Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Anger”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “For this is what love for God is: to keep His commands.” 1 John 5:3 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Obeying God is the only choice that makes sense.”

 

When a person is disappointed with where they’re at in life that often results in a lingering sense of frustration and bitterness. It also often manifests itself in envy of others who are doing better than they are, and it tends to produce a simmering sense of low grade anger. The anger is usually unfocused and poorly defined. By that I mean the person probably can’t point to a particular issue or cause, they’re just unhappy, and that then colors and distorts their entire personality.

 

One of the primary causes of an unfilled life is living in disobedience to God. In the Bible God has given us clearly defined boundaries within which we must live if we want to experience His full blessings in our lives. The boundaries are actually very wide – God gives us lots of room to live life large and to enjoy it fully, but there are boundaries. As long as we stay within the boundaries, we’re living in the realm within which God can and will bless us. If we intentionally live outside those boundaries, we’re on our own. God will not bless disobedience.

 

Think about that for a minute. Have you ever regretted an act of obedience to God? Probably not. And have you ever really prospered as a result of disobedience to God? Again, probably not. Not really. Oh, you may have gained some sort of temporary advantage from an act of disobedience but in the long run, have you really been blessed? In the end obedience to God always produces blessings and disobedience always produces pain.

 

In his book “The Traveler’s Gift” author Andy Andrews helps us to understand that one of the keys to successful living is personal responsibility. We have to understand that when it comes to the conditions and situations in our lives, “The buck stops here”. In other words, you are responsible for your own life. It’s nobody else’s fault. You are responsible for your choices and you are responsible for the consequences of those choices.

 

So don’t get mad at anyone else for what your life is like. In fact, don’t be mad at all. Just make some changes in your choices and behaviors so that you will get different and better results in the future.

 

The first and most important change you can make is to obey God. Make the necessary adjustments in your life so you are fully within the boundaries God has established for us in the Bible. Until you do that, your life will be unfulfilled. It will be much less than what God wants for you. Obeying God is the only choice that makes sense.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Anger”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “If anyone says, ‘I love God’, yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” 1 John 4:20-21 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Your love for God must be displayed in love for others.”

 

As we’ve learned this month, sometimes situations in life can be the focus of our anger and at other times we may be angry at ourselves, but more often it’s other people who have provoked the sense of anger within us.

 

This is a problem because except for those rare cases where we’re talking about righteous anger that is properly expressed, anger directed towards other people is misplaced and does not honor God. Worse, anger inappropriately expressed can in no way be described as loving, and as 1 John 4:20-21 teaches that then damages our relationship with God.

 

In this passage the Apostle drew a direct connection between our love for others and our love for God. “Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” and “For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”

 

There is a reciprocal relationship between loving God and loving people. And remember the main point from yesterday’s devotional message, “You must love people in deed not just in word.” Words are cheap. Just saying you love someone isn’t enough. Your actions have to back-up your words. Anger which is inappropriately expressed is unloving and therefore not only damages our relationship with the other person, but also with God.

 

So before you let anger take control of your words and deeds, think for a moment about what you’re about to say or do, and then consider if you would say or do the same thing directed to God rather than to this other person.

 

Relationships matter and relationships are easily damaged. At the end of their lives people commonly have more regrets about damaged relationships than they do about anything else.

 

I encourage you to care for your relationships with other people as much as you care for your relationship with God. God Himself established a direct connection between the two.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Anger”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” Haggai 1:5-6 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Misplaced priorities result in an unfulfilled life, and that then can lead to anger.”

 

The Old Testament prophet Haggai wrote a short but scathing letter to the people of God. Their spiritual lives were in decline because they had misplaced priorities, and that then led to a life that was much less than it could have been – much less than what God wanted for them.

 

In 1:5-6 Haggai challenged the people to give careful thought to their ways. He painted a picture of people who strive and struggle and put forth lots of effort, but it was misplaced effort because their priorities were out of line. They planted much (a good thing), but harvested little (something must be wrong). They eat and drink, but are never filled. They put on clothes, but the clothes never seem to make them comfortable. They earn money, but it’s as if their pockets have holes in them and the money is gone as fast as they get it.

 

Such a scenario in life is frustrating and can often lead to a person having a simmering sense of regret and anger. Often that person will feel as if they just can’t win.

 

And they’re right. If the pursuit of physical pleasures, recreation, social events, possessions, or anything else becomes a dominant theme in a person’s life, then no matter how successful they are at pursuing those things, they will still end up feeling as if “I just can’t win.” Nothing will ever be enough.

 

By removing God as your first priority you deprive yourself of God’s blessings. And if you don’t have God’s blessings, nothing will ever be good enough because nothing will ever truly satisfy you. Possessions and food and relationships and recreation are all good things, unless they become more important to you than God. Then those good things have become bad things because they’re keeping you from the best thing.

 

Most Christians would claim that God is their first priority. The people of Haggai’s day would have made that claim too. But words are cheap. Your actions tell the true story. If God really is your first priority then that should be evident in all parts of your life.

 

Your checkbook register is a pretty revealing indicator. I’m sure you spend lots of money on physical needs and desires, and on worldly pleasures. But do you give a full tithe to your church? Do you give sacrificially to special Christian causes?

 

How about your schedule, does it clearly demonstrate that God is first priority in your life? How much of your time is spent in prayer and Bible study, and in ministry activities? Where are you on Sunday morning? I know people who profess to be Christians but who haven’t regularly attended any church in years. That’s completely inconsistent with the teaching of the Bible.

 

Haggai’s point in that short Old Testament letter (and my point here this morning), is that if God is not clearly the first priority in your life then your life is much less than what God wants it to be. And that then can, and probably has, led to a simmering sense of frustration, disappointment, and maybe even anger.

 

I encourage you to make God your first priority – not just in word, but in deed.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Anger”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Don’t lose hope.”

 

A common cause of anger is a sense of hopelessness and despair. When a person has regrets about past actions, and despair regarding their current circumstances, and when they’re having difficulty seeing a clear path forward to a better tomorrow, they often experience a sense of hopelessness. That can lead to a simmering sense of anger that will often express itself in inappropriate ways.

 

But for Christians this should not be. As has already been discussed in a previous devotional message, the past is past and there’s nothing we can do to change it. God has forgiven us and therefore we need to forgive ourselves. There’s nothing to be gained from living in the past.

 

Likewise, the present is what it is and there’s nothing to be gained from grousing and moaning and complaining about it. That attitude will only make things worse. The key is to make smart choices today that will lead to a better tomorrow.

 

This is the attitude Paul was writing about in Philippians 3:13-14. The past was past and so he left it there. And for Paul, the present was all about putting one foot in front of the other and continuing to make forward progress towards what lay ahead for him. That was true with respect to his future in this life, but also with respect to his eternal destiny. Paul knew what God had waiting for him at the end of the journey.

 

If regrets, despair, and a sense of hopelessness are things you struggle with then I have a book I want to recommend to you. It’s called “The Traveler’s Gift” by Andy Andrews. It’s a short book, it’s Biblically based, and it’s an easy read. You can find it on Amazon.com and have it delivered in two days. It’s a wonderful little story that will help you to change your perspective about where you are today and about what the possibilities for tomorrow are. Once you’ve read this book I doubt that your mindset will be the same.

 

The truth is that no matter who you are or what you’re going through, no matter how old you are, no matter what has happened in the past, and no matter how you feel about the future, God has a wonderful plan for your life. Jeremiah 29:11 and Philippians 3:13-14 are just two of the passages that prove that to be true. “The Traveler’s Gift” will help you to gain a better appreciation of that great truth.

 

Hopelessness can be a primary cause of anger. But Christians should not feel hopeless. God has something good planned for you.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Anger”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Matthew 27:46 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Don’t get mad at God.”

 

Do you ever feel as if God has forsaken you? It’s probably true that we all feel that way at times. In His anguish on the cross Jesus felt it. So did Job in the middle of his extended misery. So did King David at various times in his life.

 

One reason we can feel this way is that we know God is omniscient (He knows everything), and we know He is also omnipotent (He has power over everything). That means that He knows all about our circumstances and He has the power to do something about them. We’re also told that God loves us with Agape love (fully, completely, and unconditionally).

 

So with all of that being true, it’s reasonable to wonder why He hasn’t taken action to relieve us of our difficult circumstances. And it’s just a short step from there to getting mad at Him for not doing so.

 

One reason God might not be taking the action we desire could involve our free will. In the Bible God provides clear guidelines about how He wants us to live. But then He steps back and allows us to use our free will to make choices about how we’re going to behave. He also then allows us to experience the consequences of our choices. Therefore our situations are often of our own making and if God were to circumvent or override those situations, He would effectively be negating the impact and importance of free will by removing the consequences of free will.

 

Another reason for our circumstances could be the actions of others. This again involves free will but this time it’s someone else’s free will. Sometimes we suffer because of what someone else has done. But that too is not God’s fault and therefore we shouldn’t get mad at Him for it.

 

But a much more common reason God has not yet intervened in our circumstances is expressed by the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: who are called according to His purpose.”

 

In this case God is aware of what we’re going through and He is working behind the scenes to bring about some good thing for us. That doesn’t mean that the situation itself is good, it might not be. But it does mean that God is present and at work and in His way and in His time, He will bring good things out of bad situations. That was certainly true for Job, and for David, and for Jesus. It will be true for you too.

 

So don’t get frustrated or impatient with God, and certainly don’t get angry with Him. He loves you, He wants the best for you, and you can trust Him – even if things don’t seem to make sense at the moment.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Anger”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “But the Lord replied, ‘Have you any right to be angry?” Jonah 4:4 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Stop pouting.”

 

It’s a good question, “Have you any right to be angry?” And if we’re honest, most of the time the answer would have to be “no”. The truth is that we often get angry about the silliest things. I’m reminded of the 70 year old man who was arrested for shooting his wife. When questioned by the police as to why he shot her he replied, “She burnt my toast”. The police were incredulous. The detective replied in astonishment, “You shot your wife because she burnt your toast?” And the man replied, “Yes. But she has also burnt it every day for the last 50 years!”

 

In Jonah’s case he was angry because God was showing mercy to the Ninevites. Now granted, the Ninevites were mean and cruel and Jonah didn’t like them. But God had sent Jonah to the city of Nineveh to call the people to repentance so they would change their ways. But Jonah was sure they would not repent. In fact, he was counting on it. Because then God would pour out judgment upon them and they would get what they deserved. And Jonah would get to see it. And I believe he was looking forward to it.

 

But then, to Jonah’s astonishment, the people did repent and God did forgive them and judgment was averted. And what was Jonah’s response to that unexpected outcome? He pouted. It didn’t turn out the way he had hoped it would, so he sat down under a tree to have himself a good sulk.

 

That’s why we have God’s question to Jonah in 4:4, “Have you any right to be angry?” It was like a parent trying to reason with a sulky six year old: “Now Johnny, do you really think you have any right to be mad?” In verse 9 God even asked Jonah a second time if he really had any right to be angry and Jonah responded just like a sulky six year old by saying, “I do! I’m angry enough to die!” (I’m going to hold my breath until I turn blue and die. Then you’ll be sorry!)

 

I’m chuckling as I write this because I’m embarrassingly aware of how much this sounds like me at times (and like you). We get angry over the silliest things. And then we pout. And when someone points out to us how silly it is to be angry about this particular thing, we cross our arms tight across our chest, stick out our lower lip, drop our chin to our chest, and glare at them!

 

What’s the solution? It’s time to put on your big boy pants and grow-up. You’re a mature Christian man or woman so act like it. Don’t sulk and don’t pout. Be big enough to admit that this is a silly thing to be upset about and from now on you’ll just make your own toast (or whatever your particular silly thing happens to be).

 

Many times the things we get mad about are ridiculous and silly. And then to stay mad about them is simply juvenile. Christian maturity requires of us that we not get angry over silly things, and certainly that we don’t stay mad about them.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Anger”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies are never ending. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! I say: The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “The past is past, let it go.”

 

Some of the angriest people I have ever known are those who live in the past. They cling to past hurts and injustices and refuse to let them go. They think about them, brood over them, revisit the scenes in their mind over and over again, and essentially relive those bad times repeatedly.

 

And to what end? The past is past. It cannot be changed. Brooding about it doesn’t make the past better it only makes the present worse. It brings yesterday’s pain and sorrow into today.

 

Doing that makes you sad and grumpy and it results in other people not enjoying your presence very much. For the most part, we either attract people with our demeanor or we push them away. A bright and happy person is fun to be around and therefore tends to attract people. A sad and grumpy person is not fun to be around and therefore is usually avoided by others. When a person insists on living in the past, brooding about past hurts and disappointments, it darkens their personality, causes them to be sad and grumpy, fuels anger, and poisons relationships.

 

There’s no need for a Christian to live in the past. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 the Apostle Paul teaches that if you are in Christ you are a new creation. The slate has been wiped clean by God and you have a new life.

 

In Lamentations 3:22-24 Jeremiah reminds us that even in the midst of the deepest and darkest times God’s love for us is faithful; His mercies to us never end; everyday brings new blessings and new opportunities; and therefore we can and should put our trust in God for a good day today and for a bright future tomorrow.

 

Last night in my reading I came across a reference to Anne Frank, the young Jewish girl who spent more than a year and a half locked away in a small room with her family as they hid from the Nazis. During that time she kept a diary that has since become famous under the title “The Diary of Anne Frank”.

 

What’s remarkable about the things she recorded during that time is the upbeat tone and the constant words of hope. As hard as it was to live in such a small space for such a long time, Anne refused to give into despondency and regret. She refused to complain about her circumstances and she made it a point – as a matter of choice – to be happy and upbeat. At one point she wrote, “I don’t deny the reality of our situation. But I do deny the finality of it. This too shall pass.”

 

And that’s a good place for us to end this morning, “This too shall pass”. Whatever happened in your past is over and can’t be changed. Whatever you’re dealing with today is temporary, and it too will pass. Being angry about any of it just makes things worse. So give it to God and let it go.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Anger”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, love the Lord your God, obey Him, and remain faithful to Him. For He is your life …” Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “You are not a victim. You are responsible for the consequences of your choices.”

 

For many people a common source of unresolved anger is the notion that they’ve been treated unfairly and other people are responsible for their circumstances. That’s a loser’s game and it’s guaranteed to cause more harm than good. Other people may play a role in contributing to our circumstances, but ultimately each of us is responsible for the choices we make and for the consequences of those choices.

 

There are few concepts taught more frequently or emphatically in the Bible. Over and over again God’s messengers have urged God’s people to think carefully about their choices and to make choices that are consistent with God’s will – then own the consequences of your choices. That’s the point Moses was making to the nation of Israel in Deuteronomy 30:19-20. “You made your choices in the past and you are therefore responsible for your circumstances in the present.”

 

This is truer than we realize. Sometimes it’s obvious – like if you haven’t taken good care of yourself in the past and therefore now have serious health problems in the present. So don’t get mad at the doctors because they’re not doing a good enough job of fixing your problem. You caused this so now you need to take the steps to fix it. Likewise, if you’ve had bad money management practices in the past and therefore you’re now facing bankruptcy. That’s your fault. Don’t be mad at the world, be mad at yourself.

 

Sometimes this truth is a little less obvious but it’s still true none-the-less. Are you unhappy with your job? Well, why do you have that job to begin with? It’s because you made choices in the past about how much or how little education you would have, and in which field of training. You made choices about which companies or organizations you would apply to. You made choices over the years of whether to stay with this job or to seek another. You have the job you have today because of the choices you have made in the past. Own your choices; take responsibility for your situation; and deal with it Biblically.

 

Is your spouse behaving badly? Their behavior may be 100% their fault and 0% your fault but it’s still true that at some point in the past you made a choice to bring this person into your life. So now you have to deal with the consequences of that choice. It does not mean that you shouldn’t be angry with them for their inappropriate behavior, you should be. But it does mean that this person is in your life to begin with because you allowed them to be. It was your choice. Now deal with the consequences of that choice in a Biblical manner.

 

It may be true that other people may have contributed to your present circumstances but still, it’s your life and therefore your responsibility. Don’t allow yourself to be eaten-up with simmering anger and resentment. That will only make things worse.

 

Deal with whatever the situation is and deal with it in a Biblical manner. Make changes if you need to. Set a new course for your life if you believe that’s called for; but don’t get caught in the trap of blaming others and of being angry because you believe they’re responsible for your situation. It’s your life; you need to own it.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Anger”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’, ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” Matthew 5:37 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Use words that are true and accurate.”

 

One of the most damaging things we can do in a heated discussion is to use inaccurate speech, broad generalizations, or exaggeration. When we allow our speech to be driven by our emotions we will often end up using extreme language that exaggerates what is really happening, and that will serve to fuel anger on both sides.

 

Usually this happens because a person feels the need to try to present a stronger and more convincing case than what they really have. That leads them to use strong language and to portray things in extreme terms which don’t accurately describe what the situation really is. This in turn will frustrate and anger the other person, and the situation escalates.

 

Worse still, as emotions continue to heat up and as the person tries harder and harder to assert their case, in their own mind the speaker might actually begin to believe that their situation really is as bad as their exaggerated words claim. This is known as mythical thinking, accepting as true something that is in fact false. If you say something often enough, and if you want it to be true badly enough, you will eventually convince yourself that it is true.

 

To this Jesus says, “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’, ‘No’”.

 

In other words, “Say what you mean and mean what you say. Don’t use untrue, misleading, exaggerated, or extreme language in an attempt to make your case seem more convincing than what it is. Stick to what is actually true.”

 

Mythical thinking, broad generalizations, and exaggerated descriptions usually contain an element of truth. But it’s an element of truth that has been stretched and distorted to the point of being illogical, unreasonable, and unhelpful. That then fuels angry confrontations.

 

And also, it’s sinful. Whenever we exaggerate the truth we have crossed the line into lying – and lying is a sin. Either what you are saying is true and accurate to the best of your understanding, or it isn’t. And if it isn’t, then it’s a lie. Even if it contains an element of truth, if you are intentionally describing it in any way other than how it really is, you have entered into the realm of untruth, and that’s no different from lying.

 

One of the best strategies we can utilize in situations that have the potential to get heated and to spawn anger, is to speak calmly and truthfully. Let your “yes” be “yes”, and your “no”, “no”. Say what you mean, mean what you say, be truthful, be accurate, and don’t let angry emotion drive your speech.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Anger”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “This is why I am writing these things while absent, that when I am there I will not use severity, in keeping with the authority the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.” 2 Corinthians 13:10 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Put it in a letter.”

 

Paul’s letters known as 1 and 2 Corinthians essentially amount to a spiritual spanking. The Christians in Corinth were a mess. As a church and as a community of believers they had drifted far from God’s standards. As we read about it it’s hard to believe some of the things they were involved in, all the while claiming the name of Christian.

 

So Paul wrote them a couple of very stern letters which were designed to get their attention. He wanted them to think deeply about the situations they were involved in and to change their behavior. In 2 Corinthians 13:10 Paul explained that the reason he wrote to them about these things was so that hopefully by the time he sat down with them face-to-face, much of it would already have been worked out.

 

What Paul models for us in 1 and 2 Corinthians is actually a great strategy for dealing with difficult situations that have the potential to become heated conflicts. Put it in a letter to the person first. But before you send the letter to them, spend a lot of time editing and rewriting, making sure the letter accurately expresses your concerns and does so in the proper tone. Then ask the person to think carefully about what you have written, and invite them to respond to you in writing so you can spend time carefully considering their response. Then meet face-to-face to discuss the situation.

 

President Abraham Lincoln frequently used this approach when he had a difficult and potentially unpleasant issue he needed to address with someone. Very often he would attempt to work through the situation with them in writing first, and then follow that up with a face-to-face meeting.

 

The reason this approach can be so effective is because in heated, spontaneous, face-to-face conversations the speech of the people involved is often being driven by emotion rather than reason. Therefore words are being spoken without any real thought being given to whether or not the words are appropriate or helpful.

 

But if you write about it first, and then spend sufficient time rereading and rewriting the letter from reason rather than emotion, you will make your case much more clearly and reasonably. Likewise, the other person will have lots of time to read and reread your letter and to give thought to what you have said.

 

Talking to people in-person is important, especially if there is a conflict going on or if the potential for conflict exists. But working through it in writing first can go a long way towards taking all the emotion out of it. That then will help to prevent misunderstanding and guard against unkind words. Putting it in a letter can be a great way to keep anger out of your communication with someone.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim