Categories
Ezekiel Pride Satan

Other Side of Pride

“You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you.” Ezekiel 28:14-17 (ESV) Ezekiel’s third message against Tyre was directed to the ruler, Ethbaal III. His heart was filled with pride and he identified himself as a god. Ethbaal III self-proclaimed that his wisdom was greater than that of Daniel. Interestingly, Daniel was serving in the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, which God would raise up to destroy Tyre. Ezekiel prophesied that the death of Ethbaal III would be a shameful death, namely, “You shall die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of foreigners” (Ezekiel 28:10). A parallel between Ethbaal III and Satan is established. Clearly the influence of Satan was at work in the prideful heart of the king of Tyre. Pride eroded the position that Lucifer had as the guardian cherub. He was a perfect creation by God until pride seeped in. As a child of God, keep pride on the slide. Don’t allow pride to gain access to your life. Embrace the way of humility by acknowledging your dependency upon the Lord. Be grateful for what God has done to deliver you out of the kingdom of darkness when He placed you in the kingdom of light. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
End Times Satan Sin

Embrace Integrity

“First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.” 2 Peter 3:3 (NIV) We are living in the last days. Don’t be surprised by the turbulence of the times. Those who laugh at the things of God and dismiss the activity of God will continue to increase in number. Scoffers will litter the landscape of this life as we get closer to the coming of Christ. Wickedness will increase and love will deteriorate (Matt. 24:12). The fleshly desires of the unsaved will be fertilized and fed. Understand your current reality. Where do you fit in the flow of end time events? Are you on the winning team? Have you received God’s offer of salvation in Jesus and turned your life over to Him? If you are in Christ, you are secure for eternity. However, you must be cognizant of the features of the end times. Sin will parade the property on this fallen planet. The scoffers will obey the cravings of their sin nature. Their behavior will reflect their disregard for plan of God. Be alert to the presence of sin. Be mindful of the pervasiveness of sinful conduct. Satan realizes that his time is short, so he will spare no time to unleash his assault. As the deceiver, the enemy specializes in convincing scoffers to unleash their personal rebellion against God and God’s family. If there were ever a time to get right with God, the time is now! Crucify your flesh and seek to please God with your life and your lips. Make sure that the tongue in your mouth lines up with the tongue in your shoe. Live with integrity as you surrender to the full control of the Holy Spirit in your life. Confess sin. Live above reproach. Stay close and clean. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Ezekiel Pride Satan

Other Side of Pride

“You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. 16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you.” Ezekiel 28:14-17 (ESV) Ezekiel’s third message against Tyre was directed to the ruler, Ethbaal III. His heart was filled with pride and he identified himself as a god. Ethbaal III self-proclaimed that his wisdom was greater than that of Daniel. Interestingly, Daniel was serving in the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, which God would raise up to destroy Tyre. Ezekiel prophesied that the death of Ethbaal III would be a shameful death, namely, “You shall die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of foreigners” (Ezekiel 28:10). A parallel between Ethbaal III and Satan is established. Clearly the influence of Satan was at work in the prideful heart of the king of Tyre. Pride eroded the position that Lucifer had as the guardian cherub. He was a perfect creation by God until pride seeped in. As a child of God, keep pride on the slide. Don’t allow pride to gain access to your life. Embrace the way of humility by acknowledging your dependency upon the Lord. Be grateful for what God has done to deliver you out of the kingdom of darkness when He placed you in the kingdom of light. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 248:  Ezekiel 28-30) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
End Times Satan Sin

Embrace Integrity

“First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.” 2 Peter 3:3 (NIV) We are living in the last days. Don’t be surprised by the turbulence of the times. Those who laugh at the things of God and dismiss the activity of God will continue to increase in number. Scoffers will litter the landscape of this life as we get closer to the coming of Christ. Wickedness will increase and love will deteriorate (Mt. 24:12). The fleshly desires of the unsaved will be fertilized and fed. Understand your current reality. Where do you fit in the flow of end time events? Are you on the winning team? Have you received God’s offer of salvation in Jesus and turned your life over to Him? If you are in Christ, you are secure for eternity. However, you must be cognizant of the features of the end times. Sin will parade the property on this fallen planet. The scoffers will obey the cravings of their sin nature. Their behavior will reflect their disregard for plan of God. Be alert to the presence of sin. Be mindful of the pervasiveness of sinful conduct. Satan realizes that his time is short, so he will spare no time to unleash his assault. As the deceiver, the enemy specializes in convincing scoffers to unleash their personal rebellion against God and God’s family. If there were ever a time to get right with God, the time is now! Crucify your flesh and seek to please God with your life and your lips. Make sure that the tongue in your mouth lines up with the tongue in your shoe. Live with integrity as you surrender to the full control of the Holy Spirit in your life. Confess sin. Live above reproach. Stay close and clean. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell