Angry Part 2

 

    Leaders are commanded to act wisely.  They are only rulers, commanders, and other leaders while on earth.  The position will not hold for all of eternity.  A leader's position is to serve.  They serve God and in he best interest of their people.  They should rejoice God humbly for the position He has placed them in.   If they do not submit to God's will, then they will make God angry.  When He is angry He could destroy all the leader has built in an instant.  However, the leaders that do submit will find refuge in God.

    God is your shield in life.  He saves the hearts of the true and righteous.  He is an honest judge.  When He is angry it is righteous anger.  He is the only one that can honestly judge the wicked.  If a person will not repent, then he needs to be ready for God's sharpened sword.  God's weapons are deadly accurate.  

    God has revealed His character.  He has shown His power.  He displays His compassion and mercy everyday.  He is slow to get angry because of His unfailing love.  He will not constantly accuse His people or remain angry forever.  He does not punish anyone harshly for all of their sins.  He does not dish out what we really deserve in life.

    Do not allow your anger to control you or it will lead you to sin.  Think about what makes you angry for 24 hours in silence.  Give it to God in the right spirit.  Short-tempered people reveal their foolishness.  Schemers are hated.  A wise person will trust God to take care of the situation.

    Do not be friends with an angry person or associate with hot-tempered people.  All they can teach you is how to endanger your soul.  Do not associate with a gossip because all they do is stir up anger.  It is wise to take time getting to know people before you allow them into your personal life.  

    Life is hard to watch sometimes.  It was for the prophet Jonah.  He reluctantly did as God commanded him, but ultimately he wanted the nation to pay.  However, the people listened to Jonah and repented.  God let go of His anger and did not destroy Nineveh.  This made Jonah angry.  He complained to God about the change of plans.  He released every negative thought to God.  

    Jonah knew God's character and didn't want to witness God's compassion and love on whom he deemed unworthy.  He was very dramatic about it.  God let Jonah say everything he needed to say, then God replied simply: "Is it right for you to be angry about this?".  That is something we should all think about.

Psalms 2:10-12, 4:4-5, 7:10-14, 103:7-10, Proverbs 14:17, 22:24-25, 25:23, & Jonah 4:1-4

Angry Part 1

 

    To be angry is to be in a state of anger.  In Hebrew the word is ko'es (כּוֹעֵס).  It is angry, grumpy, indignant, and irate.  Angry in Aramaic is rgyz.  In Greek it is thymoménos (θυμωμένος).  It relates t o being angry, mad, irate, huffy, and disgruntled.  In Latin it is iratus.  In English we got the word angry from anger which means distress, affliction, hostile attitude, and strong displeasure.  

    Moses tried to pacify God by asking Him why he was so angry with His people.  Moses was reminding God of how much He had done to rescue the Hebrews with His strong and powerful hands.  Moses pointed out how it would look to their enemies that watched God deliver His people only to wipe them out now.  Moses asked God to turn away from His anger and change His mind about the upcoming disaster.  Moses asked God to remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the oath made which is binding.  

    The Hebrew ancestors were proud and stubborn, so they did not listen to God's commands.  They refused to obey or remember all God had done for them.  They chose leaders with a worldly mindset instead of a leader that would follow God.  God is forgiving, gracious, and merciful.  He is slow to become angry and full of unfailing love.  His characteristics kept Him from abandoning His people.  

    We are still stubborn and proud.  No one deserves all the chances that God gives us.  It is due to His character that we are allowed to live with all we do.  It is about who He is, not what we do.  We commit blasphemies and He still forgives us when we repent.  

Exodus 32:11-13 and Nehemiah 9:16-18

Anger Part 3

 

    God shows His anger from Heaven.  His anger wages against the sinful, wicked, and those that suppress the truth.  God has made the truth obvious. You can find it if you really look for it.  It has been evident since creation, but people turn a blind eye to Gpd's eternal power and divine nature.  That will be no excuse on the day of judgment.

    The stubborn refuse to turn from their sin which means they are storing up terrible punishment for themselves.  One day God's righteous judgment will be revealed in His anger.  Everyone will be judged according to what they did in life.  Those that follow Him will live eternally with Him.  They seek to do good and to give God the glory and honor.  Everyone else He will pour out His wrath.  God does not show favoritism, so we are the ones that choose our fate.  We have been warned.

    Stop telling lies.  To tell the truth is an act of love.  Lies display hate.  Do not allow your anger to control you or you will be controlled by sin.  Do not let anger linger or it will fester and turn you into someone you are not meant to be.  Anger is how Satan gets a foothold into your heart.

    Put to death your sinful ways: earthly desires, sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, and idolatry.  Sin angers God.  It is time to let go of your anger, rage , malice, slander, and dirty language.  Do not lie to one another.  Instead, stripe yourself from your sinful nature and replace it with the nature of God.  Become more like Him everyday.  

    God chose to send Jesus to save us from our evil ways.  God poured out all His anger toward us on His only son.  Jesus died to save us from His full wrath.  Then He returned to to build us up.  He showed us how we can live differently and not be controlled by sin.  

    This is why we don't need to involve ourselves in foolish conversations.  No one cares about what your spiritual pedigree is.  Be real, be honest, and be transparent.  Let people see how Jesus changed your life and is still working in your heart.  Quarrels are a waste of time.  

    If people cause division, then give them a warning.  If they continue then warn them again.  If they still do not respect boundaries, then don't have anything else to do with them.  Do not let it drag out or cause your anger to build where you sin.  Those that turn from the truth are already condemned.

    Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.  Use reason before allowing your emotions to get you all worked up.  Human anger will never produce righteousness.  Only Holy anger can do that which means that it has to come from the Holy Spirit instead of the flesh.  Righteous anger comes from desiring God's will to be known.  Rid yourself of all evil in your life, so you can see God's will more clearly.  Live humbly and allow the Holy Spirit to work in your heart.

Romans 1:18-20, 2:5-11, Ephesians 4:25-27, Colossians 3:5-11, 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11, Hebrew 3:9-11, & James 1:19-21

Anger Part 2

 

    Leaders are commanded to act wisely.  They have been warned to serve God fervently and rejoice while being afraid of His anger.  Submit to Jesus or be destroyed.  God's anger flares against those that make themselves His enemy, but it protects those that follow faithfully and find joy in the relationship.

    Pray that God does not rebuke you in His anger or discipline you in His rage. Pray for compassion in your weakness.  Pray for healing and for Him to remove your agony.  When your heart is sick, ask God to restore it.

    If you are a part of God's family, then sing your praises to Him.  His anger only last a moment, but His favor last a lifetime.  You may weep, but the joy will come.

    People know the truth, but they keep sinning.  They refuse to trust Him and it ends in failure and years of terror.  Instead of dying to your sins, repent and take God seriously.  Remember all God has done.  Remember the strength of the Redeemer.  Do not lie or try to fake a covenant with God.  He is merciful and forgives sin, but He will see right through the lie and destroy the liars.  Do you realize how many times He has held back His anger and not unleashed His fury?

    A gentle answer deflects anger while a harsh word makes tempers flare.  It takes wisdom to know how to use your tongue.  Turn your wisdom into appealing speech.  The other option is to be a fool and verbally vomit out whatever you are thinking.  God is watching all acts of good and evil.

    A sensible person will control their temper.  They earn respect by overlooking wrongs.  A leader's anger roars, but his favor is refreshing.  A foolish child brings pain and hardship to the parents.  A quarrelsome wife is annoying and wares down the husband.

    It is better to be criticized by a wise person, than praised by a fool.  A fool's words and enjoyment is meaningless and leads nowhere good.  Extortion is foolish and corrupts the heart.  To follow Jesus is a long journey.  The end is far better than the beginning.  When you learn patience over pride, you are able to start realizing that truth.  Control your temper.  Do not allow your anger to best you or it will make you a fool.  Do not long for the past or it will cripple your future.

Psalm 2:10-12, 6:1-3, Psalm 30:4-5, 78:32-39, Proverbs 15:1-3, Proverbs 19:11-13, & Ecclesiastes 7:5-10

Anger Part 1

 

    Anger is a strong feeling of displeasure.  It is a God-given emotion meant to be constructive, but normally becomes destructive.  It depends on how the person handles their anger.  Anger is triggered when a boundary is crossed.  It is a signal that something is wrong and needs to be addressed.  Just anger is a response to sin.  Sinful anger is prolonged due to unforgiveneness, violent, and leads to destructive behavior.

    There are several words for anger in Hebrew.  The most common is kaa'as (כַּעַס).  Kaa'as also stands for sorrow, so it refers to pent up anger that's never expressed.  In Aramaic, anger is za'ama (זעמה) which translate to fury or rage.  In Greek it is orge (ὀργή).  In Latin it is ira.  English anger comes from the old Norse word angr which means grief or vexation.  It was introduces between 1150 and 1200.

    Jacob spoke his last words to his sons giving them personalized instructions.  Simeon and Levi were known for their anger that turned them into weapons of violence.  Their anger led to murder and cruel acts to animals.  Jacob cursed their anger.  Their wrath and cruelty caused them sorrow.  

    God came down in a cloud and stood with Moses.  God called out Yahweh as he passed in front of Moses.  He declared who He was: Lord.  Yahweh is compassion and mercy.  He is slow to anger.  He has unfailing love and is faithful.  He gives His love to a thousand generations.  

    He forgives sin, rebellion, and iniquity, but He doesn't excuse the guilt.  The sins of parents fall onto the children and grandchildren where entire families are affected for three to four generations.  He has proven His power.

     Mises fasted 40 days and nights because of the sin of God's nation.  He feared God's anger.  God's anger has power and can destroy anything.  God heard Moses' prayer and did not destroy Aaron.  Moses then destroyed the idol until it was dust and removed it from the camp.  God is slow to anger, but when He does get angry it is never good for people.  It is better to never make Him angry.

    If you abandon God's covenant and serve idols or live for yourself, then God's anger will burn.  It normally leads to a curse.  His anger is fury and holds power.  It will uproot nations.  At best the people are banish, but they can be destroyed all together.  

    After Moses' generation died out, the next generation did not remember all God had done for His people.  They chose to do evil in God's eyes.  They abandoned God by pursuing false gods.  This angered God.  He handed Israel over to raiders that took their wealth and treasures.  The nation became weak and could no longer fight against enemies that attacked them.  In God's anger, He stopped protecting Israel.  He was teaching them a lesson on who really held the power.

    The proud and stubborn do not listen to God.  They refuse to obey His commands or remember His miracles.  They choose slavery to sin over freedom that God provides.  God is always ready to forgive, be gracious, and merciful.  He is much slower to anger than any person.  His love never fails.  He does not abandon you.  You abandon Him.  It is blasphemies that make God angry.  It is wise to avoid that and seek God.

Genesis 49:2-7, Exodus 34:5-7, Numbers 14:17-19, Deuteronomy 9:18-20, 29:25-28, Judges 2:10-15, & Nehemiah 9:16-18

Angels Part 5

 

    Jesus is far greater than angels.  Jesus was part of all creation and angels were created.  The name of God is greater than any other name.  God never spoke to angels the way He spoke to Jesus.  Jesus is God's son.  Jesus is supreme and angels are meant to worship him.  Angels are invisible or at least behind the scenes to carry out God's orders.  

    Jesus will rule for eternity.  He loves justice and hates evil.  He was anointed by God to provide joy.  He holds power, but always lived humbly.  God placed honor on Jesus, not angels.  Angels are magnificent, but they are only spiritual servants.  They do not provide salvation.  Only Jesus can do that.

    Listen carefully to the truth of God that came by angels about the law and the importance of obedience.  No one can escape the truth.  Jesus is the only one that can deliver us from getting what we really deserve for eternity.  God confirmed the message through the Holy Spirit.

    Angels do not control the future of the world.  For now we are slightly below angels until the end.  Then, God of authority over glory and honor will put everything in it's proper place.  Angels and people are both under God's authority.  

    Jesus showed us the way.  He suffered.  He was the perfect leader.  His sacrifice on Earth gave us the opportunity to have salvation.  His salvation makes us holy where we will never be ashamed again.  Jesus did not come to the earth to help angels, but to help people.  He was the message that the angels gave people throughout time.

    Love each other in a healthy familial manner.  Be hospitable to strangers.  By obeying the simple instructions, you may entertain angels without ever knowing it.  Remember that all the suffering that you have endured and may endure is not for yourself.  Feel the pain and remember Jesus, so that you do not become bitter or hard.

    The messages that you receive are rarely just for yourself.  Apply them to your life and that way you will preach to others and be ready when they ask questions.  Live out the Good News.  Allow the power of the Holy Spirit to work in your life.  It is wonderful.  Even angels eagerly watch to see the power of God work in life.

    God did not spare the angels who sinned.  They were thrown into the gloomy dark pit of hopelessness and judgment.  They will stay there until Judgment Day.  No one is spared judgment except those that listened to the message and accepted it.  God's judgment is severe and final.  Those that go to hell will suffer torment that cannot be imagined.  

    Even in this fallen world God is here.  There is hope.  The final judgment there will be no more hope.  There will be no more aspects of God's presence.  Do not follow your own path that will lead you to hell.  Do not give into pride and arrogance.  God's judgment is real.  Even the supernatural beings fear it.  Angels have far greater power and strength than you and they would not dare blasphemy God.

    Jesus rescues those that faithfully follow him, but he will destroy those that reject him.  Even the angels that did not stay within their limits of authority that were given by God were placed into hell.  They are chained to darkness while waiting judgment.  Look back into the history of the places that reject God and the consequences.  The final judgment will make those look minor.  The final judgment delivers eternal fire.

    Angels have their purpose.  We should respect their power, but not worship them.  We should appreciate what they do, but understand that God is the source.  They are messenger, protector, enforcers, and warriors.  God is the creator of them and their power.

Hebrews 1:4-2:18, 13:1-3, 1 Peter 1:12, 2 Peter 2:4-11, Jude 1:5-7, & Revelations 2-3

Angels Part 4

 

    The night before Peter's trial, he slept in a dungeon like prison. He was chained to two guards, one on each side of him.  There was another guard at the gate.  It seemed like there was no way that he would ever be able to escape.  That is until an angel appeared.  The angel set him free and rushed him out of the cell.

    Peter thought he was dreaming, so he followed the angel without hesitation.  They passed all the guards at the different post and then right out of the iron gate.  Once they entered the street the angel disappeared and Peter came to his senses realizing he had escaped.  He acknowledge how God took care of him.  

    Peter went to the home of Mary the mother of John Mark.  There was a group of Christians praying for him at that house.  He knocked on the door and the servant girl Rhoda came to see who was there.  She recognized Peters voice and was overcome with excitement.  She left him in the street and rushed to the group praying to tell them that Peter was here.  The group didn't believe Rhonda, but thought it must be an angel.  

    Meanwhile, Peter kept knocking and was eventually brought into the home.  He told the story of his escape.  At dawn there was a great commotion at the prison when it was discovered that Peter had escaped.  Herod killed all the guards that were responsible for Peter as punishment for letting him go.

    When Christians have a dispute, they are not to sue one another.  They are expected to talk it out.  Ut is the Christians that will judge the world, but how can we judge the world if we are too busy arguing amongst ourselves.  There will come a time where believers will judge angels.  We need to respect the church and handle disputes legally and honorably.  Christians are not supposed to act like the people of the world.

    Do not boast in your own work.  Be humble and realize where the source of all your abilities come from.  Beware of people that boast of their own abilities because they are false apostles.  They work in deceit while disguising themselves as good.  Remember Satan.  He disguises himself as the angel of light when he is the father of deceit.  His servants will work in the same method, but eventually they will be punished for their wicked deeds.

    God's curse falls on everyone, including angels, who preach or spread His message incorrectly.  That means that they manipulate God's Word to serve their own agenda.  Anyone who falsifies God's Word is cursed.  This message does not win approval, but it we are here to serve God not ourselves.  You are either a servant of Christ or Satan.

    Do not let anyone condemn you for what you eat, drink, or celebrate.  Rules and traditions overshadow God's voice.  Jesus is the reality.  Do not let people's opinions dictate how you live your life.  Do not worship angels.  They are only messengers and warriors of God or fallen to serve under Satan.  Either way, they are servants like yourself.  Allow the Holy Spirit to convict your heart where you need to change, not people.

Acts 12:6-19, 1 Corinthians 6:1-6, 2 Corinthians 11:12-15, Galatians 1:8-10, & Colossians 2:16-19