Anger or Righteous Indignation?
(Part 3)
Remember the prodigal son in Luke 15, starting with verse 11? A certain man had two sons; the younger one said to his father, “I want my share of your estate now instead of waiting until you die.” His father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. The younger took a journey into a far country and there he wasted his substance with riotous living. But in verse 17 it says, “When he came to himself he went home.” He was broke; he confessed that he had sinned against heaven and against his father. His father was instant to forgive him and welcomed him back by throwing a party, a feast. But the older son when he returned from the fields and saw what happened he was very angry and wouldn’t join them. He even accused his younger brother of spending his money on prostitutes. Although the Bible doesn’t say that he spent it on prostitutes but on riotous living.
Is the oldest sons anger justifiable anger or is there a root growing out of his anger that is not of God? The Bible says in verse 22 that the father said to his slaves, bring the finest robe in the house, a jeweled ring for his finger, shoes, kill the calf and we will have a feast. The older brother reacted out of a jealous spirit. Remember the jealous spirit that Saul had for David? The jealous spirit took Saul to this death. Haman’s jealous spirit for Mortecai took Haman to his death.
If these examples of anger cause sin and death, what kind of anger is righteous anger or righteous indignation? Jesus in Mark Chapter 3 entered the synagogue on the Sabbath. He noticed a man there with a deformed hand. Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. Would he heal the man’s hand? If he did they planned to arrest him because no work at all was allowed on the Sabbath. Jesus asked the man to come and stand in front of the congregation. He didn’t want to do anything behind their backs. Then turning to his enemies he asked, “Is it alright to do kind deeds on the Sabbath days or is this the day for doing harm? Is it a day to save lives or destroy them?” But they wouldn’t answer him.
The Bible says, “He looked around at them angrily for he was deeply disturbed at their indifference to human need.” Who are ‘them’? The Pharisee’s. It says “He was angry and grieved for the hardness of their hearts.” Righteous indignation. He knew their plans to kill him, he had keen discernment, active word of knowledge and wisdom.
Did this frighten Jesus? In verse 5 he told the man, “Reach out your hand.” He did and instantly his hand was healed. Were they thrilled to see a man’s hand recreated that was deformed? Not at all, but in verse 6 it says, “At once the Pharisee’s went away and met with the Herodians to discuss plans for killing Jesus. Good deeds, my friend, are not appreciated by those who have a hard heart and a hatred for the true things of God.
Was that the only time Jesus was angry? Turn to John chapter 2, verse 14. In the temple Jesus saw merchants selling cattle, sheep and dove for sacrifice and money changers behind the counters. Jesus made a whip from some ropes and he chased them all out and drove out the sheep and oxen scattering the money changers coins over the floor and turning over their tables. Would you say he was angry? Verse 16, “Going over to the men selling doves, he told them, “get these things out of here, make not my father’s house a house of merchandise.” In verse 17, “The zeal of thy house has eaten me up.” Jesus was indignant, anger aroused by something unjust and unworthy. They were defiling the house of God and he rose up against it. Yet, the Bible instructs us Jesus never sinned.
The enemy has an assignment and that is to keep you from reaching your highest potential. Even to keep you from knowing what that potential is. If he can put up smoke screens along life’s way and keep you in anger, frustration, bitterness and strife he renders you helpless. But when you feel anger rising at times, instead of accepting the guilt and condemnation that seems to accompany it from past experience and from the gainsayers look into the core, the root and analyze what that anger is connected to. Often time’s anger can be directed and redirected at the injustice of a situation rather than a particular person or group of individuals and this gives birth to change.
Boldness blossoms and indignation for offense must arise before action against it is implemented. We will not rise up against something that does not move us in the depths of our soul and spirit. Let justice rise up to speak out of every fiber of your being. You can make a difference. Rebuke fear, and accept your God given boldness. First come boldly before the throne of grace and make your requests known. Let God fill you with His wisdom, his knowledge, understanding and His keen sense of direction so he can lay His strategies for the solution into your very being. For hasn’t he said in ‘all these things we are more than conquerors through him that love us?” Romans 8:37.
The problem we see today is not that many do not have righteous indignation, they do. But laws, more rules, regulations and sheer twisted justice is prevalent to the point that when the righteous step up to stop the injustice and reverse it we have a stronger foe who is listened to more due to so very many in high places who’ve wormed their way in. These individuals are just as unrighteous as the ones they are letting go. They are angry themselves and when they set themselves in high places of influence and judgment they see it as a way of ‘getting even’ with all the perceived injustice done to them, on a personal level. It brings them a sort of twisted high to be able to do things in secret and get away with it. And of course many are paid to make sure that the unrighteous get away with sin.
Who am I talking about? Use your imagination. When was the last time you saw and heard an evil person or group get away with an atrocity? Don’t you think many others felt the same way? Of course, look at the news, television, read books. But why aren’t Americans doing anything about it? We’re too busy trying to fight our own personal battles like finding a job to pay the bills. How about trying to find a way to save your home that the bankers are determined to take from you. They love to take and then sell and resell your home many times over and over again. But you’re not supposed to know they are doing this. They know most can’t afford to hire an attorney to defend them. Oh where are the Job’s of today? Why won’t more step forward to help? The rich get richer and the middle class disappears.
No, I’m not thinking like Obama. I do not hate the upper one percent like he does. Are we not supposed to know that President Obama will retire with approximately seven million dollars? Why is it that no one is talking about this? Doesn’t that place him in the one percent he so seems to hate? Do you hate yourself Mr. President or are you hoping most people will not see your wealth, your expensive, huge home, your bank accounts and your pensions? I’m not against people having money, neither is God. God says he hates covetousness of the money.
Do you know who the angry one is? The one who’s angry is the one who’s been stripped forever of his position in the kingdom of God. Satan and his every thought are to continually find ways to tie up and yes, annihilate your efforts and my every effort to bring about the good and abolish the evil. He uses anyone who will yield to him and his devices. He uses anger which is connected to destructive behavior, rather than the anger which Christ talks about and yes experienced. That anger speaks loudly against the wiles, deceit, secret sins and corruptive devices of this world which spring from all walks of society; those people who have taken oaths to support and protect us.
I wouldn’t give a dime for someone who never gets angry. If righteous indignation doesn’t rise up against the injustice in this world, we won’t make it. Would we have MADD today, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers if a mother who lost her child to a drunk driver hadn’t gotten angry and rose up to strengthen law against drinking and driving? What about ADAM, a little boy abducted, brutalized and killed. His father got angry and now organizes and hunts down perpetrators, gets them sentenced accordingly. Did you know perpetrators are favored? Yes, even protected by your tax dollars. Their sin covered over and their victims are often ignored and or blamed for their attacks. God warns, “Because of the hardness of your hearts you have cut off the goodness of God from coming to you.”
Let’s stand against those things that fight against the truth of God. God is there to support us. He says in Romans 2:8 – “He will terribly punish those who fight against the truth of God and walk in evil ways.” God’s anger will be poured out upon them. For down in their hearts they know right from wrong. God’s laws are written within them. Their own conscience accuses them or sometimes excuses them.
God is calling a people to stand up in boldness of Him. To stand for what’s truth and right. To put on the whole armor of God. To be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might and to know that He will help us to stand against the wiles of the devil. This is not a war of carnal means, but of spiritual warfare, fought by the greatest weapon, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.
(Part 3)
Remember the prodigal son in Luke 15, starting with verse 11? A certain man had two sons; the younger one said to his father, “I want my share of your estate now instead of waiting until you die.” His father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. The younger took a journey into a far country and there he wasted his substance with riotous living. But in verse 17 it says, “When he came to himself he went home.” He was broke; he confessed that he had sinned against heaven and against his father. His father was instant to forgive him and welcomed him back by throwing a party, a feast. But the older son when he returned from the fields and saw what happened he was very angry and wouldn’t join them. He even accused his younger brother of spending his money on prostitutes. Although the Bible doesn’t say that he spent it on prostitutes but on riotous living.
Is the oldest sons anger justifiable anger or is there a root growing out of his anger that is not of God? The Bible says in verse 22 that the father said to his slaves, bring the finest robe in the house, a jeweled ring for his finger, shoes, kill the calf and we will have a feast. The older brother reacted out of a jealous spirit. Remember the jealous spirit that Saul had for David? The jealous spirit took Saul to this death. Haman’s jealous spirit for Mortecai took Haman to his death.
If these examples of anger cause sin and death, what kind of anger is righteous anger or righteous indignation? Jesus in Mark Chapter 3 entered the synagogue on the Sabbath. He noticed a man there with a deformed hand. Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. Would he heal the man’s hand? If he did they planned to arrest him because no work at all was allowed on the Sabbath. Jesus asked the man to come and stand in front of the congregation. He didn’t want to do anything behind their backs. Then turning to his enemies he asked, “Is it alright to do kind deeds on the Sabbath days or is this the day for doing harm? Is it a day to save lives or destroy them?” But they wouldn’t answer him.
The Bible says, “He looked around at them angrily for he was deeply disturbed at their indifference to human need.” Who are ‘them’? The Pharisee’s. It says “He was angry and grieved for the hardness of their hearts.” Righteous indignation. He knew their plans to kill him, he had keen discernment, active word of knowledge and wisdom.
Did this frighten Jesus? In verse 5 he told the man, “Reach out your hand.” He did and instantly his hand was healed. Were they thrilled to see a man’s hand recreated that was deformed? Not at all, but in verse 6 it says, “At once the Pharisee’s went away and met with the Herodians to discuss plans for killing Jesus. Good deeds, my friend, are not appreciated by those who have a hard heart and a hatred for the true things of God.
Was that the only time Jesus was angry? Turn to John chapter 2, verse 14. In the temple Jesus saw merchants selling cattle, sheep and dove for sacrifice and money changers behind the counters. Jesus made a whip from some ropes and he chased them all out and drove out the sheep and oxen scattering the money changers coins over the floor and turning over their tables. Would you say he was angry? Verse 16, “Going over to the men selling doves, he told them, “get these things out of here, make not my father’s house a house of merchandise.” In verse 17, “The zeal of thy house has eaten me up.” Jesus was indignant, anger aroused by something unjust and unworthy. They were defiling the house of God and he rose up against it. Yet, the Bible instructs us Jesus never sinned.
The enemy has an assignment and that is to keep you from reaching your highest potential. Even to keep you from knowing what that potential is. If he can put up smoke screens along life’s way and keep you in anger, frustration, bitterness and strife he renders you helpless. But when you feel anger rising at times, instead of accepting the guilt and condemnation that seems to accompany it from past experience and from the gainsayers look into the core, the root and analyze what that anger is connected to. Often time’s anger can be directed and redirected at the injustice of a situation rather than a particular person or group of individuals and this gives birth to change.
Boldness blossoms and indignation for offense must arise before action against it is implemented. We will not rise up against something that does not move us in the depths of our soul and spirit. Let justice rise up to speak out of every fiber of your being. You can make a difference. Rebuke fear, and accept your God given boldness. First come boldly before the throne of grace and make your requests known. Let God fill you with His wisdom, his knowledge, understanding and His keen sense of direction so he can lay His strategies for the solution into your very being. For hasn’t he said in ‘all these things we are more than conquerors through him that love us?” Romans 8:37.
The problem we see today is not that many do not have righteous indignation, they do. But laws, more rules, regulations and sheer twisted justice is prevalent to the point that when the righteous step up to stop the injustice and reverse it we have a stronger foe who is listened to more due to so very many in high places who’ve wormed their way in. These individuals are just as unrighteous as the ones they are letting go. They are angry themselves and when they set themselves in high places of influence and judgment they see it as a way of ‘getting even’ with all the perceived injustice done to them, on a personal level. It brings them a sort of twisted high to be able to do things in secret and get away with it. And of course many are paid to make sure that the unrighteous get away with sin.
Who am I talking about? Use your imagination. When was the last time you saw and heard an evil person or group get away with an atrocity? Don’t you think many others felt the same way? Of course, look at the news, television, read books. But why aren’t Americans doing anything about it? We’re too busy trying to fight our own personal battles like finding a job to pay the bills. How about trying to find a way to save your home that the bankers are determined to take from you. They love to take and then sell and resell your home many times over and over again. But you’re not supposed to know they are doing this. They know most can’t afford to hire an attorney to defend them. Oh where are the Job’s of today? Why won’t more step forward to help? The rich get richer and the middle class disappears.
No, I’m not thinking like Obama. I do not hate the upper one percent like he does. Are we not supposed to know that President Obama will retire with approximately seven million dollars? Why is it that no one is talking about this? Doesn’t that place him in the one percent he so seems to hate? Do you hate yourself Mr. President or are you hoping most people will not see your wealth, your expensive, huge home, your bank accounts and your pensions? I’m not against people having money, neither is God. God says he hates covetousness of the money.
Do you know who the angry one is? The one who’s angry is the one who’s been stripped forever of his position in the kingdom of God. Satan and his every thought are to continually find ways to tie up and yes, annihilate your efforts and my every effort to bring about the good and abolish the evil. He uses anyone who will yield to him and his devices. He uses anger which is connected to destructive behavior, rather than the anger which Christ talks about and yes experienced. That anger speaks loudly against the wiles, deceit, secret sins and corruptive devices of this world which spring from all walks of society; those people who have taken oaths to support and protect us.
I wouldn’t give a dime for someone who never gets angry. If righteous indignation doesn’t rise up against the injustice in this world, we won’t make it. Would we have MADD today, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers if a mother who lost her child to a drunk driver hadn’t gotten angry and rose up to strengthen law against drinking and driving? What about ADAM, a little boy abducted, brutalized and killed. His father got angry and now organizes and hunts down perpetrators, gets them sentenced accordingly. Did you know perpetrators are favored? Yes, even protected by your tax dollars. Their sin covered over and their victims are often ignored and or blamed for their attacks. God warns, “Because of the hardness of your hearts you have cut off the goodness of God from coming to you.”
Let’s stand against those things that fight against the truth of God. God is there to support us. He says in Romans 2:8 – “He will terribly punish those who fight against the truth of God and walk in evil ways.” God’s anger will be poured out upon them. For down in their hearts they know right from wrong. God’s laws are written within them. Their own conscience accuses them or sometimes excuses them.
God is calling a people to stand up in boldness of Him. To stand for what’s truth and right. To put on the whole armor of God. To be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might and to know that He will help us to stand against the wiles of the devil. This is not a war of carnal means, but of spiritual warfare, fought by the greatest weapon, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.
RSS Feed