Category: Judgment

God’s Justice

“For thus says the Lord God: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all the malice within your soul against the land of Israel, therefore, behold, I have stretched out my hand against you, and will hand you over as plunder to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and will make you perish out of the countries; I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 25:6-7 (ESV) God’s judgment would equal Ammon’s sin. The nation rejoiced over Judah’s misfortune when attacked by Nebuchadnezzar. Ammon hoped to benefit from Judah’s destruction. Ammon rejoiced over the destruction of the temple. God demonstrated His justice by sending them to the people of the East as a possession. These nomads would overtake the Ammonites and turn their capital city into pasture for camels and Ammon into a resting place for sheep. However, rest would cease for the Ammonites. God’s love demands the demonstration of His justice. Without justice, there is no love. Without love, there is no justice. In spite of our rebellion, God chose to pursue us with His redeeming love. In spite of our sin, God chose to provide the only acceptable sacrifice to satisfy His justice and to eradicate the consequences of our sin. “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:1-2 (ESV) Pause to thank God for His mercy in your life. Rejoice over the immeasurable grace God has extended to you. In Christ, you are a new creation because of the awesome price Jesus paid for your deliverance. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Jeremiah Judgment Repentance

Dislodge Wicked Thoughts

“O Jerusalem, wash your heart from evil, that you may be saved. How long shall your wicked thoughts lodge within you?” Jeremiah 4:14 (ESV) Your thought-life determines your walk-life. It matters how you think and it matters what you think. Your thoughts prompt your behavior. When impure thoughts linger, your life becomes contaminated. Impure thoughts can stain a pure heart. The word of the Lord came through Jeremiah for the people to wash their hearts from evil so they could be saved. Jeremiah confronted them for their wicked thoughts lodged within them. The same word of the Lord could be spoken over us in our contemporary context in our culture saturated with sinful indulgence. “Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.’” Jeremiah 6:16 (ESV) “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 (ESV) Dislodge wicked thoughts. Take every thought captive. Remember when you put garbage in, you get garbage out. Protect your mind and guard your heart. Find the good way and walk in it. Take paths that are firm and that are in alignment with God’s purposes and plan. Find rest for your soul. Instead of conforming to the pattern of this world, be transformed by renewing your mind. Replace falsehood with the truth of God’s Word. Delete deception and embrace truth. Run from sin and run to Jesus. Flee sin and follow after the things of God. Feed on God’s Word and maintain daily intimacy with God. Deliberately draw near to God. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Judgment Numbers Zeal

The Real Zeal

“When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped. Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.” Numbers 25:7-9 (ESV) Instead of influencing the culture, the people of Israel were influenced by the culture. Instead of being a thermostat and setting the environment, the people of Israel became like a thermometer and reflected the environment. They drifted into Baal worship and forfeited their loyalty and devotion to the Lord their God. Aaron’s grandson, Phinehas, took the initiative to end the descent into pagan worship by piercing the Israelite and the Midianite woman he brought to his family in the sight of Moses and the congregation of the people of Israel. In response to this courageous move by Phinehas, God stopped the plague on the people of Israel. This was a dark day for the people of Israel in that twenty-four thousand had died by the plague. God credited Phinehas with turning back His wrath on the people of Israel. God affirmed Phinehas for being jealous with God’s jealousy among the people of Israel. What is the life lesson from such a traumatic encounter? Value what God values! Place the same value on people that God does. Place the same value on God’s will and God’s way that God does. Be zealous for the things of God and be diligent to be an irresistible influence for the Lord. Don’t allow the culture to shape you. Choose to shape culture by valuing what God values. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

End Times Grace Judgment

Motivation to Share

“By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:6-7 (NIV) Sin infected the earth God created. In Noah’s day, man’s wickedness had become great (Gen. 6:5). In His holiness and righteousness, God judged sin by destroying life on earth. “I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark–you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you” (Gen. 6:17-19 NIV). God will not tolerate sin. Rebellion against God will not go unnoticed. God is omniscient, which means that He is all-knowing. Nothing escapes the scope of God’s view. God judges sin. Just as God’s wrath was unleashed in Noah’s day with water, God’s wrath will be released to destroy the heavens and earth by fire. God demonstrated His mercy and grace in Noah’s day by providing the ark of safety for Noah and his family. Noah was righteous in God’s eyes and he was rewarded for his obedience. In the same way, God wants us to live a life of instant obedience. The ark of safety became our reality through the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. Knowing of the future destruction by fire, are you motivated to share God’s rescue plan with those who are disconnected from Christ? Are you willing to lead them to the ark of God’s salvation found in God’s grace alone through faith alone? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Ezekiel Judgment Sovereignty

God’s Justice

“For thus says the Lord God: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all the malice within your soul against the land of Israel, 7 therefore, behold, I have stretched out my hand against you, and will hand you over as plunder to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and will make you perish out of the countries; I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 25:6-7 (ESV) God’s judgment would equal Ammon’s sin. The nation rejoiced over Judah’s misfortune when attacked by Nebuchadnezzar. Ammon hoped to benefit from Judah’s destruction. Ammon rejoiced over the destruction of the temple. God demonstrated His justice by sending them to the people of the East as a possession. These nomads would overtake the Ammonites and turn their capital city into pasture for camels and Ammon into a resting place for sheep. However, rest would cease for the Ammonites. God’s love demands the demonstration of His justice. Without justice, there is no love. Without love, there is no justice. In spite of our rebellion, God chose to pursue us with His redeeming love. In spite of our sin, God chose to provide the only acceptable sacrifice to satisfy His justice and to eradicate the consequences of our sin. “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:1-2 (ESV) Pause to thank God for His mercy in your life. Rejoice over the immeasurable grace God has extended to you. In Christ, you are a new creation because of the awesome price Jesus paid for your deliverance. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 247: Ezekiel 25-27) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Jeremiah Judgment Repentance

Dislodge Wicked Thoughts

“O Jerusalem, wash your heart from evil, that you may be saved. How long shall your wicked thoughts lodge within you?” Jeremiah 4:14 (ESV) Your thought-life determines your walk-life. It matters how you think and it matters what you think. Your thoughts prompt your behavior. When impure thoughts linger, your life becomes contaminated. Impure thoughts can stain a pure heart. The word of the Lord came through Jeremiah for the people to wash their hearts from evil so they could be saved. Jeremiah confronted them for their wicked thoughts lodged within them. The same word of the Lord could be spoken over us in our contemporary context in our culture saturated with sinful indulgence. “Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.’” Jeremiah 6:16 (ESV) “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 (ESV) Dislodge wicked thoughts. Take every thought captive. Remember when you put garbage in, you get garbage out. Protect your mind and guard your heart. Find the good way and walk in it. Take paths that are firm and that are in alignment with God’s purposes and plan. Find rest for your soul. Instead of conforming to the pattern of this world, be transformed by renewing your mind. Replace falsehood with the truth of God’s Word. Delete deception and embrace truth. Run from sin and run to Jesus. Flee sin and follow after the things of God. Feed on God’s Word and maintain daily intimacy with God. Deliberately draw near to God. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 220: Jeremiah 4-6) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Judgment Numbers Zeal

The Real Zeal

“When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand 8 and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped. 9 Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.” Numbers 25:7-9 (ESV) Instead of influencing the culture, the people of Israel were influenced by the culture. Instead of being a thermostat and setting the environment, the people of Israel became like a thermometer and reflected the environment. They drifted into Baal worship and forfeited their loyalty and devotion to the Lord their God. Aaron’s grandson, Phinehas, took the initiative to end the descent into pagan worship by piercing the Israelite and the Midianite woman he brought to his family in the sight of Moses and the congregation of the people of Israel. In response to this courageous move by Phinehas, God stopped the plague on the people of Israel. This was a dark day for the people of Israel in that twenty-four thousand had died by the plague. God credited Phinehas with turning back His wrath on the people of Israel. God affirmed Phinehas for being jealous with God’s jealousy among the people of Israel. What is the life lesson from such a traumatic encounter? Value what God values! Place the same value on people that God does. Place the same value on God’s will and God’s way that God does. Be zealous for the things of God and be diligent to be an irresistible influence for the Lord. Don’t allow the culture to shape you. Choose to shape culture by valuing what God values. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 64: Numbers 23-25) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

End Times Grace Judgment

Motivation to Share

“By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:6-7 (NIV) Sin infected the earth God created. In Noah’s day, man’s wickedness had become great (Gen. 6:5). In His holiness and righteousness, God judged sin by destroying life on earth. “I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark–you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you” (Gen 6:17-19 NIV). God will not tolerate sin. Rebellion against God will not go unnoticed. God is omniscient, which means that He is all knowing. Nothing escapes the scope of God’s view. God judges sin. Just as God’s wrath was unleashed in Noah’s day with water, God’s wrath will be released to destroy the heavens and earth by fire. God demonstrated His mercy and grace in Noah’s day by providing the ark of safety for Noah and his family. Noah was righteous in God’s eyes and he was rewarded for his obedience. In the same way, God wants us to live a life of instant obedience. The ark of safety became our reality through the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. Knowing of the future destruction by fire, are you motivated to share God’s rescue plan with those who are disconnected from Christ? Are you willing to lead them to the ark of God’s salvation found in God’s grace alone through faith alone? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

End Times Grace Judgment

Leading Others to the Ark

“By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:6-7 (NIV) Sin infected the earth God created. In Noah’s day, man’s wickedness had become great (Gen. 6:5). In His holiness and righteousness, God judged sin by destroying life on earth. “I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark–you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.” Gen 6:17-19 (NIV) God will not tolerate sin. Rebellion against God will not go unnoticed. God is omniscient, which means that He is all knowing. Nothing escapes the scope of God’s view. God judges sin. Just as God’s wrath was unleashed in Noah’s day with water, God’s wrath will be released to destroy the heavens and earth by fire. This day of judgment will bring about the destruction of ungodly men. God demonstrated His mercy and grace in Noah’s day by providing the ark of safety for Noah and his family. Noah was righteous in God’s eyes and he was rewarded for his obedience. In the same way, God wants us to live a life of instant obedience. God has lavished us with His love and provided for our salvation. The ark of safety became our reality through the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. Knowing of the future destruction by fire, are you motivated to share God’s rescue plan with those who are disconnected from Christ? Are you willing to lead them to the ark of God’s salvation found in God’s grace alone through faith alone? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

God's Perspective Judgment Mercy

God’s Perspective (6)

“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” James 2:12-13 (NIV) Imagine being transferred instantly before the throne of God. You are standing before God right now and you fall on your face before God and He asks you to give an account for your treatment of others. Where would that place you in the area of God’s approval and affirmation? How would you measure up to God’s standard of perfection? God is a God of justice. And yes, God is a God of mercy. Without God’s justice, mercy would not exist. Without God’s mercy, justice would not exist. God declared His justice on your sin when Jesus took upon God’s wrath for your sin on the cross. God demonstrated His mercy by providing for the forgiveness of your sin. How will you treat others in light of what God has done for you? “‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.’” Matt 5:7 (NIV) “‘Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.’” Matt 7:1-2 (NIV) Our tendency is to use binoculars when judging our lives and using a microscope when judging the lives of others. Thank God for His mercy. God wants our conversation and our conduct to reflect the mercy we have received from Him. God is not asking us to do anything in our relationship with others that He has not already done for us. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Belief Heaven Hell Judgment

Judgment Seat of Christ

“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) Everyone will live forever somewhere. 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