What Not to Flare Up About- and Righteous Anger

Ephesians 4:26 "Don't become so angry that you sin." Interesting translation. I wonder if that's the NLT maybe? Other translations render it as "In your anger do not sin." Great Bible verse to remember (As they all are. ;-))
   I suppose either way though there is an implication that there is an acceptable level of anger to have at times. It is entirely possible to be rightfully angry and not sin. Surely Jesus demonstrated that when He turned over the moneychangers' tables, made a whip and chased them out of the temple. He was angry that God's temple was being defiled, which was a righteous anger.
    By comparison, we also read about Jonah's anger at God's choice to have mercy upon Nineveh and relent from the calamity He had promised to send. Jonah is also angry and frustrated about the death of the plant that had provided him shade from the sun. God questions him about this in chapter 4 and asks him if he has any right to be angry. Jonah says he does and that he's angry enough to die. God then points out his sinful anger and selfishness at mourning the death of a plant that sprung up overnight and then died but having such indifference about 120,000 people who don't know their left from their right who were perishing in their sin. Surely God should be concerned about them as should Jonah!
    We should not get angry out of selfishness based on our own prejudices. Instead, we should be angry at injustice and sin.
And as this same passage in Ephesians 4 says, when we are angry with others, we need to find a good way to resolve it while it is still called today. Don't let it fester into a root of bitterness and don't let the sun go down on our anger.
    Reconciliation is reflective of God's heart and it's what we should strive towards as well.

God's Side Now (song)

Note: Here's another old favourite from the archives. I'm still looking as through a mirror darkly but I'm clinging to the Light and awaiting the day I'll see clearly from God's side. In the meanwhile, I try to keep in mind the look at life from both sides now, as Psalms 73 describes too.

* The Bible tells us that now we see God as in a mirror darkly but one day we will behold Him face to face! On that day, we will be able to say like Johnny Nash, “I can see clearly now”, when we are in Christ’s presence in Heaven. But until then, we look at God from Earth’s side now and keep straining to look with an eternal view to the day when we can look at things from God’s side now.

“God’s Side Now” (parody of “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell)
(parody copyright by Nathan Ludwick 11/12/2012)
(Psalms 73, Ephesians 2:8-10, Colossians 3:1-4, Philippians 1:21, Philippians 3:7-14, Romans 6:1-2, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, 1 John 4:8-10, Galatians 2:19-21, Galatians 3, 2 Corinthians 5:7)

Oh, enthroned with angels there
A nice sea of glass is in the air
I’ll never imagine all that’s there
I’ve looked at God that way

But now I know Him- God The Son
He bade The Holy Spirit come
So many things I could have done
But God stopped me from pain

I’ve looked at God from Earth’s side now
With open heart and still somehow
A cloudy vision- that is all
(But) I will see (then) and know God in full

Cam, Simone and Ferris deals
The Dirty Dancing way appeals
My ev’ry fantasy comes real
I’ve looked at God that way

But now 6:1 and 2 Romans shows
You keep on sinning so grace flows
And you don’t care- you let it go
Don’t cheapen grace away

But look at love from God’s side now
He gives- we take and still somehow
‘Twas God’s Son choosing to give all
So we then could know God, you all

Tears and fears and feeling doubt
He says, “I love you” but somehow
“Needs to see good works first now”-
I’ve looked at Christ that way

2 Ephesians- by grace we’re saved
When Satan hits, I’ll say Christ’s Name
I once was lost but God regained
I’m living by the faith

I’ve looked at life from both sides now
To win, you lose and still somehow
In Christ, I’m losing temporal
I receive God’s life eternal!

I’ve looked to Christ from Earth’s side now
Through ups and downs, He’s with me now
For Christ, I’m choosing to lose all
My real life’s found in Christ, my all!

Season for the Reason: Have I Served God All for Naught or Has He Served me All for Naughty?

 (Note: This is a piece of writing borne out of a real conversation about the age old question of why the wicked always seem to prosper and the righteous always seem to suffer. Christ calls us to count the cost before following Him and many times after walking faithfully with Him for a long time, we start to feel the weight of that cost. After a while, we don't feel like we have received the rest God promises in Matthew 11:28. It seems like we should have more of our felt needs met and God doesn't seem to be cutting it anymore. What do we do then? Why do the wicked always seem to prosper while all we seem to get for our struggles in following Jesus is just pain and suffering? Is God fair?)

    One of the biggest areas of unfulfillment more than anything else felt for Christians is in the area of love and romantic relationships. Though married people feel this at times too, it seems particularly grievous and painful for single Christians faithfully holding to celibacy. Praise God for that testimony of holding true to His standards of sexual purity! That's a very honest confession that not many can make. And I always appreciate honesty, as I know God does. And we can always be totally honest with Him.
But where does that leave me when I feel like God isn't meeting my needs in this area?
   I can understand struggling with doubts about God and His promises. I've struggled with doubts numerous times myself. I think every Christian, if they're honest, would admit that. Throughout the Scriptures there are tons of folks who struggled with doubts. Just read the book of Job. Moses and Elijah are also two prime examples. But both those guys also appeared with Jesus on the mountain at His transfiguration! Obviously they made it through the doubts to see their faith become sight.
   It's certainly not easy but we are still called to trust God and endure- particularly when it's hard, sad and lonely. (The command to endure is one of the most repeated phrases in Revelation particularly and through The Bible.)
     Just read the accounts of  Jesus' time in Gethsemane. We are promised to stand with Him in Heaven in the end- and all our trials here will be far outweighed by it! (Romans 8)- but we must stand with Him in Gethsemane and at Calvary first.
  I can understand about feeling lonely and sad- I'm an almost 36-and-a-half-year old man who's a virgin too and I've never been married. I'd still like to be married if God grants that and leads me to the right woman but I'm okay with it if God wants me to be single too. As single Christians, we're in good company with Paul and Jesus. :-)
   As to God meeting our needs, Philippians 4:19 says God will meet all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. I believe that encompasses companionship needs as well. However, I think we have to be careful how we define our needs. We usually talk of sexual desire, not sexual need. I mean, no one's died from not having sex. That is something we have to surrender to The Lord- along with all else.
        You might like to read Psalms 73- a dude named Asaph had some of the same complaints. Habakkuk had similar thoughts too. And in the end, we can remember that the pleasures of this life are fleeting- but the kingdom of God is eternal. And He promises an eternity of joy in Him. He is the One we are made to worship (Revelation 4:11) and when we live in accordance with the way our Maker made us, we find the greatest joy. Everything else disappoints us ultimately- including marriage and sex.
   And if we put our hopes in those things fulfilling us- if we put hope in any relationship over the one we have with Christ- we're going to be disappointed. Where else can we go but Christ? He has the words of eternal life. (John 6:68) And He comes to give us life and life more abundant. I believe that starts in the here and now and continues into eternity.
We have to seek Him first and His righteousness and all our other needs will be added onto us. (Matthew 6:33) And if I can trust Jesus with my eternity, surely I can trust Him with my relationships on earth! I am not always the best at this and I fall into wistful whimpering and whining at times too but I have decided that I do not want to wallow in depression and despair because of what I don't have right now! I choose to be happy and joyous in Jesus because of all He's blessed me with in life. May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth like peanut butter if I forget Him and don't make Him my highest joy! You are my one thing, Lord Jesus! May Your praise ever be on my lips. You are always worthy! I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked! (See Psalms 137 and Psalms 42 and 43 and 84 and 103!)
  I hope that helps some. Hold on! And I don't claim to have all the answers but I know I have struggled with a lot of these things before and those are the conclusions the Holy Spirit's led me to in The Bible. The marathon comes before the maranatha. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 and 1 Corinthians 16:22) But let's be clear too that God doesn't owe us anything! A classic song made famous by Lynn Anderson comes to mind- "I beg your pardon. I never promised you a rose garden." I'm also reminded of the elder brother in Luke 15 complaining about the seeming unfairness of his father when all his years of service didn't get him a fattened calf. Of course, the father assures that all he has belongs to him. In our case, we are given all that God has too! He sent Jesus to die and rise to pay for all our sins so that we might have salvation and be in Heaven with Him instead of in Hell for eternity! The burning hell is what we deserve! As Mark Lowry once observed, anything above burning in Hell is a privilege!
     God never promised to meet all our wants but He did promise to meet all our needs- and He is enough for us in the end. (Psalms 73:23-28, John 6:68) Why do I want this world to be perfect (according to my standards) when I have a perfect one waiting? That's where I must put my hope above all else- Christ and His kingdom! (Philippians 3:20) This world is not my home- I'm just passing through.
   I pray God continues to encourage you and show you His Love in a special way. Keep enduring. There is a glory coming that far outshines and outweighs anything we face in this life. We must continue to walk by faith and not by sight. It will be more than worth it in the end.
   And keep praying and seeking after God even when you doubt His benevolence or care. He is always faithful and delights in you and delights to gather you in His arms of love. Love you in the Lord. I will pray for you too. :-)
   I've often found songs to be therapeutic as well. Maybe some favourites that have helped me often will be helpful to you.
I'll post a few here and be done. God bless.
(James 1:17, Ephesians 2, Psalms 149, Psalms 150)

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow! Praise Him all creatures here below! Praise Him above ye Heavenly hosts! Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost! Amen!

Season for the Reason: Good and God- and Perfection

Note: This is another entry in my series of apologetics-based reflections, based on questions and conversations that have come up in real life. It is in response to an article discussing the possibility of being good and where God plays into that. Can you be good without God? While I think there may be some remnant left in us that still recognizes good and evil (as Romans 2 talks about, along with Ecclesiastes 3:11- we all have some form of a conscience testifying to us about God's Law); however, The Bible clearly teaches that we are all born in sin and are sinners by nature. (Psalms 51:5, Romans 7:5-6- basically just read the whole book.) I think a better question to ask is this- can you be perfect without God? Because perfection is God's standard for entry into Heaven and only One person has ever met it- Jesus Christ.


I'm curious about this key passage in the article:

"But so what? What’s the practical significance of rejecting belief in a deity? Why should humanists band together in local or national groups, publish magazines, hold conferences, and so forth? It can’t be simply to show that we are right and others are wrong about the existence of God.
Humanists do share a number of beliefs, of course, and not just their belief that there are no gods. So humanists form a natural affinity group of sorts. But although being a member of a like-minded group with similar interests has its attractions, the level of commitment of most of those who are members of the Center for Inquiry or the American Humanist Association or other humanist groups indicates that we think humanism is much more important than being a member of an astronomy club, sewing circle, or softball team. There has to be more to joining and supporting humanist groups than the opportunity to hang out with people with similar worldviews.""
Does the Center for Inquiry or the American Humanist Association have elected officials? Is there any kind of organization to these groups?
(Apparently the answer is yes; the AHA has a board of directors page here- http://americanhumanist.org/AHA/Board_of_Directors and the CFI has a message from the president and CEO here- http://www.centerforinquiry.net/support/secularism_and_science_need_an_advocate/)
I ask this mainly because it seems incongruent with a statement highlighted in another passage in the article, wherein the author states that humanists have no authorities. This would appear to not be the case. Do these boards of directors think and reason together to come up with the guiding moral principles for their organizations, and by extension, the world at large that all people should apply? If humanists all reason together to find common moral principles that promote a common human good, it seems all human beings in existence (at any time) should be included in the consultations in order to have the maximum amount of brain power and human reasoning involved. [I realize that this would be a rather impossible endeavor, but surely the history of mankind and moral principles of all cultures are included in the study and quest for finding moral standards appropriate for human society? It seems like the research and reading of much books would be in order, along with efforts to poll all interested parties. Unless of course, these said principles would only be in effect for humanists.]
This gets to my larger point. How do humanists determine what is good and what is not? What are the measuring standards and how are they determined?
I can't speak for all religions of course, but I don't appreciate that the author insinuates that religion does not seek to justify its moral standards by the fact that they improve the human condition. I would say a relationship with Jesus Christ does just that ad infinitum. (Of course, the worldview framework of Christianity says that all human beings at all times, since the sin of Adam and Eve, have been born in sin and wrongdoing and all of us are evil and in need of God to save us from our sin. This is why Jesus came and lived the only perfect life ever lived and died and rose for us- to pay the penalty we deserved because of our failure to keep God's moral standards of perfection.) [As Jesus stated in Matthew 5:20, if we're trying to get to Heaven by our own merit, unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, we will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. And those guys worked to keep all the Law to the nth. degree and still didn't really match up by a long shot, as Jesus made clear in Matthew 21:31 and all of Matthew 23. Note that in the context of the verses in Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus is stating that He has come to fulfill all of The Law and the Prophets and that's just what He did. If we falter at even the least command anywhere during our lifetime, we're already done. (James 2:10) God's standard is absolute perfection- Matthew 5:48 says it plainly. We all fail to meet it, as Romans 3:23 tells us.] Jesus says that He comes to give us life and life more abundant. (see John 10:10) The Bible also makes clear that life in Christ improves our lives immeasurably in the here and now as well as in eternity. Those who are in Christ have a new nature that desires to do good, rather than to do evil as the old nature would have us do. (This is not to say that Christians are perfect in doing good, by any means, but we are in the process of becoming more like Christ, Who is perfect- and we have the promise that one day that process will be complete and we will be perfected upon our entry into Heaven. [see Philippians 1:6])
Thus, following Christ makes people more loving, more caring for all those in need, more generous, more truthful, more helping, more self-sacrificing, more patient, more peaceful, more kind, more gentle, more faithful, and makes them have more self-control. In short, they are more good. (These and other traits are some of the identifying marks of a Christ-follower because Galatians 5:22-23 says that these are some of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. That is God's work in people's lives.) I would say that is a huge improvement to the human condition. (Which we've already established is evil at its core, from a Christian framework, in any case.)
And yes, that is certainly God's will for people to know Christ and develop these traits and live lives like Christ.
God is definitely focused on the good of humanity. Jeremiah 29:11 assures us that He has thoughts of good for us and not evil. (I realize this verse is aimed specifically at Israel, but the principle certainly applies to all people, as evidenced in other Bible verses. See Ezekiel 18:23 as well.) He wants everyone to live- both the full measure of life that He desires for humans in the here and now and the eternal life He wants all to have in Heaven with Him through faith in Christ. (see Ezekiel 33:11 and 2 Peter 3:8-9)
My other point of contention is the implication that religion (and again, I'll specifically speak for the point of view of Christianity) has no rationale behind it. I have to disagree with this notion. God gave people brains for a reason; I believe He expects us to use our brains and truly contemplate things before making any decision for Him. In fact, God invites us to come reason together with Him in Isaiah 1:18- herein, He entreats us to consider the truth of this statement: "Though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." God offers to wash away our sins and make us clean and pure. But I don't think God ever expects anyone to make a choice to follow Christ without using reason, evidence and intellect. Christ Himself cautions us to count the cost of following Him before we make any rash decisions. (Note that He gives strict warnings that if we do not hate our family and even our own life, we cannot be His disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Christ cannot be His disciple. [To clarify, in the language used in the passage I'm referencing- Luke 14:25-35- it has the meaning of loving Jesus and following Him above all so much that the love we have for our family looks like hate in comparison. Jesus often used stark hyperbole to emphasize points- I just wanted to clarify that He is not advocating hating people here.]
Jesus also speaks to this point in Luke 9:23-27, where He tells us again that we must take our cross, deny ourselves, and follow Him in order to come after Him. Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Christ's sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits his soul? In Matthew 10:16-42, Jesus warns His followers that persecution will come upon as part of following Him. Even some of a man's own household will be among his enemies because he follows Christ. In John 15:18-27, Jesus tells His disciples that the world will hate them because they follow Jesus and claim His Name. (Of course, they hated Jesus first anyway.)
It is also worth noting that Jesus even turned people away from following Him because they weren't committed enough to Him and hadn't fully counted the cost yet. (See Matthew 8:18-22 and Luke 9:57-62) In Mark 10:17-31, Jesus encounters a rich young ruler who asks Him how to inherit eternal life. After Jesus reminds him that he should know the commandments in The Law ("Do not murder", "Do not commit adultery", "Do not steal", "Do not bear false witness", "Do not defraud", "Honor your father and mother"), the man claims he has kept all these from his youth. Jesus tells him that he still lacks one thing- "Go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow Me." The guy is disheartened by this saying (because he had great wealth) and went away sadly. (This is where Jesus gives us His famous statement that it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven. However, take heart- when the disciples asked Him who then could be saved, Jesus reminded them that with man this is impossible, but nothing is impossible with God.)
In naming these examples, I wanted to demonstrate that Jesus clearly not only invites but demands people use reason and much consideration of the evidence and the cost before deciding to follow Him. In Matthew 11:1-19, Jesus is visited by friends of John the Baptist, who is imprisoned for speaking out against Herod's sexual immorality [he had taken his brother's wife]- and John has sent these messengers to ask about the deeds of Christ that he has heard about. The messengers ask Jesus if He is indeed the One who was to come or if they should look for another. Jesus tells them to examine the evidence and and go back and tell John what they see and hear- the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by Jesus.
(Jesus also goes on to exhort the people listening to Him to consider what the Scriptures prophesied about John the Baptist [referencing Malachi 4:5-6, which likens the one who prepares the way for Christ [i.e. John the Baptist's role] to Elijah.] and compare what they've seen to the Scriptures.)
So, at least for Christianity, God does call people to use reason, evidence and intellect in making up their minds about Him and He does seek for people to put faith in Him through Christ and follow Him and His moral standards (the latter part of which can only be achieved after doing the former part) in order to improve the human condition to an infinite degree.
I think maybe a better question to ask would be, "Can you be perfect without God?" Because perfection is God's standard for morality [Leviticus 11:45 states as a command from God and Matthew 5:48 reiterates- "Be perfect as I am perfect."] - a standard that all of us miss. (Romans 3:23) And that is precisely why Jesus came to live out the standard of moral perfection for us- and He took our punishment as well- and thereby through His death and Resurrection, provided the means for us to have our moral failings forgiven and for us to have Christ's righteousness imputed to us. In myself, there is nothing good. The only good in me is Jesus. And as I noted earlier, Philippians 1:6 promises followers of Christ the end result of reaching perfection in Christ- which is what He made us to be all along. (And certainly, the goal of Christianity is to be like Christ, Who is perfection Himself because He's God.)

The Worrier (song)

"And tho' this world with devils filled should threaten to undo us...We will not fear for God hath willed His Truth to triumph through us- Dost ask who this might be? Christ Jesus- it is He! Lord Sabaoth is His Name- From age to age the same- And He must win the battle!" - ("A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" by Martin Luther)

There are all kinds of scandals out in the world and fears and concerns and trials and tribulations to worry about- but The One who has conquered the world tells us to take heart- He is in control and when we know Jesus as Savior and follow Him- there's no need to worry about anything. Quit being the worrier and become the warrior that Romans 8 declares followers of Christ to be! :-)

"The Worrier"
(parody of "The Warrior" by Scandal featuring Patty Smyth; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 9/12/2014)
(Psalms 37:23-29, Psalms 104:24-28, Psalms 81:16, Psalms 145:13-21, 1 Peter 5:6-7, Philippians 4:19, Matthew 6:25-34, 2 Timothy 1:6-7, 1 John 4:18, Luke 10:38-42, Philippians 4:4-8, Hebrews 11:1-6, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Habakkuk 2:4, John 16:33, Proverbs 28:1, John 14:1, Psalms 23, John 10, Romans 8)

Ohhh! Ohhh!

We've sung "Trust And Obey"
It's so hard to do in faith
Feeding all those hungry guys
Big Macs tonight; can't get French fries

Well, isn't God providing?
So why's my worldview so negative?
Break out the Ramen please
That's all we eat like stereotypical guys
Love pays no bills
I'm Martha's child

Luke 10:41- my namesake
Good grief!
I am a worrywart
Well, I am the Worrier!
And Father knows our needs
He will provide- Don't worry, sir- Don't worry, girl
Well, talk's easy and cheap
4:19 (in) Philippians- read
It's easy when things are nice
Life crashing makes it rather trite (Ohhh!)
Who, by worry, adds or gains?
God knows my needs- (I'll) call His Name
Behold, He clothes the field lilies
Solomon's array's got zilch on this style
So don't be afraid- God's got all of us, child

Fretting brings me only heartburn
Aw, sheesh!
I am the worrier
Well, I am the worrier
So fearful heart, trust Him!
He will provide- Good Shepherd, yeah- Psalms 23!
He's God- Jehovah Jireh!

Hebrews 11- it's faith-based (Hebrews 11 verse 6 says)
The righteous one- by faith- to please The Lord
So fearful heart, trust Him! (Fearful heart, trust Him!)
He will provide- Don't worry, sir- Don't worry, girl

Working out good- all things- God makes
Rom. 8
I've been the worrier
Now I'm more than conqueror!
Got victory through Christ!

(Seeking God first- all things added- yay!)
6 Matthew- yeah- Trust Him- The Lord Savior!
Shooting down the walls that fear made
Bang, bang
He is The Warrior
Well, I trust my Lord Savior!
(fade)

.............................................................

(I thought it was worth nothing that this parody song was directly inspired by a sermon from my home church circa September 2014- my pastor used the exact phrase that I used for the name of this song- and it brought to mind this classic '80s song and the parody quickly came together from there. And as always, ultimately, it's God who brings all these things to mind and I trust He uses them all for His glory. :-))