CULTIVATING SELF-CONTROL

Today’s society is a society characterized by excesses and addictions. We need to realize that we are capable of indulging in these un-healthy behaviors if we do not exercise self-control. A person who has self-control avoids extreme behavior and exercises self-restraint in both actions and speech. Restraint and self-control aren’t always easy because we have our own free will and we must choose to be of good behavior and temperate in our conduct. Our motivation and goal should be to have every area of our lives under control so we can accomplish God’s purposes in our lives.

We all experience times when we simply do not know what to do. We want to do the right thing, but we are stuck in a gray area of not knowing what that might be. The Bible not only has special instructions about what we should or should not do, but it gives us principles about our behavior too. Henry Ward Beecher said, “The Bible is God’s chart for you to steer by, to keep you from the bottom of the sea, and to show you where the harbor is, and how to reach it without running aground on rocks.”

Self-control is one of the greatest abilities we can have. Self-control and self-discipline work together. Sometimes we may entertain improper feelings that urge us to do something that is mentally, physically, or spiritually harmful. Temptation feeds on these feelings and this is where we either win or lose the battle against sinful behaviors that will spiral our lives out of control if they are put into action. It is very important that we exercise self-control of our thoughts, emotions and speech. Our mind is a fertile ground where sinful thoughts begin. Sinful thoughts are like a deadly disease. If we don’t deal with these thoughts in the very beginning they will become actions in the real world and will wreak devastation in our lives. The more we prevent the spread of sinful thoughts, the less we will have to wrestle with them. We can’t let garbage build up in our minds. Too often we know what to do, but we do not do it. Instead, we allow our emotions to over rule our judgment.

The question we must ask ourselves is: “Who or what controls our lives?” We need to constantly discipline our bodies by avoiding any activities that would be harmful to them. We must discipline our thinking by being cautious about what we read, watch or think. We must determine to feed our minds truth and purity. Our spiritual life must be disciplined by developing habits of Bible study and prayer. Without self-control we can easily be led into sin that will hinder us in our spiritual walk. Our goal should be to master those things that will destroy us. Sound judgment is critical to the exercise of self-control. Sound judgment enables us to determine the boundaries of moderation in our appetites, desires, and habits. It helps us regulate our thoughts and keep our emotions under control. Paul gave us some great advice, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.”(Philippians 4:8) NIV This is the key to help us keep our thoughts pure.

THE TONGUE

Every human being has at his/her command a double-edged device. This device is one that can be used as a constructive tool or a destructive weapon. It is found among people all around the world, within every race, color and creed. It is found among the rich and the poor. It is found in our schools, on television and permeates every facet of our society. It is sometimes a protector of good, but at other times it destroys. It can build friendships but it also can devastate them. It is the tongue.

We witness the misuse of the tongue every day. What we put into our minds determines what comes out in our words and actions. The world does not understand that the Bible, God’s Word, teaches much about what we say, how we say it and when to say it. Words hurt people emotionally just as much as snake venom hurts people physically. Because of our human nature we are prone to using the tongue in the wrong ways and for the wrong purposes. Controlling the tongue is having the wisdom not to say everything that enters our mind. Self-control is an extraordinary virtue and the proof of self-control is that we control our tongue.

The tongue is dangerous and we must be beware of its dangers. We take poison into our beings when we say or repeat unkind things about people. Poison will either kill us or make us deathly ill. Speaking without thinking is tantamount to swallowing deadly poison. As the Holy Spirit purifies our heart, He gives us self-control so that we will speak words that please God and will encourage others.

There is something very significant about the way in which the Creator designed the head. We have seven openings in our head; the number seven in Scripture denotes completeness. We have three pairs of openings; two eyes, two ears and two nostrils. The Creator restricted the seventh opening to one, the mouth. This one opening causes us more problems than all the other six together.  If we take a Bible Concordance and look up all the words related to this one opening such as mouth, tongue, lips, speech and words we will be amazed how much the Bible has to say about this subject. It is with good reason. There is no area in our personality more directly related to our total well being than the mouth.

We must guard our mouth. The tongue is creation’s most lethal weapon. It is the source of all kinds of evil because of the damage it causes in the world. Razor sharp tongues have sent more people to the dark dumpsite of broken dreams and shattered expectations than any other cause. The tongue topples governments, wrecks marriages, ruins careers, destroys reputations and generates grief for innocent people. A few words spoken in anger can destroy a relationship that took years to build.  Our words have a tremendous impact in our lives and the lives of others. What we say and what we don’t say are both important. Control of the tongue is one of the greatest necessities in the Christian life. The tongue reveals either maturity or immaturity. Only a renewed heart can produce pure speech.

ADVERSITY

Adversity comes when we least expect it. Hours before, our lives seemed to be a sea of tranquility, now it resembles a horrific hurricane or tornado. Out of nowhere we are faced with circumstances we never dreamed would come our way. Our calm emotions are turned upside down as waves of emotional unrest sweeps through our mind as the raging winds tear at our heart. Without any warning our lives can be turned upside down in a split second. Had we known adversity was coming, we would have braced ourselves for the storm.

Adversity rarely announces its arrival. Instead, it attacks with fury through trials, heartaches or emotional setbacks. Adversity delivers the untimely news of a loved one’s death, a terminal disease, the loss of a job, satanic attacks against us from those that we believed were our friends, or the crushing reality of a spouse’s betrayal. None of us know how or when adversity will strike. All we can know for certainty is that one-day it will come and pay us a visit. The question becomes not when will adversity strike, but how will we handle its gripping reality?

Unexpected crises are a part of life. There will be times when there is nothing we can do to solve a problem or overcome an obstacle. It is gut wrenching to have to stand by and watch a loved one slowly die from cancer. The doctor’s have done all they can do. We have prayed for God‘s healing and yet the time comes when we have to accept the fact that our loved one is not going to live. We can choose to be bitter or we can put our faith in God knowing that His plans are far superior to ours. He will give us the strength and peace to get through any storm that comes our way.

Overcoming trials can produce the character God wants. God is more interested in our spiritual growth than a lifetime of comfort and pleasure. James wrote, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4) NIV How we handle adversity makes all the difference between success and failure in our lives.

Being a Christian does not make us immune to life’s trials and tribulations.  Adversity builds character and teaches us to have compassion for others. God also uses adversity to humble us. We either learn to depend on God by faith during our trials or depend upon ourselves and become emotional wrecks. God expects us to do our part. He wants each of us to use and develop the mind and ability He has given us and that requires first hand experience. We need to work like the solution depends on us while relying on God to direct our paths. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8) NIV This provides the added security and powerful backing only our Creator can provide. We have either just come out of a storm, we are in a storm right now, or we are headed for one. We can be over comers through our adversities. Apostle Paul wrote, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7) NIV

BLOW THE TRUMPET

BLOW THE TRUMPET

God told the prophet Joel to blow the trumpet. “Blow the trumpet in Zion, sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand.” (Joel 2:1) NIV Where did God tell Joel to blow the trumpet? Joel was to blow the trumpet in Zion among the people of God. The trumpet was not to be blown in the world among wicked people. The trumpet being blown is a warning or wake up call for God’s people to repent.

King Ahab & Jezebel were two very wicked people.  When Jezebel became Ahab’s queen, she began a relentless campaign to rid Israel of all evidences of Jehovah worship. She even ordered the prophets of God to be killed. (1 Kings 18:4) NIV Ahab was a Jew, but he allowed Jezebel to bring the pagan religion of Baal into the land of Israel. Baal worship required human sacrifice of children. These innocent children were sacrificed by fire to the pagan god Moloch. This awful concept of killing children was totally alien to the mind and will of the living God. “They have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as offerings to Baal-----something I did not command or mention, nor did it ever enter my mind.” (Jeremiah 19:5) NIV God has never changed His mind. Ahab and Jezebel plunged Israel to new lows both spiritually and morally and judgment came upon the nation.

What is secular humanism? It is when a civilized society tries to function without God and His moral principles. If we look at America through our spiritual eyes we can see how this once great nation has gotten off track. Just like Ahab, we have stood by and allowed a ruthless campaign by un-godly people in America to remove God from our land and make a law that says it is legal to sacrifice our babies to the pagan god of secular humanism. God is no longer welcome in our schools, our government & public places. We have called right wrong and wrong right. We have substituted the wisdom of man for the wisdom of God.  The church has been asleep too long.  It is time for us to awake from our spiritual sleep, blow the trumpet and sound the alarm among God’s people. 

Throughout the Old Testament God used pagan countries to bring judgment on His people. The prophet aHabakkuk complained to God that He was silent in the midst of widespread idolatry and violence in the land of Judah.  God replied, that He was going to send the Babylonians through the land to plunder, steal and kill. (Habakkuk 1-5) NIV Habakkuk was shocked at this revelation. The fact that God would use a wicked, pagan nation against His own people seemed to shake the prophet’s faith to the core. However, his faith was actually strengthened with further revelation and he could rejoice in God no matter how much suffering lay along his path. (Habakkuk 3:16-19) NIV

Judgment delayed is not judgment denied. Just like Habakkuk we may be asking why God seems to be silent. Many Bible scholars believe America will be judged because no nation has turned away so much light in order to choose darkness. Jesus said, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be required.”(Luke 12:48) NIV Our greatest gift to this country is to return to the Biblical principles of the Bible.

ANGELS….PART 2

 Gabriel is one of the most prominent angels mentioned in Scripture.  He is primarily God’s messenger of mercy and promise. He appears four times in Scripture always bearing good news. The first mention of Gabriel is found in the Book of Daniel. He came to explain the vision Daniel had seen. (Daniel 8:16) KJV He came as a response to Daniel’s prayer. (Daniel 9:21) (KJV) He appeared to the Virgin Mary to announce the impending birth of Jesus. (Luke 1:19, 26) KJV

The word archangel occurs in only two verses of the Bible. (1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Jude 1:9)  The prefix “arch” suggests a chief principal or great angel. Michael is called an archangel and is recognized to be in rank above all angels. He is a special guardian angel for the nation of Israel. He is God’s messenger of law and judgment. We find him leading the armies against the great dragon (Satan) and all his angels in (Revelation 12:7-12) NIV

Angels do not marry or experience death. Jesus said, “At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.” (Matthew 22:30) NIV “And they (men) can no longer die; for they are like the angels. (Luke 20:36) NIV. As spiritual beings, angels know nothing of what it is like to get sick, grow old and eventually die. Someday we, too, will be beyond the reach of these afflictions.

Angels in Scripture appear in white or bright light. The women found the tomb of Jesus empty. “While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleaned like lightning stood beside them and informed them that Jesus had risen.” (Luke 24:4-6) NIV Seven angels were clothed in pure and white linen. (Revelation 15:6) KJV

Angels carry out God’s orders at supernatural speed and with supernatural power.  One angel smote 185,000 soldiers in one night. “That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next--morning there were all the dead bodies.” (2 Kings 19:35) NIV

Angels execute God’s judgments. King Herod Agrippa dressed in his royal apparel and appeared before the people to make a speech. When he finished speaking the people shouted, “It is the voice of a god and not of a man.” Herod delighted in the impact he had made in his speech. God’s response to this idolatrous act was prompt and for Herod, disastrous. “Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down and he was eaten by worms and died. (Acts 12:22-23) NIV

Two angels destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone for their wickedness. (Genesis 19:1-25) KJV God has assigned angels at the “end of the age” to execute judgment on those who have rejected Jesus. Jesus said, “This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:49-50) NIV

ANGELS

I taught a ladies Bible study series on angels in 2008. These are excerpts from my Bible study notes. The word “angel” comes from the Greek word aggelos, which means “messenger” The Hebrew word “mal’ak” means the same thing. The study of angels is a fascinating subject. In this humanistic age in which we live very few people understand the truth about angels. Most people believe in angles, but there are many misconceptions about them. Scripture warns us that "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.'' (2 Corinthians 11:14) KJV Don’t believe everything you hear, read or see in movies about angels. God has told us everything that He wants us to know about angels in His Holy Word.

What is Angelology? Angelology is the study of angels. A good Biblical understanding of Angelology will tell us what the Bible has to say about angels. It is a study of how the angels relate to humanity and serve God’s purpose.

What are angels? They are spirit beings created by God. While it is clear that angels minister to Christians in a variety of ways while we are still living, there is yet another service they perform when we die. “And it came to pass that the beggar died (Lazarus) and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died and was buried” (Luke 16:22) KJV In contrast the Bible lets us know that the rich man did not have an angel escort. It simple says that he died and was buried.

God is a God of diversity. Scientists tell us that there are no two-snow flakes that are identical. Every human is different. Angels are different from each other. It appears from Scripture that angels are not confined to any specific appearance. They assume various forms and appearances according to the nature of the work they are required to perform and to the will of God. The most important characteristic of angels is not that they have power to exercise over our lives, or that they are beautiful, but that they work on our behalf.

How many angels did God create? We do not know the exact number. Apostle Paul tells us in (Hebrews 12:22) KJV “There is an innumerable company of angels.” Innumerable simply means too many to be counted or numbered.  “The number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands.” (Revelation 5:11) KJV

The Scriptures are full of dramatic evidences of the protective care of angels in their earthly service to God.  One classic example of the protective care of angels is found in (Acts 12:5-11) KJV Peter was in prison awaiting his execution. James, the brother of John, had already been killed and there was little reason to doubt that Peter would escape the executioner either. Peter lay bound in chains sleeping between two soldiers that were guarding him. An angel appeared, not deterred by such things as doors or iron bars. The angel shook Peter awake and told him to prepare to escape. As a light shone in the prison, Peter’s chains fell off and Peter got dressed. As they approached the iron gate it supernaturally opened and Peter followed the angel to the outside. Then the angel disappeared. What a mighty deliverance God achieved through His angel.

INTEGRITY

Why does it seem that the very fabric of our society is becoming unraveled amid the revelations of lust, greed and immorality in high and low places? What is happening and where are we headed? Has there ever been a more critical time in history when we needed people of integrity? The need for integrity today is perhaps as great as it has ever been. Integrity is essential if we are going to become people who positively and powerfully impact others.

What is integrity?  The dictionary defines integrity as “the quality or state of being of sound moral principles, uprightness, honesty and sincerity.” What does being moral mean? Again, according to the dictionary moral means “capable of making the distinction between right and wrong in conduct.” That’s man’s definition, but what about God’s?

God’s integrity is doing the right thing even if it cost us. It means obeying God’s law, speaking only truth and putting the other person ahead of ourselves. It means displaying the character of God in our daily walk. There will be times that we will find we have to stand-alone when we take a stand for the truth. Take a stand anyway. 

Integrity is the foundation of character. The single most important quality we can ever develop that will enhance every part of our life is the value of integrity.  A person with integrity will be totally honest and truthful in every part of their life. It is our choice of values and resolution to live by those values that form our character and personality.  Only a person who is consistently living a life with the highest values and virtues is a person truly living a life of integrity. People with high integrity realize that everything they do is a statement about them.

Our integrity is manifested in adhering to the values that are most important to us. It is easy to make promises but often very hard to keep them. But every time we keep a promise that we’ve made, it is an act of integrity, which strengthens our character.

Walking in integrity. More than anything, walking in integrity means that our words and actions are in agreement. In times past in the United States, it was said, “a man’s word was his bond.” If a man said he would do something, that was it, you could take those words to the bank and be sure he would carry them out. Business deals worth many thousands of dollars were concluded on a word and a handshake.

God’s nature defines moral values. A righteous or upright moral character is a reflection of God’s character; a depraved or corrupt moral character is anything that goes against, or is contrary to God’s character.

Values influence conduct. What we believe will influence what we do. We may be able to hide our true values, character and motives for a while; but when we do so, we merely introduce another character trait in our lives and that is hypocrisy. We cannot hide it forever. In the end, the day will come in which our true character will be exposed and known to all.