-- Friday, 7/22/11 -- THOUGHT CONTROL -- Matthew 5:21-22
J.R. & Bonnie Ricks
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Dear Friends,
We wanted to say thank you. We have a short distance to go to meeting the budget for this month, and we’re sure it will be met before the end of the month. It’s hard to put into words how much all of you mean to us that support the ministry with your gifts. We try very hard to make the best use of every dollar. Every gift we receive is very special, because it confirms to us that we’re doing what God wants us to do because He’s providing the needs. It also shows us the faith and trust you have in Bonnie and me, that you’re willing to entrust your treasure with us. I wish that I had the right words to say what we feel in our hearts.
Thank you, and God bless each of you.
J.R. & Bonnie
THOUGHT CONTROL -- Matthew 5:21-22
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
Murder is a terrible sin. Ending another person's life out of anger or revenge or just plain meanness is horrible. But Jesus says that anger that festers and boils within one's soul against another is just as bad… perhaps not so much for the object of the anger, but definitely for the person who is harboring that anger.
Anger is a dangerous emotion. It can cause any number of emotional and spiritual problems. If left unchecked, it can erupt into violence. That's how spouses and children get beaten up. That's why the police are called out for so many "domestic disturbances". That's how people end up dead. If held in check - but not dealt with in a constructive manner - anger can fester like an infected sore on one's soul, filling the person with bitterness, and resulting in severe emotional stress. This, too, can eventually lead to violence… perhaps not toward the person who originally caused the anger, but towards another. A man who harbors anger against his boss may come home and kick the dog or beat up his wife. A woman who is angry with her mother – even for something she did ten or fifteen years earlier - may take that anger and bitterness out on her children.
Any and all of these things throw up a large wall between the person harboring anger and Jesus. If you refuse to let go of those things that you hold in your heart and mind that are not pleasing to Him – those festering sins - you are incapable of having the close and intimate relationship with Jesus that you need. If you don't let go of your anger - repent of it, as forgiveness for it, and turn away from it - Jesus cannot heal the pain that caused the anger in the first place.
We're all proud of ourselves when we don't lash out in anger, and instead, control our tempers. But Jesus wants us to not only have self-control… He wants us to have thought-control. Are you harboring anger in your heart for someone - even for something that happened years ago? If so, remember… you're not only breaking one of God's commandments, but you're also placing a roadblock between yourself and Jesus. If you’re filled with old anger and bitterness that you’ve clutched tightly to yourself for years, ask Him to help you get rid of that anger today. And if the anger you feel is new, stemming from something recent, talk to Jesus about that anger, too, asking Him to take it away from you so you can have that relationship with Him that you crave.
July Budget Report
Dogwood Ministries Monthly Budget: $1,500.00
Received as of 7/22/11: $1,220.00
Balance needed: $280.00
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God bless you all!
All Bible quotes contained in these devotionals are from the New International Version 1984 (NIV1984), unless otherwise specified.
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