RESPONDING TO ANGER

RESPONDING TO ANGER

Ecclesiastes 12

  Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly.

   Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint.

   Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral.

   Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well.  For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

   “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless.”

   Keep this in mind: The Teacher was considered wise, and he taught the people everything he knew. He listened carefully to many proverbs, studying and classifying them. The Teacher sought to find just the right words to express truths clearly.

   The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep.

   But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out.

  That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.

 

  Please begin today by rereading the above passage, especially the last few verses that define authentic life.

  We respond to anger in numerous ways. I need not list them for we are well aware of as recipient and/or practitioner of from detached objective calm to peeve to extreme. So let’s just skip cataloging and go directly to that which is most important: Dealing with anger in healthy way pleasing to our Lord, for by anger we are too often distracted and hindered here and are and shall be judged. The following is a pocket list to be carried and reviewed as needed. [inserts mine]  EBB4

 

  “A wise [man or] woman builds [his] her home, but a foolish [man or] woman tears it down with [his] her own hands. Those who follow the right path fear the Lord; those who take the wrong path despise him. . . .  The prudent carefully consider their steps. The wise are cautious and avoid danger; fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence. Short-tempered people do foolish things, and schemers are hated. Simpletons are clothed with foolishness, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.” NLT Proverbs 14:1-2, 14-18

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  “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness. The Lord is watching everywhere,

keeping his eye on both the evil and the good. Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” NLT Proverbs 15:1-4

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  “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

  Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. . . . NLT Romans 12:1-3

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  Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. [Deut.32:35] Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.

In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”[Pr.25:22]

  Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.” NLT Romans 12:1-3, 17-21

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  “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness [or the justice] God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

  But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.  You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

  If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.” NLT James 1:19-26

LOVE OF MONEY

 

LOVE OF MONEY

 

“There is a burden of care in getting riches.: fear in keeping them, guilt in abusing them, sorrow in losing them, and a burden at last to be given concerning them” Matthew Henry

 

  “Riches” have never been, and will never be, a problem for me.

  Hugh and I never made a lot of money and we certainly didn’t save a lot. We have always had a lot of company, fed them freely, and helped those that needed help.

  A new friend asked me how I could do so much on my limited income. I told her I spend on what pleases me, helping others. I don’t buy fancy clothes. I don’t smoke or drink. I don’t go on tours or to plays, music shows etc. I enjoy home and having friends around my table.

  I hope that when it comes time for me to give account to God for what he has given me that it will be pleasing to Him.

Leslie Nivens (12/12/1928 – 3/1/2020)

BEING ALERTLY ON GUARD

 

 BEING ALERTLY ON GUARD IS A MARK OF CHRISTIANITY

Psalm [GN] 119:34  Help me understand so that I can follow your teachings. I will guard them with all my heart.

Proverbs 4:23  Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it.

1Peter 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

 

EBB4

THE SECOND COMMANDMENT

 

A CHRISTIAN HAS A SPECIAL LOVE FOR OTHER BELIEVERS, The Marks of a Christian, By J.C. Ryle

 

Fourthly, John says, “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren”—I John 3:14.

 

  A man born again, or regenerate, then, has a special love for all true disciples of Christ. Like his Father in heaven, he loves all men with a great general love, but he has a special love for those who are of one mind with himself. Like his Lord and Saviour, he loves the worst of sinners, and could weep over them; but he has a peculiar love for those who are believers. He is never so much at home as when he is in their company. He is never so happy as when he is among the saints and the excellent of the earth. Others may value learning, or cleverness, or agreeableness, or riches or rank, in the society they choose. The regenerate man values Grace. Those who have most Grace, and are most like Christ, are those he most loves. He feels that they are members of the same family with himself. [Jn.1:12] He feels that they are his fellow-soldiers, warring against the same enemy. He feels that they are his fellow-travelers, journeying along the same road. He understands them, and they understand him. He and they may be very different in many ways—in rank, in station, in wealth. What matter? They are Jesus Christ’s people. They are his Father’s sons and daughters. Then he cannot help loving them.

 

I place this mark also before you. What would the Apostle say about you? Are you born again?

UNENDING NOTICES

 

UNENDING NOTICES

 

  Just recently it was brought to my attention that in the last chapters of Job that God didn’t point to exploding volcanoes and such to prove His power. He described animals.

  Unending notices are part and parcel for the teachable Christian keenly interested in Biblical ongoing edification; one of the marks of being a disciple of Christ.

EBB4

IS ANGER ALWAYS BAD?

 

IS ANGER ALWAYS BAD?

Ephesians [NLT] 4:1-31 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all. However, he has given each one of us a special gift [We each are equipped.] through the generosity of Christ. That is why the Scriptures say, “When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.”[Ps.68:18]

  Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.  And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.

  Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

  Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

  With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

  But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. [Rom.12:1-3] Put on your new nature [2Cor.5:17], created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

  So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”[Ps.4:4] Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

  If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

  And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own [Jn.1:12], guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption [2Cor.1:22; Eph.1:13; 4:30].

  Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

 

  We know anger can be bad or good; all anger is not sinful.

  Exercising sinful self-righteous anger we walk other than His Way, and suffer God’s resistance. Exercising godly-righteous anger we walk His Way, and realize God’s empowerment. (Jam.4:1-10)

  Anger inherent to one’s grieving loss is prime example of this distinction. Apart from reliance upon The Way (Jn.14:6), we grieve God’s Holy Spirit and suffer loss spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and even physically. In The Way, we maintain, even gain, healthy maturation spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically.

  Dear fellow sojourners, be angry, but sin not. Rest well. (Eph.4:26)  EBB4

DAVID & GOLIATH

 

DAVID & GOLIATH

1Samuel chapter 17

Many people, Christian or not, know the story of David and Goliath. (If not, then please read 1Sam.17:1-58) Some know it well enough to recount it verbally from memory.

However, like the Book of Job it is easy to read or teach the narrative but not see or impart the central point, it being revealed in young David’s brief declarative question “Is there not a cause?”

And what was this cause that permeated David’s life and influences us unto this day and will do so beyond? David was a man after the heart of God. (1Sam.13:14; Acts 13:22)

Exactly how central is this cause to our daily life? Does the Word guide us in the events of our days? Or do we allow the events to lead us to and fro apart from Biblical cause?

Ephesians 4:1-16 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. 

EBB4