TEMPER TANTRUMS: Fits To Be Tied

The Lord says to be angry and sin not, but how many of us can actually get angry and not have it bleed over into just about every area of our lives, or have it consume us in a way that eats at our conscious life and even during the hours meant for rest? It seems that there are clues, or should I say cues, put place to give warning when we are about to cross a line from simple agitation into outright rage. Problem is, many of us ignore the warning signs and proceed into uncontrollable emotion while making excuses for our behavior.

While talking to a parishioner who could not seem to control his anger, a pastor asked him, “While in the midst of your rage if the phone rang and it was me, how quickly would your anger abate? Being honest with himself he agreed that he would immediately regain control of his emotions.

Yes we can gain control, but many of us willingly pass the point of no return. When the Holy Spirit is in our lives, we can exercise self-control along with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness faithfulness and gentleness. The question is, do we want to? The Word of God gives us the direction we need to help us overcome the sin nature in man, but we must be willing to be obedient to it. The strength we need to accomplish this comes from Christ through the Holy Spirit.

Here are some keys to help us overcome:

1. Don’t give full vent to your anger. Proverbs 29:11
2. Don’t take revenge on a violator. Romans 12:19
3. Don’t get caught up in name calling. Matthew 5:22
4. Don’t expect perfection from people. Romans 3:10,23
5. Seek out the source of your anger. Psalm 139:23-24
6. Ask your wise God for His wisdom. James 1:5
7. Be slow to speak if angry. James 1:19-20
8. Release your right to stay angry. Col. 3:8
9. Give your anger to God. I Peter 5:7
10. Pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:44
11. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13
12. Trust God to bring good from your trials. Romans 8:28
13. Stay read to forgive anyone for anything. Ephesians 4:31-32
14. Cover those who sin against you. Proverbs 10:12, I Peter 4:8
15. You must love your neighbor. I John 4:21
16. Conquer through love. I Corinthians 13:4-7

Notice the last three have to do with love. Scripture tells us that all things will pass away, but love will not pass away. It is enduring through eternity. If we do not have love, we cannot overcome anything, for without it we lack the Christ-likeness which overcomes the world and its works.

Anger, like affection, grief, stubbornness and happiness, is an emotion which can be controlled (not ignored), or it can control. Allow the Holy Spirit control of your emotions and He will make you fit for the kingdom of God.

TRUTH or CONSEQUENCES

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
John 14:6

There are so many teachings out there on how to improve the life of man, be it his weaknesses, faults or dysfunctions. There are many psychologists, psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, therapist and/or counselors who spout various psychobabble invented in the mind of man and designed to further deteriorate the active and life changing application of the Word of God.

Even Christians have jumped on the band wagon of delving into the degenerate mind and subsequent improvement of basic human life. We have written books for personality improvement, addiction therapy, how to speak, act and look like a perfectly functioning human being in an imperfect world. These ideas sound good, feel good ,and even for a time, work good, but in actuality they just muddy the waters of understanding until we finally come back to the general root of the problem.

The general root of the problem of human weakness is SIN! No amount of therapy can fix that. We cannot cover it up with pretty labels and flowery words of flattery which minimize the real truth of the human condition. We are a sinful people, born with a sinful nature and the ONLY “Way” to correct that is to confess our sin and repent of it. We must be willing to admit we are sinners and repent. We must turn to the Savior, Christ Jesus, our only hope. We cannot continue to indoctrinate ourselves with localized, anesthetic labels which only serve to pinpoint the symptom of a sinful nature. It is deceptive and leads us away from the Truth. We know that we are sinners because the Word of God tells us we are. Defining how we sin with teachings of pretty labels has no beneficial purpose. God gave us His laws to determine that. "Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin." Rom. 3:20 Through those laws He pointed out that we could not save ourselves. We needed a unblemished, blood sacrifice which would, for all time, cleanse us of that sin. How is it that we have excepted the heresy that we can change anything soley because we purpose it in our hearts. The only thing we can purpose to do is “admit” and “submit” to God and His ways and He changes us through the cleansing blood of Jesus and the direction of the Holy Spirit Who convicts and teaches us how to live like Christ in a way which pleases God.

We must be very careful of applying a human teaching in place of the Word of God. If there is found in those teachings one thing which contradicts His word then the whole of the doctrine is defiled. God’s Word warns us against doctrines of demons, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.” I Tim. 4:1 It is possible to deceive when a hint of truth is at it’s basis, even Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, not with outright lies, but a distortion of the Truth. But He challenged the distortion with the Truth. Challenge and compare everything to His Word of Truth for His Truth is infallible. Just because it has some truth does not mean it is all truth, lies are only believable because there is an underlying truth that appears to validate it.

There is a saying that knowledge is wealth. “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come; for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blashphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” II Tim. 3:1-7 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, ‘Who then can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said to them, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” Mt. 19:25-26 “I (we) can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (us.)” Phil. 4:13.

The consequences of trusting another teaching or doctrine is a deception which will lead to eternal consequences of hell and damnation. There is an old saying that ignorance of the law is no excuse. Ignorance of God’s laws is not possible for He has written them on our hearts that we might not sin against Him. We, as Christians, have no excuse for ignorance. There will be consequences if we believe any other way. There will be consequences if we do not warn the lost with the pure and undefiled Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, The ONLY WAY!

Will it be TRUTH or will it be CONSEQUENCES!

Throwing Down the Gauntlet

In medieval times a Knight would challenge another by throwing down a gauntlet or glove. To accept the challenge an opposing Knight would then pick up the gauntlet and the duel would ensue.

Later in history, a duel of swords or pistols would begin by taking a glove and slapping the offender across the face and the challenge would take place in a field at ten to twenty paces, ending in the weakest man's death.

I’m very disturbed by the gauntlets I’ve seen thrown down of late. This gauntlet takes place among our young people, but I’m very sorry to say they have learned it from those who claim to be mature.

The challenge is just as deadly as those of old, and do likewise, cause a death, albeit in the spirit and emotions of those it is inflicted upon.

This particular gauntlet is called "sarcasm". And though the claim is ‘all in good fun’, it invites those who are on the receiving end to take up the challenge and return cutting remarks meant to tear down their opponent.

Sad to say, many enjoy this form of leisure and see nothing wrong with it, but of course when not walking in the spirit, one cannot see in the spirit the wounds that are being inflicted.

You may say, “Lighten up, you’re too serious!” and you would be right. I have been on the receiving end of jokes, sarcasm and verbal abuse throughout most of my young and adult life and can tell you from personal experience that no good thing can come of it. I take the damage done as a very serious matter. To sharpen your wits on innocent and unsuspecting victims is cruel and ungodly.

‘Harsh’, you say? I understand what effect words can have on another, using them and receiving them causes pain and vulnerability of a sort God did not intend.

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting: [(1) pleasantry, humour, facetiousness (2) in a bad sense, scurrility, ribaldry, low jesting], which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.”

Ephesians 5:1-7

Coarse jesting is something the Word of God discourages, as is filthy and foolish talking, they are not fitting for a child of God and will not permit them entrance into the Kingdom of God.

So the challenge I lay before you now is to take up speech which will build, promote and edify the children of God bringing glory to Him in so doing.

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:8-9

The only Sword which should be parried among the Saints of God is the 'Sword of the Spirit". This sword brings life, growth and godliness. This is what every child of God should strive for, Christ-likeness.

The Ultimate Challenge!

Choices!

Everything in life requires a choice. Every thought, every action, every word. When you wake up in the morning you choose how the day will effect you. When you lay down at night, you choose how you will hold the days memories; cherished or regretted. When you are blessed by a friend or stranger do you return the blessing? When you are cursed, do you release them or hold them responsible?

"If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” John 20:23

There is great power in our choices. The word tells us that love covers a multitude of sins. We can choose to cover those we love while they are separated from God. We can forgive them for wrongs done or we can retain them and hold them responsible for them. How we choose to act will determine the set course for, not only someone else's life, but, by our own actions and words, the course for ours as well.

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Matthew 6:14-15

Choose wisely! For your present and future choices may bring back to you the consequences of your past actions.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Matthew 18:24-35