Speaking Without Anger

For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.  So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. (Daniel 2:12-14)

Speaking Without Anger

picture credit: spurmag.com

Anger has become a major problem in our society, especially when associated with driving.  Between 1990 and 1997, 2, 50,000 people were killed in traffic accident.  The U. S. Department of Transportation estimates that two-thirds of these road fatalities were caused by drivers who were angry.  They not only lost their temper, but they lost their lives as well.

When Daniel was confronted with the king’s edict, it could have given way to anger.  The King’s demands were unreasonable.  Who ever heard of telling the dream as well as giving the interpretation?  Furthermore, it was unfair.  Why destroy all the wise men when not everyone had been given the opportunity to redeem himself?  But Daniel knew better than to give way to such futile passions.  Instead, he answered with “counsel and wisdom.”

To his credit, Daniel first sought information.  He checked out the facts to find out what lay behind this seemingly unreasonable edit.  Then he spoke with wisdom.  Daniel took the time to understand the situation and then offered a practical solution that would both meet the king’s need and save the lives of many innocent people.

Anger can be terribly devastating, especially for Christians.  Not only do they suffer the same consequences unbelievers do when they lose their temper, but they also tarnish their testimony before a watching world.

If you struggle with anger, learn to seek counsel and then speak with wisdom.  Get the facts straight.  Give yourself time to think about the consequences of your anger.  And then, rather than waste your energy on a fit of rage and bring shame to the Lord, as God to show you how you can resolve the situation for His glory.

Anger isn’t always wrong, but it’s seldom profitable.

                                                  —Dr. Woodrow Kroll

Source: Confident Living Magazine, Back to the Bible

Gems from the Original: From Glory to the Cross

Gems from the Original: From Glory to the Cross

Harold J B

           THE PHILIPPIAN CHRISTIANS were to have the same mind in them that was in Christ Jesus (Phil. 2:5).  In telling them this, the Apostle Paul explained the kind of attitude that characterized the Lord Jesus Christ.  Although as to His “form” (v 6), He was God, He did not consider it something to be grasped after to maintain the glory He had with the Father.

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (2:7).

 The phrase “made himself of no reputation” is literally “he emptied himself.”  The emptying of Himself is the opposite of grasping after what He had in the presence of the Father—independent exercise of authority and the free expression of His attributes.  Thus, it could be said that He “made himself of no reputation.”

Instead, He “took upon him the form of a servant.”  The word translated “form” is morphe, the same word translated “form” in verse 6. as to His inner essence, He was God, but upon His choice to come to earth, He took on also the inner essence of a servant.  The Word Paul used for “servant” was the common word in the New Testament times for “slave.”  What a contrast!  Jesus Christ gave up the highest glory imaginable—a position of complete independence—and took the lowest position thinkable.  A servant, or a slave, is one who has no will of his own but is entirely subjected to serving the will of another.  Jesus Christ came to earth to do the will of His Father and at the end of His earthly life was able to say to the Father, “I have glorified thee on the earth:  I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4).  The love of the Lord Jesus Christ for fallen man is indicated that He would not have had to give up His position of glory and take on the form of a servant.  He could have insisted on His rights to retain the glory He had with the Father.  This is the exact point Paul was making to the Philippians.  Although it was the right of the Lord Jesus Christ to retain this position He had with the Father, He willingly gave it up for others

In being willing to give up His position of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ “was made in the likeness of men.”  These words reveal His identification with mankind, for His appearance was similar.

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (2:8).

A key word in this verse is the one translated “fashion” (schema), which emphasizes the outer appearance.  As to His inner essence, Christ was the God-Man, but outwardly He appeared “as a man.”  So thoroughly was His appearance as a man that many of His contemporaries did not know He was also God.

 In this passage, which emphasizes what the Lord Jesus Christ gave up, Paul said, “He humbled himself.”  The Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be born into a family of low estate.  It was one thing for Him to be willing to give up His glory with the father and to be born into the human race, but it was quite another thing for Him to be willing to be born into a family which had very little of this world’s goods.  He could have chosen to be born into the family of the Roman Emperor, thereby assuring Himself of eventually ruling the then-known world.

By being born into any Roman family, thus being a Roman citizen, he would have been protected from the most horrible form of execution—crucifixion.  This was reserved for non-Romans and even then for only the grossest of criminals.  But Jesus Christ willingly gave up the glory He had with the Father and became a member of a family existing on the level of poverty.  What a lesson His example was to the first-century Philippian Christians, and what a lesson it ought to be to 20^th-century Christians.

Jesus Christ “became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”  It is difficult enough to imagine the Lord Jesus Christ giving up His glory with the Father and taking a position that would involve death, but it is especially difficult to imagine that He would agree to experience “the death of the cross.”  Even the unsaved in Philippi, with their Greek culture, probably shuddered at the thought of the ugly death on the cross, and now Paul was telling the believer that this is precisely what Jesus Christ chose in contrast to His former position.  No wonder the Apostle John said, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation  for our sins”  (I John 4:10).

Paul had told the Philippians “Stand fast in one spirit” (1:27), and, “Be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind” (2:2).  A believer’s attitude toward another believer is tremendously important as they serve Christ together.  It is not always easy for a Christian to have the right attitude toward another Christian.  Paul did not indicate that it was easy, but by stating what the Lord Jesus Christ gave up in order to pay the penalty for sin, he thereby indicated that if Christians have the same attitude, they will be able to live together harmoniously.

 

How Good a Soldier Are You?

                                                                                                                                           

You are in the army of God.  Are you ready for battle?   Are you following His orders?

Hay, General your battle plan really stinks!  No way am I going to follow it.  I’ll do it my way!”

Rank insubordination?  Disobedience to authority?  You’d better believe it!  In wartime that soldier would be a prime candidate for the guardhouse and probably worse.

Our “war machine” would grind to a halt if our soldiers decided to do “their own thing.”

They must follow the orders of their leaders.

An army has leaders who plan out the best strategy possible to defeat the enemy.  The then issue orders to carry out those plans.  They have information—sometimes even secret documents—about the enemy’s plans and movements that the soldiers know nothing about.  This “inside” information helps them make much wiser decisions than the uninformed soldier.  This is how victories are won.

As Christians we are engaged in a spiritual warfare.  This is the most serious battle of all, more serious than any battle nations can wage.  The army of God is warring with the hosts of satan.  Ephesians 6:12 states:  “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against, principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  We are in the battle for men’s souls.  Their eternal destiny is at stake.  Winning souls and defeating satan should be the desire of every true believer.

Have you ever tried to defeat satan in your own power?  Did you?  Could it be that satan outfoxed you because you misjudged his plan and power?  Satan is crafty and full of tricks that we have never heard or thought of.   After all, he’s been around a lot longer than we have.  Ezekiel 28: 14,15 tell us something about satan’s life before he fell.  “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee  so:  thou was upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.  Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created till iniquity was found in the.” 

Our enemy is powerful.  In fact his hunger for more power was his downfall.  (Isaiah 14: 12-14 tells the story.  “How art thou fallen from heaven.  O Lucifer, son of the morning!  How art thou cut doen to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:  I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”  From our standpoint he is much more powerful than we.  Only through the power of Christ can we hope to defeat him.  First John 4:4 states:  “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

Just as no soldier would think of going into battle unarmed,  Christians should not face satan without being armed with our spiritual weapons.  Yet, day after day, we go into battle without our weapons or armor.  To be sure, these are not physical swords and shields, they are spiritual weapons.  It would be a lot easier to know we were properly prepared for battle if we could  see them,  however; they are more powerful than any physical weapon.  David did not have nay real physical weapons (unless you call a sling and stone weapons against a giant), but  he had his spiritual armor on.  As you recall, Saul tried to give him physical armor, but David refused it.  He was out there in the power of God, and he wanted to be sure everyone knew it was God’s victory.  Paul admonishes us in Ephesians 6:11-17 to put on the whole armor of God.  We must have our armor on  and God’s power to defeat satan.

Also , we have a leader who can supply us with a winning “battle plan.”  He is omnipotent and omniscient God who knows everything before it ever happens.  He knows where satan is going to strike next and can give us the means to defeat him.  However, He expects us to ask, and then He expects us to follow what He tells us.  If we don’t ask for His help, we will be hopelessly outclassed by the enemy.

Let God make the battle plan.  He know satan’s plans and can give us strategy to win in victory.

Just as the human army cannot function if every soldier decides to do his own thing, neither can God’s army function when born-again believers go their own way and  don’t  seek  God’s  leading and guidance.

As God surveys His army, I can’t help but think He is saddened to see so few out fighting the enemy.  The rest seem to be on permanent R & R (rest and reaction) or fighting among themselves over petty differences.  God will not force us to defeat satan.  The choice is ours.

If God’s army would start following His orders, we would see a revival like there has not been in many years.

By L G Davies