March 22, 2005
(ML #3536, GN 1127)
FD/MM/FM October 2004
ML #75 (excerpts); Vol.1
1. YOU'LL NEVER BE A TRULY GREAT LEADER—YOU'LL NEVER BE A TRULY GREAT SHEPHERD UNTIL YOU LEARN TO HAVE COMPASSION ON THE SHEEP—UNTIL YOU LEARN TO HAVE GREAT LOVE AND GREAT MERCY.
4. PRAYER: JESUS, JESUS! WE NEED YOU, JESUS! GENTLE LOVING JESUS WHO WEPT FOR THE MULTITUDE‚ who was so weary, and yet He came forth and looked upon the multitude and had compassion on them and healed them; as exhausted as He was, He didn't harden His heart!
5. YOU DIDN'T HARDEN YOUR HEART, LORD, BUT YOU HAD COMPASSION UPON THE MULTITUDE. YOU STAYED TENDER‚ QUIET AND HUMBLE. YOU WEPT OVER THEM TIME AND AGAIN. YOU WEPT OVER THE HARDNESS OF THEIR HEARTS. What grieved You more than anything else was their hard hearts—even those whom You would have gathered unto You. You didn't want to see them suffer and You wept for them. Help us not to get hard. We're so used to seeing problems and difficulties. Because we're in a hurry, the quick way is to harden our heart. We don't take time to soften and melt and love and care for them. We want to break them right away quick, instead of gentling them. We want to lay them flat instead of dealing with them and probing and gently trying to heal. We want to delve in and slice and cut and enjoy the bleeding, instead of being like the osteopath, who tries to find natural means to cure the disease, and tries to find the root of the problem. We slice away at the symptom and cut away the cancer and quickly try to chop off the arm or the leg without trying to find a way to heal the wound. We just cauterize with the sword heated in the fire, and we burn and injure even more sometimes. Help us, O God, not to get hard!
6. YOU HAD SO MUCH TO SAY AGAINST THE HARDNESS OF HEARTS: "Therefore thou art inexcusable‚ O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, Who will render to every man according to his deeds..." Help us not to judge them with harshness, Lord. … Chopping off an arm in a sudden operation—that doesn't take time‚ and it sometimes kills the patient! But natural ways take time: A change of diet‚ a change of scenery, the encouragement to exercise, trying to coordinate. Such gentle leading of the blind, such tender understanding of the feeble-minded—these things take such time! You could slap them in a padded cell and put them in a straitjacket and let them go mad through such harsh treatment, or we could put our arms around them and encourage and inspire and show we have faith in them.
7. THIS TAKES TIME! WE'RE IN TOO BIG A HURRY SOMETIMES. IT'S LIKE GETTING ANGRY AT A LITTLE TINY BABY. How many years it takes to grow up and for parents to teach and to train them to feed themselves and go to the bathroom—years of love and patience; yet the parents don't give up and get angry and throw them out just because the children can't do everything themselves! Help us to have patience, help us to have love. Help us to be easier on the spiritually and physically handicapped! It takes time to change the diet, establish the exercise‚ to realize they have to have more rest than normal people—that we can't push them so hard. It takes time—on our most uncomely parts we do bestow the greater care! Comfort the feeble–minded. Harden not your hearts! Help us to be willing to take time! This being in a hurry is a lack of faith—that it's got to be done right now, or it won't be done. We're trying to do it in our own strength!
8. IT TOOK TIME TO TEACH AND TRAIN ME TO GET WHERE WE ARE NOW—AND THAT'S AT THE BOTTOM! We couldn't get any lower! If anything's to be done, You have to do it, Lord! We have to just wait on You, and know You're the One! Not by might, nor by power, but by Thy Spirit! Help us to have the patience to take the time with you and with others, with those who are handicapped, and those who are weak and crippled and babes—even our own leaders! … We ask that You will teach Thy sons and daughters patience and faith—which takes time—teach them never to get in such a hurry;—not to push themselves so hard, as though they had to do it in their own strength! Help them to learn how to lean on You, and to know that You're going to take care of it somehow—to trust You! Carrying the burdens ourselves would just drive us insane—and this harshness that some people have is a form of insanity! It can become extreme; this unmercifulness comes from getting our eyes off You. You said You would keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in Thee!
9. FORGIVE ME‚ LORD‚ FOR THE TIMES I'VE BECOME IMPATIENT, BECAUSE I DIDN'T KEEP MY EYES ON YOU. Sometimes I get so upset‚ I just want to wipe the floor up with some people, and beat them the way I want to, instead of letting You discipline them the way You know best!
10. THANK YOU, LORD, FOR ALL OF YOUR PATIENCE—AND FOR SHOWING US THAT THE BEST HEALING TAKES TIME. It can't be done overnight, but we have to get at the root of the trouble; we have to correct the cause. These outward manifestations are just symptoms of an inner disease. We could try to get rid of them just by slicing them off, but we have to get at the root, which takes love and probing and massaging and gentle feeling, which takes hands of love and hands of mercy, and hands of gentleness!
11. THE ONLY WAY WE CAN BE PATIENT WITH OTHERS IS TO KNOW WHAT A HOPELESS CASE WE ARE OURSELVES! You've been so gentle with us—not rewarding us according to our iniquities. You've been so patient and loving!
12. IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE SHOW THESE KIDS, HELP US TO SHOW THEM TENDERNESS AND GENTLENESS—THAT THEY ARE SO DEAR TO OUR HEARTS—that You've gone so far out of Your way—Your hands are torn by the rocks and thistles in rescuing these little lost lambs. Help us to take them in our arms and hold them close to our bosoms and nurse them back to strength and health and wholeness! Help us, O Jesus!
13. THANK YOU, LORD! O‚ THANK YOU, JESUS! LORD, IF YOU'RE ANYTHING, AS WE SEE YOU THERE, YOU'RE THE PICTURE OF PATIENCE, CALMNESS, LOVE, AND GENTLENESS‚ LONG-SUFFERING—THE PICTURE OF TENDERNESS‚ GENTLY WOOING LIKE THE DOVE, cooing like a dove—easily frightened away if met with hardness and resistance. You don't try to force anybody, Lord. Your Holy Spirit gently descends, and can be easily shooed away. It doesn't land where it's not wanted.
17. IF THERE IS ANYTHING WE'VE BEEN KNOWN FOR, IT'S LOVE. They look up with such trust and such faith‚ such hope that we have the Answer—that we can help them‚ because You're in us! We're like the shepherd with wooing voice and gentle tone and deft and gentle fingers! We heal the broken-hearted, bind up the wounds and set the captives free—not with violence, but with gentleness—to win the world with Love! If You could only teach us this lesson—it's greater than faith: Though we have faith and wisdom, tongues and interpretation, though we have a sacrificial spirit—our service is nothing without our love!
18. YOU SAID, I WILL HAVE MERCY AND NOT SACRIFICE. WE MUST SPEND TIME ALONE WITH THEE TO LEARN WHAT THIS MEANETH! THE GREATEST GUIDE IS THE ONE THAT SHOWS THE WAY! We're samples! Help us to be like You, Lord Jesus! Help us not to be like the Enemy—the Accuser of the Saints, the harsh, the cruel‚ the devourer—but like the little gentle Lamb of God! … Help us to be forgiving and patient and to have mercy as we want mercy, and to treat them in their errors as we want You to treat us in ours!
27. LORD‚ I SENT THEM OUT WITH A SPANKING THIS MORNING. I DIDN'T FEED THEM! YOU FEED THEM LORD! YOU COMFORT THEM! That's the trouble with being in a hurry! Whenever I spank them. I have to have time to love them, Lord—otherwise, they get discouraged! Forgive me, Lord! Help them! I failed‚ but You encourage them, Lord!—By Thy Holy Spirit, like a Mother who encourages and comforts them after Daddy spanks them. In Jesus' Name. I'm sorry, Lord. Help me to do better! Encourage, inspire, instruct, and lead them by Thy own Hand, Lord! Thank you, Father! Help me to be a better Shepherd, Lord!
28. THEY'VE DONE SO MUCH. THEY'VE WORKED SO HARD, AND DONE SO WELL—MORE THAN EVEN THEY SHOULD HAVE. (The Shepherd falls upon his face and weeps): Forgive me for scolding them, Lord. We know they needed it, but forgive me for not comforting them afterwards. Help me to have more concern and love and thoughtfulness. Help me to lift them up, not just beat them down—a lifter up of their heads‚ Jesus, help me not to add to their burdens, but to share and bear their burdens! Help them, strengthen them, give them mercy and love and joy! O Jesus, we need You so much, Lord! (The Shepherd weeps) How can I scold anybody else when I myself am such a failure. Have mercy, Lord; have mercy! Help me to be more loving, more kind, more merciful, more patient! Forgive me for getting upset. We find Thy servants have not obeyed‚ and have left Thy work undone, and we get so upset. Somewhere it must be my fault. I'm the leader. Forgive me, Lord; I must not have made it plain. Help me to make it more simple, so they can understand it. Lord, I don't know anything. I'm an unprofitable servant. Forgive and help me. I don't want to be like that! Keep me humble and broken and dependent upon Thee, Lord! Help me to strengthen Thy children‚ feed Thy flock, guide thy little ones. … Help us not to be hard, but tender and gentle, like You, precious Lord! Give us strength now to finish the task; wisdom and love—that they may feel Thy Love—that it may lift up their heads and make them happy and give them joy and inspiration and strength! In Jesus' precious name I pray! Amen.
ML #1250, DB 1
1. IT SEEMED LIKE WE WERE LINED UP AT A STARTING LINE WAITING FOR A RACE or the start of a rally. I was getting very, very‚ very impatient because the people who were supposed to be in my car were not there & we couldn't start the race without them! So I drove clear out in the country up this country road to the house where the Family was supposed to be, but they weren't there. And then I drove back to this Colony dining hall & I went in there searching for them & I was looking everywhere & I was just absolutely getting frantic because I couldn't find them!
2. Then I got this Scripture about a meek & a quiet spirit! The words that came to me were: "A meek & a quiet spirit God will not despise!" There was this very sweet, meek & quiet brother who seemed to be walking around tending tables‚ very self-effacing, just waiting on tables quietly, humbly, meekly. So I went to him & took hold of him by the shoulder as though I was rather desperate to find that verse, & I said, "Brother, where is that verse about the meek & quiet spirit that God will not despise?" And he looked thoughtful for a moment & he said, "I think you'll find it in Gideon 2 or 3."
3. Then, lo & behold, when I got out to the car in the parking lot, there was the Family all waiting for me! But apparently I was very impatient to get started in the race, because I drove off up that same country road where I had been looking for them before‚ toward the house in which they seemed to be living.
4. Suddenly when I got almost to the house I remembered that wasn't the way I was supposed to go, so I began to back up furiously down the road‚ hastily & impatiently! I was so disgusted with myself for having taken the wrong road, the old habitual road toward home. So I was flying backward in reverse, desperately praying I wouldn't hit a tree, hastily & impatiently trying to get where I was supposed to go & apparently forgetting all about the Scriptural answer I had just received admonishing me to be of a meek & quiet spirit—when suddenly I woke up!
5. THE FIRST SCRIPTURE ON MEEKNESS IN MY LITTLE CRUDEN'S CONCORDANCE IS NUMBERS 12:3: "Now the man Moses was very meek above all the men which were upon the face of the Earth!" Wow! That's not exactly the way we usually remember Moses! True, Moses was normally the meekest of all men, but God had to show that even Moses, in the few times that he really got mad, only got all shook up in vain & made some serious mistakes himself by getting so angry.—Once he killed someone, another time he broke all Ten Commandments with one fell stroke, & last he angrily struck the rock at the waters of Meribah. (Ex.2:12; 32:19; Num.20.)
6. Not that the rod of chastisement is wrong, but it is the SPIRIT in which it is wielded that counts! For God Himself chastises us with His own rod, but He does it in love & in patience & always comforts us afterwards & tries to encourage us to keep on despite our mistakes. So it is very important that you & I have the right spirit & conduct ourselves as God would have us before our children, whether they be natural or spiritual children. But it seems that when we can't get your attention any other way‚ that's about the only way it seems we're able to attract your attention & get you to listen!
7. So we do have to scold & lecture & bawl you out sometimes for your mistakes. We do have to chastise you sometimes for your stupid errors & disobediences, but it's the way we do it that counts.—Not too hard, not too harsh, not too heavy, not to the point of total discouragement & despair so that your child gives up & quits trying, or that your spiritual babe just quits & backslides & goes home because he just can't live up to your standards.
8. We must be sure that it's in the right spirit with the meekness & the quietness of a tender & gentle & loving & contrite heart in all humility.—To be sure that we're in the right spirit as we correct those around us for their mistakes & their errors & their sins, even as God does us & as we would want others to do unto us for ours: Loving & forgiving one another for Christ's sake, even as He hath forgiven us for our sins. As Jesus taught us to pray‚ forgive us for our iniquities as we forgive others for theirs. (Eph.4:32; Mt.6:12,14,15.)
9. YOU'LL FIND THE STORY OF GIDEON IN JUDGES 6, 7 & 8. It was a sad time in Israel's history, they were already in the Land of Promise by this time, & they were trying to survive there under the onslaughts of their enemies. And apparently, because they were getting desperate & crying out to the Lord for help, God in His mercy sent a helper.—The simple son of a simple farmer.
10. God tells him to, "Go in this thy might, & thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?" And what does he do? He gives God a big argument & finally insists that God give him some kind of signs. He requests sign after sign before he's finally convinced that God is really with him. And the final sign, you remember, is Gideon's fleece, from which we get our expression about "throw out a fleece" & see if God honors it. So in Gideon 1, Judges Chapter 6, he certainly didn't show too much meekness & quietness‚ did he?
11. In the next Chapter came the biggest test of dear Gideon's meekness & quietness & his faith in God, when he had an army of 32‚000 & God said that was too many! And, let me tell you, He cut them down! Of 32‚000 he started with, he only wound up with 300 left! Well, that was sure a test of dear young Gideon's meekness & quietness, wasn't it? He sure had to trust the Lord then, because the armies of the Midianites were thousands & thousands & thousands! Well, by this time dear Gideon's faith seemed to be increasing & he begins to believe the Lord a little quicker & act a little quicker too!
12. So when God tells him to do the next crazy thing, he didn't even question it! He went right ahead & sent his 300 men into battle with nothing but a trumpet & a pitcher & a lamp in each hand. They made one hell of a lot of racket with all those trumpets blowing & all those pitchers breaking & all of a sudden all those bright lights flashing in the middle of the night! The poor Midianites thought the whole World had attacked them & they got so excited in the dark they were killing each other with their swords & they ran like mad & deserted the camp & the whole host cried & fled!
13. Then in Gideon 3 (Judges 8) our dearly beloved little hero & his 300 men took off after this gigantic host which had started off being 135,000 Midianites!—Just think, 300 men with nothing but trumpets, pitchers & lights scared the livin' daylights out of 135,000 men & actually slaughtered 120‚000 of them!
14. WHEN GIDEON GOT TO WHERE HE JUST MEEKLY BELIEVED GOD & WENT QUIETLY ABOUT HIS BUSINESS OF OBEYING GOD, God didn't despise his despicable little 300 & his ridiculous little efforts, but He really blessed him with a mighty walloping victory over a tremendous enemy! God loves a meek & a quiet spirit! He'll bless that, & He'll bless you for it!
15. It's GOD that wins the battle! It's obedience that wins the battle. It's humble faith that wins the battle. It's meekness & quietness, meekness of humility, believing in God & the quietness of faithful obedience to the Lord which wins the battle—regardless of how few you have & how weak you seem to be & how little you've got! It's God that honors your faith & your meekness & your quietness & your obedience to win the battle.—And that's what happened!
16. So I can see how God was certainly trying this morning to teach me a lesson through that dream‚ because I was afrettin' & aworryin' & astewin' & afumin' & afussin'! And when I cried out to the Lord for an answer, when I really got desperate He said that "a meek & a quiet spirit the Lord would not despise." In other words‚ don't worry, don't get all excited & all uptight, but just be calm & meek & humble & quiet & believing & obedient & everything will turn out all right!
17. So God bless you & may God help you to have a meek & a quiet spirit which the Lord will not despise, as He did for even somebody who was as full of faults & made as many mistakes & at first was as unwilling & unbelieving & disobedient as Gideon. If there was hopes for a guy like Gideon, if God could be that merciful & that good to a man in spite of all that, that when he finally got to believing & obeying Him, God finally mightily blessed him, certainly God can bless you! He can still forgive you for your past errors & mistakes & He'll still mightily use you in mighty battles & victories & great things to come, amen?—If you'll just be meek & quiet so God won't despise your own efforts, praise God?—BE MEEK!
ML #1377:50–54, GN Book 3
50. GOD GOT SO ANGRY AT THOSE … JEWS FOR ALL THEIR MURMURING in the wilderness that He finally wiped them all out except their children! Only the people under 20 years of age were spared, think of that! He wiped out the whole older generation & never let them go in, but kept them out for 40 years so they'd all die! And there were only two men over 20 that God allowed to go into the Promised Land, you know who they were? (Maria: Joshua & Caleb.) … They must have been strong men of faith‚ huh?
51. JUST THINK, HE DIDN'T EVEN LET MOSES GO IN BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE MISTAKES HE MADE! And when you pin it right down to it, what could have caused him to make that mistake of getting so angry & striking the rock twice in disobedience & anger? Well, I'll admit those … Jews were enough of a provocation on almost any occasion! But he let it get through to him & he lost his temper & got angry enough to disobey the Lord & strike it twice in stead of speaking to it.
52. YOU SAY, "THAT'S A SMALL THING! You mean to tell me that when God told him to speak to the rock to bring them water & he got mad & said, 'OK you rebels, must I bring you water again forth from the rock?’—& bang‚ bang he smote it twice, you mean God held it against him all those years & wouldn't let him go into the Promised Land just for that?"
53. WHY WAS IT SO BAD? WHY WAS IT SUCH A TERRIBLE SIN? It was one hell of a dandy bad example, for one thing! Why was it such a bad example‚ just because he lost his temper? Well‚ that was bad enough. Why do we lose our temper sometimes? Well, even Jesus got angry. I wouldn't say He lost His temper, He had a temper & got angry with the moneychangers & drove'm out! (Jn.2:15.) But that was righteous indignation, righteous judgment, they deserved it!
54. SOMETIMES I LOSE MY TEMPER & START YELLING & SCOLDING, It's lack of what? … I should have more patience. So what does it take to have patience? It's always because we need more faith. What was it he said? "Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?"—And he got mad & banged it twice he was so mad, right in front of the congregation! (Num.20:10‚11.)
ML #2894:5-8, 10‚ 12, 14, Lifelines 21
5. (Mama:) What's the most important thing?—To be honest or to be loving? The answer, of course‚ is to be loving. For example, if you feel like screaming at somebody, but instead you hold back your emotions & try to be sweet to them instead‚ you could feel that you're not being sincere & you're not being honest.
6. But I think the Lord will reward you more for being loving than if you just decide to let it all hang out & vent your emotions because you've decided, "We're supposed to be honest & we're supposed to really say what we mean, so let's just let our angry frustrations out!" Those negative feelings come from your old man & your evil old nature; you should cover up such feelings, & let the Lord's Spirit express itself through you in good words & acts.
7. When thinking about this, the verse came to me that says, "The Love of Christ constraineth us" (2Cor.5:14). In other words, it restrains us from letting out frustrations, from being angry with people, or from being harsh with them. That's what our natural inclination is, what our natural man wants to do, but the Love of Jesus constrains us (which means "compels us") to do otherwise.
8. What's the most important thing? The Lord says the most important thing is love. When you say something sweet to someone, even though your natural reaction may be to be angry or upset‚ you may think you're being a little "insincere" or "dishonest" at first. But don't worry or let that stop you, because if you go by faith & do what you know the Lord wants you to do, He will help your feelings to change. If you will just try to voice the words you should say, or show the affection or respect you should show, then the Lord will help your feelings to follow. And as time goes on, your feelings will match your actions & your words more & more. The Lord will reward your faith & your desire to do the right thing, even if you don't "feel" like it in a certain moment of time.
10. If you express love when you don't feel like it, it shows that while you may not feel like it‚ the Lord feels like it, & He needs to show that love through you. He's not being deceptive & He's not being dishonest, because the Lord really does love that person, & we are supposed to be showing the Lord & His Love to others. Whatever we feel is not nearly as important as what the Lord feels. It's what the Lord feels & what the Lord wants us to express that should be uppermost in our mind.
12. The point we're bringing out is this: Do you want to be shown the Lord's Love, or do you just want to see somebody's raw feelings? Why quibble over whether it's the person's feelings or the Lord's feelings!—Just be glad it's good feelings! I think I'd rather see the Lord's Love in someone than to see their old evil nature coming out!
14. In addition to finding the right things to say & new ways to express yourself or to address someone, you may also need to sit down with the person or persons toward whom you feel resentful or angry & apologize. If you can't seem to get along with someone, or you feel there is some kind of wall or friction building up between you, you can approach them lovingly & prayerfully, & ask them to pray for you & to forgive you for any ways in which you may have hurt them. You could also discuss the situation together and see if you can come up with any tips on how the two of you could have a better working relationship. If you humbly take the lower seat you may find that the other person or persons will also apologize for any problems they may have contributed to your interaction, & the Lord will bless your communication.
#259
When I humble you and I allow you to make seeming mistakes‚ instead of being so frustrated and condemned, just praise Me and say, "Thank You for humbling me! Thank You for showing me up. Thank You for showing my faults and failings."
When others fail you or make seeming mistakes, instead of blowing up in anger and frustration, say‚ "I pray for these and I love these. I want to help them and make it easy for them." Think thoughts of love for these who frustrate you. Pray for them. And as you think these thoughts of love and pray these prayers of love, so will the love in your heart be able to permeate your spirit and spread beyond the cloaks (of pride and selfishness), and the cloaks shall dissipate. So think thoughts of love—love toward others (ML #3043).
Good Thots 1
1. When I have lost my temper
I have lost my reason too.
I'm never proud of anything
Which angrily I do.
When I have talked in anger
And my cheeks were flaming red
I have always uttered something
Which I wish I had not said,
In anger I have never
Done a kindly deed or wise,
But many things for which I felt
I should apologize.
In looking back across my life,
And all I've lost or made,
I can't recall a single time
When fury ever paid.
So I struggle to be patient,
For I've reached a wiser age;
I do not want to do a thing
Or speak a word in rage.
I have learned by sad experience
That when my temper flies
I never do a worthy deed,
A decent deed or wise.
2. The Emperor Julius Caesar, when provoked, used to repeat the whole Roman alphabet before he permitted himself to speak. (Jonah 4:4; Eph. 4:26)
4. Anger is just one letter short of danger.
5. The anger of today is the remorse of tomorrow.
6. The worst of slaves is he whom anger rules.
7. Another thing that seems to improve the longer you keep it is your temper.
8. To be angry with a weak man is proof that you are not very strong yourself.
9. Temper gets people into trouble, but pride keeps them there.
10. Anger is a state that starts with madness & ends with regret.
11. Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.
12. He who can suppress a moment's anger may prevent a day of sorrow.
13. It is easy to fly into a passion—anybody can do that—but to be angry with the right person at the right time & with the right object in the right way—that is not easy, & it is not everyone who can do it.—Aristotle
14. Our anger & impatience often prove much more mischievous than the things about which we are angry or impatient.—Marcus Aurelius
15. Anger is seldom without a reason, but seldom a good one.—Benjamin Franklin
16. Act nothing in a furious passion. It is putting to sea in a storm.
17. When anger was in Cain's heart, murder was not far off.—Matthew Henry
18. Nothing makes room for Satan more than wrath.
19. The greatest remedy for anger is delay.—Seneca
20. Anger may rush into a wise man's bosom, but should not rest there.—John Trapp
21. For every minute you're angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness.
22. He is a fool who cannot get angry, but he is a wise man who will not.
23. Hot words never resulted in cool judgment.
24. When a person strikes in anger, he usually misses the mark.
25. When you're right you can afford to keep your temper; when you're wrong you can't afford to lose it.
26. If you would like to control your temper, be like a kettle—sing when you boil.
27. The best cure for a short temper is a lengthy prayer.
28. Some people are like firecrackers—they explode when the heat is applied.
29. Forgiveness saves the expense of anger‚ the high cost of hatred, & the waste of energy.
30. When a man loses his temper, his reason goes on a vacation.
31. It is always a good idea to be selfish with your temper—so always keep it.
32. He who has a sharp tongue soon cuts his own throat.
33. Anger makes your mouth work faster than your mind.
34. Patience strengthens the spirit, sweetens the temper, stifles anger, subdues pride, & bridles the tongue.
35. The man who cannot be angry at evil usually lacks enthusiasm for good.
36. God permits us to be angry in order to gnash our teeth against the Devil—not to set us in array against each other. "Be angry & sin not." (Eph. 4:26)
37. Never answer an angry word with an angry word. It's the second one that produces a quarrel.
38. Don't give anyone a piece of your mind—you need it all yourself!
39. Swallowing angry words is much easier than having to eat them!
40. You never can be quite sure what kind of a mind a person has until he gives you a piece of it.
41. Men with clenched fists cannot shake hands.
42. When the other follow gets angry, he is "ill-tempered." When I do‚ it's because my "nerves are bothering me."
43. The trouble with letting off steam is—it only gets you into more hot water.
44. He who blows his stack adds to the world's pollution.
45. You can't put things across by getting cross.
46. An angry man is seldom reasonable; a reasonable man is seldom angry.
47. Anger is like the fire extinguisher in a building—it is to be used only in case of emergency.
48. When angry, count ten before speaking. When very angry, count one hundred & then don't speak.
49. Striking while the iron is hot may be all right, but don't strike while the head is hot.
50. You are not a dynamic person simply because you blow your top.
51. The size of a man is measured by the size of the thing that makes him angry.
52. Anyone who angers you conquers you.
53. There are two things that a man should never be angry at—what he can help, & what he cannot.
54. Form the habit of closing your mouth when angry.
55. As a general rule, the angriest person in a controversy is the one who is wrong.
56. He who goes to bed angry has the Devil for a bed-fellow. Never take your enemies to bed with you.
57. It's easy to get up in the air. Coming down is what hurts.
58. No matter whether you are on the road or in an argument, when you begin to see red, STOP!
59. One of the sorriest spectacles imaginable is the anger of two people who have gotten into an argument over something that neither of them knows anything about.
60. We tend to think of anger as sin‚ & usually correctly, but sometimes it is sinful not to be angry. It is unthinkable that God would not be purely & perfectly angry with sin.
61. In anger Moses killed the Egyptian & had to flee for his life & it took him 40 years of patiently, humbly, tending sheep in the wilderness, with time to listen to the Voice of God instead of his own impulses, before he was ready for the slow‚ laborious, patient work of the Exodus—slow, but sure!
62. Moses was 40 days & nights on the mountain hearing from God, but in one split second of anger, he broke all Ten Commandments & lost the whole thing, & had to go back & spend another 40 days; his haste took him twice as long.
63. When Moses got upset & broke the tablets, he had to go back & stay another 40 days on the mountain to get quiet again! What good did it do for him to get upset—he just had to get quiet again to hear from the Lord. He might as well have come down & taken it quietly & calmly. It would have saved him another 40 days up there.
64. I abhor all violence except the violence of the judgments of God & the violence of the rod for children, which is a type of the same thing. God's Word says, "Keep not company with an angry man!" (Prov.22:24) because an angry person is apt to do violence & actual bodily harm & cause all kinds of trouble.
65. How are we to understand God's wrath? Does God raise His voice...get red in the face...allow His Own feelings to cloud His objectivity...& sometimes lose control? No, the wrath of God is as pure as the holiness of God. When God is angry‚ He is perfectly angry. When He is displeased‚ there is every reason He should be.
66. Anger is a thief that seizes control of man's faculties and uses them blindly and destructively. Usually a man who loses his temper also temporarily loses his ability to think logically.
Treasures
1.I spoke a word in anger
To one who was my friend.
Like a knife it cut him deeply,
A wound that was hard to mend.
That word, so thoughtlessly uttered,
I wish we could both forget,
But its echo lives and memory gives
The recollection yet.
2. A Christian writer relates the following true story: "During early childhood I had a fiery temper which often caused me to say and do unkind things in the heat of anger.
3. "One day, after I had bawled out one of my playmates and sent him home in tears, my father told me that for each thoughtless, angry word I said, he would hammer a nail into our gatepost. And each time I was patient and said something kind and gentle, one nail would be taken out.
4. "Months passed. Each time I entered our gate, I was reminded of the reasons for those ever-increasing nails!—Until finally, I decided that to get them out would be a challenge and I'd try my best! "At last the day I longed for arrived!—Only one more nail! As my father pulled it out, I danced around proudly exclaiming‚ 'See, Daddy, the nails are all gone!'
5. "I remember Father gazing intently at the post riddled full of holes, and he thoughtfully replied, 'Yes, the nails are gone—but the SCARS remain!'"
6. How true the saying, "The ANGER of today is the REMORSE of tomorrow". How deeply we regret words spoken in angry impatience, words that we wish we had never said. Uncontrolled anger can be a vicious and terrible thing! Someone has said, "When anger was in Cain's heart, murder was not far off!" You are never so vulnerable to the thoughts of the Devil as when you are unreasonably angry. Self-control is at an all-time low, reason decreases‚ and common sense usually forsakes you! ANGER is just one letter short of DANGER!
7. It was in a sudden burst of anger that Moses killed an Egyptian and had to flee for his life!—Exodus 2:11-15. It then took him 40 YEARS of patiently, humbly tending sheep in the wilderness, with time to listen to the voice of God instead of his own impulses, before he was ready for the slow, laborious, patient work of delivering the Hebrews from Egypt.
8. The Bible has a lot to say about anger—mostly AGAINST anger!—At least against unloving‚ impatient, selfish, proud‚ hurtful, unjustified HUMAN anger! Paul tells us to "Get rid of your bitterness‚ rage and anger."—Ephesians 4:31. Solomon warns us, "Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools."—Ecclesiastes 7:9. God's Word also warns, "Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man‚ do not associate with one easily angered" (Proverbs 22:24,25), because an angry person is apt to become violent and cause you and others harm and trouble!
RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION!
9. But ALL anger is not necessarily wrong. After ALL, anger is a natural, God-given emotion, and is, in itself‚ neither right nor wrong. The rightness or wrongness depends on our REASON or MOTIVATION for being angry. The Greek philosopher Aristotle rightly wrote, "It is EASY to fly into a passion—anybody can do that—but to be angry with the RIGHT person at the RIGHT time and with the RIGHT object in the RIGHT way—that is not easy‚ and it is not everyone who can do it!"
10. Most Christians today seem to think that anger is a sin, and sad to say, in MOST cases it usually IS. But sometimes it is actually a sin NOT to be angry! God Himself frequently gets VERY angry, particularly with the rebellious, truth-rejecting wicked who oppress, persecute and mistreat others! In fact, His Word says, "God is angry with the wicked EVERY DAY!"—Psalm 7:11.
11. Wise King Solomon wrote, "To EVERY thing there is a season, and a time to EVERY purpose under Heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1), and there are definitely times when we SHOULD be angry!—Otherwise, how are we going to have the FIGHT and the SPIRIT‚ the ARDOR and the COMPULSION to "FIGHT the good fight"‚ "WAR a good warfare", "RESIST the Devil", "PREACH the WORD, REPROVE, REBUKE and EXHORT", and do all the many other things that we as active Christian SOLDIERS must do in order to resist and fight sin, evil and the forces of the Devil!—1Timothy 6:12; 1:18; James 4:7; 2Timothy 4:2.
12. Although there are many examples in the Bible that clearly illustrate the BAD effects of uncontrolled anger, there are also many examples of men of God who became angry for GOOD reasons, for the RIGHT reasons, and their godly anger compelled them to fight evil‚ right wrongs and set things straight!
13. For example, the Bible tells us that SAMSON—the unconventional judge whom God used to deliver His people from their enemies—once discovered that his enemies had betrayed and cheated him, and "the SPIRIT OF THE LORD came upon him...and his ANGER was KINDLED!" The Lord actually ANOINTED him to be angry‚ and USED his anger to cause him to rise up and defeat the enemies of the Lord's people!—Judges 14:19.
14. Another similar example is found in 1Samuel Chapter 11: SAUL had just been chosen to be King. Some of Israel's enemies, the Ammonites, came upon the city of Jabesh-Gilead, and besieged it. Messengers came to Saul and told him that the Ammonites had cruelly sworn that they would make peace only if the men of Jabesh SURRENDERED and allowed the Ammonites to gouge out their right eyes!—Thus bringing disgrace on all of Israel. The Bible says, "When Saul heard their words, the SPIRIT OF GOD came upon him in POWER, and he BURNED with ANGER!"—1Samuel 11:6. He then ordered all the men of Israel to immediately come to the aid of Jabesh, and gathered a great army which routed and thoroughly defeated the wicked Ammonites!
15. The New Testament tells us that even JESUS Himself was frequently stirred up with godly anger, or righteous indignation. In Mark Chapter 3, we read that Jesus went into a synagogue of the Jews and found a man there with a withered or shriveled hand. Some of His hypocritical religious enemies were watching closely to see if He would break the Laws of Moses by healing this poor man on their holy day, the Sabbath. Jesus ordered the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone!" He then turned towards the hypocritical religionists and asked them, "Which is lawful to do on the Sabbath: To do GOOD or to do EVIL, to SAVE life or to KILL?"
16. They were silenced by His question. "And when He had looked around at them with ANGER, being GRIEVED for the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand!" And the man's hand was completely restored and healed!—Mark 3:1–5. So here we see an example of Jesus Himself being angered and grieved at the hypocrisy and the hardness of His accusers' hearts.
17. Another time that the Bible says Jesus became angry was when the people were bringing little children for Him to touch and bless. But His disciples rebuked and tried to send away those who brought the children. "But when Jesus saw this, He was INDIGNANT. And He said to them, 'LET the little children COME to Me! Do not hinder them, for of such is the Kingdom of God!'"—Mark 10:13,14. The sight of His Own disciples trying to prevent small children from coming to Him angered Jesus.—And it was no doubt with an "indignant" tone of voice that He ordered, "Let the little children come to Me!"—So why should WE not ALSO be angered at anything or anybody who would try to hinder or stop folks from coming to Jesus?
18. Of course, the crowning example of Jesus' anger was when He launched an all-out attack against the falsehood, fakery and Pharisaical phoniness of the religious leaders of His day! When He found the religionists robbing and exploiting the poor in the name of God, He made a WHIP with His Own hands, stormed into the Temple and personally beat and drove out the money changers, overturned their tables, poured out their money and loudly rebuked them, saying, "You have turned the house of prayer into a den of THIEVES and ROBBERS!"—John 2:14-16; Matthew 21:12-13.
19. Later that day, Jesus delivered His final message to the Pharisees, in which He became so infuriated at their self-righteous hypocrisy, their merciless oppression of the poor and their rejection of God's truth, that He absolutely EXPLODED with a blast of truth that exposed‚ condemned, cursed and literally DAMNED them to HELL!—A message that so stung them, that from that moment on, they were determined to murder Him, and had Him crucified only a few days later!—See MATTHEW 23!
20. These, and many other examples from the Bible, make it clear that there IS a time to be angry, and that such "righteous indignation" is of GOD! His Word even tells us, "BE ye ANGRY and sin not!"—Ephesians 4:26. So the Lord actually INSTRUCTS us to be angry—IF it's for the RIGHT reasons and about the RIGHT things.—Such as against hypocrisy, injustices or against innocent people being hurt or taken advantage of. Such godly anger should motivate us to try to CORRECT injustices and RIGHT wrongs and take POSITIVE ACTION to REMEDY needy situations!
21. This is the difference between GODLY anger and the "wrath of MAN"‚ of which the Bible says, "the wrath of Man does NOT work the RIGHTEOUSNESS of GOD."—James 1:20. Whereas RIGHTEOUS wrath, or GODLY anger‚ brings about GOOD RESULTS.
HOW TO HANDLE ANGER
22. Sad to say, we do not usually become angry for such noble reasons as those mentioned above. Often our anger simply results from concern about ourselves, from selfishness.—We don't get our own way, our pride is wounded or we somehow feel slighted or mistreated by others‚ so we become frustrated‚ upset and angry.
23. When you realize and recognize that you are becoming angry or upset like this—and that it is obviously not "righteous indignation"—you should try to consciously make an effort to keep such anger under control instead of letting your bad feelings spill out in uncontrolled actions or words! The Bible says, "Let every man be QUICK to HEAR, SLOW to SPEAK and SLOW to ANGER."—James 1:19.
24. To "be quick to hear" is another way to say, "LISTEN CAREFULLY". If you can patiently LISTEN to what's going on and hold back long enough to think and pray about what you're going to say or how you're going to respond, you can usually control your anger and express your feelings in a healthy way. "A FOOL gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control".—Proverbs 29:11. Do NOT talk when you are angry and upset in your own spirit, but AFTER you have calmed down. Hot words never result in cool judgment. A wise man CONTROLS his temper. He knows that anger causes mistakes, hurts those whom we love and destroys friendships!
25. Anger is a strong emotion and it does need to be expressed in some way. But it's a sad thing about your temper: You can't get RID of it by LOSING it! It's true that expressing anger with violent passion—yelling, sharp words and high emotions—does get results‚ but the results are usually NOT too positive! "Hitting the ceiling," as they say, "is a poor way to rise in the world!" And‚ "People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing!"
26. Of course, we are referring here to the "wrath of MAN" that is generated by our OWN spirits, not about righteous indignation, which is inspired by the Lord.—Because if you are stirred up with RIGHTEOUS anger, then sharp words and high emotions CAN get positive results, as you stir OTHERS up and make THEM aware of the sin, evil or injustices that have stirred you up in the first place!—As the Lord told His Prophet Isaiah, "CRY ALOUD, do not hold back, raise your voice like a TRUMPET and SHOW My people their sins!"—Isaiah 58:1.
27. God's Word even tells us‚ "You that love the Lord, HATE evil." And, "The fear of the Lord is to HATE evil, pride, arrogancy and the evil way!"—Psalm 97:10; Proverbs 8:13. If you really love and fear the Lord and have genuine conviction and godly enthusiasm, you will not sit idly by and remain silent about or respond passively to outright evil, wrongdoings and injustices, but you'll stand up and speak out against such things.—ANGRILY if necessary!
28. Such righteous anger is healthy and SHOULD be expressed. The Prophet Jeremiah when beholding the rebellion and iniquity of his backslidden people, said‚ "I am FULL of the FURY of the LORD!—And I CANNOT hold it in!...If I say, 'I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name', His Word is in my heart as a BURNING FIRE, a fire shut up in my bones! I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot!"—Jeremiah 6:11; 20:9.
29. However, if you know that your anger is merely the result of your OWN hurt feelings or pride, you still need to DO something about it if it has built up inside of you. But as we've already shown, it is usually very unwise to vent such anger on others.
30. One solution that many people have found works for them is to REDIRECT their anger. Redirecting the pent–up energy that their anger has generated by cutting the grass, working in the garden‚ taking a walk, exercising, washing the car etc. gives them something to get their mind off of what made them angry in the first place, thus giving them time to "cool off", to think and pray about a solution to the problem.
31. Of course‚ a lot of Christians feel guilty for being angry, so they simply try to IGNORE the fact that they're upset and pretend that they're not. But ignoring anger can be like taking a waste–paper basket full of burning paper and hiding it in the closet! True, the fire may burn out.—But more likely, it may eventually burn the house down! Pent-up, unexpressed anger is unhealthy and has been medically proven to cause all kinds of problems ranging from ulcers, anxiety and headaches to even depression!
32. So if you recognize that you are getting unreasonably angry with someone, try to confess it BEFORE your feelings get out of control! For instance‚ you might say to your mate when a conversation is heating up and getting a little tense, "You know, with the way this discussion is going, I'm afraid I'm starting to feel upset. Now‚ I don't WANT to get angry, and I know YOU don't want me to get angry, so perhaps we could stop and pray and start this discussion over again later, after we've asked the Lord to help us SOLVE this situation." This is an excellent response‚ to confess your anger in such a way that will let the OTHER person know that you're getting angry, without THEM getting angry too! You might say, "I'm sorry but I'm getting upset. What can I do now so we can work this thing out? Could you please pray with me?"
33. If it's too late and you've already been unjustifiably angry with someone, don't be too proud to say you're SORRY! Temper gets people into trouble, but pride KEEPS them there! And if someone's been unjustifiably angry with you, FORGIVE!
34. The BEST cure for a SHORT TEMPER is a LENGTHY PRAYER! PRAY and ask JESUS to HELP you if you have a problem controlling your anger! You can even ask others to pray unitedly FOR you, for there is great power in united prayer together! Memorize Scriptures that speak of anger, and how we as Christians should behave towards others! Proverbs 16:32 says, "He that is SLOW to anger is BETTER than the MIGHTY; and he that CONTROLS his temper than he who conquers a CITY." Ask Jesus to help you today!—HE never fails!
35. Of course, there ARE times when we are JUSTIFIABLY angry or upset with someone, such as when they willfully‚ purposely wrong or harm us or others. Jesus said, "Whoever is angry with his brother WITHOUT CAUSE, shall be in danger of judgment" (Matthew 5:22), which shows that sometimes there IS a "cause" or reason to be angry, even with your "brother".—Which is why the Lord said, "If your brother SINS against you‚ REBUKE him; and if he REPENTS, FORGIVE him."—Luke 17:3. "Rebuke", according to the dictionary‚ means "to REPROVE SHARPLY, to REPRIMAND".
36. But remember, LOVE, HUMILITY and PRAYER solve all problems, and that "as YOU forgive others' sins, so your Heavenly FATHER will forgive YOUR sins."—Matthew 6:14,15. "And as you wish that others should do to YOU, so do unto them" (Matthew 7:12), for this is God's Law of Love! So may God help you to be loving, kind and forgiving, and only to get stirred up and angry if and when the LORD moves you to!—Amen? God bless you!
Definitions: A strong feeling of displeasure and usually of opposition toward someone or something, often brought about by real or imagined injury; rage; fury; wrath. Anger is a broad term that applies to various levels of emotion that may or may not be shown. Temper‚ as used here refers to "the tendency to be easily angered."
* James 1:19‚20 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
* Psalm 37:8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
* Ecclesiastes 7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
* Proverbs 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. [See also Proverbs 14:29.]
* Proverbs 25:28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
* Proverbs 21:24 Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.
* James 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
* Proverbs 19:19a A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment.
* Proverbs 25:8 Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbor hath put thee to shame.
* Matthew 5:22a But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the Judgment.
* Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves‚ but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
* Numbers 20:7‚8,10-12; Psalm 106:32,33 [Moses' outburst of anger caused him to lose the blessing and privilege of leading his people into the Promised Land:] The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 8 Take the rod … and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes [the rebellious congregation]; and it shall give forth his water.... 10 Moses … said unto them, Hear now‚ ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? 11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. 12 And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed Me not‚ to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. Psalm 106:32,33 They angered him [Moses]also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: 33 Because they provoked his spirit‚ so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
* Proverbs 29:11 A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
* Proverbs 14:17a He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly.
* Proverbs 14:29 He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
* Proverbs 19:11 The discretion [good judgment] of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.
* Proverbs 29:22 An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.
* Ecclesiastes 5:2‚6a Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in Heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. 6a Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin.
* Proverbs 15:1a A soft answer turneth away wrath but grievous [harsh] words stir up anger. [See also Proverbs 29:8b.]
* Proverbs 15:18b He that is slow to anger appeaseth [pacifies] strife.
* Genesis 13:7-9 [Abraham wisely appeases strife which arose between his and his nephew‚ Lot's herdsmen.] And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: 8 And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. 9 Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself‚ I pray thee‚ from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
* 1 Samuel 25:1-35 [Abigail wisely pacifies the anger of Israel's king-to-be, David, as he sought to kill her husband:] 32 David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me: 33 And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.
* 1 Corinthians 13:5 [Love] doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked‚ thinketh no evil.
* Ephesians 4:31,32 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
* Colossians 3:8,12-15 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another‚ if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
* Ephesians 4:26b Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.
[See also James 3:17,18.]
* Proverbs 25:23 The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.
* Ephesians 4:26a Be ye angry, and sin not.
* Judges 14:19; 15:14,15; 16:28-30 [The Lord anointed Samson several times to be angry and used this anger to defeat the enemies of His people.] And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil…. 15:14,15 The Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands. 15 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. 16:28-30 And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray Thee, and strengthen me, I pray Thee‚ only this once‚ O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. 29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood.… 30 And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.
* Mark 3:5 [Jesus Himself was frequently stirred up with godly anger, such as the time His hypocritical religious enemies were watching to see if He would break the Laws of Moses by healing the man with the shriveled hand on their holy day, the Sabbath:] And when He had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, He saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. [See verses 1-4.]
* John 2:14-16 [The crowning example of Jesus' anger was when He found certain religionists robbing and exploiting the poor in the Name of God:] And [Jesus] found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 15 And when He had made a scourge [whip] of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; 16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not My Father's house an house of merchandise.
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