Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: Anger”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “And my God will supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Look to God not to people.”

 

One of the primary reasons we get angry to begin with is fear, and it almost always involves other people. Someone says or does something that creates a sense of fear in us and we get angry about it. Not necessarily a shaking in your boots, wetting your pants kind of fear – although it could be that. Usually our fear takes other, more subtle forms and it often results in us getting angry.

 

Usually it’s something like, a person made a critical comment about you and you fear that it makes you look bad in the eyes of others, so you get angry. Or maybe you have lost your job and you are fearful about how you are going to pay your bills, and so you get angry. Or somebody cut in front of you in line at the store and you fear you are now going to have to wait even longer and maybe miss your next appointment, so you get angry. And on it goes.

 

Fear of loss, fear of harm, fear of being diminished in the eyes of others, fear of being treated unjustly, fear of … well, fear of all sorts of things is frequently the spark that ignites our anger.

 

Do you see the two common elements present in all of those situations? It’s you and other people. In every case the fear, and the resulting anger, involves the words or actions of other people and your response to them. That means that your anger is tied to what other people think, say, and do. Essentially, they own you. They control you.

 

The problem is that you’re focusing on other people instead of on God. You are acting as if other people control your destiny. In your mind it’s their words about you or their actions towards you that matter. You will be happy or sad (or angry), depending on whether other people are nice to you or mean to you. You think you will be able to pay the rent and buy groceries if your boss lets you keep your job, and you will be holding a sign and begging for dollar bills on a street corner if he doesn’t. In all those cases the focus is on what other people think, say, or do.

 

But in Philippians 4:19 the Apostle Paul says that God is the one who can and will provide for us and meet all our needs, not other people. Not only is God the source of our physical provisions (see Matthew 6:25-34), but He is also our source of peace and comfort (Matthew 11:28-30), and He is the one who determines our value as an individual and our worth as a person (Matthew 10:31).  God is the source of everything we need whether it is physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual in nature.

 

So take your eyes off of other people. Pay less attention to what they think, say, and do, and more attention to what God thinks, says, and does. Doing so will greatly lessen your fear factor and it will go a long, long way toward eliminating sources of anger.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Anger”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Better a dry crust with peace than a house full of feasting with strife.” Proverbs 17:1 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Anger isn’t worth it.”

 

In the first few devotional messages for this month we’ve established that everyone struggles with anger in some form. We all express anger in some manner, be it overt or subtle, and if we’re honest about it we will admit that it is a problem and it is almost never helpful or good.

 

That realization should cause us to want to do something about it. If most human expressions of anger are negative and lead to unhappy consequences, then our goal should be to gain control over it and to minimize the damage. So today I want to begin considering some of the impacts of improperly expressed anger. Then we will move into a discussion of how to deal with it.

 

Proverbs 17:1 is just one rendering of a common Biblical theme which helps us to understand that anger is almost always self-defeating. In this case Solomon expresses that truth with the thought that a simple crust of bread, consumed in a peaceful setting, will be much more enjoyable than a buffet of delicious food but where everyone is fighting and arguing.

 

The fact is that anger is emotionally draining. Not only does it fill your mind with negative thoughts which in turn poison your attitude, but anger drains away your emotional energy and leaves you physically exhausted. And the more time you spend being angry, the more it robs you of your peace of mind and of your physical energy.

 

Many years ago my wife Linda and I came to the point in our marriage where we both just gradually grew weary of being mad all the time and of the constant arguing and bickering. It was just tiring. Finally we both came to the conclusion that most of the things we argued about really didn’t matter that much and weren’t worth the emotional cost we were paying.

 

So we just stopped. It wasn’t worth it. We each came to the point that we would rather have peace than to have our way, and so the minor irritations and annoyances became water off a ducks back. And that was the point when our marriage turned an important corner and suddenly began getting better by leaps and bounds.

 

With the exception of “righteous anger” (which we discussed the other day), anger isn’t worth it. Most things we get mad about aren’t really that important and the cost of being angry is just too high.

 

Tomorrow we will consider some of the reasons that we tend to get angry.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Anger”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “My dearly loved brothers, understand this: Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for man’s anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.” James 1:19-20 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Do your thoughts, words, and deeds honor God?”

 

Today I want to return to our discussion about the more subtle expressions of anger which we began to consider the other day.

 

In the book, “The Anger Management Workbook”, Dr. Les Carter tells of a counseling session he had with a man whose wife was prone to outbursts of anger. The man was convinced that his wife was the one with the anger management problem but Dr. Carter helped him to see that in his own way, he too struggled with anger – he just expressed it in different ways.

 

To help illustrate this point, below I’m including some items from a longer inventory list that Dr. Carter offers in the book designed to help us recognize some of the more subtle expressions of anger. See how many of these apply to you, but do so while keeping the thought from James 1:19-20 in mind: do these subtle expressions of anger accomplish or diminish God’s righteousness in you?

 

• Impatience comes over me more frequently than I would like.
• I nurture critical thoughts quite easily.
• When I am displeased with someone I may shut down any communication or withdraw.
• I feel inwardly annoyed when family and friends do not comprehend my needs.
• I feel frustrated when I see someone else having fewer struggles than I do.
• Sometimes I walk in the other direction to avoid seeing someone I don’t like.
• When I talk about my irritations I don’t really want to hear an opposite point of view.
• I do not easily forget when someone does me wrong.
• Sometimes my discouragement makes me want to quit.
• I struggle emotionally with the things in life that are not fair.
• I sometimes blame others for my problems.
• At times I struggle with moods of depression or discouragement.
• I have been known to take an “I don’t care” attitude toward the needs of others.

 

The list in the book is longer but you get the idea. So, how many of those items apply to you? Can you see now that the expression of anger entails more than just outbursts of rage, and that none of those attitudes or actions (even the subtle ones), help to accomplish the righteousness of God?

 

 

We all have anger control issues in some respect, and improperly expressed anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness in us.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Anger”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Jesus went into the temple complex and drove out all those buying and selling in the temple. He overturned the money changers’ tables and the chairs of those selling doves.” Matthew 21:12 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Sometimes we should be angry.”

 

Most of what we’ll talk about this month will pertain to inappropriate expressions of anger, along with the damage uncontrolled anger causes and how to get better control over our anger. However sometimes anger is justified. Sometimes anger is even good and necessary. There are some things that should make us mad and which should move us to take action.

 

Few things will get my blood boiling faster or hotter than child abuse. We should get angry at those who would abuse a child, and our anger should move us to take the action necessary to protect the child.

 

The slaughter of thousands upon thousands of innocent Christian men, women, and children in Iraq and Syria by the terrorists of ISIS is infuriating and moves me to demand that our government take action to intervene and protect those innocents.

 

In Matthew 21:12 we read about the time that Jesus entered the temple complex in Jerusalem and found the merchants profaning God’s holy temple by using it as a marketplace. He was angry enough to storm through the place, turning over tables and driving the merchants and their animals out.

 

What we’re talking about here is “righteous” anger. It’s an expression of anger that is right, it is good, it is justified, and it is necessary. Also, it is under control. This isn’t a person storming around in a blind rage. This is someone who is in full control of their emotions. Their thinking is clear, their actions are under control, and they are proceeding with a determined purpose to address an evil situation that cannot be allowed to continue.

 

Jesus was an expert at righteous anger. There are several other incidents recorded for us in the New Testament of Him being righteously angry. Unfortunately, we’re not nearly as good at it as He is. Even in those cases where anger is justified and appropriate, if we aren’t careful it can still get the better of us. In the New Testament we are repeatedly cautioned to guard against anger.

 

I wanted to include this thought, right at the beginning of our monthly series on anger, to make the point that not all anger is bad. There are times when it would be wrong if we did not get angry. But we need to be careful here. Anger is such a volatile human emotion, and therefore so hard to control, that in those cases when it is justified we must be sure we keep it fully surrendered to, and under the control of, the Holy Spirit.

Some things should make us angry. But we must look to the Holy Spirit to help us know when to get angry, and how to express that anger in a righteous manner that honors God.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Anger”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Patience is better than power, and controlling one’s temper, than capturing a city.” Proverbs 16:32 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Learning to control your anger is an important life skill.”

 

So, are you still mad at me? Yesterday I accused you of having an anger management problem and I told you that it’s true even if you don’t think it is. Today I’m going to prove it to you but before I do, I want to make amends for yesterday. I didn’t mean to make you mad I just wanted to get your attention. Sorry.

 

In their excellent book, “The Anger Management Workbook”, Doctors Les Carter and Frank Minirth explain that anger is an emotion that’s common to every person and it’s an emotion that we all struggle to control. The problem is that we often misidentify anger. We picture a person in a rage, slamming doors, shouting, and using extreme language. While that is one form of anger, and it describes the most common understanding of anger, the fact is that anger is much more complex than that.

 

For many people, rather than flying into a rage their anger is much more subdued and controlled, but it is anger none-the-less and it is being expressed just the same. Some people simply withdraw and remain silent when they’re angry. Some people smile and pretend nothing is wrong, while secretly nursing a deep sense of resentment and bitterness. Some people are prone to wallow in self-pity, believing they have been unfairly wronged, and allowing those thoughts to dominate their thinking. Others get irritable and impatient as their growing sense of anger simmers and percolates just below the surface.

 

Those are all expressions of anger that are unhealthy and not under proper control, and yet they do not fit the most common stereotype that usually comes to our minds when we think of uncontrolled anger. Do any of those describe you? I’ll bet they do. If not, just sit tight, there’s more. We’ll get to your preferred expression of anger in the days to come.

 

I want to end this morning by sharing an observation with you from Doctors Carter and Minirth about anger: “Anger is an emotion that is common to every person. Because we are imperfect people in an imperfect world, we are guaranteed to regularly encounter this emotion … The first step toward recovering from anger-related problems is identifying its various manifestations – recognizing it’s many faces.”

 

We will do that in the days to come.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Anger”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Refrain from anger and give up your rage; do not be agitated – it can only lead to harm.” Psalm 37:8 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “We must learn to control our anger”

 

Do you have a problem with anger? I do. Not the flying into a rage, storming through the house, punching holes in the walls kind of anger. No, there are other forms of anger that are much more subtle and which at first glance might not appear to be “anger” as we typically think of it.

 

The truth is that anger is a normal human emotion that has been a problem for the entire human race ever since sin first entered the world in the Garden of Eden. And it is something that we all struggle with in one form or another. I have an anger management problem and so do you (even if you don’t think you do). By the end of our study this month I hope to have convinced you of that and I also hope we will all have learned how to recognize anger in all its forms, and what to do about it.

 

As a pastor, preacher, teacher, and counselor my work is spiritual in nature and is therefore focused on helping people to grow spiritually. But in order to do that I must also be a student of the human condition. I have to observe, study, and understand people, as well as their personalities, and their problems, in order to help them bridge the gap between human nature and the spiritual nature. Therefore I’m always on the lookout for resources that will help me to help others. And in the process, invariably, I find that I learn and grow too.

 

Not too long ago I came across a wonderful study on the subject of anger entitled “The Anger Workbook: An interactive guide to anger management” by Doctors Les Carter and Frank Minirth. It’s a Christian resource which is solidly Biblical and very insightful. I’ve learned a lot from it and I recommend it to you.

 

Throughout this month I will share with you some of the lessons, observations, and suggestions that Doctors Carter and Minirth share in their book regarding anger. We’ll learn about the many faces of anger, the various ways it’s expressed, the damage it does, and how to deal with it.

 

Fair warning – some of this stuff cuts close to the bone and you might find it uncomfortably too close to home. Well, don’t get mad at me (that’s a joke), and don’t shoot the messenger. I’m just the delivery boy.

 

The bad news is that you have an anger management problem (even if you don’t think you do.) The good news is that the Bible has all the answers to the problem, and we’re going to discover them this month. I look forward to learning and growing with you.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Effective prayer”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified …”

1 Thessalonians 4:3 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “God wants you to develop a godly character that honors Him.”

 

“Sanctification” is a fifty-cent theological word which simply means “set apart”. It means that something or someone has been set apart from common use and common standards and is reserved instead for divine use and to the glory of God.

 

In the Old Testament we read of how all the furnishings and the implements used in Temple worship were “sanctified”, they were set apart for special use and therefore not available for common everyday use.

 

As the people of God we are set apart for His special use and to bring Him honor and glory. Our sanctification takes two forms, “positional sanctification” and “progressive sanctification”. Positional sanctification takes place at the moment of salvation. Because of our position in Christ we are in that moment set apart for God and sanctified.

 

But then there is progressive sanctification. This refers to the ongoing process whereby our character is slowly transformed more and more into the likeness of Jesus. It’s a lifelong process which will never be fully completed until the day we arrive in heaven.

 

It’s God’s desire that we continually progress in the process of sanctification, becoming increasingly more like Jesus. This is the development of a godly character and it’s the subject of numerous passages and lessons in both the Old and New Testaments. It’s something we must desire and it’s something we have to work at. Although the change itself is brought about by the Holy Spirit working in us, we have to make the effort and participate in the spiritual disciplines which God uses to facilitate the transformation.

 

In 1 Thessalonians 4:3, after Paul said that it is God’s will for us to be sanctified, he immediately launched into a discussion about our responsibility to avoid sexual immorality. That is part of our responsibility in the ongoing process of sanctification.

 

Colossians chapter 3 has often been titled “Rules for Holy Living”. The entire chapter addresses our responsibility in living a sanctified life that brings about the development of godly character in us. In that passage Paul writes about our responsibility to rid our lives of such things as anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, lies, and more. He then tells us that we must intentionally put on the character traits of Christ and clothe ourselves in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, peace, and love.

 

All of this is a process of learning and growing and it takes time. But it also takes effort on our parts. Again, the Holy Spirit produces the change in us, but only if we do our part too.

 

So, how does this apply to our subject this month of effective prayer? As was noted yesterday, the most effective prayer you will ever pray is the one in which you ask God for something that He already wants you to have. And as Paul noted in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, God wants you to be sanctified – He wants you to be set apart in Christ and then growing in Christlikeness.

 

So pray for a godly character. Study those passages which list the character traits God wants you to have. Memorize them. Strive to practice them. And ask the Holy Spirit to develop them in you.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Effective prayer”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.” Proverbs 8:10-11 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Pray for wisdom.”

 

If you pray for something God wants you to have, you’re guaranteed of getting it. So if you want to pray effectively, pray for things you know God wants you to have. You can know what some of those things are by checking the Bible. Two of the things God has very clearly told us in the Bible that He wants us to have are wisdom and godly character. So we’ll end this month of devotions about effective prayer by thinking about those two virtues – wisdom today, and character tomorrow.

 

Wisdom is much different from knowledge. Knowledge is simply a matter of acquiring information about a subject. There are plenty of people who have lots of knowledge about all sorts of things and yet their lives are a train wreck.

 

Wisdom on the other hand, is the ability to apply Biblical truth in practical ways that makes a meaningful difference in everyday life. People with Biblical wisdom have a deep understanding of Biblical principles and a mature ability to apply those Biblical principles to everyday life. Such people are wise in the ways of God.

 

When a person has Biblical wisdom they’re able to live a life that is noticeably different from that of most other people. They may not have a lot of formal education, or a high position in a big name company, or even lots of worldly wealth and possessions, but they are known to be men and women of exceptional character, sound judgment, common sense, and they’re admired and respected by everyone.

 

God wants us to have biblical wisdom. In Proverbs 8:10-11 Solomon tells us that such wisdom is more precious than rubies or gold. James, the brother of Jesus, told us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)

 

Biblical wisdom is a character trait that develops over time if it is carefully cultivated. You have to want it, you have to seek it, and you have to pray for it. In other words, you must have a deep desire to be wise in the ways of God and therefore you apply yourself by diligently studying the Bible, faithfully participating in small groups and worship services, serving in Christian ministry, and consistently placing yourself in a position before God whereby He can help you to learn and grow.

 

God wants you to be Biblically wise. So as James said, ask Him for that wisdom. He wants you to have it and so it’s a prayer He will be happy to answer.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Effective prayer”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea; “Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.” You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.” Lamentations 3:55-57 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “He is there for you.”

 

As we begin to draw this month of devotional thinking about effective prayer to a close, we need to revisit Lamentations chapter three because as I’ve said already, how we think about God and what we believe to be true about Him, is vitally important and will directly impact how we pray.

 

As was noted yesterday, when Jeremiah wrote the book of Lamentations he was in the worst of all possible circumstances. His city was in ruins, his people were in captivity, a hostile foreign army patrolled the streets and ruled the nation, and life as Jeremiah knew it had ceased (Think France in World War II during the Nazi occupation).

 

In the middle of all that, Jeremiah knew that the Lord’s lovingkindness, His great compassion, and His complete faithfulness were not in question. So Jeremiah called out to Him and as we read in Lamentations 3:57, God answered, reassured, and said to him, “Jeremiah, do not fear.”

 

That’s the God you are praying to. He is the God of Job, working diligently behind the scenes of life to bring about great spiritual victories. He is the God of Paul, always guiding, always protecting, always leading.

 

He is the God of Romans 8:28 who is faithful and can be trusted: “And we know in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

 

He is the God of Romans 8:38-39: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

And He is the God the Apostle Paul enthusiastically proclaimed in Philippians 4:19 when he wrote: “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

 

Yes, He is there, He is faithful, He can be trusted, His purposes for you are good, His love never fails, and in His way and in His time, He will meet all of your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. That’s the God you are praying to.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Effective prayer”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “You, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation.” Lamentations 5:19 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “No matter how bad your situation seems at the moment, God is still on the throne.”

 

Lamentations is one of the saddest books in the Bible. It was written by the prophet Jeremiah after the city of Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonian army and the Jews were taken into captivity. The city was in ruins, the people were enslaved, and they had nobody to blame but themselves. God had warned them repeatedly to repent and return to Him but they did not.

 

Now, as Jeremiah surveyed the devastation, he lamented (thus the name of the book “Lamentations”). It is five chapters of weeping and grieving. But even then, even in the midst of utter devastation, God was still on the throne and His people were not without hope. In chapter 3:22-26, as he looked upon the ruins and grieved for his people, Jeremiah observed:

 

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait on him.’ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

 

Then, just two chapters later, he ended the letter of Lamentations with a word of hope and assurance, “You, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation.” 5:19

 

The short book of Lamentations helps us to remember that God is good, all the time, and even in the worst of times He is still on the throne and He is still in control. His character is completely good, His love for us never fails, and we can always hold fast to Him.

 

Beyond that, although we invariably focus on our immediate circumstances (as Jeremiah did), God views the same circumstances from His eternal perspective. In Lamentations 5:19 Jeremiah was reminding himself, and us, that time will pass and God’s plan for restoration will unfold. The days will turn into weeks, the weeks into months, the months into years, and over time our circumstances will change for the better.

 

This is an important perspective for us to bring into our prayer time. God is not defeated by our present circumstances, as bad as they may seem to us, and therefore we don’t have to be defeated by them either. Instead we need to look to Him, place our faith and hope in Him, and hold fast to Him.

 

No matter how bad things look, God is still on the throne.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim