Friday, November 20, 2009

Thanksgiving thoughts...


Philippians 1:3-4 "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,"

"Thanksgiving is a branch of prayer; as we have always mercies to ask for, we have mercies always to be thankful for." (Dr. John Gill, 1697-1771)

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Sinful anger (part 2)

Proverbs 14:29 "He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly."

A closer look:
slow - long, patient
wrath - violent anger, vehement exasperation - (literally "to snort")
great - abundant
understanding - knowledge, reason, skillful, wisdom
exalts - to be high, to raise, to extol

A person not easily irritated, doesn't fly off the handle, doesn't lash out, yell or scream, lose his temper is described as a man of great understanding. The key is to think before you act. The Lord is "slow to anger" (Nehemiah 9:17; Psalms 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2; Nahum 1:3). It is not the Lord doesn't demonstrate anger, on the contrary, His anger is not an out of control short fuse. His anger, should I say is "gracious anger." Man's anger is sinful anger - as in this case. When people think of you, do they think of an angry man? How do you handle anger? May we learn to always be under-control rather than out-of-control.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Sinful Anger

Ecclesiastes 7:9 "Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bossom of fools."

A closer look:
hasty - palpitate, suddenly alarmed, agitated.
spirit - wind or breath, attitude.
anger - trouble, rage, indignant.
rests - to settle down, to dwell, to let stay.
bossom - midst.
fools - stupid or silly acting people.

Sinful anger is sudden. Sinful anger flares up immediately in our spirit. When sinful anger is allowed in, it becomes a resident, perhaps even a welcomed guest. It festers. It is easily nourished. It stinks - and that it does because sin stinks. What does God say about sinful anger? "Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry." I sin against God (and others) when I allow sinful anger to suddenly take over. Hasty, eager, rash, instant, immediate, soon, easily, quick, right away, short - such fleeting words. How temporal.

It is high time to get rid of this squatter. It is time to get rid of all of Sinful anger's associates too.