ANGER IN Christians

Ephesians 4:29-32
29 Let no wholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Anger itself is not sinful. The Lord Jesus, became upset, so we know it’s not always wrong. Our reaction, however, can be sinful. When we respond to anger in the wrong way, we can bring emotional, physical, and spiritual devastation on ourselves and others. How should we handle this powerful emotion in a way that will please the Lord?

People handle anger by repression or just deny it exists. Sometime we suppress anger and refuse to deal with it. There can be harsh outbursts where we my try to make excuses for ourselves because "this in how God made me." The correct response to anger is self-control through the power of the Holy Spirit.

We must confess our anger and not deny our feelings because it may make us to stay angry longer. If we harbor anger against our brother, we can never know the fullness of peace that a relationhip with Jesus Christ can bring

We have to identify the source and identify the root of the anger, otherewise you could lash out at someone who did nothing wrong. Deal with anger quickly. Satan wants you to dwell on negative feelings so they will become stronger. Scripture says to deal with your anger (Eph. 4:26-27). If at all possible, deal with your anger before the sun sets. but in some instances of extreme pain and suffering, you won’t be able to get rid of hostility before the sun sets. But you should acknowledge your feelings and decide to deal with them. You shouldn’t just accept rage as a natural response and allow it to become part of your life.

Do not sin. It is possible to get angry without sinning (Eph. 4:26). In fact, anger can motivate us to take necessary action or right a wrong. Consider the example Christ set for us (Matt. 21:13-14; 23:13-33; Mark 3:2-5). Take a time out. Make a purposeful decision not to react quickly, because your first impulse will likely be an unwise one. Give the other person time to talk. Then you will be able to respond in a godly manner. You and I should strive to be “quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.” (James 1:19; see also Ps. 103:8)

Analyze the situation. Has somebody hurt those who are mad at you? Are they frustrated, insecure, jealous, or fatigued? You can use similar questions to analyze your own feelings as well. Getting to the root of the conflict will help you know how to address it.

Don't let you anger take hold of you. Don't ventilate and hurt others. As believers, we must carefully consider how our words affect others. So if venting is needed, tell it to the Lord. Get on your knees in a private place and tell God exactly how you feel. He will begin to work in your heart and draw you toward forgiveness.

Put it away. Ephesians 4:31 says, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” We should “put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Col. 3:12). Both of these actions are possible only through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Replace it. Harness the energy that anger gives you. Use it to wax your car, hit golf balls at the driving range, or clean out a closet. Determine the benefits. The positive side of anger is that it can motivate us to take constructive action, such as fixing problems.

Prevent a wrong response from recurring. We can’t always avoid antagonistic feelings, but we can control how we react to them. Decide ahead of time how you will act in challenging situations. Determine to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become upset.

Stay away from hostile people. Proverbs 22:24-25 says, “Do not associate with a man given to anger; or go with a hot-tempered man, or you will learn his ways and find a snare for yourself.” Refrain from starting relationships with those who are constantly irritated.

Conclusion: Our world is full of injustice, hurt, and rejection. People cut us off on the highway, betray our confidence, and harm those we love. It’s impossible for us to avoid all the causes of anger. However, you and I can choose to respond to this powerful emotion in a way that will honor the Lord. When the Holy Spirit enables you to extend forgiveness to others, you will enjoy the supernatural peace and joy God desires for all His children.

This was paraphrased from a sermon by Dr. Charles Stanley. First Baptist Church of Atlanta. and In Touch Ministries.

I visited here today and thought that you would enjoy it too! - check this out at: http://wandascountryhome.com/letter-jesus/index.html

FATHER GOD

We honor and praise Your name and we come to You with a yearning in our hearts for You.

† Lord, we ask Your call on our lives be blessed and that you lead us in the way of Abraham, to follow your regardless of what others may think.
† Lord give us Your blessing and provide us with the strength and the ability to proclaim your message throughout the world.
† Lord, guide our steps so that we only walk in your path.
† Lord grand us your Divine grace and protect us from sin.
† Lord, we ask you to provide the Holy Spirit to guide us so we can always be obedient to you.
† Lord, we ask that You to open our minds and hearts to those in need around us.

We ask all these things in Your Son’s precious name. - Amen

ABRAHAM’S CALL

God’s Promises to Abram—Genesis 12

1 Now the LORD had said to Abram:
Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house
To a land that I will show you.

2 I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

And in Hebrews 11:8 & Isaiah 55:5 it says “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed. And he went out, not knowing where he went.” (NKJV)

Lets look for a moment at Abraham’s call. Abraham was commanded, he immediately obeyed and he rejoiced. Abraham went without any hesitation; he did not make any excuses. Abraham believed in God so there were no arguments.

Abraham left everything behind even though others thought him insane. His call from God brought joy to his heart and cheered his spirit because he knew that God was with him every moment. God would lead him exactly where God wanted Abraham to be. God provided for Abraham because Abraham obeyed without question.

Charles Spurgeon once said “When men have no faith, God invites them to reason, but when they have faith, reasoning with God becomes a sin.”

Abraham was seventy-five years old when he left Haran with his wife Sarah, his brother’s son, Lot, and all his people and belongings. Abraham followed God’s call to Canaan and the Lord appeared to him and said, “To your descendents I will give this land.”

Quoting Spurgeon further: “From then on Abraham and his seed are almost the only subject of the history in the Bible. All the true blessedness the world is now, or ever shall be possessed of, is owing to Abraham and his posterity. Through them we have a Bible, a Savior, and a Gospel. They are the stock on which the Christian church is grafted. (Ge 12:4)”

“We may rest assured that when Abraham started he asked no questions concerning how far or to what place he was journeying. He left that all in the hands of God. His faith put its hand inside the hand of its Father, and he was content to be led wherever his Father would lead him.
Be an Abraham! Leave everything, and if you do this in faith, verily you shall not lack your reward. He is able, and He has promised to give you in this life ten times more than you lose for Him, and in the world to come life everlasting!”

Abraham’s life was a life of prayer. In a word, Abram illustrates the heavenly calling of those who are members of the body of Christ. The call of Abram shows us the starting-point of the life of faith. The first requirement is separation from the world and from our place in it by nature.

My Call

Marcus Pittman, a friend from the John Leland Center for Theological Studies sent me this link. It is so awesome. It is an article by John Piper about using cancer to witness for Christ. http://tinyurl.com/y8gvny

Strange, but it gave me a real sense of peace when I read it. Sometimes we need to remember that God is in control, not us. We just need to turn it over to Him. This is from a paper that I wrote at Leland.

MY CALL
There are a lot of times that I wonder exactly what my calling is.
I know that my first call is to God. He speaks to me in so many ways.
I have a ministry of “Helps.”
I am the person to call whenever there is something to be done.
I am the one that people call to pray for them or their loved ones.
I am the one who prays for people I see each day, who I feel need help from the Lord.
I am the one that gives the homeless money.
I am the one who gives ladies on corners, waiting for buses, a ride.
I am the one who listens when someone needs a person to talk to.
I am the one who brightens someone’s day with a kind word and a smile.
I am the one who helps stop a child’s tears in a store with words of kindness.
I am the one who drives someone to the doctor when they need it.
I am the one who comforts someone who has lost a loved one.

I am the one who is there for someone whose loved one is very sick or in surgery.
I am the one who will be a best friend when there is a need.

I am the one who loves all I meet, no matter what they have done.
I am the one who comforts the sinner when they are down.
I am the one who loves my family with all my heart.
I am the one who speaks to strangers about Christ.
I am the one who asks the dying neighbor, “Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ?”
This may sound very egotistical, but when I consider who the great “I AM” is,
I am just called to help others in His place.
Everywhere I used the words “I am” was when the Lord was whispering in my ear with his everlasting love for mankind.
The Lord changed my life in so many ways. I actually think of others before myself.
Things are very different in my world, since I came to know Christ as my personal Savior.
He is my all and whatever He has for me to do today, I will..
When He asks that I speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves, I will.
When He asks that I comfort others, I will.
When He asks that I pray for others, I will.
When He asks that I contribute, I will.
When He asks that I heal in His name, I will.
When He asks me to help the poor, I will.
When He asks me to live my life with Him in mind always, I will.
When He asks me to defend the faith, I will.
One of my passions is to become a motivational speaker for women’s groups and write.

And, if it is His will, I will.

- Barbara Duke - 26 August 2008