Purity 358 03/05/2021 Purity 358 Podcast
Good morning and Thank God Its Friday!
Today’s photo is just the perfect analogy for Friday as a friend has
captured this stunning shot of a pathway lined with palm trees that leads to the
ocean and sun. It just beckons us to just walk down that path to the beach, and
the weekend ahead. My friend is
vacationing in Florida and this pic was presumably taken in Naples Florida, but
that’s only my best guess because my friend is not staying in one place. They have
seen the Florida Keys, Naples, Dunedin, and Orlando so far and they plan on
going to Boca Raton, Daytona, and Winter Haven as well.
I just love my friend’s adventurous spirit that says, “I want to see it
all!” Staying in one place has its
merits but using your vacation to travel to see multiple places is an exciting
way to travel as every day, or every few days, you experience new sights. Their
journey really inspires me to go see something new this weekend even if it will
be limited to my local area. Life is
meant to be lived and our ability to move should not be wasted.
Our walk with God should be the same way. We should continuously be
seeking the Lord and asking Him to show us something new. He wants you to know Him better and when you
seek His wisdom and ways there is no telling what incredible things He will
bring to you.
(An Audio version of this message is available
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This morning’s meditation
verses are:
Psalm 23:6
(NKJV)
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.
Todays verse is actually quite timely, as the
previous verse, that says “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my
enemies…” was highlighted at my local church
last Sunday.
This phrase from verse 5 was repeated by several
people in corporate prayer, was in one of the worship songs, and was delivered
as part of a spontaneous prophetic word to the church – all without collusion
or planning by the people in question. It
has popped up in several church member’s daily experience since then.
When things like this happen, it becomes clear that
the Lord has a word for us. The word
from verse 5 is that God provides for us even in hostile environments. Right now is possibly one of the most hostile
times for the Christian Faith in the history of the United States as COVID-19
has cause significant drops in church attendance and certain political agendas
are being pushed that could severely limit our religious freedoms. So God is letting us know that He will
continue to provide for those who place their faith in Him.
So it’s no surprise to me that out of the stack of
over a hundred index cards that I draw from for our daily verse, that the next
verse from Psalm 23 would come up. Psalm
23:6 declares that goodness and mercy should follow us, the faithful, for all
our days of our lives and, that no matter where we go or what we will face, we
will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.
I invite all to mt4chritst.org where I always share
insights from prominent Christian counselors to assist my brothers and sisters
in Christ with their walk.
Today we will share from Dr. June Hunt’s Biblical Counseling Keys on “Anger:
Facing the Fire Within”
As always, I share this information for educational purposes
and encourage all to purchase Dr. Hunt’s books for your own private study and
to support her work:
C. How to Measure the Amount of Your Anger
Before firefighters respond to any alarm, they measure the intensity of the
emergency and then rally the necessary resources.
A 1-alarm fire is considered the least serious, usually dispatching to the
scene two pumper trucks, a rescue unit, a ladder truck, and a supervising
chief. A 2-alarm fire doubles the response of a 1-alarm call.
In situations considered 3-alarm to 5-alarm fires, besides adding more of
the above, trucks storing oxygen and area lighting are also sent to the scene,
along with a crew for media relations and food and water replenishments for
firefighters.
Similar to the standard procedure of firefighters, taking the time to
measure your anger is necessary for knowing how to put the fire of anger out.
Have you seriously thought about how much anger you are holding
inside your heart and toward whom you feel angry? See the pie-shaped
outline on the following page. Divide the pie into segments and put a specific
name inside each segment to represent the amount of anger you feel toward the
different people in your life (past or present). See the sample “Anger
Pie,” which shows general categories.
As you think about your own anger, consider what the Bible says….
“Man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God
desires.” (James
1:20)
D. How to Analyze Your Anger
Fire investigators have the responsibility of analyzing the aftermath of a
fire to determine where the fire started, what started it, and why it got out
of control. The goal is to formulate a plan to prevent such fires from getting
started in the future and to control and extinguish them should they break out
again. Likewise, analyzing your anger will help you determine where it started,
what started it, and why it got out of control… but also how to prevent it
and how to control it should it break out again.
To better understand your anger, each time you feel angry, stop and ask
yourself key thought-provoking questions. Analyzing your thoughts and actions
can help you move from being controlled by your anger to benefiting from your
anger. As you practice patience and gain understanding, you will be able to use
your anger for God’s purpose, which, in turn, will prevent foolish displays of
anger you later regret. Remember…
“A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man
displays folly.” (Proverbs 14:29)
The Anger Quiz
As you answer each question, think for a moment and answer as honestly as
you can….
- What
triggers your anger? - How do you
generally express your anger? - What do
you desire when you are angry? - Is the way
you express your anger working for you? Do you get what you desire? - Do you
ever lose control of your anger? If so, when was the first time you did…
and what happened? - Are you
able to calm your anger? If so, what do you do? - Have you
allowed your anger to escalate? If so, what happened? - Is your
anger harming your relationships? If so, how? - Has your
anger ever caused any health problems? If so, what? - Do others
point out your anger even if you don’t see it? If so, when, and what do
they say? - Does your
anger ever become physical? If so, how and how often? - When you
get angry, how safe do you feel? - When you
get angry, how safe do others feel? - Did anyone
in your childhood home have an anger problem? If so, who, and how were you
impacted back then? - As a
child, how did you feel when you were on the receiving end of someone’s
anger? - Do you
think anger from your childhood could still be impacting you today? If so,
how? - Do you
have difficulty forgiving those toward whom you have anger? If so, explain. - Do you
have someone wise to talk with about your anger? - Do you
ever pray about your anger? If so, what do you pray? - What is
your view of God in the midst of angering situations? - How do you
think you should respond to God when you feel angry? - How do you
think you should respond to others when you feel angry? - What can
you learn from a recent anger problem that will help you better handle
your anger in the future?
When
you honestly analyze your anger, you are taking the first step toward
controlling your temper rather than letting your temper control you….
“Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper
than one who takes a city.” (Proverbs 16:32)
Biblical Counseling Keys – Biblical Counseling Keys – Biblical Counseling Keys:
Anger: Facing the Fire Within.
—————————-more
tomorrow ————————-
God bless
you all!
Join our
Victory over the Darkness Discipleship Class via the mt4christ247 podcast!
at https://mt4christ247.podbean.com, You can also find it on Apple podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mt4christ247s-podcast/id1551615154) and Google podcasts (https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL210NGNocmlzdDI0Ny9mZWVkLnhtbA%3D%3D
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at mt4christ247@gmail.com to receive
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