“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” Psalm 116:15 (ESV) Death is a normal part of life. For the entirety of our lives on earth, we combat the perpetual process of decay. Our bodies are susceptible to sickness, sorrow, and suffering. When we think of death we think of the end of life as we know it. When a loved one dies we enter the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Death is all around us and death is an inevitable part of life. Why would God consider the death of his saints as precious in His sight? How can death be precious? We equate death with pain and loss and separation. God has a different view of death. From God’s perspective, the death of a saint is not a wall to climb but a bridge to cross. Death is not the end of the journey. There is life beyond the grave. When a child of God dies, that person is immediately ushered into the presence of the Lord. “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:6 (ESV) “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21 (ESV) The death of a Christian is precious in the Lord’s sight because that person was created not for time, but for eternity. To transition from life on our fallen sin-cursed planet to the glory of heaven is precious. To be delivered from the sin, suffering, and sorrow that saturates the earth is precious. Being in heaven for all eternity is precious. One day we will have the glorious opportunity to be reunited with our loved ones who have gone on home before us. We will see Jesus face to face! Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Category: Heaven
Categories
God Encounter
“Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.’ And he was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’” Genesis 28:16-17 (ESV) Don’t miss God! You can be so preoccupied with your life and your plans that you neglect practicing the Presence of God. God is omnipresent. There is nowhere God is not. He is always at work around you. Unless you intentionally look to see where God is at work, you can miss Him. Detecting God’s activity requires being sensitive and observant. As Jacob placed a stone under his head and went to sleep, he had a dream in which he saw a ladder with angels ascending and descending on it. God said to him, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Gen 28:13-14 ESV). Upon reflection of the night’s events, Jacob realized that he had encountered God. He named the place, Bethel, which means house of God. Each time you read the Bible, you are encountering God. Whenever you choose to share your faith with someone, you will encounter God. As you seek to meet needs and continue the ministry of Jesus on the earth, you will encounter God. God reveals Himself to you as you join Him in His activity. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV) Life comes fully loaded with options. There are so many choices and allurements seeking your attention like guided missiles. You are bombarded with compelling advertisements fishing for your time, energy, and resources. Of all the decisions you will make in a lifetime, there is one decision that determines your eternal destiny. Every decision you make points you in a direction and your direction will ultimately determine your destination. Jesus captured the essence of life with two distinct paths. All of life can be condensed to one of two paths. There is a narrow road that leads to life and a broad road that leads to destruction. The narrow road leads to heaven and the broad road leads to hell. Both paths intersect at the cross of Calvary. The substitutionary work that Jesus completed on the cross 2,000 years ago is the point of distinction. Your decision regarding that pivotal moment in history determines the path you travel and the destiny you embrace. Enter through the narrow gate. Choose eternal life by turning from your sin and trusting in Jesus alone for salvation. The broad road will never deliver what it promises. The broad road is littered with deception and emptiness and artificial happiness. Many enter through the wide gate and forfeit life that is truly life. Take the immediate exit off of the highway leading to eternal damnation and enter through the narrow gate to travel the narrow road leading to abundant life and eternal life. Don’t gamble with eternity. Your decision determines the direction and destination of your life. God has paved the way for you to enter through the narrow gate! Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.’” Matthew 13:44 (ESV) When I stood behind the pulpit to speak at the funeral of the surgeon who saved my life, it was as though time stood still. He had been our family doctor during my childhood and teenage years. He was a devoted husband, father, and deacon at my home church. Every scar on my body bears his workmanship from stitching up deeps cuts to performing emergency surgery following my Jet Ski accident during my junior year in High School. He was a godly man my family treasured. There’s something about death that makes us measure the value of life. When someone dear to us dies, we experience the agony of their loss and the joy of their gain. Knowing that we will see them again in heaven brings such comfort. Knowing that they are in the Presence of God beholding the face of Jesus and walking on streets of gold generates the affirmation of our faith. Jesus shared a parable that helps us understand what the kingdom of heaven is like. When a man found treasure hidden in the field, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all that he had and bought that field. The kingdom of heaven is to be treasured. The kingdom of heaven is worth being treasured. Your most valued possession is the gift of eternal life that you received at the moment of your conversion. When Jesus became the Lord of your life, you became secure for eternity. You became a kingdom citizen. Death is not a wall to climb, but a bridge to cross. Jesus has made a way for you to face death with certainty and clarity. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.” Revelation 7:9 (ESV) God loves variety. When you observe His creation, it doesn’t take long to comprehend the variety that God infused into everything He made. God delights to display His glory through the variety of His creation. People matter to God. Currently, there are just over 11,200 people groups within the over 7.1 billion people on planet earth. Every person in each of the people groups is a unique creation of Almighty God. Every individual has an eternal destiny. God’s desire is for every person to spend eternity with Him in heaven. However, God will not allow sin into heaven. The only cure for the cancer of sin is Jesus. We must bring God’s plan of salvation to every person on this broken planet so that each one will have an opportunity to receive the gift of eternal life. Pray selflessly. Pray beyond your skin. Begin to pray for those who aren’t just like you. Pray for those who do not have a personal love relationship with Jesus. Pray for those who do not have the same background as yours. Pray for those who do not have the same skin color as yours. Embrace God’s vision of having a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language standing before the throne in heaven. Pray to become a participant in making God’s vision a reality. You can pray for the salvation of other people groups. You can go on short-term mission trip to engage an unreached people group. You can give so that others can go. Pray for Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Giving an Account
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” 2 Corinthians 5:10 (ESV) What you do with Christ during your brief stay on planet earth will determine whether you spend eternity in heaven or hell. Your response to God’s offer of salvation is the deciding factor to your eternal destination. As Bruce Wilkinson says, “Your belief determines where you will spend eternity; your behavior determines how you will spend eternity.” “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.” Rom. 14:10 (ESV) “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Phil. 2:9-11 (ESV) Every human being will stand before God to give an account for his or her life. Every person will bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! Those who reject God’s offer of salvation while living on earth will still bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, but it will be eternally too late. Believers will go to the Judgment Seat of Christ to receive reward and heaven while unbelievers will go to the White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-15) to receive punishment and hell. Live circumspectly! Live in full awareness of God’s holiness, purity, and justice! Take as many people with you to heaven as you possibly can in full surrender to the Spirit’s control. Make the most of every opportunity! Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
The Only Way
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.‘” John 14:6 (ESV) There’s only one way. I have often heard people comment that we are all heading to the same place and that we are just taking different paths to get there. All paths do not lead to heaven. There is only one path to heaven. There is only one way to get to heaven. It’s not arrogant to say that Jesus is the only way. Actually, it is arrogant to say that there’s another way. Jesus is the only way. “‘And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’” Acts 4:12 (ESV) “But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:31 (ESV) On March 28, 1979, I embraced Jesus as the way and the truth and the life by confessing my sin and inviting Jesus to take over my life. I surrendered to His Lordship and have sought to become more like Jesus day by day. I have the assurance of heaven and eternal life, not because of who I am, but because of who He is. Long before I decided what to do with God, He decided what to do with me. What’s your decision? Have you had a life changing experience? Do you know for certain that if you were to die tonight that you would go to heaven? If the rapture were to take place within the hour, are you ready? Are you rapture ready? Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“‘And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.’” John 14:3 (ESV) There’s more to explore. God has so much more in store for you than what you have currently in view. There’s so much more on the other shore. God is growing you and grooming you in this life in preparation for the life to come. God’s nature is that of integrity. God keeps His word. He is the real Promise Keeper. As a follower of Christ, you will go to heaven either through the doorway of death or the reality of the rapture. You will either go to Jesus upon your death or Jesus will come to you via the rapture of the church. “And he said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’” Luke 23:43 (ESV) “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” 1 Thess. 4:16-17 (ESV) You will experience the ultimate reunion with Christ and your believing loved ones who have gone before you. The ultimate trade-in will occur as you trade-in your current body for the glorified body that God has for you. There will be no more cancer, no more arthritis, no more heart disease, no more diabetes, no more multiple sclerosis, no more Alzheimer’s, no more macular degeneration, no more mosquitoes, and no more humidity. Are you ready for Jesus to come back? Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“‘And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.’” John 14:3 (ESV) There’s more to explore. God has so much more in store for you than what you have currently in view. There’s so much more on the other shore. God is growing you and grooming you in this life in preparation for the life to come. God’s nature is that of integrity. God keeps His word. He is the real Promise Keeper. As a follower of Christ, you will go to heaven either through the doorway of death or the reality of the rapture. You will either go to Jesus upon your death or Jesus will come to you via the rapture of the church. “And he said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’” Luke 23:43 (ESV) “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” 1 Thess. 4:16-17 (ESV) You will experience the ultimate reunion with Christ and your believing loved ones who have gone before you. The ultimate trade-in will occur as you trade-in your current body for the glorified body that God has for you. There will be no more cancer, no more arthritis, no more heart disease, no more diabetes, no more multiple sclerosis, no more Alzheimer’s, no more macular degeneration, no more mosquitoes, and no more humidity. Are you ready for Jesus to come back? Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” John 14:2 (ESV) Heaven is a place you can call home. When Jesus spoke these words of comfort to His disciples, He affirmed the reality of heaven and the specific rooms, mansions, or abodes in heaven. Jesus was not going to build what was already in heaven. Rather, Jesus was indicating that He was preparing a place for them and us in heaven by going to the cross to pay the penalty of their sin and our sin. “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Heb. 1:3 (ESV) “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” Phil. 3:20-21 (ESV) Jesus has prepared a place for you in heaven by becoming the atoning sacrifice for your sin. Jesus has purchased your salvation with His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. As a result, your citizenship is in heaven. You are an alien on this earth. God made you not for time, but for eternity. Don’t get discouraged. Don’t lose hope. Don’t get too enamored by this life on planet earth. You aren’t home yet. Heaven is your home! There’s no place like home… Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Trusting God with Eternity
“‘Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.’” John 14:1 (ESV) God designed you for eternity. Everybody will live somewhere forever. As Bruce Wilkinson says, “Your beliefs determine where you will spend eternity; your behavior determines how you will spend eternity.” When you choose to live the life God has given, you experience abundant life on earth and you enjoy the reality of eternal life in heaven. In this earthly existence, you live on a broken planet with the presence of sin. As a result, problems become part of the landscape of life. The disciples were troubled as Jesus revealed the reality of His imminent death. “Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” John 13:1 (ESV) As you can imagine, the disciples were grieving. Jesus offered them words of comfort by exhorting them to trust in God. They could trust God’s timing and they could trust God’s plan. Jesus included the appeal for the disciples to trust in Him. Jesus had faithfully walked with them and taught them. The disciples had come to know Jesus in close proximity. Now they would have to trust in Jesus as He submitted to death on the cross. Trust in God to do what He has promised. God keeps His word. God has provided the resolution for the problem of sin. Trust God to carry you through this life into the life to come. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell LeadPastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6 (ESV) You are not home, yet! God has a mission for you to fulfill before He calls you home. Don’t get so focused on your destination that you neglect the daily ministry God wants you to extend and the daily provision God wants you to experience. You were placed here by God to accomplish His will. God’s goodness will shadow you every step of the way. There isn’t a moment that goes by in which the goodness of God is not functioning in your life. His goodness follows you because God is good. God’s love will be your companion every moment for the remainder of your life on earth. There is never a love deficit when God is near. His love will inspire you and sustain you through the various terrains of life. You will dwell in God’s house for eternity. You will have a mansion in glory and enjoy unending fellowship with the Master of the universe. Heaven is your destiny. Eternity with Jesus is your reality. As you look forward to your eternal home, how many people will be there because of your influence? How many people will experience the joy of eternal life in heaven as a result of your witness on the earth? Share your salvation story with people that God brings into your sphere of influence. Be active in sharing your faith. Pray for the lost. Give financially to support missions. Go on a short-term mission trip to sow the Gospel seed. Walk across the room to serve others and to show them the love of Jesus. Continue the ministry of Jesus! Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” Psalm 116:15 (ESV) Death is a normal part of life. For the entirety of our lives on earth, we combat the perpetual process of decay. Our bodies are susceptible to sickness, sorrow, and suffering. When we think of death we think of the end of life as we know it. When a loved one dies we enter the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Death is all around us and death is an inevitable part of life. Why would God consider the death of his saints as precious in His sight? How can death be precious? We equate death with pain and loss and separation. God has a different view of death. From God’s perspective, the death of a saint is not a wall to climb but a bridge to cross. Death is not the end of the journey. There is life beyond the grave. When a child of God dies, that person is immediately ushered into the presence of the Lord. “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:6 (ESV) “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21 (ESV) The death of a Christian is precious in the Lord’s sight because that person was created not for time, but for eternity. To transition from life on our fallen sin-cursed planet to the glory of heaven is precious. To be delivered from the sin, suffering, and sorrow that saturates the earth is precious. Being in heaven for all eternity is precious. One day we will have the glorious opportunity to be reunited with our loved ones who have gone on home before us. We will see Jesus face to face! Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 148: Psalms 111-118) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
God Encounter
“Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.’ 17 And he was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’” Genesis 28:16-17 (ESV) Don’t miss God! You can be so preoccupied with your life and your plans that you neglect practicing the Presence of God. God is omnipresent. There is nowhere God is not. He is always at work around you. Unless you intentionally look to see where God is at work, you can miss Him. Detecting God’s activity requires being sensitive and observant. As Jacob placed a stone under his head and went to sleep, he had a dream in which he saw a ladder with angels ascending and descending on it. God said to him, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Gen 28:13-14 ESV). Upon reflection of the night’s events, Jacob realized that he had encountered God. He named the place, Bethel, which means house of God. Each time you read the Bible, you are encountering God. Whenever you choose to share your faith with someone, you will encounter God. As you seek to meet needs and continue the ministry of Jesus on the earth, you will encounter God. God reveals Himself to you as you join Him in His activity. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 21: Genesis 27-29) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matt 7:13-14 (NIV) Life comes fully loaded with options. There are so many choices and allurements seeking your attention like guided missiles. You are bombarded with compelling advertisements fishing for your time, energy, and resources. Of all the decisions you will make in a lifetime, there is one decision that determines your eternal destiny. Every decision you make points you in a direction and your direction will ultimately determine your destination. Jesus captured the essence of life with two distinct paths. All of life can be condensed to one of two paths. There is a narrow road that leads to life and a broad road that leads to destruction. The narrow road leads to heaven and the broad road leads to hell. Both paths intersect at the cross of Calvary. The substitutionary work that Jesus completed on the cross 2,000 years ago is the point of distinction. Your decision regarding that pivotal moment in history determines the path you travel and the destiny you embrace. Enter through the narrow gate. Choose eternal life by turning from your sin and trusting in Jesus alone for salvation. The broad road will never deliver what it promises. The broad road is littered with deception and emptiness and artificial happiness. Many enter through the wide gate and forfeit life that is truly life. Take the immediate exit off of the highway leading to eternal damnation and enter through the narrow gate to travel the narrow road leading to abundant life and eternal life. Don’t gamble with eternity. Your decision determines the direction and destination of your life. God has paved the way for you to enter through the narrow gate! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.’” Matt 13:44 (NIV) When I stood behind the pulpit to speak at the funeral of the surgeon who saved my life, it was as though time stood still. He had been our family doctor during my childhood and teenage years. He was a devoted husband, father, and deacon at my home church. Every scar on my body bears his workmanship from stitching up deeps cuts to performing emergency surgery following my Jet Ski accident during my junior year in High School. He was a godly man my family treasured. There’s something about death that makes us measure the value of life. When someone dear to us dies, we experience the agony of their loss and the joy of their gain. Knowing that we will see them again in heaven brings such comfort. Knowing that they are in the Presence of God beholding the face of Jesus and walking on streets of gold generates the affirmation of our faith. Jesus shared a parable that helps us understand what the kingdom of heaven is like. When a man found treasure hidden in the field, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all that he had and bought that field. The kingdom of heaven is to be treasured. The kingdom of heaven is worth being treasured. Your most valued possession is the gift of eternal life that you received at the moment of your conversion. When Jesus became the Lord of your life, you became secure for eternity. You became a kingdom citizen. Death is not a wall to climb, but a bridge to cross. Jesus has made a way for you to face death with certainty and clarity. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” Rev 7:9 (NIV) God loves variety. When you observe His creation, it doesn’t take long to comprehend the variety that God infused into everything He made. God delights to display His glory through the variety of His creation. People matter to God. Currently, there are just over 12,500 people groups within the 6.8 billion people on planet earth. Every person in each of the people groups is a unique creation of Almighty God. Every individual has an eternal destiny. God’s desire is for every person to spend eternity with Him in heaven. However, God will not allow sin into heaven. The only cure for the cancer of sin is Jesus. We must bring God’s plan of salvation to every person on this broken planet so that each one will have an opportunity to receive the gift of eternal life. Pray selflessly. Pray beyond your skin. Begin to pray for those who aren’t just like you. Pray for those who do not have a personal love relationship with Jesus. Pray for those who do not have the same background as yours. Pray for those who do not have the same skin color as yours. Embrace God’s vision of having a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language standing before the throne in heaven. Pray to become a participant in making God’s vision a reality. You can pray for the salvation of other people groups. You can go on short-term mission trip to engage an unreached people group. You can give so that others can go. Pray for Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Giving an Account
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” 2 Cor 5:10 (NIV) What you do with Christ during your brief stay on planet earth will determine whether you spend eternity in heaven or hell. Your response to God’s offer of salvation is the deciding factor to your eternal destination. As Bruce Wilkinson says, “Your belief determines where you will spend eternity; your behavior determines how you will spend eternity.” “You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.” Romans 14:10 (NIV) “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Phil 2:9-11 (NIV) Every human being will stand before God to give an account for his or her life. Every person will bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! Those who reject God’s offer of salvation while living on earth will still bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, but it will be eternally too late. Believers will go to the Judgment Seat of Christ to receive reward and heaven while unbelievers will go to the White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-15) to receive punishment and hell. Live circumspectly! Live in full awareness of God’s holiness, purity, and justice! Take as many people with you to heaven as you possibly can in full surrender to the Spirit’s control. Make the most of every opportunity! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
The Only Way
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6 (NIV) There’s only one way. I have often heard people comment that we are all heading to the same place and that we are just taking different paths to get there. All paths do not lead to heaven. There is only one path to heaven. There is only one way to get to heaven. It’s not arrogant to say that Jesus is the only way. Actually, it is arrogant to say that there’s another way. Jesus is the only way. “‘Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.’” Acts 4:12 (NIV) “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:31 (NIV) On March 28, 1979, I embraced Jesus as the way and the truth and the life by confessing my sin and inviting Jesus to take over my life. I surrendered to His Lordship and have sought to become more like Jesus day by day. I have the assurance of heaven and eternal life, not because of who I am, but because of who He is. Long before I decided what to do with God, He decided what to do with me. What’s your decision? Have you had a life changing experience? Do you know for certain that if you were to die tonight that you would go to heaven? If the rapture were to take place within the hour, are you ready? Are you rapture ready? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“‘And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.’” John 14:3 (NIV) There’s more to explore. God has so much more in store for you than what you have currently in view. There’s so much more on the other shore. God is growing you and grooming you in this life in preparation for the life to come. God’s nature is that of integrity. God keeps His word. He is the real Promise Keeper. As a follower of Christ, you will go to heaven either through the doorway of death or the reality of the rapture. You will either go to Jesus upon your death or Jesus will come to you via the rapture of the church. “Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.’” Luke 23:43 (NIV) “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” 1 Thess 4:16-17 (NIV) You will experience the ultimate reunion with Christ and your believing loved ones who have gone before you. The ultimate trade-in will occur as you trade-in your current body for the glorified body that God has for you. There will be no more cancer, no more arthritis, no more heart disease, no more diabetes, no more multiple sclerosis, no more Alzheimer’s, no more macular degeneration, no more mosquitoes, and no more humidity. Are you ready for Jesus to come back? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2 (NIV) Heaven is a place you can call home. When Jesus spoke these words of comfort to His disciples, He affirmed the reality of heaven and the specific rooms, mansions, or abodes in heaven. Jesus was not going to build what was already in heaven. Rather, Jesus was indicating that He was preparing a place for them and us in heaven by going to the cross to pay the penalty of their sin and our sin. “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Heb 1:3 (NIV) “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Phil 3:20-21 (NIV) Jesus has prepared a place for you in heaven by becoming the atoning sacrifice for your sin. Jesus has purchased your salvation with His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. As a result, your citizenship is in heaven. You are an alien on this earth. God made you not for time, but for eternity. Don’t get discouraged. Don’t lose hope. Don’t get too enamored by this life on planet earth. You aren’t home yet. Heaven is your home! There’s no place like home… Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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Trusting God with Eternity
“‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.’” John 14:1 (NIV) God designed you for eternity. Everybody will live somewhere forever. As Bruce Wilkinson says, “Your beliefs determine where you will spend eternity; your behavior determines how you will spend eternity.” When you choose to live the life God has given, you experience abundant life on earth and you enjoy the reality of eternal life in heaven. In this earthly existence, you live on a broken planet with the presence of sin. As a result, problems become part of the landscape of life. The disciples were troubled as Jesus revealed the reality of His imminent death. “It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.” John 13:1 (NIV) As you can imagine, the disciples were grieving. Jesus offered them words of comfort by exhorting them to trust in God. They could trust God’s timing and they could trust God’s plan. Jesus included the appeal for the disciples to trust in Him. Jesus had faithfully walked with them and taught them. The disciples had come to know Jesus in close proximity. Now they would have to trust in Jesus as He submitted to death on the cross. Trust in God to do what He has promised. God keeps His word. God has provided the resolution for the problem of sin. Trust God to carry you through this life into the life to come. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23:6 (NIV) You are not home, yet! God has a mission for you to fulfill before He calls you home. Don’t get so focused on your destination that you neglect the daily ministry God wants you to extend and the daily provision God wants you to experience. You were placed here by God to accomplish His will. God’s goodness will shadow you every step of the way. There isn’t a moment that goes by in which the goodness of God is not functioning in your life. His goodness follows you because God is good. God’s love will be your companion every moment for the remainder of your life on earth. There is never a love deficit when God is near. His love will inspire you and sustain you through the various terrains of life. You will dwell in God’s house for eternity. You will have a mansion in glory and enjoy unending fellowship with the Master of the universe. Heaven is your destiny. Eternity with Jesus is your reality. As you look forward to your eternal home, how many people will be there because of your influence? How many people will experience the joy of eternal life in heaven as a result of your witness on the earth? Share your salvation story with people that God brings into your sphere of influence. Be active in sharing your faith. Pray for the lost. Give financially to support missions. Go on a short-term mission trip to sow the Gospel seed. Walk across the room to serve others and to show them the love of Jesus. Continue the ministry of Jesus! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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Longing for Heaven
“All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.” Heb 11:13 (NIV) Are you living by faith and longing for heaven? God created you for eternity. Your life on earth is just a short stay in light of eternity. Yet, God has a purpose for your life and a mission for you to fulfill during your earthly existence. Your life is ordained by God and for God. The Hall of Faith in Hebrews chapter eleven captures the lives of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and a host of others. They were still living by faith when they died. They were longing for a better country—a heavenly one (Heb. 11:16). They lived their lives as aliens and strangers on earth. Don’t get too attached to this life on planet earth. You were not designed to live here forever. God created you with eternity in mind. Your eternal destination in heaven is determined by your faith alone in Christ alone by God’s grace alone. Once you turn your life over to Christ, eternal life in heaven becomes your reality. Until you get to heaven, God wants you to continue the ministry of Jesus on the earth. Shine the light of Jesus and share the love of Jesus with others. Bloom where God has planted you and allow Him to use you to bring others into relationship with Jesus. Living by faith involves trusting God to accomplish His plan through your life. Yield to His Lordship and to His leadership and enjoy the journey of being on mission with God. Live by faith and long for heaven. One day you will cross over from this life into the next. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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Looking Down From Heaven
(Today’s Devotional Submitted by Guest Writer: Jeff Skipper, Associate Pastor of Student Ministries, Champion Forest Baptist Church) “After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’ At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.” Rev 4:1-2 (NIV) If you have lived very long in this world you know life can be downright difficult at times. We are faced daily with disappointment, defeat, destruction, devastation, desolation, divorce, and death. The interesting thing is the Bible promises this type of suffering. The good news is that we are also promised it is only temporary and it will produce in us something that far outweighs all that we suffer. God offers John a view that none of us will get before the second coming, yet we need to understand that view. John finds himself in a transcendent reality where he sees for the first time the world from God’s throne room! He sees death, destruction, disappointment, Nero, the Roman Empire, the past, present, and future from heaven! It’s as if he is looking down on his life through God’s eyes. Have you been struggling in this life? Have you had a bad day? How about a bad year? What if, for just a moment, you were called to God’s throne room and you could see your situation from heaven’s perspective? Remember that the island of disappointment and doubt you find yourself in is only temporary, for God has something in store for you that far outweighs it: heaven. I pray that you will see life today from heaven’s perspective. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” John 17:5 (NIV) Jesus valued returning to heaven. The Priestly prayer of Jesus in John17 demonstrated His passion to return to heaven to be glorified in His Father’s presence. Jesus served, preached, healed, and prayed with heaven in view. In His pre-existence, Jesus was involved in creation of man. In His incarnation, Jesus provided redemption for fallen man. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’” Gen 1:26 (NIV) “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” Phil 2:5-7 (NIV) Jesus was willing to leave the glory of heaven in order to become the only appropriate sacrifice for your sin. He endured the agony of the cross to benefit your forever. Once you come to faith in the completed work of Jesus, your life is transformed, your sins are forgiven, and your body becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit. Your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life. Are you ready for heaven? Have you made your reservation by grace alone through faith alone? Jesus has made heaven and eternal life available to all who trust in Him alone for salvation. Once you have solidified your eternal transaction, invest the rest of your life helping others come to faith in Christ. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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Heaven: Your Home
“In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2 (NIV) Heaven is a place you can call home. When Jesus spoke these words of comfort to His disciples, He affirmed the reality of heaven and the specific rooms, mansions, or abodes in heaven. Jesus was not going to build what was already in heaven. Rather, Jesus was indicating that He was preparing a place for them and us in heaven by going to the cross to pay the penalty of their sin and our sin. “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Heb 1:3 (NIV) “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Phil 3:20-21 (NIV) Jesus has prepared a place for you in heaven by becoming the atoning sacrifice for your sin. Jesus has purchased your salvation with His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. As a result, your citizenship is in heaven. You are an alien on this earth. God made you not for time, but for eternity. Don’t get discouraged. Don’t lose hope. Don’t get too enamored by this life on planet earth. You aren’t home yet. Heaven is your home! There’s no place like home… Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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Heaven: Trust His Promise
“‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me.’” John 14:1 (NIV) God designed you for eternity. Everybody will live somewhere forever. As Bruce Wilkinson says, “Your beliefs determine where you will spend eternity; your behavior determines how you will spend eternity.” When you choose to live the life God has given, you experience abundant life on earth and you enjoy the reality of eternal life in heaven. In this earthly existence, you live on a broken planet with the presence of sin. As a result, problems become part of the landscape of life. The disciples were troubled as Jesus revealed the reality of His imminent death. “It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.” John 13:1 (NIV) As you can imagine, the disciples were grieving. Jesus offered them words of comfort by exhorting them to trust in God. They could trust God’s timing and they could trust God’s plan. Jesus included the appeal for the disciples to trust in Himself. Jesus had faithfully walked with them and taught them. The disciples had come to know Jesus in close proximity. Now they would have to trust in Jesus as He submitted to death on the cross. Trust in God to do what He has promised. God keeps His word. God has provided the resolution for the problem of sin. Trust God to carry you through this life into the life to come. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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Eternal Perspective
Do something great by keeping an eternal perspective. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Phil 1:21 (NIV) Imagine flying at an altitude of thirty-thousand feet and scanning the colorful blocks of land on the earth’s surface. There is something about the view that gives you such a unique perspective on life. You begin to realize how small you are and how big the earth is. How do you view your life? Are you just breathing oxygen and taking up space or are you living on purpose by keeping an eternal perspective. God’s story is both massive and eternal. His plan includes you. You are an integral part of God’s redemptive story. God saved you, filled you with His Spirit, and gifted you to fulfill His purposes in your lifetime. Paul embraced an eternal perspective. He never lost sight of his win-win situation. If he lived, Christ lived with him. If Paul died, then he would live with Christ. Paul allowed his eternal perspective to fuel his courage and boldness for the Lord. “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Phil 3:20-21 (NIV) Will you choose to live this year with eternity in mind? Remember, there’s more to this life than what you see. There is life beyond the grave! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’” Luke 13:27 (NIV) The clock is ticking. There is a limited amount of time to respond to God’s offer of salvation. Why would anyone gamble with his or her eternal destination? Why would anyone delay his or her response to God’s offer of heaven and eternal life? No person knows how much time he or she has left on the earth. Sadly, there are some who delay their decision to follow Christ until it is too late. The window of opportunity closes at death or the Rapture, depending which comes first in a person’s lifetime. When you die, it is too late to receive the gift of eternal life if you have not already done so. Once Jesus raptures the church, it will be too late for those who failed to place their faith in Jesus alone for salvation. In witnessing to people over the years, I have heard many people remark that they were planning to have fun, experience everything this world has to offer, and then get right with God right before they die. Now that is presuming upon the grace of God. How dangerous to assume that you can flirt with the things of this world and then right at the end, get right with God! “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” Isaiah 55:6 (NIV) “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Cor 6:2 (NIV) Be a bridge builder to those who do not have a saving relationship with Jesus. Live each day with a sense of urgency. Live expectantly knowing that Jesus could rapture the church at any moment. Live in light of His return! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor