Controlling Your Anger Pleases God

 

James 1 :19-20

Qualities Needed in Trials

¹⁹ So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; ²⁰ for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Proverbs 29:22

²² An angry man stirs up strife, and a furious man abounds in transgression.

Commentary:
Uncontrolled anger does not lead to righteousness.  When you allow your anger to control you, you are not submitting to the Holy Spirit, which includes longsuffering (patience) and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).  Anger is an outward sign that you still need inward transformation to be more like Christ.  When you develop the fruit of the Spirit and control your anger, God is pleased.  Uncontrolled anger is sin, it results in bitterness, resentment, and hostility.  Just as with any other sin, uncontrolled anger can also lead to physical or emotional damage to other people and to you.  If you struggle with uncontrolled anger, God offers forgiveness and help.  "But now you yourselves are to put off all these anger, wrath malice blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth (Colossian 3:8).  Confess your sin to God and pray for His transformation in your heart and mind.  Uncontrolled anger is a response that comes from your former nature and it must be unlearned.  "Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows, corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:22-24).

Satan's Headquarters Part 2



The Lord said, "Where have you come from Satan?"  The Lord did not immediately banish Satan from His presence, but actually had a conversation with him.  Therefore, we know that in the time of Job, Satan still had access to the presence of God in heaven.  10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ.  For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down." (Revelation 12:10 NIV) 

The "accuser of our brothers" is Satan.  Notice that at this time he is still accusing God's people before God day and night.  Revelation 12:11-12.  11 "They overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.  12"Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you!  He is filled with fury because he know that his time is short."

That passages indicates that Satan still has access to the presence of God, and he uses his access to accuse God's people in the presence of God.  Clearly, all the above passages that I have quoted refer to periods long after the original rebellion of Satan.  So what is the answer?  there is more than one heaven. I believe this is clearly indicated all through Scripture.  For instance, in the first verse of the Bible, Genesis 1:1, it says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."  The Hebrew word for heavens is shamayim,  "Im" is the plural ending.  The first time heaven is introduced, it is introduced in the plural.

In 2 Chronicles 2:6, we have this utterance of Solomon in his prayer to the Lord at the dedication of the temple:  "But who is able to build a temple for him [the Lord], since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him?" (NIV)  Where the translation says, "the highest heavens," the Hebrew says, literally 'the heaven of heavens."  Either translation clearly indicates there is more than one heaven.  The word "heaven" of the phrase 'heaven of heavens" suggest a heaven that is as high above heaven as heaven is above earth. Amen

Satan's Headquarters Part 1



In Ephesians 6:12 Paul makes it very clear that, as Christians, we are involved in a life and death struggle with a highly-organized kingdom peopled by evil, rebellious spirit-beings and that the headquarters of this kingdom is in the heavenly realm.

The phrase, "the heavenly realm," raises a particular problem in the minds of Christians.  If Satan was cast out heaven long ago, how then can he still occupy a place in the heavenly realm?

Let's answer this question by pointing out some passages that describe events that took place long after the initial rebellion and casting down of Satan by God.  These passages indicate that Satan still had access to the presence of God in heaven at that time. Job 1:6-7 6 one day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.  7. The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you came from?"  Satan answered the Lord, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."

Almost exactly the same incident is recorded again in Job 2:1-2 1 On another day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?  Satan answered the Lord, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."

So at that time, which was in the days of Job, we see that Satan still had direct access to the presence of the Lord.  When God's angels came to present themselves and report to the Lord Satan was there among them.  The passages seems to indicate that the other angels did not identify Satan.  I can understand this because in 2 Corinthians 11:14, Paul says that Satan is transformed as "as an angel of light."  The passage states that the only one who could identify Satan was the Lord.  Apparently, he could appear in the presence of  angels and not be detected. We will discuss more in Part 2 of Satan's Headquarters.
by Spiritual Warfare: Derek Prince



Bible Trivia Fun: Climbing Jacob's Ladder

Climbing Jacob's Ladder (Bible Trivia)

Learn about the Bible and have fun doing it. Pass this on to your family and friends and see if they can reach the top of the ladder

1. In what chapters of Matthew and Luke are the Lord's prayer found?

Chapters 6 and 11
Chapters 1 and 5
Chapters 20 and 21
Chapters 15 and 16


2. Where did Job live? Look in the book of Job

Tarsus
Jerulsalem
Uz
Chicago


3. Who told Jacob to flee after he stole his brother's birthright? Look in Genesis

Esau
Abraham
Eve
Rebekah


4. Who was Herod's borther and former husband of his wife, Herodias? Look in Mark

Elijah
Phillip
Peter
Samson


5. Who was the only known daughter of Jacob?

Sarah
Tamar
Dinah
Sasah

Did you reach the top of Jacob's ladder?