our hearts for these verses to apply to us. That’s our part, and I’ll deal with our responsibilities in Part 2.
  • Comforts us – (v. 52)
  • Delights us/Pleases us – (v. 24, 77, 111)
  • Keeps us from judgment – “You rebuke the arrogant. Those who wander from your commands are cursed.” (v. 21) Clearly, the reverse is true too!
  • Eternal – (v. 89, 152, 160) We will live by His Word forever. That includes today.
  • Fair – (v. 137)
  • Makes us free – “I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments.” (v. 45)
  • Guides us – (v. 98, 105, 133) Verse 105 is the familiar, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”
  • Leads us to happiness – “Make me walk along the path of your commands for that is where my happiness is found.” (v. 35)
  • Helps us – (v. 130, 175)
  • Gives hope – (v. 43, 114)
  • Gives insight – (v. 99)
  • Brings joy – (v. 74, 92, 143) Verse 143 teaches us an important lesson: “As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands.” Let stress drive you to God and His Word!
  • Is just – (v. 164)
  • Keeps us close to rescue – (v. 155)
  • Keeps us from self-deception – (v. 29, 118)
  • Keeps us from wandering – (v. 67)
  • Gives us knowledge – (v. 66)
  • Gives life – (v. 37, 93) Verse 93: “I will never forget your commandments, for by them you give me life.”
  • Gives light – (v. 130)
  • Helps us live as we should – (v. 7, 19)
  • Helps us not compromise with evil – (v. 3)
  • Saves us from shame – (v. 5, 6, 31, 39, 80)
  • Helps us not sin – (v. 11, 61) Verse 11: “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
  • Helps us not be dull or stupid – (v. 70)
  • Gives peace – “Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble.” (v. 165)
  • Is perfect – (v. 138)
  • Prevents stumbling – (v. 165)
  • Revives us – (v. 25, 149, 156)
  • Is right – (v. 128, 144, 172)
  • Helps us share freely with others – (v. 46)
  • Stands firm in Heaven – (v. 89)
  • Helps us stay pure – ” How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word.” (v. 9)
  • Strengthens & encourages – (v. 28)
  • Is sweeter than honey – (v. 103)
  • Has been thoroughly tested – (v. 140)
  • Is a treasure – (v. 111)
  • Is true – (v. 91, 142, 151, 160)
  • Is trustworthy – (v. 86, 138)
  • Gives understanding – (v. 32, 104) In verse 32 the psalmist says, “I will pursue your commands, for you expand my understanding.” God’s Word is worth pursuing!
  • Brings unity – (v. 79)
  • Is unlimited – (v. 96)
  • Helps us walk in His ways – “Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths.” (v. 2, 3)
  • Makes us wise – (v. 98, 100)
  • Gives wise advice – (v. 24)
  • Is wonderful – (v. 129)

Part 2 coming up! In it, we’ll cover the psalmist’s heart and actions, which also reflect our responsibility towards the Word of God.

Celebrating Jesus!

Tammy C