Pastor’s Corner

Brenda, we are praying for John's appointment with the specialist today. We trust all goes well.

Among many good guesses no one guessed, Mary Katherine Goddard who was the publisher of the second copy of the Declaration of Independence, by the postmaster. She was also a journalist, and the very first government employee. So at the very bottom of the document is printed, "Baltimore, Maryland: Printed by Mary Katharine Goddard" . So she is the only woman's name found on this important documant.

Prov. 29:22 "An angry man stirs up strife, and a furious man (hot tempoered man) abounds in (commits all kinds of) transgression."

Verse 20 gave us the warning about talking without thinking, and the many consequences of that sort of conduct, now, we are warned about not allowing our anger or fury from controlling our words or actions.

Now this verse gives us a second warning, worse than speaking without thought, is the person who allows his anger, or frustration to take control of his thinking. In other words, it is much wiser to first take control of our heart & mind.

Solomon gave intense guidance on being a steward, or disciplined soldiers of the heart:

Prov. 3:1 ... may your heart guard my commands

4:4 ... May your heart hold fast to my words...

4:20,21 ... be attentive to my words,... keep them in the middle of your heart.

6:21 ... keep the commands ... bind them on your heart continually ...

7:2,3 Keep my commands & live, ... write them on the tablet of your heart.

10:8 A heart of wisdom will heed commandments

22:17 ... apply your heart to my teaching.

23:12 Apply your heart to instruction ...

23:19 ... my child, hear and be wise, and direct your heart on the road. (In life)

You may ask just why was this "top of mind" to Solomon. Well. Let's think about this for just a minute, Why was David forced to roam the countryside for most of his youth & early adulthood? Why was he even forced to fight for a small sect of the Philistines?

Answer, Saul was continually in a fit of rage, fighting armies who weren't even enemies, just because he was angry. David first played the harp to help comfort Saul, but as he became more & more controlled by his anger David was forced to run away from him.

As Solomon grew up in David's household, we see how important this was for David to warn, instruct, and instill this important principle. (Guard your heart, don't let sin &evil take control of your life.) Unless we protect our heart in this wicked, evil world, we will become estranged from God & His people. As you look around Israel today, in the near east, you see how hatred of the heart takes hold of entire nations.

Just look at this today, here are the enemies of Israel, even as early as last night, their enemies are hurling rockets into the nation of Israel.

Think about the logic of this for a minute; Where in that part of the world is food, produce, meat,

water, and other necessities produced & brought to their world? Where is modern medical care

provided?

Israel, is the primary producer of these needs, and yet who do they hate & attack. The very people

who bring these blessings on their people.

Anger & strife bring harm & evil to all of these surrounding nations, while, God and His people, the

Jews bring blessings & benefits on them, but rather than live in peace & mutual friendship with

those people who assure their survival, they live in hatred & conflict whenever possible.

From just the logical reasoning (wisdom) at the very foundation of this viewpoint, we are baffled,

and yet, it continues. Hatred, conflict, evil, destruction, reign in their part of the world.

As we look to this reality, we are confused and baffled, but this very thing is prevelant in our nation. Hatred for people who have brought blessings on us, right here in our own U. S. A. So we see why this concern needs to be addressed in our lives.

If we allow anger a place in our thinking, it will wreak destruction on those who we love. We see this very recent affect in Tennesse. The feeling of being questioned or rejected, which resulted in frustration, which brought out anger, which resulted in the taking of the lives of innocent children, who had nothing to do with this. How Satan must be pleased with this sort of evil that is so rampant in our day.

All of this based on anger, expanding to strife, then resulting in fury & destruction.

So God With God for He alone can keep our anger in check, only He can bring peace & blessing into our lives. As the famous song says it, "Only Jesus can satisfy your soul."