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Isaiah 50:4- “The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary…”
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    • What Right Do You Have?

      Posted at 1:53 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on February 5, 2021

      Jonah 4:1,4 – “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. Then the Lord said, “ Is it right for you to be angry?” NKJV

      In my last blog, I touched on the subject of anger in relationship to others. Today, I want to look at anger from another perspective: being angry with God.

      I mentioned several reasons why people deal with anger in general, but I’d like to add to that list: grief, illnesses, financial difficulties, loss of job or home, divorce, abuse, war, loss of mobility, and the list can really get pretty long.  Sometimes we are afraid to admit it to ourselves, and definitely not to others, but if we were truly honest, we are most angry at God.

      Years ago I heard my neighbor was dying of cancer. He was a young man, newly wed, with a lot going for him. And then cancer came calling.  Since we are believers, and we believe in the power of prayer, my husband and I went to visit him to offer him some hope.  Instead of being happy to hear what we had to say, he was angry with us for coming to talk to him about a God who put cancer on him and was taking him away from his family.  At first, I was taken aback because of his intense anger, which seemed to be aimed at us.  But then I realized that he was really angry with God.

      That young man was not alone. So many people go through life, angry with God. They are mad at God because someone was violently attacked or murdered. They are angry with God because a tornado destroyed their home. They are angry because cancer is eating at their body. They are angry because they have horrible parents or horrible children.  They are even angry with Him because they have to blame someone for the mess they call a life.  So much anger, and it is wasted anger, because we are in no position to be angry with God.

      Jonah was God’s prophet. God gave him an assignment to go to Nineveh and to let them know that in 40 days He would destroy the city because of their great wickedness.  Jonah didn’t want to go. As a matter of fact he tried to run away from the assignment that God had for him.  (You’ll have to read the full account on your own), but suffice it to say, Jonah ended up in the belly of a great fish.  After he was spit out of the fish, he went to Nineveh to share the word of Lord.

      Typical of God’s nature, when the Ninevites repent, He forgives them.  Then Jonah becomes really angry with God.  In verse 2 of chapter 4, Jonah pretty much tells God that this is why he ran in the beginning, because he knew that God would forgive them, if they repented.  And he didn’t want that to happen.  You see, Jonah knew by the Spirit of God that later on, Nineveh would be responsible for the destruction of Israel.  And in his opinion, it would be better for God to destroy Nineveh, then for Nineveh to survive and destroy Israel.  So he was pretty upset with God for forgiving them, and God wanted to know what right did Jonah have for getting angry with Him?

      The audacity of Jonah!  I can imagine that this was a hard place for Jonah.  Destruction of Nineveh or the destruction of Israel?  No brainer, or so Jonah felt.  Except…when God has spoken, who can counsel against God?

      Let’s come back to people who are angry with God.  When we teach the Sovereignty of God, we teach that God is in control of everything.  This is true, but it isn’t truth!  Truth is, while God is in control, this earth realm is still in ownership of the devil.  He is still the god of this world.  As believers, we have been given authority over the works of the devil, so in truth, God isn’t in control over everything that is happening in the earth.  He gave dominion to man, through Adam, and Adam gave it to the devil.  Jesus came and triumphed over the devil giving us back the authority.  But if we just walk around and allow the devil to continue to act like he is in control of everything, then he will act like he is.

      I’m not a prophet, and it would be impossible for me to make a prophetic declaration about your situation, but if you are angry with God, I do have to stop and ask you, what right do you have?  I cringe every time I hear someone blame God for the tragedy they experience in this life.  Jesus told us that we would have tribulations and even be persecuted.  Not because God is the author of it, nor because He is allowing it, but because we live in this world.  And all too often, the devil is throwing his darts at our shield of faith.  If we let down the shield, and the darts hit their mark, our heart, it’s not God’s fault.  Or if we do some things that bring about certain situations in our lives, it’s not God’s fault.  Or if we are casual with our relationship with God, and lack watchfulness against the devil, again, it’s not God’s fault.  And sometimes, stuff just plain ole happen, and it’s not God’s fault.  It’s the devil either directly or indirectly!  But it isn’t God!

      God is a good God!  He doesn’t stop being good because we are going through.  Even Jonah recognized that God was so good that He could easily see God forgiving Nineveh!  Even in his rebellion he had absolute faith in the goodness of God. As a matter of fact, it was God’s goodness that angered him so much!

      1 Chronicles 16:34- Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  For His mercy endures forever!

      God is good!  I don’t know your personal situation, or what you are going through, but the Lord is good.  If you can’t focus on anything else right now, focus on His goodness.  Maybe you need to listen to “Lord You are Good” by Todd Galberth!

      Psalm 34:8- “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him.”

      Have you heard of the Brooklyn Tabernacle choir.  They sing a song entitled, “Psalm 34”.  It’ll take you into a place of worship as you sing with them of the goodness of God!

      Lamentations 3:25- “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.”

      If you look for His goodness in your life and your situation, I really believe you will find it.  This is not trite platitudes, but it is my way of life.  I have experienced some things, while I have not experienced some others.  For example: My mother died when I was 9 years old.  Both of her parents died by the time I was ten.  Not many years later, my dad’s father died.  And by the time I had turned 14, he had died.  I had asked God to save me after my mother died, but by the time my father died, I was not happy with God.  But I needed Him so desperately in my life that I decided to cling to Him and hope for the best.  He was better than good!  He was more than wonderful!

      What’s going on in your life may not be good, but God is.  He still asks today, “What right do you have to be angry?”  Turn that anger towards God into anger towards the devil.  Resist his lies about God and shout the truth about God.  You’ll soon realize that your misplaced anger is counter productive and how desperately you need the Lord.  He’s waiting for you with arms open wide.  Step into His embrace and receive His goodness today.  Wonderful Jesus!

      Posted in Attitude, Dealing With Emotions, offense | 2 Comments | Tagged Anger, angry with God, Believer, disappointment, God, goodness of God, Handling difficulties, hurt, Jonah, trust in God
    • Are You Offended With Jesus!

      Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on August 11, 2020

      Matthew 11:2-3 -Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

      are-you-offended-with-jesus_-1.mp3

      This morning I was reminded of a passage in the Bible and I decided to blog about it. Generally speaking, I don’t blog until I feel I have something to say. And this morning I do!

      In the Scriptural text, John sends two of his disciples to Jesus to ask Him, “Are you the One, or look we for another?” There are some interesting dynamics going on here, but the major thing is that John is offended with Jesus!

      The word offense means “to have an annoyance or resentment brought about by a perceived insult to or disregard for oneself or one’s standards or principles.” I believe that John was clearly offended with Jesus. The Bible doesn’t explicitly tell us the why of everything but there are some things we can infer.

      Why would John be asking Jesus is He the One? Was it not John who declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:36)?” And was it not John who declared, “ I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost?” (Mark 1:8) Yes, it is he!

      John said of himself that he was “the voice of one crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord” and that Jesus came after him but was preferred before him. And the greatest statement John made about Jesus was, “And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God!” (John 1:34)

      So I return to my original statement that John was offended with Jesus because he went from “Behold the Lamb of God”….to “are you the One?” Only offense will cause us to question our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!

      Let’s return to Matthew 11, where Jesus responds to John’s disciples. He tells them to report back to John what they heard and saw, but then He makes this statement in verse 6, “And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.” Why would Jesus add this to what He wanted the disciples to tell John? Obviously, John was offended!

      Why was John offended? I don’t know for sure, but scripture let’s know that John is in prison and he is about to die, so offense has come in. He had a perceived notion that he would be protected from the devil because of his service to God. He has spent his entire life preparing the way for Jesus, getting people ready to hear the Messiah and the thanks he is getting is a beheading. What’s wrong with this picture?

      You see, John had the same adversary that we have. While we are living this life in Christ, things are going to happen and the adversary will forever be there to accuse God to us! After all, he is an accuser. He accuses us to God and God to us! And so I am sure that while John was in prison, the devil was in his ear: You spent all that time working for God and now you are going to die! You thought Jesus was the Lamb of God, but if He is, then why are you in prison? Why hasn’t He delivered you! Your life has been a sham, a lie, a joke! He is not the Son of God! Admit it! Your life and ministry has been in vain!

      And so John, in desperation, frustration, aggravation, and offense, sends a message to Jesus. And Jesus, in the way only He can do, sends a message back to John that will settle things for him and bring him peace… “the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor have the gospel preached to them…and oh yes, blessed is he, who shall not be offended in me!”

      This is one of the biggest problems in the church! Offense with Jesus! Yes, we have a problem being offended with others, but the biggest problem is offense with Jesus! We get offended when He doesn’t answer our prayers the way we want Him to, or in a timely manner. We get offended when our loved ones die. We get offended when we are not healed miraculously. We get offended when our spouses desert us or our children go the way of the world. We get offended when our ministries don’t take off and we get offended when we can’t find a husband. And the list goes on and on and on. And once we get offended, we have a problem with Jesus, and if He is truly who He said He is, and can we trust Him to do what He said He would do!

      Well, I am writing today to declare to you, that He is who He says He is, and He does what He said He will do!! He has given us exceeding precious promises and will fulfill all that we can believe Him for! But in the case of John, John knew that Jesus must increase and he must decrease. We use that saying to show our humbleness, but John said it because he had already been told that he and Jesus would not share the same stage. He really had to leave this earth. It was part of his assignment!

      Jesus loved John! John was his cousin by birth, but John was truly His forerunner. Jesus eulogized John by saying that he was a prophet and more than a prophet. And Jesus validates John’s mission in life to prepare the way. Jesus was not uncaring about John, but Jesus understood that something greater was in the making! There was a bigger picture!

      Recently a church member passed. We were believing God for her miraculous healing. But she didn’t get it on this side of heaven. Generally when people I have prayed for and with pass on, I have to fight against the lies and accusations of the devil. But I just made up my mind that I wouldn’t have to this time, because I wouldn’t participate with the lies of the devil. God is a good God! Nope, He is better than good, He is great! And when we get the right heart and mind regarding Him, the devil will not be able to lead us into offense against our Saviour!

      I hadn’t realized that I had written so much, so I will end it here. If God tugged at your heart strings while you were reading this because you have become offended with Him, fix it now! Don’t let another moment go by with you being offended at the Lord! Repent and get your peace back! John did! And he died knowing that he had fulfilled all the plans and purposes of the Lord! And you can, too! Wonderful Jesus!

      Posted in Jesus, offense, trust in God | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Believer, encouragement, Jesus, John the Baptist, miracles of Jesus, offense, trust in God
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